Retail sales are softening modestly year over year, but lower gas and drug prices should have upside for consumers' spending power, says Morningstar's Bob Johnson.
Emerging-markets consumer stocks are one of the few areas of long-term growth as the people are buying, eating, and drinking better, says Virtus Foreign Opportunities manager Rajiv Jain.
Five stats from the Conference and the stories behind them: 10 more years of financial repression, three retirement train wrecks, 7% more dividends on the S&P, and more.
Household net worth is another data point to eclipse precrisis levels and points to further increases in spending despite sluggish income growth, says Morningstar's Bob Johnson.
Regardless of which SEC money-fund reform gains approval, retail investors will still find safety in this asset class, says Morningstar's John Rekenthaler.
Investors should be cautious of rapid inflows into high-yield and bank-loan funds as managers could have difficulty putting excess money to work in high-conviction ideas.