Investments Unplugged

What’s the score on stocks? Are currencies inbounds? Should investors play through or go grab a drink from the 19th hole? Sandy Sanders, Head of U.S. Core Value Equity team at Manulife Investment Management, joins the Capital Markets Strategy team to look at current investment plays and conditions on the field, as well as: • economic health of Canada and the U.S. • earnings in cyclical vs staple businesses • valuation and returns in the technology sector • U.S. monetary policy Get ready to...

Good day, class, and welcome to our back-to-school session. We hope you had a great summer! Join the Capital Markets Strategy team as they lead us in a discussion about what has happened in 2021, so far, and what we might expect in the months ahead. They cover a lot of subjects this year, including: • fixed-income investments’ lackluster performance • surprising performance of equity markets • continuing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic • valuations and earnings growth • inflation’s effects...

Equities are up; bonds are down. Stronger economic gains and job growth in the U.S. and Canada seem to show that a recovery is in progress. But what happens next? The Capital Markets Strategy team looks back at the first half of 2021 and peers ahead to where we may be going in second half. They cover things like: • a possible equity market correction • increasing interest in emerging markets • valuation variations • what prices of commodities like corn, copper, and coffee may indicate •...

The bond markets don’t sleep, so why should you? The Capital Markets Strategy team is joined by Christopher Chapman and Peter Azzinaro, from the Strategic Income team at Manulife Investment Management, to discuss the activity within the fixed-income investment world. They cover topics like: • the strategy around risk-adjusted returns • looking at the bigger picture of the global bond market • whether inflation is transitory or persistent • where the 10-year Treasury yield could go from here...

Distinguishing between market signals and market noise can help you make good investment decisions. Conrad Dabiet, Senior Managing Director at Manulife Investment Management, offers his insights on managing portfolios and lessons learned over his extensive career, such as: • the core views and principles of his Value Equity team • how the team has responded to pandemic-driven volatility • learning about companies, understanding business, and finding opportunities • the psychology of buying...

Have emerging markets changed enough to make them worth looking at as a core asset class? Philip Ehrmann, Senior Portfolio Manager at Manulife Investment Management, joins host Philip Petursson to discuss this and other topics related to emerging markets, such as: • areas of the world that are considered emerging markets • changes to the sector structure • how politics can affect their evaluation • building an emerging markets portfolio • the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccination...

You ask — we hear you. The Capital Markets Strategy team loves receiving and responding to your questions. So, each quarter, the team will devote an entire podcast episode to answering the ones you ask most often. In this episode, they discuss topics like: • Why are long-term bonds down currently? • Where are yields and inflation headed, and what could it mean for fixed-income investors? • What can we expect from the energy sector for the rest of this year? • Are emerging markets still...

The 2021 Canadian federal government budget — it’s finally here. But what’s in it? John Natale, Head of Tax, Retirement, and Estate Planning Services at Manulife Investment Management, joins host Philip Petursson to share his thoughts about economic impacts of the 2021 federal budget: • revenue generation through the “wealth consumption” tax • affordable chid care effects on the labour force • whether tax rates may increase • how the government may pay for the projected deficit … and other...

The economy continues to reopen, more people are receiving COVID-19 vaccinations, and the day when the pandemic is no longer a significant part of our lives draws closer. In light of this, the Capital Markets Strategy team discusses their economic outlook at the end of the first quarter of 2021: • Could massive pent-up demand and low inventories affect the economic rebound? • How does monetary and fiscal stimulus factor into the markets? • Equities or fixed income — which is currently the...

Inflation rates — should we be paying attention to them now? And what do they have to do with long-term bond yields? The Capital Markets Strategy team weighs in on several subjects related to inflation and fixed-income investments: • Will inflation increase in 2021? • What do bond yields tell us about the economy? • Where do unemployment, wage pressure, and fiscal stimulus fit into this scenario? • How could investors react to a low-yield environment that’s moving higher? … and they banter...

What happens when a dividend growth strategy is applied to exchange-traded funds (ETFs)? In this episode of Investments Unplugged, Brett Hryb, Head of Beta Management at Manulife Investment Management, joins host Philip Petursson to talk about this and related topics, including: • portfolio building and management • dividend payout ratios • blending active and passive investment strategies • what equity investors should consider.

Market corrections happen often. But exactly when they’ll occur, no one can say with any certainty. “Trying to pinpoint why is a fool’s game,” says Philip Petursson. Listen in as Philip and the Capital Markets Strategy team discuss several topics related to market corrections: • What are corrections and why do they happen? • What’s a bear market and how’s it different from a correction? • How can you tell a big bear from a baby bear market? • Why do sell-offs offer investment opportunities?

What about bonds? Roshan Thiru and Sivan Nair, from the Canadian Fixed Income team at Manulife Investment Management, talk with host Philp Petursson in this episode of Investments Unplugged. They discuss challenges, opportunities, and the outlook for fixed-income investments: • the flexibility of investing in different kinds of bonds • disciplined approaches to strategic and tactical asset allocation • credit markets’ impact on bond yields • the effect of the Biden administration’s fiscal...

Join the Capital Markets Strategy team for a lively discussion about what they think could happen in the economy and financial markets through 2021. The team’s energetic exchange covers many possibilities for this year, including: • market returns • inflation and interest rates • oil prices related to the demand for oil • an extension of the 2020 gold rally. Listen in.

Sandy Sanders, Head of the U.S. Core Value Equity Team at Manulife Investment Management, joins host Philip Petursson for this Investments Unplugged episode. Sandy and Philip talk about where we’ve come from in 2020, where we are now, and what we’re looking toward in 2021. They cover a variety of areas that may affect markets in the new year: • COVID-19 vaccines • Joe Biden as the next U.S. president • interest rates at record-low levels • potential earnings growth … and many other topics.

Gaining insight about what the future holds, and the financial benefits that could come with it, takes more than hope and guesswork. In this episode of Investments Unplugged, Gertjan Van Der Geer, Senior Investment Manager on the Thematic Equities Team at Pictet Asset Management, joins the Capital Markets Strategy team to share his expertise and discuss: • how COVID-19 affects market trends • whether or not Bitcoin will gain traction as a future currency • emerging megatrends and investment...

This episode of Investments Unplugged continues the Q&A of episode 38. The Capital Markets Strategy team once again answer some of the burning questions they’ve been asked during COVID-19 pandemic. Their responses cover many topics: • What effect will government stimulus and mounting debt levels have on equities and fixed income investments? • Is a services-based economic recovery important to the markets? • Are investors looking more at growth or value now? • What about emerging markets?...

This episode of Investments Unplugged features Daniel Janis, Head of the Global Multi-Sector Fixed Income Team at Manulife Investment Management, who joins Philip to talk about what the fixed-income portfolio looks like heading into 2021. Dan shares how his team analyses and assesses risk within fixed-income investing, and how they pivoted their portfolio in 2020. Philip and Dan also discuss modern monetary theory and their outlook on the U.S. dollar.

What’s a great way to generate less-than-ideal investment outcomes? Base your decisions on political emotions. The U.S. presidential election is fast approaching, and the Capital Markets Strategy team received many related questions: How do markets react? Are Republicans or Democrats better for the markets? Does policy matter? The team answers these questions and more on a special, election-focused podcast of Investments Unplugged.

Over the past six months, we’ve seen a bear market, a recession, decades-high unemployment, unprecedented monetary and fiscal stimulus, and a powerful equity market rally. In this episode of Investments Unplugged, the Capital Markets Strategy team at Manulife Investment Management share the key things they’ve learned during the COVID-19 lockdown — so far.