Stocks Take a Dive as Trump Talks Recession

The stock market took a nosedive recently, with all three major indexes opening much lower than usual. This happened after President Trump hinted at a possible recession during an interview. He mentioned that the economy is going through a "transition period" but wouldn't confirm or deny a recession. This uncertainty sent shockwaves through the market, with the Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq all experiencing significant drops. Tech stocks, in particular, took a hard hit, with major players like Tesla, Palantir, and Nvidia seeing substantial losses. The market has been on a roller coaster ride lately, largely due to Trump's fluctuating tariff policies. One day he's threatening massive tariffs, the next he's delaying them. This back-and-forth has created a lot of uncertainty, making investors nervous. The S&P 500, for instance, had its worst week in months last week. The tariff talk has been so disruptive that some experts believe it's causing more harm than the actual tariffs themselves. The constant speculation and chaos are fostering uncertainty, which is never good for the economy. The impact of these tariffs is already being felt. Layoffs are increasing, hiring is slowing down, consumer confidence is dropping, and inflation is rising. The 10-year US Treasury yield also slid, indicating that investors are concerned about the economy's future. This week, investors will be keeping a close eye on the monthly inflation data to see if inflation remains high. So, what does all this mean? Well, a recession is typically defined as two consecutive quarters of negative economic growth. The National Bureau of Economic Research is the official group that decides when a recession has occurred. They look for a significant decline in economic activity that lasts for more than a few months. The length of this period of caution depends on how quickly the global trade issues and the threat of recession fade away.