1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:02,120 Speaker 1: Let's get to Michael Kelly. He's our guest for the 2 00:00:02,120 --> 00:00:05,000 Speaker 1: half hour. Mike is Global head of Multi Asset at 3 00:00:05,040 --> 00:00:09,160 Speaker 1: pine Bridge Investment. He joins from Singapore. Mike, thanks for 4 00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:11,880 Speaker 1: being with us. I'm wondering whether or not you think 5 00:00:12,280 --> 00:00:15,000 Speaker 1: there is just too much concern right now that the Fed, 6 00:00:15,080 --> 00:00:18,840 Speaker 1: in its aggressive stance on getting inflation under control, will 7 00:00:18,920 --> 00:00:22,160 Speaker 1: necessarily break something in the system. Do you think that's 8 00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:29,760 Speaker 1: likely to happen? Um, it is likely to happen when 9 00:00:29,800 --> 00:00:33,480 Speaker 1: you begin late. The the only episodes of the three 10 00:00:33,479 --> 00:00:38,559 Speaker 1: Imatlitstoff landings you had fans move early, um, and they 11 00:00:38,560 --> 00:00:41,319 Speaker 1: could pay things when they moved early. When you move late, 12 00:00:41,400 --> 00:00:43,360 Speaker 1: you have to go fast. When you go fast, to 13 00:00:43,400 --> 00:00:48,320 Speaker 1: your risk of breaking things. Unfortunately, UM, we're in the 14 00:00:48,360 --> 00:00:52,519 Speaker 1: things are going to break camp. So we've got the 15 00:00:52,600 --> 00:00:55,840 Speaker 1: U S inflation numbers next Thursday. These closed an operall 16 00:00:56,040 --> 00:00:58,880 Speaker 1: last month when they came in stronger than expected. What 17 00:00:58,920 --> 00:01:01,480 Speaker 1: are you anticipating this time and how's that going to 18 00:01:01,680 --> 00:01:06,520 Speaker 1: change the narrative potentially for the FIT. I don't think 19 00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:09,399 Speaker 1: it will be a narrative changer. You know, after July 20 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:13,479 Speaker 1: is sequential. Everyone has to stop looking at your year 21 00:01:13,560 --> 00:01:17,399 Speaker 1: but sequentially inflation headline or core was flatted in July, 22 00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:21,000 Speaker 1: Hope sprung internal August came, which was a big buzz 23 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:24,600 Speaker 1: kill with core, you know, accelerating the point six which 24 00:01:24,640 --> 00:01:28,880 Speaker 1: is nosably this time, we're likely to see sequentially point 25 00:01:28,959 --> 00:01:33,360 Speaker 1: three headline, core point four five. You know, that's too 26 00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:35,840 Speaker 1: hot for the FED, for the pressure on the FED 27 00:01:35,920 --> 00:01:39,080 Speaker 1: to come off, although it's not. It's not a breaker 28 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:42,120 Speaker 1: like last month. So if the Fed is inclined to 29 00:01:42,120 --> 00:01:46,280 Speaker 1: be aggressive, we know that. I'm wondering what your outlook 30 00:01:46,319 --> 00:01:48,559 Speaker 1: for the dollar happens to be. Are we near peak 31 00:01:48,680 --> 00:01:51,960 Speaker 1: dollar right now? It seems to consistently be the go 32 00:01:52,120 --> 00:01:55,680 Speaker 1: to haven currency. There's a lot of geopolitical risk and 33 00:01:56,080 --> 00:01:59,120 Speaker 1: various hotspots around the world. We know that, But in 34 00:01:59,200 --> 00:02:01,360 Speaker 1: terms of the path of the dollar from here, what 35 00:02:01,560 --> 00:02:06,640 Speaker 1: are you thinking, Well, the path of the dollar in 36 00:02:06,720 --> 00:02:10,400 Speaker 1: prior cycles, um, and here the US is much stronger 37 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:12,799 Speaker 1: versus the rest of the world than in prior cycles. 38 00:02:12,840 --> 00:02:15,600 Speaker 1: But in prior cycles, the dollar really didn't top out 39 00:02:15,760 --> 00:02:20,079 Speaker 1: until three five months after the last hike and well 40 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:24,280 Speaker 1: before the first ease. But the last hike is probably 41 00:02:24,360 --> 00:02:27,720 Speaker 1: up there in February March, so even though it's too 42 00:02:27,720 --> 00:02:31,720 Speaker 1: strong as it is at the moment, it's just a 43 00:02:31,760 --> 00:02:34,919 Speaker 1: wrecking ball. There's there's nothing to get in its way. 44 00:02:36,360 --> 00:02:40,080 Speaker 1: It probably goes higher in a very disruptive way for 45 00:02:40,200 --> 00:02:46,360 Speaker 1: many other economies, many other central banks. But that's that's 46 00:02:46,440 --> 00:02:49,560 Speaker 1: just the nature of the beast right now. So the 47 00:02:49,600 --> 00:02:52,080 Speaker 1: dollars are raking bowl. Things are going to break. What 48 00:02:52,160 --> 00:02:53,880 Speaker 1: does it look like when things break? What do you 49 00:02:53,880 --> 00:03:01,120 Speaker 1: expect that break to manifest? Well, unfortunately, um not in 50 00:03:01,160 --> 00:03:05,200 Speaker 1: the United States. The the US is still very resilient. 51 00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:08,760 Speaker 1: It's starting to slow, but it's a very slow motion 52 00:03:08,760 --> 00:03:13,239 Speaker 1: and slowed out. And the pressures are going to mount overseas. 53 00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:16,519 Speaker 1: They're already evident of course in Europe and the UK, 54 00:03:17,600 --> 00:03:20,640 Speaker 1: but there will be a number of emergent countries, you know, 55 00:03:20,720 --> 00:03:27,280 Speaker 1: who never really mixed their debt more floating. And that's 56 00:03:27,320 --> 00:03:30,400 Speaker 1: really the soft spots. And Michael, when we left off, 57 00:03:30,400 --> 00:03:32,520 Speaker 1: you were talking about some of the soft spots in 58 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:35,480 Speaker 1: the world economy. But in your view, one of those 59 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:38,760 Speaker 1: spots soft spots is not China. That's something of a 60 00:03:38,800 --> 00:03:45,320 Speaker 1: contrarian position. Has your risk cappitite around China more than 61 00:03:45,360 --> 00:03:48,200 Speaker 1: it has been, Paul and the last handful of years 62 00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:52,400 Speaker 1: we've we've really been very parished on China. We thought, 63 00:03:53,200 --> 00:03:56,680 Speaker 1: you know, the world was early on and discovering President 64 00:03:56,760 --> 00:03:59,920 Speaker 1: She is just more ideological and less practical that we 65 00:04:00,160 --> 00:04:03,520 Speaker 1: thought of China. That's now more than fully priced in 66 00:04:04,360 --> 00:04:07,920 Speaker 1: UM And at the moment, yes, there are some COVID 67 00:04:07,960 --> 00:04:12,840 Speaker 1: restraints going up, but it's not because the cases flared 68 00:04:13,160 --> 00:04:16,560 Speaker 1: a bit after the Golden Week. There a hundred, you know, 69 00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:22,360 Speaker 1: mid mid just mid August. It's really preemptive measures so 70 00:04:22,400 --> 00:04:25,359 Speaker 1: that nothing embarrassing happens in front of the party congress. 71 00:04:25,520 --> 00:04:29,720 Speaker 1: But we think, you know, these you know, these surgical, 72 00:04:30,200 --> 00:04:35,520 Speaker 1: quick short things are going to disappear starting November. UM 73 00:04:35,880 --> 00:04:39,120 Speaker 1: will will have the new party shortly and then the 74 00:04:39,120 --> 00:04:42,120 Speaker 1: new government will be put in place at the end 75 00:04:42,160 --> 00:04:45,360 Speaker 1: of March, and after that one does need to look 76 00:04:45,440 --> 00:04:50,719 Speaker 1: forward to zero COVID disappearing slowly from the landscape in China. 77 00:04:50,839 --> 00:04:55,440 Speaker 1: So they have essentially bottomed with the Shanghai COVID lockdowns, 78 00:04:55,440 --> 00:04:59,520 Speaker 1: which were fierce, severe and all encompassing. Things are getting 79 00:04:59,640 --> 00:05:03,360 Speaker 1: less bad. Since then, there's been less improvement than we've hoped. 80 00:05:03,960 --> 00:05:07,640 Speaker 1: We actually prefer markets that are showing less improvement and 81 00:05:07,800 --> 00:05:11,760 Speaker 1: Hope and all the others that are showing slower deterioration 82 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:16,520 Speaker 1: than feared. It will take less improvement UM any day. So, Mike, 83 00:05:16,560 --> 00:05:19,480 Speaker 1: if you're right and the the COVID zero policy begins 84 00:05:19,520 --> 00:05:22,159 Speaker 1: to livet after the Party Congress, are we to be 85 00:05:22,279 --> 00:05:27,680 Speaker 1: concerned about the damage already done to the Chinese consumer 86 00:05:27,920 --> 00:05:29,840 Speaker 1: during this period of COVID and are we going to 87 00:05:29,960 --> 00:05:33,240 Speaker 1: have to expect a period of retrenchment and recovery? Is 88 00:05:33,279 --> 00:05:35,600 Speaker 1: that not inherent in what we're dealing with on the 89 00:05:35,600 --> 00:05:40,520 Speaker 1: macroad side a little bit? Well, it is, Um. It's 90 00:05:40,560 --> 00:05:42,320 Speaker 1: a big part of the reason that we've been so 91 00:05:42,400 --> 00:05:46,240 Speaker 1: cautious for five years that you know, all of the 92 00:05:46,279 --> 00:05:51,279 Speaker 1: more centralization is discouraging the private sector in addition to 93 00:05:51,360 --> 00:05:54,760 Speaker 1: the consumer. But you know there is there are now 94 00:05:54,839 --> 00:05:58,360 Speaker 1: fiscal measures in place, they'll type time to start kicking in. 95 00:05:58,480 --> 00:06:01,800 Speaker 1: We think after de Congress they'll have a little bit 96 00:06:01,800 --> 00:06:05,719 Speaker 1: more laxity to do monetary stimulus. They have to watch 97 00:06:05,760 --> 00:06:08,200 Speaker 1: the currency. Of course, it will be less embarrassed by 98 00:06:08,240 --> 00:06:11,279 Speaker 1: soft the currency after the Party Congress. Now there will 99 00:06:11,320 --> 00:06:15,640 Speaker 1: be no one eight on COVID after the Party Congress 100 00:06:15,680 --> 00:06:18,760 Speaker 1: early November. It will just slowly start loosening up. The 101 00:06:18,800 --> 00:06:22,479 Speaker 1: one eighty will come after the government. The March twenty 102 00:06:22,560 --> 00:06:25,880 Speaker 1: three government is more fully put in place, but that's 103 00:06:25,880 --> 00:06:28,159 Speaker 1: not too far out for our taste. Where an intermediate 104 00:06:28,240 --> 00:06:30,640 Speaker 1: term investor, there's a lot of caution built over the 105 00:06:30,720 --> 00:06:34,320 Speaker 1: prices that there's better things to come here, though the 106 00:06:34,320 --> 00:06:37,960 Speaker 1: pace is very slow, and unfortunately we see a lot 107 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:42,520 Speaker 1: of downside still in the fundamentals for most other markets. 108 00:06:43,320 --> 00:06:46,280 Speaker 1: While rape prices and inflation has been priced, the spill 109 00:06:46,400 --> 00:06:51,200 Speaker 1: over into earnings and things like credit spreads and equity 110 00:06:51,240 --> 00:06:54,640 Speaker 1: respremiums aren't yet where they need to be there are. 111 00:06:55,600 --> 00:06:58,480 Speaker 1: With a view to the intermediate term, then well, where 112 00:06:58,480 --> 00:07:03,040 Speaker 1: do you buy? What s do you like? Well, we've 113 00:07:03,120 --> 00:07:05,920 Speaker 1: liked our favorite all year has been sort of an 114 00:07:05,920 --> 00:07:10,800 Speaker 1: old fashioned risk premium called commodity carry, where you're shorter 115 00:07:11,040 --> 00:07:15,200 Speaker 1: kind of spot commodity prices long further out. There's more 116 00:07:15,240 --> 00:07:18,560 Speaker 1: backwardation than we've seen in fifteen years, by greater degree 117 00:07:18,600 --> 00:07:21,360 Speaker 1: than we've seen in fifteen years. You make an awful 118 00:07:21,400 --> 00:07:24,280 Speaker 1: lot of money in these strategies as spot prices are 119 00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:27,920 Speaker 1: near the ceiling and fall towards the floor. And we're 120 00:07:28,040 --> 00:07:32,920 Speaker 1: in that process now as the slowdown spreads worldwide and 121 00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:36,480 Speaker 1: you earned a nice carry, low volume carry, highly uncorrelated 122 00:07:36,520 --> 00:07:40,640 Speaker 1: with most other things, you need to still be overexposed 123 00:07:40,720 --> 00:07:46,960 Speaker 1: the dollar China, of course is sort of a unusual exposure. 124 00:07:47,040 --> 00:07:49,560 Speaker 1: But when we think that will play off, and you know, 125 00:07:49,640 --> 00:07:54,800 Speaker 1: the most overplayed strategy and everyone's portfolio is quality choking 126 00:07:54,880 --> 00:07:58,720 Speaker 1: up more qualities, more resilient income statements, but hasn't really 127 00:07:58,800 --> 00:08:02,280 Speaker 1: worked this year because the slowdown is so slow. It's 128 00:08:02,320 --> 00:08:05,760 Speaker 1: about to okay, alright, Michael Kelly will have to leave 129 00:08:05,800 --> 00:08:07,440 Speaker 1: it there, but thanks so much for joining us with 130 00:08:07,480 --> 00:08:11,080 Speaker 1: your insights today. Michael Kelly is Global head of Multi 131 00:08:11,080 --> 00:08:13,160 Speaker 1: Asset at pine Bridge Investments