Alternative Investments

May was defined by resilient global activity but rising macro uncertainty.

April was dominated by the interaction between resilient global activity and a renewed energy shock linked to the Middle East conflict and impaired traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

March was dominated by the Middle East shock, as the escalation of the US-Iran conflict and disruption around the Strait of Hormuz pushed energy prices sharply higher and reignited inflation concerns globally.

In an environment marked by shifting correlations, macro uncertainty and episodic volatility, traditional portfolio constructions are facing increasing limitations. The diversification benefits of equities and bonds have become less reliable, prompting investors to seek new sources of return.

Global macro conditions remained broadly constructive in February, although the backdrop was increasingly shaped by policy uncertainty and a more uneven regional growth mix.

Global activity proved resilient into the new year as policy uncertainty around US trade eased from late-2025 peaks and the IMF nudged world growth forecasts modestly higher. Within the euro area, Q4 growth accelerated, but January PMIs were mixed – manufacturing stabilised while services softened, pointing to a slight loss of momentum at the start of 2026.

Growth and inflation indicators ended the year on a steadier footing.

Contrarian voices grew louder in October while Nvidia’s Jensen Huang warned that “China will win the AI race”. Nonetheless, October proved positive for hedge funds, despite brief market volatility tied to US-China trade developments.

September broke with its reputation for subdued volatility as global risk assets extended their summer rally.

Activity paused leading up to the Jackson Hole Economic Symposium, where a potential pivot in Federal Reserve policy was revealed by Chairman Jerome Powell, hinting at a possible easing cycle.

Merger Arbitrage is a sophisticated investment strategy that capitalizes on the price difference between a target company's stock price in the market and the acquisition price during mergers and acquisitions.

As Lionel Richie put it in his 1980’s hit, “What is happening here? Something’s going on that’s not quite clear.”

Markets have benefited from the de-escalation of the tariffs narrative but uncertainty levels remain very high.

We have previously examined the equity/bond allocation and asked, ‘Is 40/30/30 the new 60/40?’ Well, yes, we think it is. Our work shows a long-term correlation between equities and fixed income that is frighteningly close to 1.0. This increased correlation fundamentally alters the effectiveness of traditional portfolio construction.

Liberation Day was a shock for investors, causing a tremendous impact on financial markets. Hard-data economic indicators continue to hold up but are pointing to a deceleration.

Markets remained volatile during the month of March. The primary concern isn’t the weakening economic fundamentals, but rather investors’ doubts about the credibility and stability of the U.S.

The global economy experienced a mild slowdown due to a lower contribution of services to the World PMI and lower consumer participation.

A relatively buoyant environment for Equity Market Neutral strategies.

Investors had a few months to get mentally prepared for the return of Donald Trump to the White House. While he has not disappointed and started his second term with a bang, the real surprise came from China with the introduction of DeepSeek to the world. The results announced by this technology company had the effect of a financial quake towards some of the star market performers over the last quarters.

As we enter 2025, the arrival of a new President in the White House is generating a great deal of uncertainty. Merger arbitrage (M&A) strategies are no exception to the question: What impact can we expect from the change of administration on this asset class ?

This year, the Christmas rally came a month earlier, and Santa Claus has moved from the North Pole to Florida. During December, some of the “Trump trade” winners gave back part of the previous month gains.

Although financial markets were already pricing a higher probability of a Donald Trump win coming into the US election, during November, asset prices were mainly driven by the election results.

During October, markets moved to price in a return of Donald Trump to the White House – and were ultimately proved right.

After an uncertain and relatively volatile summer, September brought some good news for investors.

Damien Vergnaud, portfolio manager in Candriam's alternative strategies team, presents his study on index rebalancing. It highlights the effects of these transactions on investors' portfolios, and the importance of anticipating them by combining various approaches.