Shows / Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets Update
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets Update
Empower yourself with knowledge, one fact at a time. Markets with Megan is a bite-sized financial markets podcast hosted by Megan Horneman, the CIO of Verdence Capital Advisors. Megan provides experienced analysis and in-depth insights that go beyond the daily headlines to unravel the economy's intricacies and indicators.
Episodes
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets UpdateThe Fed's 3.1% Inflation Problem Just Got Worse | S3 E 176 | 10-29-26
The U.S. economy grew 3.4% in the third quarter, but beneath the strong headline number, inflation is accelerating and consumers are drawing down their…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets Update3.1% Inflation. 0% Action From the Fed | S3 E175 | 10-28-26
The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady at its October meeting, but with inflation continuing to climb, is the Fed doing enough? In today's Markets with…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets UpdateBad Housing News: Home Sales Drop 7.3% | S3 E174 | 10-20-26
Housing data came in well below expectations this week. Housing starts fell 5.2% when markets expected an increase, and pending home sales dropped 7.3% to a…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets Update1.3% PPI Surge, 10% Energy Spike: What's Next? | S3 E173 | 10-15-26
Inflation is heating up, consumer spending is showing signs of weakness, and the Federal Reserve faces another difficult decision. Could another interest rate…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets UpdateSupply Chain Stress Is Back in Services | S3 E172 | 10-05-26
The September ISM Services Report showed the service sector, where Americans spend most of their money, ending the third quarter on a softer note. Megan…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets Update29,000 Jobs: Is the Fed Off the Hook? | S3 E171 | 10-02-26
The September jobs report came in much weaker than expected, and it could change the Federal Reserve’s next move. The U.S. economy added just 29,000 jobs in…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets UpdateDid 3 Reports Just Change Fed Plans? | S3 E170 | 10-01-26
The Fed is getting mixed signals. This week’s economic data showed a cooling labor market, stubborn inflation, and renewed price pressures in manufacturing…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets UpdateAI Spending Is Booming. Will the Fed Raise Rates?
AI-related capital spending continues to support the U.S. economy, and the latest durable goods report reveals surprising strength beneath the headline…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets UpdateRetail Sales Rebound | S3 E168 | 09-16-26
Retail sales just flipped the script: after a weak July, August comes in with a sharp rebound, and the details matter if you care about where the U.S. economy…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets UpdateFed Hike Odds Jump After CPI | S3 E167 | 09-11-26
Inflation came in hotter than expected, and the latest CPI report may have strengthened the case for a Fed rate hike next week. In this episode of Markets with…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets UpdatePPI Report Builds Case For Rate Hike | S3 E166 | 09-10-26
Inflation came in as expected. The problem? “As expected” is still too hot. The latest Producer Price Index showed inflation pressures continuing to build: 📈…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets Update162,000 Jobs Added: What It Means for the Fed | S3 E165 | 09-04-26
The August jobs report landed well above expectations, and it's the last one the Fed will see before its September meeting. The U.S. economy added 162,000 jobs…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets UpdateService Sector Warning: Prices Are Back | S3 E164 | 09-03-26
The ISM Services Index ticked up in August, and the report's prices paid component jumped to its highest level since August 2022, back when the economy was…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets UpdateThe Fed's New Focus: Prices Over Jobs | S3 E163 | 08-28-26
Federal Reserve Chairman Warsh delivered a notably hawkish speech at this year's Jackson Hole Economic Symposium, and it has real implications for where…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets UpdateThis Inflation Report Puts Pressure on the Fed | S3 E162 | 08-26-26
The July PCE inflation report came in hotter than expected, with the Fed's preferred inflation gauge rising 0.2% month over month against a forecast of just…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets UpdateWhy Are We Watching the Fed | S3 E161 | 08-19-26
The Federal Reserve released the minutes from its July meeting, and Megan breaks down what they actually reveal about the committee's thinking heading into…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets UpdateRetail Sales Miss, Confidence Drops Too | S3 E160 | 08-14-26
Today's data on the consumer wasn't good. July retail sales fell 0.3%, missing expectations for a 0.2% gain, following a decline the month before. Megan…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets UpdateMarkets Rally on CPI, Megan Isn't Sold | S3 E159 | 08-12-26
July's Consumer Price Index is in, and markets are cheering. Headline CPI rose 0.1% for the month and 3.5% year-over-year, while core CPI came in at 0.2%…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets UpdateDoes Small Business Data Hint at a Fed Shift? | S3 E158 | 08-11-26
The July NFIB Small Business Optimism Index just came in better than expected and it's now at its highest level since August 2025. Understand why this report…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets UpdateWages Grow 3.2%. But Is That Enough? | S3 E157 | 08-07-26
The July jobs report landed with a surprise this morning, and it wasn't the good kind. Economists expected the U.S. economy to add 80,000 jobs. Instead, it…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets UpdateSupply Chains Behave While Prices Misbehave | S3 E156 | 08-05-26
The July ISM Services report is in, and it's giving the Fed a mixed signal ahead of its September rate decision. Megan Horneman breaks down why the headline…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets UpdateThe 9.2% Number Hiding Inside Retail Sales | S3 E155 | 07-17-26
June retail sales came in close to expectations, with headline growth slowing to 0.2% as gasoline station sales pulled the number down. But strip out food…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets UpdateBiggest PPI Drop Since 2023 | S3 E154 | 07-15-26
The Producer Price Index for June came in much better than expected, with the headline number falling 0.3% instead of holding flat, the biggest monthly decline…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets UpdateCPI Surprise: Inflation Drops 0.4% | S3 E153 | 07-14-26
This week's June CPI report brought a surprise most analysts did not expect. Headline inflation fell 0.4% on a month over month basis, driven almost entirely…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets Update5 Questions Driving Markets This Summer | S3 E152 | 06-22-26
With markets hitting record highs and a tentative U.S.-Iran ceasefire in place, investors are sitting with a lot of open questions heading into the second half…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets UpdateThe Kevin Warsh Era Has Begun | S3 E151 | 06-17-26
The Fed didn’t raise rates, but the meeting still packed a punch and markets felt it immediately. We break down the first decision under new Federal Reserve…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets Update5.1% Producer Inflation: Should You Be Worried? | S3 E150 | 06-11-26
The producer price index for May came in at a monthly gain of 0.8% when stripping out food, energy, and trade, the fastest pace at that level since 2022. On a…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets UpdateRising Prices, Falling Paychecks | S3 E149 | 06-10-26
Inflation moved higher again in May, and the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) report shows prices are drifting further away from the Federal Reserve's 2%…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets UpdateRunning on Empty: Inflation & Consumers | S3 E148 | 05-28-26
Inflation pressures are continuing to build, consumers are feeling squeezed, and the Federal Reserve may be forced to stay higher for longer. In today’s…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets UpdateFed Minutes: Rate Hike Is Back on the Table | S3 E147 | 05-20-26
The Federal Reserve's April meeting minutes, released today, show a committee growing more uncomfortable with inflation. The language shifted from "somewhat…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets UpdateIs Retail Data Misleading Investors? | S3 E146 | 05-14-26
April's retail sales report came in roughly as expected, but the headline number doesn't tell the whole story. Megan Horneman breaks down what the data…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets UpdateThe Numbers Look Fine Until You Read Them | S2 E345 | 05-12-26
That CPI headline might look “close enough,” but when we slow down and read the report like investors do, it’s hard to call April a win. We walk through why a…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets UpdateHiring Gains, Confidence Pains | S3 E144 | 05-08-26
The U.S. job market is showing renewed momentum, with the economy adding 115,000 jobs and posting the strongest two-month stretch of job gains since 2024. But…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets UpdateFed Day Fallout | S3 E 143 | 04-29-26
The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady, but the tone of today’s meeting was more hawkish than markets expected. In this episode of Markets with Megan…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets UpdateIs Market Mood Just Middle East Relief? | S3 E 142 | 04-28-26
The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index for April came in better than expected, and it tells a notably different story from last week's…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets UpdateDowngrade Parade: Conflict Is Hitting the Forecasts | S3 E141 | 04-27-26
The global economic outlook is starting to shift as the ongoing Middle East conflict and continued disruption in the Strait of Hormuz raise concerns about…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets UpdateU.S. Shoppers Ignore the Noise | S3 E140 | 04-22-26
The U.S. consumer continues to show surprising strength. In today’s Markets with Megan, Megan Horneman breaks down the March retail sales report and explains…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets UpdateSupply Chain Shock In Manufacturing | S2 E139 | 04-16-2026
A geopolitical shock doesn’t stay on the map, it shows up in the data. Today we walk through fresh manufacturing and business activity numbers that hint the…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets UpdateHousing Feels the Middle East Fallout | S3 E 138 | 04-15-26
The housing market is starting to show signs of stress again. In today’s Markets with Megan, Verdenec CIO Megan Horneman dissects the latest housing data and…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets UpdatePre-War Inflation Was Heating Up | S3 E137 | 04-09-26
Was inflation already becoming a bigger problem before the war with Iran? In today’s Markets with Megan, Megan Horneman breaks down the latest personal income…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets UpdateCeasefire Rally - Reality Check? | S3 E136 | 04-08-26
Markets surged on April 8 as investors reacted to news of a temporary two-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran. Oil prices plunged, yields moved lower, and…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets UpdateStrait Of Hormuz Shockwaves | S3 E135 | 04-06-26
We’re starting to see economic data reflect the impact of the war with Iran. In today’s Markets with Megan, Megan Horneman gives insight into how March data is…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets UpdateA Brutal Whipsaw Start to 2026 | S3 E134 | 04-01-26
The first quarter of 2026 was a difficult one for investors. In this episode of Markets with Megan, Megan Horneman recaps a volatile start to the year as…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets UpdateRetail and Manufacturing Rebound? | S3 E133 | 04-01-26
The latest economic data showed two relative bright spots in the economy: consumer spending and manufacturing. In this episode of Markets with Megan, Megan…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets UpdateHot to Not: Did the Job Market Shift? | S3 E132 | 03-31-26
Markets are reacting to another shift in labor market data, as signs of weakening demand for workers begin to emerge. In this episode of Markets with Megan…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets UpdateNasdaq Enters Correction? What’s Next? | S3 E131 | 03-27-26
Markets closed out the week under pressure as weakening consumer sentiment added another layer of concern to an already volatile environment. In this episode…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets Update1.3% Inflation Jump, Markets Don’t Care? | S3 E130 | 03-25-26
Inflation may not be making headlines today, but new data suggests underlying price pressures are quietly building. In today’s episode of Markets with Megan…
- Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets Update
From Cuts to Hikes? Markets Reprice Fast | S3 E129 | 03-19-26
Markets are facing renewed pressure as rising energy prices collide with a more hawkish tone from central banks around the world. In this episode of Markets…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets Update2.5% Core Inflation: Victory or False Alarm? | S3 E128 | 03-11-26
The latest inflation report came in right on expectations, but the underlying data tells a more complicated story. In today’s episode of Markets with Megan…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets UpdateOil Above $100 — Why Markets Are Nervous | S3 E127 | 03-09-26
Markets remain under pressure as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East continue to escalate, with a critical global energy chokepoint now at the center of…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets UpdateRattled Stocks? Rising Oil and Weak Jobs Report | S3 E126 | 03-06-26
Markets faced another wave of volatility today as a weak February jobs report collided with rising geopolitical tensions and surging energy prices. In this…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets UpdateIMPACT REPORT Oil, Inflation, & War: What Changes Now? | S3 E125 | 03-03-26
Markets turned sharply volatile as the Middle East conflict entered its fourth day, expanding beyond initial strikes and raising fears of prolonged disruption…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets UpdateIran Strike After 6% Oil Spike: Inflation Rise Risk | S3 E124 | 03-02-26
Geopolitical tensions escalated over the weekend as the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran, and markets reacted immediately. In…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets UpdateWarning Signs? 3% Inflation and Weak Growth | S3 E123 | 02-20-26
The latest economic data is sending mixed — and potentially troubling — signals. In today’s episode of Markets with Megan, Megan reveals the newest U.S. GDP…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets UpdateGood Data, Bad News for Stocks? | S3 E122 | 02-18-26
Markets love a good data day—until the Fed has the last word. We open with a clear read on the economy’s engine room: core durable goods rose for the sixth…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets UpdateUnexpected Resilience in the Labor Market? | S3 E121 | 02-11-26
The labor market just surprised investors and it may change the Federal Reserve narrative. In today’s episode of Markets with Megan, Megan Horneman breaks down…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets Update6 Forces Behind Today’s Market Volatility | S3 E120 | 02-10-26
Markets are off to a volatile and unstable start in 2026 —but why? In today’s Markets with Megan, Megan Horneman walks through the six key forces driving…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets UpdateAre We Past “Strong” Jobs Data Now? | S3 E119 | 02-05-26
Markets reacted negatively to today’s economic data — and the labor market was at the center of the concern. In this episode of Markets with Megan, Megan…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets UpdateManufacturing Surged… Now What? | S3 E118 | 02-04-26
Some encouraging economic data gave markets something to digest today — even as volatility stayed front and center. In this episode of Markets with Megan…
Markets with Megan: A Quick Financial Markets UpdateDid January Really Predict the Rest of 2026? | S3 E117 | 02-03-26
January is often seen as a roadmap for the rest of the year — and the markets may already be sending signals for 2026. In today’s episode of Markets with…