Investment Strategy Commentary

Northern Trust’s Chief Investment Strategist, Jim McDonald, examines emerging market equities' underperformance and outlook in his latest market commentary, What's Driving Emerging Markets?

Northern Trust’s Chief Investment Strategist, Jim McDonald, explores how far the markets have come in his latest market commentary.

Commodities Analyst, Edward Trafford, provides insights into the evolving dynamics within the Energy, Industrial Metals and Agriculture sectors in Northern Trust's most recent strategy piece.

Northern Trust's Chief Investment Strategist, Jim McDonald, analyzes Washington's last-minute deal in, "The Fiscal Cliff: Now for the Hard Part."'

What is the outlook for financial markets after a year in which markets positively surprised most investors?

Our Chief Investment Strategist, Jim McDonald, reacts to the U.S. election results in his latest market commentary.

Read our Senior Fixed Income Analyst, Claire Meier's, new commentary on the current situation facing European markets. Commentary includes insights on the potential impact of EU reforms on the people of Europe living in the 'real economy'.

As bond yields have fallen to record lows, investors have embraced dividend-paying stocks as an alternative strategy for income production. However, with these stocks fetching higher prices than they have in the past and the looming potential for change to the U.S. policy on taxation of dividends, is the strategy still appropriate?

Investors, worldwide, have been watching to see how far the FOMC would go to support a fledgling economic recovery in the United States and, during its September 12-13 meeting, the FOMC took bold action.

Northern Trust’s analysis of the current state of U.S. monetary policy following U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke’s speech in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Following recent actions by central banks, investors turn their attention to a monetary policy meeting in Jackson Hole, Wy.

Northern Trust's Fixed Income experts analyse the continuing drama within Europe and the effect of the recent Greek elections on the eurozone.

Much attention has been paid to the roughly $700 billion "fiscal cliff" the U.S. economy is scheduled to fall off at year's end. The good news is that we think some form of legislative extension is the likely path politicians will follow to avoid a sharp economic contraction; the bad news is that these fiscal issues are not going away. Northern Trust’s Chief Investment Strategist, Jim McDonald, analyzes both the near-term and longer-term impacts from government spending policies in, The Fiscal Cliff.

The U.S. economy remains the "fastest tortoise in the race," but recent economic data -- including the disappointing jobs report released on June 1 -- suggest that the tortoise is laboring. In this environment, we believe a focus on income-generating asset classes can help shield investors from ongoing volatility. Northern Trust’s Chief Investment Strategist, Jim McDonald, discusses the recent market events in his latest market commentary, The Tortoise is Laboring.

Northern Trust's Fixed Income experts analyse the continuing drama within the eurozone and its recent political changes in Greece and France as well as banking reforms in Spain.

A cursory review of history may lead one to conclude that spiking oil prices always lead to recession. Also, the popular press has convinced some that current tensions with Iran are the primary reason for higher oil prices. We don't draw the same conclusion on either of these fronts. It is our view that the primary cause of the current high price of oil is global supply and demand — and that high oil prices, by themselves, do not necessarily result in economic contraction. Northern Trust’s Chief Investment Strategist, Jim McDonald, explores oil's impact on the economy and the markets in his latest market commentary. Oil: Keep an Eye on Supply.