July 26, 2022—It’s hard to avoid the “R” word these days. The question of whether the economy is headed toward a recession has been front and center, almost superseding concerns about inflation. During our May webinar “Growth Scare or Recession?”, we explained our reasoning for the U.S. to avoid the latter, but since that time the risks have risen noticeably.
It is with little remorse that we close the book on the first half of 2022. Whereas the first quarter could be characterized by—among other things—a crisis of confidence in valuations and a historic adjustment in expectations for Federal Reserve policy tightening, investor attention in the second quarter shifted toward the prospects for an economic recession. Inflationary pressures continued to defy gravity, not only in the U.S. but also around the world, and stocks and bonds alike suffered.
July 13—Calendar-wise, we’ve turned the page and the first half of a challenging 2022 is behind us—but inflation is still hovering at historic highs and global growth projections remain depressed. Markets seem uncertain about what the second half of the year may hold and, truth be told, so are Tony and Wilmington Trust’s Chief Economist Luke Tilley.
