Confluence Podcasts

How stable is the labor market? Thomas Wash, Staff Economist, looks at the current state of the labor market.

What do the Distributional Financial Accounts data tell us about the economy and financial system? As a follow-up to the Flow of Funds data, Bill O'Grady, Chief Market Strategist, discusses how this subsequent release offers a deeper dive into the previous numbers.

Chief Market Strategist Bill O’Grady and Market Strategist Patrick Fearon-Hernandez discuss the geopolitics of Taiwan and the risks to globalization presented by the concentration of the semiconductor industry on the island of Taiwan. Topics include the issue of strategic ambiguity, the potential chokepoint that Taiwan’s semiconductor’s industry represents, and the issue of Taiwan/China unification by diplomacy or force.

What does the Flow of Funds data tell us about the economy and financial system? Bill O'Grady, Chief Market Strategist, looks at this latest report from the Federal Reserve for insights on the economy and investment environment.

How are "base effects" affecting today's economic and financial data? Patrick Fearon-Hernandez, Market Strategist, reviews what we mean when we talk about "base effects" and how the year-over-year comparisons change our perceptions.

Should we be concerned with the rise in inflation expectations? Thomas Wash, Staff Economist, addresses the relationship between inflation expectations and actual inflation.

What is behind the recent rally in gold? Bill O'Grady, Chief Market Strategist, reviews the recent performance of gold prices and reasons for the price action.

Why aren't people returning to the labor force? Thomas Wash, Staff Economist, looks at the labor shortage we're seeing in workplaces as the threat of the pandemic wanes and the economy opens up.

Is the Canadian housing market a bubble ready to pop? Patrick Fearon-Hernandez, Market Strategist, looks at the housing market in Canada and whether a price bubble is forming there.

How does the Confluence Asset Allocation Committee forecast? Bill O'Grady, Chief Market Strategist, discusses the process the Confluence asset allocation investment team uses to arrive at its economic forecasts, which are the basis for the firm's asset allocation recommendations.