Weekly Insights
Weekly Webcasts
Join us every Monday for expert market commentary and analysis. Our weekly webcasts cover key market developments, economic indicators, and investment strategies.
Bond Vigilantes Welcome New Fed Chair Warsh With Loud Bronx Cheer
The financial markets expect interest rates to remain higher for longer, notwithstanding President Trump’s demands that Kevin Warsh, newly instated as Fed chief, get rates down. But the macroeconomic backdrop no longer supports an easing bias, let alone a rate cut. Paradoxically, Elias and Ed explain, a more hawkish Warsh than investors expect would actually work in Trump’s favor via its downward effect on long-term Treasury yields. … We expect the Fed to hold rates unchanged at its June meeting, shifting to a tightening policy stance, followed by a rate hike in July. … Also: Two recent Fed reports confirm consumers’ resilience.
Sweet Spot For The Labor Market
April’s employment report had lots of good news for the labor market. Ed & Elias discuss some of the news that seemed to be bad but really wasn’t on closer inspection. In their view, the April jobs report amounts to a vote of confidence in the narrative that the labor market is stabilizing and may even be improving without boosting inflation. Meanwhile, retiring Baby Boomers are weighing on wages, payroll employment, disposable income, and the personal saving rate. But they are boosting consumer spending by spending their substantial net worth. … Incoming Fed chair, Kevin Warsh is likely to find that the majority of his FOMC colleagues will want to eliminate the easing bias in the committee's next statement. … Dr
Consumers Still Doing What They Do Best
Consumer spending is the single biggest driver of US GDP growth, and its remarkable resilience despite lackluster income growth contributes mightily to the resilience of the US economy broadly. Today, Ed and Elias explain why consumer spending has seemed to defy economic gravity and why it should continue to do so. The short answer: our “gen-shaped economy,” shaped by generational dynamics as the Baby Boomers move through life’s phases. As retired Boomers chip away at their massive nest eggs while not earning a paycheck, they’re keeping consumption aloft and the saving rate falling. … Also: Three other consumption tailwinds are worth noting. So is one potential risk to our optimistic spending outlook: a prolonged period of triple-digit oil prices. … And: Dr Ed reviews “Mr. Burton” (+ +).
The Oil Shock & Inflation
Why hasn’t the price of Brent crude oil gone through the roof despite the closure of the Strait of Hormuz since February 28? Ed and Elias explain the anomalous price action. … Also: Why US oil producers aren’t pumped enough by higher energy prices to save the day. … And: How the energy supply crisis is likely to feed into inflation, not just via higher gasoline and fuel prices but higher food prices as well given constrained fertilizer supplies. Nevertheless, disinflationary wage and rent forces should prevail once inflationary pressures dissipate in coming months. … Finally, how the Fed is likely to react to higher inflation data near term. … Also: Dr Ed reviews “Michael” (+ +).
Debating Warsh
Kevin Warsh, the probable next Fed chair, wants to lower the federal funds rate sooner rather than later. Few FOMC members agree with him. Ed and Elias don’t either. Today, they explain why Warsh’s case for lower rates is fundamentally flawed. It rests on the economic dogma that, because the labor share of National Income is declining amid an AI-fueled productivity boom, the theoretical neutral federal funds rate, R*, is also declining. On the contrary, explain Ed and Elias, the productivity boom raises R* for reasons unique to the current economic backdrop. That leaves little room for the aggressive rate cuts Warsh envisions without risking speculative bubbles and a financial crisis. Also, the Bond Vigilantes would probably resist Fed easing, as they have since 2024. … Ed reviews “Anniversary” (++).
On US Profits, Consumers & Inflation
With the US economy producing record-breaking earnings and margins, Dr Ed and Elias wouldn’t be surprised to see employment pick up despite AI adoption and other factors holding it back. … They also expect consumer spending to remain resiliently robust even though income growth isn’t keeping up, which is depressing the saving rate. But not even a negative saving rate—which may occur—would tank consumer spending in today’s environment, they maintain. The spending of retired Baby Boomers would keep it afloat. … Also: CPI inflation historically runs higher than PCED inflation; lately, the reverse is true. That’s mostly because rent inflation, which is moderating rapidly, carries more weight in the CPI.
Anatomy Of The US Labor Market
Last week's employment report was widely interpreted as good because jobs growth rebounded and the unemployment rate dropped. Dr Ed and Elias disagree. Our inflation-adjusted Earned Income Proxy fell as inflation surged, a bad sign. Moreover, the jobs growth required to keep unemployment stable (the "breakeven rate") has collapsed, so a dropping unemployment rate must be evaluated in that context. Both labor supply and labor demand have contracted in recent months but remain roughly in balance. In sum, it's too simplistic to evaluate payroll reports against the old benchmarks. Folks who do are likely to draw the wrong conclusions. Also noteworthy: Retiring Baby Boomers are weighing on real disposable income while simultaneously bolstering consumer spending.
All About Earnings (with special guest Nick Raich)
Join Ed Yardeni with special guest Nick Raich (https://www.earningsscout.com) as they discuss recent earnings.
From Powell To Warsh
Kevin Warsh, President Trump’s nominee to replace Fed Chair Powell, no doubt will lean toward dovish policy-making, under pressure from the President to convince the rest of the FOMC to err on the side of easing. But the timing of Warsh’s confirmation is uncertain. Today, Dr Ed along with our new contributing editor Elias Griepentrog take us on a thought experiment: Under three alternative scenarios for the length of the Iran war, they project the economic impacts and associated ramifications for monetary policy under Warsh’s leadership versus that of Powell.
Is Less Dire Strait Easing Market Fears? (with special guest Eric Wallerstein)
The energy and financial markets are taking the war in the Middle East remarkably well, all things considered. Investors seem to believe that the war will be short-lived and perhaps are focusing on the bright side: The lost physical supplies of oil are maybe half as much as they could have been, partly because Iran is still allowing tankers from friendly nations to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Today, Dr Ed reviews the current state of affairs, concluding that the blockade of the Strait might not be as dire a development as widely feared, including by us.
Between Iran & A Hard Place
With the US suddenly thick in the fog of war, Dr Ed discusses the collateral effects on the US economy and stock market. Spiking oil prices may precipitate a stock market correction rather than a bear market, but the latter is possible. The Roaring 2020s remains Dr Ed’s base-case outlook for the rest of this year with subjective odds unchanged at 60%. But there’s now much less chance of a Meltup (with odds of just 5%) and greater odds of a Meltdown (35%). For the rest of the decade, he sees either a continuation of the Roaring 2020s (85%) or a new scenario, the Stagflating 1970s Redux (15%). If investors start expecting stagflation, a bear market is more likely. Markets should stabilize once the Strait of Hormuz reopens to safe navigation.
Another Regime Alteration
Saturday’s military attack on Iran by the US and Israel that killed Iran’s leader and 40 top officials is likely to push oil prices higher this week. However, in our short-war scenario, oil prices should fall in the coming weeks after a ceasefire. In any event, the attack also incapacitated Iran’s navy, so the threat of a blocked Strait of Hormuz has been greatly reduced. This is potentially a positive development from economic and investment perspectives, greatly reducing geopolitical risk in the Middle East once the war ends. If oil prices drop in the coming weeks following a ceasefire, US inflation and gasoline prices will decline, boosting US consumer spending and benefiting global economies and stock markets. The weekend’s Middle East developments make us even more confident in our Roaring 2020s scenario.
Europe’s Latest To-Do List & Poland Shows How To Do It
European leaders’ annual meeting in Belgium yielded a plan to increase Europe’s global competitiveness: One Market, One Europe. William discusses the pressures that have steeled leaders’ determination to unite the member countries into a single market, the three pillars of the plan itself, and challenges that stand in the way. Of utmost importance is incentivizing private investment to get member countries on board.
10 Roaring Reasons To Remain Optimistic
Annual real GDP growth averaged 3.6% during the second half of the 1900s versus just 2.1% since 2000. Dr Ed projects a return to 3.6% or higher over the remainder of the “Roaring 2020s” and into the “Roaring 2030s.” Today, he discusses 10 reasons for his bullishness on the outlooks for both the US economy and S&P 500 companies’ earnings. These include robust consumer spending supported by demographics and a huge wealth effect, massive capital spending on technology, onshoring trends, a productivity growth boom, fiscal and monetary stimulus, energy spending, and the Trump administration’s rebalancing of US trade with lower imports and greater exports.
Meet Kevin Warsh
Today, Dr Ed examines the world according to Kevin Warsh, President Trump’s pick for the next Fed chair. Warsh believes that the US is undergoing a productivity-led growth boom, as our Roaring 2020s thesis maintains, which should be supported by supply-side, pro-growth policymaking. He thinks fiscal policy’s role is to spur economic activity by keeping taxes low and regulations light, while monetary policy’s role is to spur investment by keeping interest rates low. He rejects the Phillips Curve model that views inflation as a byproduct of low unemployment and too much economic growth; Warsh views inflation as a “choice,” a byproduct of unsound fiscal and monetary policy decisions. And he envisions a new approach to Fed policymaking that’s less reactive to the latest economic data.
In Praise Of Record Profits!
A curiosity of the current US economy is its remarkable strength despite an affordability crisis. Average real consumption per household and real hourly earnings of production and nonsupervisory workers are at record highs, but plenty of people fall short of the average. When entrepreneurial capitalism is flourishing, Dr Ed explains, the wealthy benefit faster. … Entrepreneurism is flourishing currently, as record-high proprietors’ income and new-business applications attest. Yet it hasn’t boosted employment to the degree expected. In the past, profitable companies had to increase both capital spending and payrolls in order to expand. Now, the former may be enough: Investments in new technology have boosted productivity so much that new hires are less necessary.
On The Latest Geopolitical Consequences Of Donald Trump
The EU finally inked a long-sought trade deal with a bloc of South American countries the very day that Trump slapped additional tariffs on EU countries opposing the US’s purchase of Greenland. William explains why the South American deal is a huge boon for Europe. … He also discusses geopolitical fallout from Trump’s move on Venezuela, including how it impedes China’s ambitions in South America, may ramp up China’s efforts to take over Taiwan, and may threaten the US-China trade talks.
2025 Was A Great Year For The Roaring 2020s
Last year was a picture-perfect rendering of our Roaring 2020s scenario in action. Economic growth soared on the shoulders of a productivity boom. Dr Ed expects more of the same through the decade’s end and possibly beyond. That should set the stage for excellent earnings growth, supporting our S&P 500 target of 10,000 by the end of the decade. Today, he explains why even recent labor market weakness can’t derail this narrative. It’s a “Gen-Shaped Economy,” with retired Baby Boomers keeping consumer spending aloft irrespective of the labor market. ...
The Gen-Shaped Economy
It’s an economic curiosity of our times: The US economy is undeniably strong, in fact remarkably resilient in the face of recent headwinds. Yet it’s in the midst of an affordability crisis that has hit Gen Zers and other lower-income folks especially hard. Even so, consumer spending is brisk, and Dr Ed expects it to remain so. What’s going on? The paradoxes can be explained largely by one distortive phenomenon: The largest generation in history is retiring and spending substantial nest eggs accumulated over decades of work
More Thoughts on 2026: Markets, Earnings, and Volatility
Dr Ed Yardeni shares additional thoughts on the outlook for 2026, including why the economy and markets remain resilient and where risks may emerge. He discusses earnings-driven market gains, consensus S&P 500 targets, the impact of Fed easing and fiscal stimulus, and why the first half of 2026 could be volatile despite a constructive full-year outlook. Ed also covers AI competition, productivity trends, bond yields, deficits, gold, and key contrarian indicators.
Stocks, Bonds & Gold In 2026
Ed Yardeni shares his outlook for stocks, bonds, and gold in 2026, examining the key drivers that could shape each asset class in the year ahead.
Game Of Thrones: The Mag-7 & The Fed
It has all the drama of “Game of Thrones”: The Magnificent-7 kingdoms, each surrounded by moats, rarely had threatened each other’s monopolies in the past. Now, with the advent of AI, they have been encroaching on each other’s previously sacrosanct fiefdoms, forcing one another to spend ever more to remain in the game. Amid the chaotic disruption, investors’ AI euphoria has given way to AI agita as confidence in the Mag-7 ebbs. Are their earnings inflated by accounting? Will returns justify their capital investments? Our take: AI will have a powerful impact on productivity in the economy. The winners may not be among the Mag-7 at all but the S&P 500’s Impressive 493 and the economy at large. … Today, Dr Ed enlists the help of Google’s Gemini AI assistant to extend the “Game of Thrones” metaphor to this disruption as well as the transition in the Fed’s Iron Throne.
2026: Another Year Of Living Audaciously!
The coming new year looks like another good one for stock investors. Dr Ed is adjusting his subjective odds of various stock market scenarios, including raising the odds of his base-case Roaring 2020s outlook to 60%. Associated assumptions for earnings and valuation levels produce an S&P 500 price target of 7700 by year-end 2026. Alternative scenarios include a bear case, triggered by a recession or recession fears (20% odds), and a stock market meltdown/meltup (trimmed to 20%). … Also discussed: Five winds at the economy’s back that support a continuation of the Roaring 2020s and six potential developments that could blow it off course.
2026 Is Coming!
Our base-case outlook calls for a continuation of the Roaring 2020s scenario next year, with ongoing productivity gains that fuel a robust economy, which propels earnings and the stock market higher. Today, Dr Ed reviews the Roaring 2020s thesis; outlines what he expects 2026 will bring in terms of economic variables, earnings, and the S&P 500; makes portfolio allocation recommendations; and weighs in on the “Impressive-493,” the rising appeal of foreign stock markets, bullish expectations for the dollar and gold, and bearish ones for bitcoin. After the Roaring 2020s? There’s reason to think the 2030s could roar as well.