FINANCIAL NEWS HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK

  • Data on U.S. fourth quarter GDP showed the economic recovery continuing, but at much slower pace (4% annualized) than the previous quarter (33.4%).
  • The Federal Reserve held its policy rate unchanged, and committed to doing all it can to support the recovery. It warned economic momentum has weakened with the spread of the virus.
  • Vaccinations offer the best hope for faster growth. Assuming vaccine campaigns are successful, several months of cabin fever could lead to an even faster unleashing of spending than expected in the second half of this year.

 

 

Looking Back, Looking Forward

Financial News- A Steep Fall and Partial Rebound in Real GDP

Not that anyone necessarily wants to remember it, but 2020 was a year for the record books. With U.S. GDP data for the fourth quarter released this week, we now have a complete picture of the economy’s performance during the pandemic-ridden year.

It was a wild ride. As lockdowns took effect in March, economic activity fell sharply. From the fourth quarter of 2019 to the second quarter of the year, real GDP declined by 10.5%, with the biggest drop over the March and April period. The rebound was almost as sharp, at least initially, with growth of 7.5% (non-annualized) registered in the third quarter. Progress, however, slowed in the fourth quarter to just 1.0%, as the virus spread worsened.

When all was said and done, the American economy ended the year 2.5% smaller than it started (Chart 1), though with huge disparities between industries and sectors. Parts of the economy least impacted by the virus – the production of things that you can consume at home (including the services provided by homes themselves) did even better than they would have without the health crisis. Durable goods consumption, including new and used vehicles, and new and existing home sales were particular bright spots. Higher-contact services, on the other hand, never had much of a recovery and are still well shy of pre-crisis levels (Chart 2).

 

Financial News- Goods Spending Has Recovered, Service Spending Has Not Fortunately, as 2020 ended, vaccines offered hope that 2021 would be a year of solid economic rebound. Still, the virus is not done with us yet. New, more virulent strains are spreading even as vaccines are being distributed. As such, the economic outlook must be separated into two periods. The next few months will be defined by the struggle to contain the virus and vaccinate as many people as possible against it. As this continues, economic data will remain weak and the attention of policymakers on how best to support it.

This was the message delivered by the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) and its Chairman, Jay Powell, this week. While the Fed is aware of the potential light at the end of the tunnel, it is setting policy as if it is not sure when or if we will get there. As long as economic activity is weak, the policy rate will remain at rock bottom levels and asset purchases will continue apace.

Eventually, the Fed will have to go further in recognizing the potential upside to growth and inflation possible, as restraints on activity diminish. However, it has updated its strategy to allow itself to be more reactive than proactive to this change. With a short-term goal of pushing inflation above its medium-term 2% objective, the Fed is less concerned about allowing the economy to run hot.

This suggests a new balance of risks around the economic outlook. Assuming vaccination campaigns are successful, the second phase could surprise on the upside. Households with ample savings and several months of cabin fever could unleash an even faster pace of spending than expected. With businesses also shut down for several months, getting back up to capacity could be challenging. And, if you can’t meet all the demand at current prices, why not raise them?

Leslie Preston, Senior Economist | 416-983-7053

 

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