March 2024 SMID Review

Stocks continued their upward ascent in March, with investors gaining increased confidence in the economic environment. After looking over their shoulder toward the possibility of imminent recession over the past two years, investors finally seem to be coming around to the idea that maybe a recession is not in the cards. Continued resiliency in the economic data, despite a persistent inversion in the yield curve, and moderating inflation have increasingly made an economic soft landing a likely scenario. Late in the month, some investors were even calling for a “no landing” scenario, which means no interest rate cuts, but also means above-trend economic growth and more dependable corporate profit growth as we move through 2024.