Real assets could see a lift

Our view is that if the growth outlook has deteriorated sufficiently to warrant a reversal in central bank policy, then it should also trigger a review of real asset demand and income growth expectations. The weaker trade and capital investment outlook is therefore likely to constrain real estate, most immediately for smaller and more open economies.

The deteriorating economic outlook will also likely have a negative impact on valuations for GDP-linked infrastructure assets such as roads, airports and other transportation assets. In a normal market cycle, this could be mitigated by lower interest rates and the material benefits of refinancing highly leveraged infrastructure assets at the project level. However, many asset owners have already refinanced their debt facilities in the expectation of higher rates, thereby limiting the potential refinancing upside from the most recent cuts.

On the positive side, labor markets in major developed economies remain very healthy. By the end of 2018, the jobless rate of high income countries was near a record low of 5.3%, according to the International Labour Organization. 

Looking ahead, how should investors respond to the renewed widening in real asset risk premia as long-term interest rates head back down? In our view, the relative attractiveness of real assets has been given a further boost. This is particularly the case in negative-to-low interest rate markets like Continental Europe, where we believe further yield compression is possible, notwithstanding that yields of high quality assets in key markets are already exceptionally low in absolute terms in an historical context. According to a number of recent surveys², there is an abundance of uninvested capital in the hands of the real asset funds, while investor intentions generally indicate a desire to increase allocations to the asset class. In the absence of a more marked deterioration in economic fundamentals, we believe that the weight of capital looking to invest in real assets will spur further price increases. However, any above-inflation rise in capital values would likely come from yield compression rather than income growth, particularly in real estate.

The impact of ageing developed world populations on key economic and investment metrics is, in our view, significant and structural. Lower yields, lower interest rates, lower inflation, lower growth, and lower returns quite possibly represent the brave new world of investment. This has been posited for some time in academia but has yet to seep properly into investment planning for major institutions like pension funds and insurance funds. The downward pressure on real asset yields will likely increase in ultra-low interest rate markets such as the Eurozone, Japan, and Switzerland. But the gains come with some increase in risk due to thinner occupier markets and less liquidity in times of market stress. For long-horizon buyers such as pension and insurance institutions, we believe these risks are manageable.

There is never enough information to make definitive calls for the truly long term. But we believe that the 'lower forever' paradigm is one worth embracing. We are therefore revising our two- to three-year forecasts from an outlook of modest erosion in capital values due to narrowing risk premia to one of flat to positive capital value growth, driven by a further downward adjustment in structural interest rates.