Behind the Markets Podcast

Show from 2026-08-07

Host Chris Gannatti and Professor Siegel discuss the latest employment report, including weaker payroll growth, downward revisions, wage trends and what the data could mean for productivity. The Prof also weighs in on the outlook for Fed policy, oil prices, M2 money supply and unusually strong corporate earnings and profit margins. (19:50) Chris Gannatti is joined by Jon Flynn and Jeff Weniger to discuss commodities, starting with gold and the recent shift in investor flows before looking at copper and the AI data center buildout. The group explores gold’s role as a portfolio diversifier, currency intervention involving the yen, the dollar and interest-rate differentials, along with what the yield curve and economic data could signal for monetary policy. They close by discussing contrarian opportunities, including India and other areas that have seen significant investor outflows.

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Show from 2026-07-31

Host Jeremy Schwartz and Professor Siegel discuss the Fed’s decision to hold rates steady and what the Prof viewed as a poorly handled press conference that failed to clearly explain a defensible policy decision. The Prof also covers the sharp rotation from growth to value, strong consumer spending beneath the GDP report, rapid money supply growth and the importance of oil prices to inflation, sentiment and the market outlook. (13:50) Jeremy continues with Sam Rines, Blake Hyman and Michael Fridman to break down the month’s volatility in AI-related stocks, including hedge fund de-risking, leverage unwinds and the impact of risk management on semiconductor and memory names. The group reviews earnings and AI spending from Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, Google and Apple, debating whether hyperscaler capital expenditures are generating sustainable returns and whether enterprise demand confirms that AI is moving from experimentation into commercialization. They also discuss the outlook for memory companies, long-term supply agreements and why the broader AI infrastructure buildout may still be in its third or fourth inning. The conversation closes with Apple’s uncertain AI strategy, potential opportunities for private local models, movements in the Japanese yen, the Bank of Japan’s policy stance, tariff refunds for U.S. companies and the possibility that volatility and further leverage-related selling could continue into August.

WisdomTree: https://www.wisdomtree.com/investments

Show from 2026-07-24

Host Jeremy Schwartz and Professor Siegel discuss the pullback in mega-cap technology stocks, the market’s growing concern around massive capital expenditures and the pressure rising bond yields are putting on equity valuations. The Prof also weighs in on oil prices and renewed inflation risks, the importance of distinguishing real yields from nominal yields when evaluating the equity risk premium, the upcoming Fed meeting and the potential market impact of tariffs and tighter financial conditions. (19:29) Jeremy continues with Sam Rines, Chris Gannatti and Jeff Weniger to break down the latest tech earnings and the market’s increasingly skeptical reaction to AI-related spending, with a focus on whether higher CapEx, shareholder dilution and a more asset-heavy business model could change how investors value the largest technology companies. The group compares spending and buyback trends across large technology companies and financials while discussing Intel, Alphabet, Apple, Tesla, Nvidia, AMD and the broader semiconductor complex, along with the rapid growth of firms such as Anthropic and what that could mean for continued AI infrastructure investment. They also examine consumer spending and financial resilience data, the contrast between pessimistic economic surveys and still-healthy consumer activity, and close with a discussion of oil, interest rates, gold and bonds as potential portfolio hedges as markets watch for further geopolitical and inflation developments.

WisdomTree: https://www.wisdomtree.com/investments

Show from 2026-07-17

Host Jeremy Schwartz and Professor Siegel discuss softer-than-expected CPI and PPI readings, the renewed rise in oil and gasoline prices, and the possibility that higher energy costs could reverse some recent inflation progress. The Prof says the latest data reduces the likelihood of an immediate Fed hike, but warns that persistent strength in oil, gasoline and the money supply could make later policy decisions more difficult. He also reviews stronger housing starts, steady GDP expectations and the sharp rotation away from high-flying AI, semiconductor and memory stocks. Professor Siegel argues that the pullback is healthy because investors are reassessing valuations, competition, hyperscaler spending and how much customers will continue paying for computing power. (14:02) Jeremy continues with Sam Rines, Jeff Weniger and Chris Gannatti to examine crack spreads, diesel prices and the economic effects of elevated refining costs. The group discusses volatility in Korean technology shares, widespread margin calls, leveraged retail accounts and the rebalancing pressures facing major pension funds in Korea and Japan. They also review strong bank earnings, resilient consumer spending, improving credit trends and the broadening of earnings growth beyond technology. The conversation closes with hyperscaler capital spending, U.S.-China AI competition, IBM’s sharp decline, a possible rotation from hardware into software, credit-card rewards, gold prices and housing affordability.

WisdomTree: https://www.wisdomtree.com/investments

Show from 2026-07-10

Host Jeremy Schwartz is joined by Chris Gannatti and Jeff Weniger for a wide-ranging discussion on the latest developments driving technology markets and the economy. The group examines surging AI infrastructure spending, demand for memory chips, expectations for another strong earnings season, and the growing investment cycle surrounding data centers, hyperscalers and physical AI. Professor Siegel joins later in the episode to discuss the resilience of equity markets despite renewed geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, highlighting the surprising stability in oil prices, the outlook for inflation, interest rates and second-quarter GDP, while also explaining how AI-driven margin expansion continues to fuel historically strong corporate earnings growth. After Professor Siegel signs off, Jeremy, Chris and Jeff briefly wrap up the show with additional commentary on Delta's earnings, travel demand, and observations from the summer travel season. The conversation concludes with a discussion of activity in Las Vegas, consumer travel trends, and how pricing dynamics may be affecting tourism and convention traffic.

WisdomTree: https://www.wisdomtree.com/investments