Dantes Outlook Market Podcast

Damanick Dantes, CMT and Abdulelah Alfouzan, CMT discuss the dynamics shaping Saudi and global markets. From growth initiatives and sector opportunities to building a global cross-asset framework, Abdulelah shares how technical analysis can guide investors in a unique regional environment. This was an exciting discussion, which also outlined Saudi Arabia's hashtag#Vision2030 initiatives. This episode also looks ahead to the upcoming CMT Association, Inc. conferences in Riyadh and Dubai, and the vision for strengthening the CMT community in the Kingdom.

In this special Lead Up to Dubai episode, host Damanick Dantes, CMT is joined by Yara Fanek, CFA, CMT, an FX trader and co-chair of Women in Technical Analysis - a committee of the CMT Association. Based in Dubai with deep expertise in financial markets and investment banking, Yara shares her background, trading process, and outlook for the region. Together, they explore the $7 trillion FX market, the role of technical analysis in building disciplined strategies, and how Dubai is positioning itself as a leading global financial hub.

In this episode of Portfolio Playbook, Damanick Dantes, CMT breaks down the latest market developments and what they mean for investors. From the Fed’s cautious stance on rate cuts to stretched equity positioning and renewed momentum in Chinese markets, he highlights where risks and opportunities lie. The discussion then turns to fixed income, where today’s yield environment presents a “sweet spot” in the belly of the curve, and why bonds are once again a stabilizing force for portfolios. Finally, he considers the challenges active managers face in an equity market dominated by the Magnificent Seven and where selective opportunities remain.

In this episode of Portfolio Playbook, host Damanick Dantes, CMT breaks down the macro and market forces driving recent allocation shifts in the Dantes Outlook ETF Portfolio. We explore improving credit quality, renewed opportunities in fixed income, and model-based macro positioning from DeepMacro. Damanick explains how currency correlations shape portfolio tilts and why traditional trend-following is struggling in 2025. Later, Victor Zhou, portfolio strategist at Dantes Outlook, joins to discuss a State Street framework for emerging market investing — including how higher activeness and EM small caps can enhance alpha potential and resilience.

In this episode, Damanick Dantes breaks down the week’s biggest market movers—from a major U.S.–Japan trade deal to the return of meme stock mania—and how central banks are shifting their tone. He also shares insights from Deutsche Bank, Vanguard, DeepMacro, and members of the Dantes Outlook team on what’s driving asset class performance and how portfolios should adapt. It’s a concise, strategic guide to cutting through the noise and making smarter investment decisions.

In this month’s episode I’ll provide a brief outlook for commodity markets from our strategy desk. Oil was the clear winner over the past three months, which accounted for most of the gains in the broad commodity index. Most price signals have extended into overbought territory, although pullbacks could be temporary over the next quarter. Elsewhere, metals have stabilized and oversold signals could present buying opportunities. ​​Over the short-term commodity prices should trade at a premium given supply risk and geopolitical issues. Long-term (two-three years), the effects of slowing economic growth as a result of tighter monetary policy and inflation could weigh on commodity prices, especially as recession signals advance.

Today, we’re talking about volatility. It’s well known that markets ebb and flow, but over the past 25 years or so, there has been a pattern of spectacular rises and crashes. And that comes at the expense of decaying economic growth and central banks becoming the leaders of last resort. To understand why this is happening, we turn to Tim Lee, the author of The Rise of Carry.