Could The Coronavirus Outbreak Trigger A Recession?

Summary

• Global equity markets were battered the week of Feb. 24 as the coronavirus spread beyond China.
• Potential measures to contain the virus, such as the closure of businesses and schools, will depend on each country's appetite for containment.
• There is a possibility that the coronavirus outbreak could tip the globe - and the U.S. - into a recession.

On the latest edition of Market Week in Review, Quantitative Investment Strategist Dr. Kara Ng and Head of AIS Business Solutions Sophie Antal Gilbert discussed the latest on the coronavirus outbreak and its potential impact on global markets and economies.

Markets plunge as coronavirus fears grip investors

Global equity markets were battered the week of Feb. 24 as the coronavirus spread beyond China, Ng said, with the S&P 500® Index down approximately 15% from its all-time high on Feb. 19, as of midday Pacific time on Feb. 28. The U.S. 10-year Treasury yield also sank to a new record low of roughly 1.2%, she added.

In recent days, the coronavirus has spread rapidly through South Korea, Italy and Iran, Ng said. "The outbreak in Iran is of particular significance, because much of the Middle East lacks the infrastructure to properly contain the virus," she explained. Meanwhile, the outbreak in Italy has spread to many countries in the European Union, threatening to severely disrupt supply chains in the region, Ng noted.

In addition, she said that the recent news that a coronavirus case in the U.S. was unable to be traced back to China is sparking additional worries in America, as it suggests that the virus may become more prevalent in the U.S. than statistics currently show.

The ultimate impact of the virus' spread is not clear, Ng said. "U.S. and global economic activity and earnings growth will take a hit," she stated. However, the duration of the setback may vary among markets and economies, Ng added. "Markets are generally forward-looking, and may bounce back fairly quickly once the coronavirus is contained, while a rebound in economic activity and corporate earnings will likely take longer," she noted.

If coronavirus continues to spread, will businesses actually close?

Potential measures to contain the virus, such as the closure of businesses and schools, will depend on each country's appetite for containment, Ng said, adding that there is a possibility that many businesses will be temporarily shut down. "China shuttered its factories, Japan is closing schools for a month and Italy has banned live soccer games and fashion shows," she noted, explaining that travel restrictions, closures and quarantines are all part of a government's toolkit to help reduce contagion.

Because the U.S. economy is largely services-based, Ng said that some businesses may opt to allow employees to work from home, rather than closing shop altogether. "This option isn't really available in countries where manufacturing makes up a larger part of the economy," she noted.

Market and economic impacts: Short-term or long-lasting?

It's very difficult to assess whether markets and economies will rebound from the coronavirus in relatively quick fashion or not, Ng said. "It all depends on when the virus can be contained. As of right now, it's clear the global economy will experience detrimental impacts this quarter. If the virus persists for two or three quarters, a recovery may prove problematic unless central banks and governments provide fiscal and monetary stimulus," she said.

The wild card in all of this is economic contagion, Ng added. If companies start going out of business, the ripple effect could harm the financial sector and the U.S. consumer. "Quite simply, the longer the virus shock, the disproportionately harder the recovery will be," Ng explained.

Could coronavirus spark a recession?

There is a possibility that the coronavirus outbreak could tip the globe - and the U.S. - into a recession, Ng said. This could happen if the slowdown in global growth causes credit defaults and a downward spiral in business and consumer confidence. However, she stressed that this is not the team of strategists' central scenario.

"If a recession does unfold, there are a few bright spots in some countries," Ng noted. In the U.S., for example, economic imbalances are few, banks are well-capitalized and household leverage is relatively low, Ng said. "So, in the event that coronavirus does ultimately lead to a recession, there's a good possibility that growth rates would bounce back fairly quickly once the virus is contained," she concluded.

Disclosures

These views are subject to change at any time based upon market or other conditions and are current as of the date at the top of the page.

Investing involves risk and principal loss is possible.

Past performance does not guarantee future performance.

Forecasting represents predictions of market prices and/or volume patterns utilizing varying analytical data. It is not representative of a projection of the stock market, or of any specific investment.

This material is not an offer, solicitation or recommendation to purchase any security. Nothing contained in this material is intended to constitute legal, tax, securities or investment advice, nor an opinion regarding the appropriateness of any investment, nor a solicitation of any type.

The general information contained in this publication should not be acted upon without obtaining specific legal, tax and investment advice from a licensed professional. The information, analysis and opinions expressed herein are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual entity.

Please remember that all investments carry some level of risk. Although steps can be taken to help reduce risk it cannot be completely removed. They do not typically grow at an even rate of return and may experience negative growth. As with any type of portfolio structuring, attempting to reduce risk and increase return could, at certain times, unintentionally reduce returns.

Investments that are allocated across multiple types of securities may be exposed to a variety of risks based on the asset classes, investment styles, market sectors, and size of companies preferred by the investment managers. Investors should consider how the combined risks impact their total investment portfolio and understand that different risks can lead to varying financial consequences, including loss of principal. Please see a prospectus for further details.

Indexes are unmanaged and cannot be invested in directly.

The S&P 500® Index, or the Standard & Poor's 500, is a stock market index based on the market capitalizations of 500 large companies having common stock listed on the NYSE or NASDAQ.

Russell Investments' ownership is composed of a majority stake held by funds managed by TA Associates with minority stakes held by funds managed by Reverence Capital Partners and Russell Investments' management.

Frank Russell Company is the owner of the Russell trademarks contained in this material and all trademark rights related to the Russell trademarks, which the members of the Russell Investments group of companies are permitted to use under license from Frank Russell Company. The members of the Russell Investments group of companies are not affiliated in any manner with Frank Russell Company or any entity operating under the "FTSE RUSSELL" brand.

Copyright © Russell Investments Group LLC 2020. All rights reserved.

This material is proprietary and may not be reproduced, transferred, or distributed in any form without prior written permission from Russell Investments. It is delivered on an "as is" basis without warranty.

CORP-11604

Original Post

Editor's Note: The summary bullets for this article were chosen by Seeking Alpha editors.