>> NEWSMAKERS AND MARKET MOVERS, THIS IS "THE PULSE WITH FRANCINE LACQUA. " FRANCINE: GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME TO "THE PULSE. " A PACKAGE OF SECURITY GUARANTEES FOR UKRAINE IS SAID TO TAKE SHAPE AS SOON AS THIS WEEK FOLLOWING A BIG WEEK FOR EUROPEAN LEADERS WORKING WITH THE U.S. TO BROKER A PEACE DEAL ADMIT ONGOING TRADE AND TARIFF UNCERTAINTY. THIS COMES AS YOUR STRUCTURE -- SECRETARY SCOTT BESSENT IS SAYING U.S. IS CURRENTLY SATISFIED. FIRST LET US DIVE INTO THE STOCK STORY WITH SUSAN LYNCH. AND ROSALIND ...

Thailand’s central bank would need to see a “significant material deterioration” in its economic growth outlook, or face unexpected shocks, to justify additional rate cuts beyond the three reductions it has made this year https://t.co/yO2wgONFp2 ...

Mike, it's great to see you. So, a little bit of good, a little bit of bad here. The stock is going up.What was your read on the numbers. Yeah, the the miss was really small. Uh, you know, the same sort of sales missed by like 10 basis points and it was the best comp that they've had in about two years.A lot of the underlying metrics are showing, you know, better demand, not where we were, you know, many years ago during the pandemic, but but certainly a lot better than the post-pandemic era. And again, the ...

💥BREAKING:🇺🇸 U.S. TREASURY SECRETARY BESSEN SAYS FED CANDIDATES ARE “AN INCREDIBLE GROUP”SOUNDS LIKE RATE CUTS ARE COMING! 🚀 https://t.co/pk3W3pkNpi ...

What's your take on why long-term interest rates haven't gone lower. >> I think there's probably two things here that stick out to me. One is well, inflation still seems like it's there, right.We haven't gotten things back to 2%. And so there's just a risk of the Fed being caught off sides here if the Fed starts to cut more aggressively at a time when inflation might pick up. You can say, well, this time inflation's transitory.But we're dealing with potentially big macro adjustments. They might be costly. A ...

Rate cuts are coming in September.BULLISH FOR MARKETS! https://t.co/6G5smwZjbP ...

Market Outlook - US-China deal is anticipated [1] - Expectation of 2-3 rate cuts by the Federal Reserve [1] - Quantitative Easing (QE) is expected [1] Investment Strategy - Avoid being shaken out before a significant bull run [1]

Investment Recommendation - Zacks' equity strategist recommends buying JP Morgan and Citigroup stock in anticipation of potential rate cuts [1][2] - Both JPM and Citigroup stock sport a Zacks Rank number one strong buy [7] Macroeconomic Factors - Investor sentiment anticipates the Fed could cut interest rates in September following optimistic July CPI data [1] - Financials, specifically banks like JP Morgan and Citigroup, could benefit from lower rates and a steepening yield curve [2] Capital Strength and Shareholder Returns - JP Morgan and Citigroup performed well in the 2025 Dodd-Frank Act stress test, indicating strong capital positions [3] - JP Morgan's CCT1 capital ratio is 15%, and Citigroup's is 13.5%, both above the 4.5% minimum requirement [3] - JP Morgan has over $4 trillion in total assets and over $350 billion in shareholders' equity [4] - JP Morgan authorized a new $50 billion share repurchase plan and increased its quarterly dividend by 7% to $1.50 per share [4] - Citigroup authorized a $20 billion share repurchase plan and increased its quarterly dividend by 7% to $0.60 per share [4][5] Earnings Per Share (EPS) Revisions - JP Morgan's fiscal year 2025 EPS estimates have risen 5% in the last 30 days, from $18.53 to $19.50 [6] - JP Morgan's fiscal year 2026 EPS estimates are up 3% in the last 30 days, from $19.75 to $20.38 [6] - Citigroup's fiscal year 2025 and 2026 EPS estimates are up roughly 4% in the last 30 days, projecting over 27% annual earnings growth [6]

Let's turn back now to the broader market. The S&P 500 managing to squeeze out a record close today and all the major averages are higher for the month and the quarter led by tech stocks in the NASDAQ. But both of our next guests are somewhat downbeat about the next few months given these current levels.Joining me now is man Group chief market strategist Christina Hooper and Unlimited Fund CEO and CIO Bob Elliot. Welcome Christina. Uh, does the morning's PPI, wholesale inflation number change your outlook a ...

Inflation Analysis - The producer price index (PPI) increased significantly from approximately 23% to 33% year-over-year, a full percentage point increase, exceeding market expectations of 25% [3][4] - The consumer price index (CPI) saw a smaller increase, rising from 267% to about 273% [3] - PPI measures inflation upstream at the production or wholesale stage, while CPI measures it downstream at the consumer level [6][7] - While upstream prices are increasing, it remains to be seen if these costs will be passed on to consumers and reflected in CPI [8][9] - Food and beverage inflation remained relatively stable, while housing inflation decreased, masking increases in other categories such as medical care and recreation [17][18][19] - Housing inflation accounts for approximately two-thirds of overall CPI [20] Market Impact and Monetary Policy - The surge in PPI caused market sell-offs, particularly around 8:30 AM when the data was released [17][33] - Despite the PPI increase, the market still anticipates a rate cut in September, with approximately a 90% probability, although this was previously higher at 97% or 98% [23] - The report suggests that even with a rate cut, the long end of the yield curve may increase due to inflation concerns [24] - Cutting rates with rising inflation may not improve the housing market and could potentially worsen it [27] Consumer Behavior - Sales are declining at some stores like Chipotle, Cava, and Sweetgreen, indicating that consumers may be unwilling to pay higher prices [10][11][13][14] - Lower-end pizza chains are experiencing increased demand, suggesting consumers are seeking more affordable options [12][15]