Market Currents

Should the U.S. seek balanced trade? What would a potential “decoupling” with China look like? And what’s driving the current divergence between the “soft” and “hard” economic data?

In this episode of Market Currents, Northern Trust Wealth Management CIO Katie Nixon sits down with BCA Research Chief Strategist Peter Berezin for a deep dive on the state of tariff negotiations between the U.S. and its trading partners, and th...

In this installment of Market Currents, Katie Nixon, Chief Investment Officer for Wealth Management at Northern Trust, demystifies the world of market volatility with Northern Trust Asset Management’s Deputy CIO and CIO of Global Equities Michael Hunstad. 

Katie and Michael level set the discussion with a review of changes to the market’s structure since the Global Financial Crisis that have shaped its current volatility pr...

In this episode, Katie Nixon, Chief Investment Officer for Wealth Management at Northern Trust, is joined by Northern Trust Asset Management’s Head of Global Macro for Fixed Income, Antulio Bomfim, to discuss the causes, historical context and future implications of the Fed’s 50-basis-point start to the rate-cutting cycle. Antulio brings more than 30 years of combined experience as a buy-side portfolio manager, researcher,...

Join Katie Nixon, Chief Investment Officer for Wealth Management at Northern Trust, as she delves into the transformative world of artificial intelligence (AI) with Deb Koch, Northern Trust's Senior Equity Research Analyst. In this episode of Market Currents, they explore AI's burgeoning influence on the tech sector and its potential to reshape industries.

Katie and Deb discuss how AI is not only boosting productivity but a...

Katie Nixon, chief investment officer at Northern Trust Wealth Management, navigates the intricate web of labor market data, unpacking the divergent signals that have emerged since the beginning of 2024. Katie explores the relationship between unemployment and inflation, and the role they play in shaping economic trajectories.

Looking to the Monthly Nonfarm Payroll Report and the Job Openings and Turnover Survey, known as J...

Having liquidity to invest when markets are up may sound like a good problem to have — but that doesn’t make it any less worrisome to contemplate buying securities just to watch their value drop should there be a downturn. Investors in this situation are left to decide which investment strategy is best for their needs: hanging on to cash, piling it all into investments, or splitting the difference with dollar cost averagin...

Taxes are a consideration for every investor, but they can be very complicated. It’s not always clear where they are assessed or how much they impact your portfolio. So, while some tax is necessary, your strategy may have you paying more than you have to.

To help us break down this complex subject, we reached out to Peter Mladina, executive director of portfolio research for Northern Trust Wealth Management. Together, we’l...

The topic of inflation is hard to miss — in the news, in your purchases and in your investments. And while its effects might be the most noticeable at the store or the gas pump, the biggest impact can be in your portfolio where it is constantly eroding the purchasing power of your returns. Fortunately, you can prepare for inflation — whether it is high or low — with proven tactics for mitigating the bite it can take out of...

Virtual reality isn’t science fiction anymore. The biggest companies on the planet have invested heavily in digital worlds, also known as “the metaverse.” And it’s not just the tech and entertainment industries–the metaverse has applications across the economy. Knowing what the metaverse is and how to implement it can drive significant value today and put you ahead of the curve tomorrow; but only if you use it right. 

T...

Wages are rising and unemployment hit a 50-year low. But while that’s good for job seekers, it’s potentially challenging for policymakers fighting inflation. At the heart of this dynamic is a tight labor market–one where the demand for workers is greater than the supply of jobs. In this episode, we ask: where did the workers go? 

To answer that, we talked to John Challenger, CEO of Challenger, Gray and Christmas, the na...

Katie Nixon, chief investment officer at Northern Trust Wealth Management, breaks down 2023’s first University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Survey. The survey — which tracks how respondents feel about the economy — offers a valuable window into consumer behavior, making it key for policymakers and investors.

While January’s survey reflected plenty of optimism, with inflation expectations receding for the fourth month in a...

This year has offered little shelter to investors trying to avoid downdrafts across all asset classes. Inflation has been stickier and more unpredictable than expected. The Federal Reserve and global central banks have been more hawkish as they struggle to manage inflation without creating economic harm. Global interest rates have been extremely volatile with consequences for stock valuations as equity prices and corporate...

The first quarter of 2022 saw negative returns across the U.S. bond market as persistently rising inflation surprised central bankers and bond investors alike. Dramatically rising interest rates have focused bondholders’ attention on fixed-income investments – even provoking some to abandon the asset class entirely.  

In this episode of Market Currents, Northern Trust’s Katie Nixon welcomes Peter Mladina, director of portf...

The war between Russia and Ukraine is a direct conflict between two of the world’s biggest commodity exporters, causing disruptions that will be felt for years. As European leaders seek to reduce or eliminate their countries’ exposure to Russian energy supplies and western companies voluntarily exit the country, maybe never to return, the conflict is reshaping global energy markets. 

In this episode of Market Currents, Jac...

While the U.S. stock market has outperformed European indices for years, it is important to remain aware of the benefits of global diversification. And recently, we have begun to see changes in Europe giving us greater confidence in this view: European economic growth is expected to slightly outpace the U.S. this year, and equity market valuations have come down, potentially offering a more attractive entry point for geopo...

Several months ago, it appeared as if a return to normalcy from the COVID-19 pandemic could be in sight. Primarily due to the spread of the Delta variant, however, the picture has become considerably more clouded. With individuals, companies, medical authorities and governments all continuing to react to the changing dynamics, and corresponding information and opinions broadcast 24/7, the landscape can be confusing and mud...

As economic reopening continues and supply-demand imbalances lead to price increases, investors are understandably fixated on the future path of interest rates — a key driver of future growth and returns. But in this particularly unusual period of economic history, what will the Fed do?

Many believe higher inflation is transitory and that the Fed should wait it out. Others argue that it should take action now to get ahead ...

As the U.S. economy continues to reopen amid relaxed COVID-19 mitigation measures, pent-up demand is outstripping supply in many cases. One acute example is in the semiconductor chip industry, which provides “the brain” inside a wide range of products that power our modern lives, including smartphones, cars and even washing machines. 

In this episode, Northern Trust’s Katie Nixon is joined by Senior Technology Analyst Debo...

Summary:

Concerns about inflation have filled financial headlines recently as U.S. consumers reemerge from their homes and take note of higher prices and supply shortages in certain areas of the economy. But will higher inflation last? Or will it quickly revert back to more modest levels seen in recent decades? 

In this episode, Northern Trust’s Katie Nixon is joined by Chief Economist Carl Tannenbaum to sort through this ...