Sonal Desai: Navigating Historically Low Yields and Stretched Valuations

The Long View

Our guest this week is Sonal Desai. Sonal is executive vice president and chief investment officer of the Franklin Templeton Fixed Income Group. In addition to her responsibilities overseeing many of Franklin’s fixed-income teams, Sonal also co-chairs the group’s fixed-income policy committee and is a member of Franklin Resources executive committee as well as the firm’s management and investment committees. Sonal is a listed portfolio manager at a number of strategies, including Core Plus, Strategic Income, and Global Fixed Income. Sonal joined Franklin in 2009 from Thames River Capital in London. Before that, Sonal worked at the International Monetary Fund and as director and senior economist at Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein. She earned her bachelor’s in economics from the University of Delhi and her doctorate in economics from Northwestern University.

Background

Bio

Franklin Strategic Income A

Franklin Total Return A

Franklin Low Duration Total Return A

Fiscal and Monetary Policy

“On My Mind: Adrift--Has Monetary Policy Become Unanchored?” by Sonal Desai, franklintempleton.com.

“On My Mind: Modern Magical Thinking,” by Sonal Desai, franklintempleton.com, March 12, 2019.

“On My Mind: Bringing the Economy Back From Life Support,” by Sonal Desai, franklintempleton.

“On My Mind: Now Let’s Get Those Jobs Back,” by Sonal Desai, franklintempleton.

“If You Open It, They Will Come,” by Sonal Desai, advisorperspectives.com, June 5, 2020.

“Quick Thoughts: Why Our Managers Disagree on Inflation, Rates, and Growth,” by Stephen Dover, John Bellows, Sonal Desai, and Francis Scotland, franklintempleton.com, April 23, 2021.

“U.S. Macro Outlook: Let’s Bend the Economic Growth Curve,” by Sonal Desai and Nikhil Mohan, franklintempleton.com, April 22, 2020.

“On My Mind--Inflation: The Devil We Knew,” by Sonal Desai, franklintempleton.com, Feb. 26, 2021.

Bonds

“Sonal Desai: ‘In Fixed Income, Active Investment Historically Has Been the Winning Strategy,’” by Sonal Desai, advisoranalyst.com, Nov. 8, 2019.

“On My Mind: A Tale of Two Recoveries,” by Sonal Desai, franklintempleton.com, April 22, 2021.

“Too Much of a Good Thing?” by Sonal Desai, David Yuen, John Beck, and David Zahn, franklintempleton.com, April 8, 2021.