
Fed Talk Fuels Volatility, Fundamentals Tell a Different Story, & What Wall Street Won’t Tell You
The Money Wise Guys are back this week with plenty to unpack as investors digest another round of economic data and renewed questions about where interest rates may be headed. On Wall Street, the Dow gained 0.5%, the S\&P 500 rose 0.5%, and the Nasdaq climbed 0.8% for the week. Year to date, the Dow is up 11.4%, the S\&P 500 is up 12.7%, and the Nasdaq is up 13.6%. Much of the week's attention centered on the Jackson Hole Symposium, PCE inflation data, and the market's reaction to Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh's comments. While markets interpreted his remarks as hawkish and expectations for a potential September rate increase moved higher, the team questions whether another hike is actually warranted. They look at historical PCE averages, today's inflation environment, and why investors shouldn't allow every Fed comment or short-term market reaction to dictate their decisions. From there, the conversation shifts back to what the guys believe investors should be watching: fundamentals. With 97% of S\&P 500 companies having reported second-quarter results by August 28, they point to positive earnings and revenue surprises as signs of underlying corporate strength and make the case for focusing on quality companies rather than short-term headlines. Their broader message is to dig deeper: know what you own, understand what you're paying, ask who is actually making the investment decisions, and don't assume a more complicated portfolio is automatically a stronger one. \ Fed Talk Fuels Volatility\ The Federal Reserve doesn’t have to actually change interest rates to move the markets. Sometimes a few words are enough. When Fed officials sound more “hawkish,” meaning they appear more willing to keep rates higher or raise them to fight inflation, investors quickly adjust their expectations for where rates may be headed. That can push Treasury yields higher and put pressure on rate-sensitive areas of the market, particularly higher-valuation technology and growth stocks. That’s essentially what played out following the Jackson Hole comments discussed on this week’s show, as markets reacted to the possibility that rates could remain higher or even move higher from here. For long-term investors, the important part is separating that immediate reaction from what’s actually happening underneath the market. Fed policy matters, but so do earnings, valuations, economic growth, and company fundamentals. A change in rate expectations can create short-term volatility without necessarily changing the long-term investment case for a fundamentally strong company. In the second hour, the Money Wise guys give listeners a peek into what Wall Street Won’t Tell You. You don’t want to miss the details! Tune in for the full discussion on your favorite podcast provider or at davidsoncap.com , where you can also learn more about the Money Wise guys or take advantage of a portfolio review and analysis with Davidson Capital Management.















