Companies Push Higher Prices to Protect Profits, Risking Economic Pain

Despite decreasing costs, major corporations have continued raising prices rapidly, bolstering corporate profits.
Large companies plan to keep increasing or maintaining high prices, potentially fueling further inflation and interest rate hikes.
This strategy may prolong substantial inflation, intensifying the very pressures used to justify surging prices.
Some economists warn this could increase the likelihood and severity of an economic downturn.
However, some argue higher prices are not just profit-driven but also reflect increased demand, government stimulus, and investment gains.