Before the Rate Cut, Our View of the Markets

In this episode, Kathy and Liz Ann follow up on the release of last week's unemployment numbers and the reaction of the stock market to the jobs report. The expectation is still for a 25-basis-point cut at next week's Fed meeting. The conversation also touches on the un-inversion of the yield curve and its implications for the bond market. 

This week, Kevin Gordon joins the podcast to discuss equities and sector views. Kevin is a director and senior investment strategist and serves as Liz Ann Sonders' research associate. Kevin and Liz Ann discuss the recent changes in Schwab's sector ratings and the focus on factors rather than sectors. They also talk about the leadership shifts in the market, particularly in the Magnificent Seven stocks. They touch on the importance of diversification and the performance of different sectors. They then delve into the upcoming Fed rate cuts and the historical market behavior during fast-cutting cycles versus slow-cutting cycles. 

Lastly, Kathy and Liz Ann look ahead to next week's FOMC meeting and the other economic data on the horizon. Key economic data to watch for next week includes retail sales, industrial production, housing market indicators, and the Leading Economic Index.

You can keep up with Schwab Sector Views here and also read the report that Kevin and Liz Ann discuss here: "It's Time … For a Fed Pivot."

On Investing is an original podcast from Charles Schwab. For more on the show, visit schwab.com/OnInvesting.

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The NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) is designed to gauge and track the pulse of the single-family housing market. https://www.nahb.org/news-and-economics/housing-economics/indices/housing-market-index

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