Wall Street's top banks expect a looming recession in the US and Europe as interest rates continue to rise sharply and the economic outlook weakens amid persistent geopolitical headwinds.
JP Morgan Chase chief executive, Jamie Dimon, and his counterpart at Goldman Sachs, David Solomon, believe the likelihood of a recession in the world’s biggest economy is increasing as the US Federal Reserve continues to increase its policy rate aggressively.
“There is no question that economic conditions, in my opinion, are going to tighten meaningfully from here,” Mr Solomon said at a panel discussion at the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh on Tuesday
In the US, particularly in the last week or two, there has been a clear message from the Fed that it will continue on the current path of pushing policy rates to 4.5 per cent, with three-quarters of a percentage point rate increases, he said.
The Fed will then pause because there is a lag effect of these rate increases, and it will continue on the path “if they don't see real changes”.
“I think generally when you find yourself in an economic scenario like this, where inflation is embedded, it's very hard to get out of it without economic slowdown,” Mr Solomon said.
“We will likely have a recession in the US [and] going to have I think most likely a recession in Europe.”
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Saudi Arabia's Future Investment Initiative 2022 - in pictures
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Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the US, Princess Reema bint Bandar, speaks at the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh. Reuters -
Noel Quinn, chief executive of HSBC Holdings Plc, speaks during a panel session on day two. Bloomberg -
Kamal Bahamdan, chief executive of Safanad Ltd. Saudi Arabia hopes the FII will put Riyadh on the map as a global destination for deals. Bloomberg -
Nelson Peltz, founder of Trian Fund Management, on day two of the conference in Riyadh. Bloomberg -
Saudi Minister of Finance Mohammed Al Jadaan speaks during a panel event. AFP -
A man in the mirror at the conference in Riyadh. Reuters -
Amin Nasser, chief executive of Saudi Aramco, front row fourth right, and Yasir Al Rumayyan, governor of the Public Investment Fund, front row third right, during day two of the conference. Bloomberg -
Amin Nasser, chief executive of Saudi Aramco, right, during a panel session. Bloomberg -
Yasir Al Rumayyan, governor of the Public Investment Fund, centre right, at the conference in Riyadh. Bloomberg -
Omar Abdulla Al Futtaim, chief executive of Al-Futtaim Group, arrives at a panel session on day two. Bloomberg -
David Grover, chief executive officer of Roshn Real Estate Co, centre, speaks to conference attendees. Bloomberg -
Steven Mnuchin, former US treasury secretary, appears onscreen during a panel session. Bloomberg -
Nabeel Alamudi, president of Olayan Financing Co, on day two of the conference in Riyadh. Bloomberg -
Sheikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Bahrain's Finance Minister, left, and Mr Mnuchin, second right, during a panel session. Bloomberg -
Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman at the annual Future Investment Initiative conference. AFP -
Princess Reema bint Bandar, Saudi ambassador to the US. AFP -
Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son in law and founder of global investment firm Affinity Partners, was present. AFP -
Former Italy prime minister Matteo Renzi. AFP -
Saudi Arabia hopes the FII will put Riyadh on the map as a global destination for deals. Bloomberg -
Saudi Arabia also hopes to increase domestic investment through the event. Bloomberg -
Paddy Padmanathan of ACWA Power, centre. Bloomberg -
Lubna Olayan, chairman of Olayan Financing, speaks during a panel session. Bloomberg -
A busy FII conference hall between sessions. Bloomberg -
Jeannette zu Furstenberg, founding partner of La Famiglia venture capital fund, centre. Bloomberg -
Another busy concourse at the event. Bloomberg -
Omar Alsenayen of Jeddah Central Development Company, centre. Bloomberg -
The opening ceremony of the FII conference on a digital screen in the lobby of the Exhibition and Conference Centre at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Riyadh. Reuters -
Arriving at the conference. AFP -
The queue at the entrance of the FII conference. Bloomberg
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Goldman Sachs estimates the risk of a US recession in the next year at 35 per cent while Bloomberg analysts forecast 100 per cent. The Fed meets next week and is expected to raise interest rates by 75 basis points for a fourth consecutive time as it vies to tame four-decade high inflation.
Annual headline inflation in the US was up 8.2 per cent in September, down from its peak of about 9 per cent in June but still near the highest levels since the early 1980s, the latest economic data indicates. Core inflation for the month was up 6.6 per cent from a year ago, the biggest 12-month gain since August 1982.
Mr Dimon said the world would know in six months if recession fears materialise, however, the bigger concern for him was geopolitical headwinds.
“The most important thing is the geopolitics around Russia and Ukraine, America and China, relationships of the western world,” Mr Dimon told delegates during a panel discussion.
“That to me would be far more concerning than whether there’s a mild or slightly severe recession.”
The session was attended by Yasir Al Rumayyan, governor of the kingdom’s Public Investment Fund, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, Mubadala Investment Company managing director and chief executive, Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates, Catherine MacGregor, chief executive of Italian energy company ENGIE and Stephen Schwarzman, chairman of Blackstone Group.
The FII, in its sixth attrition this year, comes amid the weakening global economic outlook, surging inflation, the war in Ukraine and elevated energy prices.
Opec+ this month took the decision to cut oil output by two million barrels per day to stabilise oil markets, a decision criticised by the US administration. Oil producers have rallied behind Saudi Arabia, which along with Russia leads the super group of crude producers, after ire from Washington over the decision to cap production.
Mr Dimon, however, said the two nations had been allies for the more than 75 years, and they would work out their differences, but media hype did not help.
“I can’t imagine any allies agreeing on everything and not having problems,” Mr Dimon said. “They will work it through and I’m comfortable folks on both sides are working through this.”
