Investment Outlook 2025
Pushing the Boundaries
Our Investment Outlook covers all the big issues facing investors, from US economic policy and AI investing, to portfolio diversification, Chinese stimulus and European equity valuations.
Smaller companies tend to offer more growth potential than larger ones, typically leading to higher equity valuations. The current environment is a rare exception—and could hold an attractive opportunity.
The Mercantile is an actively managed investment company. This means the managers have the flexibility to diverge from the Company’s benchmark, the FTSE All-Share, by choosing the number and size of portfolio holdings. This article explores how the managers aim to achieve long-term capital growth, and outperform the benchmark, rather than slavishly tracking it.
The UK market has been out of favor over the past few years, but Georgina Brittain, co-portfolio manager of JPMorgan UK Small Cap Growth & Income plc (JUGI) updates on the Trust’s performance, and Simon French, UK Economist of broker Panmure Gordon argues that the UK economy is in better shape than generally thought and is set to improve.
The Mercantile benefits from the insight and skills of an experienced management team. They attribute their success in part to their persistent forward focus - looking beyond current headlines, and closely examining the latest data – to glean insight into future market developments. This allows them to spot investment opportunities early, and react quickly, to gain exposure ahead of other investors.
For long-term investors, especially those seeking regular income, reliable and consistent investment returns and predictable, rising dividends bring welcome peace of mind. These attributes form the cornerstones of The Mercantile Investment Trust’s investment strategy.
The renewed sense of government stability in the UK following the recent general election could boost the economy further and help to bring more investors back to UK equities.
The UK equity market is currently seeing valuations at historic lows. But with improving economic sentiment, an expected upturn in M&A activity and the potential for government intervention, is the tide about to turn? The Portfolio Managers of the JPMorgan Claverhouse Investment Trust (JCH) believe it won’t be long before the discount narrows. JCH offers a robust choice with diversified exposure to UK high quality large-cap stocks and a track record of 51 years of dividend growth.
Recent additions to the portfolio and an increase in gearing to the highest level in a decade show how the Mercantile Investment Trust plc is positioning for a stronger UK economy and consumer.
Investors seeking to capture the healthy yield of the UK equity market may want to take a closer look at the JPMorgan Claverhouse Investment Trust plc. Claverhouse’s yield is currently about 5% and the trust has achieved consecutive dividend growth for over half a century.
The Mercantile Investment Trust: Budget outlook and portfolio managers’ views
The Mercantile’s managers seek out small- and medium-sized UK companies set to become the market leaders of tomorrow
The Mercantile Investment Trust plc: Junior ISA ideas
The UK economy may still be in the early stages of a recovery, but if stock markets are indeed leading indicators, the UK smaller companies market may be offering some good news for investors.
Lower inflation, an interest rate cut and a new government may be catalysts for UK small and mid-cap stocks.
Is the UK economy in better shape than the valuations of UK equites might suggest? Guy Anderson, portfolio manager of The Mercantile Investment Trust, which invests in UK small and mid-cap equities, sees potential in the stocks that make up the portfolio. In this article, Guy shares his thinking on the stocks and sectors that look set to benefit from an improving UK economy.
Invest in the heart of America. US smaller companies: Poised for recovery, primed for growth.
Investing in smaller companies has historically generated higher long-term returns than in larger companies. This “size premium” has been shown to exist in several important academic studies over the years, which have examined decades of financial market data .
JPMorgan Global Growth & Income plc’s global best ideas investment strategy allows the portfolio to go almost anywhere and outperform the broader equity market across market cycles.
With the economy so strong, why don’t Americans feel better?
We’re approaching a pivotal moment for investors in the US. The S&P 500’s impressive rally (up 21% year to October 24) has until recently been dominated by a small number of stocks in the Magnificent Seven.
In this article, portfolio managers of JPMorgan European Growth & Income plc, Alexander Fitzalan Howard and Timothy Lewis, reveal the reasons they believe Europe presents an investment opportunity not to be missed.
The JPMorgan US Smaller Companies Investment Trust plc offers access to one of the deepest market opportunities available anywhere in the world. With a long runway of growth ahead of them, smaller companies tend to outperform over the long term and play a key role in driving productive economic growth. After a period of being overshadowed by the tech driven US large cap market, is it time for US smaller companies to shine?
An improving macroeconomic backdrop combined with several long-term secular growth themes create a positive near-term and long-term outlook for many real assets. JPMorgan Global Core Real Assets (JARA) invests in the higher-quality end of the real asset spectrum, seeking assets with the potential to the generate stable and predictable income that makes up most of the portfolio’s return.
Investments in infrastructure and transportation have recently performed well vs. real estate and now make up almost half of JPMorgan Global Core Real Assets Limited (JARA) portfolio. Both types of assets offer access to business models with relatively stable and predictable income that makes them attractive now and over the long term. Learn how infrastructure and transportation assets are helping power JARA’s returns.
While Asia-Pacific real estate has been resilient, an improving environment in the US may produce a generational opportunity for real estate investors and drive an increase in JARA’s net asset value. The onset of inflation and rising interest rates towards the end of 2022 dramatically changed the landscape for real estate assets.
One of the key advantages of JGGI is its ability to go anywhere in its search for the most compelling investment opportunities to meet its objective of providing predictable quarterly income and long-term growth. Read our latest article to discover more.
Although the action has clearly been elsewhere, there is an appealing alternative option for investors that would prefer a more diversified approach to the US stock market. It is often the case that, when markets become as concentrated as this, there will be another part of the market suffering from investor neglect. Relative valuations suggest that, in current market conditions, it is US smaller companies that have been out of favour with investors.
The US stock market is being supported by better-than-expected company profits, a pick-up in economic growth and prospects for interest rate cuts later in the year. Nevertheless, we believe it is important to stay mindful of the risks, using an active investment approach to tap into higher quality opportunities created by the current wide dispersion in valuation and performance across sectors.
The combination of growth and value research teams provides JPMorgan American Investment Trust’s portfolio managers with broad insights into how technological innovation may impact companies across sectors.
Austin Forey, portfolio manager, JPMorgan Emerging Markets Investment Trust, reflects on 30 years of investing in emerging markets and the lessons that have shaped his approach to investing.
Investing in high-quality emerging market companies with consistent dividends can be a winning strategy across market environments.
A number of macroeconomic and geopolitical variables are likely to influence the performance of emerging market companies and stock markets, notably the aftermath of elections, both in emerging markets and developed markets. JMG’s portfolio managers prepare for these potentially volatile environments by positioning the portfolio with the strongest businesses they can find at reasonable prices, which have the greatest potential to survive in weaker markets and to thrive in strong ones.
Geopolitical conflict, rising oil prices and increasing expectations for artificial intelligence (AI) are driving some of the biggest impacts on global stock markets. But depending on the regional market and a portfolio’s positioning, the results can vary widely. That’s been the case for the emerging Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region.
With several decades of experience in emerging market (EM) equities, Austin Forey, portfolio manager of the JPMorgan Emerging Markets Investment Trust plc (JMG), shares his seven truths about successful investing in this diverse asset class.
India’s bull market and China’s sluggish economy create two different challenges in the near term, but JMG’s portfolio managers are finding opportunities everywhere.
We believe successful, fast-growing companies often mature into dividend payers.
With an investment universe of over 1,300 companies across 24 starkly different economies, selectivity is crucial, writes John Citron.
Despite a backdrop of negative headlines on the Chinese economy, Chinese equities have performed well relative to other major markets over the past year—a notable achievement in light of US President Donald Trump’s tariff threats. Against this backdrop, we believe JPMorgan China Growth & Income plc (JCGI) is positioned for an improving macro environment.
Investors are, rightly, getting excited about Japan again. After an extensive 34 year wait, the Nikkei Index finally reached a new all-time high. Driving this positive sentiment are a number of structural changes that are targeting improvements in corporate governance and are already creating compelling investment opportunities.
Wider valuation and performance dispersion, elevated market concentration and potentially higher-for-longer interest rates underscore the importance of an active approach to engage opportunities and manage risks in the US stock market.
The world’s fastest growing regional equity market, Asia ex-Japan, includes two of the five largest economies in the world, China and India, and several of the biggest global technology companies. JPMorgan Asia Growth & Income plc (JAGI) is positioned to tap into all the main drivers of Asian equities, from the global artificial intelligence boom to corporate governance reforms and local economic cycles.
More than a year after China’s post-Covid reopening, performance has not lived up to expectations. But Tai Hui, Chief Market Strategist, APAC and Simmy Qi, Portfolio Manager, believes that conditions are right for this huge economic powerhouse to finally turn its fortunes around.
Japan is facing some political uncertainty, read this quick thought for the week for what this could mean for the Japan equity market outlook.
Making the case for investing in Chinese equities has not been easy in recent years. While there is no easy fix, we ask whether the intensifying policy response is the signal investors need to re-engage with the world’s second largest stock market.
India recently achieved a significant growth milestone by temporarily surpassing China to become the largest weighting in the MSCI Emerging Market Investable Market Index (MSCI EM IMI) in September. That feat reflects the success of Indian companies in translating economic growth into earnings growth and investors’ confidence in future growth. The portfolio managers of the JPMorgan Indian Investment Trust plc (JII) see this growth as evidence that India is starting to deliver on its long-term potential. They also believe that as the Indian economy continues to evolve, the growth drivers are changing.
Based in Singapore and Hong Kong, the portfolio managers of JPMorgan Asia Growth & Income plc (JAGI) incorporate views from analysts based in nine locations across the Asia Pacific region—and also hit the road to visit companies themselves in search of attractive investments in Asia.
Investment opportunities in Asia can be found across the region as we head into 2025. However, much rests on the outlook for Asia’s dominant economy, China.
Updates to the JPMorgan China Growth & Income plc portfolio reflect China’s evolving economy. The growth and changing drivers of China’s economy are playing out in a dynamic global macroeconomic environment. Investors, including the JPMorgan China Growth & Income plc (JCGI) portfolio managers, have been navigating the impacts of supply chain disruptions, inflation and now, the threat of trade tariffs.
Our overall outlook on the Japanese equity market is still positive, supported by factors beyond the corporate reform story that is creating greater shareholder value.
Improving corporate governance and low valuations are leading to increasing share buybacks and a wave of corporate transaction activity.
The latest data release suggests some upside potential for Chinese economic recovery. As the economy has not experienced a deep and prolonged deflationary spiral, there is still potential for domestic consumers and business confidence to restore with the right policies in place.
Japan has moved back into the limelight in 2025. While the record number of foreign tourists has placed the country as one of the favourite holiday destinations, it’s also rapidly coming back in to favour with the international investment community.
Historically, Indian companies, unlike many in other emerging markets, have been very impressive in translating economic expansion into earnings growth, a dynamic that has powered strong market returns. Therefore, there are reasons to believe that India still remains promising despite a loss in near-term momentum.
The AI-driven rally in Chinese equities may be more sustainable than past upcycles, with technological advancements driving earnings and valuations. However, sustaining sentiment will require positive macro catalysts, such as domestic stimulus and the US trade relationship.
JEGI’s steady investment approach has generated strong annualised returns consistent outperformance through past European macroeconomic challenges and geopolitical uncertainty.
JEDT Why small is beautiful in Europe
Junior ISA Tax-efficient investing for children.
Discover the reasons for investing in a JISA, and why they're potentially one of the most effective ways to save for your child's future.
As the tax year-end approaches and astute investors wonder where to channel their remaining ISA allowance and pension top-ups, we look at which markets could offer the most potential within the investment trust arena.
When you buy an investment trust you become a shareholder of that trust, giving you the chance to have a say on how your trust is run. These rights are yours whether you hold your shares directly (in your own name) or through an investment platform. If you fall into the latter group – as most private investors do these days – you can take action to ensure you have your say and also to keep in the know more generally by receiving the latest news and views.
Today’s unprecedented pace of technological change is creating attractive investment opportunities across global markets and sectors. One of the most effective ways to capitalise on this growth potential is through investment trusts.
JISA Investing for children: From piggy banks to portfolios
ETF Perspectives
Explore insights from J.P. Morgan Asset Management’s ETF research. In addition discover data and commentary on current topics related to ETF classes and strategies.
Insights App allows you to create custom versions of our industry-leading Guide to the Markets You’ll find audio commentary and talking points for each Guide slide along with videos, podcasts, market bulletins, commentary and portfolio analytics – all of which you can save, organise and share.
