Show from 09/12/25
Host Jeremy Schwartz and Professor Siegel analyze the recent inflation data, highlighting the implications for next week’s pivotal Fed meeting. The Professor suggests a 25-basis-point rate cut is likely, but notes that a weak retail sales report could justify a 50-basis-point move. He emphasizes the importance of the September dot plot in gauging Fed sentiment and explores the limited current impact of tariffs on inflation metrics, despite market anticipation. Siegel also points to diverging signals in the CPI and PPI reports and the potential for dissenting votes within the Fed as signs of growing internal debate. (9:28) Jeremy is joined by Sam Rines, Jeff Weniger, and Chris Gannatti for a dynamic discussion covering Fed expectations, political volatility, and macroeconomic developments. The team examines Oracle’s massive AI-linked bookings and its potential to reshape the software sector, discusses how manufacturers are navigating tariffs with pricing power, and reflects on potential Supreme Court developments that could spark a surprise fiscal stimulus. They dive into early innings of AI adoption, exploring how government policy, private innovation, and breakthroughs in biotech and quantum computing may drive future productivity. The group discusses European defense spending as a de-risked investment theme and the rising significance of Asian defense budgets, particularly in Japan, India, and South Korea. They close with commentary on under-owned trades like gold and Japanese equities, the challenge of disrupting entrenched players in healthcare, and optimism around innovation driving long-term growth despite short-term valuation concerns.
WisdomTree: https://www.wisdomtree.com/investments
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Will AI Peak Eventually Rival 2000 Bubble Levels?
Show from 09/05/25
Host Jeremy Schwartz and Professor Siegel discuss the latest job report, which showed weaker-than-expected numbers, particularly in manufacturing and healthcare. The Professor highlights that while the household survey showed a gain, it's too volatile to weigh heavily. He emphasizes that the labor market is softening, which aligns with the bond market's pricing-in of rate cuts at upcoming Fed meetings. Siegel also notes productivity data remains unimpressive despite a recent bounce and reiterates his belief that equity markets remain in a bull phase, supported by anticipated rate cuts and broader AI optimism. (11:51) Jeremy is then joined by Sam Rines and Jeff Weniger, who analyze consumer behavior through companies like Costco and Lululemon, noting that middle- and upper-income consumers remain resilient. They dive into the struggles of traditional staples like Kraft-Heinz and Pepsi, which are facing breakup speculation and activist investor pressure, while also discussing historical examples of value creation through corporate spin-offs. The conversation expands to gold and gold miners, which are benefiting from central bank buying, falling interest rates, and improved operational efficiencies. In the second half of the episode, Blake Heimann and Chris Gannatti join to unpack insights from a tech conference, highlighting AI infrastructure trends, chip supply dynamics, and the rising relevance of companies like NVIDIA, Broadcom, and SoftBank. They also explore pressures in the software sector from private competitors and ongoing leadership transitions. The group discusses how firms are building agentic AI workflows atop specialized datasets, creating opportunities and risks as Big Tech integrates AI across platforms. The show closes with a detailed conversation on AI compute economics, GPU payback cycles, and the sustainability of massive CapEx spending in AI infrastructure.
Blake Heimann on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blakeheimann/?originalSubdomain=uk
WisdomTree: https://www.wisdomtree.com/investments
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Harvesting Alpha from Dirt: From Cornfields to Data Centers
Show from 09/01/25
Host Jeremy Schwartz travels across Indiana with Brandon Zick, CIO of Ceres Partners, as they explore farmland investments following WisdomTree’s acquisition announcement of Ceres. Brandon and Jeremy dive into the fundamentals of farmland investing, including its inflation-hedging characteristics, active property sourcing strategies, and the portfolio's strong historical returns. They also discuss the optionality in farmland from uses like solar, wind, and data centers, the role of dairy and biodiesel, and the impact of tariffs, labor dynamics, and energy policies on farm operations and profitability.
Guest: Brandon Zick is responsible for managing all investments at Ceres Partners, including Ceres Farms flagship farmland fund and Ceres Food & Agriculture private equity strategies. In this role he supervises valuation analysis, acquisition/investment due diligence, portfolio and tenant management, and acquisition negotiations and execution. Prior to joining Ceres in 2010, Mr. Zick served as Vice President of Strategic Acquisitions at Morgan Stanley Investment Management where he performed due diligence, valuation analysis, deal negotiation and execution of strategic business transactions. Previously, he worked as a senior associate of investor relations at Morgan Stanley, and Brandon began his career as a finance associate at Lehman Brothers.Brandon currently serves on the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago Advisory Council and the Small Business, Agriculture & Labor sub-council. Mr. Zick is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame with a B.B.A. in finance and a Japanese concentration and is a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst. Mr. Zick grew up on a family dairy and crop farm in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Brandon Zick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandon-zick-394a5310
WisdomTree: https://www.wisdomtree.com/investments
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High Conviction Ideas
Show from 08/29/25
Host Jeremy Schwartz and Professor Siegel discuss the PCE inflation data coming in exactly as expected, a surprising widening in the July trade deficit, and the implications of upcoming employment data on the Fed's decision-making. The Prof suggests a 25 basis point cut is likely unless job numbers are unexpectedly weak. (14:22) Jeremy is joined by Sean Avory, CIO of Avory Co, who shares his constructive view on markets, discusses opportunities in small and mid-cap equities, and outlines his firm's high-conviction investment strategies across public and private markets. The conversation highlights themes such as AI infrastructure, data-driven investing, and identity verification as a key growth sector. Sean also offers insight on valuation dislocations caused by passive investing trends and the role active ETFs may play going forward.
Wisdom Tree: https://www.wisdomtree.com/investments
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Surviving the Storm
Show from 08/22/25
Host Jeremy Schwartz and Professor Siegel react to Powell’s dovish shift in tone, with the Professor characterizing it as a clear pivot towards rate cuts. Siegel emphasizes that inflationary pressures driven by tariffs are likely to be treated as one-time increases and ignored by the Fed, while the labor market becomes the primary focus going forward. He outlines a forecast of 75 basis points of cuts by early next year, contingent on labor conditions, and notes that falling long-term yields could significantly ease mortgage rates, supporting continued strength in equities. (28:36) Jeremy continues with Samuel Rines live from Margate, where they examine how corporate earnings, particularly from Walmart and Ross stores, reveal that consumers remain active despite rising prices. However, they caution that tariff impacts are starting to show up in margins, especially for small caps, which have already been under pressure from high interest rates. The conversation turns to sector positioning, including renewed strength in defense stocks amid European geopolitical developments, and optimism around Japan’s equity markets driven by favorable global policies and undervaluation. They also discuss the role of government involvement in strategic industries like semiconductors, the equity premium in Japan versus the U.S., and how policy changes are reshaping investment flows. Sam concludes that managing margins, not revenues, will be the critical driver of equity performance over the next 6 to 12 months, especially as companies navigate cost pressures without triggering political backlash.
Wisdom Tree: https://www.wisdomtree.com/investments
Hosts Jeremy Schwartz, Global CIO at WisdomTree and Wharton finance Professor Jeremy Siegel, author of Stocks for the Long Run, discuss the how and why of market performance with leading economists and market strategists to inform you what’s ahead for the economy and your portfolio.
Jeremy Schwartz has served as WisdomTree’s Global Chief Investment Officer since November 2021 and leads the investment strategy team in the construction of WisdomTree’s equity indexes, quantitative active strategies and multi-asset model portfolios. Mr. Schwartz joined WisdomTree in May 2005 as a Senior Analyst, adding to his responsibilities in February 2007 as Deputy Director of Research and thereafter, from October 2008 to October 2018, as Director of Research and from November 2018 to November 2021 as Global Head of Research. Prior to joining WisdomTree, he was head research assistant for Professor Jeremy Siegel and in 2022 became his co-author on the 6th edition of the book Stocks for the Long Run. Mr. Schwartz also is co-author of the Financial Analysts Journal paper, What Happened to the Original Stocks in the S&P 500? He received his B.S. in Economics from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and hosts the Wharton Business Radio program Behind the Markets on SiriusXM 132. Mr. Schwartz is a member of the CFA Society of Philadelphia.
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