Viewpoints by Frances Donald, at Manulife Investment Management
Frances forecasts global macroeconomic and financial trends, analyzes the economy and capital markets for potential opportunities and risks, and serves as a thought leader both within the firm and externally. As a senior member of the firm’s multi-asset solutions team, she coordinates global macro research, assists in the team’s return forecasting process, and contributes to portfolio positioning views.
Prior to joining Manulife, Frances worked as a financial economist for Scotiabank in Toronto, and before that as a global macro analyst for Pavilion Global Markets in Montreal. Earlier in her career, she held various positions at Deloitte, Roubini Global Economics, and Bank of Canada. Frances is a frequent public speaker and regularly appears in international media.
Education: B.A., Economics, Queen’s University; M.A., Economics, New York University
Joined the company: 2016
Began career: 2008
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Rising rates and real estate: Three-minute macro
A hawkish BoC should have Canadian homeowners on watch as interest-rate rises will likely eat into their purchasing power. We also break down why green energy stocks are underperforming this year and why stagflation is such a scary word.
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Show them the money: Three-minute macro
Corporate profits are surging, but workers aren’t really sharing in this profit boom—and that’s made even worse by rising prices. Our eyes are also on inventory levels that are building, and which could be a danger in the wake of rising interest rates.
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No shortage of risks: Three-minute macro
We examine why the Russian-Ukraine conflict, persistently high inflation, and the Fed’s long-awaited rate hike have investors scared, and detail how food prices are increasing at the fastest rate in four decades. This and more in this edition of Three-minute macro.
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Incorporating the Russia-Ukraine conflict in a global macro outlook
For the global economy, the Russia-Ukraine conflict and its repercussions amount to a stagflationary shock. We assess the situation's impact on our medium-term macro outlook.
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Did markets overreact to January's U.S. inflation data?
U.S. inflation hit a 40-year high in January, prompting speculation that the U.S. Federal Reserve might embark on an aggressive rate normalization path. We take a closer look.
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Why did the BoC decide against raising rates in January?
The BoC left interest rates unchanged at 0.25% at its meeting on January 26. The central bank’s decision defied market expectations and caught many investors off guard.
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Endemic pandemic? Three-minute macro
If COVID-19 is here to stay, how should economists incorporate it into their outlooks? This and more in this edition of three-minute macro.
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The road to net zero: Three-minute macro
COP26 has us thinking about the massive expense—but also the potentially larger economic benefits—of the transition to a green economy over the coming decades. Also top of mind is the continuing woes in global supply chains, while we’re also thinking that the Fed may have to change its tone (and its stance) in the coming months.
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Macro anchors shaping the global growth outlook
The current global economic recovery remains delicate. We examine key macroeconomic themes that could influence the global growth trajectory in the near term.
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The Delta effect: Three-minute macro
The Delta variant of COVID-19 is certainly complicating the outlook for the global economy, and we’re keeping an eye on five ways that those complications may materialize. We also take an ESG lens on the gig economy and discuss the yield situation among emerging-market debt.
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