Investment Strategy: well balanced portfolios, focus on unique opportunities
Related content
After a hot fall, a spring tornado could wreak havoc in France
Barely half a year after this year’s French budget was passed, the wrangling over the 2027 budget is about to begin, but that’s not all, because France will also hold a presidential election next spring. During the first public presidential debate, some of the radical candidates put forward ideas that were, at times, unconventional. Although the presidential election in late April still seems far off, based on the latest polls, if no candidate secures enough votes and a runoff is held, it cannot be ruled out that two radical presidential candidates will face off against each other. Market participants may have begun to price in this growing uncertainty, as the yield spread between French and German 10-year government bonds has started to widen again in recent weeks. The period ahead promises to be full of twists and turns, so it will be worth keeping a close eye on developments in French domestic politics.
Commodities - Technical Analysis
Gold and silver prices have retested their uptrend lines, so the long-term trend may continue. Oil prices have broken out of a contracting pattern, which may signal the start of another upward wave. Natural gas prices have also begun to rise, signaling a buy. In the case of copper, the main uptrend remains in effect, and there are currently no signs indicating a change in the trend’s structure. Following significant gains, wheat and corn have become heavily overbought, increasing the likelihood of a correction.
In the short term, the negative impact of tariffs coupled with elevated valuation levels, have increased the risk of a mild correction. However, as the threat of recession is moderate, the fiscal and monetary policy are supportive, commercial bank lending is improving, we would maintain neutral equity exposure and look for buying opportunities during corrections.
Macro
US growth got slower, but less, than expected, and as fiscal policy remains loose and interest rates will be cut further, a drastic slowdown looks less likely. The eurozone economy will manage a soft landing in H2, and growth could reaccelerate by the end of 2026. In Europe, headline inflation is back on target, but in the US, inflation is diverging from the target, and tariffs will drive it further up. ECB’s rate cutting cycle has ended at the neutral level of 2%, in case of the Fed, the priced in rate trajectory looks to be overly optimistic. Hungarian GDP growth could reach 0.6% in 2025 and ~3% in 2026, thanks to a large fiscal stimulus, which may push the deficit above 5% next year. In 2026, inflation may return back to the target level, however risks are tilted to the upside. The market expects 75-100 bps rate cuts by the MNB, but we think 6.5% will be kept for longer. Till December, HUF long positions looks to be more attractive, however after the last rating action in December this could change due to election risks.
Equities
In the short term, the negative impact of tariffs coupled with elevated valuation levels, have increased the risk of a mild correction. However, as the threat of recession is moderate, the fiscal and monetary policy are supportive, commercial bank lending is improving, we would maintain neutral equity exposure and look for buying opportunities during corrections. Although the US market is the most expensive, profit dynamics are strong, so we do not expect a sustained downturn. Encouraging developments are emerging in Europe, but there are still obstacles to overcome, which prevents outperformance. The weakening of the dollar and the Fed's interest rate cut are tailwinds for EM, but they are no longer cheap, and profit momentum is deteriorating. Although CEE related risks are increasing, investors are still compensated by the depressed valuations.
Bonds
As there are no signs of recession in either America or Europe, we recommend choosing the short/medium end of the yield curve in developed countries due to high budget deficits, rising debt trajectories, and political pressure on the Fed. We do not consider corporate bonds attractive due to narrow bond spreads.
Commodities
We maintain an overall neutral view on commodities due to various uncertainties surrounding the global economic outlook from US labor market to Chinese growth prospects. Several markedly different outcomes are possible, hence some caution is warranted. We recommend selective exposure (e.g., gold, copper, uranium).
Get more out of your investments!
Global Markets Services
OTP Global Markets offers a broad range of services in the field of local and international money and capital markets.
Read morePrivate Banking Services
Personal care and expertise with OTP Private Banking, along with the knowledge, security, and innovations of a multinational banking group.
Read more