Economic Insights

“HODL,” an original misspelling taken on as a badge of courage by cryptocurrency investors, spread to “Meme stocks” during the runup in 2020 and...

NFIB signals a recession is coming…again. The reason I say “again” is because, in September 2019, we discussed these same signals stating:

What was once (rather recently) deemed as “off the table” for the Fed this month, the FOMC today took aggressive action, announcing the largest interest rate hike since 1994 (75 bps) as they seek to combat runaway inflation. See below for insights and initial reactions from the investment management teams across the Catalyst and Rational Funds networks:

What was once (rather recently) deemed as “off the table” for the Fed this month, the FOMC today took aggressive action, announcing the largest interest rate hike since 1994 (75 bps) as they seek to combat runaway inflation. See below for insights and initial reactions from the investment management teams across the Catalyst and Rational Funds networks:

Investors are terrified. Such is what you would assume from recent mainstream media headlines and CNBC’s continuous run of “Markets In Turmoil.” There are also plenty of indicators suggesting that retail investors are terrified about financial markets. For example, the net percentage of bullish responses from the American Association of Individual Investors (AAII) and the Institutional Investors index (INVI) are near previous bear market lows. Such is despite the sharp rally over the last two weeks.

Will the Fed pause its rate hikes as markets correct? That is the question that everyone is trying to answer. Of course, after more than a decade of monetary interventions, investors have developed a “Pavlovian” response to market declines and the “Fed Put.”

As we approach the halfway point of 2022, investors remain uncertain of what to expect throughout the next six months.

The second quarter of 2022 continues with intense volatility. Both equity markets and bond markets continue to unravel the complexities of supply constraints, stagflation, hawkish Fed policy (and the velocity of rate hikes), slower domestic and global economic growth, geopolitical headwinds (i.e., the Russia-Ukraine war), the commodity "Supercycle," persistent COVID-19 demand woes (i.e., China lockdowns), and potential Gray Rhino events (spurred by fears of the current environment). Recessionary fears and a flight to safety remain investors' top priorities.