BLK BlackRock Inc

Blackrock Inc.'s (BLK) chief equity strategist Bob Doll said Thursday that he sees the U.S. economy "skating through" its present weakish conditions with "about 1% to 2% growth but avoiding a recession."

In an interview on Fox Business Network, Doll said he saw on the downside an only one-third possibility of a U.S. recession and if were to come, it will be mild. Regarding Europe, the strategist, who manages Blackrock's more than $3.3 trillion in assets, said there had to be a Greek default because simply put "Greece cannot pay its bills" but that it must be a managed, "organized default," not chaotic.

The present "end game in Europe," he said, is a lot of fancy mandates that would just result in buying more time.

Full story at www.foxbusiness.com

-Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-2900