The first few weeks of 2022 have plenty of market strategists and economic forecasters alike calling for 2022 to be the year where “the great bubble finally bursts” and “everything unravels.” In January, I suppose, every year has the potential to be a disappointing year.
Heading into 2021, as is the case with most years, most professional strategists’ forecasts clustered around a non-threatening single digit return number.
As we close in on the end of the 3rd quarter of 2021 and head toward the 4th quarter, many questions abound. The prospect of a sustained inflationary environment is one obstacle that the economy may have to tackle. Another issue investors are grappling with is the threat of rising interest rates. Further, just as COVID seemed to be heading toward the rearview mirror, the Delta variant appeared and has wreaked havoc on any return to normal that may have been predicted.