Luxury Brands—An Opportunity For Long-Term Investors?
Despite rising uncertainty and market volatility, many luxury companies have reported strong results this past year. We explain why demand has stayed strong.
Technology Is a Long-Term Story
- Growth stocks—especially in technology—have de-rated thus far in 2022, due to rising market uncertainty and concern about future demand.
- Demand for technology goods and services, though potentially facing some headwinds in the near term, in our view, will settle at a higher long-term level than before the pandemic.
- We believe companies will continue to make investments in technology, despite higher interest rates, because these investments are inherently productivity-enhancing.
- A slowing economy could put pressure on revenue growth in the short term, particularly on the consumer side, but the sector continues to offer exposure to long-term secular growth trends.
Growth equities have de-rated significantly over the past several months, reflecting market uncertainty about the path of interest rates, inflation, economic growth, and the war in Ukraine. Technology stocks have been hit especially hard, due in part to rising interest rates and questions regarding the sustainability of high revenue growth. During COVID-19, locked-down consumers and businesses turned to technology products and services. As the pandemic recedes, however, market participants appear to be questioning whether this demand was simply pulled forward or represents a structural shift in underlying demand.
We believe technology-driven growth has settled at a higher, sustainable level, driven by the investments companies realized they needed to make during the pandemic. These were, in many cases, already in progress at the onset of COVID-19. Corporations were digitally transforming their operations and businesses, but at a measured pace. When the pandemic shut down the global economy, however, these efforts accelerated, as people went online to work, shop, communicate, and find entertainment. When restrictions were lifted, remote access continued to allow individuals to remain productive personally and for work, regardless of their location.
Many corporations have become more productive as well. When consumers moved a large part of their shopping on-line, retailers and brands were forced to provide a robust online offering or lose out to competitors. As consumers return to reopened stores, we expect the online experience will continue to be an indispensable part of retail strategy.
Cloud Technology, 5G, and Cybersecurity
An enabler of digital transformation has been cloud technology. Software was once installed via a cumbersome process, where discs were loaded onto a server and then pushed out to PCs and rudimentary mobile devices. Today, software companies offer their products through cloud-based services (software-as-a-service, or SaaS), making them available via a mobile app or browser. This change in how data is stored and distributed has allowed companies to update their products in real time with virtually no disruptions. It has also given employees instant access to the enterprise from any location, driving significant increases in efficiency and productivity.
We believe the use of cloud-based applications will only grow as the next generation of broadband communications infrastructure—or 5G—is rolled out. We also see significant potential opportunities in artificial intelligence (AI) across the economy, including industries such as automotive and healthcare. For automobiles, AI will further the pursuit of full self driving and a related range of services, including navigation and car insurance. In healthcare, AI-enabled insurance companies can use customer data in a range of ways to improve care—e.g., to warn individuals of impending health issues, monitor medicinal intake, or simply schedule checkups.
These developments will depend heavily on the ability of cybersecurity to keep pace. Rising data speeds and user interactions are resulting in more user data, placing an even higher premium on keeping that data secure. Before, when data was held within the four walls of a facility owned by the company, security infrastructure and patches were maintained onsite. Cloud-based applications and their data, however, are potentially vulnerable to a wider range of threats. They require much more sophisticated and complex measures to prevent the next generation of hacking or leaks.
Technology: Beyond the Pandemic’s Priorities
These secular growth trends in technology—cloud computing, the 5G network, and cybersecurity—accelerated during COVID-19, but they are part of a larger story. The technology industry has gone through many cycles. The pandemic represented the start of another cycle which, in our view, will be dominated by these secular themes over the next 5 to 10 years.
We believe companies will continue to make investments in technology, despite recent uncertainty and rising interest rates. These investments are, for many companies, mission critical for their growth and to maintain leadership positions in their industries. They are also a potential source of cost reduction, mitigating spending in other areas of infrastructure, such as facilities management. While technology spending is returning to a more normal rate, our research suggests that the digital transformation has become a higher priority than it was before the pandemic.
We acknowledge that the geopolitical environment and future economic growth is uncertain. This could lower demand for technology in the short term, but, as long-term investors, we’ve experienced negative market environments before. We continue to believe that, beyond current market volatility, technology will drive secular growth trends over the next decade, potentially offering significant opportunities to investors.
Jennison Associates
Jennison's investing approach is rooted in our fundamental research and security selection; all of our portfolios are built from the bottom-up, security by security.
Contact Us
You May Also Like
Growth Investing During Turbulent Times
Uncertainty is the dominant theme in the market today. What will restore confidence, and where can investors find attractive growth over the long term?
Small Caps: A Closer Look at Volatility
In small cap, the concentrated risk in pure value and growth approaches has historically led to more divergent outcomes.
The views expressed herein are those of Jennison investment professionals at the time the comments were made and may not be reflective of their current opinions and are subject to change without notice and should not be considered investment advice.
Certain third party information in this document has been obtained from sources that Jennison believes to be reliable as of the date presented; however, Jennison cannot guarantee the accuracy of such information, assure its completeness, or warrant such information will not be changed. Jennison has no obligation to update any or all such third party information. There is no assurance that any forecasts, targets, or estimates will be attained.