Fed in 'neutral' as consumers are feeling okay but not great: The Conference Board CEO Steve Odland

• Consumer confidence increased slightly to 92.8 in April, driven by stable employment conditions despite inflation and high gas prices.
• Consumers' top worries are inflation, gas prices, and the war, but their job security helps maintain spending and confidence.
• CEOs are uncertain about future input costs (like oil) and borrowing rates, leading to a cautious approach with low hiring and firing.

The Conference Board CEO Steve Odland discusses April's consumer confidence, which edged up slightly but remains flat since 2022. Consumers are worried about inflation and gas prices, but job security keeps their confidence stable. CEOs, however, are highly uncertain about input costs and borrowing rates, leading to a 'low fire, low hire' environment where they are not investing.