Financial advisor discusses market trends for 2025

By Jessica Salerno-Shumaker, OSCPA senior content manager  

In the final OSCPA Town Hall of 2024, the focus was on what’s in store for the financial markets in 2025.  

“In recent months, inflation has cooled, and the recession has many pundits anticipating things that have not yet materialized,” said OSCPA CEO & President, Scott Wiley, CAE.  “There is no end to these predictions about where the economy may be headed.” 

Mario Giganti, CPA, principal and financial advisor at Captrust, joined Wiley to share insights into where the market could be headed in 2025.  

Giganti said for now, it seems as if a possible recession has been delayed, based on data from ClearBridge Investments, a global equity manager.  

He offered some takeaways for planning in 2025:  

Stay the course  

“What every forecaster in the world thought was going to be a recession didn't turn out to be a recession in 2023 and then 2024,” he said. 

Since we are not in a recession, investors should continue with their plans, Giganti said. There isn’t an immediate need to alter investments in any major way.   

No bear market in the immediate future  

While Giganti said there is talk about a bear market, he said the data points do not indicate that is occurring. He said it’s exciting for the marketplace to discuss but there isn’t an indication of that happening in the next six to 12 months.  

Be cautious  

While it’s encouraging to hear the recession has been delayed, that doesn’t necessarily mean “markets go straight up,” Giganti said.   

“We've had a heck of a run, but 10% pullbacks happen all the time,” he said.  “I would be hard-pressed to believe we wouldn't see that happen in the first six months of 2025.” 

While he said he’s not predicting the timing, he does note the uncertainty that comes with a new presidential administration and the impact it might have on the market trajectory.