Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets Update

In this episode of "Markets with Megan", Chief Investment Officer Megan Horneman provides her insights on the recent Producer Price Index (PPI) report. She discusses a significant monthly decline in producer prices, the most substantial since 2020. She attributes this decline not only to energy prices but also to decreases in food and consumer goods. Also emphasizes its focus on the cost...

In the latest episode of Markets with Megan, Verdence Capital Advisors' Chief Investment Officer, Megan Horneman, provides her insights on the October Consumer Price Index release. The report revealed lower-than-expected inflation, with the headline CPI remaining flat for the first time since July 2022. Megan talks about the decline in vehicle prices, used cars, airfares, and a significant dr...

A concern that many Americans may be grappling with is how our household incomes can keep pace with inflation—A question that was reflected in the recent University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index. The index reported a slip in consumer confidence, marking a concerning trend that Megan Horneman discusses in detail. She explains the implications of this decline, including the unsettling sentime...

In this episode, we'll dissect the recent market shifts triggered by a crucial Federal Reserve speech and explore the impact of a notably weak 30-year Treasury bond auction. We'll walk you through the unexpected comments from Fed Chairman Jerome Powell, highlighting the deviation from the market's previous expectations post-November 1st. Despite a significant equity rally, the Fed s...

In the latest episode of Markets with Megan, Chief Investment Officer, Megan Horneman discusses the positive turn in the third-quarter S&P 500 earnings season, with a 5.7% earnings growth. She talks about which sectors are leading the charge and why this might be good news for the equity market. Megan also shares insights on the common practice of companies lowering expectations before earning...

Megan Horneman, the Chief Investment Officer at Verdence Capital Advisors, discusses the latest jobs report, a key indicator in the financial world. She goes over the October job figures, which saw 150,000 jobs added and a slight uptick in the unemployment rate to 3.9 percent, and discusses why both stock and bond markets are rallying in response. Megan talks about why the market sometimes interpr...

In this episode of "Markets with Megan," Megan Horneman, Chief Investment Officer at Verdence Capital Advisors, discusses recent developments in the bond market. She highlights that the Treasury's quarterly refunding announcement, where they reduced issuance from an expected $114 billion to $112 billion for the quarter. This decision caused a market rally as it lowered the 10-year n...

In this episode of "Markets with Megan", we break down the recent Federal Reserve meeting and Treasury funding announcement. Megan discusses that while the Fed did leave interest rates unchanged, the focus is on what they said. They emphasized a "tight" monetary policy, with plans to continue reducing their balance sheet. The standout words were "elevated" and "s...

Megan Horneman, the Chief Investment Officer for Verdence Capital Advisors, discusses recent economic information, particularly focusing on inflation and consumer data. She mentions that the Fed's preferred inflation indicator, core PCE, rose on a month-over-month basis, in line with expectations. Consumer spending data is also highlighted, showing a 0.7% increase, exceeding personal income....

Megan Horneman, Chief Investment Officer at Verdence Capital Advisors, discusses the recently released third-quarter GDP report. The GDP growth came in at an impressive 4.9%, exceeding expectations of 4%. The growth is primarily attributed to a significant increase in personal spending, which hasn't been seen to this extent since the fourth quarter of 2021. Megan highlights the inflation comp...

Megan Horneman, Chief Investment Officer at Verdence Capital Advisors, discusses the surprising trends in the housing market, particularly new home sales in September. While there's been an increase in new home sales across regions, the median price of new homes has dropped consistently, reaching the worst annual decline since the Great Recession. She discusses the broader impact of these tre...

In this episode of "Markets with Megan" by Verdence Capital Advisors, Megan provides a comprehensive update on a busy day in the world of economic data. She starts with insights into the labor market, where initial jobless claims fell below 200,000 last week. Megan then discusses the much-anticipated speech from Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell at the Economic Club of New York, whi...

Megan Horneman shares her insight on the market reaction to the September retail sales report. The events causing this reaction are the increase in gasoline station sales, end-of-summer internet spending, and other critical factors. Despite the positive retail sales data, the equity markets remained relatively flat, but there was significant movement in the fixed-income market. She mentions unseen...

Megan provides a comprehensive analysis of the latest inflation report and its implications on the Consumer Price Index. Discover how energy price increases have impacted the overall inflation rate and what it means for consumers when they visit the stores. Megan focuses on the core numbers and the concerning aspects that have led to a sell-off in the markets and a rise in interest rates. She also...

In this episode of Markets with Megan, we break down the latest inflation report. Discover how the Consumer Price Index impacts your everyday purchases and understand the surge in Energy prices that affected the headline number. Megan analyzes the core inflation levels and the concerning 4.1% year-over-year price growth. Megan discusses crucial data on housing and super core inflation, focusing on...

The surge in equity markets has not stemmed from a significant change in the geopolitical conflict, but rather due to a major drop in interest rates. Our Chief Investment Officer, Megan Horneman,  offers expert insights and analysis. Megan covers the latest economic data, the NFI Small Business Optimism Index that hit a four-month low in September. She draws a parallel to the SVP Bank collapse, hi...

What if the geopolitical tension weren’t just about the nightmarish scenes we witness on the news, but about how these situations impact our economy and financial futures? Join us as Megan Horneman, our Chief Investment Officer, describes the volatile markets, highlighting the ripple effects the recent conflict between Israel and Hamas has had on the global economy, the sharp rally of traditional...

In this episode, Megan discusses the impressive September jobs report, with a whopping 336,000 jobs added to the economy. The gains were led by sectors like Leisure and Hospitality and Education, surpassing economist expectations. The big question now is how this report might impact the Federal Reserve's decisions. With such strong labor market performance, it's highly likely that intere...

Megan unpacks the recent ISM Services report, a pivotal measure of the US service sector. This sector accounts for a significant portion of our expenditures, so any shifts in its performance are crucial. Despite remaining in expansion territory, there was a noticeable decline in September. Megan reviews the data, highlighting concerning drops in new orders and employment—both of which serve as lea...

Listen to valuable insights from the recent JOLTS Report, from Megan Horneman, the Chief Investment Officer for Verdence Capital Advisors. Intrigued by the impacts of job openings on the US economy? Then you'll want to tune in as Megan breaks down the complex economic indicators that influence the Federal Reserve's decision-making process.  In a surprising twist, we discuss the unexpecte...

What happens when a strike targets all three major automakers in the U.S. simultaneously? That's the question Megan Horneman, Chief Investment Officer for Verden's Capital Advisors, tackles in our in-depth discussion. She examines how the ongoing UAW strike - unlike previous strikes - is uniquely disruptive, and what this could mean for the economy.  As Megan expertly navigates us throug...

Megan analyzes the latest Federal Reserve meeting, where decisions were made that could change the face of the financial landscape. The Federal Reserve had a surprising hawkish stance, a move that was unexpected by the market. Megan illuminates how rampant inflation and escalating energy prices can influence this monetary policy shift, and what that could mean for the economy.  Megan reviews the n...

The housing market is in flux right now. Our Chief Investment Officer, Megan Horneman, as she breaks down the unexpected tumble in home builder sentiment and how a stall in potential buyer traffic and a fall in housing starts are reshaping the market landscape.  What are the reasons behind these shifts?  Megan focuses on the impact of high interest rates. Mortgage rates are now a remarkable 7.3% -...

Megan dives into the recent retail sales report and unpacks its surprising insights. While the headline number showed a significant monthly jump, driven by rising energy prices and spending at gas stations, Megan uncovers a different story when you exclude volatile items like gasoline, energy, autos, and building materials. The underlying data reveals a modest increase of only about a tenth for th...

Today, Megan provides insights into the challenges facing China amidst weak growth numbers and slowing exports and consumer demand. Our recent white paper "the Health of the Chinese Economy" takes a deeper look at the situation. Instead of delving into the intricacies of Chinese politics, we focus is on the historical rise of China to superpower status and how certain policies over the d...