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.
Danny Taing, founder and CEO of Bokksu, joined Cheddar News to discuss his path on how he became an entrepreneur to launch a company that delivers artisanal Japanese snacks. "When I moved back from Japan to New York, I had this bit of reverse culture shock ... a lot of people had somewhat of a one-dimensional view of Japan ... they saw this country where people ate sushi every day ... none of that is true," he said.
Will Rhind, CEO of GraniteShares, joined Cheddar News to discuss Thursday's trading session amid renewed fears over the regional banking crisis as well as concerns over the debt ceiling debate.
The United Food and Commercial Workers union, one of the country's largest, opposed the planned merger between grocery chains Kroger and Albertson's, according to The Wall Street Journal, citing concerns about lack of information and the potential viability of stores upon closing.
Johnson & Johnson's consumer-health unit Kenvue made its debut on the New York Stock Exchange and jumped about 20% on Thursday. Thibaut Mongon, CEO of Kenvue, joined Cheddar News to discuss business growth goals and what lies ahead for its well-known pipeline of products, including Band-Aid, Neutrogena, Tylenol, among others.
Cheddar News' reporter Angela Miles reports from the Cboe floor with Scott Bauer, CEO of the Prosper Trading Academy, to break down Apple, Moderna, and Datadog earnings for options traders.
