BlackRock Commentary: Why we are turning bullish for 2021

Jean Boivin, Head of the BlackRock Investment Institute together with Mike Pyle, Global Chief Investment Strategist, Elga Bartsch, Head of Macro Research, and Scott Thiel, Chief Fixed Income Strategist all part of the BlackRock Investment Institute, share their insights on global economy, markets and geopolitics. Their views are theirs alone and are not intended to be construed as investment advice.


The expected widespread rollout of Covid-19 vaccines in 2021 has strengthened our conviction in an accelerated economic restart. We have turned more pro-risk, upgrading equities to a tactical overweight. This pro-risk stance is becoming consensus, but the rest of our views are much less so. Among them: a “new nominal” in which nominal yields are likely to stay capped even as inflation rises.

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Forward looking estimates may not come to pass. Sources: BlackRock Investment Institute and the Federal Reserve with data from Refinitiv Datastream, November 2020. Notes: The chart shows market pricing of expected average inflation over the coming five-year period. We use the five-year/five-year inflation swap which is a measure of market expectation of inflation over five years, starting in five years’ time. The lines are shifted forward five years. The orange and green dots show our current estimates of average U.S. CPI and euro area inflation for the same five-year period of 2025-2030.

 

Higher inflation associated with the expansion phase of past economic cycles was typically bearish for risk assets. It often led to higher interest rates that pressured valuations across many asset classes. Yet the traditional business cycle playbook does not apply to the pandemic, in our view. We see the shock as more akin to that of a large-scale natural disaster followed by swift economic restart. Expectations for a broad rollout of Covid vaccines have boosted the case for the restart to gather pace next year, boding well for risk assets. We see higher inflation in coming years and the policy revolution implies that central banks will limit the rise of nominal yields. Even the moderate rise in inflation that we expect may surprise markets, as the chart above suggests. Yet we see this as a positive backdrop for equities: Firmer inflation and a lid on nominal yields mean lower real interest rates. This supports equity valuations: the present value of future cash flows is higher when discount rates are low.

Our pro-risk view is fast becoming consensus, and could be quickly priced in. But we see our views departing from the crowd in three key ways: First, many are still looking ahead to 2021 through the lens of a traditional business cycle framework. But we believe this playbook doesn’t apply: in the same way that the “stoppage” was different from a “recession”, the “restart” is different from a “recovery.” This is not a story about a broad-based cyclical recovery. Instead, the story is a sectoral one: an uneven rebound across sectors combined with Turbocharged transformations – one of our three new investment themes. This is why we see tilting toward sustainability as an enduring source of potential returns. It is also an environment that we see supporting both sectors such as tech and healthcare – quality companies that are also beneficiaries of structural growth trends – as well as selected cyclical equities leveraged to the accelerated restart, such as emerging markets.

Second, we see the unusual dynamic between inflation, growth and markets – which we dub as The new nominal – as a key feature of the investment landscape for 2021 and beyond. We think the potential for higher medium-term inflation is underappreciated. The policy revolution implies that nominal yields will be less responsive to rising inflation. Together with a lower bound on bond yields and a greater reliance on fiscal policy, we see it challenging the role of government bonds in portfolios. In contrast to past inflationary episodes, we also believe that with less responsive yields, inflation can be good news for risk assets over a strategic horizon.

Third, we see a rewiring of globalization – reflected in our new Globalization rewired theme – rather than a simple trend toward deglobalization. We are witnessing the shaping up of a bipolar U.S.-China world order and a rewiring of global supply chains for greater resilience, with less focus on efficiency. We believe investors need exposure to both poles of global growth. Deliberate country diversification is key, and we see a case for greater exposure to China-exposed assets.

The bottom line: Positive news on vaccine development has reinforced our view that the cumulative economic shortfall caused by the pandemic – what matters most for financial markets – will likely be a fraction of that after the global financial crisis. This gives us greater confidence to increase our overall pro-risk stance. We have upgraded equities to overweight on a tactical basis, adding to our existing credit overweight.

 

Market Updates

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Past performance is not a reliable indicator of current or future results. Indexes are unmanaged It is not possible to  invest directly in an index. Sources: BlackRock Investment Institute, with data from Refinitiv Datastream, December 2020. Notes: The two ends of the bars show the lowest and highest returns at any point this year to date, and the dots represent current year-to-date returns. Emerging market (EM), high yield and global corporate investment grade (IG) returns are denominated in U.S. dollars, and the rest in local currencies. Indexes or prices used are: spot gold, Datastream 10-year benchmark government bond (U.S. , German and Italy), MSCI USA Index, Bank of America Merrill Lynch Global Broad Corporate Index, MSCI Emerging Markets Index, J.P. Morgan EMBI index, Bank of America Merrill Lynch Global High Yield Index, the ICE U.S. Dollar Index (DXY), MSCI Europe Index and spot Brent crude.

Market backdrop

Global stocks hit record highs on upbeat vaccine developments and hopes for a U.S. fiscal package. Positive vaccine news has been a game changer for markets. We now know we are building a bridge to somewhere, providing clarity for policymakers, households and companies about getting to a post-Covid stage. Yet disappointing jobs data in recent weeks pointed to near-term risks as the virus surges around the U.S., potentially slowing the restart.

Week Ahead

  • December 7: German industrial output; China trade data
  • December 8: German ZEW Indicator of Economic Sentiment
  • December 10: ECB monetary policy meeting; two-day European Council meeting starts
  • December 11: University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers

The ECB is expected to increase the size of its Pandemic Emergency Purchase Program and possibly to ease terms of a long-term lending facility – against the backdrop of a worsening near-term growth outlook. This would follow its commitment to additional policy action in October. The European Council meeting will see the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Fund tabled again, with hopes to overcome opposition in Poland and Hungary.


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This material is not intended to be relied upon as a forecast, research or investment advice, and is not a recommendation, offer or solicitation to buy or sell any securities or to adopt any investment strategy. The opinions expressed are as of December7th, 2020 and may change. The information and opinions are derived from proprietary and non-proprietary sources deemed by BlackRock to be reliable, are not necessarily all-inclusive and are not guaranteed as to accuracy. As such, no warranty of accuracy or reliability is given and no responsibility arising in any other way for errors and omissions (including responsibility to any person by reason of negligence) is accepted by BlackRock, its officers, employees or agents. This material may contain ’forward looking’ information that is not purely historical in nature. Such information may include, among other things, projections and forecasts. There is no guarantee that any forecasts made will come to pass. Reliance upon information in this material is at the sole discretion of the reader.

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