Insights

Biden’s decision on Powell and others risks market volatility

Spending extends beyond roads and bridges.

Dem plans for corporate tax hikes look favorable but there's a ways to go. 

Non-financial evaluation can play a pivotal role in averting business disasters.

A tax and spending bonanza looms.

The economy is slowing amid a host of headwinds.

Several factors put upward pressure on yields.

With Merkel exiting, the center-right CDU suddenly looks vulnerable.

Our equity team examines the Fed’s clues to forecast when tapering will begin.

Markets will be watching closely as the House speaker orchestrates reconciliation.

The August jobs report is a huge miss.

Policymakers likely want to see a few more developments before announcing it.

'Buy the dips' continues to be the prevailing philosophy.

Muni bonds especially poised to benefit.

And most important, who decides?

We see inflation as a sustainable trend.

Back-to-school means back to shopping

Like a quality stock, I can count on these fabulous shoes.

Dividend-paying stocks offer value across sectors.

Can the pattern hold?

If everyone expects a pullback, maybe it doesn't come.

It depends on each company's pricing power.

Will free college and absolving student loans make a difference?

Pursuit of returns fuels risk appetite and broader array of new issues.

Uncertainties linger when you dig into the weeds.

Stocks, for now, are looking past unknowns and seasonality.

Uncertainties and vacations may feed volatility but bull trend carries on.

Holding debt can be an effective complement to owning stocks. 

Vaccinations are complicating students' return to campus.

After sentiment plummets, China appears keen to reassure investors.

Usage of the Fed’s Reverse Repo Program keeps growing.

Low supply across many sectors impaired GDP growth.

Valuations suggest it's time to consider dividend stocks.

While curtailing bond purchases were discussed, the FOMC today offered little additional insight.

Bond markets can look to precedent for reassurance

A higher-price regime can offer benefits.

Inflation is accelerating and constantly changing.

With recession over, it's time to pare fiscal and monetary stimulus.

Seasonality and uncertainties are lurking.

Inflation not completely transitory, but won’t trigger a tantrum

Where to look when anticipating inflation

Improving credit dynamics and rising demand make for solid 1-2 punch.

It's easy money all over despite rising inflation.

Inflation, debt ceiling, Covid-19 and politics are among the reasons. 

The Chair's trip to Capitol Hill showed just how patient the Fed intends to be.

Short-term rates more tied to monetary policy than long-term rates

Policy errors and Fed could pose problems later but it’s full steam ahead for now.

Bond market is priced, somewhat, for the Fed to get inflation right.

There are reasons it doesn't feel like a market on a roll.

FOMC's unofficial projection suggests acceleration, but remains dovish

The impact of the U.S. census on midterm elections and spending. 

Our equity team discusses differing views on inflation.

But underlying metrics are mixed.

Equity market's new highs mask issues lurking underneath.

The Fed finally raised the overnight reverse repo rate.

Red-hot housing exposes a growing divide between buyers and builders.

A lot, perhaps. But the bipartisan package has to clear Congress first.

Americans are eager to resume pre-pandemic vacation habits...with a few changes.

Goings-on in the sausage factory aren't bothering the markets.

As the central bank awakens to inflation risks, our policy-error fear fades.

What should investors do?

After Covid, revising immigration policy is urgent.

America's back and the troubles are (arguably) fleeting ... in the nearer term.

Quality cyclicals and dividend growers may be attractive options.

The Fed's slight adjustments to overnight rates should have a big impact.

But what creates and drives it is what matters for the markets.

Supply and demand in the oil market contributing to inflation.

Yes, but it’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Why we think this cycle is different.

They continue to confound as growth surges and prices accelerate.

For now, the bull is fine. But we're monitoring for potential longer-term health issues.

Unprecedented global economic conditions may skew monthly numbers.

The labor market recovery is tantalizingly close, but not here yet.

The unelected, nonpartisan Senate parliamentarian may be the most important person in D.C.

Should the Fed be more concerned?

Divesting means losing your voice for change. 

The Fed's view of 'transitory' might be too long.

Why are bond yields range-bound?

The U.S. economy has the wind at its back.

One day, we must pay the piper.

The recovery is coming to Europe. Latin America may be next.

Prices might be stickier than the Fed thinks.

The strongest growth in 37 years should propel earnings higher.

Perhaps a market hung up on stimulus should appreciate what it has.

While its performance is currently on pause, this sector's innovation is unstoppable.

Asset class continues to offer investors favorable relative returns.

And ready to run with the recovery.

Higher rates represent potential headwinds for markets and the economy.

A slower recovery could make for a longer one, too.

Covid-19 accelerated shifts to online shopping in 2020.

April’s unexpectedly large jump in CPI adds to worries higher inflation may stick around.

Generous emergency benefits, seasonal quirks likely behind big April jobs miss.

We're about to find out as the fiscal and monetary spigots keep pouring.

As vaccine rollout accelerates, the service sector should benefit.

A decade of disinvestment is causing affordability issues, not rampant speculation.

It's time for the Fed to raise overnight rates.

Might political realities trip up Biden's massive agenda?

Driven by stimulus and vaccines, the U.S. economy soared in the first quarter. 

The municipal bond market stands to benefit from many of its components.

Though the environment has shifted dramatically, security selection again comes to the fore.

The FOMC didn't budge on policy or alleviate pressure in the overnight market.

Shopping for responsible asset management

The debate on taxes has just begun.

Higher taxes should be good for higher value municipal bonds.

A bear's gonna worry but the underlying story still bullish.

What’s the impact of new stimulus on the market and consumer?

Federated Hermes international investing professionals weigh in on opportunities ahead.

The juggernaut U.S. economy is pointed in the right direction with engines pumping.

Despite staggering loss and ongoing challenges, the light at the end of the tunnel illuminates surprising environmental impact.

New stimulus should be a tailwind for relative performance.

It continues to be the issue consensus is worried about.

Because conditions and history suggest it has further to run.

What if Biden gets most all of what he wants? Is the market ready?

EVs, biotech and e-commerce in emerging markets exemplify broadening global innovation.

Will production boosts by OPEC and company pay off?

As 2022 comes into focus, room for upside remains but stock picking will be key.

Rate strategies lead the way for bonds in challenging first quarter.

There's only so much innovation can do as accelerating growth drives up demand.

March blowout a sign of better things to come.

Taxes are one of them. Increases to fund infrastructure could prove disruptive.

Liquidity investors have lots to consider, but nothing as pressing as it might seem.

Luxury goods, spirits and renewable energy present opportunities.

A highly successful NFL coach sets an investing example, too.

 Unchecked inflation could put the squeeze on the economy.

Diversification, inefficiencies and growth make the asset class an attractive play any time.

A rather boring few weeks in the market might be leading to a boom.

A company's risk profile must include its approach to data protection.

A strengthening economy should smooth rising-rate headwinds.

Rising yields mean different things for different sectors of the market.

The $1.9 trillion stimulus bill is too large and not targeted well.

2022 outlook extremely positive despite temporary indigestion from rising yields.

It sure seems as if our world is moving toward MMT.

Why we like small cap, cyclical value, international and dividend stocks.

5 reasons to invest internationally.

And broader markets are not sounding alarms.

The FOMC observed the economy is improving, but left it at that.  

The strong rebound in GDP could power the S&P to 4,500 by year-end.

Investing responsibly in a volatile world.

Yields are rising for the right reasons.

The faster we get vaccinations done, the faster we recover.

A recovering U.S. and ‘modestly’ growing China are good for the EM and everyone.

A steady Fed leaves worries about inflation and yields to the market.

Accommodative policy and pent-up consumer demand suggest economic snapback looms.

Reasons why global markets are poised to outpace the U.S. this year.

Leisure & hospitality led the comeback.

When it comes to wealth, careers and financial decision-making, women are the future.

Minimum wage is too low, but strategy to raise it should be bipartisan.

Short on days, February was long on anxiety for some.

Now it's the Senate's turn to shape the Covid relief bill.

There may be tiny bubbles but this is not the year 2000.

Powell reaffirms commitment to easy money policies to support still-young recovery.

As non-physical assets grow in importance, so do the role of ESG standards.

They don't see inflation tripping up the economy anytime soon.

They played an outsized role in 2020 holiday retail spending.

And that's just another reason the setup for stocks remains strong.

SEC focuses on how companies deal with arguably their greatest assets—their people.

There’s a healthy spread of deals across the globe.

Inflation shouldn't be disruptive this year, but watch for surprises to the upside.

A return to normalcy and opportunities.

And because it's consensus, it may not be that big a worry.

Ongoing monetary, fiscal support amid emerging recovery make for a challenging search.

Normalizing economic activity and wide-open fiscal and monetary spigots should lift prices higher.

History suggests a rotation from ‘growth’ may be at hand.

The Reddit rebellion forces an adjustment to the January Barometer.

The weakness gives President Biden more clout for new stimulus.

As perception catches up with reality, add another catalyst to the fire.

A patient Fed means first pullback in asset purchases unlikely until 2022.

To necessities for some; to savings for others.

Federated Hermes adds to stock-bond model equity overweight.

Accelerated digitization was just the beginning.

The transition to SOFR is picking up steam.

Housing, corporate spending and inventory restocking led the way.

Frothy pockets popping up but it's too early to cut back equity overweight.

A Democratic White House and Congress should feed fiscal expansion.

Municipal credit quality should improve as the economy recovers.

Excess euphoria? Politics? Inflation? Always good to ponder.

German elections, recovery and, finally, an end to Brexit saga.

How Covid is spawning changes and accelerating trends in the sector.

Is it too early to talk about midterm elections?

Headwinds persist, but we forecast healthy 5.3% GDP growth in 2021.