A GOLDEN AGE FOR INCOME INVESTORS
Lawrence Gillum, CFA, Chief Fixed Income Strategist, LPL Financial
To say the U.S. economy has been difficult to read is an understatement. From generationally high inflation and interest rates to concerns about the labor market, it’s no wonder consumers are unsure about the overall health of the economy. In fact, in June, 59% of Americans believed the U.S. was currently in a recession (it wasn’t), according to a survey of 2,000 adults by Affirm. Conversely, prominent economists have downgraded the probability of a recession over the next 12 months to around 15% — this is the average probability of recession in any given year. But the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) very own recession forecasting model still says there is a 60% chance of recession over the next twelve months…huh? But after what looks like a temporary growth scare over the summer, economic growth data has been coming in generally better than expected lately, which has helped push Treasury yields higher, while at the same time pricing out the need for an aggressive rate-cutting campaign by the Fed. So, the question for fixed income markets in 2025 is how low will the Fed, absent an economic contraction, take the fed funds rate?