Geopolitics rarely stay contained to the headlines for long. Conflict in the Middle East is already reverberating through energy markets, reminding investors how quickly war can ripple into the global economy. Oil prices are the key transmission channel, and how far they rise and how long they remain elevated could shape the outlook for growth, inflation and policy, with implications for bond markets.
War’s Transmission Pipeline: Oil
The war in Iran is the latest in a series of shocks with the potential to disrupt economies and financial markets. If the conflict resolves quickly and energy prices retreat, the shock may prove short-lived. If not, it could be much more severe. The only certainty now is uncertainty.
West Texas Intermediate crude traded around $67 a barrel on February 27, the day before hostilities escalated. Within 10 days, prices had surged past $100. But what matters most for the global economy is persistence. Higher fuel costs force governments, households and businesses to spend more on energy and less elsewhere—raising the risk of a stagflationary mix of slower growth and higher prices.
For central banks, that combination is tricky. Should central bankers raise rates to rein in rising prices? Or lower rates to stem slowing growth? The quandary suggests that the Federal Reserve and European Central Bank may stay on hold as they await further clarity. And while China has accumulated an oil stockpile that should see it through the supply disruption for now, other Asian economies are major importers of oil products, and most don’t have the ability to replace oil and gas that typically come from the Middle East.
Is This 2022 All Over Again?
Today’s oil shock invites comparisons to 2022, when Russia’s invasion of Ukraine triggered a sharp surge in energy prices, reigniting inflation and forcing central banks to tighten aggressively. The result was the worst year on record for modern bond markets, which tumbled in tandem with equities. But the backdrop today is different.
Policy rates are no longer near zero, there is no post-pandemic reopening tailwind, and fiscal capacity is more constrained. That leaves central banks facing a more difficult trade-off: tightening into a supply-driven shock risks exacerbating an already fragile macro environment and increasing the risk of financial stress, while holding back allows inflation pressures to build.
This is not 2022—and, in our view, reacting as if it were would be a mistake. So far, financial markets have been volatile but well behaved. But geopolitical conflicts are complex and unpredictable. For bond markets, the result is greater uncertainty around the path of inflation and interest rates—conditions that call for caution but that also widen dispersion across regions and sectors, creating opportunities for active investors.
Six Strategies to Put into Action
Our outlook entering the year favored resilient portfolios—active duration, global diversification, and a balance of rate and credit risks. In our view, these strategies remain well suited to today’s increasing uncertainty, as they help position active investors to absorb volatility and capture new opportunities as they arise.
Diversify duration. In our view, today’s environment argues for keeping bonds anchored within overall portfolios—and that means holding duration. But don’t just set your portfolio duration and forget it. When yields are higher (and bond prices lower), lengthen the duration; when yields are lower (and prices higher), trim your sails. And remember, high current yields provide a cushion against price declines.
We believe that duration should also be sourced from diverse regions. A globally diversified approach to duration may offer a sturdier foundation for bond portfolios. Curve positioning, too, is a lever that shapes how portfolios respond as the rate environment evolves.
Government bonds remain the purest source of interest-rate sensitivity and remain essential for liquidity. But investors can also take duration through securitized markets such as agency mortgage-backed securities, which provide both duration and incremental yield. Securitized assets are also somewhat less exposed to energy-related disruption, in our analysis.
Adopt a balanced stance. As we see it, a balanced posture across rates and credit provides a sturdier mix of resilience and income. Among the most effective strategies are those that pair government bonds and other interest-rate-sensitive assets with growth-oriented credit assets in a single, dynamically managed portfolio.
This pairing helps diversify exposure to macro drivers and mitigate tail risks. Combining diversifying assets in a single portfolio makes it easier to manage the interplay of rate and credit risks and to readily tilt toward duration or credit according to changing market conditions.
Focus on quality credit. Since the conflict escalated, credit spreads have risen modestly off extremely tight levels but remain contained. Credit has repriced less sharply than stocks, and we expect that resilience to persist. We think yield levels are a more reliable guide to forward returns than spreads alone. And yields look compelling across many credit-sensitive sectors.
That said, the range of potential outcomes has widened, making selectivity key, in our view. Structural themes such as the AI-driven capex cycle continue to create opportunity, though we believe investors should approach them with cautious optimism, looking past extremes of enthusiasm and aversion. Recent geopolitical developments are also introducing additional uncertainty and dispersion across industries.
We think it makes sense to underweight cyclical industries, CCC-rated corporates—which account for the bulk of defaults—and lower-rated securitized debt, as these are most vulnerable. Mixing higher-yielding sectors across the rating spectrum—including high-yield corporates, emerging-market debt and securitized assets—provides further diversification.
Temper equity volatility with high yield. Historically, high-yield bonds have delivered returns comparable to equities but with meaningfully less volatility—and have generally outperformed equities in periods of below-trend growth. In our view, that makes high yield a credible complement for investors aiming to ease equity volatility without materially sacrificing return potential.
Harness a systematic approach. Today’s environment also increases potential alpha from security selection. Active systematic fixed-income approaches may help investors harvest these opportunities. Systematic strategies rely on a range of predictive factors that aren’t efficiently captured through traditional investing. Because systematic approaches depend on different performance drivers, we believe their returns complement traditional active strategies.
Protect against inflation. We think investors should consider increasing their allocations to inflation strategies, given the risk of future surges in inflation and inflation’s corrosive effect.
Staying Disciplined in a Disrupted Landscape
Taken together, we believe these elements create a more resilient fixed-income foundation. In our view, diversified sources of duration, balanced rate and credit exposures, and ample liquidity provide a framework that can absorb uncertainty while remaining nimble enough to quickly capture fresh opportunities as they arise.
The views expressed herein do not constitute research, investment advice or trade recommendations, do not necessarily represent the views of all AB portfolio-management teams and are subject to change over time.
Scott DiMaggio is a Senior Vice President, Head of Fixed Income and a member of the Operating Committee.
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