The SIFMA Podcast

In episode 6 of the Market Snapshot, SIFMA President and CEO Kenneth E. Bentsen, Jr. and Director of Research Heidi Learner are joined by Tom Simons, Chief U.S. Economist at Jefferies, to discuss the outlook for Federal Reserve policy, evolving labor market dynamics, AI investment and productivity, and what these trends could mean for interest rates, economic growth and capital markets.

In Episode 05 of Market Snapshot, SIFMA President and CEO Kenneth E. Bentsen, Jr. and Director of Research Heidi Learner are joined by Mona Mahajan, Principal and Head of Investment Strategy and Asset Allocation at Edward Jones. They discuss the outlook for Federal Reserve policy, rising Treasury yields, AI investment and corporate issuance, equity market opportunities, and the key risks investors should watch in the months ahead. 

In Episode 04 of Market Snapshot, SIFMA President and CEO Kenneth E. Bentsen, Jr. and Head of Research Heidi Learner recap recent market developments before turning to a replay of SIFMA’s mid-year Economist Council briefing. Featuring Scott Anderson, Chief U.S. Economist and Managing Director at BMO and Co-Chair of the SIFMA Economist Council, the briefing explores economic growth, AI investment, inflation, labor markets, monetary policy, and the risks shaping the outlook.

In this episode of The SIFMA Podcast, SIFMA President and CEO Kenneth E. Bentsen Jr. is joined by Peter Ryan, Charles DeSimone, and Micah Smith to discuss the regulatory questions shaping the next phase of tokenized securities markets. 

In Episode 03 of Market Snapshot, SIFMA President and CEO Kenneth E. Bentsen, Jr. and Head of Research Heidi Learner are joined by Tom Porcelli, Chief Economist at Wells Fargo, to discuss the latest forces shaping markets. Against the backdrop of a surprise CPI release and Fed Chair Kevin Warsh’s first congressional testimony, the conversation explores the underlying strength of the labor market, inflation dynamics, the path for monetary policy, and what current Treasury yields suggest about growth, fiscal risk, and market expectations. Porcelli also discusses whether recent productivity gains are being driven more by reduced hours worked than by AI, and what investors and policymakers should watch in the months ahead. 

In this episode of The SIFMA Podcast, host Steve Byron is joined by Shawn Quant, Chief Information & Operations Officer at Piper Sandler and Chair of SIFMA’s Operations & Technology Board Subcommittee, and Deb Guarino, Managing Director at BNY Pershing and Chair of the SIFMA Operations & Technology Committee.

Recorded following the 2026 SIFMA Operations Conference & Exhibition, the conversation explores the technological, regulatory, and operational forces reshaping capital markets. Topics include the evolution of AI from experimentation to enterprise integration, the growing role of tokenization and digital assets, operational readiness for Treasury clearing and extended trading hours, cyber resilience, fraud prevention, talent development, and the changing role of operations professionals in modern financial markets.

Drawing on insights from SIFMA Ops 2026, the discussion highlights how firms are preparing for a future defined by accelerated change, increased automation, evolving market infrastructure, and the need for industry-wide collaboration.

Learn more about SIFMA’s Operations & Technology work at www.sifma.org/ops.

In Episode 02 of Market Snapshot, SIFMA President and CEO Kenneth E. Bentsen, Jr. and Head of Research Heidi Learner are joined by Marc Giannoni, Chief U.S. Economist at Barclays, to discuss the evolving U.S. economic outlook. 

 The conversation explores the resilience of consumer spending, the outlook for growth and the labor market, persistent inflation pressures, and the Federal Reserve’s policy path. They also examine the outsized role AI-related investment is playing in supporting economic activity, the implications of slowing labor force growth, and the key risks that could shape markets in the months ahead—from geopolitical developments and energy prices to the potential for slower growth alongside elevated inflation. 

In this episode of The SIFMA Podcast, Saima Ahmed introduces two conversations from the 2026 SIFMA C&L Annual Seminar featuring SEC Chairman Paul Atkins with SIFMA President and CEO Ken Bentsen, and SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce with Morgan Stanley’s Eric Grossman. Together, the discussions examine regulatory clarity, modernization of legacy frameworks, SEC–CFTC coordination, digital assets, AI, enforcement priorities, and the path toward more coherent, technology-neutral oversight.

Your Host:

• Saima Ahmed, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, SIFMA

Featuring:

• Paul Atkins, Chairman, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
• Kenneth E. Bentsen Jr., President and CEO, SIFMA
• Hester Peirce, Commissioner, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission 
• Eric Grossman, Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Chief Administrative Officer, Morgan Stanley

Related Resources:

• Key Takeaways
• Seminar Debrief

In this episode of the SIFMA Podcast, Ken Bentsen speaks with SIFMA’s Peter Ryan about the rapid evolution of digital assets, tokenized markets, and stablecoins. They discuss how regulatory clarity, institutional adoption, and emerging market infrastructure are accelerating the integration of tokenization across the capital markets ecosystem.