Today Robeco’s Financial Markets Research team presented five investment themes to look out for next year, during a conference with media in Amsterdam.
Robeco Group announced its financial markets outlook for the second half of 2012 at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.
The report contains in-depth analysis of the major global economic challenges ahead, as well as four special reports focussing on topics as diverse as Obama’s possible re-election and Chinese debt. It concludes that whilst a return to recession in 2012 is not inevitable, growth will undoubtedly be hampered by continued economic and political uncertainty.
Economic reports are increasingly dominated by the consequences of rising inflation worldwide. This trend was identified by Lex Hoogduin, Robeco’s Chief Economist, in the ‘Scarcity in Abundance’ report published last year. Today, he presented a follow-up report dedicated entirely to the inflation theme, titled ‘Inflation: Back from the dead?’
In the period 2001 through 2004, Robeco introduced many products that made use of a high average credit premium relative to the level of risk. When this premium diminished, Robeco, in contrast to its competitors, stopped offering these products. This was part of the reason why Robeco was able to weather the credit crisis relatively well. Despite the fact that many people are now suffering the after effects of bad timing, it is actually the right time to launch such a product again. As of today investors can subscribe for shares in Robeco Credit Opportunity Obligatie Dec 2013.
Invest in commodities, energy, food, water, air, and health & health care These are some of the recommendations from the report ‘Scarcity in abundance' produced by Iris, the independent research institute owned by Robeco and Rabobank, and commissioned by Robeco. This report deals with the sectors in which population growth and increasing global wealth are leading to scarcities. It also discusses the consequences of such scarcities on our economy.
In the course of 2008, we expect to see a positive turning point in the US economic cycle and in the dollar exchange rate. Worldwide, the developed economies are expected to see growth of between one and two percent. Only the emerging economies are expected to continue to grow at a fast pace, as they are now less vulnerable to the effects of slower growth in the rest of the world than they were in the past. This is what Lex Hoogduin (Chief Economist) says in a Robeco Web TV broadcast in which he gives his views on the economic outlook for 2008, together with Edith Siermann (Chief Investment Officer Fixed Income) and Mark Glazener (fund manager of the Robeco Fund).
Last year, the growth rate of the global economy amounted to 5%. After this excellent year, this year is going to be a good year.
