Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets Update

In this episode, Megan discusses the latest economic data impacting the housing market. Despite hopes of stabilization, higher interest rates are once again disrupting the housing sector. There has been a significant 14.7% drop in housing starts—the largest since April 2020—in both single and multifamily housing units. There has also been a 4.3% decline in building permits, especially for single-f...

Megan discusses what's shaking consumer confidence and how it could influence your next financial move as she unpacks the latest University of Michigan Consumer Confidence Report. She breaks down the numbers and the underlying sentiments that signal where the economy might be heading. Megan doesn't hold back in explaining why these figures are more than just statistics—they're a cry...

Discover the reasons behind Wall Street's latest turmoil as Megan Horneman, Chief Investment Officer at Verdence Capital Advisors, deciphers the fresh economic data that's making waves among investors. We dissect the March FOMC minutes and their subtle hints at future interest rate cuts, inflation worries, and the lurking economic deceleration in 2024. With financial markets quaking from...

Today, Megan gives her take on the much-anticipated CPI report for March. Megan discusses the surprising inflation trends, challenging the notion of seasonal influences. Despite initial expectations, inflation seems to be holding steady, even showing slight increases, much to the concern of the Federal Reserve. Key highlights include: Analysis of CPI report for March, revealing unexpected inflatio...

If unraveling the complexities of the labor market and its implications on your investments is on your to-do list today, then you're in for a treat!  Megan describes an unexpected boom in job creation that's left even the optimistic forecasts in the dust. In this episode, Megan reveals a surprising March 2024 Jobs Report. The US economy created a staggering 303,000 jobs--the most since M...

Join Megan as she dissects the recent ISM Services report for March, unpacking the unexpected downturn and its implications for the economy. With a focus on crucial metrics like the price index, employment trends, and inflationary pressures, Megan provides comprehensive analysis. Despite the disappointing figures, learn why certain aspects of the report sparked optimism among investors and what it...

In today’s episode, Megan Horneman, Chief Investment Officer, discusses the latest developments in the manufacturing sector. After 17 months, we finally see a significant shift as the ISM Manufacturing Index enters expansion territory, marking a pivotal moment for the economy. Megan breaks down the key components driving this growth, including production and new orders, while also addressing conce...

Join Megan Horneman, Chief Investment Officer, as she provides insights into the final GDP reading for the fourth quarter of 2023. In this update, Megan discusses the growth figures, highlighting the positive revisions in personal consumption and government spending, particularly in the service sector. Despite some downward adjustments in spending on goods, the overall economic outlook remains pro...

Prepare to uncover the economic insights that could sway your investment perspective, as Megan Horneman of Verdence Capital Advisors offers her analysis on March's consumer confidence report. The unexpected dip in confidence and its potential repercussions on spending behavior is a must-hear for anyone keeping track of the economy's impact on the equity markets. This episode of Markets w...

In this episode of Markets with Megan featuring Megan Horneman, Chief Investment Officer at Verdence Capital Advisors, she discusses the latest economic data in the housing market. With surprising increases in housing starts and existing home sales, there's finally some good news after years of disappointing trends. Notably, the rise in single-family housing activity signals a positive shift,...

Join Megan Horneman, Chief Investment Officer at Verdence Capital Advisors, as she breaks down the latest Federal Reserve meeting held on March 20th. Despite keeping interest rates unchanged, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's remarks leaned heavily towards the bullish side, reassuring investors. Powell's dovish stance, highlighted in both the press conference and Fed statement, hinte...

Chief Investment Officer, Megan Horneman,  breaks down the latest market developments in this episode of Markets with Megan. Today, we witnessed a significant shift as the Bank of Japan ended its negative interest rate policy, marking the conclusion of an era. Megan discusses the reasons behind this move, citing factors such as achieving the 2% inflation target and concerns about wage growth. Desp...

Megan Horneman, Chief Investment Officer at Verdence Capital Advisors, brings you insights on the February employment report in today's episode. While the market response was relatively subdued, with equities initially rising and later pulled down by Nasdaq profit-taking, the employment data revealed a creation of 275,000 jobs in February, exceeding expectations. However, the unemployment rat...

In this episode of Markets with Megan, Chief Investment Officer Megan Horneman looks into the Federal Reserve's recent testimony to Congress. While no major interest rate changes were announced, the Fed hinted at potential cuts later in 2024 if inflation falls as expected. The focus on controlling inflation remains a top priority. The biggest surprise came with a shift in tone on Basel 3 bank...

In this episode of Markets with Megan, Megan Horneman, Chief Investment Officer at Verdence Capital Advisors, looks into the recently released ISM Services Report for February. Despite a slight slip in the index, it has remained in expansion territory for 14 consecutive months. Megan breaks down key aspects, such as the decline in prices paid, indicating a positive trend for inflation, and the not...

On this episode of Markets with Megan, economic insights that could influence your investment strategies as Megan Horneman, Chief Investment Officer at Verdence Capital Advisors, breaks down the  findings of the latest ISM Manufacturing Report. With the manufacturing sector showing signs of contraction for a record-breaking 16 months, we're analyzing what this means for the economy's hea...

In today's episode of Markets with Megan, Megan Horneman looks into the highly anticipated Personal Consumption Expenditure Report, breaking down crucial details on personal income, spending, and inflation. She discusses the PCE Core deflator, the Fed's preferred inflation gauge, highlighting its significance in comparison to the CPI index. Megan covers the unexpected rise in personal in...

In our latest episode of Markets with Megan, Chief Investment Officer Megan Horneman addresses the decline in consumer confidence, marking its first drop in four months. Megan examines the report's components, emphasizing the deteriorating view on job prospects and expectations for weaker business conditions and individual incomes over the next six months. When talking about inflation expecta...

Megan Horneman, Chief Investment Officer at Verdence Capital Advisors, looks into the latest insights from the existing home sales report for January today. Megan highlights a positive uptick, surpassing the psychological level of the 4 million home sales mark on an annualized rate, marking the most significant increase since February 2023. Although single-family homes led the surge, all regions e...

Megan Horneman looks into the key takeaways from the Federal Reserve's January meeting minutes in today's episode. Megan highlights the Fed's hawkish tilt, expressing concerns about potential stalls in inflation progress and emphasizing the risks of cutting rates too quickly. She examines the precursors to the meeting's release, including concerns about Nvidia earnings and a ch...

In this episode of Markets with Megan, Megan Horneman looks into the surprising retail sales report for January, revealing a significant miss in every category, marking the largest decline since March 2023. She analyzes the details, highlighting declines in autos, motor vehicle sales, and building materials, which could be attributed to weather-related conditions. Megan also expresses concern abou...

In this episode, Chief Investment Officer Megan Horneman looks into the January inflation report, specifically the Consumer Price Index, a highly anticipated update for investors and closely monitored by the Federal Reserve. Unfortunately, there were surprises as both headline and core inflation exceeded expectations, with notable increases in food, shelter, and service sectors. Megan talks about...

In today's special 100th episode of Markets with Megan, Chief Investment Officer Megan Horneman, addresses the recent market volatility and its ties to the Federal Reserve's decision-making. In our December warnings, we highlighted Chairman Jerome Powell's dovish turn on interest rates, predicting potential pitfalls. Fast forward to today, and we're witnessing the aftermath of...

Megan Horneman, Chief Investment Officer at Verdence Capital Advisors, brings you the latest insights into the surge in service sector growth in today's episode. Megan discusses the recently unveiled data on the service sector, a pivotal aspect of American consumer spending. This report, surpassing expectations, reflects a substantial upswing, particularly in imports and the attention-grabbin...

In this episode of Markets with Megan, Verdence Capital Advisors CIO Megan Horneman provides a comprehensive analysis of the January Employment Report. The report surpassed expectations, revealing the addition of 353,000 jobs to the US economy, exceeding the highest estimate of 300,000. Megan looks into the sectors driving this growth, with a focus on private education, healthcare, professional bu...