Thapana Onphalai/iStock via Getty Images Key takeaways 1 The fund's developed ex-US tactical factor equities were a positive contributor The fund's allocation to Invesco International Developed Dynamic Multifactor ETF ( IMFL ) (IMFL) was one of the top contributors to relative return for the quarter, driven by its cyclical factor positioning. 2 The fund's macro framework experienced a regime chang...
Thapana Onphalai/iStock via Getty Images Key takeaways 1 The fund's developed ex-US tactical factor equities were a positive contributor The fund's allocation to Invesco International Developed Dynamic Multifactor ETF ( IMFL ) (IMFL) was one of the top contributors to relative return for the quarter, driven by its cyclical factor positioning. 2 The fund's macro framework experienced a regime change in the fourth quarter The fund was positioned for a contraction regime and shifted to a recovery regime in November, driven by improving growth expectations. In our view, the transition does not represent the start of a new cycle, but an extension of the existing cycle. 3 Tactical foreign exchange activity detracted from relative performance Tactical foreign exchange activity was the largest detractor from relative performance. Allocations to US and emerging market equities also detracted. Manager perspective and outlook • Global economic growth held up in the fourth quarter and markets ended higher despite volatility. Risk assets rallied early but stalled in November amid apparent uncertainty about US Federal Reserve (Fed) policy and artificial intelligence (AI) related valuation concerns. December saw renewed strength in US, European and emerging (ex-China) equities. Credit markets faced isolated pressures from bankruptcies and regional banks but still had gains. • Geopolitics appeared to influence investor sentiment. US/China tensions rose over rare earth minerals and tariffs before easing after a temporary trade deal. The US government shutdown appeared to add uncertainty as data releases were paused. Central banks were active: the Fed cut rates twice and raised its 2026 growth outlook, the Bank of England lowered rates and the European Central Bank raised growth and inflation forecasts. • We expect growth to reaccelerate in 2026, supported by lower US policy rates and more fiscal spending across major economies. Private sector balance sheets have remained a tailwind....
President Donald Trump said he wanted to “take the oil” in Iran, possibly seizing the export hub of Kharg Island, the Financial Times reported. Trump’s interview with the FT comes as thousands of US troops massed in the Persian Gulf region, including an amphibious assault team that arrived on Saturday. Portions of the 82nd Airborne is also on its way. Trump told the Financial Times on Sunday that ...
President Donald Trump said he wanted to “take the oil” in Iran, possibly seizing the export hub of Kharg Island, the Financial Times reported. Trump’s interview with the FT comes as thousands of US troops massed in the Persian Gulf region, including an amphibious assault team that arrived on Saturday. Portions of the 82nd Airborne is also on its way. Trump told the Financial Times on Sunday that “his preference would be to take the oil.” He compared the effort to the operation in Venezuela in January, when the US captured the South American country’s leader, Nicolas Maduro , and plans to control its oil industry. Brent crude traded higher than $115 a barrel, near its highest level since the war began. The US and Israel have been hammering Iran with strikes for four weeks, and Iran has retaliated in Israel, on US military targets and on industrial sites in the US’s Gulf allies like the UAE and Bahrain. Read More: Tehran Briefly Loses Power After Strikes as Peace Push Ramps Up “To be honest with you, my favorite thing is to take the oil in Iran but some stupid people back in the US say: ‘Why are you doing that?’ But they’re stupid people,” he told the paper. Unlike in Venezuela, taking Iran’s oil would involve invading and holding its main export hub, Kharg Island, which also houses an Iranian naval base. “Our men are waiting for American soldiers to enter on the ground,” Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Sunday, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency. Trump told FT that taking Kharg Island “would also mean we had to be there for a while.” Asked about the state of Iranian defenses on Kharg Island he said: “I don’t think they have any defense. We could take it very easily.”