All United States articles – Page 14
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White papersSummertime…but will the Fed be easing?
With noise levels still high, certainty on policy remains elusive.
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White papersSigns of a growing deficit attention disorder
Short-term risk-on distractions should give way to long-term economic reality.
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White papersWill Policy Clarity Spark a New Wave of Economic Growth?
While tariff uncertainty continues to linger, the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill provides business leaders with long-awaited policy clarity that may provide a boost to capital expenditure.
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White papersUS fixed income – Reasons for concern
Developed market interest rates remained generally range bound in the second quarter. The US economy can be expected to pivot towards higher inflation and slower growth. Such a trajectory may well lead the US Federal Reserve to loosen monetary policy in the third quarter, writes Olivier De Larouziere.
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White papersTwo paradigms: regulated utilities across the Atlantic
We offer a comparative look at US and European utility regulation and what it means for investors navigating two distinct models of oversight.
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White papersA brief history of US protectionism and global trade
Earlier this year, massive trade uncertainty caused extreme market volatility. Since then, concerns over economic costs, retaliations, and legal challenges have eased tensions. Markets now price limited stress, suggesting peak tensions are behind and current tariffs have become the new norm. However, when considering Trump’s transactional approach: a sense of calm is often followed by renewed pressure. While peak stress may have passed and dealmaking may take priority, we still expect US trade policies and sustained tariffs to pressure supply chains and activity, fueling uncertainty and occasional volatility spikes.
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White papersQ2 Pension Funding Status
MetLife Investment Management (MIM), the institutional asset management business of MetLife, Inc., estimates that, as of June 30, 2025, the average U.S. corporate pension funded status rose to 105.1%. This was up 2.1% from 103.0% as of March 31. MIM manages approximately $600 billion in total assets under management, including over $30 billion of long duration and liability driven investments.
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White papersUS tariffs delayed to August
“The ongoing tariff-related uncertainty points to the transactional and unilateral approach of the United States that can complicate matters for policymakers around the world.”
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White papersThe “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” and implications for commercial real estate
The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBA), which was signed into law on July 4, 2025, preserves and, in many cases, strengthens the tax advantages of owning U.S. commercial real estate (CRE), both equity and debt. These provisions have the combined impact of lowering taxable income while increasing cash on cash returns and net operating cash flow. Additionally, section 899 (which was expected to have negative implications for foreign investment in the U.S., given its retaliatory tax measures) was removed from the final bill. Bottom line, the final bill is widely viewed to have net positive implications for the U.S. commercial real estate market.
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White papersWhy the dollar deserves more credit
In a recent paper, we argued that sustained weakness in the US dollar would require clear evidence of narrowing real interest rate or growth differentials between the US and its major trading partners—conditions that have yet to fully materialise. Since then, the narrative around the weak dollar has continued to gain traction, but much of the perceived dollar weakness is actually a reflection of euro strength, which may now be overextended.
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White papersShaken, but not stirred
The U.S. economy remains resilient but is gradually losing momentum, while policy uncertainty continues to cloud the global outlook. Selective opportunities are emerging in fixed income, private markets, and high-quality equities supported by solid fundamentals.
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White papersChicago Multifamily: Fundamentals Outpacing Perceptions
Nationally, commercial real estate total returns declined by an average of 3.4% annually from the 2022 peak through 1Q 2025 (Exhibit 1), primarily due to the Federal Reserve’s rate hikes. While these macro headwinds have affected all markets, our attention is now shifting to local supply-and-demand fundamentals, which will increasingly determine performance. In this context, Chicago’s multifamily sector stands out: After years of underperformance, it now appears poised to close — and potentially reverse — its valuation gap relative to peers.
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White papersEmerging Markets Debt: Is It What Your Asset Allocation Needs?
Emerging Markets (EM) may be uniquely positioned to help portfolios with income and return potential within a world of many changes. One supportive tailwind for Emerging Markets Debt (EMD) is the fading of U.S. exceptionalism — a period when U.S. economic growth and asset returns attracted enough of the world’s capital to more than compensate for the potential negative effects of large trade and fiscal deficits.
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White papersIndependence Day’s big tax bill
Ballooning US federal deficits will heighten investors’ concerns about the sustainability of US fiscal policy, pushing them to look for opportunities arising in other areas.
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White papersThe enduring power of dividends
Dividend strategies can be a valuable addition to investors’ portfolios, offering the potential for steady income and long-term growth. They have been overlooked lately, but in a world of lower stock market returns and uncertainty, it may be time for investors to rediscover the enduring power of dividends.
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White papersWhat keeps central banks awake in 2025?
Insights from the 31st UBS Reserve Management Seminar
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White papersThe flight from the dollar
Will capital continue its slow yet steady flight from the US?
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White papersJune jobs report: Tighter immigration policy complicating the outlook
June’s U.S. jobs report showed stronger-than-expected gains, but a shrinking labor force—driven in part by tighter immigration policies—is complicating the broader economic outlook. This dynamic could challenge the Fed’s policy path moving forward.
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White papersA market guide to deregulation
Deregulation is emerging as a potential counterbalance to rising trade barriers and political uncertainty in the U.S., with pro-growth policies expected to support economic momentum. Sectors like energy, industrials, financials, and small caps—most sensitive to regulatory changes—stand to benefit the most.
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White papersHotels and offices: From operational upside to demand uncertainty in the age of AI
AI is boosting operational efficiency in hotels, while the long-term impact on office demand remains uncertain. Over time, rising productivity could support renewed interest in high-quality office space.
