Investors have entered “a new macro regime” with monetary policy that probably will be “tight” for the long term and is shifting market opportunities in an unfriendly backdrop for broad asset-class returns, according to BlackRock’s 2023 midyear outlook report.
Meanwhile, economic growth has been “stagnating” and core inflation remains “stubbornly sticky,” said Boivin. BlackRock recommends tilting portfolios toward quality in equities and fixed income, while looking for “granular” opportunities, according to its midyear outlook report. Higher yields available in U.S. fixed income have created a cushion for investors should the Federal Reserve proceed with another rate hike, according to Chaudhuri. Last year bonds broadly suffered losses as the Fed aggressively raised rates from near zero to battle high inflation.
Meanwhile, the iShares TIPS Bond ETF TIP , which provides exposure to inflation-protected U.S. Treasury bonds, “makes sense” as an investment opportunity, Chaudhuri said at the briefing. BlackRock has gone “granular to achieve portfolio breadth,” saying it likes Japanese stocks within developed markets while preferring emerging-market equities, according to the report.