JHML News and Press, John Hancock Multifactor Large Cap From 04/05/22

Recession forecasts are topical lately, driven by the recent inversion of the Treasury yield curve for 2- and 10-year rates. US nonfarm payrolls rose 431,000 in March, extending a run of healthy gains that suggests the economy’s forward momentum remains strong. Economic mom...

The expected risk premium for the Global Market Index ticked slightly higher in March to an annualized 5.8% pace, fractionally above last month’s estimate. Using short-term momentum and medium-term mean-reversion market factors (defined below) to adjust the forecast trims GMI&#...

The 10/2 spread is one point on the Treasury yield curve which is positively sloped from 1 month to 3 years, negatively sloped from 3 years to 10 years, and positively sloped again from 10 out to 30 years. The dollar is still near the top of its long-term range and I don’t see ...

Pick any barometer of costs these days, and the story is the same: Prices are up - and in a dramatic fashion. The first thing that jumps out is the dismal performance of most asset classes during periods of low growth and high inflation - otherwise known as stagflation. A solid fo...

Among the most surprising developments of 2021 was the collapse in consumer confidence and sentiment survey results amidst the strong post-pandemic recovery. Confidence peaked in June of last year but is still well above its 2020 recessionary low, as the abundance of job openings and ...

The odds of a US economic contraction in the immediate future remain low, but blowback from the Ukraine war and elevated inflation risk could quickly change the calculus. Incoming data in the weeks ahead could be unusually critical inputs for deciding how or if to change the current l...

Most of the stocks we are adding now are prospering from the current inflationary environment that accelerated after Russia invaded Ukraine. As investors seek inflation hedges that can prosper from stagflation, stocks remain our best bet. Specifically, commodity-related companies - as...

The blowback from the war in Ukraine has only just started to rock the global economy, but the early clues for the US remain encouraging. An added factor of uncertainty, some economists advise, is changes in the forces of growth and contraction. So far, however, there are reasons ...

The difference between the current correction and a bear market is the presence of a recession. If you think the economy will avoid a recession, you should “BTFD.” If not, you should “STFR” and reduce your risk exposure. there are many reasons to suspec...

Does a recession call rise to the level of a high-confidence forecast? No, not yet. Hedging one’s bets on the business cycle for the US is, for now, rational. It would be naïve to assume that all is well and that recession risk is destined to remain low for the foresee...