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Portfolio Playbook: Favoring cyclicals and mid caps

Our framework suggests above-trend growth. In February, we’re overweighting stocks with a tilt toward cyclical mid caps and maintain an overweight to credit and emerging market bonds. Optimize your portfolios with our monthly outlook and allocation guidance.

Aerial view of roundabout

We’re increasing portfolio risk, lifting the overweight in stocks. 

Global growth has been moving above trend with broad strength across most major regions, marking the first shift into an expansion regime since 2022. Equity markets began the year with strong momentum as cyclical companies and smaller stocks outpaced more defensive characteristics. This performance has been supported by steady global activity, contained inflation, and a policy environment that remains constructive. Steeper yield curves across developed markets suggest easier financial conditions ahead and raise the likelihood of a longer economic cycle.

Overall, the combination of rising growth and stable inflation creates a favorable backdrop for risk assets. A diversified approach across sectors and regions remains important to maintain an overweight to equities while avoiding expensive segments of the US market.

In response to the stronger environment, we favor increasing risk by further overweighting equities relative to fixed income. Within equities, we continue to favor cyclical sectors and mid‑sized companies. In fixed income, we maintain an overweight in credit, reduce duration, and prefer emerging markets debt. We also remain positioned for potential softness in the US dollar, with selective preferences across developed and emerging market currencies.

Business cycle

test
  • Recession doesn’t appear imminent
  • Credit spreads tight

Risk profile

test
  • Risk appetite is strong
  • Leading economic indicators signal an improving global growth environment

Policy implications

test
  • Inflation is contained
  • Policy easing is likely to continue

Business cycle

test
  • Resilient growth
  • Improving productivity

Risk profile

test
  • Above-trend global economic growth rate
  • Risk-on sentiment

Policy implications

test
  • Contained inflation
  • Fed on hold

Business cycle

test
  • Deteriorating activity
  • Widening credit spreads
  • Tightening lending conditions

Risk profile

test
  • Deteriorating leading economic indicators
  • Flight to quality 

Policy implications

test
  • Shift toward easier policy

Asset allocations to consider: 
Tilt towards cyclicals, mid-cap, and international in February.

A challenge for tactical investors is preparing for the expected and anticipating the unexpected. The tactical asset allocation (TAA) framework from the Invesco Solutions team is designed to enhance a long-term strategic asset allocation (SAA) by making portfolio tilts based on near-term market views.

The tactical, dynamic factor rotation shown below is also utilized in the Invesco Russell 1000® Dynamic Multifactor ETF (OMFL).



  • The Invesco Solutions team develops portfolios for client-oriented outcomes over multiple time horizons. Our tactical asset allocation (TAA), regime-based framework dynamically adjusts exposures to asset classes, regions, sectors, and factors, to create multi-asset portfolios designed for the prevailing macroeconomic environment. Strategic asset allocation (SAA) positioning is derived from our rigorous investment process, which consists of long-term capital market assumptions (CMAs), portfolio optimization, and risk management.



  • The Invesco Solutions team develops portfolios for client-oriented outcomes over multiple time horizons. Our tactical asset allocation (TAA), regime-based framework dynamically adjusts exposures to asset classes, regions, sectors, and factors, to create multi-asset portfolios designed for the prevailing macroeconomic environment. Strategic asset allocation (SAA) positioning is derived from our rigorous investment process, which consists of long-term capital market assumptions (CMAs), portfolio optimization, and risk management.



  • The Invesco Solutions team develops portfolios for client-oriented outcomes over multiple time horizons. Our tactical asset allocation (TAA), regime-based framework dynamically adjusts exposures to asset classes, regions, sectors, and factors, to create multi-asset portfolios designed for the prevailing macroeconomic environment. Strategic asset allocation (SAA) positioning is derived from our rigorous investment process, which consists of long-term capital market assumptions (CMAs), portfolio optimization, and risk management.