Main Street is convinced that a recession will hit economy this year
Main Street and Wall Street are often at a distance when it comes to the state of the economy. The likelihood of a recession hitting in 2022 is the latest example. Both camps are bearish, but small business owners are leading the way in negative sentiment — by a notable margin.
Wall Street has been consumed with the Federal Reserve’s efforts to combat the inflation it pegged wrong for too long, and the risk that interest rate hikes will lead to a recession. A survey earlier this week from CNBC found that more than half of economists and investment professionals expect the Fed to fail in its mission to engineer a “soft landing” for the economy. The stock market breathed a sigh of relief on Wednesday, with stocks surging after Fed chair Jerome Powell said that a more aggressive rate hike of 75 basis points is not being considered, and that the central bank remains convinced it can bring inflation down without crashing the economy.
The…