Investor Account Access
Investor access to Shareowner accounts and Closed End Funds accounts.
Thursday 10 October 2024
Cross Asset
October 2024 | A recent report in Europe shows the region's productivity and investment gap with the United States is widening, and a similar trend is emerging in connection to China. The risk of Europe becoming irrelevant is escalating, particularly in light of advancements in the digital economy and artificial intelligence (AI). In the US, the Fed gave strong forward guidance on rates, which is in contrast to its recent approach of staying data dependent on inflation. This, coupled with some concerns on growth, led us to lower our terminal rate expectations. Its 50bp cut underscores the Fed's willingness to pivot after the recent labor market softening and diminishing upside risks to inflation. We expect further 50bp cuts by year-end.
01 | A combination of low investment and low productivity has undermined Europe's competitiveness. Companies are hesitant to invest due to weak expected growth, creating a vicious cycle that is stifling further economic progress.
02 | The Fed shifted its focus from inflation to growth in an attempt to avoid a significant deterioration in employment. The US economy seems poised for a soft landing, with deceleration being driven by consumption and an easing labor market.
03 | The Bank of England started cutting rates in August and - after keeping them on hold in September - is expected to keep reducing policy tightness with two further cuts before the year-end.
Important Information
Unless otherwise stated, all information contained in this document is from Amundi Asset Management as of October 9,2024. Diversification does not guarantee a profit or protect against a loss. The views expressed regarding market and economic trends are those of the author and not necessarily Amundi Asset Management and are subject to change at any time based on market and other conditions, and there can be no assurance that countries, markets or sectors will perform as expected. These views should not be relied upon as investment advice, a security recommendation, or as an indication of trading for any Amundi product or service. This material does not constitute an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any security, fund units or services. Investment involves risks, including market, political, liquidity and currency risks. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Amundi US is the US business of Amundi Asset Management.
RO ID# 3930443
©2024 Amundi Asset Management
A series of weak US data in July questioned the market narrative of a soft landing and brought back fears of recession. The rise in the July unemployment rate to 4.3% (latest reading in August is 4.2%) triggered a significant market concern about a possible weaker-than-expected US labor market, raising the risk of an impending recession. We do expect a significant slowdown of the US economy, but not a recession. We expect a significant deceleration in the next few quarters, consistent with a broader weakening of many labor market indicators.
The global macro backdrop – inflation scares, geopolitical tensions and recession worries – together with US economic resilience, have supported the dollar versus core currencies, but the latter are not weak relative to recent history. Moreover, the difference in market expectations of terminal rates in Europe are now substantially higher than before the pandemic, and not materially different from expected US terminal rates. This should limit any sustained weakness in European exchange rates.
In the aftermath of last year's global inflation surge and the subsequent tightening of monetary policies, the economic outlook now looks increasingly fragmented. The US is slowing down, the European Union is gradually recovering, China is in a controlled and policy supported slowdown, and countries such as India are experiencing strong growth. On the inflation side, price pressures are more persistent than expected, but gradually normalizing, allowing major central banks to start cutting rates. We believe investing will require confidence in the search for an asset allocation that can withstand different scenarios, with markets in some areas being priced for the best despite uncertainty stemming from geopolitical risks and the upcoming US elections.
Before investing, consider the product's investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses. Contact your financial professional or Amundi US for a prospectus or summary prospectus containing this information. Read it carefully. To obtain a free prospectus or summary prospectus and for information on any Pioneer fund, please download it from our literature section.
Securities offered through Amundi Distributor US, Inc.
60 State Street, Boston, MA 02109
Underwriter of Pioneer mutual funds, Member
SIPC.
Not FDIC insured | May lose value | No bank guarantee Amundi Asset Management US, Inc. Form CRS Amundi Distributor US, Inc. Form CRS