Top Economist Warns Of 'Serious Affordability Crisis' Amid Trump Tariffs And Immigration Restrictions — 'Juicing' Inflation - Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 (NASDAQ:QQQ), SPDR S&P 500 (ARCA:SPY)

Core Insights - Mark Zandi, Chief Economist at Moody's Analytics, warns that the U.S. economy is in a "serious affordability crisis" due to specific policy choices impacting inflation [1][5] - Consumer price inflation is currently around 3%, significantly above the Federal Reserve's 2% target, attributed to recent interventions rather than an economic cycle [2][4] - Zandi highlights that aggressive tariffs and restrictive immigration policies are contributing to persistent inflation, which was previously on a downward trajectory [3][4] Economic Impact - The current economic baseline shows inflation spiking in 2025 and remaining elevated, contrasting with a scenario without tariffs where inflation would dip toward the Fed's target by 2026 [4] - Zandi predicts "even higher inflation dead-ahead," indicating a grim outlook for American consumers, especially low- and middle-income households [4][5] - The burden of inflation and economic shifts disproportionately affects lower-income households facing high prices for necessities [5] Market Response - Despite the negative economic outlook, futures for the S&P 500, Nasdaq 100, and Dow Jones indices were trading higher, reflecting a positive market sentiment [6] - The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) and Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (QQQ) both closed higher, with SPY up 1.00% and QQQ up 0.75% [7]