Highlights from the Global Markets in 3Q22

U.S. Equity: The S&P 500 Index sank 4.9% in 3Q22 and is down 23.9% year-to-date (YTD). Returns were quite mixed across sectors with Energy (+2.3%) and Consumer Discretionary (+4.4%) posting positive results and Communication Services (-12.7%) and Real Estate (-11.0%) delivering the lowest returns. Somewhat counterintuitively, value underperformed growth (Russell 1000 Value: -5.6%; Russell 1000 Growth: -3.6%) but value remains ahead on a YTD basis (Russell 1000 Value: -17.8%; Russell 1000 Growth: -30.7%). Small caps outperformed large (Russell 2000: -2.2%; Russell 1000: -4.6%), narrowing the YTD differential (Russell 2000: -25.1%; Russell 1000: -24.6%).

Global ex-U.S. Equity: Global ex-U.S. markets fared worse, driven mostly by U.S. dollar strength. The MSCI ACWI ex USA Index fell 9.9% (Local: -4.9%), bringing its YTD loss to 26.5% (Local: -16.2%). The U.S. dollar continued to strengthen, benefiting from its “safe haven” status as well as attractive interest rates relative to other developed markets. The yen and euro lost 6% versus the greenback and the British pound fell 8%. Across developed market countries, losses were broad-based with several posting double-digit declines. As in the U.S., value (MSCI ACWI ex USA Value: -10.4%) underperformed growth (MSCI ACWI ex USA Growth: -9.4%). Unlike the U.S., no sectors delivered a positive return in 3Q.

Emerging Market Equity: Emerging markets (MSCI Emerging Markets: -11.6%; Local: -8.2%) underperformed developed markets for the quarter but returns were mixed across countries. China (MSCI China: -22.5%) was one of the worst performers while several countries posted positive returns; two of the best were India (+6.5%) and Brazil (+8.5%). Returns were also mixed across regions: Latin America (+3.6%), Emerging Europe (-12.4%), and Emerging Asia (-14.0%).

U.S. Fixed Income: The 10-year U.S. Treasury briefly touched an intra-quarter high of 4.0% in late September, the highest since 2008, before closing the quarter at 3.83%. At quarter-end, the yield curve was inverted by about 40 bps with the 10-year at 3.8% and the 2-year at 4.2%. The Bloomberg US Aggregate Bond Index fell 4.8% in 3Q, bringing its YTD loss to a startling 14.6%, a historic worst for the first nine months of a year. Notably, the sharp sell-off has eroded gains over the past 10 years; the Aggregate’s 10-year annualized gain is now a muted 0.9%.

Mortgages and corporates underperformed U.S. Treasuries, with mortgage-backed securities doing especially poorly, underperforming like-duration U.S. Treasuries by 160 bps on poor technicals and rising rates. The yield-to-worst of the Aggregate Index climbed to 4.75%, up sharply from 1.75% at the beginning of the year. TIPS (Bloomberg TIPS: -5.1%; -13.6% YTD) were not immune from the sell-off. High yield corporates (Bloomberg High Yield: -0.6%) fared better, but the Index is down a similar 14.7% YTD. The yield-to-worst was 9.7% as of quarter-end.

Municipal Bonds: The Bloomberg Municipal Bond Index fell 3.5% for the quarter and is down 12.1% YTD. The shorter duration 1-10 Year Blend fell 2.3% for the quarter and 7.7% YTD. The ratio of AAA Municipal yields to the 10-year U.S. Treasury fell to 86%, down from 92% at the end of 2Q. The 4.0% yield-to-worst of the Bloomberg Municipal Bond Index is the highest since 2009, and the tax-equivalent yield was 6.8% as of quarter-end (source: Morgan Stanley). Outflows for the first nine months of the year were a record-breaking $91.5 billion.

Global ex-U.S. Fixed: Interest rates also rose overseas and the U.S. dollar continued to strengthen, hurting unhedged fixed income returns. The Bloomberg Global Aggregate ex USD fell 8.8% (hedged: -2.2%). The YTD differential for hedged and unhedged investors is 14 percentage points (unhedged: -23.9%; hedged: -9.9%). Losses were broad-based but the U.K. fell the most sharply; 13.2% in local currency terms and 20.2% in US$ in response to announced plans for massive fiscal stimulus in the form of unfunded tax cuts.

Emerging Market Debt: Emerging markets performed similarly, with the JPM EMBI Global Diversified down 4.6% and the local currency JPM GBI-EM Global Diversified off 4.7%. Negative returns were broad-based across countries for both indices, with Brazil being a notable exception. Brazil was up 0.5% in the EMBI Global Diversified (debt issued in U.S. dollars) and up 1.8% in the GBI-EM Global Diversified (issued in local currency).

Real Assets: Real assets as a group posted negative returns in 3Q. Commodity prices, especially metals and oil, declined on concerns over slowing global growth; the S&P GSCI Index fell 10.3%. WTI Crude closed the quarter at $79/barrel, down more than 20% from 2Q. Gold (S&P Gold Spot Price Index: -7.5%), listed infrastructure (DJB Global Infrastructure: -1.1%), REITs (MSCI US REIT: -10.0%), and TIPS (Bloomberg TIPS: -5.1%) declined.