There will be a lot of anxiety along the way if the global economy is headed for a soft landing, and Iran’s missile attack on Israel will make everyone’s nerves even more tinged.Â
Decelerating Economic Growth
The financial elite of the globe will face a variety of challenges as they convene in Washington for meetings of the globe Bank, International Monetary Fund, and Group of 20, including decelerating economic growth, resolute inflation, elevated debt levels and interest rates, and nerve-jangling geopolitical threats ranging from Kyiv to Tel Aviv.
Economics currently predicts that global activity will drop this year to 2.9%, which is “way below” the pre-pandemic pace but represents an improvement of 0.2 percentage points from December in what it refers to as a “great escape.”
IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva has warned that the globe is headed for “a sluggish and disappointing decade” and hinted that the organization may also slightly raise its projection, which is set to be released on Tuesday, from the current 3.1%.
Investors will be keenly monitoring important attendees at the meetings in light of this. The Presidents of the European Central Bank, Bank of Japan, and Bank of England are among the speakers scheduled to appear, along with US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt, and Chairman of the Federal Reserve Jerome Powell.
The G-20 has been hindered by current politics at meetings, and it is unlikely that it will be able to handle issues that cause division among its members in the future.
Conflict In Gaza
As the third year of Russia’s conflict in Ukraine approaches, concerns about US military support and Kyiv’s capacity to pay for ammunition and bond obligations are growing.
Meanwhile, the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza has the potential of igniting a larger conflict in the Middle East.
In a sharp increase in hostilities, Iran launched more than 200 ballistic and cruise missiles as well as attack drones on Israel on Saturday.
Energy prices are rising as a result of both conflicts, which are centered on some of the major global petroleum suppliers. This is concerning for those who fight inflation.
The global economy is becoming increasingly fragmented due to geopolitical factors, as the IMF has warned. There is a clear split between China and Russia and the US and the European Union.
