The Volcker Shock was a period of historically high interest rates precipitated by Federal Reserve Chairperson Paul Volcker's decision to raise the central bank's key interest rate, the Fed funds effective rate, during the first three years of his term. Volcker was appointed chairperson of the Fed in August 1979 by President Jimmy Carter, as replacement for William Miller, who Carter had made his treasury secretary. Volcker was one of the most hawkish (supportive of tighter monetary policy to stem inflation) members of the Federal Reserve's committee, and quickly set about changing the course of monetary policy in the U.S. in order to quell inflation. The Volcker Shock is remembered for bringing an end to over a decade of high inflation in the United States, prompting a deep recession and high unemployment, and for spurring on debt defaults among developing countries in Latin America who had borrowed in U.S. dollars.

Monetary tightening and the recessions of the early '80s

Beginning in October 1979, Volcker's Fed tightened monetary policy by raising interest rates. This decision had the effect of depressing demand and slowing down the U.S. economy, as credit became more expensive for households and businesses. The Fed funds rate, the key overnight rate at which banks lend their excess reserves to each other, rose as high as 17.6 percent in early 1980. The rate was allowed to fall back below 10 percent following this first peak, however, due to worries that inflation was not falling fast enough, a second cycle of monetary tightening was embarked upon starting in August of 1980. The rate would reach its all-time peak in June of 1981, at 19.1 percent. The second recession sparked by these hikes was far deeper than the 1980 recession, with unemployment peaking at 10.8 percent in December 1980, the highest level since The Great Depression. This recession would drive inflation to a low point during Volcker's terms of 2.5 percent in August 1983.

The legacy of the Volcker Shock

By the end of Volcker's terms as Fed Chair, inflation was at a manageable rate of around four percent, while unemployment had fallen under six percent, as the economy grew and business confidence returned. While supporters of Volcker's actions point to these numbers as proof of the efficacy of his actions, critics have claimed that there were less harmful ways that inflation could have been brought under control. The recessions of the early 1980s are cited as accelerating deindustrialization in the U.S., as manufacturing jobs lost in 'rust belt' states such as Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania never returned during the years of recovery. The Volcker Shock was also a driving factor behind the Latin American debt crises of the 1980s, as governments in the region defaulted on debts which they had incurred in U.S. dollars. Debates about the validity of using interest rate hikes to get inflation under control have recently re-emerged due to the inflationary pressures facing the U.S. following the Coronavirus pandemic and the Federal Reserve's subsequent decision to embark on a course of monetary tightening.

Sharp economic volatility, the continued effects of high interest rates and mixed sentiment among investors created an uneven landscape for stock and commodity exchanges. While trading volumes soared in 2020 due to the pandemic and favorable financial conditions, such as zero percent interest rates from the Federal Reserve, the continued effects of high inflation in 2022 and 2023 resulted in a hawkish pivot on interest rates, which curtailed ROIs across major equity markets. Geopolitical volatility amid the Ukraine-Russia and Israel-Hamas wars further exacerbated trade volatility, as many investors pivoted away from traditional equity markets into derivative markets, such as options and futures to better hedge on their investment. Nonetheless, the continued digitalization of trading markets bolstered exchanges, as they were able to facilitate improved client service and stronger market insights for interested investors. Revenue grew an annualized 0.1% to an estimated $20.9 billion over the past five years, including an estimated 1.9% boost in 2025. A core development for exchanges has been the growth of derivative trades, which has facilitated a significant market niche for investors. Heightened options trading and growing attraction to agricultural commodities strengthened service diversification among exchanges. Major companies, such as CME Group Inc., introduced new tradeable food commodities for investors in 2024, further diversifying how clients engage in trades. These trends, coupled with strengthened corporate profit growth, bolstered exchanges’ profit. Despite current uncertainty with interest rates and the pervasive fear over a future recession, the industry is expected to do well during the outlook period. Strong economic conditions will reduce investor uncertainty and increase corporate profit, uplifting investment into the stock market and boosting revenue. Greater levels of research and development will expand the scope of stocks offered because new companies will spring up via IPOs, benefiting exchange demand. Nonetheless, continued threat from substitutes such as electronic communication networks (ECNs) will curtail larger growth, as better technology will enable investors to start trading independently, but effective use of electronic platforms by incumbent exchange giants such as NASDAQ Inc. can help stem this decline by offering faster processing via electronic trade floors and prioritizing client support. Overall, revenue is expected to grow an annualized 3.5% to an estimated $24.8 billion through the end of 2031.