With the historic government shutdown behind us, we dig back into key economic data captured over the duration of the shutdown: highlights include a modest improvement in housing activity, favorable labor market indicators despite data being somewhat stale, and mixed signals from the Federal Reserve amid uncertainty over December rate cuts. Equity markets showed heightened volatility, with strong earnings failing to sustain momentum, suggesting potential consolidation through year-end. Fixed income markets remain highly sensitive to Fed commentary, reflecting divergent views among policymakers. We also take a walk down memory lane to our 2025 predictions from last year—accurate on most calls—and preview the themes we think will impact 2026: global shifts toward nationalism, AI-driven disruption, and structural changes in financial markets. Please join us on December 3 for our last National Call of the year, when we’ll dig into these topics and take questions from the audience.

Speakers:

Brian Pietrangelo, Managing Director of Investment Strategy
George Mateyo, Chief Investment Officer

Stephen Hoedt, Head of Equities

Rajeev Sharma, Head of Fixed Income

01:53 – Current Market and Economic Updates. Housing market improvement with existing home sales. Labor market stability, with unemployment claims holding and payrolls showing growth. Federal Reserve uncertainty, as October FOMC minutes reveal mixed opinions on rate cuts. Corporate earnings reports, which were strong but met with negative market reactions

08:04 – Equity Market Volatility and Seasonal Trends. Equity markets experienced an “outside day” with sharp reversals despite strong earnings. After strong September–October rallies, November–December may see consolidation rather than a typical year-end rally

11:46 – Fed Policy and Fixed Income Market Outlook. Fixed income markets are highly sensitive to Fed signals amid data gaps from the government shutdown. Divergence among Fed members on rate cuts vs. a pause creates volatility.

15:11 – We look back at our predictions from last year for 2025 trends and assess how accurate they were, and look ahead to our predictions for 2026, which we’ll cover in more depth at our upcoming December 3 webinar (registration link below).

Additional Resources

Attend: Key Wealth National Call: Managing Wealth in an Age of Disruption and Change

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This week, we cover the historic end of U.S. penny production resulting from high manufacturing costs and obsolescence. Market updates focused on lingering uncertainty due to delayed economic data from the recent government shutdown, while Federal Reserve policy remains unclear, with rate cuts seen as a toss up ahead of December’s meeting. With holiday shopping well underway, we discuss consumer trends, noting resilience despite crosscurrents like tariffs and inflation, with strong performance from major retailers and signs of a “K-shaped” economy. Overall, our current outlook suggests cautious optimism for 2026, supported by fiscal and monetary tailwinds.

Speakers:

Brian Pietrangelo, Managing Director of Investment Strategy, Key Wealth,

George Mateyo, Chief Investment Officer, Key Wealth

Rajeev Sharma, Head of Fixed Income, Key Wealth

Bradley Thomas, Managing Director of Equity Research, KeyBanc Capital Markets

00:23 –The U.S. Mint has stopped producing pennies after 232 years due to high manufacturing costs, sparking discussion on its economic implications and impact on transactions.

02:03 –The recent and historic 43-day government shutdown has finally ended. We discuss its impact, and the resulting delays in critical economic reports like unemployment claims, CPI, and retail sales, and its role in creating uncertainty across markets.

06:18 – We highlight uncertainty around Federal Reserve policy and changes, potential December rate cuts, the lack of clarity due to missing data, and upcoming leadership turnover, including the president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta Raphael Bostic’s planned retirement in February and Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s term as Fed Chair ending in 2026.

11:20 – Special guest Brad Thomas, Managing Director of Equity Research with KeyBanc Capital Markets, joins the podcast this week to discuss consumer resilience amid crosscurrents such as tariffs and inflation, noting strong performance from major retailers, bifurcation between affluent and lower-income consumers, and shifts in spending patterns toward home-related goods.

16:09 –Our experts examine how tariff increases could affect holiday shopping, with potential price pressures in categories like toys, and how retailers are managing these challenges.

19:02 –Rising delinquencies in credit cards and loans are rising concerns for lower-income consumers, while overall outlook remains cautiously optimistic thanks to anticipated fiscal and monetary stimulus supporting spending and investment opportunities.

Additional Resources

Read: Higher Education Changes in Recent Years

Prepare: Top 10 2025 Year-End Planning Strategies for Business Owners

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This week, we explore the economic impact of the ongoing government shutdown, now in its 38th day, and its effect on labor market data and investor sentiment. Our experts discuss alternative employment indicators, strong Q3 earnings, and the influence of AI on market performance. They also examine the Federal Reserve’s cautious stance on inflation and interest rate cuts amid data uncertainty. Finally, the conversation touches on the Supreme Court’s review of Trump-era tariffs and its potential implications for market volatility.

Speakers:

Brian Pietrangelo, Managing Director of Investment Strategy

George Mateyo, Chief Investment Officer

Rajeev Sharma, Head of Fixed Income

Stephen Hoedt, Head of Equities

02:09 – We analyze available data to fill in the gaps left by unpublished reports due to the ongoing government shutdown. We discuss labor statistics around unemployment, layoffs and job growth and vacancies.

04:55 – The prolonged shutdown is dampening sentiment and creating uncertainty due to missing federal economic data.

07:47 – In equities, we highlight upward momentum in the stock market amid strong earnings reports, while cautioning about speculative froth and a market pullback.

11:45 – We explain the Fed’s dual mandate, inflation concerns, and how mixed signals are affecting bond yields and rate cut expectations.

16:31 – We consider the legal review of Trump-era tariffs and how a ruling could impact Treasury issuance and market volatility.

Additional Resources

Key Questions

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