Consensus expectations may be overestimating the recovery trajectory

Returning to a “normalized” environment could take longer than many anticipate.

clock • 4 min read

The severe threat posed by the novel coronavirus to public health and the drastic measures taken by governments to contain its spread have had a significant knock‑on impact on the U.S. and global economies. With so much uncertainty still surrounding the pandemic, necessitating ongoing social distancing measures, it is difficult to gauge just how long this acute economic disruption might last. Accordingly, we believe that current consensus expectations may be overestimating the trajectory for improvement and that the time frame for returning to a "normalized" environment will potentially take longer than is currently anticipated.

Smaller companies bear the brunt of investor risk aversion

Trying to determine when a potential peak in the crisis might occur and how long it might take until we get to a normalized environment is highly dependent on how long social distancing measures remain in place, both in the U.S. and globally. While the impact of these measures on containing the outbreak in certain cities like New York has clearly been felt, the same success cannot necessarily be assumed for the rest of the country. Each state has taken its own approach to social distancing, implementing it at different times and with varying levels of support and adherence by the public. Therefore, it is difficult to get an accurate sense of how effective these measures will prove at a nationwide level.

Given this uncertain picture, near‑term consensus expectations appear overly optimistic in our view.

The Coronavirus Pandemic and Its Dislocating Economic Impact

How quickly we can return to a "normalized" environment is key.

Graph

The "Best‑Case" Scenario — Peak in Mid‑May

Given this uncertain picture, near‑term consensus expectations appear overly optimistic in our view. Currently, the market is anticipating a peak in the number of new coronavirus cases being reached during May 2020, after which the number of new cases is expected to rapidly decline, with a return to a more "normal" market environment anticipated by early June 2020.

 

Our view is that this is a likely best‑case scenario, with around a 15%-20% chance of playing out. Our main concern is that the market appears to be looking toward countries like China, Korea, and Singapore, and the effectiveness that social distancing efforts have had in these countries, and automatically assuming that this success will be replicated in the U.S. We are less optimistic about the near‑term effectiveness of social distancing efforts across the U.S., and so we are also less optimistic about the expected time frame for a return to a normalized environment.

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