Insights

Prime Minister Johnson's overwhelming victory allows him to deal with the EU with a much stronger hand.

November's mediocre retail sales must be seen in context.

Everywhere Linda went this week, advisors were in a festive mood (except for Pats fans in Hartford!)

Identifying environmental, social and governance risks may help avoid hard-to-see pitfalls.

The Federal Reserve is confident it can support the overnight market through year-end; leaves rates unchanged.

Linda heard a lot of worries during her Phoenix visit. But the one above? Hmm.

The labor market juggernaut rolls on.

From TOMO to POMO and a lower fed funds target range, it’s taking measures to keep the markets on a steady keel.

We view pullbacks as opportunities to add.

CIO Deborah Cunningham walks through the process.

Speeches in November indicate consensus for a pause in rate action.

The market's run should make for happy holidays even if it's a short shopping season.

A strong labor market, rising wages and lower gas prices represent a trifecta for consumer spending.

Fluctuating rates may impact other forms of income but dividend payments aren't likely to be affected.

Barbara Miller says stores that best match online with traditional should keep doing well.

November and December retail sales are looking bright this year.

What can investors expect in 2020? CIO Deborah Cunningham explains her economic outlook.

What's the best indicator of the economy's health: strong consumers or weak manufacturing?

Reminiscing as she made the rounds in New Jersey, Linda wonders if a melt-up is developing.

Here are three reasons.

Three Hermes portfolio managers share their views of the coming year.

A review of where we stand on our top 5 surprises for this year is, well, surprisingly good!

Not where Linda Duessel goes, including this week's audience in Vancouver.

Portfolio Manager Nick Tripodes explains how he’s positioning portfolios for the current rate environment.

Dividend stocks can provide durability in an unpredictable market.

Their credit quality, tax-exempt income and diversification can stand out in uncertain times.

It doesn't matter where Presidents Trump and Xi meet as long as they do before Dec. 15.

As long as investor sentiment remains subdued, this uptrend could continue.

Access to credit markets with reduced rate risk, for starters.

Don't overlook the income potential of dividend stocks.

Combined with healthy services growth and first phase of trade deal, stocks have surged.

Storm clouds that have been hanging over the market are dissipating.

But with pressing issues such as the repo market to address, it can't relax.

Sports and investing are a lot alike: They stir passions and are obsessed with performance.

It only makes us more confident the S&P 500 will hit our long-standing year-end target of 3,100.

The Federal Reserve cut rates by a quarter point but it will take more negative news to do so again this year.

There are a lot of reasons to think the economy is catching a second wind.

With confidence and dry powder, consumers won't be spooked this fall.

Dramatic headlines aside, market data is lining up for a potential run in equities.

Markets get a little relief with progress on U.S-China trade front and Brexit. Next up, EU.

In Nashville and Kansas meetings with bankers, impeachment and Syria never came up.

Geopolitical and economic developments are turning positive and should drive stocks higher this year.

Portfolio Manager Steve Chiavarone offers investment ideas for the current low-rate environment.

What should investors expect from the IPO market in 2020?

The devil's in the details of the yet-to-be-signed U.S.-China mini trade deal.

Halloween will bring together many global events that may haunt the U.S. economy.

A variety of factors, from dovish Fed to a manufacturing bottom, could rally stocks into year-end.

If a trade deal emerges, leading to expectations for GDP and corporate-profit growth, look for a year-end rally.

Trade continues to drive the market as the seasonal tailwinds begin to blow.

In the search for alpha, yield-curve positioning, currency and security selection take center stage.

What are the hallmarks of an investable IPO?

How to identify opportunities in the growth space.

Job-seekers are ghosting employers in one of the tightest labor markets in 50 years.

Sometimes, bad news is good news for the market.

After being rocked by poor manufacturing and service numbers, even a mixed report brings respite.

Decelerating growth and rising geopolitical worries are bond friendly.

Not fondly, but so that overnight trading works smoother the next time it is flooded with supply.

Impeachment talk and other geopolitical tensions aren't yet weighing down investors.

The chances of Trump being removed from office are negligible.

How to translate the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into investing product.

The dollar has strengthened even as the Fed has cut rates.

As was the case when first looking at the issue eight years ago, the answer is no.

Lower yields should make for higher multiples. It hasn't happened ... yet.

The Fed itself isn't sure of policy in the rest of 2019.

It will inject more cash into the liquidity markets to alleviate trading pressure.

Worries about oil shock are overblown as trade, Fed dominate market concerns.

Will the quarter-point reduction be the last one this year?

Bond yields have reversed much of the August decline. The reasons are many.

There's been a violent shift from momentum to value. Will it continue?

Probable Fed cuts and healthy consumers suggest the inverted yield curve is crying wolf.

Brainwashed investors think things are really bad. That may be good for stocks.

Expect the soft August employment figures to be revised upward.

Libor’s heir apparent is making progress but daunting issues remain.

For every action, there is a reaction, a dualism that should prove soothing for investors.

Beaten-down valuations are creating potentially attractive opportunities in the eurozone.

Could debate about the rate cut turn into a showdown?

As global market rates move closer to zero, policymakers confront what "effective lower bound'' is for the Fed's benchmark rate.

How are rate cuts affecting liquidity products?

Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of International Fixed Income Ihab Salib discusses how emerging markets might fare, if a global recession materializes.

One big one: if you hold it to maturity, you'll lose money.

Corporate bonds in South America, South Korea and India look attractive.

Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of International Fixed Income Ihab Salib offers insights on how trade tensions are affecting global bonds and what’s driving the strength of the dollar.

Politicized proposals calling for it don't make the grade.

At nearly $1.6 trillion, student debt is double the size of the Defense budget and is second only to mortgages on the list of the largest household liabilities.

The Fed leader successfully addressed several issues weighing on monetary policy.

With negative-yielding debt at a record and climbing, we're in uncharted waters.

A scarcity of disclosures is creating an information vacuum for ESG investors who rely only on off-the-shelf ratings.

Millennials' biggest impact on consumption and housing will come in the years ahead.

Some argue a more moderate, incremental approach to fixing health care is better.

There could be many reasons for the yield-curve inversion. More than $16 trillion of negative-yield global debt is certainly among them.

Federated CIOs see opportunities in cash, yield-curve positioning and growth stocks.

From here, they could break either way. But Federated's base case remains a recession isn't imminent.

U.K.'s path to the Oct. 31 EU exit deadline is fraught with worrisome scenarios.

New rules getting rid of 'dirty' fuel used in shipping could boost refiners.

Is this soft patch and sell-off an omen of things to come or a pause that refreshes? For now, the evidence suggests the latter.

Solutions for avoiding insolvency involve shared sacrifice and political compromise.

If one does the math, it's difficult to see how U.S. consumers will be hurt by new tariffs on China. It's easier to see how China, with its response, may end up hurting itself.

Fed disappointment and Trump tariff threat spark volatility, but the longer-term story on stocks remains a good one.

A healthy report does not dissuade the Fed from another rate cut.

Considerations for a changing rate environment.

Rate cut shows Fed still unsure of the right policy level.

Rate cut seen as preventative medicine in the face of global uncertainties.

As Democratic hopefuls get set for round two, Linda explores how the election season may shape up and potentially impact stocks.

As breathtaking as the market’s 20%-plus rise has been from December’s panicky low, it seems all the market needs to grind higher is no news.

In a 3-in-1 piece, Steve Chiavarone makes the case that a recession isn't imminent, shows how the U.S. may benefit from the trade war, and explains why technology and millennials should buttress markets over the longer term.

GDP was boosted by retail sales, personal consumption and government spending.

A visit to Colorado helps Linda make sense of the Fed and the markets.

Concern over the size of high-yield muni debt is unwarranted.

A more dovish Fed is among the reasons Federated is sticking with 2019's 2.7% GDP growth forecast.

The Fed is sending signals that July's expected rate cut could go beyond a quarter point.

A quarter-point cut is baked in. But a half-point? The market likely would love that.

Senior Equity Strategist Linda Duessel discusses how Brexit, trade wars and China’s slowdown could affect the equity market in the coming months.

Senior Portfolio Manager Randy Bauer outlines how the limited interest rate risk and low volatility of ultrashort bonds can support investors regardless of market, rate and economic cycles.

Senior Equity Strategist Linda Duessel offers insights on what is likely to move the equity market in the months ahead and whether tariffs still pose a challenge. She also discusses where investors may find opportunity in this environment.

It stands for Modern Monetary Theory, an in-vogue populist policy that's not much concerned with deficits.

The benefits may not exceed the costs of raising the minimum wage.

How will earnings, tariffs and interest rates affect the markets?

We're looking to the yield curve, currencies and security selection for alpha.

Only 0.1% of investment-grade companies defaulted in the last 35 years.

Jump in payrolls raises questions about market's priced-in Fed cuts.

Celebrating our country's birth and this record-setting expansion.

We're cautiously bullish on stocks this summer but see potential storm clouds.

We don’t think this business cycle has run its course.

Client Portfolio Manager Jordan Stuart discusses IPOs, their role in moving capital into new growth channels and their favorable outlook.

The election season is adding to uncertainties, but that's not such a bad thing.

Federated takes advantage of strong June, pares equity overweight in stock-bond model amid uncertainties.

2019 is shaping up to be another big year for initial public offerings.

A long list of Democratic presidential hopefuls will be debating the next 2 nights.

And why they likely won't if the Fed doesn't cut rates later.

It's all about technology and brainpower.

Would more than one rate cut undermine cash as an attractive asset class? Probably not. Debbie Cunningham explains.

Senior Portfolio Manager R.J. Gallo discusses his outlook for interest rates.

CIO for Global Money Markets Debbie Cunningham discusses her outlook for the second half of the year.

Here are three key reasons.

Not always, and here's why.

Fed holds off for now but signals rate cuts are at the ready.

All the angst over tariffs and trade belies a consumer who is doing just fine.

The journey toward a trade deal has been turbulent, but we eventually expect to see land and another up-leg for stocks.

Increasingly smarter, eco-friendly cars require continuous tech updates.

Major changes must be made to address the decreasing birth and fertility rate in the U.S.

May's jobs report was a downer, so why are the markets so upbeat?

Profits, margins and valuations look attractive regardless of what the Fed may or may not do.

Events in coming weeks may determine if yields have further to fall.

The fund favors developed and emerging-markets companies with competitive advantages, sustainable business models and responsible governance.

Investors are overreacting to the flattening of the short end of the yield curve.

Using tariffs to address a non-trade issue with Mexico creates a destabilizing undertow.

But we reject the pervading pessimistic view about the U.S. economy.

The coming Democratic debates kick off what promises to be a very interesting 2020 presidential election season.

Despite slowing manufacturing, ugly U.S.-China trade talks, Brexit mess and more, 2019 GDP likely to be solid.

This week's European Parliament elections could provide guidance on the question.

Our melt-up scenario has melted with the prolonged trade talks, but not our longer bullish view on the year.

When it comes to stocks, the "middle ground'' doesn't have to mean ho-hum.

Shoppers shrugged off several issues causing 'Mapril' retail sales to be solid.

The U.S.-China trade fracas has not roiled credit markets.

Many reasons to expect inflation to remain low for longer (... Jones? Think The Monkees).

"Trust but verify," an iconic message of the Reagan era, is just as apt today when it comes to the U.S.-China trade war.

U.S.-China trade negotiations have gotten testy, but a resolution likely will be reached, calming market angst.

We still expect an eventual trade deal and view interim market messiness as an opportunity.

With volatility rising on trade uncertainty, investors may desire some stability.

The best time to consider small caps? Any time.

April sees surprisingly strong jobs gain, near 50-year low in jobless rate.

Linda, who isn't (her sister is), sees potential trade-war surprises as risks to an otherwise bullish backdrop.

The markets are looking (too hard) for guidance from the Fed.

Policymakers hewed to their policy of 'patience.'

Q1 GDP growth was driven by stronger inventory and net trade.

Some sectors face headwinds but earnings and the economy remain supportive.

The fund searches the world for companies with enduring competitive advantages for its concentrated portfolio.

On continued benign inflation and strong P/E multiples, we are sticking to our full-year S&P target of 3,100.

It may not feel like it to some, but most Americans did get a tax cut.

Risks between upward and downward moves appear relatively balanced.

The risk markets’ sharp reversal after a tough December owes a lot to the Federal Reserve’s decision to forego future rate increases.

Fundamentals and news flow suggest the stock market may be heading to new highs.

Earnings, economy and technicals supportive of stocks.

Even if Q1 earnings decline, a year-end target of 3,100 on the S&P 500 remains our forecast.

After a strong first quarter, high yield and other credit securities settle into a clip-the-coupon environment.

April tends to be kind, not cruel, to stocks.

After all the concern, Q1 ended up having a solid average monthly gain of 180,000 jobs.

Single-payer buzz is hurting managed-care stocks. That's good for value investors.

Housing momentum is building as millennials move in and home prices moderate.

The Fed essentially used the March meeting to reboot its message after its dramatic policy shift over the last two quarters.

Concerns about an inverted curve may be cast in a paradigm that no longer exists.

As the saga drags on, there's one outcome the markets almost certainly wouldn't like—a no-deal Brexit.

Corporate earnings and GDP growth got tangled in several temporary issues in Q1 and should bounce back.

By most measures, a recession isn't in the cards anytime soon.

Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of High Yield Bond Group Mark Durbiano discusses the factors that have contributed to this year’s turnaround in the high-yield bond market.

Portfolio Manager Deborah Bickerstaff describes where she's finding opportunities for dividends.

What should investors look for when evaluating a dividend stock? Portfolio Manager Deborah Bickerstaff explains

The Federal Reserve was 3-for-3 in correct policy responses at its recent meeting.

Uncertainty climbs as investors interpret a dovish Fed and rally in long Treasury bonds as a possible recession signal. Might it be an opportunity?

With the secular bull marking its sixth birthday, there's plenty of room left to run. Helping it along are the still-deep scars from 2008-09's near-Armageddon experience.

The FOMC statement confirms the dramatic shift in Fed expectations since late 2018.

The middle of the stock market is making a comeback.

In a week of lies and disappointments, the market continued to run, hitting a high for the year.

With no hike expected, markets will look to changes in the dot plot and balance sheet taper for answers.

We think EM stocks are poised for a comeback.