Three key long-term investing tenets to shift soon - Morgan Stanley

FXStreet reports that Lisa Shalett from Morgan Stanley expects three policy-related tenets of conventional investing wisdom to reverse.

“Political gridlock: It is generally seen as positive for markets when rival political parties control different branches of government, mainly because it limits the potential for new regulation and tax increases. However, we believe investors are slowly embracing the need for a greater level of cooperation and compromise in Washington than we’ve seen lately. This could lead to more government spending, including pandemic relief and infrastructure spending, which stands to create jobs and boost incomes.”

“Higher taxes: Many investors regard increased government spending, especially when funded by tax increases, as an impediment to corporate earnings and economic growth. However, the COVID-19 recession is occurring against a backdrop of record deficits and debt. With now historically low-interest rates potentially headed higher as growth picks up, this debt load could increasingly drag on the economy and weigh on the dollar, squeezing out other government spending. Financing that debt likely will require new revenues. Reforming the tax code, including raising corporate taxes, may be unavoidable.”

“Rising Inflation: Investors often fear inflation, which has triggered bear markets in the past. However, the Fed’s new ‘average inflation targeting’ framework could allow inflation to float above the 2% target for years to make up for the past decade when inflation has mostly been below that level. Investors have yet to grasp fully this sea change.”

“The next business cycle, combined with these likely policy shifts, will produce fresh market leadership centered on capital investment, infrastructure, housing and strong consumer spending. I suggest that investors consider repositioning portfolios toward select sectors, including financials, industrials, clean energy, construction, consumer durables and service-sector automation, and away from the digital and technology-related ‘work-from-home winners’ of 2020.”