JHML News and Press, John Hancock Multifactor Large Cap From 12/08/22

Summary Today, the yield curve is more inverted than at any time since the early 1980s, so many are saying that means the chances of a recession are pretty high. Yes, today the curve is very inverted, but real yields are not particularly high. Low spreads suggest the market is relat...

Summary At least one of two things should happen to warn that an official US recession is about to begin. One is a decline in the ISM Manufacturing New Orders Index (NOI) to below 48 and the other is a reversal of the yield curve’s trend from flattening/inverting to steepening. ...

Summary There are really two things that are driving the view that a durable bottom has not been felt. And the first is that there were unrealistic expectations of a dovish [US Federal Reserve] Fed pivot. It’s going to be very difficult for the Fed to pivot when they have n...

Summary The resilience of the labor market means the U.S. is probably not in a true recession. Macroeconomic headwinds do, however, make a mild recession within the next 12 months more likely than not. The market volatility has been one of the contributing factors to investor ...

Summary After a difficult 2022, cautious optimism may be in order. Here are our thoughts on market risks and opportunities heading into 2023. Through 2022, the market repriced for bad news — the Russian invasion of Ukraine, supply chain woes, stickier headline inflation and...

Summary In today's issue of the 1-Minute Market Report, I examine the market bounce since the October low, and highlight the areas of the market that are leading the way higher. On Thursday, for every stock that was down, there were 26 that were up. For the first time since August...

Summary If the unemployment level in the economy increases, this removes potential demand from the economy; hence, a slowdown or recession may unfold. The unemployment rate is flattening and possibly beginning an uptrend, with both the rate and average now equaling 3.7%. The p...

Summary Why lending has remained strong for U.S. banks even as a recession looms. Does the Fed have to go 'too far – too fast' to tackle inflation? The signals that are causing banks to become more cautious about loan losses. Aggressive rate hikes by t...

Summary The closest thing to a guarantee in finance is the truism that recessions always follow Treasury bond yield inversions. The labor force is no longer expanding and may be shrinking. A recession in which the GDP shrinks by 1% for two quarters while employment remains sta...

Summary The only policy actions that could deter a recession would worsen inflation, thus setting the stage for an even worse downturn sometime in the future. One indicator that covers 54 countries shows that almost all are tightening monetary policy. A good reason to expect a...