Insights
We cannot predict what will happen next in economies or markets, but 2018 had the feel of a transitional year. Volatility, which in our view, had been muted for an unexpectedly long period of time, returned in force during the year—first in February and then again in the fourth quarter.
First Eagle’s Global Fund marked its 40th anniversary on January 1, 2019. From the time that Jean-Marie Eveillard—a pioneer in global value investing—assumed leadership of the Global Fund, it has consistently employed a disciplined, benchmark-agnostic, value-oriented philosophy.
The strength of the US dollar was a key factor affecting the performance of the Global Fund in the third quarter and, indeed, over much of the last year. The dollar’s strength reflected the implementation of two unorthodox public policies in the United States: late-cycle fiscal stimulus in the form of a corporate tax cut, and tariffs levied on our largest trading partner, China.
Looking beyond the United States, we confront a very large question in China: Can it sustain its rapid pace of growth? In an effort to rein in the shadow-banking sector, Chinese authorities have slowed money-supply growth. Arguably, China’s banking sector is too big relative to world money supply to simply return to its historical rates of asset growth.
Looking forward, there are, as always, plenty of risks about which to be concerned. Many of the Fund’s stocks have suffered from a view that margins have reached a secular peak and that earnings will fall. The combination of this “as good as it gets” perception with fears about global GDP growth, the impact of trade disputes, rising US interest rates, and a strong dollar has resulted in reduced multiples across the Fund.
In the third quarter of 2018, the fixed income market improved to some extent from investment-grade bonds down through leveraged loans, but duration-sensitive names and sectors generally continued to be punished—damage that may accelerate with further potential increases in Treasury yields.
Matt McLennan reflects on his first decade managing First Eagle's Global Value team, and the challenges and potential rewards of value investing. See what excites him about the next 10 years.
Matt McLennan and Kimball Brooker, managers of First Eagle Global Fund (SGENX), recently spoke with Advisor Perspectives to discuss the Fund’s go-anywhere approach.
First Eagle’s Global Value team has adopted the value investment philosophy first developed by Benjamin Graham and later refined by Warren Buffett.
Valuation drives everything, according to Sean Slein and Kimball Brooker, portfolio managers of the First Eagle Global Income Builder Fund. Investing with a perceived “margin of safety” in equities and fixed income, the fund aims to provide both current and future income.
First Eagle High Yield Fund named one of the top bond funds in IBD’s 2018 Best Mutual Fund Awards. Read the full article to learn more.
In this paper, we explain gold’s power as a potential hedge, examine its history, consider the advantages and disadvantages of bullion, gold stocks and ETFs, and explore the differences between hed
On February 2nd the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped −2.54%—its largest percentage decline since the Brexit referendum in 2016— while the S&P 500 Index dropped −2.11% and the MSCI World Ind
Since Joseph Engelberger, “the father of robotics,” developed the world’s first industrial robots in the 1950s and installed them in a General Motors plant in 1961, the robotics industry has made tremendous advances. Today, there are about 1.9 million industrial robots deployed worldwide across a wide range of applications in fields such as manufacturing, logistics, consumer services, defense and healthcare.
There is growing concern that the rally in US stocks may soon fade.
First Eagle's Thomas Kertsos believes that gold has unique risk-reward characteristics to be able to potentially preserve value in real terms in the long-term and provide diversification and resili
Co-Portfolio Manager Ed Meigs discusses the Global Income Builder strategy, the importance of flexibility in the search for income and the team's unwavering focus on seeking downside protection.
While the gold price has been volatile over the last year, it has remained above the lows reached in 2015. In this brief commentary, Portfolio Manager Thomas Kertsos and Research Analyst Max Belmont offer their insights into current trends.
To mark the Fund's 30-year anniversary on April 10th, Harold Levy recalls the creation of the the Fund of America strategy, reflects on what's changed over 30 years and reaffirms his commitment to providing prudent stewardship of shareholders' assets.
Passive investments will play a role in some portfolios, but investors should also have the flexibility to take advantage of markets as they evolve and have the ability to protect their capital from permanent impairments through the use of managers who are both patient and discriminating.
Investor capital continues to pour out of active vehicles and into passive ones. Investors evidently believe that passive funds are attractive because their fees have been low and their returns have been good. In our view, this is an overly simplistic way to think about today’s market environment. Whether in equities or in fixed income, passive strategies attempt to replicate the broader returns of the markets. If the broader markets themselves are priced for low returns, investors who choose passive vehicles face the prospect of singularly disappointing returns over the long term.
Investors in the First Eagle Global Fund have generally stayed invested substantially longer than the average mutual fund investor. We think downside protection is one of the reasons.
The United Kingdom’s vote to leave the European Union has already led to significant turbulence in global currency and securities markets. Beyond this immediate reaction, we believe that political and economic uncertainty could continue for several years as the UK negotiates its new relationship with the EU.
Income is a here-and-now need, but it also has a future dimension. Investors want to be sure of meeting their current financial obligations, and they want to be just as confident about funding future ones, as well. That is why the First Eagle Global Income Builder Fund seeks to generate current income while also providing long-term growth of capital. Our approach is based on three distinctive features: asset-class flexibility, global range and a focus on downside protection.
Rising volatility spurs many investors to sell indiscriminately and, in particular, to flee stocks they see as underperformers. This fear-driven flight may send share prices down into bargain territory, where value investors can acquire them.
For more than 25 years, First Eagle Fund of America has delivered higher total returns with lower volatility than most of the relevant benchmarks and Morningstar categories.
During periods of significant market disruptions or in the event that suitable investment opportunities become less available, the Fund has the flexibility to hold higher cash positions as evidenced in the past.
We look to gold to provide protection against the unintended consequences of government interventions, bank bailouts, long-term imbalances and currency crises.
Managers who are given the flexibility to go anywhere and own out-of-benchmark stocks and who make independent investment decisions, in our view, are more likely to outperform over the long term.
Contact Us
Shareholder Services
First Eagle Funds
Shareholder Servicing Agent
PO Box 219324
Kansas City, MO 64121-9324
800.334.2143