Core Viewpoint - The performance of the US stock market has lagged behind major markets such as China, Europe, and South Korea this year, despite recent highs [2] Market Trends - Global investors are likely to reduce their holdings in US assets and reallocate funds to other markets due to varying initial valuations across regions [2] - Emerging markets have shown strong policy responsiveness, with central banks in these regions raising interest rates earlier than G10 countries, indicating potential for better inflation performance [5] Monetary Policy Insights - The Federal Reserve's current target range for the federal funds rate is 4.25% to 4.50%, with expectations of one or two rate cuts this year depending on inflation and employment data [6] - The stability of inflation expectations is crucial, with historical data suggesting that central banks typically act decisively when inflation expectations rise undesirably [4][6] Debt and Fiscal Policy - The US and France have high fiscal deficit levels, with the US having a relatively low tax rate historically, which could be adjusted to reduce the deficit [7] - PIMCO has reduced holdings in 30-year bonds in the US and Europe but increased positions in Japan due to a decrease in the issuance of ultra-long bonds [7] Investment Strategy - In the current environment, high-quality fixed income assets are seen as important risk hedging tools, with potential annual returns of 5% to 7% for dollar-denominated high-quality bond portfolios [10] - The global aggregate bond index currently offers a yield of approximately 5%, while emerging market local currency bond indices yield around 6.6% [9] Future Outlook - The trend towards fragmentation and a multi-polar world is expected to be a key theme in the next three to five years, impacting global trade dynamics [8] - A diversified global investment strategy is deemed practical, with both developed and emerging markets presenting attractive investment opportunities [8]