Select your location

  • Japan
  • International - other
  • Asia - other

Who are you ?

Select another location

Wer bist du ?

Wählen Sie einen anderen Ort

Qui êtes vous ?

Sélectionnez un autre emplacement

Qui êtes vous ?

Sélectionnez un autre emplacement

Who are you ?

Select another location

Qui êtes vous ?

Sélectionnez un autre emplacement

Wer bist du ?

Wählen Sie einen anderen Ort

Who are you ?

Select another location

Who are you ?

中國香港特別行政區

Who are you ?

Select another location

Wer bist du ?

Wählen Sie einen anderen Ort

Wer bist du ?

Wählen Sie einen anderen Ort

Qui êtes vous ?

Sélectionnez un autre emplacement

Who are you ?

Select another location

Wer bist du ?

Wählen Sie einen anderen Ort

Qui êtes vous ?

Sélectionnez un autre emplacement

Who are you ?

Select another location

Who are you ?

RETIREMENT PLAN INVESTOR

Use your plan ID (available on your account statement) to determine which employer-sponsored retirement plan website to use:

IF YOUR PLAN ID BEGINS WITH IRK, BRK, 754, 1 OR 2

Visit americanfunds.com/retire

IF YOUR PLAN ID BEGINS WITH 34 OR 135

Visit myretirement.americanfunds.com

Who are you ?

Select another location

Who are you ?

Select another location

Categories
Economic Indicators
4 things global financial cycles are telling us
Jens Søndergaard
Currency Analyst

As much of the global economy climbs out of the pandemic-induced downturn, investors are scrutinizing every new economic data point for clues to the outlook for growth and inflation. I think they should also take the 30,000-foot view afforded by financial cycles, which can offer a long-term perspective on the trajectory of an economy. My latest reading of global financial cycles shows very positive signals for the U.S. economy and dollar over the next few years, alongside more cautious signals for Europe and China.


Financial cycles track house prices and the amount of private sector debt in an economy. The concept, developed by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), rests on the observation that trends in these factors develop slowly and tend to influence each other. This reflects the critical role of credit in financing home purchases and construction. Financial cycles often last much longer than the business cycle, which is a far more mainstream indicator that focuses on fluctuations in economic output. In my view, financial cycles provide a powerful tool that investors can use to assess the outlook for economies and asset class returns.


What the four phases of the financial cycle tell us


There are four distinct phases of the financial cycle, corresponding to the trend of leverage in an economy. Peaks in the financial cycle can provide an early warning of financial crises. In fact, the last peak in the U.S. financial cycle in 2006 preceded the global financial crisis. Additionally, turning points in financial cycles often coincide with changing fortunes for equity and bond markets. My analysis of more than 40 years of asset class returns shows that bonds tend to fare better than equities around financial cycle peaks, while equity returns have typically been stronger around financial cycle troughs.


Four phases of the financial cycle: How equities and bonds have typically fared

Chart shows the four phases of a financial cycle. Phase 1 of the cycle begins at a peak, but it moves lower as leverage in the economy declines at an accelerating rate. In phase 2, the cycle approaches a trough as leverage declines decelerate. Phase 3 begins at the trough, but it moves higher as leverage grows at an accelerating rate. In phase 4, the cycle approaches a peak as leverage growth decelerates. The chart indicates that bonds tend to fare better in phase 1 and phase 4, while equities tend to fare better in phase 2 and phase 3.

Source: Capital Group. Data presented are for informational purposes only and are not intended to provide any assurance or promise of actual results. Analysis results are highly dependent on our assumptions, and actual results may vary significantly because future market characteristics may not match our assumptions. This illustration of financial cycles was developed using an economic model, historical data from 1974 to 2014, and our judgment.

Four takeaways from current financial cycles


I’ve been tracking the financial cycles of nearly 40 countries around the world for the past seven years. Here are four key trends that I’m seeing:


1. The U.S. financial cycle is very strong


The U.S. stands out as one of the few countries experiencing an acceleration in both the housing and credit components of the financial cycle, which bodes well for U.S. economic growth over the next few years. In particular, the surge of U.S. house prices has given the financial cycle a new boost. U.S. house prices rose almost 10% year over year in the fourth quarter of 2020, exceeding the growth rate during the run-up to the global financial crisis. Private credit also expanded as the Federal Reserve cut interest rates to near zero and pumped liquidity into the financial system in response to the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. U.S. private debt reached 160% of gross domestic product in the fourth quarter of 2020, up from 148% a year earlier, according to the Fed and the Bureau of Economic Analysis.


U.S. financial cycle could have another leg up

Line chart shows the U.S. financial cycle from 1971 to 2025. The cycle hit its last peak in 2006 and its last trough in late 2013. The cycle is currently moving higher and is forecast to continue rising until reaching a new peak around late 2023 or early 2024. Forecast based on the most recent global forecast from the National Institute of Economic and Social Research.

Sources: Bank for International Settlements, Organisation for Economic Co-​operation and Development, National Institute of Economic and Social Research and Capital Group calculations. Actual data as of the third quarter of 2020; forecast through the second quarter of 2025. Index, 1971 = 0. Forecast based on the most recent global forecast from the National Institute of Economic and Social Research.

Despite the most recent acceleration in U.S. house prices and credit growth, the U.S. financial cycle remains “late cycle.” My baseline forecast is that the cycle will peak and begin to transition into phase 1 in late 2023 or early 2024. However, this is beyond the 2022 peak that I expected prior to the COVID-19 outbreak. My current forecast could even prove too bearish considering the potential for more fiscal stimulus, the successful rollout of COVID-19 vaccines and the Fed’s stated intention to maintain accommodative monetary policy in the face of nascent inflation. On the other hand, if the Fed were to tighten monetary policy sooner than expected, higher interest rates would most likely have a dampening effect on U.S. house prices and the growth of private credit in the economy, leading to a weaker financial cycle.


A strong correlation between U.S. house prices and private credit

Line chart shows the year-over-year percentage change in U.S. house prices and U.S. private sector credit from 1970 through 2020. The two generally move in tandem. House prices surged 9.5% in the fourth quarter of 2020. Private credit dipped slightly in the third quarter of 2020. Both measures were up sharply from a year earlier.

Sources: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (house prices) and Bank for International Settlements (private credit). All data are adjusted for inflation based on consumption deflators. House prices as of the fourth quarter of 2020, and private sector credit as of the third quarter of 2020.

2. A stronger U.S. dollar and weaker euro may be ahead


Foreign exchange movements reflect the relative strength of currencies, so I focus on the relative strength of different countries’ financial cycles when considering where currencies may be heading. The relative strength of the U.S. financial cycle suggests that its economy is diverging significantly from the rest of the world. The sharp rise in U.S. house prices underscores the point, with growth in the fourth quarter of 2020 more than double the median of a basket of 16 developed economies. While my baseline forecast calls for the U.S. financial cycle to slow in the next few years, right now it has more momentum than cycles elsewhere, particularly in Europe. This matters for the trajectory of the U.S. dollar.


U.S. housing boom outpacing other developed markets

Line chart compares the year-over-year percentage change in house prices in the U.S. with other developed markets from 1972 through 2020. The two largely moved in tandem. The chart shows that U.S. house prices increased 9.5% in the fourth quarter of 2020, and developed market house prices rose 4.3% in the prior quarter.

Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. House prices adjusted for inflation based on consumption deflators. Developed market median based on a basket of 16 developed market economies. U.S. data as of the fourth quarter of 2020. Developed market data as of the third quarter of 2020.

Now let’s consider the euro area financial cycle. A side-by-side comparison of the U.S. and euro area cycles shows that both have strong momentum. However, I am forecasting a higher and later U.S. cycle peak considering the strength of the U.S. housing boom. Europe is seeing a slower recovery from the economic downturn, due in part to a less-aggressive euro area fiscal and monetary policy response to the pandemic. I expect the euro area cycle to approach its peak in early 2022, about two years before the U.S. cycle.


U.S. vs. euro area financial cycles

Line chart compares the U.S. and euro area financial cycles from 1971 through the second quarter of 2025. Both cycles are currently rising. The chart shows that the U.S. cycle is forecast to peak around mid-2023, and the euro area cycle is forecast to peak around mid-2022. Forecast based on the most recent global forecast from the National Institute of Economic and Social Research.

Sources: Bank for International Settlements, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, National Institute of Economic and Social Research and Capital Group calculations. Actual data as of the third quarter of 2020; forecast through the second quarter of 2025. Index, 1971 = 0. Forecast based on the most recent global forecast from the National Institute of Economic and Social Research.

All of this should be bullish for the U.S. dollar and bearish for the euro. Expectations for comparatively stronger U.S. growth should push U.S. real interest rates higher, which would support dollar strength. Ultimately, this could extend the decade-long bullish dollar cycle and put on hold a shift to a bearish dollar cycle.


To hold a long-term bullish view on the euro through the financial cycle lens, we would need to see a lot more housing and credit growth across the euro area. Given that Germany is the largest economy in the euro area, this may ultimately depend on the willingness of German households and firms to take on more debt.


3. Divergence within the EU could pose a dilemma for the European Central Bank


I am skeptical that we will see a strong acceleration in Germany’s financial cycle. Right now, Germany’s cycle is strong, driven by a booming housing market. But my forecast is for the cycle to peak and transition into phase 1 in 2022, mainly because forecasts of German nominal income growth are not strong enough to sustain the house price increases. While the European Central Bank’s (ECB’s) monetary policy is very loose and fiscal policy is stimulative, these policy tailwinds are not strong enough to generate sustained reflation in Germany. Consequently, the country’s private sector credit growth remains muted.


In Italy, the financial cycle is moving higher, but its momentum is unlikely to be strong enough to offset a rollover of the German cycle. Typically, the two countries’ financial cycles diverge, and it looks like this may be happening again. If this divergence continues, it will create a headache for policymakers at the ECB. They will once again face the policy dilemma of whether to set interest rates to suit macroeconomic conditions in the core euro area — or on the periphery.


Financial cycles for Germany and Italy may be diverging

Line chart shows the financial cycles of Germany and Italy from 1971 through the second quarter of 2025. The chart shows that the two tend to diverge. Currently, Germany’s cycle is approaching a peak, while Italy’s cycle is emerging from a trough. Germany’s cycle is forecast to peak in mid-2021. As it declines from that peak, it crosses a rising Italian cycle around mid-2024. Forecast based on the most recent global forecast from the National Institute of Economic and Social Research.

Sources: Bank for International Settlements, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, National Institute of Economic and Social Research and Capital Group calculations. Actual data as of the third quarter of 2020; forecast through the second quarter of 2025. Index, 1971 = 0. Forecast based on the most recent global forecast from the National Institute of Economic and Social Research.

4. China’s financial cycle is reaching a peak


After surging since the depths of the global financial crisis, China’s financial cycle seems to be peaking. The long surge reflected massive leveraging by Chinese households and companies, and it got a further boost from government stimulus in 2020 in response to the pandemic.


Now, authorities in China are trying to manage house price and credit growth to ensure that the economy gradually slows without triggering a disorderly deleveraging scenario. I expect this to hit the economy with a lag of about 12 months. If it does, it will be a headwind for global growth and commodity prices, with a potential negative effect on emerging markets currencies. Most of the 16 emerging markets that I follow are in the early stages of their financial cycles (phase 1 or 2); a stumble by China could hold them back from the later stages of the cycle that signal stronger economic growth.


China’s financial cycle likely to have ramifications for emerging markets

Line chart shows China’s financial cycle. It shows that the cycle has been rising since its last trough around mid-2008. The cycle is forecast to peak around mid-2022 and then turn lower. Forecast based on the most recent global forecast from the National Institute of Economic and Social Research.

Sources: Bank for International Settlements, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, International Monetary Fund, National Institute of Economic and Social Research and Capital Group calculations. Actual data as of the third quarter of 2020; forecast through the second quarter of 2025. Forecast based on the most recent global forecast from the National Institute of Economic and Social Research.

Conclusion


Investors have many ways to assess the economic outlook, and I believe that studying financial cycles can be a useful part of that toolkit. By focusing on the direction of the housing and credit cycles, they offer a longer-term perspective than business cycles. A useful analogy is to think of financial cycles as seasons and business cycles as changing weather patterns. When a country is late in its financial cycle, a recession may not be imminent, but the best of times may be behind it. Comparing the financial cycles of different countries can help investors identify where large GDP growth headwinds or tailwinds may be developing.


Currently, financial cycles suggest that the U.S. economy will outperform the rest of the world over the next couple of years. However, with many advanced economies — including the U.S. — being late in their financial cycles, they may be approaching a period of deleveraging and economic contraction. At the same time, emerging markets are generally in the earlier phases of their financial cycles, suggesting that they may see a period of relative strength as the advanced economies pass their cyclical peaks. Until then, the potential for a stronger U.S. dollar and a slowing China could mean a bumpy road for many developing countries.


Emerging markets tend to be early in the financial cycle

Table lists the advance economies and emerging markets in each financial cycle as of September 30, 2020. Countries in phase 1 include advanced economies Belgium, Canada, New Zealand, Sweden and Switzerland, and emerging markets China, Czech Republic, Mexico, Poland and South Korea. Countries in phase 2 include advanced economies Finland, Ireland and Norway, and emerging markets Brazil, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Russia, South Africa, Thailand and Turkey. Countries in phase 3 include advanced economy Italy. Countries in phase 4 include advanced economies Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Japan, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and the U.S., and emerging market Hungary.

Source: Capital Group. As of September 30, 2020.


Jens Søndergaard is a currency analyst with 18 years of industry experience (as of 12/31/23). He holds a PhD in economics and a master’s degree in foreign service from Georgetown University.


Don’t miss out

Get the Capital Ideas newsletter in your inbox every other week

Investments are not FDIC-insured, nor are they deposits of or guaranteed by a bank or any other entity, so they may lose value.

Investors should carefully consider investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses. This and other important information is contained in the fund prospectuses and summary prospectuses, which can be obtained from a financial professional and should be read carefully before investing.

Statements attributed to an individual represent the opinions of that individual as of the date published and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Capital Group or its affiliates. This information is intended to highlight issues and should not be considered advice, an endorsement or a recommendation.

All Capital Group trademarks mentioned are owned by The Capital Group Companies, Inc., an affiliated company or fund. All other company and product names mentioned are the property of their respective companies.

Use of this website is intended for U.S. residents only.

American Funds Distributors, Inc.

This content, developed by Capital Group, home of American Funds, should not be used as a primary basis for investment decisions and is not intended to serve as impartial investment or fiduciary advice.