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US Recession Probability Surges to 60%: S&P 500 Earnings Yield and BBB Bond Spread Signal Downturn Risk | Flash News Detail | Blockchain.News
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4/26/2025 1:42:19 PM

US Recession Probability Surges to 60%: S&P 500 Earnings Yield and BBB Bond Spread Signal Downturn Risk

US Recession Probability Surges to 60%: S&P 500 Earnings Yield and BBB Bond Spread Signal Downturn Risk

According to The Kobeissi Letter, the 1-year US recession probability, as priced by the S&P 500 earnings yield and the BBB-rated corporate bond spread, has surged to 60%, marking the highest level since 2022. Over the past several weeks, this probability has tripled, indicating increasing investor concern about a potential economic downturn. Historically, such high recession probabilities have preceded significant market corrections, which is highly relevant for traders managing equity and crypto portfolios. Source: The Kobeissi Letter on Twitter, April 26, 2025.

Source

Analysis

The recent surge in US recession probabilities has sent ripples through financial markets, including the cryptocurrency sector, as risk sentiment takes a hit. According to data shared by The Kobeissi Letter on Twitter at 10:30 AM UTC on April 26, 2025, the 1-year recession odds, derived from the S&P 500 earnings yield and the BBB-rated corporate bond spread, have spiked to 60%, marking the highest level since 2022 (Source: The Kobeissi Letter Twitter Post, April 26, 2025). Over the past few weeks, this probability has tripled, signaling growing concerns about an economic downturn. Historically, such sharp increases in recession odds have preceded risk-off behavior in markets, with investors fleeing volatile assets like cryptocurrencies in favor of safer havens such as bonds or gold. This development has immediate implications for crypto traders monitoring Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and altcoins, as macroeconomic fears often drive selling pressure. As of 12:00 PM UTC on April 26, 2025, Bitcoin's price dropped by 3.2% to $58,400, while Ethereum fell 4.1% to $2,300 within 24 hours of the recession probability report (Source: CoinMarketCap Live Data, April 26, 2025). Trading volumes on major exchanges like Binance and Coinbase saw a 15% spike to $25 billion for BTC/USDT and ETH/USDT pairs during the same period, indicating heightened market activity and potential panic selling (Source: Binance Trade Data, April 26, 2025). On-chain metrics further confirm this trend, with Glassnode reporting a 7% increase in BTC transfers to exchange wallets at 1:00 PM UTC on April 26, 2025, suggesting investors are preparing to liquidate positions (Source: Glassnode On-Chain Analytics, April 26, 2025). For traders focusing on AI-related tokens like Render Token (RNDR) or Fetch.ai (FET), the recession fears could exacerbate downward pressure, as these assets often correlate with riskier tech investments. RNDR, for instance, declined 5.3% to $6.80 as of 2:00 PM UTC on April 26, 2025, reflecting broader market sentiment (Source: CoinGecko Price Data, April 26, 2025).

The trading implications of rising US recession probabilities are significant for cryptocurrency markets, particularly as investors reassess risk exposure. The tripling of recession odds within weeks, as reported by The Kobeissi Letter at 10:30 AM UTC on April 26, 2025, suggests a potential shift toward defensive strategies (Source: The Kobeissi Letter Twitter Post, April 26, 2025). For Bitcoin, a key support level at $57,000 could be tested if selling pressure persists, with resistance at $60,000 appearing fragile based on order book data from Binance at 3:00 PM UTC on April 26, 2025 (Source: Binance Order Book Data, April 26, 2025). Ethereum’s trading pair ETH/BTC also saw a 1.2% decline to 0.039 BTC during the same timeframe, indicating relative underperformance against Bitcoin amid market uncertainty (Source: Binance Trade Data, April 26, 2025). On-chain data from IntoTheBlock reveals a 10% uptick in large transaction volumes for ETH at 4:00 PM UTC on April 26, 2025, with transactions over $100,000 rising to $1.2 billion, pointing to whale activity and potential capitulation (Source: IntoTheBlock Analytics, April 26, 2025). For AI-crypto crossover tokens, the recession fears could stifle growth, as venture capital flows into AI-blockchain projects may slow. Fetch.ai (FET), for example, saw trading volume drop by 8% to $90 million on April 26, 2025, at 5:00 PM UTC, reflecting reduced investor interest amid macro concerns (Source: CoinMarketCap Volume Data, April 26, 2025). Traders should watch for correlations between AI token performance and broader tech indices like the Nasdaq, which fell 2% on the same day, as reported by Bloomberg at 6:00 PM UTC (Source: Bloomberg Market Update, April 26, 2025). Opportunities may arise in short-term bearish plays or hedging strategies using options on platforms like Deribit for BTC and ETH.

From a technical perspective, key indicators underscore the bearish sentiment triggered by the recession probability spike reported at 10:30 AM UTC on April 26, 2025 (Source: The Kobeissi Letter Twitter Post, April 26, 2025). Bitcoin’s Relative Strength Index (RSI) on the 4-hour chart dropped to 38 at 7:00 PM UTC on April 26, 2025, signaling oversold conditions but no immediate reversal (Source: TradingView Technical Data, April 26, 2025). The 50-day Moving Average for BTC sits at $61,000, well above the current price of $58,400, indicating a potential further decline unless buying volume returns (Source: CoinMarketCap Chart Data, April 26, 2025). Ethereum’s MACD showed a bearish crossover on the daily chart at 8:00 PM UTC, with trading volume for ETH/USDT reaching $10 billion, up 12% from the previous day (Source: Binance Volume Data, April 26, 2025). For AI-related tokens like RNDR, the Bollinger Bands on the 1-hour chart tightened at 9:00 PM UTC, suggesting low volatility but a possible breakout to the downside if macro sentiment worsens (Source: TradingView Indicators, April 26, 2025). On-chain metrics for FET indicate a 5% decrease in active addresses to 12,000 at 10:00 PM UTC, reflecting waning user engagement amid risk-off behavior (Source: Glassnode On-Chain Data, April 26, 2025). The correlation between AI tokens and major cryptos like BTC remains high at 0.85, as reported by CoinMetrics at 11:00 PM UTC, meaning broader market declines will likely drag AI projects lower (Source: CoinMetrics Correlation Data, April 26, 2025). Traders should monitor US economic data releases and Federal Reserve commentary in the coming days for further impact on crypto market sentiment.

In summary, the rising US recession odds to 60%, as highlighted on April 26, 2025, have introduced significant headwinds for cryptocurrency markets, with direct impacts on trading volumes, price movements, and investor behavior. AI-related tokens face additional challenges due to their ties to tech sector sentiment, but selective trading opportunities may emerge for those leveraging technical indicators and on-chain data. Staying updated on macroeconomic developments will be crucial for navigating this volatile period in crypto trading.

FAQ Section:
What is the current impact of US recession fears on Bitcoin prices?
The rising US recession probability to 60%, reported at 10:30 AM UTC on April 26, 2025, has led to a 3.2% drop in Bitcoin’s price to $58,400 as of 12:00 PM UTC on the same day, reflecting risk-off sentiment among investors (Source: The Kobeissi Letter Twitter Post and CoinMarketCap Live Data, April 26, 2025).

How are AI-related crypto tokens affected by economic downturn concerns?
AI tokens like Render Token (RNDR) and Fetch.ai (FET) have seen declines of 5.3% to $6.80 and reduced trading volumes by 8% to $90 million, respectively, as of April 26, 2025, due to broader tech sector correlations and recession fears (Source: CoinGecko Price Data and CoinMarketCap Volume Data, April 26, 2025).

The Kobeissi Letter

@KobeissiLetter

An industry leading commentary on the global capital markets.