Trading Perspectives: An Economic Podcast

The World Cup is a massive global undertaking every 4 years. Is it really worth it? The World Cup will bring fans in from all over the globe. What do you think will impress them the most, both good and bad? The prices for World Cup tickets, especially for 'key games and/or games,' is objectively high. Is the most popular sport in the world available only to the rich? Economic consultants estimate the tournament could generate billions in economic activity. How reliable are some of the more optimistic predictions? The World Cup might be great for host cities, but how much will it impact the rest of the United States? Will the average Joe in Fargo benefit? Who will ultimately win, and how well will the Americans do? In this week's Trading Perspectives, Sam Clement and John Norris discuss the economic implications of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, including its effects on host cities, local businesses, tourism and the broader U.S. economy.

This week, the Federal government officially ceased all "non-essential" activities. Unfortunately, this was widely anticipated due to differences of opinion in healthcare spending on Capitol Hill. However, what it all means for the average American isn't completely clear. People want to know: What is a government shutdown and what is it not? What or how have we gotten to this point? What is the practical impact on day-to-day economic activity? What are the long-term ramifications? What is the likelihood this will happen again? In this week's Trading Perspectives, Sam Clement and John Norris discuss the recent government shutdown, its potential causes and possible outcomes.

What does it mean when the Fed meets and doesn't do anything? When the Bureau of Economic Analysis says the economy grew 3.0% when it really didn't? When the Bureau of Labor Statistics announces the labor markets are stronger than anyone believes they really are? When all official measures of inflation don't seem to reflect the consumer's reality? Essentially, what is the truth behind the headlines and all of the noise? In this week's Trading Perspectives, Sam Clement and John Norris dissect a busy week of economic releases, earnings announcements and Fed meetings, and try to make sense of it all.

This week, the Federal Open Market Committee met, and didn't cut the overnight rate. This even though its economic projections were far from robust. Somewhat frustratingly, the Fed reported it thinks the long-term growth rate for the US economy is around 1.8%. This is well less than the historical average, and would cause our deficit to balloon even more than forecast. Further, the President's tariff wars appear to have the Fed spooked, as it now thinks inflation will hit 3.0% by the end of the year. All told, the Fed meeting this week was something of a downer. In this week's Trading Perspectives, Sam Clement and John Norris discuss the recent Fed meeting and how no one should be fired up about it.

The Administration's One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) has had caused a lot of wringing of hands and gnashing of teeth. How are we going to pay for all of these tax cuts? Where have the tax credits gone? What do you mean the states can't regulate Artificial Intelligence? However, the hullabaloo misses the point: without a meaningful pickup in economic activity and reduction in Federal expenditures, there is no hope to get the budget deficits under control. Is there anything to be done? Interestingly enough, perhaps. In this week's Trading Perspectives, Sam Clement and John Norris discuss the OBBB and what it means for the US.

This week, the stock markets rallied sharply on news the Administration was going to cut the tariff rate with China from 145% to 30%. However, should investors be enthused with constantly shifting economic policies? Particularly those like tariffs, which add costs to both the importer and the consumer? Further, with the economy already cooling slightly, is now the right time to play hard ball with our trading partners? Basically, what is the real cause for celebration? In this week's Trading Perspectives, Sam Clement and John Norris discuss the extreme reaction the markets had to the reduction in tariff rates with the Chinese.

After a few days of positive returns, it seems the market panic has subsided. So, is now a good buying opportunity? Is it safe to get back into the investing waters? Or would it be prudent to wait a while? After all, the threat of tariffs are still very real and very possible. The economy appears a little weaker than it was in 2024, consumer confidence has collapsed and corporate America doesn't have a good idea what the remainder of the year will bring. If that sounds like a good time to invest to you, have at it. In this week's Trading Perspectives, Sam Clement and John Norris discuss the recent market volatility and ask a very basic question: is now the time to buy?

We have all heard the worst-case scenarios, and everyone is hoping for the best-case ones. However, what is the probable case scenario? Oakworth Capital's Investment Committee discusses the recent market volatility and likely outcomes.