Billionaire investor Marc Lasry has expressed concerns that the economic uncertainty caused by President Donald Trump's policies, especially tariffs, is halting investment and could push the United States into recession.
Speaking at the Credit Opportunities Symposium held at New York University on Friday, the Avenue Capital Group co-founder highlighted the risks of market unpredictability.
“The problem for markets is when they don’t know what to do,” Lasry said. “An economy can’t survive like that. It slows everything down and can send the economy into recession.”
Lasry acknowledged that the economy remains strong, but he noted that uncertainty about the direction of the economy could drive more investors to the credit markets as stock returns look increasingly unpredictable. Lasry’s comments came as the SP 500 Index fell for a fourth straight week, taking its year-to-date losses to about 4.5%. Meanwhile, U.S. investment-grade bond spreads widened to their widest levels since September, signaling rising credit risk.
Major financial institutions such as Goldman Sachs and Barclays have warned that credit risk will increase.
Lasry has a history of dealing with Trump, having invested in Trump Entertainment Resorts after its bankruptcy in 2009. “He loves chaos, and the more chaos the better,” Lasry said of his interactions with Trump during that time.
*This is not investment advice.
