Here?s the problem: A market fall itself could hobble consumer spending, a chief growth engine, if it deepens, undercutting the healthy economy. That could create a toxic feedback loop between stocks and the economy.
The link between the two is particularly strong because sharply rising stock and home prices have juiced consumer spending since the recession ended in 2009, a dynamic known as the wealth effect, according to a new study by Moody?s Analytics, Visa and Equifax. As a result, even a partial reversal of the 9-year-old bull market, if it?s sustained, could prompt many people to pull back. Consumption makes up 70% of economic activity.
?The economy is tied at the hip to the stock market,? says Mark Zandi chief economist of Moody?s Analytics. Even a 10% market retreat would noticeably curtail spending and economic growth, he says.
?If we were to see a sustained bigger drop (of about 20%), that would really sap a lot of the spending? that has fueled the recovery, says Visa Chief Economist Wayne Best. ?While that?s not the most likely scenario, it certainly bears watching.? The Wilshire 500 stock index was down 4.8% from its late January peak at Thursday's market close despite a rebound in recent days.