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  • Writer's picturePeak Frameworks Team

What is a Business Cycle? Expansion, Peak, Contraction, and Trough

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What is a Business Cycle?

The global financial environment is an intricate and interconnected ecosystem of economies, all of which undergo various stages of prosperity and decline. This inherent dynamism is captured by what we call a Business Cycle.

It forms the core of economic forecasting and is central to all aspects of financial decision-making.

Components of a Business Cycle

Business Cycle
Source: Corporate Finance Institute

Business cycles are not merely theoretical constructs; they play out in the real world and are often tangible to those affected. They comprise four distinct phases: expansion, peak, contraction or recession, and trough.

Expansion

The first phase of the business cycle is expansion. This is a period of economic growth, characterized by increased production, rising employment, and heightened consumer confidence. Interest rates are often low during this time, and optimism about the future generally prevails.

For instance, the US economy saw a sustained expansion from the end of the Great Recession in 2009 until the onset of COVID-19 in 2020. During this period, businesses often expand their operations, capital expenditure increases, and markets tend to perform strongly. Such a conducive environment frequently spurs significant investment opportunities and robust financial activity.

The Impact on Financial Markets

During an expansion, equities typically perform well as corporate earnings increase and investor sentiment improves. Bonds, however, may underperform due to the potential for inflation and subsequent interest rate increases by the central bank. As a financial professional, recognizing these trends allows for the strategic allocation of resources to maximize returns.

Peak

Following the expansion comes the peak. This is the point where economic activity has reached its maximum output. Economic indicators such as GDP, employment, and income reach their highest levels. Unfortunately, this phase often coincides with excessive optimism that can lead to overvaluation in financial markets.

The peak of the dot-com bubble in 2000 serves as a key example, when exuberant investment in technology stocks reached unsustainable levels, culminating in a dramatic market crash.

Recognizing the Warning Signs

While it's difficult to identify a peak in real-time, certain indicators such as extreme investor optimism, high valuations relative to historical norms, and rapid increases in interest rates can serve as potential warning signs.

Contraction or Recession

What is a Recession
Source: The Balance

A contraction, or recession, is a period of declining economic activity. GDP decreases, unemployment rates rise, and consumer spending slows. For example, the Great Recession of 2008–2009 saw significant drops in GDP, widespread unemployment, and a substantial decrease in consumer spending. This phase typically involves increased market volatility and heightened investment risk.

Managing Risk in Recession

During a recession, risk management becomes particularly important for financial professionals. This can involve diversifying portfolios, hedging against risks, or moving towards safer, low-risk investments.

Trough

The trough represents the end of the recession and the beginning of the next expansion. Economic activity bottoms out and begins to increase again. It's often during this phase that investors who have maintained liquidity can find attractive investment opportunities.

The trough following the 2008–2009 recession, for instance, offered opportunities for savvy investors to buy undervalued assets, leading to substantial returns during the subsequent expansion.

Investment Opportunities in Troughs

Historically, some of the most profitable investments have been made during the trough of the business cycle. However, identifying this phase can be challenging as it only becomes clear in retrospect. Monitoring economic indicators and maintaining a disciplined approach can help investors capitalize on these opportunities.

Types of Business Cycles

Business cycles can be categorized based on their length and the economic activities that primarily drive them.

Kitchin Cycle: The Short Business Cycle

Typically lasting about 40 months, the Kitchin Cycle is driven primarily by inventory adjustments. As businesses accumulate inventory during a boom, they eventually reach a point where they need to slow down production to sell off their inventory, leading to a downturn.

Juglar Cycle: The Intermediate Business Cycle

The Juglar Cycle lasts around 7-11 years and is often driven by changes in investment in capital goods. Overinvestment leads to a period of correction, culminating in a recession.

Kuznets Cycle: The Long Business Cycle

Kuznets cycles, lasting 15-25 years, are often driven by infrastructural investment patterns. The building of roads, bridges, and buildings creates boom periods followed by periods of relative quiet.

Kondratiev Waves: The Very Long Business Cycle

Kondratiev waves are multi-decade cycles that are often linked to technological innovation. The discovery of new technologies spurs long periods of economic growth, followed by periods of relative stagnation.

Measuring Business Cycles

Measuring business cycles involves a close study of economic indicators. Economists use a series of leading, lagging, and coincident indicators to understand where we are in the business cycle.

measuring business cycles

Leading Indicators

Leading indicators, such as stock market performance, building permits, and new orders for capital goods, can give us a glimpse into the future state of the economy.

Coincident Indicators

Coincident indicators, like GDP, industrial production, and employment levels, provide real-time data on the current state of the economy.

Lagging Indicators

Lagging indicators, including corporate profits, labor cost per unit of output, and unemployment rate, confirm the economy's past performance.

The Role of Government and Monetary Policy in Business Cycles

The government, particularly central banks, plays a key role in managing business cycles. Fiscal and monetary policies can either accentuate or moderate the phases of a business cycle.

Fiscal Policy

Fiscal policy, including taxation and public spending, can stimulate or cool down the economy. For instance, during a recession, the government can increase spending to stimulate economic activity.

Monetary Policy

Monetary policy, such as interest rate adjustments, can influence borrowing costs, thereby affecting investment. The aggressive monetary policy response to the 2008 financial crisis is a notable example of this influence.

Business Cycles and Investment Strategies

Understanding business cycles allows investors to adjust their strategies according to the economic climate. During expansion phases, riskier assets like equities might be favored, while bonds and other fixed-income securities might be preferred during recessions.

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