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Navigating the ‘K-shaped’ economy: a strategic lens for investors

Active management is non-negotiable in this fragmented and complex market landscape

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    • Symptomatic of a "K-shaped" economy is divergent growth. On the consumer front, for example, wealthier individuals show resilience in discretionary spending, but lower-income consumers are grappling with rising fixed costs.
    • Symptomatic of a "K-shaped" economy is divergent growth. On the consumer front, for example, wealthier individuals show resilience in discretionary spending, but lower-income consumers are grappling with rising fixed costs. PHOTO: AFP

    Lui Chee Ming

    Published Tue, Nov 25, 2025 · 03:16 PM

    IT IS turning out to be another robust earnings season with 82 per cent of S&P 500 companies reporting positive earnings surprises for the third quarter of 2025. In addition, the net profit margin for the S&P 500 is at the highest level in over 15 years.

    Yet at the same time, discussions of a “K-shaped” economy are intensifying, challenging expectations of broad-based prosperity. For example, earnings growth is uneven across sectors, with the information technology sector surging by an astonishing 27.3 per cent year on year on the one hand, and four out of 11 sectors growing by 5 per cent or less.

    This divergence is more than just an anomaly; it is becoming a pivotal theme for investors, influencing returns, risk assessments and portfolio construction in the years ahead.

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