Private Markets 2026 Outlook
The MD’s outlook Steve McGoohan Managing Director, Private Markets What significant developments for private markets could take place in 2026? Asset classes within private markets are impacted by the same macro factors as their public-market counterparts, although the method and timing of those impacts may vary. Digitisation, demographics, and deglobalisation are significant mega-trends that will continue […]
Liquidity 2026 Outlook
The CIO’s view Deborah Cunningham, CFA Chief Investment Officer, Global Liquidity Markets, Senior Portfolio Manager, Executive Vice President, Federated Hermes, Inc. What’s your one contrarian view going into 2026? That the US Federal Reserve (the Fed) will remain independent. The Trump administration’s relentless criticism of Fed Chair Jerome Powell has led many to think the president […]
Fixed income 2026 Outlook
The CIO’s view Robert Ostrowski Executive Vice President, Chief Investment Officer What’s your outlook for 2026? Fixed income markets enter the new year with a surplus of unanswered questions. To be fair, 2025 answered some. A year ago, we expected a repeat of the post-2016 election environment, with a combination of a doveish-leaning Federal Reserve […]
Equities 2026 Outlook
The CIO’s view Stephen Auth, CFA Executive Vice President, Chief Investment Officer, Equities Could 2026 herald a new era for equities? Productivity gains, renewed economic growth, margin expansion and recently released ‘animal spirits’ – accompanied by benign central bank policy – are all driving global markets higher. Federated Hermes has upgraded its forward earnings outlook […]
Market Snapshot
An end to the US government shutdown
Yields look biased downward
Indications are that the US economy continues to expand – despite the short-term headwind of the government shutdown – spurred by consumer spending and strong business investment. Meanwhile, US Treasury yields remain choppy, moving marginally with each day’s shift in Fedspeak and market narratives. As we await resumption of official data releases, however, available signs still point […]
The pain is not in Spain
It was not so long ago that many sceptics viewed Spain, like much of southern Europe, as a stagnant economy with muted prospects. This year, however, Spain’s IBEX 35 stock market index is up 53%. What’s changed? From 2008 until 2014, Spain was hit hard by the Global Financial Crisis and turmoil in the country’s […]
Weak UK economic outlook bolsters money market flows
The UK macroeconomic backdrop remains fraught and uncertain. The government is grappling with a ‘black hole’ in its finances and further tax rises are expected in the Autumn Budget scheduled for 26 November1. Rising levels of government debt continue to put pressure on borrowing costs – which are at their highest levels since the 1990s […]
A good quarter for rates and spreads as the bond market inches along
The third quarter produced constructive bond market performance with the Bloomberg US Aggregate Bond Index registering a 2.03% total return. The environment was positive for each of the major sub-sectors: US Treasurys, corporates (both investment grade (IG) and high yield (HY) and mortgage-backed securities. In fact, it’s hard to find a sector of the bond market […]
Lots of game left as we enter the fourth quarter
Investors anticipating a continuing rate cut cycle sometimes act like fans filling the stadium all dressed in white for the big home game. Confidence is high and may not reflect the underlying odds. After an up and down first three quarters of the year, as more of President Donald Trump’s policies begin to take effect, […]
