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, including Bloomberg and CNBC.
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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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Applying an ESG lens to macroeconomic analysis—a starting place
In our view, ESG factors play an increasingly important role in macroeconomic analysis and the formulation of investment outlooks. Find out why.
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U.S. inflation outlook—10 things to monitor
As concerns about U.S. inflation grows, investors are scrutinizing economic data for clues on what could happen next. We highlight 10 factors to monitor.
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It’s just a phase: Three-minute macro
Inflation is top of mind and with good cause: It’ll be tough to call as it likely will go through ups and downs over the next few years. Meanwhile, the U.S. Federal Reserve’s language has market participants on their toes, while Asian exports should heavily affect the economy in the region.
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Foresight May 2021: macro themes and market outlook
Optimism about the lifting of lockdown restrictions has been offset by concerns about inflation. Find out how our returns expectations across asset classes have changed in recent months.
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Timing is everything: Three-minute macro
In the coming months, we expect the market to put emphasize the timing of economic inflection points. We also detail our cautiously optimistic view on REITs and highlight that differing COVID-19 vaccination rates are making country picking in emerging markets even more crucial in this month's edition of Three-minute macro.
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Three-minute macro: what’s driving earnings?
The drivers of equity market performance so far this year look very different than last. We’re also mindful of a potential cooling in the housing market, while we expect major financial institutions to keep track of inequality issues going forward.
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Canada’s economic outlook—recovery delayed, not derailed
The third wave of COVID-19 may have dimmed Canada's economic outlook in the near term, but our macroeconomic strategy team believes the country's still on track to do well in the second half of 2021.
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Three-minute macro: real rates, real concerns
Real rates are on the rise, which may create issues for equity investors, while COVID-19 may exacerbate inequality issues. Read more.
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