US businesses will suffer a $4 trillion decline due to coronavirus, hedge fund predict

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From CNN's Cristina Alesci 03/20/20

Famed hedge fund Bridgewater predicts the coronavirus outbreak will lead to $4 trillion in lost corporate revenue for public and private businesses in the US, according to a report the firm published Friday.

“That is a very dangerous decline, and if not mitigated, it will lead to a long-lasting ripple,” the report said.

In Bridgewater’s model, companies will have a shortfall of $2 trillion “concentrated in energy and travel and leisure, and about equally divided between large and small companies.”

The firm projects a 6% decline in US GDP for 2020, with the biggest hit during the second quarter.

The firm also estimates a decline of $12 trillion for global businesses in 2020.

“Since this hit to revenues is happening throughout the world, the total hole globally will be roughly three times that — about $12 trillion. Governments are responding, of course, but in most cases these responses will just mitigate some of the ripple. Governments’ capacities to deal with this hit vary greatly and will be a major driver of markets going forward," the report stated.

“Many companies will try to fill this gap by drawing credit lines, increasing their debt positions."

If government policies don’t help fill the gap, companies are likely to dramatically cut spending, which would result in meaningful cuts in employment.

Ray Dalio, who founded Bridgewater, is famous for predicting the 2008 financial crisis.