What's Next For Markets

With the midterm elections approaching, investors are increasingly focused on the potential for a shift in control of Congress and what it could mean for markets. This week, we sit down with political and policy analyst Don Schneider to examine the key Senate races, the possibility of a Democratic sweep and the investment implications of different election outcomes. We discuss the outlook for fiscal policy and government spending, potential winners and losers across sectors, the growing intersection of politics and AI infrastructure, and whether mounting deficit concerns could put further pressure on interest rates. We also look beyond the midterms to consider what today's political dynamics could mean for the policy landscape heading into 2028.

For full disclosure information visit: http://www.pipersandler.com/researchdisclosures

After an extraordinary run of earnings growth and risk-taking, market leadership is beginning to shift. In today’s episode we discuss why the tailwinds that fueled the past 15 months may be fading, how higher oil prices and interest rates could weigh on growth, and why investors may increasingly favor quality over speculative beta. We explore the implications for AI-related stocks, the outlook for earnings into 2027, and how we see positioning for the next phase of the cycle, with an emphasis on cash flow, profitability, balance sheet strength and earnings momentum.

This week, we sit down with consumer analyst Anna Andreeva to unpack the findings from Piper Sandler’s 26th annual Teens Survey, exploring shifting brand preferences, rising price sensitivity, and the shift from athletic to dressier apparel. We discuss what these trends signal for consumer spending and where investors may find opportunities across footwear, apparel, and beauty.

Michael and Stephen are joined by Paul Newsome to discuss the evolving insurance landscape and where investors can find opportunities as the market cycle shifts. They examine the divergence between life insurers, property and casualty carriers, and insurance brokers, with a focus on interest rates, inflation, capital management, and rising M&A activity. The conversation also explores the potential impact of AI on insurance distribution and profitability, the outlook for homeowners insurance costs, and why select insurance companies may stand out for their balance sheet strength and returns on capital.

For full disclosure information visit: http://www.pipersandler.com/researchdisclosures

This week we are joined by Danny Kirsch, head of the options desk at Piper Sandler, for a look beneath the surface of today’s resilient but increasingly narrow market. We discuss why investors have low conviction despite major moves in rates and oil, why the S&P 500 has become a less effective hedge, and what options positioning and volatility are revealing about investor sentiment. Danny also explore the narrowing AI trade, risks emerging in regional and European banks, the potential impact of the midterm elections, and where opportunities and vulnerabilities may be hiding as the market searches for its next catalyst.

For full disclosure information visit: http://www.pipersandler.com/researchdisclosures

In this episode, Michael and Stephen dig into one of the biggest questions facing markets: how much of the current economic and earnings strength is actually being driven by AI? Using company-level data built from thousands of earnings-call transcripts, they examine AI adoption, the companies benefiting from the AI build-out, and how many are actually seeing measurable improvements in margins and fundamentals. They also explore why the broader earnings recovery extends well beyond AI, what the data says about employment, and where pricing power and inflation pressures are showing up across sectors and industries.

For full disclosure information visit: http://www.pipersandler.com/researchdisclosures

The third quarter is nearly in the books, and in this episode we take a look at what could drive markets through the final months of the year. With earnings expectations remaining strong, the focus is increasingly shifting toward market multiples and the forces behind them, particularly interest rates, oil prices and expectations for Fed policy. Michael explains why a market that has become mathematically cheaper isn't necessarily more attractively valued, and why the outlook for oil and rates could be the biggest swing factor for stocks into year-end. They also discuss the fading potential for further multiple expansion among the mega-cap AI names and why investors may want to increasingly focus on profitable companies with strong earnings momentum as the economy moves toward 2027.

For full disclosure information visit: http://www.pipersandler.com/researchdisclosures

Interest rates have been one of the biggest market stories of 2026, but what is really driving them higher? Kurt Lewis of Piper Sandler joins the podcast to break down the outlook for the Fed, inflation, real rates and the term premium. We discuss why the 10-year Treasury may have a hard time returning to 4%, whether deficits are actually driving rates higher, how oil and supply shocks have changed the bond market, and why a higher neutral rate could mean a very different interest-rate environment going forward. We also discuss the Fed’s dot plot and whether it has become more trouble than it’s worth.

For full disclosure information visit: http://www.pipersandler.com/researchdisclosures

Anna Andreeva joins us to break down what’s really happening beneath the surface of today’s consumer. While the consumer remains resilient, Anna describes them as increasingly “finicky” and selective, forcing brands to compete on innovation, differentiation and scarcity. We discuss the growing bifurcation in consumer spending, why experiences and beauty continue to outperform, which brands are successfully maintaining pricing power, and how tariffs are reshaping the industry. Anna also shares her views on the winners and losers across footwear, apparel and beauty, including who are the most exciting brands in the space right now.

For full disclosure information visit: http://www.pipersandler.com/researchdisclosures

Don Schneider joins us to break down Treasury’s surprise buyback announcement and what it signals about the bond market, long-term rates and the government’s broader issuance strategy. We also discuss the persistent U.S. deficit, whether the economy can actually grow its way out of the debt burden, the outlook for tariffs and the market-moving policy decisions that could emerge between now and the midterm elections. Don also weighs in on the growing political risks surrounding AI, data centers and the massive infrastructure buildout behind the AI boom.

For full disclosure information visit: http://www.pipersandler.com/researchdisclosures

Alex Goldfarb joins us to explain why a lack of new real estate supply could create a powerful opportunity for REIT investors. We discuss the rebound in office, industrial and retail, how AI is driving unexpected demand for space, and why construction costs are keeping new supply constrained. Alex also explains why he is even more bullish on real estate than he was a year ago and where he sees the biggest opportunities over the next several years.

For full disclosure information visit: http://www.pipersandler.com/researchdisclosures

This week, we break down the three biggest themes driving today's market: accelerating economic data, exceptional corporate earnings, and the broadening of market leadership. We discuss why manufacturing PMIs continue to surprise to the upside, what another outstanding earnings season says about the strength of corporate America, and why the market's leadership is rotating from high-beta growth stocks toward value and quality cyclicals. We also explore how a softer-than-expected jobs report could give the Federal Reserve more flexibility, why new all-time highs in financials and industrials matter, and what these trends suggest about the outlook for equities through the rest of the year and into 2027. If you're trying to understand what's really driving markets—and where opportunities may lie as this bull market matures—this episode connects the dots between the data, earnings, and investor positioning.

For full disclosure information visit: http://www.pipersandler.com/researchdisclosures

EV adoption is entering a new phase as higher gasoline prices, robotaxis, artificial intelligence, and global competition reshape the automotive industry. We sit down with Piper Sandler's Alex Potter to discuss why Chinese automakers continue gaining market share, how Tesla's vertically integrated business model is changing the rules of manufacturing, and why autonomous driving may become one of the biggest technological disruptions of the next decade. We also explore SpaceX's long-term ambitions, the future of robotics, how self-driving vehicles could transform insurance and car ownership, and why investors should think beyond traditional auto companies when evaluating the next wave of innovation.

For full disclosure information visit: http://www.pipersandler.com/researchdisclosures

Enterprise software has been one of the market's biggest losers, but are investors overreacting to AI fears? Piper Sandler's Billy Fitzsimmons joins us to break down whether AI is truly disrupting the software business model, why valuations have collapsed, where opportunities still exist, and how Microsoft, Oracle, and the hyperscalers fit into the next phase of the AI investment cycle. We also discuss vibe coding, consumption-based pricing, AI infrastructure spending, and why the eventual IPOs of OpenAI and Anthropic could reshape the entire software landscape.

For full disclosure information visit: http://www.pipersandler.com/researchdisclosures

Consumer spending has been far more resilient than many investors expected, but the story isn't as simple as strong or weak. Peter Keith joins the podcast to explain why today's consumer is increasingly selective, how the K-shaped economy may finally be narrowing, and why certain retail categories are showing surprising strength despite ongoing housing weakness. We discuss what investors are hearing about oil prices, interest rates, the Middle East, and Federal Reserve policy, along with why many consumer-focused investors are becoming more optimistic for the second half of the year. Peter also shares where he's finding the biggest opportunities, including furniture, home-related products, and lower-income retail, while explaining why housing remains stuck waiting for lower mortgage rates. Finally, we preview earnings season, discuss the impact of tariff refunds and AI initiatives, and highlight the companies that could deliver the biggest surprises over the coming quarters.

The second quarter delivered the strongest market performance in six years, but the headlines only tell part of the story. In this episode, we step back from the day-to-day market noise to explore the bigger trends that shaped the quarter and what they could mean for investors going forward. We discuss why the rally broadened beyond the largest technology stocks, how improving manufacturing data and stronger-than-expected corporate earnings fueled gains across the market, and why the next phase of the AI trade may look very different from the last. We also examine shifting Federal Reserve expectations, the outlook for inflation, and the key indicators we'll be watching as earnings season begins. If you want to understand what really drove markets this quarter and where the opportunities and risks may lie next, this episode provides the context behind the headlines.

For full disclosure information visit: http://www.pipersandler.com/researchdisclosures

The second half of the year is off to a strong start, but beneath the surface the market is changing. This week we're joined by Danny Kirsch to discuss why investors are increasingly looking beyond the AI trade and what that could mean for the next phase of the bull market. We dive into the broadening rally across the S&P 500, why semiconductor stocks have become unusually volatile, and how leveraged ETFs may be amplifying those swings. We also explore whether the Mag 7 could regain leadership as companies begin rethinking massive AI spending plans, why July has historically been one of the market's strongest months, and how options markets may be underpricing key events like CPI, the Fed, and earnings season.

For full disclosure information visit: http://www.pipersandler.com/researchdisclosures

For the past few years, AI has been the market's defining story, but the conversation is beginning to evolve. In this episode, we examine why falling Treasury yields are becoming just as important as AI earnings, what the Fed may be signaling versus what the market believes, and why a broadening rally has quietly been taking shape. We also discuss how changing inflation expectations, improving economic data, and stronger earnings revisions are supporting areas of the market that have largely been overlooked, even as AI remains a powerful long-term theme.

For full disclosure information visit: http://www.pipersandler.com/researchdisclosures

Inflation may be cooling faster than markets expect and the implications are big. This week, we sit down with Jake Oubina to break down why commodity shocks are fading, why core inflation is set to grind lower, and why the Fed may be done hiking for this cycle. We connect the dots from falling gas prices to improving consumer confidence, stronger job growth, and a potential tailwind for housing and rate-sensitive sectors. If this disinflation trend holds, it could mark a shift back toward a Goldilocks environment with lower rates, expanding multiples, and a much broader market rally.

For full disclosure information visit: http://www.pipersandler.com/researchdisclosures

In this episode, we go deep into the mechanics of index construction with Jackson Venjohn Head Of Index Rebalancing At Piper Sandler. With hundreds of billions in forced buying and selling, the rise of passive investing has fundamentally changed how stocks trade, how liquidity forms, and how opportunities emerge. We unpack the largest rebalance cycle ever, and how blockbuster IPOs like SpaceX could reshape flows for years to come. If you want to understand what’s really moving markets beneath the surface, this is the conversation.

For full disclosure information visit: http://www.pipersandler.com/researchdisclosures