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What's Next For Markets

Michael Kantrowitz

When it comes to equity markets, there is a seller for every buyer. But how do you know which side of the trade to be on? Macro trends explain 70% of stock movements so understanding the macro backdrop is essential. Join Michael Kantrowitz, No. 1 ranked* Wall Street investment strategist, and the rest of the portfolio strategy & quantitative research team at Piper Sandler as they discuss current macro trends and what’s next for markets. Michael, Stephen, Emily, Joe and Dan have been working together for over 15 years. They pride themselves on their knowledge of financial market history while offering value added research and time-saving resources to their clients. The team utilizes the H.O.P.E. framework (Housing, Orders, Profits & Employment), a proven business cycle analysis to guide listeners through investment decisions and manage risk/reward in global equity markets. When they aren’t advising the best and brightest on Wall Street, they share bad taste in movies and good taste in cuisine. For more information on the podcast and the team visit whatsnextformarkets.com

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Sunday · 20 min
Anna Andreeva on the “Extremely Finicky” Consumer
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
August 23 · 20 min
Treasury Buybacks, Tariffs & the Next Market Shock with Don Schneider
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
August 16 · 26 min
Alex Goldfarb On Why REITs Could Be Entering Their Best Years in Decades
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
August 9 · 12 min
3 Market Themes You Can't Ignore
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
July 31 · 40 min
The Future Drives Itself With Alex Potter
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
July 26 · 47 min
Software's AI Reckoning With Billy Fitzsimmons
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
July 19 · 21 min
The State Of The Consumer With Piper Sandler’s Peter Keith
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.
July 12 · 13 min
The Best Quarter in Six Years: What's Really Driving Markets?
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
July 5 · 27 min
Cheap Options And Expensive AI: Taking Stock With Danny Kirsch
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
June 28 · 18 min
Markets, Rates, and the Return of Breadth
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
June 14 · 27 min
The Case for Lower Inflation With Jake Oubina
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
June 7 · 21 min
Inside the Biggest Index Rebalance And Upcoming Blockbuster IPOs
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
May 31 · 16 min
Why Our Rates Thesis Keeps Delivering
In this episode, we unpack the profound shift reshaping markets: the transition from a growth-driven framework to one dominated by interest rates and inflation anxiety. What began in late 2023 as a simple observation—that falling rates lift equities while rising rates pressure them—has evolved into a full-blown regime change with deep historical parallels. We explore why “bad news” like softer economic data can now be bullish, how decades-old correlations have flipped, and what this means for positioning across sectors. With affordability pressures, a bifurcated consumer, and a massive AI-driven earnings backdrop all in play, this conversation breaks down the signals that matter, the risks that could disrupt the trend, and why this new paradigm may be with investors for years to come. For full disclosure information visit: http://www.pipersandler.com/researchdisclosures
May 24 · 16 min
The Rate Squeeze
Interest rates are once again the market’s main character and while headline indices sit near all-time highs, the story underneath is far less comfortable. In this episode, Michael unpacks the growing disconnect between index-level strength and deteriorating market breadth, We dig into the regime shift that’s made rates matter more than growth, the reflexive cycle between yields, economic data, and equities, and why both the worst and best market moves tend to cluster around turning points in rates. From the K-shaped economy to the constant whipsaw in Fed expectations, this conversation explores what clients are asking, what the data is actually saying, and where the biggest opportunities may be if rates finally start to ease. For full disclosure information visit: http://www.pipersandler.com/researchdisclosures
May 17 · 33 min
The Vibepression Economy With Kevin Gordon Of Charles Schwab
In this episode, we’re joined by Kevin Gordon, Head of Macro Research and Strategy at Charles Schwab, to break down one of the most confusing market environments in years. Despite geopolitical tension, rising rates, and persistent inflation concerns, markets continue to push to new highs. Kevin shares what he’s hearing from investors across the country, from retail to institutional and why the gap between how people feel about the economy and what the data says may be the defining feature of this cycle. We dig into the idea of a “vibepression,” where sentiment remains deeply negative even as growth and employment hold up, and explore why affordability—not job loss—is today’s central economic pressure point. The conversation also tackles the growing concentration in markets, the dominance of mega-cap tech, and why investors may be overlooking opportunities beneath the surface. Kevin explains why diversification still matters, even in a world where a handful of stocks drive index returns, and how thinking in terms of themes—not sectors—can better capture where markets are headed. We also discuss whether today’s environment resembles past bubbles, how AI is reshaping both growth and inflation, and why interest rates—not earnings—may be the biggest risk to markets from here. Finally, Kevin shares his framework for separating “front-page risk” from what actually impacts markets, along with his outlook for the months ahead and the key signals investors should be watching.
May 10 · 14 min
Markets Defy Gravity: Rates Up, Stocks Higher
In this episode, Emily breaks down a week where stocks hit all-time highs even as interest rates and oil prices moved higher. So what’s really going on? The answer lies beneath the surface. Despite constant headline noise and investor skepticism, the underlying story is clear; this market rally is broader, stronger, and more fundamentally driven than many realize. The big question—can it continue? For full disclosure information visit: http://www.pipersandler.com/researchdisclosures
May 3 · 28 min
Inside the Fed With Kurt Lewis: From Crisis Playbooks to What Comes Next
In this episode we sit down with Kurt Lewis, Head of Central Bank Policy at Piper Sandler and former Special Advisor to Fed Chair Jerome Powell. Kurt brings a rare insider perspective, having spent nearly two decades at the Federal Reserve, including during the global financial crisis, the COVID shock, and the recent inflation surge. From briefing policymakers to shaping conversations at the highest levels, he’s seen firsthand how the Fed responds when the stakes are highest. The conversation begins with Kurt’s unexpected entry into the Fed just before the 2008 crisis, where macro theory quickly gave way to real-time problem solving in financial markets. He shares what it was like inside the Fed and what those experiences taught him about risk, data, and decision-making. Looking ahead, the discussion turns to what may change in the next era of Fed leadership. From communication strategy and forward guidance to the future of the balance sheet and inflation framework, Kurt outlines where a new Chair could reshape policy and where institutional constraints make change much harder. This is a deep dive into how the Fed really works—and what it means for markets next. For full disclosure information visit: http://www.pipersandler.com/researchdisclosures
April 26 · 13 min
Strong Data, Weak Sentiment
Four months into the year, markets have been anything but quiet. Headlines around oil prices, geopolitics, and inflation anxiety continue to dominate the narrative, but beneath the noise, the data tells a very different story. In this episode, we break down why resilient economic data is quietly driving markets higher. From surging PMI readings to improving earnings breadth across small, mid, and large caps, the conversation highlights a major shift underway; this is no longer just a mega-cap tech story. The big takeaway: while markets may feel volatile on the surface, the underlying fundamentals are broadening and that could have major implications for portfolio positioning in the months ahead. For full disclosure information visit: http://www.pipersandler.com/researchdisclosures
April 19 · 36 min
Staying the Economic Course With Jake Oubina
In this episode, we welcome back Jake Oubina, Managing Director and Deputy Head of Economic Research at Piper Sandler, for a wide-ranging discussion on the macro outlook. Despite geopolitical tensions, rising oil prices, and shifting sentiment, Jake has remained anchored to a 3% real GDP growth view. Together, we explore key risks ahead, including potential tariff re-escalation, shifting immigration dynamics, and how policy decisions could shape the second half of the year. The big takeaway: beneath the noise, the macro backdrop may be more resilient and even improving faster than many expect. For full disclosure information visit: http://www.pipersandler.com/researchdisclosures
April 2 · 16 min
Q 2026: From Goldilocks To Oil Shock
In this episode, we sit down with Emily Needell to unpack a truly remarkable start to 2026, one that may go down as one of the most eventful quarters in recent memory. What began as a near “Goldilocks” environment, with improving economic data, falling rates, and long-awaited market broadening quickly evolved into something far more complex. We explore three defining themes of the quarter: the early-year macro strength that fueled optimism around a broader market rally, the sharp unwind in mega-cap AI leaders that left many investors lagging behind despite improving breadth, and the sudden geopolitical shock from the Iran conflict that reshaped everything. For full disclosure information visit: http://www.pipersandler.com/researchdisclosures

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