Felix Zulauf: the world of managed economies

Wealth manager Felix Zulauf reckons we can wave goodbye to free-market economies.

John Stepek
By
published
in Features

917-Zulauf-634

Felix Zulauf,founder,Zulauf Asset Management
(Image credit:  2016 Bloomberg Finance LP)

"We have left the world of free markets and entered the world of managed economies," wealth manager Felix Zulauf tells US financial newspaper Barron's. Central banks took over economic policy after the financial crisis, and "run the show to this day". It's just one of many "tectonic shifts" that the investment veteran has witnessed over his long career in markets.

Another shift is that "the globalisation movie is running backwards... which could create problems for multinational companies". US president Donald Trump has been elected to tackle China's unfair trade practices which have seen middle-class incomes in the US and Europe remain static, even as corresponding incomes in emerging markets have soared.

However, while China may lose a few trade battles, it will "eventually win the war" by building trade alliances with other powers across the globe, including Europe, over "the next six or seven years". Zulauf also expects China to devalue its currency by 15%-20% in the relatively near future, as it aims to revive its slowing economy and counter the effects of tariffs.

Subscribe to MoneyWeek

Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE

Get 6 issues free
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/mw70aro6gl1676370748.jpg

Sign up to Money Morning

Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter

Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter

Sign up

Zulauf remains bullish on oil prices, "because the market is tight", with demand solid and supply from Iran and Venezuela in decline. "One morning, we'll wake up and crude will be at $95 or $100 a barrel." That's good news for US shale oil producers and for the companies that provide them with equipment and services. He tips the SPDR S&P Oil & Gas Exploration & Production (NYSE: XOP) exchange-traded fund as one way to get broad exposure.

John Stepek
John Stepek

John Stepek is a senior reporter at Bloomberg News and a former editor of MoneyWeek magazine. He graduated from Strathclyde University with a degree in psychology in 1996 and has always been fascinated by the gap between the way the market works in theory and the way it works in practice, and by how our deep-rooted instincts work against our best interests as investors.

He started out in journalism by writing articles about the specific business challenges facing family firms. In 2003, he took a job on the finance desk of Teletext, where he spent two years covering the markets and breaking financial news.

His work has been published in Families in Business, Shares magazine, Spear's Magazine, The Sunday Times, and The Spectator among others. He has also appeared as an expert commentator on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, BBC Radio Scotland, Newsnight, Daily Politics and Bloomberg. His first book, on contrarian investing, The Sceptical Investor, was released in March 2019. You can follow John on Twitter at @john_stepek.

Latest