As tariffs figures once again hit the headlines, our new episode of Outerblue Convictions measures the feeling in the markets and looks at some of the main drivers over the past few weeks. Swaha Pattanaik speaks to Monica Defend, head of the Amundi Investment Institute, to gauge her reaction to the latest round of tariffs, and whether these impact our investment views.

This month's episode looks at the switch we've seen in global markets in this new era of controlled disorder, analyses some of the disruptions from AI that are already starting to play out, and explores some of the diversification opportunities that can be found in this fragmented environment. We also discuss whether we can expect the gold rally to continue, why India remains a key investment theme, and we finish by looking forward to the upcoming EU summit and why it might be relevant for markets.

Concise, insightful and timely, this episode is essential listening for investors and asset allocators seeking a clear, expert take on macro-economic signals and monetary policy moves. Tune in for practical perspectives, investment views and the themes that will shape portfolios in the short and medium-term.

Topics covered: Market forecasts, monetary policy, policy making, investment views, asset allocation, economy, central banks, gold, markets, investors, equities, bonds, fixed income, Europe, India, emerging markets, AI, diversification, tariffs,

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After a flurry of headlines and announcements from the annual World Economic Forum in Davos in January, one key message is likely to survive after most of the speeches have been long-forgotten; The world is facing a rupture in the international order.

Catching-up last week on her return from the meetings, Monica Defend, head of the Amundi Investment Institute, sat down with our host, Swaha Pattanaik, to share her observations from the ground and on how this rupture is likely to impact our economic research and investment views.

As policy, geopolitics and volatility drive the market cycle, we look at what this means for the monetary policy outlook in the US and the key data driving forecasts. We consider some of the short and medium-term trends we're seeing in the markets, particularly gold and the forces driving the record highs, what's been impacting the US dollar, and examine what has been happening in the Japanese market, both for foreign exchange and government bonds.

Concise, insightful and timely, this episode is essential listening for investors and asset allocators seeking a clear, expert take on macro-economic signals and monetary policy moves. Tune in for practical perspectives, investment views and the themes that will shape portfolios in the short and medium-term.

To learn more, read the article on the same topic: https://research-center.amundi.com/article/diversification-response-rupture

Topics covered: Market forecasts, monetary policy, policy making, investment views, asset allocation, economy, Davos, geopolitics, central bank, Federal Reserve, Japan, Gold, markets, investors, interest rates, bonds, fixed income, FX, foreign exchange, United States, diversification

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It's the time of year to look ahead, reflect back on what has happened, and make resolutions for the coming year. After explaining our market forecasts and investment views for 2026 in last month's podcast, in this episode we're focusing more closely on a key factor that drives market movements, monetary policy.

Sitting down with Monica Defend, Head of the Amundi Investment Institute, for the last time this year, our host, Swaha Pattanaik, asks all the essential questions to help investors understand the different expectations for monetary policy decisions in the months to come and which resolutions are realistic.

Starting with the largest, the Federal Reserve, we explore the baseline scenario, we analyse the competing pressures and how the Fed is responding. We then compare this to the outlook in the Eurozone and our expectations for the ECB in 2026 in terms of interest rate movements. Finally, we compare these potential developments to our portfolio positioning in fixed income and equities and discuss some of the fragilities investors need to keep in mind.

Concise, insightful and timely, this episode is essential listening for investors and asset allocators seeking a clear, expert take on macro-economic signals and monetary policy moves. Tune in for practical perspectives, investment views and the themes that will shape portfolios in the year ahead.

Topics covered: Market forecasts, monetary policy, policy making, investment views, asset allocation, economy, central bank, Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, growth, GDP, markets, investors, inflation, interest rates, bonds, fixed income, equities, United States, Europe, emerging markets, diversification

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.