Why this strategist says a soft landing is still possible

As inflation persists and earnings results drive market gains, investors are clueless as to how this may all pan out for the US economy in a hard landing, soft landing, or no landing at all scenarios. F.L.Putnam Investment Management Co. Chief Market Strategist and Portfolio Manager Ellen Hazen joins Yahoo Finance to discuss her views on the market's trajectory amid all this economic buzz.

Hazen acknowledges that the economy is showing signs of a slowdown, "but not so quickly that we're in for a hard landing." She remains firmly in the soft landing camp, citing economic metrics that align with this outlook. However, she cautions that inflation is likely to remain stubbornly high in this "higher for longer" interest rate environment.

When asked about equity markets (^DJI, ^IXIC, ^GSPC), Hazen expresses concerns about the valuations of large-cap stocks, describing them as "expensive." With returns already at elevated levels, she says "it'd be too optimistic to expect higher equity returns" for the rest of 2024. As the earnings season continues to unfold, Hazen notes that despite positive results, the high expectations for corporate earnings leave "just not a lot of upside for the markets from here."

For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Morning Brief.

This post was written by Angel Smith