A look ahead: Q3 2026 outlook
U.S. economic data is generally outperforming expectations, resulting in solid economic growth.
Our base case is U.S. economic growth will remain solid, but the ability of AI leaders to monetize their investments and increase earnings enough to justify their rich valuations remains uncertain. In the long run, we think AI will not just provide ongoing productivity gains but will ultimately prove revolutionary. Nevertheless, expectations are high, and bouts of uncertainty will lead to volatility.
Inflation remains an ongoing concern. It has been above the U.S. Federal Reserve’s (Fed) 2% target since 2021, raising concerns that inflation expectations could rise, risking a self-fulfilling prophecy. While oil prices have fallen recently, we expect continued uncertainty about the conflict in the Middle East, solid consumer spending and strong demand for AI infrastructure, such as semiconductors and computing equipment, to keep core inflation above the Fed’s 2% target.
We believe the Fed is likely to raise rates this year, possibly as soon as the September meeting, given the recent rise in core inflation.
Given our broadly constructive outlook, we continue to recommend maintaining exposure to U.S. equities, favoring an overweight to large-cap stocks and a moderate overweight to mid-cap stocks as we expect continued strength to broaden. In fixed income, we expect modest flattening of the yield curve, favoring longer-dated Treasury securities and higher-quality corporate bonds. Investment-grade corporate bond spreads (the yield paid over comparable Treasuries) are relatively narrow, but as their absolute yields remain attractive, we expect continued demand.