‘Most dangerous time the world has seen in decades’: Jamie Dimon warns investors, worries geopolitics could trigger a 'deep recession' — 4 ways to hedge your portfolio
JPMorgan Chase (JPM) head honcho Jamie Dimon issued a stark warning to investors as geopolitical tensions are reaching a boiling point around the world.
“This may be the most dangerous time the world has seen in decades,” the CEO said in a statement accompanying the bank’s better-than-expected third-quarter earnings.
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He warned the ongoing war in Ukraine and the latest war between Israel and Hamas could have “far-reaching impacts on energy and food markets, global trade, and geopolitical relationships.”
In a call with CNN on Oct. 13, Dimon said: “We do a hundred stress tests a week. Usually, geopolitics presents itself as a deep recession or a mild recession.”
This heightened geopolitical risk comes at a time when the U.S. economy is already under major stress. Despite the Federal Reserve’s aggressive regimen of interest rate hikes, U.S. consumer inflation still remains well above the Fed’s targeted rate of 2%, hovering at 3.7% for the past two months.
While the Federal Reserve held interest rates at 5.25% in November, Dimon thinks there will be little reprieve in that area in the coming months — warning that inflation and interest rates could remain elevated due to several major headwinds. He also reminded investors that “markets doing well” today is never a reason to assume they will continue to do well.
The state of the U.S. economy
In general, U.S. consumers and businesses “remain healthy,” he wrote in his Q3 earnings commentary — but he did note that “consumers are spending down their excess cash buffers,” signaling hard times.
Despite this, the bank CEO also reiterated in his Q3 commentary that core inflation (the change in the cost of goods and services, excluding the food and energy sectors) remains stubbornly high increasing the risk that interest rates will stay higher for longer. As of October, core inflation sat at 4.0%
This parallels sentiments of the International Monetary Fund, who anticipate that while global inflation will decline from 6.9% in 2023 to 5.8% in 2024, core inflation will only gradually decline, not returning to target levels until 2025.
“Persistently tight labor markets as well as extremely high government debt levels with the largest peacetime fiscal deficits ever are increasing the risks that inflation remains elevated and that interest rates rise further from here,” Dimon wrote.
“Additionally, we still do not know the longer-term consequences of quantitative tightening, which reduces liquidity in the system at a time when market-making capabilities are increasingly limited by regulations.”
Those headwinds, compounded with heightened geopolitical risk, leave the U.S. potentially at risk of a slow and prolonged economic downturn. Inflation fell from 3.7% in September to 3.2% in October, thanks in part to the decline in energy prices. Consumers also got some relief at the gas pumps, with prices dropping by 5% in October, but the threat of recession remains. If a downturn does arrive, you don’t have to let your personal finances slide with it. Here are four money moves you can make to hedge against inflation, elevated interest rates and the worst-case scenario of a recession.
Read more: Rich young Americans have lost confidence in the stock market — and are betting on these 3 assets instead. Get in now for strong long-term tailwinds
High-yield savings accounts
One easy way to put your money to work is to stash some cash in a high-yield savings account (HYSA). With an HYSA, you could earn more interest on your money and benefit from greater compound growth than you would with a traditional savings or checking account.
You may also want to consider using other high-yield savings products like money market deposit accounts (MMDA) or a certificate of deposit (CD) to make the most of the current high interest rates.
Treasury bonds
Investing in treasury bonds (or T-bills) can be a great way to diversify your portfolio and protect your money from market volatility. While they may not make you rich, what makes T-bills unique are their safety and ability to appreciate in times of crisis.
“Bonds are providing healthier yields than we've seen since before the 2008 global financial crisis,” according to Vanguard. “Higher current yields support a much-improved outlook for bond returns going forward. Higher yields can help reduce risk by acting as a buffer to additional rate increases while also providing a stronger base for future returns if the Federal Reserve begins cutting rates in the future.”
Real estate
Real estate is often viewed as one of the best hedges against inflation for a few reasons. First, there will always be demand for homes and commercial properties, regardless of economic climate. And secondly, property values tend to rise with inflation.
Investing in a real estate investment trust (REIT) is a way to profit from the real estate market without having to buy a physical property (and pay today’s painfully high mortgage rates. REITs are publicly traded. They collect rent from tenants and pass that rent on to shareholders in the form of dividends. You can even invest in REITs that rent out to government agenices like the FBI.
Consider also using an online crowdfunding platform, which allows investors to pool their money together to buy property (or a share of property) as a group.
Alternative assets
Traditional assets aren't the only way to build wealth. And these days, there are plenty of accessible ways to protect your portfolio when the U.S. economy is shaky.
Consider looking at alternative assets like fine art or wine, which often grow in value over time, or even precious metals like gold, which has retained its stable purchasing power over time.
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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
