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.

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Credits:

Host: Kristen Hallam
Guest: Ken Wattret
Produced By: Debbie Taylor, Kristen Hallam
Edited By: Marz Marcello
Published With Assistance From: Sophie Carr, Feranmi Adeoshun