Resilience in the Global Economy: Growth Amid Volatility

About this episode

Ken Wattret discusses the resilience of the global economy amid volatility and the impact of geopolitical and trade uncertainties.

In this episode of The Decisive, Ken Wattret, Vice President of Global Economics at S&P Global Market Intelligence, assesses the global macroeconomic landscape, highlighting that the world economy is proving more resilient than markets might suggest, even as volatility remains elevated. Ken unpacks how geopolitical flashpoints and trade-policy uncertainty are rippling through financial and commodity markets—often with sharper price action than real-economy fallout so far—while underscoring that further disruptions, higher tariffs, or supply shocks could still dent global growth. The latest Purchasing Managers' Index data, which indicate continued expansion across manufacturing and services—supporting a constructive baseline for 2026—while highlighting key downside risks: asset-price corrections, rising sovereign yields, escalating trade frictions, and softening labor-market conditions that could undermine growth if volatility intensifies. Listen now for a thought-provoking discussion of the factors at play in the global economic outlook. More S&P Global Market Intelligence Content: Top 10 Economic Insights 2026 Global Economic Outlook: February 2026 The Age of Agility…

People in this episode

Host: Kristen Hallam

Guest: Ken Wattret

Topics covered

• global economy
• macroeconomics
• geopolitical risks
• trade policy
• financial markets
• economic growth

Keywords

• global economy
• macroeconomic landscape
• geopolitical flashpoints
• trade-policy uncertainty
• Purchasing Managers' Index
• economic outlook

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: S&P Global Market Intelligence

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