PRFZ News and Press, PowerShares FTSE RAFI US 1500 Small-Mid Portfolio From 01/21/23

Summary Looking at the most recent readings of many economic indicators, nowcasting gives a more up-to-date reading of the economy than gross domestic product. The weakest US sector is housing. Building permits have been on a downward trend for much of 2022 and dropped again in December...

Summary ClearBridge is a leading global asset manager committed to active management. Research-based stock selection guides our investment approach, with our strategies reflecting the highest-conviction ideas of our portfolio managers. The pro-cyclical tilt of our portfolio helped the S...

Summary Falling wages reduce the odds of a 1970s style outcome. The biggest lesson for me was the sheer uncertainty of the future. We keep threatening to default on ourselves over a self-imposed constraint that doesn’t actually constrain anything. Here are some thin...

Summary One of the big stories late last fall was the abrupt about-face turn by the Chinese government on its zero-Covid policy. There is a connection of sorts tying together the newfound fondness for Chinese and European assets. Small-cap domestic stocks do still seem to demonstrat...

Summary Stocks have rallied to start the year due to financial conditions easing. The Fed, to this point, has been unable to convince the markets of its commitment to raise rates. Vice-Chair Lael Brainard speaks this week and could be personified to reset market expectations. ...

Summary Markets may be underestimating the stickiness of inflation and central banks’ determination to beat it - and what that means for growth and corporate earnings potential. We favor fixed income and credit over equities, and investment grade over high yield. Should infla...

Summary The CPI cooled again in December driven by a massive fall in Energy prices. A big driver behind the fall in Energy prices has been the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Lower inflation is “good for gold” as the Fed can theoretically pull back on hikes. ...

Summary U.S. nearing its statutory debt limit of ~$31.281 trillion. Congressional gridlock on changing the debt limit appears likely. Fed QT roll-off of $60 billion in U.S. Treasury securities is continuing. Secretary of Treasury, Yellen, has warned the Speaker of the U.S. House...

Summary Why the second half of 2023 may be good for markets. Inflation may be cooling, but the labour market isn't. Why investors are having a mixed reaction to encouraging CPI numbers. U.S. consumer inflation data showed prices softening in December. Greg Bonnell ...

Summary Market divergence between bulls and bears in 2023. Are markets listening to what central banks are saying about interest rates? Why perception may be worse than reality when it comes to market sentiment. There appear to be widely differing views on what 202...