Key Wealth Matters

This week, we cover the historic end of U.S. penny production resulting from high manufacturing costs and obsolescence. Market updates focused on lingering uncertainty due to delayed economic data from the recent government shutdown, while Federal Reserve policy remains unclear, with rate cuts seen as a toss up ahead of December’s meeting. With holiday shopping well underway, we discuss consumer t...

This week, we explore the economic impact of the ongoing government shutdown, now in its 38th day, and its effect on labor market data and investor sentiment. Our experts discuss alternative employment indicators, strong Q3 earnings, and the influence of AI on market performance. They also examine the Federal Reserve’s cautious stance on inflation and interest rate cuts amid data uncertainty. Fina...

Cynthia Honcharenko, Director of Fixed Income Portfolio Management, joins the podcast to deliver a report on this week’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting; be sure to read her companion piece, “The Gentle Cut: Easing Without Euphoria” on our Weekly Investment Brief feed . Our discussion tracks how the equity and bond markets behaved leading up to, and following, the meeting, and what to...

Amid the ongoing government shutdown, we look at alternate sources of data to draw a picture of what’s happening with inflation, the labor market, and home sales. Our experts provide insights on the market’s reaction to these reports, the anticipated Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting next week, and the performance of different sectors and asset classes. We also touch on some unusual mar...

The ongoing government shutdown delayed updates of the Consumer Price Index, Producer Price Index, weekly unemployment claims, and retail sales. Still, there was plenty to cover from this week, including the potential impact on the banking sector amid emerging credit concerns, the strength and state of the consumer, recent earnings reports, a dip in oil prices, and the outlook for the Federal Rese...

Speakers:   Brian Pietrangelo, Managing Director of Investment Strategy  George Mateyo, Chief Investment Officer  Rajeev Sharma, Head of Fixed Income  Stephen Hoedt, Head of Equities 01:58 – Our team of experts discusses the impact of the government shutdown on economic data releases, inflation concerns, and labor market trends. 04:35 –  Analysis of bond market movements, expectations for Federal...

Speakers: Brian Pietrangelo, Managing Director of Investment Strategy George Mateyo, Chief Investment Officer Rajeev Sharma, Head of Fixed Income   00:54 – We review the key economic data and market activity from the past week, including the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) report, the September ADP National Employment Report showing a significant decline in private sector employment...

Joel Redmond, Managing Director of Business Advisory Services at Key Private Bank, joins the podcast this week to provide some insights and advice for business owners. He also addresses recent legislation changes that might affect capital gains tax exclusions for certain C corporations. Brian and George break down the news and numbers of the week and discuss the overarching risk appetite of the ec...

Cynthia Honcharenko, Director of Fixed Income Portfolio Management, joins the podcast to deliver a report on this week’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting; be sure to read her companion piece, “The Fed Cut Rates, But Didn’t Cut Loose” on our Weekly Investment Brief feed . Our discussion tracks how the equity and bond markets behaved leading up to, and following, the meeting, and what we...

In this week's episode, we break down the factors and trends shaping the economy, including new reports that shed some light on labor and inflation. Expected rate cuts from the Federal Reserve at next week’s Federal Open Market Committee Meeting (FOMC) appear to be the main driving force behind movements in fixed income and equities. Please join us on Thursday, September 18, where we’ll sit down w...

In this week's episode, we discuss the Beige Book Report, and three employment reports including fresh numbers from a weaker-than-expected report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). We also touch on the policies and politics bedeviling the Federal Reserve, and the likelihood of rate cuts later this month. As always, we analyze how all of these factors affect the equity and bond markets. Fin...

In this week's episode, we discuss the latest economic and market news, including updates on unemployment claims, GDP growth, and inflation data. Our experts provide their insights and analysis on the implications of these and other economic developments, particularly the potential impact on the Federal Reserve's monetary policy decisions. We also touch on the potential political challenges facing...

In this week's episode, our experts review the now-stale minutes from July’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell’s new dovishness from the Jackson Hole Economic Symposium, and what to look out for in the coming weeks as we near the end of a notable summer.   Speakers: Brian Pietrangelo, Managing Director of Investment Strategy George Mateyo, Chief Investment Of...

This week was lighter on economic news and reporting—certainly when compared to the previous two action-packed weeks—so we’re shaking things up for this episode. Each expert brings to the table a news item that caught his eye this week, and one topic that might not be receiving enough attention. Topics include skyrocketing investment into artificial intelligence, the fractures at the Federal Reser...

In this week's episode, we discuss eight reports and news items that are impacting the economy today, and which will likely have lingering effects into the future; these touch on the labor market in regard to unemployment and payrolls, housing, inflation, Gross Domestic Product (GDP), earnings season, and – the big news of the week – what came out of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meetin...

In this week's episode, we review the unemployment and home sales figures that were released this week, as well as the ongoing trade tensions and tariff negotiations between the United States and its trading partners. We also touch on the Federal Reserve’s policy decisions and President Trump’s visit to tour the renovations to the Federal Reserve headquarters in Washington, D.C. Lastly, we look in...

In this week's episode, we cover a wide range of reports that touch on inflation, consumer spending, manufacturing activity, and what might come out of the upcoming Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting on July 30. We also analyze the moves in both the bond markets and equities caused by the rumors of President Trump’s desire to remove Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. Lastly, we disc...

In this week's episode, our experts discuss the state of the economy, markets, and investment outlook for the second half of 2025.  Speakers: Brian Pietrangelo, Managing Director of Investment Strategy George Mateyo, Chief Investment Officer Rajeev Sharma, Managing Director of Fixed Income Stephen Hoedt, Head of Equities 01:36 - Recap of employment data which shows stability with positive revision...

In this episode, our experts opine on the economy, considering three key indicators making a splash this week: unemployment claims are down, but so was the first quarter estimate of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), while inflation stayed stickier than hoped for in May. Meanwhile, bond yields moved higher, and the stock market is having a heyday, despite the dollar hitting a three-year low. We will be...

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) met this week to report on dampened economic projections, forecast two potential rate cuts in the remainder of the year, and reaffirm the wait-and-see approach that has been a hallmark of Fed policy thus far in 2025. Our experts analyze what came out of the meeting, how investors should respond, and what the future may hold. We also break down the key provi...

In this week's episode, Ather Bajwa, Managing Director of Multi-Strategy Research, joins us to deliver a masterclass in private credit – what it is, why it’s important, and what to consider before investing. We also unpack new surveys and reports across a variety of topics including unemployment, inflation, and volatility. As usual, we look at where the markets are in light of the global and natio...

In this week's episode we unpack three reports about the labor market; the mixed results show an uptick in new job openings amid increasing initial weekly unemployment claims, though the unemployment rate remains steady at 4.2%. We also discuss the Federal Reserve’s Beige Book report, which shows elevated levels of consumer and commercial uncertainty ahead of the June 18 Federal Open Market Commit...

In this week's episode, we delve into the big economic news shaping our world and portfolios. We provide updates on the job market, modest gross domestic product (GDP) growth, the Personal Consumption Expenditures price index and an uptick in inflation, new tax policies and the National Deficit, and what the Federal Reserve might be thinking for the rest of this year and beyond (notably, the long-...

In this week's episode, our experts unpack the past few days following positive news on tariff discussions between the United States and China. We also provide observations on the final earnings calls of the first quarter of 2025, changes in consumer sentiment, ongoing uncertainty around the Federal Reserve, what happened in the Treasury Bond market, and how proposed tax and spending plans from Co...

In this week's episode, we review the news from Wednesday’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting, highlighting four themes: a slower path to rate cuts; rising risk of policy dilemma and potential stagflation; decisions will be made based on data, not any pre-committed timelines; a policy bias towards easing but with less conviction. Overall economic indicators remain stable, setting us up...