

The Barings Investment Institute conducts proprietary research to help our teams make the most of the firm’s unique expertise in public and private markets around the world, while exploring the forces that shape long-term investment and capital decisions.

The Fed Can't Stop, Won't Stop
The Fed turned more hawkish this week, upgrading its outlook for the Fed Funds rate, and lowering its outlook on growth—leading to a risk-off tone in markets. Meanwhile, the ECB announced a new tool to help address the uneven transmission of monetary policy normalization.

A Scenic But Treacherous Trail
Aggressive central bank tightening and declining purchasing power suggest the slowdown in growth should be steep, and faster than the inflation slowdown.

The Inflation Playbook
How does today's inflation compare to history and how are higher CPI numbers impacting economic growth? What can central bankers do to combat inflation? And how can investors navigate this environment? Dr. Christopher Smart weighs in on these questions and more.

How Ukraine Mission Creep Will Fuel the Next Inflation Wave
And that’s on top of the other risks from war aims that are turning ever more resolute, expansive, and vague.

50 Is The New 25
The FOMC raised the Fed funds rate by 50bps and announced the beginning of quantitative tightening. Chairman Powell signaled that 50bps hikes will be the new normal for the next couple of meetings, as inflation fears remain. The BoE and ECB also contemplate their paths ahead.

Just What Will Break First?
Tighter policy will eventually tame prices, but it’s still hard to see a U.S. recession anytime soon.

More China Lockdowns May Bring More Slowdowns
China’s zero-COVID policy should be a significant headwind to growth, with its impact likely weighing more on consumption than production. Nevertheless, more logistical delays could disrupt manufacturing activity in the months ahead and add to global inflationary pressures.

The Last Reliable Buoy
War and pandemic have disrupted recent patterns of prices and yields, but long-term inflation expectations remain in line—for now.

Hoping for the Best, Preparing for the Worst
We’ve officially embarked on a very peculiar tightening cycle—one in which inflation is at levels more associated with the peak of the hiking cycle, and not the start.