ZF News and Press, Virtus Total Return Fund Inc. From 07/21/21

Growth-oriented asset classes are likely to shine, but not equally. Above-trend growth is a supportive environment of risky assets like equities or credit. On valuation grounds, equities are looking a little cheaper. Geraldine Sundstrom and Erin Browne discuss PIMCO’s views...

It would be normal for markets to go sideways over the summer months, especially considering the fast spread of the Covid Delta variant, and more cases globally. Other obvious triggers for a consolidation would be a more aggressive signaling for a change in Fed policy, which is unlike...

A majority of BlackRock investors in a recent survey felt that inflation would be transitory. Yet, they also felt the market might overreact to the inflation data, making some portfolio protection prudent. Economically sensitive cyclical stocks have had a very strong run since the ann...

Strategas Managing Director and Head of Fixed Income Research Tom Tzitzouris breaks down the recent action in the bond market. He hits on the hotter-than-expected inflation data, the Fed’s actions, and his outlook for interest rates. He also discusses another headwind appro...

It is impossible to avoid all risks. I attempt to identify as many risks as possible and manage these risks by addressing them. All assets have embedded risks, whether we can identify them or not. Should one invest in growth or value? In examining eleven time periods, the average grow...

The first two weeks in July is the best two-week period of the year historically for stocks. The issue, or the important signal, to note would be if markets did not go higher at the beginning of the quarter. The market passed the first two weeks in July test - barely. The S&P 500 ...

A series of new all-time index highs but no popping of corks. A flight to safety goes on under the surface - a 1.25% yield on the 10-year Treasury July 7, coupled with a "risk-off" 7% drop in the Russell 2K since July 1. Are we headed for an economic slowdown or recession? This qu...

While the economic growth rate is slowing, that is not a contraction or a recession. If that was the case, you’d see junk bonds selling off too, and that just isn’t the case - at least not yet. Our investment process puts a lot of emphasis on rates of change, whether mac...

The world economy has performed about as well as could be expected, if one takes as given the pandemic and the inadequate public health response. Global growth in 2020 was negative 3.3 per cent, which is very low historically. But the economic outlook is stronger now than one would ha...

One of the biggest challenges an investor faces right now is what to do with the US stock market. It is expensive, but the US government and the Fed seem willing to do anything to keep the market from crashing. What has previously happened to the US stock market when US inflation ...