JPMorgan Chase & Co. Chief Executive Jamie Dimon believes a boom is coming in the American economy but warned that the government could waste it away if ambitious spending plans aren’t held accountable.
The leader of the nation’s biggest bank reiterated his recent optimism that the economy is poised to emerge from the pandemic on fire, with growth that could stretch into 2023. Mr. Dimon has in recent weeks said that the massive government stimulus, the widespread vaccine rollout and the actions of his corporate and consumer clients have him believing in a possible “Goldilocks” economy of fast growth coupled with mild inflation.
“The boom is good. Employment is good. Growth is good. Everyone should enjoy it,” he said Tuesday. Mr. Dimon was interviewed at The Wall Street Journal’s CEO Council Summit by Editor-in- Chief Matt Murray.
Quantifying some of Mr. Dimon’s bullishness, JPMorgan now expects U.S. gross domestic product to recover completely this quarter from the pandemic’s drop, far earlier than previously expected, according to a filing Tuesday. The bank now predicts that GDP in the second quarter will be 0.2% higher than it had been at the end of 2019, compared with its prior forecast of being down 1.9%. The projected growth over the next 12 months is now double what the bank expected three months ago, expanding to 4.3% by the second quarter of 2022.
Still, Mr. Dimon pointed to signs that leave him unsure of the longevity and impact of that boom. Small businesses and lower-income workers suffered disproportionately in the pandemic, he said. Inflation will likely increase. The stock market is priced at historic highs, with pockets of excess.
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