>> BUSINESS REPORTER LEXY JOINS ME LIVE NOW FOR MORE ON THIS. ALEXIS, SOUNDS LIKE GREAT NEWS. WHAT -- UNPACK THIS FOR US AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR POTENTIAL THINGS. >> IT MEANS THE IMF IS UPBEAT AND THEY'RE SAYING THE GLOBALISM WILL SLOW IN THE COMING MONTHS, BUT THEY DON'T SEE AN ALL OUT RECESSION. THE NEWS IS DIFFERENT FOR GREAT BRITAIN AND THEY BELIEVE THEY'RE GOING TO FALL INTO A MILD RECESSION THIS YEAR, BUT THE IMF IS OPTIMISTING FOR A FEW REASONS AND SAY WE'RE -- OPTIMISTIC FOR FEW REASONS AND INFLATION IS COOLING OVERALL AND CHINA COMING OUT OF THE STRICT COVID RESTRICTION LOCKDOWNS. THEY THINK ALL OF THAT IS GOOD NEWS FOR THE ECONOMY OVERALL. IMF IS IN THE MINORITY AND LOTS OF ECONOMISTS INCLUDING THE WORLD BANK THAT BELIEVES WE COULD FALL INTO A RECESSION LOOKING AT THE JOB MARK AND YOU AND I HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT PILING UP OF LAYOFF ANNOUNCEMENTS AND IF THE JOB MARKET TAKE AS LEG LOWER, THAT COULD BE ENOUGH TO TIP US INTO RECESSION. >> MEANWHILE GAS PRICES ARE UP AGAIN SO WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU? >> YEAH, WE WEREN JOYING THAT NICE DROP IN GAS PRICES OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS BUT IT HAS NOT BEEN A GREAT START TO THE YEAR FOR GAS PRICES AND THEY'RE HIGHER FOR THE FIFTH STRAIGHT WEEK AND NOW WE HAVE THE NATIONAL AVERAGE AT $3.50 A GALLON. IT'S ABOUT SIX-CENTS HIGHER THAN LAST WEEK. THIS TIME LAST YEAR GAS WAS AT $3.36 A GALLON BUT REMEMBER, BACK IN JUNE, WE WERE OVER $5 A GALLON SO WE ARE DEFINITELY IN A BETTER PLACE. A FEW REASONS WHY GAS PRICES ARE HIGHER: DEMAND IS COMING BACK PRETTY STRONGLY AND ALSO WE HAVE OIL REFINERIES COMING OFF LANES LINE ANDANNUAL MAINTENANCE EVERR AND ANALYSTS ARE SAYING WE COULD SEE GAS PRICES HIT $4 A GALLON LATER THIS YEAR. >> ON WALL STREET, HOW ARE INVESTIGATORS REACTING TO ALL THIS? >> THAT'S WHERE THE FOCUS IS AND THERE'S A MODEST RALLY I'LL CALL IT AND THE DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE UP ABOUT 43 POINTS. WE'RE EXPECTING ANOTHER RATE HIKE TOMORROW, QUARTER OF A POINT, LESS AGGRESSIVE FED THAN WE'VE BEEN SEEING BECAUSE INFLATION IS COOLING. >> OKAY.