Morgan Stanley IM: 2H 2024 – Chasing the White Rabbit, but Where Will it Lead Investors?

• The white rabbit is a clear reference to Alice in Wonderland, symbolizing stresses and tensions, leading its willing follower into a strange world. The difference is that we in the market have no choice. 
• In the context of the market, the metaphorical white rabbit may be leading investors into an ambiguous world, more so than an uncertain one.
• The big difference is that the market can calculate risks associated with uncertainty, but cannot with ambiguity. 
• This presents a challenge in 2H 2024 as we enter a world with political drivers of market movements, a key source of ambiguity. This seems to have started with election results in Mexico, India, the EU and France. 
• More to come with respect to the U.S. presidential election, but the projections for trade and foreign policy, tariffs and fiscal policy/2025 tax policy all represent ambiguity.
• And let’s not forget monetary policy, inflation, employment situation and other fundamental factors, all representing uncertainty. 
• What can investors do about this in 2H 2024? We discuss in this audiocast.

^{Risk Considerations}

^{Diversification does not eliminate the risk of loss. There is no assurance that the Strategy will achieve its investment objective. Portfolios are subject to market risk, which is the possibility that the market values of securities owned by the portfolio will decline and that the value of portfolio shares may therefore be less than what you paid for them. Market values can change daily due to economic and other events (e.g. natural disasters, health crises, terrorism, conflicts and social unrest) that affect markets, countries, companies or governments. It is difficult to predict the timing, duration, and potential adverse effects (e.g. portfolio liquidity) of events. Accordingly, you can lose money investing in this portfolio. Please be aware that this strategy may be subject to certain additional risks. There is the risk that the Adviser’s asset allocation methodology and assumptions regarding the Underlying Portfolios may be incorrect in light of actual market conditions and the Portfolio may not achieve its investment objective. Share prices also tend to be volatile and there is a significant possibility of loss. The portfolio’s investments in commodity-linked notes involve substantial risks, including risk of loss of a significant portion of their principal value. In addition to commodity risk, they may be subject to additional special risks, such as risk of loss of interest and principal, lack of secondary market and risk of greater volatility, that do not affect traditional equity and debt securities. Currency fluctuations could erase investment gains or add to investment losses. Fixed-income securities are subject to the ability of an issuer to make timely principal and interest payments (credit risk), changes in interest rates (interest-rate risk), the creditworthiness of the issuer and general market liquidity (market risk). In a rising interest-rate environment, bond prices may fall and may result in periods of volatility and increased portfolio redemptions. In a declining interest-rate environment, the portfolio may generate less income. Longer-term securities may be more sensitive to interest rate changes. Equity and foreign securities are generally more volatile than fixed income securities and are subject to currency, political, economic and market risks. Equity values fluctuate in response to activities specific to a company. Stocks of small-capitalization companies carry special risks, such as limited product lines, markets and financial resources, and greater market volatility than securities of larger, more established companies. The risks of investing in emerging market countries are greater than risks associated with investments in foreign developed markets. Exchange traded funds (ETFs) shares have many of the same risks as direct investments in common stocks or bonds and their market value will fluctuate as the value of the underlying index does. By investing in exchange traded funds ETFs and other Investment Funds, the portfolio absorbs both its own expenses and those of the ETFs and Investment Funds it invests in. Supply and demand for ETFs and Investment Funds may not be correlated to that of the underlying securities. Derivative instruments can be illiquid, may disproportionately increase losses and may have a potentially large negative impact on the portfolio’s performance. A currency forward is a hedging tool that does not involve any upfront payment. The use of leverage may increase volatility in the Portfolio.}

^{IMPORTANT DISCLOSURES:}

^{Past performance is no guarantee of future results. The returns referred to in the audio are those of representative indices and are not meant to depict the performance of a specific investment.}

^{There is no guarantee that any investment strategy will work under all market conditions, and each investor should evaluate their ability to invest for the long-term, especially during periods of downturn in the market.}

^{A separately managed account may not be appropriate for all investors. Separate accounts managed according to the particular Strategy may include securities that may not necessarily track the performance of a particular index. Please consider the investment objectives, risks and fees of the Strategy carefully before investing. A minimum asset level is required.}

^{For important information about the investment managers, please refer to Form ADV Part 2.}