GeoMacro

There are many different paths to macro investing. In our Volume II – The Beta Report – we present our own, which we have dubbed GeoMacro. We are very confident that we are “on to something,” but are humbled constantly by the markets, brilliant applications of different frameworks, and the confidence that, at BCA Research specifically, GeoMacro Strategy is housed in a collective of other approaches and methodologies that will greatly enhance our own capabilities. Our conclusion is simple: When it comes to searching for beta, nothing but geopolitics and politics matters. When it comes to searching for alpha, the macro fundamentals far outweigh geopolitics and politics.

In our Volume I – The Alpha Report – we posit that the French bond market reaction is a mere amuse bouche for what is coming to the US. All year, we have warned investors that US politics could induce a bond market riot. This moment is nigh. Act accordingly!

Special Report

The Labour Party’s comeback in the UK is widely expected and will lead to fiscal stimulus consisting of increased public spending with minimal tax hikes. But a sweeping single-party majority will reduce social unrest only at the cost of higher taxes over the medium term. The paradigm has shifted away from the Thatcherite low-tax regime of the now-discredited Tories. v

The bond market should sell off and drag stocks down on higher odds of a single-party sweep, policy uncertainty, unorthodox Trump presidency, aggressive tariffs, large tax cuts, large budget deficits, labor shortages, a fired Fed chair, and higher inflation.

The Indian election outcome is a positive development for the country’s long-term socio-economic outlook. Indian stocks, however, remain vulnerable in the near term due to sharply slowing nominal sales and surging real borrowing costs. Indian domestic bonds, on the other hand, are a buy.

Special Report

US assets and the US dollar should remain resilient relative to global peers over the next 12 months as policy uncertainty, election risk, and geopolitical risk reach a climax. After that, investors should reassess their regional allocation.

European assets are selling off as investors panic about the upcoming French election. Is this panic justified, and if so, for how long?

Special Report

The new national unity government in South Africa creates a geopolitical opportunity that investors should not bet against in the short term. A broad-based rally is likely to unfold relative to other emerging markets. However, structural problems and distrust within the new coalition hold out significant risks over the long run.

Europe did not witness a major policy reversal. Inflationary pressures are coming down, enabling the ECB to cut rates and European states to maintain soft budgets. Geopolitical challenges ensure that European parties continue to cooperate on national defense, economic security, and energy security.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi won a third term and will become the third longest-serving prime minister of India. While investors responded negatively to the BJP’s loss of an outright majority, Modi and the NDA will continue to perpetuate the reforms they have already put into motion. The result also affirms that Indian democracy continues to thrive, contrary to the narrative that Modi had formed an authoritarian grip on the country, a view we always rejected.