Regions Bank’s Chief Investment Officer, Alan McKnight, is in high demand.
Clients trust his insights to help manage and protect their assets. Institutions, too, turn to McKnight and his team at Regions Asset Management for tailored solutions to manage retirement plans, corporate trust accounts, asset management portfolios and more.
In addition, media continue to look to McKnight for analysis on stock market activity and how it impacts investments. Recently, he interviewed with two key national financial news outlets to share his thoughts on interest rates, inflation, corporate earnings and more.
CNBC—Worldwide Exchange
McKnight spoke with CNBC’s Worldwide Exchange in early July about inflation, global markets and his take on what is expected for the remainder of 2023.Among his key observations:
Inflation
“Inflation took the elevator up and the escalator down,” McKnight explained. “It is a slow path down to the Federal Reserve’s desired 2% target. We believe the Fed is closely reviewing the data to see if inflation is getting closer to the target. That review could impact any future decisions on pausing or raising interest rates.”
International Investing Environment
“China’s economy is slowing, but it is trying to find a way to get things going again,” McKnight said. “China hasn’t found the silver bullet to get its economy back to where it was before the pandemic began. Additionally, when you look at the GDP numbers, especially out of the Eurozone and Germany, challenges continue. With Central banks around the world lagging behind the Federal Reserve, there is a lot more work to do.”
Expectations for Remainder of the Year
“People still feel good about where things are, but we think it’s going to be choppier going to end of the year. Earnings are going to decelerate. We think the economy is slowing down, and it’s going to be harder for companies to have the kind of numbers that are used to seeing in previous quarters.”
Fox Business – The Claman Countdown
McKnight also joined Fox Business’ The Claman Countdown for an in-studio interview in June to look ahead toward various corporate earnings, with additional thoughts on the S&P 500 and the impacts of a decelerating economy.
Among his observations:
Interest Rates
“We do not expect the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates anytime soon,” McKnight said. “We see the markets have been factoring that in of late, and we expect a pause in raising the rates, but we do not see a cut on the horizon as the Fed continues to tackle inflation.”
Corporate Earnings
“On the earnings front, we continue to see margins come down,” McKnight said about companies representing various industries. “Sales are slowing, but costs remain high even though the Consumer Price Index has come down slightly. The labor market remains tight.”
McKnight’s comments were in line with what he shared recently at the Houston Economic Summit, where he and Chief Economist Richard Moody addressed issues impacting the economy. There, McKnight said, “It’s a tale of two cities in terms of how much slowing is happening. We hear directly from corporate entities and business owners, and what they tell us is things aren’t bad for them right now.”
Additionally, “business owners are concerned about the future,” he continued. “Revenue growth isn’t getting easier. Business owners may have a pipeline for revenue growth for the remainder of the year, but to fill the pipeline for 2024 may be harder. If their cost structure goes up and inflation doesn’t come down, then margins will continue to compress.”
Year-round, McKnight’s commentary is readily available through a variety of regular publications that offer viewpoints on the markets, trends, and current industry news. Check out the free resources below:
More Wealth insights:
Alan McKnight is the Chief Investment Officer for Regions Asset Management, part of Regions Bank Wealth Management where he is responsible for developing consistent and comprehensive asset management strategies to meet the needs of individuals, families and institutional clients.
The commentary expressed are statements of the individual’s opinion, are intended only for informational purposes, and are not formal or binding opinions of Regions Bank, its parent company Regions Financial Corporation, or its subsidiaries. This content is solely for information and educational purposes, and nothing contained in this presentation constitutes an offer or solicitation to purchase any security, the recommendation of any particular security or strategy or a complete analysis of any security, company or industry or constitutes tax, accounting or legal advice. Information is based on sources believed to be reliable but is not guaranteed as to accuracy. Commentary and opinions provided reflect the judgment of the individual as of the date of the statement and are subject to change without notice. Some statements may contain forward-looking statements based upon the reasonable expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions of the individual, but forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, which are difficult to predict. Investment ideas and strategies presented may not be suitable for all investors. No responsibility or liability is assumed for any loss that may directly or indirectly result from use of information, commentary or opinions.
