A trader works on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday, September 2. Michael Nagle/Bloomberg/Getty Images

Hiring is at a standstill . Inflation is on the rise again . Consumer sentiment is slipping near historic lows . Americans are increasingly fed up with the economy.

Meanwhile, the S&P 500 has hit four record highs this month. The Dow closed above 46,000 for the first time in history on Thursday. So, if the economy stinks , why is the stock market so delighted?

In some ways, stocks are trading at record highs because of the bad juju in America’s economy , not in spite of it.

A surprisingly weak job market has significantly boosted investors’ expectations that the Federal Reserve will be forced to cut interest rates multiple times this year, according

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