John and Scott recap the week that was – a solid week for the S&P 500 and an even better week for the tech-heavy Nasdaq, with small-caps outpacing both – and John notes how "late cycle" sectors – the areas that usually tag along towards the end of bull markets – are up as much as 10% over the last month. The hosts discuss last week's jobs report, why an official uptick in unemployment is, counterintuitively, a good thing, and why it sent the market rallying for a second straight day in the face of trade tensions.

Scott adds that manufacturing growth isn't slowing yet, according to his sources. Scott and Greg discuss the current U.S. growth picture – is over 4% really happening? – and what that could mean for trade negotiations in China and Europe. Earnings season is about to heat up again, with banks getting started on Friday the 13th. Scott and John discuss what to look for, and Scott reveals why analysts' estimates of 20% earnings growth for Q2 could be, if history is any guide, conservative. John asks about buybacks, and wonders why not even big banks' $110 billion combined buybacks seem to be moving the needle. Scott talks about why companies buy back shares, even at or near all-time highs. But it's as risky as it sounds.

"Bank earnings better be pretty damn good." John asks Scott and Greg about cryptos and if they will help or hurt payment processors like Visa and Mastercard and their $97 billion haul last year in credit card fees. Greg makes sense of the declaration from researchers in the Imperial College of London that's now reverberating in markets:

"Cryptocurrencies are ready for mass adoption." John talks about Buffett's love for selling puts, and just how profitable the trade has been for him over the years. Scott asks Greg about what he sees in the time cycle analysis he does for Ten Stock Trader. Greg points out a date that he sees being a big inflection point, and urges patience when trading this month. "Either an explosion of this bull market… or something much more sinister at hand." Greg also notes some key divergence that he sees across the markets today. "Once that does play out, there are very low risk-reward trades to be made." John asks Greg and Scott about the yield curve and rates, and Scott points out what could be a peak in the rate cycle.

Markets dip a little on rumbles of a trade war escalation, a slight downward revision for GDP growth figures, as well as big banks' stress tests. John reveals the main bright spot this week for markets: a comprehensive capital analysis review straight from the Fed that sets up a handful of the big banking stocks to dramatically ramp up their stock buybacks and dividends – more than $110 billion from the top four banks alone.

John makes a prediction about the latest volley in the trade war – tariffs to be slapped on $36 billion worth of goods. "I think it's going to happen because Trump wants to send a message."

Buck Sexton, nationally syndicated radio host and co-host of Porter's Stansberry Investor Hour, joins the crew to make sense of China's game plan for a trade war.  As a former intelligence officer at the CIA, Buck has some insights as to just how much punishment Beijing is willing to take.

Greg explains why equity markets' reactions show Trump is negotiating from a position of strength. "If you just purely look at what equity markets have done, China's down over 20%, the U.S. is kind of flat."

John asks Buck if the E.U. is in a slow-motion process of unraveling in the wake of Brexit. Buck puts his finger on the fundamental flaw in the E.U., and why Germany – perceived as the strong link in the E.U. experiment – was actually a catalyst for Brexit.

Scott makes a prediction on the impact that renewed Iranian sanctions will have on oil prices, and Buck shows how the Iranian deal was engineered by the Obama administration to be, in many ways, irreversible.

The spread between the Euro and Dollar is getting wider and could put pressure on any QE tapering proposed in the Eurozone. Scott tells you why the next 12 to 18 months are going to be quite volatile with a combination of monetary policy manipulation and trade wars weighing on the markets. Greg reveals that the Bank of International Settlements (BIS) just published a report stating that global banks may not be reporting the exact value of assets on their books. Sound familiar?

John asks Greg about cryptocurrencies and why it's so difficult and almost complete guesswork to determine their real value. Greg tells you how every relative new high in bitcoin has been sold recently, and why he sees no turnaround in price until it falls below $1000. Rocky S. writes in with a question asking why gold and silver don't seem to be rallying in a world of fiat currencies.

The spread between the Euro and Dollar is getting wider and could put pressure on any QE tapering proposed in the Eurozone. Scott tells you why the next 12 to 18 months are going to be quite volatile with a combination of monetary policy manipulation and trade wars weighing on the markets. Greg reveals that the Bank of International Settlements (BIS) just published a report stating that global banks may not be reporting the exact value of assets on their books. Sound familiar?

John asks Greg about cryptocurrencies and why it's so difficult and almost complete guesswork to determine their real value. Greg tells you how every relative new high in bitcoin has been sold recently, and why he sees no turnaround in price until it falls below $1000. Rocky S. writes in with a question asking why gold and silver don't seem to be rallying in a world of fiat currencies.

The spread between the Euro and Dollar is getting wider and could put pressure on any QE tapering proposed in the Eurozone. Scott tells you why the next 12 to 18 months are going to be quite volatile with a combination of monetary policy manipulation and trade wars weighing on the markets. Greg reveals that the Bank of International Settlements (BIS) just published a report stating that global banks may not be reporting the exact value of assets on their books. Sound familiar?

John asks Greg about cryptocurrencies and why it's so difficult and almost complete guesswork to determine their real value. Greg tells you how every relative new high in bitcoin has been sold recently, and why he sees no turnaround in price until it falls below $1000. Rocky S. writes in with a question asking why gold and silver don't seem to be rallying in a world of fiat currencies.

Since 2008, the global monetary system has sent trillions coursing through economies on a one way bet for growth. What happens when it all starts to unwind? John and Scott wonder what the Eurozone will look like next year as a breakup of the euro is being tossed around, refugee issues boil over, and QE comes to an end. How does it all impact the US dollar and your investment in equities?

AT&T and Comcast are taking on crazy amounts of debt to further their M&A activities. Trillions in corporate paper is coming due in 2019 and 2020. The Fed has speculated up to 9 rate hikes equaling 2.25% from now until the end of 2020. How will the corporate bond market handle this substantial increase as they attempt to roll over their obligations? One word. Recession.

Fund managers are holding record amounts of cash. That cash needs to be put to work at some point, so where will it go? Scott tells you why following this money can show you exactly when the markets peak, and how you can take the other side of the trade for big gains.

It's a big week in the markets in the wake of the G7 Summit, upcoming Fed meeting, the Trump and Kim get together, and pending AT&T / Time Warner deal. John notes that the dreaded algos are squeezing shorts and he asks Greg about the bounce back in retail names. Are investors digging for value?

A revolution in the entertainment business continues with Apple and Facebook hiring new content creators. Disney pulls all their work from Netflix as M&A in this sector is heating up at the same time people are cutting the cable TV chord.  

Greg tells you about recent price action in Bitcoin and why the short term outlook is not looking so positive for cryptos. John opens the mailbag with a question about how US sanctions imposed on Iran will affect the oil trade, and why Apple seems to no longer be the innovative company it was when Steve Jobs was at the helm.

John and Scott talk about an oil supply battle breaking out between OPEC and Russia. Greg gives two names that he's following in the oil space, and spots a potential breakdown in the reflation trade.

John asks Scott about rising troubles in Europe. Scott says what the impact of political tensions in two of the largest Eurozone economies (Italy and Spain) could mean for the Euro. Greg asks why the ECB is following Japan's model – not fixing the underlying problem, just putting a bandage on it.

Scott breaks down last week's Fed minutes, and tells why the Fed's actions favors the bulls, for now. Greg points out that the Fed will have to balance its policy with what's happening in the global economy, or its actions will have severe repercussions. Scott says that investors are looking to the U.S. because it has decent growth trends – not because it's "the best house on a bad block."

Presidents Trump and Xi pull the plug on China tariffs and give the markets a huge bounce. Scott wonders if the move back from the China "trade war low" a few weeks ago has more to do with interest rates than any trade talk. Does this mean higher rates and a stronger US Dollar are here to stay?

Greg and Scott explain why the US economic engine is still running hot when compared to other countries around the world, and what it means for investment capital flow back into American markets. Public companies have increased their buybacks by 40% and are reporting record capital expenditure numbers. John and Scott tell you what this means for stocks in the near term

Scott reveals why regional banks have been a hidden gem in the financial sector and how a new bill about to be signed into law could send these stocks into orbit. Greg discusses why the rally in commodities could be a late stage sign of a worried bull market and John answers a listener's question about stock splits.

John and Scott discuss a golden rule of investing you can follow for huge gains when bad news hits a stock. They explain how markets and the media create incredible buying opportunities for you in companies like Boeing, Winn Resorts, Facebook, Chipotle, and Equifax. Scott reveals a specific metric he's watching right now that could bring a flood of new money into the markets from institutional investors.

Drew McConnell, analyst for Daily Wealth Trader, explains how the average investor can easily figure out what big oil companies are doing next, why lower costs are on the way for US drillers, and the two energy stocks to invest in right now to take advantage of rising oil prices. Amanda Cuocci, contributor to Retirement Millionaire and the Health & Wealth Bulletin, gives you a few stocks to watch that could benefit from the generic drug market as the world's top drug makers lose patents.

Greg points out how recent interest rate decisions have had a ripple effect throughout the global economy, and why the Fed is now stuck between and rock and a hard place. Scott talks about a key indicator that paints an easy inflation picture, and how that's eased some of the market's recent worries.