A worse-than-expected University of Michigan’s May consumer report halted stock gains on Friday, sparking worries about a potential decline in consumer health amid perceived rising price pressures. The report disclosed that both near-term and long-term inflation expectations have surged beyond projections this month, causing the broader consumer gauge to hit its lowest levels in six months. “If spending slows down and inflation increases, we'll get the opposite of the Goldilocks scenario that many were hoping for, and the Fed will be in an especially difficult position of choosing between accommodating a slowing economy and fighting increasing inflation expectations,” said Chris Zaccarelli, chief investment officer for Independent Advisor Alliance. Echoing this view, Jeffrey Roach, chief economist for LPL Financial, sees rising risks of stagflation, a concern that could unsettle markets. At 12:05 p.m. trading in New York, the S&P 500 was 0.1% lower, but it was firmly up by 1.6% for the week, poised to secure a third consecutive week of gains after three of losses. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was a tad higher, battling to secure the eight straight session of gains, the longest positive streak since December 2023. Tech stocks were flat. Small caps were the underperformers, with the iShares Russell 2000 ETF (NYSE:IWM) down 0.9%. The rising ...