Barings’ Smart On Real Assets Through A Geopolitical Lens

Dr. Christopher Smart, Head of Macroeconomic & Geopolitical Research, Barings met with Julie Cooling, Founder & CEO, RIA Channel to discuss the current political environment and its impact on future markets. Barings is a $300 billion asset management firm based in Charlotte, NC. “We’re trying to keep a positive set of economic numbers … with a much more mixed political picture,” says Smart. While the market may be adjusting for things like Brexit and the Chinese trade relationship, Smart believes the U.S. economy is on fairly solid ground. With the Fed nearing the end of it’s tightening cycle, many investors are looking to global markets for buying opportunities. “Calling the bottom is hard because there’s still a lot of noise,” explains Smart on European and emerging markets.  Smart also discusses major trends surrounding real assets such as urbanization and logistics facilities.