Stocks slipped again Thursday as investors braced for more interest rate hikes from the Federal Reserve, and the volatility is once again stirring up debates over whether the U.S. economy is headed for a recession.
"Our view right now is that for the next six months the U.S. economy should be okay," said Ahmed Riesgo, chief investment officer for financial services company Insigneo.
He said the strength of the January jobs report has put downward pressure on stocks because it showed resilience in the economy that many investors interpreted as a sign that more rate hikes were coming. Recent reports showing "sticky" inflation have had a similar effect.
These trends increase the odds of a recession, he added, because the uncertainty around inflation makes it more likely the Fed will make a policy mistake.
"Our base case is not a recession," he said. "But when you look a little bit further out over a 12 month period, I think the chances of a mild recession in the United States are very elevated."
He also cited recent comments from Fed officials as evidence for this theory. The nation's top bankers have signaled they are committed to bringing inflation down to 2 percent annually, while also saying hitting that goal effectively requires inducing a recession.
Brenda LaManna, founder and president of Damselfly Flowers, and Warren Schorr, senior vice president with Crayola, joined Cheddar News to discuss how and why the famous Crayon company is launching an online flower business.
Ed Egilinsky, managing director and head of sales and distribution and alternative with Direxion, joined Cheddar News to discuss how short-term traders are preparing for any forward-looking guidance from the Federal Reserve about any potential rate hikes. Egilinsky also discussed how traders are looking at the overall banking sector for the short-term.
Mark Spoonauer, global editor-in-chief with Tom's Guide, joined Cheddar News to get a sneak peek at some of Apple's new products that are set to be released to the general public, including the iPhone 15 and Apple Watch.
Kraft Heinz said Tuesday it's recalling more than 83,000 cases of individually-wrapped Kraft Singles American processed cheese slices because part of the wrapper could stick to the slice and become a choking hazard.
California regulators on Tuesday ordered one of the country’s oldest bottled water brands to stop using some of the natural springs it has relied on for more than 100 years to market its products throughout the western U.S.
