Derek Moore discusses the declining probabilities for Fed interest rate cuts in 2024. Plus, how PCE Supercore did not make the case for Fed rate cuts. Later, looking at the analyst’s expectations for earnings growth within the S&P 500 Index. Finally, comments on a paper showing how using the pre-1983 methods to compute CPI Consumer Price Index show we had higher inflation that the 1970s. Declining Fed Funds rate cut probabilities for 2024. Explaining how implied interest rates from Fed Funds...
Apr 28, 2024•40 min•Ep. 270
Derek Moore and Mike Puck from ZEGA Financial discuss Friday’s selloff. It’s official, we are in a 5% market correction. Looking back at other corrections greater than 5% from the highs. Mortgage rates move back up while 10-year treasury yields surge. Commodities are higher on the year but still down from all-time highs. Gold makes another all time high. Later they look at the value vs growth performance including the magnificent 7 stocks compared to the rest of the market. Finally, stocks and b...
Apr 21, 2024•58 min•Ep. 269
Derek Moore and Jay Pestrichelli, CEO of ZEGA Financial, discuss Friday’s selloff. So, was it all the readjustment of Fed rate cut expectations? Is CPI Inflation putting the Fed in a box? Michael Saylor says Bitcoin is better than Gold. The rally in Gold that everyone is sleeping on. CPI Supercore trending higher showing services not goods are the culprit. Later they examine the VIX Futures curve as the front months rise. Finally, they talk about the continued bear market due to higher rates on ...
Apr 14, 2024•56 min•Ep. 268
Derek Moore and Jay Pestrichelli, CEO of ZEGA Financial, are back to explore surprising data about buying the market at all-time highs vs any other day. Plus, how do markets and bonds perform post the last fed hike? Later, while you were sleeping developed international markets outperform U.S. markets. And listener question “who do I know what a good price for an option is?” What is a high or low price for an option? Components that make up and drive option prices Market performance post last fe...
Apr 08, 2024•59 min•Ep. 267
Derek Moore and Jay Pestrichelli, CEO of ZEGA Financial, discuss Fed governor Waller (not Christopher Walkin) hinting the Fed should be in no rush to cut interest rates. Plus, we haven’t seen this many record stock market highs since Q1 of 2013. So, what does that mean if anything? Examining VVIX and VIX which both are really quiet and low right now. Growth has outperformed value by quite a bit, but do some relative value charts hint value may have its time in the sun? Later, corporate profit ma...
Mar 31, 2024•28 min•Ep. 266
Derek Moore and Jay Pestrichelli, CEO of ZEGA Financial, discuss the Fed getting bullish by reducing unemployment estimates, raising GDP growth estimates, and doing nothing else but the market liked it. All while the yield curve inversion sets a record for longest in history. What is Bitcoin halving and what does it do for supply and demand? Looking at the stock market after going up a lot, why historically it can continue going (or not) up. Looking at 1995-1999 post Fed cut bullish moves. Why m...
Mar 24, 2024•56 min•Ep. 265
Derek Moore and Jay Pestrichelli, CEO of ZEGA Financial, talk through some examples of options trading in 0 DTE options on the SPX and Nvidia. Plus, a hedge fund manager says the worst crash since 1929 is coming. Looking at huge inflows into the semiconductor ETFs. Derek actually agrees with Michael Saylor’s points on Bitcoin including whether it’s a currency or property. Media mentions of stock market bubble are rising but so are continued mentions of AI. Finally, PPI producer price index comes...
Mar 17, 2024•57 min•Ep. 264
Derek Moore and Jay Pestrichelli, CEO of ZEGA Financial, discuss how the magnificent 7 stocks aren’t all going up this year. Plus, reviewing what the worst time to buy stocks was and how investors would have done even if they had. Later, they explain why the last 10-15 years before retirement need growth but hedging. How Japan’s central bank might take interest rates from negative to positive, shipping container rates, inflation, Nvidia probabilities and the 15th anniversary of CNBC’s “Mark Hain...
Mar 11, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 263
Derek Moore and Jay Pestrichelli, CEO of ZEGA Financial, explain why it’s so hard to trade the VIX via options or VIX futures given the nature of the products and how VIX works. Supercore PCE, yeah that’s a thing now, came in hot so what does that mean for the Fed and rates? Speaking of the Fed cutting rates, what if they don’t cut this year? Later they explore how High Yield Bonds aren’t showing any fear and comparing the High Yield spread, the long term annualized total return of the High Yiel...
Mar 03, 2024•1 hr•Ep. 262
Derek Moore and Jay Pestrichelli, CEO of ZEGA Financial, discuss Nvidia’s beat on earnings, their march towards $2trillion market cap, and how as earnings forecasts rise, even though the stock has made new highs, forward PE ratios go lower. Then, they explore what the options market via implied volatility was forecasting for an Nvidia move post earnings. Later, they review a comparison between the S&P 500 Index annual return vs the EPS growth to see if there is any relationship. Hint, it’s n...
Feb 25, 2024•47 min•Ep. 261
Derek Moore and Jay Pestrichelli, CEO of ZEGA Financial, follow up on last week’s PE ration (useless?) discussion explaining how stocks go up or down based on earnings, multiples, and other factors. Then they delve into correlations between the US Dollar Index and the S&P 500 Index. Later, the surprising fact that as Japan’s Nikkei Index makes 35-year all-time highs they are in a technical recession. Finally, more evidence shows that inflation may be stickier and some that it may not. As alw...
Feb 19, 2024•55 min•Ep. 260
Derek Moore and Jay Pestrichelli, CEO of ZEGA Financial, ask whether forward PE ratios are predictive of future market direction? Then they review how the S&P 500 Index has performed during each presidential election going back to 1996. Does it matter which party (Republicans or Democrats) are in office for markets? Is Tesla going to get kicked out of the Magnificent 7? Later Jay and Derek are joined by two Gen Z’ers (Zander and Bobby), to explore what their views are on money, markets, and ...
Feb 11, 2024•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 259
Derek Moore and Jay Pestrichelli, CEO of ZEGA Financial, discuss the Fed and Powell press conference market reaction. Plus, they look at META and Apple option’s implied volatilities did or didn’t predict the post earnings moves. 1994-95 experience in Fed rates and bond yields compared to today. Later, they set the record straight on what NAV erosion is, why the Shiller PE may not be predictive of markets, low response rates to economic surveys, and correlation between CPI and shipping container ...
Feb 04, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 258
Derek Moore and Jay Pestrichelli, CEO of ZEGA Financial, are it at once again where they analyze Tesla’s implied volatility right before earnings vs what happened. Did the option’s market misprice premiums? Also, in the episode they talk about Bitcoin’s drop as a sell the news buy the rumor example while Derek argues that Bitcoin’s volatility make it unusable as a currency to transact business. Later they dive into some data showing that when markets are up 20% the year before the election, elec...
Jan 28, 2024•44 min•Ep. 257
Derek Moore and Jay Pestrichelli, CEO of ZEGA Financial, are back to discuss whether the Fed grasps how prices historically always rise. That prices never drop and inflation dropping doesn’t mean prices go down. Then they discuss the forward earnings estimates showing growth for the S&P 500 Index while comparing price to sales compared to January of 2022. Later, they discuss what the option volatility markets are signaling for the S&P 500 over the near term. All that and more plus is the...
Jan 21, 2024•46 min•Ep. 256
Derek Moore and Mike Puck of ZEGA Financial join up to discuss the run up and selloff in bitcoin around the bitcoin spot etf launches. Is it the obvious buy the rumor sell the news situation? How CPI components like lodging away from home and travel pricing are starting to cool. Later, examining the value vs growth debate and whether this is the year for value to finally have its day. Plus, forward PE valuations and how they have fluctuated over the last 2 years. Bitcoin ETFs finally launch Bitc...
Jan 14, 2024•49 min•Ep. 255
Derek Moore and Jay Pestrichelli, CEO of ZEGA Financial, are back this week to discuss some hedging examples and how hedging is cheap right now. They even go through a few examples. Then they get into the sharp rise in container shipping costs before discussing the weaker PMI Services data. Later they note Bloomberg’s data showing articles mentioning “soft landing” are the highest since the 2000-2001 recession. A fun segment where they go through data from Unusual Whales showing the 2023 returns...
Jan 08, 2024•50 min•Ep. 254
Derek Moore and Jay Pestrichelli, CEO of ZEGA Financial, go through their 2024 predictions and review how right or wrong they were in 2023. Why predictions are so hard to make and why they are overrated. When markets go up over 10% in the final 2 months of the year historically what does that mean for returns the following year? How earnings growth and market returns are non-correlations. According to NAAIM Active Manager Equity exposure is now greater than 100% compared to the October lows wher...
Jan 01, 2024•51 min•Ep. 253
Derek Moore and Jay Pestrichelli, CEO of ZEGA Financial, discuss how people are blaming the Wed 1.5% selloff on 0 DTE options while the CBOE says not so fast as dealers may have been buying stocks during the drawdown thus stabilizing markets. Later they talk shipping container rates spiking higher due to issues in the Suez Canal and Red Sea. Is this a fly in the ointment for inflation? Then they talk about how analysts making 2024 S&P 500 Index price and earnings estimates must get the forwa...
Dec 23, 2023•48 min•Ep. 252
Derek Moore and Jay Pestrichelli, CEO of ZEGA Financial, discuss the new consensus of the Fed doing multiple rate cuts so what could go wrong? Record call option volume while the VVIX makes a move higher while the VIX continues lower. Viral article said 44% of home sales were to big institutions like Blackrock and Innovation homes but it was less than 0.4%. Later they look at whether the Powell Fed and the Voelker Fed are similar in declaring mission accomplished. Finally, they cover how bullish...
Dec 17, 2023•44 min•Ep. 251
Derek Moore and Jay Pestrichelli, CEO of ZEGA Financial, join up once again to discuss the drop in the VIX Index off the highs. How S&P 500 2024 targets are showing up and why investors may not care. Labor force participation turned down so what does that mean if anything? Finally, Simplifying what synthetic long stock strategies are and synthetic long stock with covered calls. What are the features and benefits? How are they like just owning stock and or owning stock with a covered call? Wh...
Dec 11, 2023•1 hr•Ep. 250
Derek Moore and Jay Pestrichelli join up to discuss an unchanged VIX and VVIX index. Was our trading platform screen broken? Whether the VIX and VVIX Index is a coiled spring as they are both in compression mode of late. Then, they explore new data that shows the cost to buy a home vs rent is really high meaning its very costly to buy vs rent right now. Did the Fed cause this? Jay and Derek also explore how cheap 1 year out puts are on the S&P 500 Index right now. Does no one want protection...
Dec 03, 2023•41 min•Ep. 249
Derek Moore is back with Jay Pestrichelli this week where they analyze the recent viral video where Dave Ramsey suggests people can safely withdraw 8% forever in retirement. What doesn’t make sense, what is left out, and why the assumptions may be faulty. Then, they discuss the market seasonality and whether this November pop higher already delivered a year end rally? Later Jay and Derek discuss the huge purchase of VIX calls this week and what it did to the VVIX Index as well as an interesting ...
Nov 26, 2023•53 min•Ep. 248
Derek Moore is back with Jay Pestrichelli, CEO of ZEGA Financial, to review the Goldman Sachs probability of recession and Fed rate forecast for 2024. Then they do a deeper dive on key aspects of US Treasury Bond auctions. Hint, it’s a Dutch auction and how to read the results of treasury auctions including the bid to cover ratio. Later they talk through changes in the makeup of the S&P 500 Index companies and what the impact on earnings may be. Plus, how even when stocks go in and out of th...
Nov 20, 2023•50 min•Ep. 247
Derek Moore does a deep dive asking the question why is everyone rooting for the Fed to lower rates? If the Fed must lower interest rates, doesn’t that mean there is trouble? Should investors instead be rooting for stable but higher rates where the long end un-inverts as a proxy for higher growth? What happens to market performance between the last Fed hike and first rate cut? What is the historical performance of markets post the first Fed rate cut? Then looking at past yield curve (10-year tre...
Nov 12, 2023•29 min
Derek Moore and ZEGA Financial CEO Jay Pestrichelli ponder whether the Fed is truly done and if the street is too optimistic on rate cuts in 2024. Plus, they discuss new data showing option selling ETFs are having record assets between inflows and new entrants. Bad news is good news still as employment ticks up. They delve deeper into the numbers including labor participation rate, size of workforce, and more in the household survey data. Finally, they talk about options volatility and how it go...
Nov 05, 2023•49 min•Ep. 245
Derek Moore and ZEGA Financial CEO Jay Pestrichelli to discuss how despite the correction territory (markets down 10% from top), the VIX index hasn’t shown any real fear. So, what will it take to see capitulation in the markets? Thus far high yield spreads haven’t reflected too much worry. Then Derek is tired of pundits talking about equal weighted market vs the “Magnificent 7” comparison as this is why you buy the index! Later, they discuss the new Fed survey showing how much net worth one need...
Oct 29, 2023•59 min•Ep. 244
Derek Moore is back with ZEGA Financial CEO Jay Pestrichelli to discuss whether Jay Powell or bond traders are in charge of interest rate policy? How option volatility changes around earnings announcements. Why the spread between the 30-year Mortgage Rate and 10-year treasuries is historically wide including MBS (Mortgage-Backed Securities) impact. Plus, how MBS are doing something kind of weird right now. Later they discuss financial conditions, how high yield loans and bonds have greatly outpe...
Oct 22, 2023•59 min•Ep. 243
Derek Moore explains what it would take interest rate wise for bonds and TLT to get back to breakeven on price. A lot of misunderstanding is out there on buying bonds at the bottom and what that means. How bonds have different drivers than stocks. Plus, inflation is ticking back up and what that means for the Fed. Finally, a deep dive into TLT components and the math behind what those buying TLT are hoping for. What would make bonds go back up? Examining TLT iShares 20+ etf components Effective ...
Oct 15, 2023•35 min•Ep. 242
Derek Moore and Jay Pestrichelli, CEO of ZEGA Financial, observe the destruction in long term treasury bonds due to the reflation of the yield curve. How does the market do with higher rates? What does a flattening yield curve mean for the economy? Bond and Stock correlations mean bonds not protecting portfolios? The Hussman 12-year forward return gauge. Strategic petroleum reserve (SPR) now only has 17 days of supply left. And by the way, there is still a lot of good news like improving mortali...
Oct 09, 2023•42 min•Ep. 241
