Powell Warns of Uncertainty as S&P 500 Hits Record 7,230 Amid Rate Hike Fears

Fed Chair Powell cautioned on a 'highly uncertain' outlook due to Iran tensions, oil over $100, and March CPI at 3.3%, with S&P 500 at record 7,230.12 trading at a 20.9x forward P/E premium, as JPMorgan sees no 2026 rate cuts and possible Q3 2027 hikes. This follows March recession alarms—Chaikin's crash warnings, 40% S&P stocks down 20%+, Goldman's 2.2% GDP and 25% recession odds, Zandi's 50% risk after -92k jobs—and BofA's May 'nominal boom loop' targeting 7,257 on 75% nominal GDP growth by 2027.