Baseline Reset: When Assumptions Fracture

Today's episode diagnoses a system operating under multiple, interconnected pressures—from the Iran conflict and energy price shocks to the fragile optimism in AI infrastructure and earnings reports. We unpack why the market's resilience may be built on unrealistic assumptions, and explore the surprising strength of emerging markets as a potential strategic opportunity in a world redefining economic stability.

Explore the full visual digest at pers-int.com

0:00 - Introduction
1:14 - Geopolitics & Global Markets: Iran Conflict Fallout
10:07 - AI Infrastructure & Scalability Challenges
17:17 - US Economy: Markets, Earnings, and the Fed
22:53 - Emerging Market Resilience & Strategic Opportunities
26:26 - Conclusion

Referenced sources:
Meta's New Model, Gemini 4, OpenAI Proposes AI Policy (AI Insights: AI News, Eyewitness Accounts)
EM Fixed Income Will EM markets keep trading Iran conflict de-escalation (At Any Rate)
Asia Stocks Rise Before Iran Talks (Bloomberg Daybreak: Asia Edition)
DOJ Opens Probe Into NFL's Sports TV Deals (Bloomberg Intelligence)
Bloomberg Surveillance TV April 9th, 2026 (Bloomberg Surveillance)
Ceasefire Claims Diverge as Hormuz Stays Blocked (Bloomberg Surveillance)
Promote Giving - A New Model for Performance-Driven Giving (EP.496) (Capital Allocators – Inside the Institutional Investment Industry)
Macro Matters Fed Past & Future with BNY's Reinhart (FICC Focus)
US-Iran war boosts used electric vehicle sales (FT News Briefing)
Alternative Realities What is the state of U.S. infrastructure (Insights Now)
The ceasefire, Africa and Senior Companies and Markets Show (Investors' Chronicle)
403 The case for dynamic duration management in credit portfolios (L&G Talks Asset Management)
MacroVoices #527 Adam Rozencwajg What Comes Next After The Iran Crisis (Macro Voices)
The Best Time to Invest How AI Disruption is Reshaping Software Valuations Ben Topor Titan Capital Partners (Monetary Matters with Jack Farley)
Markets Are Betting the Iran War Is Over - Is it (Prof G Markets)
Key Players Pivot to Robots, AI Agents Proliferate Trading the Markets With AI (Real Vision: Finance & Investing)
All of AI's New Models and Tools (The AI Daily Brief: Artificial Intelligence News and Analysis)
Meta's Gemini 4 Important Innovations (The AI Podcast)
BDC Bond Bust Creates Opportunity for $622 Billion Asset Manager MFS (The Credit Edge by Bloomberg Intelligence)
Rational Security The Deeply Iran-ic Edition (The Lawfare Podcast)
Big Tech Opportunity (The Markets)
U.S Consumer Spending Meets Caution (Thoughts on the Market)
How Does Crypto Remain Secure in a World of Always On AI Hacks - Uneasy Money (Unchained)
What has changed (Unhedged)
Update from the Battlefield Drones, Distance, and Diminishing Returns for Russia (War on the Rocks)

This episode is independent commentary and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by the sources listed above.