It’s a bull market bonanza! With the S&P 500 teasing us just shy of record peaks and Wall Street muting its earlier Cassandra-like predictions, one could almost hear the collective sigh of relief from the investing community. It appears that the Federal Reserve’s interest rate rollercoaster might have reached its final loop. The overwhelming sentiment? A brewing confidence that the US is gearing up to dodge the recession bullet.

But hold on to your portfolios, savvy investors! While things look promising, UBS’s eagle-eyed strategists are spotlighting a trio of potential tripwires on our path to that elusive ‘soft landing’ everyone’s banking on.

First on the list: equity valuations. But it’s not just about the numbers—it’s about the distribution. The recent rally in US stocks paints a skewed picture, with tech giants scooping up most of the gains. A broader scan reveals that large- to mid-cap stocks are trading at more rational valuations. With Q2 earnings reports bringing some pleasant surprises and companies offering sunnier outlooks, equities might bolster real income growth, pep up consumer sentiment, and jazz up corporate forecasts. But relying solely on this momentum is like hoping a single engine propels a jumbo jet—it’s not going to keep us airborne.

Next up, we zoom out for a global view. The US might be sporting economic shades, but the rest of the world? Not so much. Key industries worldwide, particularly manufacturing and industrial production, seem to have hit a plateau. Historically, these cyclical industries have been the economic weather vanes, hinting at future trends. If they’re stalling, the concern is that this sluggishness might cascade to other sectors and eventually wash up on American shores.

Then there’s the ever-complicated dance with inflation. For our economic ballet to execute a perfect pirouette, inflation needs to simmer down, especially in areas like spending growth and housing. Even seemingly minor players in the inflation ensemble—think airfare, dining out, or your weekly gas fill-up—could toss a wrench in the works. If the Fed fumbles in the final act of its inflation showdown, it might curb its ability to offer rate cuts come 2024. That, in turn, could accelerate or brake our economic journey.

In UBS’s playbook, navigating the inflation maze successfully could mean the market won’t need aggressive monetary policy tweaks to stay its course and keep profits ticking upward.

The takeaway? The road to a soft landing isn’t without its bumps. The question for entrepreneurs and investors: are you equipped to handle the ride? With knowledge, strategy, and a bit of foresight, the odds might just be in your favor.