Optimize your portfolios

Portfolio Playbook: Upgrading International

In March, we’re still favoring bonds and quality stocks, while increasing our exposure to international equities. Optimize your portfolios with our monthly outlook and allocation guidance.

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After months of increases, global market sentiment has reversed course and resumed its decline.

Leading economic indicators continue to register steady improvements across regions, led by the US and eurozone. However, after increasing for three consecutive months, our barometer of global market sentiment has resumed its decline, driven by uncertainty surrounding global trade policy and new US tariffs on major trading partners. This has potential repercussions on inflation, earnings, and market volatility.

Our systematic macro framework remains in a contraction regime even as leading economic indicators improve across regions.

We maintain a cautious asset allocation versus the benchmark, overweighting fixed income relative to equities. We upgrade developed ex-US equities to neutral versus US equities but remain underweight in emerging markets. We overweight duration via inflation-linked bonds and underweight credit risk.

Business cycle

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  • Recession doesn’t appear imminent.

Risk profile

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  • Leading economic indicators are improving across regions.
  • Global risk appetite deteriorating as policy uncertainty mounts.

Policy implications

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  • Inflation momentum is picking up.
  • Preventive dovish central bank action is unlikely.

Business cycle

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  • Economy experiences “soft landing” as growth remains resilient and inflation contained.

Risk profile

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  • Global economy climbs to above-trend rate, driven by policy easing.
  • Risk-on sentiment returns as investors look to reinvigorated economy.

Policy implications

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  • Inflation remains contained.
  • Fed eases policy amid a strong growth environment.

Business cycle

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  • Sentiment deteriorates as trade and monetary policy uncertainty rises.
  • Inflation reaccelerates and Fed tightening is expected.
  • Prolonged recession emerges.

Risk profile

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  • Leading economic indicators meaningfully deteriorate.
  • Flight to quality as economy deteriorates.

Policy implications

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  • Rising inflation forces Fed to tighten policy.

Asset allocations to consider: In March, we’re increasing exposure to developed ex-US equities.

A challenge for tactical investors is preparing for the expected and anticipating the unexpected. The tactical asset allocation (TAA) framework from the Invesco Solutions team is designed to enhance a long-term strategic asset allocation (SAA) by making portfolio tilts based on near-term market views.

The tactical, dynamic factor rotation shown below is also utilized in the Invesco Russell 1000® Dynamic Multifactor ETF (OMFL).



About our allocations

  • The Invesco Solutions team develops portfolios for client-oriented outcomes over multiple time horizons. Our tactical asset allocation (TAA), regime-based framework dynamically adjusts exposures to asset classes, regions, sectors, and factors, to create multi-asset portfolios designed for the prevailing macroeconomic environment. Strategic asset allocation (SAA) positioning is derived from our rigorous investment process, which consists of long-term capital market assumptions (CMAs), portfolio optimization, and risk management.



About our allocations

  • The Invesco Solutions team develops portfolios for client-oriented outcomes over multiple time horizons. Our tactical asset allocation (TAA), regime-based framework dynamically adjusts exposures to asset classes, regions, sectors, and factors, to create multi-asset portfolios designed for the prevailing macroeconomic environment. Strategic asset allocation (SAA) positioning is derived from our rigorous investment process, which consists of long-term capital market assumptions (CMAs), portfolio optimization, and risk management.



About our allocations

  • The Invesco Solutions team develops portfolios for client-oriented outcomes over multiple time horizons. Our tactical asset allocation (TAA), regime-based framework dynamically adjusts exposures to asset classes, regions, sectors, and factors, to create multi-asset portfolios designed for the prevailing macroeconomic environment. Strategic asset allocation (SAA) positioning is derived from our rigorous investment process, which consists of long-term capital market assumptions (CMAs), portfolio optimization, and risk management.