18.02.202217:09 Forex Analysis & Reviews: An insight into the first half of the year. Forecasts for risky assets

With the uncertainty in the monetary policy framework, one should be ready for volatility in risky assets through the first half of the year, and then for equity gains in the second half of the year.

Some experts believe markets will adapt to a rate hike, but it will take more time to embrace quantitative tightening because of the withdrawal of monetary stimulus.

As of December 2020, GIAM had €470 billion ($534 billion) in assets.

It is expected things regarding the actions of central banks will get more stable by the second half of the year.

From this perspective, asset managers consider it worth buying value stocks (energy, banks, the ones that will benefit from economic rebounding after the pandemic, etc.) as well as long-dated bonds, as yields from these types of assets are rising as well.

However, you need to be careful and examine the market thoroughly, as increased volatility puts pressure on spreads on high-yield and investment grade debts.

Kevin Headland, co-chief investment strategist at Manulife Investment Management, said it was important to consider central banks were not "raising rates from 'normal' levels to combat an overheated economy or runaway inflation".

According to the minutes of the Jan. 25-26 policy meeting, Fed officials are not set on any particular pace of rate hikes.

The Fed is expected to manage demand-side risks with a cycle of rate hikes, as U.S. inflation expectations are very high. Experts think that in this case the central bank will raise rates much faster than before.