President Trump has withdrawn his threat to fire Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell for the time being, but the administration continues to criticize the Fed for postponing interest rate cuts and for its quantitative tightening policy, which increases the amount of bonds available in the market and thus requires higher interest rates to attract buyers. Confluence Associate Market Strategist Thomas Wash joins Phil Adler to discuss whether the Fed's independence is truly at risk and what this might mean for investors.

The race between the United States and China for military superiority will continue to have major implications for investors. Confluence Associate Market Strategist Daniel Ortwerth joins Phil Adler to give us an update on the US-China military balance of power.

In this episode, Confluence reviews the Asset Allocation rebalance for the second quarter of 2025, featuring a brief economic analysis and insights on asset class and security selection for the firm’s Asset Allocation portfolios. Joining the podcast to recap the rationale for this quarter's changes is Kaisa Stucke, analyst and chair of the Asset Allocation Committee's quarterly investment meetings.

Oh, what a difference one quarter can make! The mood has certainly changed on Wall Street since the beginning of the year as investors seem to be losing confidence in US economic growth. Confluence Chief Market Strategist Patrick Fearon-Hernandez reminds us what the market expectations were like back in January, examines the current evidence of what may be ahead for US investments, and discusses the implications for world financial markets going forward. 

Tariffs may be the most noticeable but they're not the only strategy in the economic conflict between the US and China. In this episode, Confluence Associate Market Strategist Thomas Wash discusses how export controls are amplifying the conflict and the message for investors.

The recent outperformance of European stocks has been noteworthy. Confluence Associate Market Strategist Thomas Wash joins Phil Adler to discuss why this may only be the beginning.

Should the current strain in traditional US alliances prompt investors to consider an immediate strategy adjustment? Confluence Chief Market Strategist Patrick Fearon-Hernandez joins Phil Adler to answer that question and explain the detailed approach Confluence takes to evaluate this issue.

It appears a slowdown now underway may be part of the Trump administration's economic plan. Confluence Associate Market Strategist Thomas Wash discusses why investors should pay close attention to how well any slowdown is managed. 

Are Trump tariffs working as the administration expected? Confluence Advisory Director of Market Strategy Bill O'Grady joins Phil Adler to unpack the Trump strategy and give us some advice about dealing with extreme market volatility and risk.

It might be time to take a new look at the relationship between inflation and stock market performance. The old adage is that inflation is bad for stocks. Confluence Associate Market Strategist Daniel Ortwerth suggests that it might be wiser today to view equities as an inflation hedge.