This week, Zacks Equity Strategist Mayur Thaker, CFA, discusses:

• The increasing probability of a recession. Mayur shares why it may be time to allocate to our defense-oriented Earnings Certain Proxy Portfolio, a recession-resistant portfolio built to provide low-volatility and durable earnings growth through all macroeconomic environments.

• Mayur provides a look into rising economic risks, including job openings per unemployed hitting fresh cycle lows, the high valuation risk of the S&P 500, rising layoff announcement trackers, and increasing market volatility. He also shares that cyclical companies, such as banks, materials, and industrial companies, have collectively been in an earnings recession for four quarters.

• To wrap up the discussion, Mayur suggests now is the time to get defensive with the Earnings Certain Proxy and why he thinks it will outperform over the next 12 months. He also shares the four pillars of quality—a characteristic of all companies in the Earnings Certain Portfolio. Don’t miss this week’s strategy call to get the latest analysis of our current volatile market.