This week has continued to underscore the change in the market weather, following the hopium of July.
“We’ve long been overdue for a correction in equities, and it’s clear that higher rates have now become the catalyst for that,” said Michael Reynolds, vice president investment strategy at investment and wealth advisory firm Glenmede. “When the opportunity cost for capital becomes more competitive, valuations should correct on risk bearing assets, especially large cap equities which have been trading at significant premiums this year.”
And news that China’s seemingly eternally beleaguered property giant Evergrande has sought bankruptcy protection in New York only added to the strange feeling the financial world has turned upside down. While the problems in the Chinese property sector are far better understood than they were when Evergrande teetered two years ago, China’s post-lockdown economic troubles – perhaps best typified by the nation’s slide into deflation – adds a new and worrying link in what seems increasingly like a negative feedback loop.
As 2023 began, the consensus was clear: China’s economy would surge out of COVID-19 lockdowns, with monetary and fiscal stimulus providing tailwinds, while the US would fall into a brief recession that would likely lead to equity market correction and rate cuts.
But instead, the US economy has proven extraordinarily resilient and equity markets have surged 22 per cent from their October 2022 lows. But in the US, the climb in long-term bond yields to levels not seen in more than a decade is a reminder that economic strength can also weigh on investors.
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