Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets Update

Markets remain under pressure as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East continue to escalate, with a critical global energy chokepoint now at the center of investor concern. In this episode Verdence CIO Megan Horneman explains why the Strait of Hormuz has become the market’s primary focus. The strategic waterway carries roughly 20% of the world’s seaborne oil supply, and with tanker traffic curr...

Markets faced another wave of volatility today as a weak February jobs report collided with rising geopolitical tensions and surging energy prices. In this episode of Markets with Megan , Verdence CIO Megan Horneman breaks down the latest labor market data showing the U.S. economy lost 92,000 jobs in February , while the unemployment rate rose to 4.4% . Although the report raised concerns about la...

Markets turned sharply volatile as the Middle East conflict entered its fourth day, expanding beyond initial strikes and raising fears of prolonged disruption in the Strait of Hormuz. In today’s special Impact Report on Markets with Megan, hear what escalating geopolitical tensions mean for oil prices, inflation expectations, Federal Reserve policy, and global markets. 🚨 Topics Megan Covers: • Cr...

Geopolitical tensions escalated over the weekend as the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran, and markets reacted immediately. In today’s episode of Markets with Megan, CIO Megan Horneman discusses what this expanding Middle East conflict means for oil prices, inflation, interest rates, and global markets. 🚨 Market Reaction: - Oil prices surged 6%, reaching their highest...

The latest economic data is sending mixed — and potentially troubling — signals. In today’s episode of Markets with Megan, Megan reveals the newest U.S. GDP report and inflation data, and why markets are watching closely. 🚨 The Headlines: Q4 GDP came in at just 1.4%, far below expectations of 2.8% Core inflation rose back to 3% year-over-year Short-term core trends accelerated to 3.1% Durable goo...

Markets love a good data day—until the Fed has the last word. We open with a clear read on the economy’s engine room: core durable goods rose for the sixth straight month, even as the aircraft-heavy headline slipped. Under the hood, momentum clustered in AI-adjacent categories like computers, electronics, and electrical equipment, with machinery and metals showing double‑digit year‑over‑year gains...

The labor market just surprised investors and it may change the Federal Reserve narrative. In today’s episode of Markets with Megan, Megan Horneman breaks down the delayed January Non-Farm Payrolls report, which showed the U.S. economy added 130,000 jobs, beating expectations and signaling more resilience than many anticipated. Despite prior concerns about weakening job openings and rising layoffs...

Markets are off to a volatile and unstable start in 2026 —but why? In today’s Markets with Megan, Megan Horneman walks through the six key forces driving market volatility, explaining how economic data, policy uncertainty, and shifting investor behavior are colliding across asset classes. What 6 forces are shaking the markets? 1️⃣ A weakening labor market Job openings have fallen to their lowest l...

Markets reacted negatively to today’s economic data — and the labor market was at the center of the concern. In this episode of Markets with Megan, Megan Horneman breaks down the latest U.S. labor market data, including the JOLTS report, Challenger job cuts, and weekly jobless claims, and explains why markets didn’t like what they saw. Job openings fell to 6.5 million, the lowest level since Septe...

Some encouraging economic data gave markets something to digest today — even as volatility stayed front and center. In this episode of Markets with Megan, Verdence CIO Megan Horneman breaks down the latest Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) data for both manufacturing and services, highlighting a surprising jump in manufacturing activity. January marked the largest monthly increase since June 2020, p...

January is often seen as a roadmap for the rest of the year — and the markets may already be sending signals for 2026. In today’s episode of Markets with Megan, Megan Horneman breaks down how stocks, bonds, commodities, and the economy performed in January and what investors should take away from it. We dive into the historical “January Effect” and why a positive January has historically led to po...

No fireworks at the Fed, but the subtext speaks volumes. We break down why the Committee kept rates unchanged, what the two dovish dissents tell us, and how Powell’s hawkish tone reframed the path for growth, inflation, and any hope for early rate cuts. From the official statement to the press conference, we translate the signals: employment risks down, inflation still elevated, and an economy des...

A jolt in consumer sentiment just reset the market’s mood. We break down why confidence slid to its lowest level since 2014, what the expectations index is signaling about the next six months, and how the “jobs plentiful vs hard to get” gauge can foreshadow shifts in hiring, wages, and spending. Rather than noise, these readings offer a practical map for understanding where demand, margins, and eq...

Markets rarely move on one number, and this week offered a full mosaic. We break down a stronger third estimate for Q3 GDP, why equipment and intellectual property investment matter more than headlines suggest, and how net exports turned from a drag into a modest lift. Then we pivot to the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge—core PCE at 2.7 percent year over year—where progress is real but the finish...

Markets don’t need a heavy data week to make big moves. We open with a sharp risk-off swing sparked by a jump in Japan’s 10-year yield to heights not seen since 1999, then trace how that shock rippled through Treasuries, equity multiples, and the dollar. From there, we unpack why long-duration growth names led the slide, why small caps fell less, and how a thin economic calendar let geopolitics ta...

Headlines say inflation is coming down — but is it really? Verdence CIO Megan Horneman challenges the popular inflation narrative by breaking down the latest CPI (Consumer Price Index) and PPI (Producer Price Index) reports. While headline inflation numbers appear to show improvement, core inflation remains above the Fed’s target, and the areas consumers feel most — food, housing, utilities, healt...

Welcome to 2026. We’re kicking off the year by unpacking one of the most surprising market environments in recent history. In this episode of Markets with Megan, Megan Horneman recaps 2025, a year marked by economic headwinds, weak job growth, stubborn inflation, and global uncertainty,  yet one that still delivered strong returns across equities, bonds, and commodities. Despite muted job creation...

As we wrap up the year, we’re trading headlines for holiday wishes. 🎄 In this special year-end episode of Markets with Megan , Megan Horneman shares her “12 Days of Christmas” market wish list for 2026. It's a mix of realistic hopes, long shots, and conversation-starting ideas you can take straight to the holiday dinner table. From interest rates and inflation to global markets, housing, ear...

Inflation finally delivered some encouraging signals — but the details matter. Megan Horneman breaks down the November CPI report, which showed inflation continuing to cool on a year-over-year basis, even as data disruptions and missing monthly readings complicate the picture. Headline CPI rose 2.7% year-over-year, while core inflation came in at 2.6%. Food prices, energy services, shelter, and me...

We unpack October retail sales: a flat headline hides a stronger 0.8% rise in core spending while restaurants and autos slip. We explain what a tepid consumer means for Q4 growth, markets, and the odds of early Fed rate cuts and tax relief next year. • government data returns and date context • headline retail sales flat at 0.0% • gas, health and personal care, and building materials decline • cor...

A cooling jobs market doesn’t always scream crisis. Sometimes it whispers caution. We unpack why October turned negative, how November’s modest gain still dragged the 12‑month job count to its slowest since March 2021, and what a 4.6 percent unemployment rate signals about momentum heading into the new year. Our goal: make sense of the labor data flood and translate it into clear implications for...

Why does Fed Structure Matter More Than Headlines? In this special edition of Markets with Megan , Megan Horneman, Chief Investment Officer at Verdence Capital Advisors, explains the structure of the Federal Reserve and the role of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), the group responsible for voting on U.S. monetary policy. Learn how rotating FOMC voting members, a potentially new Fed Chair...

Today, the Federal Reserve delivered the widely expected rate cut, but it wasn’t the smooth, unified decision markets hoped for. In fact, it was the most divided Fed vote since 2019, with three dissenters split on whether to cut more, or not cut at all. In this episode of Markets with Megan, Megan Horneman breaks down: ✔️ Why the Fed cut rates today ✔️ Why three members dissented and what it signa...

Today’s labor market data gave the Fed a mixed message, and that makes their job even harder ahead of tomorrow’s policy meeting. Megan breaks down the conflicting signals in the latest JOLTS job openings, NFIB small business hiring plans, layoffs, and quits rates, plus what it all means for interest rates and market performance. Job openings unexpectedly rose to 7.7 million, the highest since Janu...

Cooling inflation and softer consumer expectations set the stage for a likely Fed rate cut while equities test, then retreat from, record highs. Listen in to why core PCE matters, how expectations shape spending, and what the Fed’s statement could mean for markets next week: • Core PCE slows to 2.8% year over year • Consumer inflation expectations ease across one and five-to-ten years • Sentiment...