BLACKROCK ADVISOR CENTER

BlackRock Insights

Our insights hub provides the latest BlackRock thought leadership to help advisors navigate financial markets and stay ahead of the curve.
  • Private Market

    Sourcing private credit opportunities in evolving markets

    Mar 19, 2025|ByJared KempnerJohn Griffith IIIMichael Pond, CFA

    Explore strategies for sourcing private credit opportunities in evolving markets, focusing on both sponsor and non-sponsor deal flows to drive consistent deal activity.

  • Multi-Asset

    Evolving 60/40 with Alternatives

    Mar 20, 2025|ByMichael Gates, CFA

    Incorporating alternatives in portfolios may help investors achieve better outcomes. Michael Gates outlines his process for blending alts into portfolios.

  • Equity

    Managing volatility

    Apr 03, 2025|ByRobert Hum, CAIA

    Seek to reduce volatility, while staying invested with iShares Max Buffer ETFs: innovative, options-based strategies designed to seek clearer investment outcomes.

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  • Portfolio Construction

    Put markets in perspective

    Apr 17, 2025|ByMark Peterson

    BlackRock’s Student of the Market provides monthly insights on current and historical market trends. Share these key insights with your clients now.

  • Fixed Income

    Municipal market monthly update

    Market update from BlackRock's municipal bond team.

  • Market Insights

    Weekly market commentary

    The consideration of some financial risks and costs of tariffs has put a check on the U.S. tariff approach. Learn how we dial up risk-taking.

  • Equity

    Tariff uncertainty: Impacts on markets and portfolios

    Apr 14, 2025|ByCarolyn Barnette

    New tariff policies are triggering volatility, leading to uncertainty in markets. Learn how investors can diversify portfolios to navigate market uncertainty.

  • Multi-Asset

    Managing cash flows and liquidity in private market portfolios

    Apr 11, 2025|ByMeghan Colarusso, CFAMichael Pensky, CFA

    Private markets have potential to enhance portfolios with long-term returns but introduce liquidity and cash flow risks. Diversifying liquid alternatives may help to mitigate these risks.

  • Equity

    Turn volatility into opportunity

    Apr 11, 2025|ByLisa GoldbergMike Branch

    Explore how tax-aware investors can leverage tax loss harvesting during the 2025 tariff crisis to gain significant tax benefits amid market turbulence.

Hi, my name is Kristy Akullian, here with another Macro Minute.

The United States has sharply escalated its trade protectionism. A new 10% tariff has been announced for most U.S. imports, alongside higher duties across dozens of countries including China and the European Union. Canada and Mexico have been spared new levies for now. The key? How long these elevated tariffs last and their impact on growth, inflation, and corporate earnings.

Here are our initial takeaways on the White House’s tariff announcements:

1. The dust is still settling on the details. We think they add up to a U.S. average effective tariff rate of between 20-25%. The rate is set to be higher than we – and markets – had expected. We see a bigger drag on growth and more inflation pressures.

2. Also key is how long policy uncertainty persists – the longer it does, the greater the potential damage to economic activity. We expect to continue to see more volatility in the weeks and months ahead and near-term pressure on U.S. equities.

3. Still, we think policy uncertainty could dissipate in coming months and could be accompanied by tax cuts and deregulation. Even if sentiment is weakening, we still see solid U.S. corporate and economic fundamentals, Our base case? Sluggish growth and sticky inflation, not recession.

So, what does that all mean for your portfolio? While the full impact remains uncertain, these tariffs introduce new risks and opportunities. Given ongoing policy uncertainty, we believe a focus on resilience and risk management remains key.

We like quality at the core of portfolios. But for investors who are worried about economic growth and want to reduce risk in their portfolio, they can also consider Minimum Volatility strategies that may potentially limit drawdowns, and diversify away from some of the most concentrated parts of broader indexes. Inflation-protected bonds can also make sense given the risk that inflation rises from tariff implementation. Finally, we see a strong case for alternative asset classes and strategies to serve as additional diversifiers beyond a traditional 60/40 portfolio. We like gold as a potential hedge against geopolitical volatility, and market neutral strategies that can potentially do well in a variety of macro environments.

The situation remains fluid. A bright spot may be more clarity on the policy front. We know that above all, markets hate uncertainty. As more information becomes available, and investors become more confident, a positive catalyst for markets could develop. For investors who want to position for such an outcome, we like systematic, active, rotational strategies that are purpose built to adjust with changing market conditions.

In times of heightened volatility, head over BlackRock Advisor Center or iShares.com to see how our investors are thinking about markets.

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Insights from our experts

Get timely updates on the markets and learn how emerging trends could impact your client portfolios.

  • Equity

    Tariff uncertainty: Impacts on markets and portfolios

    Apr 14, 2025|ByCarolyn Barnette

    New tariff policies are triggering volatility, leading to uncertainty in markets. Learn how investors can diversify portfolios to navigate market uncertainty.

  • Multi-Asset

    Managing cash flows and liquidity in private market portfolios

    Apr 11, 2025|ByMeghan Colarusso, CFAMichael Pensky, CFA

    Private markets have potential to enhance portfolios with long-term returns but introduce liquidity and cash flow risks. Diversifying liquid alternatives may help to mitigate these risks.

  • Equity

    Turn volatility into opportunity

    Apr 11, 2025|ByLisa GoldbergMike Branch

    Explore how tax-aware investors can leverage tax loss harvesting during the 2025 tariff crisis to gain significant tax benefits amid market turbulence.

  • Volatility

    Portfolio Implementation Guide: Navigating near-term volatility

    Apr 07, 2025|ByBlackRock

    Portfolio Implementation Guide: Navigating near-term volatility

  • Geopolitics

    Assessing the impact of escalating trade tensions

    We are sharing our insights on escalating trade tensions, policy uncertainty, market volatility and our evolving investment views – all in one place. Learn more.

  • Market Insights

    On Markets (flash insights)

    Apr 04, 2025|ByBlackRock

    On Markets - Make sure to subscribe for flash insights from the Target Allocation team

  • Defined Contribution

    Building effective participant communications

    Apr 16, 2025|ByBlackRock Retirement Perspectives

    BlackRock partnered with NARPP to help plans leverage the latest research to identify essential practices for building effective communications.

  • Equity

    Managing volatility

    Apr 03, 2025|ByRobert Hum, CAIA

    Seek to reduce volatility, while staying invested with iShares Max Buffer ETFs: innovative, options-based strategies designed to seek clearer investment outcomes.

  • Equity

    Outcome ETFs – A powerful tool for a changing world

    Mar 27, 2025|ByRobert Hum, CAIA

    Discover what is behind the growth of outcome ETFs and why they can be a powerful tool within your practice.

  • Defined Contribution

    Navigating the retirement window: Introduce more certainty to outcomes

    Mar 20, 2025|ByBlackRock Retirement Perspectives

    The “Retirement Window” is the period between 55-70 when risks are heightened and pivotal decisions shape retirement outcomes.

  • Practice Management

    Engage young investors with your social media marketing

    Mar 19, 2025|ByKatie Cullen, CFP

    Elevate your social media presence to stand out from peers and connect authentically with the investors who are critical for the future of your business.

  • Defined Contribution

    Navigating retirement income solutions for DC plans

    Mar 17, 2025|ByBlackRock Retirement Perspectives

    Discover how defined contribution plans can maximize your retirement spending. A range of solutions are emerging to help answer those needs.

  • Equity

    Outcome ETFs – A powerful tool for a changing world

    Mar 27, 2025|ByRobert Hum, CAIA

    Discover what is behind the growth of outcome ETFs and why they can be a powerful tool within your practice.

  • Market Insights

    Sizing up a major macro policy pivot

    Major U.S. policy shifts are cascading globally and putting upward pressure on policy rates and bond yields. We assess the impact on the U.S. economic outlook.

  • Practice

    Women as Financial Captains

    Mar 24, 2025|ByBlackRock

    Did you know that over half of women reported working with an advisor or financial professional? Read our latest survey conducted by iShares and theSkimm for more insights on women and their priorities as financial captains.

  • Derivatives

    Improving outcomes with options/derivatives in estate planning

    Feb 24, 2025|ByBlackRock

    Learn more how derivatives-based solutions may provide more predictable investment results while expediting after-tax wealth transfer.

  • Tax

    A guide to 130/30 loss harvesting

    Dec 18, 2024|ByBlackRock

    Learn more how 130/30 loss harvesting strategy leverages long and short positions to enhance tax efficiency and improve after-tax returns for investors.

  • Alternatives

    2025 Private Markets Outlook

    Dec 10, 2024|ByBlackRock

    Learn more how private markets will grow across client segments and which asset class is expected to lead private markets growth in 2025.