Global Multi-Asset Investment Strategist, True Insights

Jeroen Blokland

Global Multi-Asset Investment Strategist

Build Well-Diversified Multi-Asset Portfolios

True Insights

Our research helps investors build well-diversified multi-asset portfolios and profit from market developments. In addition, our unique and proven Macro – Sentiment – Valuation (MSV) investment framework ensures a consistent flow of new investment opportunities. Together with our market views, these opportunities will be reflected in our live ETF-based Global Multi-Asset Portfolios.

Cross Asset Strategy

<ul>
<li>Tighter lending standards for Commercial &amp; Industrial loans point to a US recession.</li>
<li>Tighter lending standards for Commercial &amp; Industrial loans suggest the US high yield default rate should quadruple this year to above 7% from 1.7% last year.</li>
<li>Equity market valuation has recently increased, moving in the exact opposite direction of lending standards.</li>
</ul>


Tighter lending standards for Commercial &amp; Industrial loans point to a US recession.
Tighter lending standards for Commercial &amp; Industrial loans suggest the US high yield default rate should quadruple this year to above 7% from 1.7% last year.
Equity market valuation has recently increased, moving in the exact opposite direction of lending standards.


Fed Lending Survey: Bad for Growth, Spreads, and Equities

Marketing Director, Asia Frontier Capital

Asia Frontier Capital

Marketing Director

Investing in high growth Asian frontier economies.

Asia Frontier Capital Ltd. is a pioneering fund management company based in Hong Kong that specializes in investing in high growth Asian frontier economies by managing the AFC Asia Frontier Fund , AFC Iraq Fund and the AFC Vietnam Fund.

The AFC Asia Frontier Fund invests in public equities of Asian frontier countries that are seeing increasing consumption due to favorable demographic trends, rising incomes and high GDP growth. The fund invests in listed equities of companies that have their principal business activities in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Iraq, Laos, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. The AFC Asia Frontier Fund is positioned to take advantage of the continuing economic shifts in these countries and offers high returns combined with significant diversification opportunities. This fund is directed by the founder and CEO of Asia Frontier Capital, Thomas Hugger, who has been investing in frontier markets across Asia and Africa for more than 20 years.

The AFC Iraq Fund was launched on the 26th June 2015 and aims to achieve long-term capital appreciation for investors by capturing value and growth potential in the post conflict high-growth & resource rich Iraq market. The fund emphasises long term investment horizon to truly capture the opportunity in Iraq. The fund's investable universe consists of locally listed companies that have their principal business activities in Iraq as well as foreign listed companies that have the majority of the business in Iraq as a whole including the prosperous Kurdish Region of Iraq (KRI). The AFC Iraq Fund offers access to investments in post conflict recovery potential of Iraq, including the KRI, and/or stability in its territory. The AFC Iraq Fund is managed by Asia Frontier Capital (Iraq) Limited, Cayman Islands under the executive leadership team of Thomas Hugger (CEO & Fund Manager) and Ahmed Tabaqchali (CIO) who have more than 47 years of investment experience as well as an extensive background covering global, emerging, frontier and MENA markets.

The AFC Vietnam Fund invests exclusively in listed Vietnamese equities to capture value in growth companies with a focus on the small to medium size companies. This market segment offers a unique investment opportunity as the valuation gap between large- and small-cap stocks in Vietnam is presently much wider than in comparable neighboring markets and the valuations are significantly depressed versus their regional peers. The fund adopts a fundamental-quantitative approach and employs an in-house earnings model to identify attractive companies where we see high growth opportunities. In conjunction with targeting the maximum upside potential the portfolio has been structured to mitigate corporate government and liquidity risks. The fund invests in a diversified portfolio of 70-90 attractively valued companies to carefully control concentration risk.  This approach allows the fund to sell, or buy, positions without having a significant market impact. The fund is directed under the executive leadership of Thomas Hugger and Andreas Vogelsanger who have more than 50 years combined experience managing investments in frontier markets, Asia and around the world.

For more information about the fund, management team and investment strategy please contact us at info@asiafrontiercapital.com.

<ul><li>The AFC Iraq Fund was up 15.9% in April, outperforming its benchmark, the Rabee Securities RSISX USD Index, which was up 12.5% for the month.</li><li>For the year, the AFC Iraq Fund is up an estimated 47.9% outperforming the index’s increase of 36.7%.</li><li>The market and the fund’s solid performance for the second month in a row on the back of February’s super performance enhanced by a revalued currency, underscores the underlying strength of the market’s recovery that has discounted the currency’s upheaval, as discussed here recently, and is beginning to discount its stability. </li></ul>

The AFC Iraq Fund was up 15.9% in April, outperforming its benchmark, the Rabee Securities RSISX USD Index, which was up 12.5% for the month.For the year, the AFC Iraq Fund is up an estimated 47.9% outperforming the index’s increase of 36.7%.The market and the fund’s solid performance for the second month in a row on the back of February’s super performance enhanced by a revalued currency, underscores the underlying strength of the market’s recovery that has discounted the currency’s upheaval, as discussed here recently, and is beginning to discount its stability. 

AFC Iraq Fund April 2023 Update: "Tag Ends of Currency Upheaval Sparks Market Rally"

<ul>
<li>Year-On-Year, M2 broad money supply has dropped by 4.1%. The 6-month annualized rate of decline is a whopping 6.5%. </li>
<li>As a result, Excess Liquidity (Money Supply Growth - Nominal GDP growth) has turned very negative, revealing money is being drawn from equities at a historically rapid pace.</li>
<li>Given the historical relationship between Excess Liquidity and Valuation, the forward P/E ratio of US Equities must drop to 16 from 19 for the two variables to align.</li>
</ul>


Year-On-Year, M2 broad money supply has dropped by 4.1%. The 6-month annualized rate of decline is a whopping 6.5%. 
As a result, Excess Liquidity (Money Supply Growth - Nominal GDP growth) has turned very negative, revealing money is being drawn from equities at a historically rapid pace.
Given the historical relationship between Excess Liquidity and Valuation, the forward P/E ratio of US Equities must drop to 16 from 19 for the two variables to align.


Money Supply-Driven Excess Liquidity Unveils 20% S&P 500 Downside Blog

Cross-Asset Liquidity Strategist, CrossBorder Capital

Michael J. Howell

Cross-Asset Liquidity Strategist

Implementing Research Using Alt Data & AI

CrossBorder Capital

CrossBorder Capital is a London-based independent investment advisory firm. Founded in 1996, it exploits a gap in the investment arena by focusing on Central bank liquidity. 

It specialises in the monitoring and analysis of global liquidity flows - an important determinant of asset prices, from currencies through to bonds, equities and real estate.

CrossBorder Capital implements its investment strategy and currently manages over US$ 350m.


<ul>
<li>We exlore a new weekly time series on Global Liquidity. The data start in 2010 and reveal a strong leading relationship to World asset markets. This is confirmed statistically</li>
<li>Latest data show a US$5 trillion rise since the end-2022 and a US$10 trillion increase since the cycle low in late-October 2022. Further gains are bullish for asset prices 
</li>
<li>Behind expanding Global Liquidity is a strengthening World Shadow Monetary Base. This measures the collateral pool than can be levered up by credit providers. It is leading the way</li>
</ul>


We exlore a new weekly time series on Global Liquidity. The data start in 2010 and reveal a strong leading relationship to World asset markets. This is confirmed statistically
Latest data show a US$5 trillion rise since the end-2022 and a US$10 trillion increase since the cycle low in late-October 2022. Further gains are bullish for asset prices 

Behind expanding Global Liquidity is a strengthening World Shadow Monetary Base. This measures the collateral pool than can be levered up by credit providers. It is leading the way


<ul>
<li>The measures taken by the Federal Reserve and the US Treasury do not protect against idiosyncratic bank runs like the one that hit First Republic Bank.</li>
<li>Big Tech is beating big time, but earnings and sales growth have declined significantly in recent quarters, while valuation increased.</li>
<li>Should volatility spike, which is definitely on the table, Systematic Macro investors will have to sell up to USD 300 billion in equities.</li>
</ul>


The measures taken by the Federal Reserve and the US Treasury do not protect against idiosyncratic bank runs like the one that hit First Republic Bank.
Big Tech is beating big time, but earnings and sales growth have declined significantly in recent quarters, while valuation increased.
Should volatility spike, which is definitely on the table, Systematic Macro investors will have to sell up to USD 300 billion in equities.


Weekly Market Monitor (17) - Banking Anxiety – Back with a Vengeance!

United States

The MSCI World Index is a free-float weighted equity index. It was developed with a base value of 100 as of December 31, 1969. MXWO includes developed world markets, and does not include emerging markets. MXWD includes both emerging and developed markets.

MSCI World Index (MXWO INDEX)

Fed Lending Survey: Bad for Growth, Spreads, and Equities

Based on tighter lending standards, the US high yield default rate should quadruple to above 7% from 1.7% last year, and bond spreads must widen...

Jeroen Blokland

AFC Iraq Fund April 2023 Update: "Tag Ends of Currency Upheaval Sparks Market Rally"

The AFC Iraq Fund was up 15.9% in April, outperforming its benchmark, the Rabee Securities RSISX USD Index, which was up 12.5% for the month.

Asia Frontier Capital

Money Supply-Driven Excess Liquidity Unveils 20% S&P 500 Downside Blog

Money Supply is shrinking, taking liquidity out of the stock market at a historically swift pace, but valuation does not reflect this at all.

Jeroen Blokland

What Did Global Liquidity Do Last Week?

More collateral and greater Global Liquidity are important for the health of asset markets. Latest weekly data evidence the cycle low was in...

Michael J. Howell

Weekly Market Monitor (17) - Banking Anxiety – Back with a Vengeance!

Welcome to the weekly Market Monitor, keeping you updated on the week’s most important charts and developments in financial markets.

Jeroen Blokland