Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets Update

In our second episode today, Megan Horneman looks into the ISM Manufacturing Index released today, February 1st. Megan highlights the trend of the manufacturing sector remaining in contraction for the past 15 months, staying below 50 on the index. However, she brings positive news as the index has increased to its highest level since October 2022. Megan also emphasizes a significant uptick in new...

In today's episode, Verdence Capital Advisors CIO Megan Horneman discusses the events following the highly anticipated FOMC meeting on January 31st. Contrary to expectations, the Fed took a more hawkish tone, triggering a significant sell-off in the equity market. Chairman Powell's cautious stance on potential rate cuts, emphasizes the risks of premature reductions and the importance of...

Megan Horneman, Chief Investment Officer at Verdence Capital Advisors, looks into the surprising consumer confidence report in today's episode. Exceeding analyst expectations, the present situation confidence hit its highest level since 2020, while future expectations reached a six-month high. Megan talks about the key components, including the job market, revealing a significant shift in per...

In today's segment, Megan Horneman, Chief Investment Officer, discusses the latest PCE inflation data. Megan breaks down the numbers, discussing the month-over-month growth of 0.2% and the year-over-year figure of 2.9%, just below the Fed's 3% target. She highlights the positive trend toward the Fed's inflation goal but suggests there could be potential volatility ahead, citing fact...

Megan Horneman, Chief Investment Officer at Verdence Capital Advisors, breaks down the latest fourth-quarter GDP report in today's episode. The report exceeded expectations with a 3.3% growth rate, outperforming the forecasted 2%. Consumer strength, contributing 70-75% to the economy, remains robust, while government spending, net exports, and domestic investment play pivotal roles in economi...

In today's episode, Verdence Capital Advisors CIO, Megan Horneman looks into the latest Red Sea developments shaking up global trade. Houthi rebels are targeting ships in the Suez Canal and the Red Sea, diverting 90% of traffic and triggering rate increases predicted by major players like MSC and HLS. Projections hint at a prolonged disruption, potentially lasting six months to a year, leadin...

Despite today's equity market dip, December 2023's retail sales report exceeded expectations, showcasing significant consumer spending across furniture, electronics, and clothing—the best year-over-year increase since January 2023. Leading the charge were clothing, merchandise department stores, and online shopping, contributing to a solid overall performance.  However, market dynamics s...

In this episode, we're discussing the much-anticipated Consumer Price Index inflation report released this morning. Unfortunately, the report came in hotter than expected on the headline and core inflation levels. On a year-over-year basis, core CPI rose 3.9% versus the expected 3.8%, while headline CPI came in at 3.4% versus the forecasted 3.2%. This is unwelcome news for the Federal Reserve...

Despite remaining in negative territory, the Small Business Index witnessed its largest increase since July 2023, fueled by small business owners' optimism about a better economy, increased sales expectations, and a positive earnings trend. Verdence Capital Advisors CIO, Megan Horneman discusses the positive impact of a better-than-expected holiday shopping season in December, contributing to...

Join Megan Horneman, Chief Investment Officer at Verdence Capital Advisors, as she reviews the latest jobs report. While the headlines flash the creation of 216,000 new jobs, Megan looks behind the headlines, revealing a potential slowdown in the workforce. This episode isn't just about the numbers; it's an exploration of the subtle shifts that suggest bigger economic currents are at pla...

Welcome back, and a Happy New Year to all our listeners! Today, Megan Horneman looks into the latest insights from the ISM Manufacturing Report, a crucial indicator for the overall manufacturing sector in the US. Despite being in contraction territory for the 14th consecutive month, Megan touches on why this doesn't necessarily signal an impending recession. She breaks down the various compon...

Megan unpacks the latest inflation trends in our final episode of the year. She offers her view on the PCE Core deflator's latest figures—a key indicator the Federal Reserve keeps under close watch. With a decrease in the year-over-year rate, she expertly breaks down what this may spell for the Fed's monetary policies and how it contrasts with investors' hopeful outlook on future ra...

In today's episode, Chief Investment Officer Megan Horneman, takes a look into the latest economic data. Megan discusses data on various indicators, including jobless claims, GDP, and Empire Manufacturing, with a focus on the significant Leading Economic Indicator Index. Highlighting the 20th consecutive month of negative readings, she explores the prolonged negativity in the index amid overa...

In this episode of Markets with Megan, Chief Investment Officer Megan Horneman, provides insights into the December Consumer Confidence Report. The report reveals a significant surprise, surpassing expectations with the highest levels of consumer confidence since July. Megan breaks down the index's components, emphasizing the positive impact of decreasing interest rates and the recent dovish...

In our last segment, we discussed the positive NEHB Housing Sentiment Index, and in today's episode, we're excited to share more good news with the Housing Starts and Building Permits report. Housing Starts defied expectations, surging by an impressive 15% in November, marking the most significant monthly increase in six months. The focus was on single-family home starts, particularly in...

In today's episode, Chief Investment Officer Megan Horneman takes a look into the latest housing market insights. Discussing the November NEHB Housing report, Megan notes a surprisingly positive sentiment despite historical weaknesses, attributed to a near-term peak in interest rates and subsequent declines in mortgage rates. An important trend to focus on includes a significant 60% of survey...

In the latest episode of "Markets with Megan," Chief Investment Officer Megan Horneman talks about the recent Federal Reserve meeting and press conference led by Jerome Powell. Megan provides a comprehensive overview of the decision to maintain unchanged interest rates, while discussing the sentiments suggesting potential rate cuts in 2024. She focuses on key points from the press confer...

Season's greetings! In today's festive episode of Markets with Megan, Chief Investment Officer Megan Horneman transforms the classic "12 Days of Christmas" into 12 unique wishes for 2024. Megan wishes for everything from hoping for one million more homes on the market to dreams of a 2% inflation target and envisioning a 6% mortgage rate. Whether it's a desire for an equity...

In this episode of Markets with Megan, Chief Investment Officer, Megan Horneman discusses the current economic landscape. Megan focuses on the persistent contraction in the ISM Manufacturing Index, signaling potential recessionary conditions. Despite economic concerns, markets are rallying due to comments from Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, hinting at a more dovish stance in 2024. Megan s...

In today's episode of "Markets with Megan," we take a look into key economic indicators from October, focusing on personal income and spending, the labor market, inflation, and pending home sales. Despite personal income and spending hitting expectations, the personal savings rate edged up, though it remains notably lower than the 20-year average. Megan talks about the unchanged ini...

In today's episode, Megan Horneman the Chief Investment Officer at Verdence Capital Advisors, discusses the revised second reading of the third-quarter GDP  The initial 5 percent reading has been revised to 5.2 percent, marking the best quarterly performance since Q4 2021.  Private investment soared in both residential and non-residential structures. Government spending surpassed expectations...

In today's special Thanksgiving episode of Markets with Megan, we're taking a moment to express gratitude for some positive economic and asset class developments this year.  We're excited to share that the cost of a Thanksgiving meal this year has declined, according to the American Farm Bureau. Equities have rebounded significantly compared to last year, with the S&P 500 up abo...

In today's episode of Markets with Megan, Chief Investment Officer Megan Horneman discusses the leading economic indicator index, revealing a concerning 19-month consecutive decline. She talks about components such as manufacturing orders and consumer confidence declining. Megan also focuses on the historical rarity of this extended downturn without triggering a recession. She believes the fi...

Unfortunately, the news points to further weakness in the economy, with surprising jumps in initial jobless claims and a concerning rise in continuing claims. The manufacturing sector is also facing challenges, particularly in industrial production and capacity utilization, hinting at broader economic struggles. Megan delves into the impact of the auto strike and its effects on various industries,...

Megan Horneman, Chief Investment Officer at Verdence Capital Advisors, breaks down the October Retail Sales Report. Megan focuses on a notable slowdown in consumer spending, particularly on big-ticket items like automotive and furniture. However, while some sectors like electronics and food still show strength, she cautions viewers about the unadjusted nature of these figures. As we approach the h...