Commercial real estate was facing serious issues at the end of 2021 due to the increase in remote work and changes brought about by the pandemic. This resulted in a situation of excess inventories amid declining demand. However, these issues have been exacerbated by recent bank failures.

In a MarketWatch article by Joy Wiltermuth, she covered a research piece by Lisa Shalett, the Chief Investment Officer (CIO) at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, who warned that commercial property prices could drop by as much as 40% and even have negative effects for other parts of the economy. 

Shalett’s concern centers around the trillions of dollars of commercial mortgage debt set to mature over the next decade. And, the pressure is more acute in the current environment especially given high rates. 

In terms of the broader economy, Shalett sees collateral damage from offices at depressed occupancy levels in terms of the businesses and municipalities that rely on people working in the cities. In her opinion, the stock market’s performance in Q1 reveals that investors are being ignorant of these risks. 

Finsum: Morgan Stanley’s Lisa Shalett lays out some concerns over the commercial real estate market, why it could get worse, and its potential broader impacts on the economy.

In an article for Vettafi, James Comtois laid out some of the benefits of direct indexing for investors. Direct indexing has grown in popularity for certain investors because it leads to greater tax savings and customization than traditional passive and active funds.

In terms of taxes, direct indexing allows investors to sell losing positions and then buy back stocks with similar characteristics. Then, these tax losses can be harvested and used to offset capital gains, leading to a lower tax bill. 

Another beenfit of direct indexing is that it allows investors to have their personal values and preferences reflected in their investments. For instance, an investor may be uncomfortable with companies in a certain industry and can exclude them from being considered for investment. 

Many investors may also be in a unique situation such as having large exposure to a particular company due to stock options or family holdings. Direct indexing allows them to construct a portfolio that reduces this particular exchange, leading to a more resilient portfolio and financial situation.

Finsum: Direct indexing is growing in popularity as it offers some advantages of traditional funds. However, it’s likely not appropriate or necessary for most investors.

In March, investors withdrew a total of $5.7 billion from US-listed ESG ETFs, leaving ESG funds with total assets of $81 billion according to reporting from Barron’s Lauren Foster. 

A major factor in the outflows was Blackrock rebalancing its passive holdings which resulted in a $3.9 billion outflow in a single day. Other factors that accounted for this were cited as political backlash, increased regulatory scrutiny, poor performance, and market volatility. 

In Europe, ESG flows are also depressed relative to 2021 but remain positive. In the US, it’s become a political issue as many conservatives are criticizing corporations for involvement in political affairs. Recently, President Biden vetoed legislation that would prevent pension funds from considering ESG factors in their investments.

There has also been some movement at the state level where conservative leaders are pursuing actions such as divesting from financial institutions that don’t invest in energy companies or companies engaging in political activity. So far, these efforst have failed but show that the tide could be turning against ESG.

Finsum: ESG funds saw major outflows in March due to a variety of factors. However, it’s clear that ESG is increasingly becoming a political issue. 

In an article for Advisor Perspectives, Scott Welch and Kevin Flanagan of WisdomTree shared some strategies that can be used to generate income in the current market whether using model portfolios or ETFs.

Of course, this is a big change from the last decade when the Fed’s dovish policies meant that dividend yields on equities exceeded bond yields for the most part. This is no longer the case as the Fed is waging an aggressive hiking campaign to curb inflation even at the cost of a bump in the unemployment rate or a recession.

Thus, the Fed has already hiked rates to 5% and is forecast to hike two or three more times before the current cycle is terminated. More important, the Fed is ‘data-dependent’ and willing to change course depending on inflation and/or financial stability concerns.

This uncertainty and elevated rates mean there is a plethora of opportunities for investors to find income. For those who are comfortable with duration risk, high-yield bonds and equities are an option in addition to ETFs. For those not comfortable with duration risk, shorter-term notes and floating rate options are a good fit.

Finsum: After more than a decade of a paucity of options for income investors, the current market is offering a variety of opportunities.

Check your bank statement. Chances are – and this is just a hunch, mind you – it probably doesn’t total anywhere near oh, say, $10.82 billion. Double check it, in fact.

Point is: that’s the total which the global alternative market financing market came in at, according to grandviewresearch.com. Not only that, from 2023 to 2030, it’s expected to catapult at a compound annual growth rate of 20.2%. Fueling the industry’s been the need to access capital for small businesses and individuals. Given the stringent requirements among traditional banking institutions, it was that much tougher for many to secure loans. Enter alternative finance products. Especially among those who might fall short of meeting the rigid requirements of traditional banks, there’s a greater accessibility to capital through alternative finance products.

While yields have returned, in light of inflation and policy uncertainty, bonds just might have to apply a little elbow grease to deliver the degree of diversification they at one time dispensed, according to blackrock.com.