Portfolio Construction – July 2020
Alfred Lam, CFA, Senior Vice-President and Chief Investment Officer
Marchello Holditch, CFA, Vice-President and Portfolio Manager CI Multi-Asset Management
The world is full of surprises or unknowns, some of which we can anticipate, while others are harder to foresee. “Known unknowns” are uncertainties and issues of which we are aware, but do not know the outcome. An example is this year’s U.S. presidential election. “Unknown unknowns” are events that we do not expect or have never happened before, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a new set of known unknowns. We know the virus exists, but do not know when and how the economy will recover, how many people will be infected, when a vaccine will be available, and how safe and effective the vaccine will be. The significant support to economies and capital markets from central bank interventions and government spending have eased some of these concerns. Just as we have not yet won the war against the virus, the long-term effects of its economic consequences remain to be seen.
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