Niels Joachim Gormsen and Ralph S. J. Koijen
The economic effects of the coronavirus outbreak, and the preventive measures adopted around the world, are still largely unknown. In addition, standard macroeconomic models based on fundamentals may be slow to adapt in this fast-changing environment. This column uses high-frequency data on dividend futures to evaluate the impact on growth expectations. Dividend growth and GDP growth expectations in the US and EU begin to deteriorate after the lockdown in Italy, and these effects are exacerbated by the travel restrictions imposed thereafter. The lower bound on dividend growth is as severe as during the Global Crisis, at least in the short run.
