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

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In this month's podcast, we take a longer view than usual, as we look at our market convictions and investment views for the next 12 months. Join our host, Swaha Pattanaik, for her regular catch up with Monica Defend, Head of Amundi Investment Institute, for a whistle-stop tour around the world and across asset classes to discover the key talking points from Amundi's 2026 Investment Outlook.

After a year of dramatic market moves, geopolitical events and economic developments, what should investors expect for 2026? We look at the central questions that are shaping our investment views and decision making. In particular, how much impact will AI have on market growth next year and what companies and sectors will be the likely winners? What's the growth and monetary policy outlook for the major global economies? How will threats to central bank independence play out in the markets and will investors continue to diversify away from US assets? We explore the diversification theme and some of the interesting stories for investors to follow in emerging and private markets and the energy transition, among others.

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

Topics covered: Investment outlook, market forecasts, policy making, investment views, asset allocation, economy, growth, GDP, markets, investors, inflation, interest rates, monetary policy, equities, gold, United States, Europe, Japan, central bank, AI, diversification,

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Returning from trips to major summits in Washington and Shanghai, Monica Defend, Head of the Amundi Investment Institute, sits down with our host, Swaha Pattanaik, to discuss the tone on the ground and how this compares to what we're seeing in the markets and our own economic forecasts for the months to come.

These international gatherings are a prime opportunity to hear, first-hand, the thinking of financial officials, policymakers and investors. This month's edition shares the key takeaways and our investment views in light of these observations.

They take a closer look at the risks to watch and the drivers behind the curious coexistence of record equity and gold rallies. They revisit the Europe transformation story that has been emerging, and assess whether it's still attracting interest from investors as a diversifier. They also take a tour to China and Japan and examine what the latest economic and political developments mean for their respective growth and monetary policies.

Concise, insightful and timely, this episode is essential listening for investors and asset allocators seeking a clear, expert take on cross‑market signals ahead of Amundi’s 2026 outlook. Tune in for practical perspectives, investment views and the themes that will shape portfolios in the months ahead.

Topics covered: IMF, policy making, investment views, asset allocation, economy, growth, outlook, GDP, markets, investors, inflation, interest rates, monetary policy, forecasts, equities, gold, United States, Europe, China, Japan, central bank, tech rally, diversification, strategic autonomy,

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While Europe headed to the beach, journalists were kept busy with the newsflow out of the US this summer, as central bank independence, new tariff announcements and foreign affairs negotiations continued to make headlines.

Swaha Pattanaik and Monica Defend, Head of Amundi Investment Institute, return to their desks to catch-up you up on what all the developments mean for market outlook and how our investment views are evolving to keep pace.

This episode takes a closer look at the shifting undercurrents in the US market: tariffs, labour figures, policy and inflation uncertainty. We dig deeper into how the current political pressures are effecting markets, in particular the current challenges to the Federal Reserve's independence and the moves on the US Treasuries yield curve.

We also take a closer look at valuations in the US equities markets and see how the Indian and Chinese economies have been holding up against the new tariff announcements.

Topics covered: Investment views, markets, forecasts, US economy, US dollar, central banks, Federal reserve, interest rates, monetary policy, tariffs, yields, equities, fixed income, treasuries, GDP, India, China,

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With summer well underway in Europe, many may be on holiday, but this hasn't done anything to slow the newsflow. In particular, announcements from the US are keeping analysts busy. Swaha Pattanaik and Monica Defend, Head of the Amundi Investment Institute, get together to work out what the latest developments mean for the markets and share their investment views for growth, inflation and asset valuations.

With a new US budget agreement and continued threat of new tariffs we debate their impact, both realised and potential, on growth and inflation in the US and elsewhere. The independence of central bank decision-making has also been a big topic of the month as the Fed has been facing continued political pressure over its interest rate decisions, which is rattling US assets. What might be the consequences for the US dollar and US treasuries?

Finally, we look at whether this earnings season is offering any early warning signs of things to come and we drill down into our investment views and outlook for the main asset classes and markets.

Topics covered: investment views, markets, macroeconomics, central banks, Fed, growth, inflation, interest rates, tariffs, US budget, US dollar, US treasuries, fiscal policy, monetary policy, economic forecasts, emerging markets, Asia, equities, fixed income, credit, earnings,

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The first six months of 2025 brought many unexpected events and shocks that rocked financial markets and complicated the task of economic forecasters. As we enter the second half of the year, what has changed and what might this mean for the economic outlook for the rest of 2025?

Swaha Pattanaik sits down with Monica Defend, Head of the Amundi Investment Institute, to get her view on the growth and monetary policy outlook for the remainder of 2025.

They discuss the impact of tariffs and geopolitical shifts on growth prospects in the US, China and beyond. They consider which areas might benefit from a weaker US dollar and where yield curves might be heading next.

Finally, they examine the areas of resilience in the markets that could still offer opportunities to investors.

Topics covered: Investment outlook, macroeconomics, forecasts, monetary policy, growth, interest rates, yield curves, bonds, equities, emerging markets, US dollar, China, US, Europe, Fed, debt, valuations, stock market, tariffs, geopolitics, volatility, AI, defense,

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