Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets Update

The Fed just got the report it’s been waiting for! 📉 In this episode of Markets with Megan, Verdence CIO Megan Horneman breaks down the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) data for May. It's the fourth month in a row that inflation came in cooler than expected. ✔️ Headline inflation rose just 2.4% YoY ✔️ Core inflation surprised to the downside ✔️ Gasoline prices dropped sharply ✔️ Sticky infl...

🚨 Megan Horneman breaks down the latest U.S. Jobs Report for May — and it’s not as solid as the headline number suggests. While 139,000 jobs were added, downward revisions from prior months shaved off 95,000 jobs, hinting at a slowing labor market. Unemployment held steady at 4.2%, but labor force participation dropped, painting a murkier economic picture. What does this mean for the Federal Rese...

The U.S. economy just sent a warning signal. ⚠️  In this episode of Markets with Megan, Megan Horneman breaks down the ISM Services Index report for May—and it's not pretty. For the first time in 11 months, the index dropped below 50, indicating contraction in the critical U.S. services sector. 🔍 What does this mean for the markets? ⚠️ Is a recession back on the table? 💼 How will this impac...

Personal income is rising faster than expected, but inflation? Not so much. In this episode of Markets with Megan (Friday, May 30th), Megan Horneman breaks down the latest economic data, including personal income, spending, and the Fed's favorite inflation measure: the PCE index. 📊 Key topics: - May's inflation report (PCE Index) - Income and spending trends - Why tariffs haven’t caused...

📉 The economy just took another hit. In this episode of Markets with Megan, we unpack the revised Q1 GDP numbers, and it's not exactly good news. GDP contracted by 0.2%, slightly better than the original -0.3%, but still a sign of a slowing economy. 🔍 We break down: - Why consumer spending was revised downward - What weaker growth could mean for the Federal Reserve - How markets are reactin...

Consumer confidence just had its biggest jump since COVID. What does that mean for the markets? In this episode of Markets with Megan, we break down the May Consumer Confidence Report from the Conference Board — and the data is overwhelmingly positive. 📈 Highlights Include: • Biggest point gain in confidence since May 2020 (present) and 2009 (future expectations) • Inflation expectations drop fro...

The U.S. housing market just hit a new low. In this episode of Markets with Megan, Verdence CIO Megan Horneman breaks down the shocking April home sales data—revealing the worst April for existing home sales since 2009, during the depths of the Great Recession. 📉 Sales fell for the fourth time in five months, driven by weak demand, high interest rates, and uncertain buyer sentiment. Megan explain...

📉 Volatility is back! In this episode of Markets with Megan, we break down the Treasury market's wild ride and what it means for your investments. Moody's has officially downgraded U.S. Treasury debt, sending yields soaring and creating major pressure on equity markets, especially tech, real estate, and utilities. 👉 What triggered this market shake-up? 👉 Why are 10-year and 30-year bo...

📉 Consumer Confidence Just Collapsed—And Inflation Expectations Are Skyrocketing In this episode of Markets with Megan, Verdence CIO Megan Horneman breaks down the University of Michigan’s preliminary consumer sentiment data for May, and the message is loud and clear: consumers are worried. REALLY worried. 🧠 Key highlights from the episode: • Consumer expectations index plunges to the lowest lev...

📉 CRACKS IN THE CONSUMER? Here’s what the April retail sales data just revealed—and why markets are watching closely. In this episode of Markets with Megan, Megan Horneman breaks down the April retail sales report and uncovers signs that the consumer—who powers the bulk of U.S. GDP—might be starting to weaken. From auto and clothing sales slumping to the all-important control group declining for...

📉 Housing Market Just Flatlined Again. Homebuilder sentiment plummets to the lowest level since 2023 - and the outlook isn’t getting better. In this episode of Markets with Megan, Megan Horneman breaks down the latest National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Sentiment Index and what it’s telling us about the housing market. Spoiler: it’s not good. 🏚️ The key metric? Prospective buyer traffic...

🚨 INFLATION DATA ALERT!  In this episode of Markets with Megan, we break down the April CPI report and explain why the markets are breathing a sigh of relief. Despite expectations, tariffs haven’t shown up in the inflation data—yet. Is this a green light for the Fed to stay put? Or just the calm before the storm? 📉 CPI came in slightly weaker than expected—find out what sectors are driving the s...

📈 Markets are rallying—and it’s all thanks to trade. In this special episode of Markets with Megan, CIO Megan Horneman dives into the just-announced US–UK trade framework and what it means for investors. 🚨 The UK is slashing tariffs on cars, buying billions in Boeing parts, and opening the door to US agricultural exports. Is this the first domino in a broader trade thaw? Tune in to learn: Why th...

📉 GDP Tumbles, ISM Warnings, and a Fed in a Bind — What Now? This week on Markets with Megan, CIO Megan Horneman discusses the 1.6% Q1 GDP growth shock, the concerning ISM Manufacturing data, and why the market might be misreading the macro landscape. ➡️ Consumers are still spending. ➡️ But business investment is weak. ➡️ ISM is signaling contraction. ➡️ And yet, Wall Street keeps rallying. With...

📈 We finally got some good news on the economic front — the April jobs report is in, and the U.S. added 177,000 jobs, well above expectations. But there’s more to the story. In this episode of Markets with Megan, Megan breaks it down: 🔹 Why this number moved markets 🔹 What the revisions to past months mean 🔹 The Fed’s next move and rate implications 🔹 What investors should watch heading into...

📊 The ISM Report Is Flashing a Warning. Should the Fed Worry? In this episode of Markets with Megan, CIO Megan Horneman breaks down the latest ISM Manufacturing data—and why it may be signaling deeper weakness in the economy than the headline GDP suggests. With the ISM index contracting and employment trends softening, this key leading indicator is painting a very different picture than consumer...

🚨 The Contraction Is Upon Us 🚨 In this episode of Markets with Megan, Chief Investment Officer Megan Horneman breaks down the Q1 GDP report and what it signals for the economy and markets moving forward. With growth slowing more than expected, what should investors watch for next? Megan offers her insights on: - The GDP slowdown and where it came from - Implications for interest rates and Fed po...

📉 CPI Keeps Getting Worse: Consumer Confidence Crashes Again Just when we thought it couldn’t get worse—it did. In this episode of Markets with Megan, we break down the latest April economic data, and it’s not pretty. The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index has just hit its lowest level since May 2020, and inflation continues to batter the American consumer. 🔍 In This Episode: 🚨 Why Ap...

In this special Impact Report episode of Markets with Megan, we look at the headline-grabbing question: Can a U.S. president fire the Federal Reserve Chair, Jerome Powell?  With President Trump once again vocal about interest rates and the economy, this topic has resurfaced as markets show signs of stress. Megan Horneman explains the legal, political, and economic implications of this scenario, th...

The latest economic data shows the Leading Indicator Index for March slides 0.7% lower, exceeding the expected 0.5% decline and marking its 35th negative reading in 37 months. This persistent downward trend carries significant historical weight—never before has such a pattern failed to precede a recession. Monday's Markets with Megan breaks down this critical economic barometer, examining wha...

Consumers Are Spending — But Why Now? 💳 Just when we thought consumer strength might be fading, March retail sales come in hot. On today’s Markets with Megan, Megan Horneman breaks down what’s really behind the surge — and what it says about inflation, tariffs, and the economy heading into Q2. Retail sales jumped 1.4% in March, the biggest gain since early 2023. But dig deeper and there’s a story...

Markets Surge Over 2,000 Points — Is This the Turning Point? | Markets with Megan 📈 After weeks of turbulence, the markets are finally bouncing back — big time. In this special Impact Report, Megan Horneman breaks down the massive 2,000+ point rally in the Dow and what’s fueling this sudden optimism. President Trump announced a 90-day pause on tariffs for most countries — a move aimed at allowing...

📉 Small Business Confidence SOURS: Is a Recession Coming? It’s not just tariffs shaking the economy — small businesses are flashing warning signs 🚨. In this episode Megan reviews the NFIB Small Business Optimism Survey, which just dropped to its lowest level since October and saw the biggest monthly decline since June 2022. 😬 👉 What does this mean for the economy? 👉 Are we inching closer to a...

📉 Jobs Report Beats Expectations—But Markets Don’t Care?! The U.S. added 228,000 jobs in March—far exceeding expectations! But with China retaliating on tariffs and market uncertainty looming, Wall Street barely blinked. 📊 🔎 Key Takeaways: ✅ Job Gains: Stronger than expected, but downward revisions for past months. ✅ Unemployment Rate: Ticked up to 4.2%, but labor force participation is risin...

🚨 The Service Sector Just Took a Hit – What It Means for You! 🚨 The latest ISM Services report is in, and it's showing signs of major weakness. With the index dropping to 50.8, we’re dangerously close to contraction territory. 📉 What does this mean for inflation? Jobs? The broader economy? 🔍 Key Takeaways: ✅ Prices Paid finally dipped—good news for inflation! ✅ Employment in services is...