Stocks and Inflation For Corporate Employees

As a Baker Hughes employee, it is imperative to adapt your investment strategies according to the current economic scenario. For instance, stocks are not an ideal short-term hedge against rapidly increasing inflation, but bonds put you at an even greater disadvantage. Bonds are promises to pay in dollars, and those dollars are fixed unless you hold Treasury inflation-protected securities or other IOUs that adjust their payments with changes in price levels. In an inflationary environment, investing in short-term bonds is better than investing in long maturities; as inflation rises. As a Baker Hughes employee, you can use this information to take advantage of rising interest rates.

'The closer you get to retirement, it might be wiser to increase the allocation to income producing investments over more volatile investments.'

person holding black and brown globe ball while standing on grass land golden hour photography

Gold and commodities also do well in periods of high and increasing inflation. But, like bonds, they have poor results over the long term. Gold, for example, has returned only 0.7 percentage point per year more than inflation over the past two centuries.

As a Baker Hughes employee, you may want to consider mitigating inflation on your portfolio by diversifying internationally. If inflation kicks into overdrive, the dollar will fall and foreign stocks will act as an automatic hedge as money invested in foreign currencies is translated into more dollars back home. For Baker Hughes employees, it is important to avoid speculative assets that will deflate in price when inflation slows. For those in Baker Hughes companies aiming to invest long-term, stocks may be an excellent hedge against rising prices.

If you are interested in more information about this topic, view our e-book here: https://retirekit.theretirementgroup.com/effects-of-inflation-e-brochure