WSS/MPS rebalance and underlying fund changesWe are living in very challenging times but we believe it is crucialto adopt a long-term view to investing and to spread risks across abroadly diversified investment portfolio to address market volatilityand reap rewards from across the asset classes.We anticipate that the next decade will be very different to the last 10years or so that saw the US tech growth giants outperform by a longmargin. We are already seeing a less liberated global environmentwith weaker capital flows and reduced movement of goods andlabour. Governments will be more inward-looking, devoting fiscalpolicies to benefiting domestic populations more by raising expenditureon public services and infrastructure. We see a multi-speed world inwhich national economies behave differently and monetary and fiscalpolicies will no longer be in lockstep as governments deal with theirdomestic conditions and outlook rather than just following the Fed.We also expect to see many assets reverting to performances that aremore in line with longer-term trends and fundamentals, including nonUS equities regaining performance.• We completed our annual review of our Strategic Asset Allocation(SAA) in Q2 and we continued to implement a shift towards a newallocation throughout the last quarter.• We produce low, medium and high-risk SAA allocations, equatingto portfolios 3, 6 and 8 in our 1-10 range of risk profiles (1-8 onMPS). It is important to reiterate that moves are not tactical butrather how the data dictate we can best achieve our volatilitytargets. Headline changes are fairly small, and overall allocationsto equities, bonds, cash and alternatives are broadly the same asin 2021.• Changes within equities reflect an increased return profile indeveloped versus emerging markets. This has meant a fall inallocations to UK, European and emerging markets equities(including small caps within the first two) and an increase in the US(including small caps) and Japan. Elsewhere, developed marketgovernment bonds exposure fell again and high yield declined,while inflation-linked and emerging markets debt increased.• Following our most recent quarterly review, we kept our TacticalAsset Allocation (TAA) overall score at three (on a scale from oneto five, with five the most bullish), having reduced it from four inthe previous quarter. This reflects the fact that navigating higherinflation and volatility, as well as slowing growth, calls for slightlymore defensive positioning. We feel risks to the downside are moreprevalent, so the lower ranking is warranted.• Our rating for equities overall was reduced from four to threebecause of the uncertainties the asset class faces, which will likelycontinue to cause volatility, at least for the short term. The risk scorefor both European equities and European small caps was reducedfrom three to two, given that Europe is the region most at risk from aprotracted conflict in Ukraine and the resulting energy crisis.• We have been gradually increasing our exposure to fixed incomeand raised our rating on global government bonds from two tothree because there are benefits now in diversifying beyond the UKand yields have risen to more attractive levels. But we have cut ourrating for index-linked bonds from three to two – it is best to buyinflation protection when the risk is underappreciated, unlike now.Liontrust Multi-Asset Funds and Portfolios Quarterly Report: Q3 2022 - 7
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