Research & News
Bi-Weekly Geopolitical Report – What Would a U.S.-China War Look Like? (January 18, 2022)
by Patrick Fearon-Hernandez, CFA | PDF (Note: As we shift to a bi-weekly publication schedule for this report in 2022, we introduce the accompanying Geopolitical Podcast, now available on our website and most podcast platforms: Apple | Spotify | Google) We’ve written extensively about the worsening geopolitical tensions between the United States and China, which… Read More »
Weekly Energy Update (January 13, 2022)
by Bill O’Grady, Thomas Wash, and Patrick Fearon-Hernandez, CFA | PDF Since troughing in early December, oil prices have been steadily rising due to tightening supplies. We are approaching the highs set in November. (Source: Barchart.com) Crude oil inventories fell 4.6 mb compared to a 1.7 mb draw forecast. The SPR declined 0.3 mb, meaning… Read More »
Asset Allocation Bi-Weekly – The Path of Monetary Policy (January 10, 2022)
by the Asset Allocation Committee | PDF Our expectation of no policy rate hikes this year is an out-of-consensus call in our 2022 Outlook: The Year of Fat Tails. There are a couple of factors that suggest rate hikes this year. First, financial markets have factored in rate hikes. Fed funds futures suggest a greater… Read More »
Weekly Energy Update (January 6, 2022)
by Bill O’Grady, Thomas Wash, and Patrick Fearon-Hernandez, CFA | PDF Since troughing in early December, oil prices have been steadily rising due to tightening supplies. (Source: Barchart.com) Crude oil inventories fell 2.1 mb compared to a 3.4 mb draw forecast. The SPR declined 1.3 mb, meaning the net draw was 3.5 mb. In the… Read More »
Asset Allocation Weekly – What’s Causing the Yield Curve to Flatten? (December 17, 2021)
by the Asset Allocation Committee | PDF A note to readers: The Asset Allocation Weekly will go on holiday hiatus following today’s report and return as a bi-weekly publication, now on Mondays, beginning January 10, 2022. From all of us at Confluence Investment Management, we wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! See… Read More »
2022 Outlook: The Year of Fat Tails (December 16, 2021)
by Mark Keller, CFA, Bill O’Grady, and Patrick Fearon-Hernandez, CFA | PDF Summary: We don’t expect a recession in 2022. Real GDP growth will range between 3.0% to 3.5%. Inflation remains elevated, though price pressures will likely subside in H2 2022. We expect the core PCE deflator, the Federal Reserve’s preferred measure of inflation, to… Read More »