European Stocks Rally, U.S. Tax Cuts & Germany’s Confidence Drop: PALvatar Market Recap - February 26, 2025

The Dow Jones Industrial average was down 1.3%, the S&P 500 2.4%, and the Nasdaq Composite 3.4%, late in Monday’s trading, as last week’s sell-off continues. Ongoing supply chain problems, new pandemic-related lockdowns in China, and Russia’s war on Ukraine only make the Federal Reserve’s choices more complex as it tries to restrain inflation without tanking the economy. The yield curve steepened sharply, with the difference between the five-year note and the 30-year bond widening to a six-week high. “The bond market is doing the Federal Reserve’s job for them,” notes Jared Dillian. “The Fed is too slow in raising the federal funds rate, so the bond market is taking over.” Dillian, editor of The Daily Dirtnap, joins Real Vision’s Maggie Lake for today’s Daily Briefing to talk about what the bond market knows, what the equity market is figuring out, and what investors can do to protect themselves amid surging volatility. And we hear from Pierre Andurand, CIO of Andurand Capital, about how structural issues plaguing commodities markets could trigger a global financial crisis. Watch the full interview with Pierre Andurand and Raoul Pal here: https://rvtv.io/3MYL3dx Want to submit questions? Drop them right here on the Exchange: https://rvtv.io/3N0C0IX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

10 Touko 202237min

Here's a full-length episode from Real Vision's new original series, The Next Big Trade - be sure to subscribe. Ross Gerber is the Co-Founder, President, and CEO of Gerber Kawasaki Wealth and Investment Management. Ross and his team oversee $2.2 billion of investments focused on technology, clean energy and transportation, and more. Ross joins Harry Melandri to break down why he believes Tesla has so much room for growth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

8 Touko 202239min

Here's a full-length episode from Real Vision's new original series, My Life in 4 Trades - be sure to subscribe. Legendary Trader, Peter Brandt, joins Maggie Lake to discuss his unprecedented financial journey. Peter sheds light on the early mistakes he made on the floor, what it was like to run his own company, and everything he learned along the way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

7 Touko 202250min

The April nonfarm payroll figure topped consensus forecasts, and the unemployment rate held at 3.6%. A slight retreat in the labor force participation rate surprised, but, overall, more evidence of a tight labor market should brace a Federal Reserve as it effects an aggressive tightening cycle. That’s despite the fact that, when it comes to growth, we’re looking at “three straight quarters of almost nothing besides inventory along with a growing catalog of economic data more like Q1 GDP than anything.” So observes Jeffrey Snider, Head of Global Research at Alhambra Investments. Meanwhile, the threat of global recession amid war in Eastern Europe and rising geopolitical tensions augurs a new world order. We hear from Peter Zeihan and Dee Smith. Is the Fed hiking rates into a downturn? How is the market responding to the central bank’s rapid tone shift? And what will investors do should the situation devolve into a real collateral crisis? Snider joins Real Vision’s Maggie Lake for today’s Daily Briefing to talk about whether the Fed is up to the challenges it faces. Want to submit questions? Drop them right here on the Exchange: https://rvtv.io/3ylWN5I. Watch the full interview with Peter Zeihan and Dee Smith here: https://rvtv.io/3kJBIKy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

7 Touko 202239min

U.S. equity indexes rallied hard during Jerome Powell’s post-Federal Open Market Committee meeting press conference yesterday, posting the biggest rally in two years because the Federal Reserve Chair said the central bank was not “actively considering” a 75-basis-point rate hike. Today, 95% of the S&P 500 is trading lower, The Dow Jones Industrial Average is off more than 700 points, and the Nasdaq Composite is down more than 5%. The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note surged as high as 3.106% before settling at 3.09%, its highest level since 2018, as investors seem to be more and more accepting of the fact that the Fed will continue to aggressively fight inflation, at the risk of equity valuations and economic growth. Tony Greer, founder of TG Macro, joins Real Vision’s Maggie Lake to talk about today’s price action and central bank policy as well as natural gas and other critical commodities. Want to submit questions? Drop them right here on the Exchange: https://rvtv.io/3vJLkLB Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

6 Touko 202237min

The Federal Open Market Committee agreed to raise the federal funds target rate by 50 basis points and to begin shrinking the Federal Reserve’s balance sheet in June by $47.5 billion, with the runoff pace to reach a maximum of $95 billion per month after three months. The FOMC noted in its statement that “ongoing” increases to the fed funds target rate will be appropriate. The central bank’s quest now is to find some “neutral” rate of interest without tipping the economy into recession. “The last time the Fed made a 50-basis-point move was March 2000,” notes Darius Dale. “The dot-com bubble burst shortly thereafter, with the S&P 500 losing 50% and the Nasdaq Composite shedding 80% from 2000 peak to 2002 trough.” Equity indexes were mixed shortly after the FOMC announcement and shortly ahead of Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s press conference. Dale, founder and CEO of 42 Macro, joins Real Vision’s Maggie Lake for today’s Real Vision Daily Briefing to talk about the Fed, the economy, and how the “smart money” is reacting to quarterly earnings reports. Want to submit questions? Drop them right here on the Exchange: https://rvtv.io/3y9meHD Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

5 Touko 202241min

Not since March 2000 has the Federal Open Market Committee announced a 50-basis-point increase to the federal funds target rate. Now, the FOMC is a day away from doing just that. And traders are pricing in near-even-money odds of a 75-basis-point hike in June. The FOMC is also expected to introduce its plan to reduce the Federal Reserve’s balance sheet on Wednesday, a process with its own implications for interest rates. U.S. equity indexes held solid gains late Tuesday. Factory orders for March rose a better-than-expected 2.2%, job openings reached an all-time high of 11.5 million, and U.S. natural gas prices hit a 13-year high on growing concern supply will fall short of demand this summer. The data suggest the Fed has room to do what it needs to do to fight inflation. But, as Warren Pies notes, “Oil is driving this market…” And there are structural factors at play that could make the central bank’s job impossible. Pies, founder of 3Fourteen Research, joins Real Vision’s Weston Nakamura to talk about today’s price action, tomorrow’s decision by the FOMC, and the prospect of stagflation afflicting the economy. Want to submit questions? Drop them right here on the Exchange: https://rvtv.io/3kEtIKN Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

4 Touko 202235min

Hard-core technical analysts will tell you that, ultimately, “price” is the only thing that matters. Countless investors, traders, and speculators making decisions about the values of assets will contemplate just about every conceivable issue. “Price” is where all that shows up. Today, the yield on the 30-year U.S. Treasury bond surged past 3% to a three-year high, as the market braces for the first 50-basis-point increases to the federal funds target rate since March 2000 at Wednesday’s conclusion of the two-day Federal Open Market Committee meeting. Stocks opened mostly higher but slid into the red as the trading day wore on. The Nasdaq Composite is coming off its worst month since 2008, and the S&P 500 is off to its worst start to a year since 1939. Still, as Dave Floyd sees it, “Most traders and investors are not prepared for the perfect storm we are all facing.” Floyd, founder of Aspen Trading, joins Real Vision’s Ash Bennington to talk about what technical indicators are telling him about the current condition of the market and how traders and investors can prepare for what’s coming. And we hear briefly from Raoul Pal about the assets you should be eyeing in these volatile times. To join Raoul on his multi-week journey of learning and discovery for global recession, Is Everyone Wrong, go to https://rvtv.io/3s0ep3d. Want to submit questions? Drop them right here on the Exchange: https://rvtv.io/3765Uw4 ... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

3 Touko 202237min