Technology breakthroughs herald a new era in the way we live, work and relate to each other. Five key trends explain why investors should consider holding technology stocks.

According to Richard Turnill, BlackRock's Global Chief Investment Strategist, if we look at the earnings yield of U.S. equities — the implied yield in earnings estimates that makes potential returns comparable to bond yields. U.S. equities look expensive on this basis. But compared with historically low bond yields, U.S. equities still look cheap.

Data, digitalisation and connectivity of means of production have led to considerable advances in industry in recent years. on top of productivity gains and shifts in production modes, this trend is disruptive in the way in which it will completely alter some sectors of activity. what will its main features be?

According to Pascal Gilbert, Head of Fixed Income, La Française, Bond markets are facing historically low yields, and this ongoing situation leaves, in theory, little room for a further appreciation in bond prices.

Robert Haugen, who discovered the low-volatility anomaly in 1972, wrote numerous articles and books to try to popularise what he called the ‘hidden factor'. To some extent, it was only the advent of smart beta investment strategies that turned his dream into reality, as low volatility is central to the smart beta approach.