The members of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) are probably not intimately familiar with Taylor Swift’s back catalogue. If they were, Swift’s hit “Cruel Summer” may have been ringing in their ears when cutting rates today for the first time since March 2020.
The Momentum factor picked up where it left off at the end of the first quarter, turning in another standout performance in the April-through-June timeframe and ending the second quarter as the factor most relevant to positive performance.
The small cap rally has primarily been a de-risking event. It's unclear at this point whether it’s just a blip or the beginning of a new trend in market leadership.
The momentum we've seen in U.S. equity markets over the past year continued in the second quarter of 2024. With large technology stocks leading the wave, the S&P 500 index has risen 23% in the 12 months ended June 30.
On the latest edition of Market Week in Review, Director of Investment Strategies, Shailesh Kshatriya, discussed the recent strength in U.S. small cap stocks and the likelihood of a September rate cut from the Fed. He also provided an update on the latest inflation numbers from Canada and the UK.
It's important to understand the true meaning behind the names of investment funds, especially when it comes to those labeled "tax-managed"
On the latest edition of Market Week in Review, Investment Strategist BeiChen Lin and Regional Director Chris Kalman discussed the highlights from June’s U.S. inflation report.
I have been looking forward to writing this blog for a long time. I joined Russell Investments on July 12, 2004 and now that it is my 20th anniversary, I feel it’s the right moment to share some of what I have learned along the way.
With so much uncertainty in the political landscape, investors may be nervous — and they may be reluctant to remain in the market. This is why an advisor's role as a behavioral coach is so important.
An extended period of calm means investors must be vigilant and not become complacent. However, it's not necessarily a harbinger of an impending volatility event.
As part of our annual tradition, we’ve reached out to Russell Investments’ associate base to come up with four recommended books for this year’s summer reading list. Below are our choices, which cover a wide variety of topics, including leadership development, diversity and inclusion and the artificial intelligence revolution.
On the latest edition of Market Week in Review, Senior Director and Chief Investment Strategist for North America, Paul Eitelman, and Regional Director for North America Advisor & Intermediary Solutions, Lam Guluka, discussed key market themes from the second quarter.
U.S. corporate pension plan sponsors are required to measure their plan liabilities for a few important purposes.
As an advisor, you know that no two clients are alike. Each has their own financial goals, risk tolerance and opinion on how they want to invest.
On the latest edition of Market Week in Review, Director and Senior Investment Strategist Alex Cousley discussed recently released economic data from China, including home prices and credit numbers. He also covered the Bank of England’s (BoE) recent rate decision and provided an update on U.S. retail spending during May.
Small cap performance has been a hot topic lately, with many pundits declaring the small cap premium on life support or dead altogether.
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) is expected to sunset at the end of next year and there is likely to be a lot of chatter about what the potential changes in tax laws could mean for U.S. taxpayers.
Partnering with firms that have the requisite scale and demonstrated access to top-tier investment opportunities is one way investors can potentially eliminate the J-curve in a private markets investment program.
On the latest edition of Market Week in Review, Investment Strategist BeiChen Lin and Product Operations Analyst McKenna Painter discussed the latest U.S. inflation data and how it could impact Fed policy. They also assessed when the BofE could begin lowering borrowing costs and concluded with an update on economic growth in China.
Many investors and advisors take rebalancing for granted because it’s often done behind the scenes
You’ve probably heard the term “direct indexing.” It seems like everyone is talking about it. You’ve probably also read that sales of direct indexing products are booming. But what exactly is direct indexing?
On the latest edition of Market Week in Review, Chief Investment Strategist for North America, Paul Eitelman, and Equity Manager Research Analyst Michelle Batjargal discussed the results of first-quarter earnings season around the globe.
Three key reasons why investors should consider allocating capital to private credit for substantial and differentiated returns.
What exactly is a market bubble, and how can investors recognize one?
The consensus outlook among analysts today is that tech innovation will rewrite the global productivity index, with AI (artificial intelligence) and automation expected to bring a new wave of industry efficiencies.
The promise of independence is luring more and more advisors to the Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) channel. RIA headcount has grown rapidly over the past decade and by 2027, Cerulli estimates that RIAs will control nearly one-third of intermediary asset market share.
On the latest edition of Market Week in Review, Director of Investment Strategies, Shailesh Kshatriya, and ESG and Active Ownership Analyst Zoe Warganz discussed the U.S. inflation and retail sales reports from April, as well as the market’s reaction. They also chatted about the improving economic outlook in Europe.
In today's financial climate, marked by interest rate and geopolitical uncertainties, infrastructure investment offers financial and strategic opportunities. However, traditionally infrastructure portfolios have been divided into listed and unlisted segments, with investors choosing between one or the other.
Managers are increasingly focusing on sectors beyond tech that could benefit from the rise in AI in the short term. These include healthcare and consumer companies, which also have more attractive valuations.
Anticipation is one of those mental states that can result in either relief, or disappointment. We may anticipate the results of a test, for example, and feel relieved if the results are good, or disappointed if they are not.
The U.S. repurchase agreement, or “repo” market, provides more than $3 trillion in short-term funding each day. Most repo transactions are overnight and are collateralized by Treasuries.
ESG integration is a trend financial markets are familiar with, but that doesn’t mean all asset classes are at the same levels of progress. ESG means different things to different people, and its integration into equity investment does not represent the same journey experienced in fixed income.
As institutional investors, we most often represent risk as standard deviation or tracking error. But when we implement changes in our portfolios, the real-time risk happens much faster.
Do presidents and prime ministers make economies? Or do economies make presidents and prime ministers? 2024 is a year of significant elections, with more voters heading to the polls worldwide than ever before.
Life is full of surprises. If you don’t have a crystal ball, you can’t really predict what may come next in your life—or in the markets. That’s why we should always be prepared for any potential situation.
Over the last five years, financial markets grappled with two generational upheavals—the Covid pandemic and the subsequent inflation surge post the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Recent media coverage about how best to construct and manage portfolios has many wondering whether institutional investors are facing a paradigm shift right now.
As non-profit investors set their investment and spending policies, it is important to consider their organizational circumstances during a market shock.
We’ve just come through the first quarter of 2024 – and what a quarter it was! Hard on the heels of a robust end to 2023, the S&P 500 Index rose 11% in the first quarter of this year. This is the first time since 2012 that it’s had back-to-back double-digit quarterly returns.
Markets started the year anticipating several U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed) rate cuts in 2024, but by the end of the first quarter, a continued string of stronger-than-anticipated economic data readings led to a significant dialing-down of expectations.
Private markets have been viewed by institutional investors as key to a well-diversified portfolio. Benefits of these strategies: long-term outperformance over public markets, with increasingly important diversification benefits as the universe of publicly traded stocks continues shrinking and performance becomes increasingly concentrated to a few mega-cap tech companies.
On the latest edition of Market Week in Review, Investment Strategist BeiChen Lin and Sophie Antal-Gilbert, Head of AIS Portfolio & Business Consulting, discussed the U.S. first-quarter gross domestic product reading. They also reviewed the latest U.S. inflation data and provided an update on U.S. first-quarter earnings season.
Much like the NFL draft, portfolio managers undergo rigorous evaluations. Their track record, investment process, and stock selection process are considered. Additionally, qualitative assessments, including manager interviews and onsite visits, offer insights into their character and decision-making prowess.
Another strong quarter in markets led to another stellar performance for the Momentum and Growth factors.
It’s a frequent question asked by organizations looking for an outsourced investment solutions provider. Our answer may surprise you.
Investing in private markets has obvious upsides, including potential higher returns, access to a broader opportunity set, and greater diversification.
Just as a GPS navigator analyzes real-time data to recalibrate routes efficiently, active management interprets market conditions to steer portfolios towards investment goals.
Japan has had two big moments in the last month, with the Nikkei 225 equity index breaking above the highs set in 1989, and the Bank of Japan (BoJ) raising interest rates for the first time in 17 years.
Our investment leadership team convened twice on Sunday to discuss the conflict between Iran and Israel, its key watchpoints in the days ahead, and the pertinent risks onto markets, our investment portfolios, and our clients. The team broadly agreed that maintaining a slightly defensive posture across portfolio strategies remained appropriate.
Despite expectations for interest rate cuts by the Fed, yields have risen since the start of the year, with the government 10-year bond yield climbing nearly 70 bps this year through April 10. This is a sharp reversal from what occurred in Q4 2023 when the 10-year yield collapsed by 71 bps.
