Hunter Frey, Analyst

In retrospect, the year 2020 was riddled with market dislocation and uncertainty. However, 2020 was also a year of "fast-forwarding" and innovation. Industries, companies, and policies that would have otherwise taken years to become mainstream quickly became the center of economic, industry, and investment attention. One viewpoint that has emerged from 2020 and has started to show signs of potential in early 2021 is the idea of a "hydrogen economy" and a positive correlation toward reversing climate change.

Throughout 2020 economic dislocations ran rampant. However, one segment of the economy that we believe has fundamental strength and has remained vibrant throughout this pandemic is the U.S. housing market. Social distancing, historically low mortgage rates, robust refinancing appetite, a mass exodus from densely populated cities, and increased demand for suburban residential housing continues to enable the U.S. housing market to surge from the March lows.

Over the past decade, there has been much debate between active and passive investing. Many modern-day investors, including fixed-income investors, have shifted to the passive investing approach. Although this approach has worked well for equities, it has generally fallen behind for fixed income as active fixed income managers generally outperform their passive counterparts.

Over the past decade, there has been much debate between active and passive investing. Many modern-day investors, including fixed-income investors, have shifted to the passive investing approach. Although this approach has worked well for equities, it has generally fallen behind for fixed income as active fixed income managers generally outperform their passive counterparts.

Tactical allocation strategies were created to address unmet investor demand. These strategies have evolved over time, implementing different styles and approaches with a common goal of dynamically adjusting allocations to improve investor outcomes. In this case study, we provide background on various considerations for tactical investment strategies and make the argument that investors should focus on understanding whether a particular tactical strategy is positioned for long-term success.

The tail end of 2020 has started to show signs of a potential end to the uncertainty and fear beset by the coronavirus pandemic. Most notably are upbeat FDA documents and early-stage Pfizer/BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine mass inoculations in the United Kingdom and authorization in Canada, upbeat peer studies on AstraZeneca-Oxford University vaccine results, and numerous other biotechnology firms in late-stage clinical trials.

In the midst of the Holiday season, our normal glee and excitement appear blistered. As the flu season approaches, the coronavirus pandemic has raged on, with cases steadily increasing since September. The new degree of normalcy seems to be settling into a constant or never-ending cloud of uncertainty.

In the midst of the Holiday season, our normal glee and excitement appear blistered. As the flu season approaches, the coronavirus pandemic has raged on, with cases steadily increasing since September. The new degree of normalcy seems to be settling into a constant or never-ending cloud of uncertainty.