All right, let's get to Kevin Green as I promised who joins me now for the data download and uh obviously we're getting the jolts released um state of the labor market obviously with some other information that we got this morning the initial jobless claims uh the challenger layoffs what's going on. >> Yeah, good morning Sam. We are actually seeing the jolts coming in a lot lower than the street's expectations for the month of December.The number came in at 6.54% million. Street was looking for 7.2% 2 milli ...

Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook sees a greater threat to the economy from elevated inflation than from a weakening labor market, a stance that suggests she could be skeptical of supporting a return to rate cuts. ...

Core Viewpoint - AGNC Investment Corp. is recognized as one of the best monthly dividend stocks to consider for investment, with a positive outlook supported by recent developments in interest rates and economic returns [1][7]. Financial Performance - In Q4, AGNC reported a core EPS of $0.35, which was below the estimated $0.38 and the consensus of $0.37. However, the company ended the year with a strong economic return of 22.7%, with a total stock return of 34.8% when dividends were reinvested, nearly double the S&P 500's return [2][3]. Market Conditions - The investment environment is described as supportive due to the Federal Reserve's shift towards a more accommodative policy stance, which is expected to stabilize mortgage spreads and enhance AGNC's ability to generate compelling risk-adjusted returns [4]. Strategic Positioning - AGNC is positioned to benefit from anticipated rate cuts, which are expected to support net spread and dollar roll income, thereby enhancing its book value and overall financial health [2][4]. Company Overview - AGNC Investment Corp. operates as an internally managed REIT, focusing on providing private capital to the U.S. housing market and enhancing liquidity in residential mortgage markets, which supports housing finance and homeownership [4].

Gold and silver just got smoked. Friday was ugly. Monday’s not looking much better. But here’s the thing — I’m not interested in recapping the carnage. We all saw it. What matters now is figuring out where we go from here.I think excessive speculation wrecked this market. The rally got too crowded, too fast, and now we’re paying for it. So instead of obsessing over what just happened, let’s hit reset. Let’s go back to the forecasts from late 2025 — before the hype train left the station — and see what the p ...

Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic said on Monday, “We have so much momentum in the U.S. economy that the Fed needs to keep the policy rate in a mildly restrictive stance,” adding that he does not project any rate cuts in 2026.Following the manufacturing data, traders slightly pared expectations for Fed rate cuts. U.S. rate futures have priced in a 91.0% probability of no rate change and a 9.0% chance of a 25 basis point rate cut at the next central bank meeting in March. The next rate cut is expected to ...

Cryptocurrency Market - Bitcoin (BTC) is currently trading just below $79,000, having bounced back from a low of below $75,000 during the weekend, marking a 2% increase over the past 24 hours and a 7% rise from its weekend low, but still down over 10% week-over-week [1] - Ether (ETH) has also seen a 2% increase in the past day, but is down 19% compared to levels from a week ago [1] - The recent sell-off in the crypto market was characterized by a rapid liquidation of over $2 billion in crypto derivatives, which contributed to the downside momentum [2] Stock Market - U.S. stocks, including the Nasdaq and S&P 500, traded higher on Monday, with increases of 0.6% each, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 0.9% [3] - The Dow Jones Industrial Average has experienced its longest winning streak in history, with nine consecutive months of gains, which historically correlates with strong future returns for stocks [3] Precious Metals - Gold and silver experienced volatility, currently down modestly after their worst one-day sell-off since 1980 [4] Economic Indicators - The ISM manufacturing PMI for January came in at 52.6, exceeding expectations of 48.5, indicating the first expansion in manufacturing activity in 12 months and the strongest reading since 2022 [5] - January is typically a month of reordering following the holiday season, which can lead to elevated readings, a pattern observed in previous years [5] Future Outlook - Investors are anticipating the upcoming U.S. jobs report for January, which may provide insights into the Federal Reserve's potential rate cut decisions following a pause in rate cuts at the January meeting [6]

J P M O R G A N North America Economic Research 30 January 2026 First thoughts on Chair Warsh After a very lengthy and public search, this morning the president finally nominated Kevin Warsh to be the next Fed chair. As a Fed governor from 2006 to 2011, Warsh often leaned hawkish, particularly in the years after the GFC. Recently, however, his remarks have leaned more dovish, which happens to align with the administration's monetary policy preferences. So the first set of questions that the Warsh nomination ...

Benzinga examined the prospects for many investors' favorite stocks over the last week — here's a look at some of our top stories.U.S. stocks ended a volatile week under pressure after President Donald Trump nominated former Federal Reserve governor Kevin Warsh as the next Fed chair, unsettling investors already on edge from inflation concerns and mixed earnings. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite all slid as the announcement triggered a sharp reversal in currency and commodity m ...

Market Overview - Major indexes experienced a decline, with technology shares remaining under pressure. President Trump's selection of Kevin Warsh as the Federal Reserve chair has somewhat alleviated concerns regarding Fed independence due to his hawkish stance on inflation [4][5] - Despite the overall market weakness, the S&P 500, Dow, and Nasdaq are still on track for a positive January, each up more than 1% for the month so far [5] Commodity Market - Gold spot prices fell 16% from the previous day's highs, while silver dropped 39%, indicating market comfort with Warsh's hawkish lean. However, both metals remain significantly higher for the month (+12% for gold and +14% for silver) and for the past year (+72% for gold and +164% for silver) [6] Bond Market - Bond yields increased following a higher-than-expected December core producer price index, which rose by 0.7% compared to the anticipated 0.3% [7] Equity Market Performance - Apple shares declined despite reporting better-than-expected Q1 earnings and revenue, driven by strong iPhone sales. In contrast, SanDisk's stock surged by 22% due to positive guidance [7] - The equity markets showed volatility throughout the week but ended January on a higher note, with small caps leading the gains while the Nasdaq lagged [7] Currency and Cryptocurrency - The dollar has depreciated for the third consecutive month, while Bitcoin exhibited typical volatility, initially dropping but recovering by the end of the trading day [8] Trend Tracking Indexes (TTIs) - The domestic TTI remains bullish, closing at +6.52% above its moving average, while the international TTI closed at +10.51% above its moving average, both maintaining their respective "Buy" signals [12][13]

ASML, the Dutch company that makes the machines chipmakers need to produce advanced semiconductors, reported quarterly bookings of €13.2 billion—more than double what analysts expected. The company also announced a €12 billion stock buyback and said revenue from its most advanced equipment should rise significantly in 2026.The guidance is good news for the chip sector and the AI infrastructure story more broadly. We’ve mentioned several times since earnings season began that the investors weren’t looking at ...