Why BlackRock's Rick Rieder is confident in equities in the second half as S&P 500 nears high

Group 1 - BlackRock's Rick Rieder believes that the stock market, currently near all-time highs, can continue to rise in the second half of 2025 due to decreasing inflation driven by artificial intelligence [1] - Rieder anticipates that productivity gains from artificial intelligence will counterbalance any inflationary impacts from tariffs, viewing tariffs as a one-time adjustment rather than a persistent issue for the U.S. economy [2] - The U.S. economy is expected to avoid recession, as its growth is primarily driven by services rather than goods, which are more cyclical [2] Group 2 - Rieder's remarks come as the S&P 500 is trading less than 1% below its record high from February, despite facing macroeconomic challenges such as geopolitical tensions and higher tariffs [3] - The market is expected to overcome these challenges, according to Rieder, who maintains a positive outlook on stock performance [3]