Global insurers turn to private credit — and AI

Recent weakness in US Treasury bond auctions have become a focal point for markets. Goldman Sachs’ Jonny Fine and Alec Phillips discuss the implications for markets, yields, and fiscal deficits. And if you want more insights from Goldman Sachs, make sure to visit GS.com and sign up for Briefings, a weekly newsletter from Goldman Sachs about trends spanning markets, industries, and the global economy.

The newest generation of GLP-1 drugs are being hailed by some as “miracle drugs” for the treatment of obesity. But GLP-1s are expensive, insurance coverage is limited, and not everyone with obesity can and or wants to take them. In this episode, which is based on Goldman Sachs Research’s latest Top of Mind report, obesity medicine physician Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford and Jonathan Gruber, professor of economics and chairman of the Economics Department at MIT, discuss how large the addressable market for GLP-1s actually is and the implications for US fiscal health.   If you want more insights from Goldman Sachs, make sure to visit GS.com and sign up for Briefings, a weekly newsletter from Goldman Sachs about trends spanning markets, industries, and the global economy.

Goldman Sachs Research’s US Chief Economist David Mericle explains why worries over overheating inflation are overblown and why the outlook for US economic growth remains relatively strong. And if you want more insights from Goldman Sachs, make sure to visit GS.com and sign up for Briefings, a weekly newsletter from Goldman Sachs about trends spanning markets, industries, and the global economy.

Where do the world’s largest investors see investment opportunities? Against a more constructive macroeconomic environment, insurers appear to be more willing to take on risk in their portfolios. Goldman Sachs’ Mike Siegel and Matt Armas discuss where insurers see opportunities and risks, and other findings from their 13th annual Global Insurance Survey.

Capital Group’s Rob Lovelace discusses the firm’s distinct investment process and culture, how he’s thinking about macro trends, and his lessons for leadership. Lovelace, whose grandfather Jonathan Bell Lovelace founded the firm in 1931, recently stepped down at the privately held firm as vice chair and president and continues as a portfolio manager. If you'd like to learn more, visit GS.com and sign up for Briefings, a weekly newsletter from Goldman Sachs about trends spanning markets, industries, and the global economy.

The US stock market is more concentrated than it’s been in decades, with a small number of stocks accounting for an unusually large share of market capitalization. While it’s making some investors uneasy, Ben Snider, a senior strategist on the US portfolio strategy team in Goldman Sachs Research, and Peter Callahan, who covers the US technology, media, and telecommunications markets business in Global Banking & Markets, point out on Goldman Sachs Exchanges that these stocks' valuations reflect strong earnings. If you'd like to learn more, visit GS.com and sign up for Briefings, a weekly newsletter from Goldman Sachs about trends spanning markets, industries, and the global economy.

Transit on the seas — the planet’s most important means of trade — has become more fraught amid geopolitical and climate-related disruptions, particularly in the Red Sea. In this episode, which is based on Goldman Sachs Research’s Top of Mind report, Admiral James Stavridis and DHL Group's CEO Tobias Meyer discuss the factors driving maritime risks today and the threats to global trade.

High mortgage rates and a limited supply of homes have created one of the tightest markets in decades. Goldman Sachs Research’s Roger Ashworth explains the supply-and-demand dynamics that are shaping the US housing market and the outlook for 2024.

Retailers are facing a more complex environment in 2024, say Goldman Sachs’ Tim Ingrassia, co-chairman of Global Banking & Markets’ Global Mergers & Acquisitions business, and Vishaal Rana, a managing director in the Cross Markets Consumer Retail Group, who discuss the deal-making landscape and the challenges facing investors and consumers. Ingrassia and Rana also join Ted Decker, chairman, CEO, and president of The Home Depot, and Dave Kimbell, the CEO of Ulta Beauty, on a panel held at the annual Retail Industry Leaders Association CEO Forum, to discuss the industry’s challenges and opportunities.

Climate change, artificial intelligence, shifting supply chains, and population growth are among the broader forces that have boosted the returns — and popularity — of infrastructure investments. Goldman Sachs’ Teresa Mattamouros explains the implications for investors on the latest episode of Goldman Sachs Exchanges.