The appetite for risk has taken a hit in recent weeks, although the worst of the selling has, so far, been contained to US stocks, on a year-to-date basis. The rest of the primary markets around the world, by contrast, are still posting gains so far in 2025, based on a set of ETFs through Friday’s close (Mar. 14). The relative strength in markets outside the US has helped global asset allocation strategies remain relatively resilient. But with the mood souring due to the rising risk of a global trade war, confidence about the near-term future is vulnerable.
Daily Archives: March 17, 2025
Macro Briefing: 17 March 2025
US consumer sentiment continued to slide in March, based on the University of Michigan’s survey. This month’s decline was broad based across groups by age, education, income, wealth, geography and political affiliation. “Sentiment has now fallen for three consecutive months and is currently down 22% from December 2024,” the director for the survey writes. “While current economic conditions were little changed, expectations for the future deteriorated across multiple facets of the economy, including personal finances, labor markets, inflation, business conditions, and stock markets.”
