Essentials

Bank Credit Analyst

In Section I, Doug underscores that the US labor market remains weak, crimping the outlook for disposable income growth. It is too soon to decisively bet against the bull market, but downside risks remain quite elevated. In Section II, Jonathan updates the BCA Artificial Intelligence Productivity Checklist and concludes that the evidence of an AI-driven productivity boom is not convincing.

Bank Credit Analyst

In Section I, Doug explains how the sharp upward revision to second-quarter consumption in the final GDP estimate has reduced our recession conviction and could lead us to abandon our recession call altogether. The situation is fluid, though, as typified by the striking weakness of stocks in consumer-facing and cyclically exposed subindustries. In Section II, Doug and Global Investment Strategy’s Miroslav Aradski consider the implications of the AI investment boom.

Bank Credit Analyst

In Section I, Doug highlights that benchmark positioning in equities, fixed income and cash is now recommended. Still, the US macro situation warrants continual monitoring, given weakening labor market momentum. In Section II, Jonathan shows how valuation-adjusted fundamental momentum has been a successful tool for ranking global sectors.

Bank Credit Analyst

In Section I, Doug notes that a negative stance toward stocks will require a meaningful and imminent deterioration in the US macro data given the ongoing impact of AI optimism on the global equity market. In Section II, Chester reviews the outlook for stablecoins, cryptocurrencies, and central bank digital currencies.

Bank Credit Analyst

In Section I, Doug weighs the recent reduction in trade uncertainty against the clear signs of labor market and consumer weakness. In Section II, Jonathan reviews the US fiscal outlook in the wake of the passage of the OBBBA.

Bank Credit Analyst

In Section I, Doug underscores that the full weight of tariffs has yet to be felt on the US and global economies, against the dangerous backdrop of a softening labor market. In Section II, Jonathan presents the bullish case for the US dollar over the coming year.

Bank Credit Analyst

In Section I, Doug warns that US trade policy may produce a considerably worse outcome than investors currently expect. The administration’s apparent 10% tariff baseline is likely to be negative for the US economy and particularly the small business sector. Investors should remain defensively positioned for now, although judicial constraints on the administration’s ability to wage a trade war, if confirmed, would sharply reduce our estimated recession probability. In Section II, Jonathan discusses the arguments in favor and against the view that US inflation will be structurally elevated over the longer term. Our base case view remains that US inflation will not be significantly above 2%, but this view may change if US tariffs are put in place permanently and the US avoids a recession.

Bank Credit Analyst

In Section I, Doug notes that weak US consumer sentiment is beginning to manifest. A wide sweep of consumer-facing companies have lowered guidance, and monoline credit card lenders shed nearly 20% over just three weeks across late February and early March. If the US enters a recession sometime this year as we expect, it will likely lead to a global recession and a global equity bear market. Investors should remain defensively positioned. In Section II, Jonathan presents a new indicator that investors can use to track the odds of bubble formation in real time and shows how it fits into a larger framework that accurately explains US bear market severity over the past century. The US equity market is not in a bubble today, but it is meaningfully overvalued. Investors should expect a relatively severe cumulative loss from equities in a recession scenario.

Bank Credit Analyst

In Section I, Doug notes that the chaos of the new administration, including bellicose tariff threats and DOGE’s abrasive and indiscriminate approach, are sowing uncertainty and fortifying economic headwinds. Lowered guidance of prominent retailers, alongside weakening services PMIs, bode poorly for economic activity considering that improving manufacturing PMIs likely reflect tariff frontrunning. A recession remains our base case, suggesting that investors should be underweight stocks within multi-asset portfolios. In Section II, Jonathan presents a checklist that investors can use to confirm whether AI’s purported productivity gains are real. The checklist does not currently suggest that artificial intelligence is meaningfully boosting productivity growth. US equity valuation reflects very significant optimism about AI, underscoring the profound risk facing equity investors if the narrative about AI shifts in a pessimistic direction.

Bank Credit Analyst

In Section I, Doug highlights that recent trade developments and news from the AI space are both consistent with a conservative investment stance. US final demand was robust in Q4, but the economy is still walking a tightrope as cracks in the labor market emerge. It is possible that an unorthodox set of policy prescriptions will cause US growth to inflect higher, but that is not yet our base case view. We recommend downgrading global growth stocks to underweight versus value. In Section II, Jonathan provides an update on Canada following strong performance from Canadian stocks last year. On a tactical basis, underweight Canada versus global ex-US on the expectation of tariffs targeting Canada and Mexico. Following a sell off, or if a trade war is avoided, investors should place Canadian stocks on upgrade watch with the goal of moving to a modest overweight versus global ex-US.