The Mainstream Media Reverses Course on a Recession

Several banks called for a recession in 2025 as recently as last week, following a surprise negative read in GDP.

But with a China trade deal in place, many of those big Wall Street banks are reversing course. This morning, JPMorgan noted that it did not see a recession anymore.

That’s also reflected in the betting markets. Polymarket showed as much as a 66% chance of a recession in 2025 – as recently as the start of the month.

Today, the odds are now down to around 40% – and should fall further as more trade deals are announced.

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As Andrew notes:

Most mainstream analysts will take a current trend and extrapolate its continuation out forever. That’s lazy, first-level thinking. A better approach is to think in terms of probabilities and what can change them. Tariff and trade news can – and now has – changed on a dime.

We’re still skeptical about this current market rally, even as many factors have turned bullish.

Why? One reason is simple – we won’t rule out a recession as government spending shrinks.

Given that the government spends more than it brings in, about 6% of GDP, a government recession wouldn’t be a bad idea — just a painful, but necessary correction.

That’s the line of thinking behind some of our upcoming research, where we look at President Trump’s three-step plan to reform the economy on sturdier ground. If it comes to pass, it could be an incredibly positive Grey Swan event. We’ll have further details on that research later this month.

-Addison

Several banks called for a recession in 2025 as recently as last week, following a surprise negative read in GDP.

But with a China trade deal in place, many of those big Wall Street banks are reversing course. This morning, JPMorgan noted that it did not see a recession anymore.

That’s also reflected in the betting markets. Polymarket showed as much as a 66% chance of a recession in 2025 – as recently as the start of the month.

Today, the odds are now down to around 40% – and should fall further as more trade deals are announced.

Turn Your Images On

As Andrew notes:

Most mainstream analysts will take a current trend and extrapolate its continuation out forever. That’s lazy, first-level thinking. A better approach is to think in terms of probabilities and what can change them. Tariff and trade news can – and now has – changed on a dime.

We’re still skeptical about this current market rally, even as many factors have turned bullish.

Why? One reason is simple – we won’t rule out a recession as government spending shrinks.

Given that the government spends more than it brings in, about 6% of GDP, a government recession wouldn’t be a bad idea — just a painful, but necessary correction.

-Addison

Hedge funds have gone all-in on semiconductor stocks.

We believe the emergence of a USD stablecoin carries the potential to be a transformative event in monetary history, one as consequential as the day the United States severed its link to gold and as powerful in shaping the world’s financial order as the moment it abandoned Bretton Woods.

This paper does not offer reassurance of the status quo. It confronts a reality that few seem to have yet recognized and even fewer truly understand. It describes the quiet emergence of a tool whose strategic potential remains largely unseen, even as it begins to reshape the foundations of global finance.

After its blistering rally, gold shocked newcomers with a 6% two-day plunge this week, the steepest drop in twelve years. CNBC dubbed it “gold’s Halloween scare.”

In a welcome twist, J.P. Morgan called the decline “a much-needed breather,” predicting that prices will “reset for the next leg higher.” Goldman Sachs kept its $4,900 year-end target, saying “sticky, structural buying” from central banks remains intact.

“Gold isn’t falling,” Reuters happily agreed, “It’s catching its breath.”

Leverage is a two-way street. Investors get a tailwind on the way up. But small drops become a considerable problem – leading to “margin calls” when an investor is forced to settle the debt for a loss.

Forced sales are a downside feature of stock market bubbles. The forced sale of stocks and hard assets like gold push prices lower even if the participants don’t want to sell.

Hedge funds have gone all-in on semiconductor stocks.

After its blistering rally, gold shocked newcomers with a 6% two-day plunge this week, the steepest drop in twelve years. CNBC dubbed it “gold’s Halloween scare.”

“Gold isn’t falling,” Reuters happily agreed, “It’s catching its breath.”

Forced sales are a downside feature of stock market bubbles. The forced sale of stocks and hard assets like gold push prices lower even if the participants don’t want to sell.