After A 4.3% GDP Boom, Traders Bet US Economy Cools Next

Economic Growth - The U.S. economy experienced a significant growth of 4.3% annualized in Q3 2025, surpassing expectations of 3.3% and increasing from 3.8% in Q2 2025, marking the strongest growth since Q3 2023 [2] - Historical trends indicate that strong GDP quarters are often followed by slower growth, as seen after the 4.7% growth in Q3 2023, which dropped to 3.4% in Q4 2023 and further to 0.8% in Q1 2024 [3] Consumer Behavior and Economic Indicators - Consumer spending remains robust, driven by the wealth effect from rising asset prices, while inflation is declining but still elevated, contributing to a "Goldilocks scenario" for the economy [4] - Weak hiring trends in industries reliant on immigrant labor and softening retail sales in border states suggest potential challenges ahead [6] Prediction Markets and Future Growth Expectations - Prediction markets indicate a 20% chance of U.S. growth between 2% and 2.5% in Q4 2025, up from 17%, while the probability of growth below 1% increased to 14% [7] - The likelihood of growth exceeding 3.5% in Q4 2025 has decreased to 10%, down three percentage points, reflecting a fading conviction in another strong quarter [7] Recession and Monetary Policy Outlook - Despite the strong GDP data, the probability of a recession in 2026 remains stable at around 28%, having previously decreased from nearly 35% [8] - Traders anticipate multiple rate cuts from the Federal Reserve, with a 23% probability of three cuts in 2026 and a 22% chance of two cuts, indicating a dovish outlook on monetary policy [9]