Fixed income: yer up.

While it was hardly a go to when rates were south, they’ve rediscovered their mojo, with a hefty infusion of capital, according to prominent investors at a recent major industry conference in Beverly Hills, reported money.usnews.com.

Fund managers at the Milken Institute Global Conference said among popular products are bond funds.

So, what’s going on? Well, given the uncertainty over interest rates, a potential recession and U.S. debt default, stocks and  real estate are getting the cold shoulder.

"Things are very different now," said Elizabeth Burton, a managing director and client investment strategist at Goldman Sachs.

"You get a good sense of consensus at these conferences," noted Katie Koch, president and CEO of investment firm TCW. "And I think people are still feeling a little too good."

Heading into the second quarter, Principal Financial Group indicated there were opportunities for investors in fixed income; that is, if they’re up to brooking rocky times in the short run. The tradeoff? Results in the long run, according to seekingalpha.com.

Financial practices have an opportunity.

And it’s golden.

According to Tim Gerend, executive vice president and chief distribution officer at Northwestern Mutual, his firm’s annual Planning & Progress Study found that more than half of U.S. adults are anxious about their finances, reported thinkadvisor.com. This was part of remarks he made at the recent 2023 LIMRA Distribution Conference in Orlando.

On top of that, as for their financial future, they feel far from certain.

Fortunately, to help them prop up their security, Americans embrace the idea of seeking the help of financial advisors to help them formulate financial plans.

While that means the opportunity is ripe for the industry to build its impact and assist those who need it, Houston, we have a problem: the dearth of financial professional to handle the load.

That said, advisors should bear this in mind: If they’re not leveraging social media, you have company     according to blackrock.com.:

Forty four percent of financial advisors don’t indulge. Okay, so that might not prevent you from succeeding, ask yourself a question: how will  your growth remain on track given that among young investors, social media’s their “go to” when considering and choosing financial professionals among service providers.

In an article for Reuters, Mike Dolan discussed the widening gap between market volatility which has been trending lower since October of last year and headlines of various geopolitical, financial, and economic risks that are increasingly dominating headlines. The Federal Reserve is expected to hike rates despite signs that the economy continues to decelerate, considerable stress in the banking system, increasing chatter of a ‘technical default’ for the US Treasury if the debt ceiling is breached, and important data points in the coming weeks in the form of earnings from tech giants and the April jobs report. 

Despite these potential threats, the VIX, which measures stock market volatility, reached its lowest levels since November 2021. The stock market is also nearing a 20% move rise from its October lows, which many market participants would define as a new bull market. Volatility is similarly depressed in the Treasury market and the currency markets despite upcoming central bank meetings, indicating that this divergence between the VIX and headline risk is not unique to equities.

Finsum: There is a widening gap between various headline risk and market measures of volatility which are at multi month lows. 

In a Barron’s article, Lauren Foster discussed some ESG recommendations for 2023 from TD Cowen. The bank sees upside for ESG in 2023 due to an increasing focus on energy security, long-term decoupling from fossil fuel, and government-led investments in energy infrastructure. They identify six companies that offer the best combination in terms of ESG metrics and traditional investing factors: Air Products & Chemicals; Norwegian start-up FREYR Battery (FREY); Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure Capital;Itron (ITRI), Piedmont Lithium (PLL); and Stem (STEM).

Air Products & Chemicals is the largest of these companies with a $66 billion market cap. TD Cowen notes its critical role in terms of boosting hydrogen production capacity which is a priority for the Biden Administration. It sees the company as being a potential leader in this space given its multiple projects throughout the Middle East and North America. 

Notably, many of the companies on Cowen’s list are down considerably given the underperformance of growth stocks since interest rates started moving higher. While there are some headwinds for ESG investing due to a more polarized political climate, Cowen sees the long-term drivers of demand as only strengthening in the coming years. 

Finsum: TD Cowen sees ESG picks as having upside in 2023. Here are 6 of its top selections.

In an article for InvestmentNews, Bruce Kelley discussed some of the collateral effects of First Republic’s troubles. Since these issues began in early March, around a third of the company’s advisors in its wealth management division have left the firm.

Following JPMorgan’s takeover of the bank, filing show that 150 advisors remain at the firm, while there were around 230 at the beginning of the year with about $271 billion in total assets. According to JPMorgan, many of the 150 advisors intend to stay on and transition to JPMorgan’s wealth management division. 

The bank also revealed that it plans to honor any recruiting deals that were struck by First Republic. Notably, First Republic had been quite aggressive in recruiting clients from banks and smaller firms. Ironically, it had recruited about 40 advisors from JPMorgan since 2010. 

JPMorgan’s acquisition should stem the tide of advisors leaving First Republic. In April, a team of First Republic advisors, managing $10.8 billion in assets, departed for Morgan Stanley. Prior to this, another team, which managed $2.3 billion in assets,  was picked off by Rockefeller Global Family Office.

Finsum: One of the consequences of the failure of First Republic bank is that many advisors are leaving for greener pastures. But, the JPMorgan acquisition may put a stop to this.