Rick Rieder: Explaining the ‘Polyurethane’ U.S. Economy

Our guest this week is Rick Rieder. This is Rick’s second appearance on The Long View. We last interviewed him in May 2020, and we are happy to welcome him back. Rick is BlackRock’s chief investment officer of Global Fixed Income, head of the Fundamental Fixed Income Business, and head of the Global Allocation Investment Team. Rick also is a member of the firm’s Global Executive Committee, its Investment Subcommittee, and is chairman of the firmwide BlackRock Investment Council. In addition to these duties, Rick manages numerous multi-asset and fixed-income strategies, including BlackRock Global Allocation Fund and a new active exchange-traded fund that the firm recently launched called BlackRock Flexible Income ETF. BackgroundBio“Rick Rieder: Nobody Has Ever Seen Anything Like This,” The Long View podcast, Morningtar.com, May 20, 2020.BlackRock Flexible Income ETF BINCDispersion and Liquidity“Investors Rediscover the Importance of Getting Paid Back,” by Rick Rieder, blackrock.com, June 21, 2023.“BlackRock’s Rieder: Grab High Yields on Super-Safe Bonds While You Can,” by Tom Lauricella, Morningstar.com, May 18, 2023.The Economy and Inflation“BlackRock Bond Chief Rieder Says U.S. Economy in ‘Much Better Shape’ Than Doomsayers Say,” by Hugh Son, cnbc.com, May 23, 2023.“The Polyurethane Economy: Flexible and Adaptable,” by Rick Rieder, blackrock.com, Feb. 22, 2023.“5 Reasons to Call an Investment ‘Time-Out,’” by Rick Rieder, blackrock.com, March 31, 2023.“The New Inflation Regime,” blackrock.com.“Fed Chair Powell May Lean Hawkish on Inflation, but Stocks Have ‘Tremendous’ Technical Backdrop, Says BlackRock’s Rick Rieder,” by Christine Idzelis, marketwatch.com, July 26, 2023.Consumer Spending and Allocation“Investing in a Changing World: From Carburetors to Compilers,” by Rick Rieder, blackrock.com, Aug. 10, 2023.“July Jobs Report Shows the Post-Pandemic Labor Market Is Over,” by Myles Udland, finance.yahoo.com, Aug. 4, 2023.“Rotation to Duration: Seeking a More Resilient Portfolio,” by Rick Rieder, blackrock.com, Aug. 1, 2023.BlackRock Global Allocation Fund MALOX