With the first half of 2025 in the books, the global economic environment remains clouded by policy uncertainty. Over the past few weeks, a steady stream of economic data has reinforced a familiar narrative: while soft data has been volatile, hard data continues to show resilience.

Over the past week, a growing number of Federal Reserve (Fed) officials have signaled that interest rate cuts could come as early as July—a more “dovish” outlook. This is a notable pivot from the wait and see tone (a “hawkish” outlook) that had dominated recent months.

Despite the numerous headlines around potential stagflation and recession, the U.S. economy continues to show signs of strength and stability. While growth has cooled from its post-pandemic highs, the data points to a controlled normalization. Here’s what’s happening, and what it means for your portfolio...