Hard Landing for the US Economy, Mild Recession to Spare Emerging Markets: Ayesha Tariq
Sep 4, 2023
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Ayesha Tariq, Co-founder of MacroVisor, discusses the contrarian view of a hard landing for the US economy, the Federal Reserve's interest rate decision, the outlook for emerging markets, the bullish forecast for copper, and the risks of AI hype.
Contrary to prevailing sentiment, a hard landing for the global economy is likely in the next six to nine months, challenging the common belief in a soft landing scenario.
Despite a potential recession, copper prices may rise in the next six to nine months due to changing demands and lower supply of copper stockpiles.
Deep dives
Contrarian view on global economy: Expecting a hard landing
Contrary to prevailing sentiment, the speaker argues that a hard landing for the global economy is likely in the next six to nine months, challenging the common belief in a soft landing scenario. The US is highlighted as a significant concern, with signs of a potential recession looming. The European market is also experiencing flat growth, while emerging markets show a more mixed picture. The speaker suggests that the need for inflation control and a potential recession may impact GDP growth and lead to a gradual decline, particularly in the labor market, supporting the expectation of a recession.
The Fed's response and potential credit events
The speaker acknowledges the need for the Federal Reserve to control inflation and suggests that more adjustments in quantitative tightening may be necessary to bring down inflation. However, the likelihood of a major credit event is considered low, with expectations of smaller failures and gradual growth declining. The speaker predicts that the Fed may hike rates in September, albeit with caution, while avoiding drastic cuts next year. The potential for cuts is seen as more tangible in the future, but with a more gradual and shallow approach than currently anticipated by the market.
Recession without major catalysts and implications for global markets
Contrary to historical patterns, the speaker suggests that a recession may be possible without a major catalyst or catastrophic event. Although localized problems are expected in different regions, the US, Europe, the UK, and possibly Australia are identified as regions facing significant challenges. However, the rest of the globe may experience stable but slow growth due to changes in the demand for commodities, such as oil, and localized resilience among emerging economies like Mexico and Brazil. China's growth is expected to decline significantly, but not slip into a recession, while Japan is predicted to fare relatively well amidst this global economic uncertainty.
Contrarian view on copper and the changing demands
In a contrarian view, the speaker suggests that despite a slowdown and potential recession, copper prices may rise in the next six to nine months due to changing demands. The speaker argues that although certain sectors may experience reduced demand for copper, such as the property market, other sectors like mass-scale electric vehicle production may drive the demand higher. The lower supply of copper stockpiles is also seen as a contributing factor to the potential price increase, as sentiment remains low, keeping prices muted in the short term, but with expectations for a future upward trend.
This podcast episode was recorded on Aug. 29 with a 'highlight' clip of the most actionable insights released to premium subscribers that same day. Premium subscribers then received the full episode -- without ads or interruptions -- the following day, on Aug. 30. To find out more about premium subscriptions, visit our Substack.
Ayesha Tariq, co-founder of MacroVisor, rejoins the podcast to discuss why she is expecting a hard landing for the US economy along with other contrarian views she has about the Federal Reserve and global financial markets.
Content Highlights
The 'soft landing' scenario has effectively become the base case. Why that's wrong (1:32);
Unlike many (most?) recessions, this one will not be preceded by a Fed-induced credit event. For this reason, it will be milder (4:44);
The Federal Reserve is likely to hike at its next meeting on Sept. 20. That will be its last hike this cycle (8:53);
The US downturn will not necessarily lead to a global recession (12:58);
The outlook for commodities, specifically copper, is bullish despite the bearish economic outlook (18:48);
Rate hikes might be off the table, but quantitative tightening could still be incoming in 2024 (23:45);
New segment: Listener questions. Whoever's questions are read wins a free Contrarian mug. First up: what to make of Nvidia and AI (26:36);
Next listener question: what to look for in bank earnings? (31:42);
One area of the stock market where the guest is particularly bullish (36:35).
For more about the guest, visit her website MacroVisor.com or follow her on Twitter/X.Not investment advice.
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