UBS On-Air: Market Moves

Third quarter GDP data comes out of some European economies, and the US. The data will be wrong because (as recent US revisions so clearly demonstrated) economic statistics fail to capture the rapid pace of structural economic change. Comparing headline GDP in countries like Italy and Germany (declining populations) with countries like the US (rising population) is unfair.

Leslie stops by to explain the factors that are driving rate volatility, along with potential US election outcome implications for fixed income investors. We also cover a near-term outlook for fixed income markets, along with review positioning considerations within the asset class. Featured is Leslie Falconio, Head of Taxable Fixed Income Strategy Americas, UBS Chief Investment Office. Host: Daniel Cassidy

US job vacancy data is due. The survey response rate for this data is so low as to class those who do bother to respond as peculiar. Moreover, the data measures externally advertised vacancies only, and the surge and retreat in job vacancy numbers probably owe more to the changing ratio of internal to external job vacancies within companies.

With Election Day roughly a week away, combined with the upcoming October employment report, November FOMC meeting, and an abundance of Q3 corporate earnings ahead, investors will have a lot to digest over the next two weeks. Jason provides some thoughts on these factors, along with outlines CIO’s medium-term market outlook, and latest positioning guidance. Featured is Jason Draho, Head of Asset Allocation Americas, UBS Chief Investment Office. Host: Daniel Cassidy

Japan’s governing coalition lost its majority in the Diet lower house. Prime Minister Ishida signaled that he does not intend to resign, but a third coalition partner must now be sought. This creates market uncertainty. If political bargaining drags on, the Bank of Japan might delay raising rates. Opinion polls underestimated support for the opposition—a reminder that investment decisions should not be based on opinion poll evidence, anywhere.

In this livestream, Global Head of Investment Communications Kiran Ganesh and colleagues discussed the implications for Fed easing and US equities, while evaluating risks from the upcoming US election, and looked at the scenarios for the months ahead.

US Michigan consumer sentiment is due, including the inflation expectations reading. Is this useful information? It is not. The data will be distorted by frequency bias (there is more to life than food and fuel for the family fleet of SUVs, but that is pretty much all US households focus on for inflation). Political bias will also distort the data—Republicans think they are living in Weimar Germany, Democrats think inflation is under control.

Patricia Zobel serves as Head of Macroeconomic Research and Market Strategy for Guggenheim Partners Investment Management, and previously served as an executive at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (New York Fed). Patricia shares perspective on a range of topics, spanning an outlook for the US economy, to the direction of monetary policy. We also spend time on allocation preferences across fixed income, real estate, and ex-US. Host: Daniel Cassidy

Our conversation revisits the emerging markets as we explore opportunities across equities and bonds, along with touch on what investors should keep in mind as it relates to the upcoming US election. Plus, we take inventory of what was a busy month of September spanning monetary and fiscal policy developments out of the US and China. Featured is Xingchen Yu, Emerging Markets Strategist Americas, UBS Chief Investment Office. Host: Daniel Cassidy

The authors of the latest Federal Reserve Beige Book are clearly followers of TikTok memes. The economy was described as being modest and demure (actually as growing at a “slight or modest pace” but it amounts to the same thing). The benign growth story fits with most economists’ central projections. On inflation, anecdotes suggested a more concerted resistance to profit-led inflation from consumers.