Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets Update

The government is finally back on schedule with releasing economic data — and the first report of the month delivered a surprise. The ISM Manufacturing Index came in at 48.2, signaling another month of contraction for the sector. Megan Horneman breaks down what’s driving the weakness and what it means for GDP, employment, inflation, and the Federal Reserve. Megan explains why new orders, order bac...

Another month, another impressive market turnaround, but is the momentum here to stay? In today’s episode of Markets with Megan, Megan Horneman breaks down the latest economic data to explain what’s driving the rally, how conditions have shifted since the spring, and whether investors should trust this strength going into year-end. Megan covers the key indicators showing improvement, the areas sti...

Happy Thanksgiving from Markets with Megan! 🦃 Today, Megan Horneman shares fun, surprising, and meaningful economic insights you can bring to your holiday table, from falling turkey prices to the global equity rally that continues to break record after record. You’ll learn: 🍗 Why the cost of Thanksgiving dinner is actually down 5% this year 📉 How supermarkets helped push turkey prices lower 📈...

The latest housing market data is in and the signals are anything but clear. In today’s episode, Megan Horneman breaks down the mixed messages coming from home sales, inventory levels, and mortgage rates. Are consumers finally pulling back? Are higher interest rates starting to bite? And what does this mean for markets as we head into the end of the year? Megan explains what the data really means...

Consumer confidence weakens even as lagging retail sales look resilient, pointing to a softer holiday season and rising expectations for a December rate cut. We connect the drop in expectations, a softer jobs signal, and why equities still rallied on policy hopes. • November consumer confidence weakens versus expectations • Expectations component hits lowest level since 2013 ex-April drop • Inflat...

The consumer mood just blinked. We dig into fresh September retail sales and find the signal beneath the noise: core retail sales slipped, the steepest monthly drop since April, and the softness is concentrated in discretionary goods. Autos, electronics, clothing, sporting goods, and even non-store retail retreated, while health and personal care inched higher and restaurants kept humming. That sp...

The September jobs report finally arrived after weeks of private data during the U.S. government shutdown, and it delivered a meaningful surprise. The U.S. economy added 119,000 jobs, far above expectations, even as the unemployment rate rose to 4.4%, the highest level since 2021. In this episode of Markets with Megan, we break down what the mixed labor picture means for the Federal Reserve, infla...

Fear has a way of compressing lofty stories into hard numbers, and that’s exactly what’s playing out across U.S. markets. We open with a clean read on why volatility jumped to levels last seen around April’s tariff shock, then connect the dots between stretched forward P/Es, softening consumer trends, and a Federal Reserve that can’t quite agree on timing for rate cuts. It’s a live stress test of...

Washington is back open, and the market’s attention snaps from headlines to hard numbers. We walk through what the end of the longest U.S. government shutdown historically means for the dollar, the S&P 500, and growth, then test those patterns against today’s mixed signals. You’ll hear why equities often hold up during political dysfunction, how reopenings can spark a modest relief bid, and wh...

The October ISM Services index is back in expansion territory—coming in above 50—with six out of ten categories rising and new orders leading the charge (likely boosted by data-center demand in the commentary). Business activity jumped, employment is still in contraction but improved, and we’re not seeing shrinking headcount alongside a backlog—hinting at some labor-market equilibrium. The catch:...

We unpack October’s ADP payroll report during the record government shutdown and parse where hiring is actually happening. Large firms added jobs while small and mid-sized businesses shed workers, with most gains tied to services and AI-driven spending. • October ADP report shows 42,000 private payroll gain • Caution that one month does not set a trend • Hiring concentrated in large employers, 500...

Factories are feeling the squeeze, but one surprising shift may be a quiet win for anyone watching inflation. We dig into October’s ISM manufacturing report at a time when the government shutdown has muted official data, and we pull out the signals that matter: a weaker headline driven by softness in production and inventories, a prices paid index that fell to its lowest level of the year, and exp...

The Federal Reserve finally cut rates but their tone shocked Wall Street. Megan Horneman breaks down what the Fed really said, why markets might be too confident about more cuts, and what this means for inflation and investors heading into year-end 2025. With the government still shut down and data in short supply, this surprise twist from the Fed could change everything. #MarketsWithMegan #Federa...

Markets don’t pause just because official data does. With the government shutdown stretching on, we turn to the signals still flashing: ISM surveys, regional Fed reports, and futures pricing that point to a tricky mix of sticky services inflation and a softening job market. We share what we’re seeing behind the headlines, why services matter more than ever for your wallet, and how prices paid in b...

When official data goes dark, the market turns to the signals still shining. We dig into the University of Michigan’s preliminary consumer sentiment reading and find a story of two Americas: current conditions ticking up after September’s rate cut, and expectations sliding to a five‑month low. That split matters.  Sentiment sits at 55, future finances are viewed as the weakest since 2011, and 12‑m...

Markets are hitting record highs — but is it the Fed’s doing? Megan Horneman breaks down what’s really driving the rally, how the ongoing government shutdown could impact data and investor sentiment, and what the latest Fed minutes hint about the path into year-end 2025. 👉 Don’t miss Megan’s take on what could make or break the next market move. For a history go to http://MarketsWithMegan. FM #Ma...

It was a strong quarter for investors — but what does the third quarter of 2025 really tell us about where markets and the economy are headed next?  In this episode of Markets with Megan, Verdence Chief Investment Officer Megan Horneman breaks down the biggest stories from Q3: the impact of the government shutdown, economic data delays, and how stocks, bonds, and commodities performed. Find out wh...

⚠️ Day One of the Government Shutdown is here. From furloughed workers to shaken markets, uncertainty is spreading fast. In this Markets with Megan special Impact Report, Megan Horneman breaks down what the shutdown means for families, the economy, and Wall Street. 📊 Get estimates on how long this could last, the risks to consumer confidence, and where markets may be headed if Washington gridlock...

📉📈 Consumer confidence is swinging like a pendulum. One week optimism, the next week uncertainty.  In this episode of Markets with Megan, unpack the latest consumer sentiment data—what it signals for the economy, the Fed’s next move, and, most importantly, your wallet. Megan Horneman discusses what’s really driving these shifts and why Wall Street is paying close attention. Is consumer confidenc...

We just got a first look at the August JOLTS Jobs Report and it’s telling us a lot about where the U.S. labor market stands. Megan Horneman, CIO of Verdence Capital Advisors reviews: ✅ Why job postings and unemployment data point to a new labor market equilibrium ✅ How the decline in the quits rate shows we’re back to pre-pandemic averages ✅ What this means for wage pressures and the Federal Re...

📊 The equity markets cheered today’s inflation report — but should they? On this episode of Markets with Megan, Megan Horneman breaks down the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge (core PCE), the latest personal income and spending data, and why consumer behavior may not be sustainable. Inflation has now been climbing for four consecutive months, sitting at a sticky 2.9% year-over-year. Meanwhile, spe...

🚨 The U.S. economy just shocked Wall Street… AGAIN. Despite predictions, growth keeps beating expectations. In this episode of Markets with Megan, Megan breaks down the latest economic data, including the final Q2 GDP reading, and what it means for markets, investors, and YOU. 📊 From surprise growth to shifting forecasts, CIO Megan Horneman unpacks the real story behind the headlines helping you...

The housing market is waking up, but is it a real rebound or just a rate-cut reaction? In today’s Markets with Megan, Verdence CIO Megan Horneman breaks down the latest economic data, the Fed’s decision, and what it all means for buyers, sellers, and investors. 👉 Will housing finally find momentum? Or is this just temporary relief before the next slowdown? Get clear, transparent insights that cut...

The Fed Cuts Rates Again—But Does the Math Add Up? The market got the rate cut it wanted—25 basis points—but the Fed’s projections are raising eyebrows. In this episode of Markets with Megan, Verdence Capital Advisors CIO Megan Horneman unpacks the details behind the Federal Reserve’s decision and why the dot plot might not tell the whole story. What’s behind the contradiction of stronger GDP, low...

🚨 The latest Retail Sales Report is out — and it’s telling us a LOT about the state of the consumer, inflation, and the economy. In this episode of Markets with Megan, Megan Horneman breaks down: 💳 Are U.S. consumers finally feeling the pinch? 📉 What weaker (or stronger) retail sales mean for economic growth 💡 How this data impacts the Fed’s rate cut decision 📊 Why Wall Street reacts so stron...