Recently, consumers have been using drugs approved to treat diabetes to lose weight. Depending on the person, the results can be significant. Further, it seems people using these drugs for weight loss often change their consumption patterns, at least to some degree. While this is obvious great news for a country struggling with obesity, what does it mean to companies and economic sectors which depend on Americans being fat? There is real money at stake. In this week’s Trading Perspectives, Sam and John talk about the recent spike in the use of weight loss drugs and what it means for the US economy.

Last weekend, Hamas unleashed a coordinated military attack against southern Israel, catching the latter off guard. While the world’s leaders have condemned the attack, social media message boards and websites aren’t anywhere close to being one-sided for the Israelis. Far from it. Since young people are more apt to use social media, is there a generational divide in public support for Israel? If so, what has caused it and what does it mean if the situation escalates? In this week’s Trading Perspectives, Sam and John discuss the conflict in southern Israel and the Gaza Strip. How does Gen Z feel about it relative to Gen X?

Long-term interest rates have climbed dramatically over the last two months. This has negatively impacted bond and stock investors. However, many people fear they have higher still to go. After all, Washington keeps running massive deficits. The Federal Reserve and foreign investors aren’t buying as many Treasuries securities, and domestic investors want a high real rate of return. Then there is the current mess in Washington. So, just how much higher will rates go before people start gobbling them up? In this week’s Trading Perspectives, Sam and John discuss the recent increase in interest rates and the political turmoil in Washington. Is there any reason for rates to go down? If not, how much higher will they go?

This week, Ford announced plans to pause production on an electric vehicle battery assembly plant in Michigan. This was due to political pushback stemming from the realization that Ford was going to license the necessary technology from the Chinese firm CATL. However, given how far behind the US is in EV battery technology and supply-chain sourcing, is it realistic to imagine the Big Three expanding its EV production without technical assistance from China? In this week’s Trading Perspectives, Sam and John discuss the current state of the EV market in the United States and what changes the Big Three have to make in order to compete without help from the Chinese.

The division between labor and management seems to be growing around the world. From railway workers in Sri Lanka to doctors in the U.K. to screenwriters in Hollywood to autoworkers in the Midwest. Does it make sense? Or do those on strike not fully understand the bigger picture, even if they might have a legitimate grief? After all, telephone operators probably had gripes too. In this week’s Trading Perspectives, Sam and John discuss various strikes around the world, but focus on those closer to home. Are the strikers truly bargaining from a position of strength? Does management fully comprehend the future of its various industries?

Recent sharp increases in energy prices have caused pain at the pump and pushed the inflation gauges higher. Couple this with student loan repayments, and what, then, is the state of the U.S. consumer heading into the holiday shopping season? When things get tight, what gets the ax? Is it travel? The movies? Restaurants? Or is everyone different? Further, what impact would this have on overall U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP)? Basically, how much will this recent uptick in inflation drive down real economic growth? Should we be worried? In this week’s Trading Perspectives, Sam and John discuss recent, unexpected increases in inflation and what they could mean for the U.S. economy. Are there generational differences about the probable cause scenario?

After years of pandemic-related moratoriums on the repayment of student loan debt, the clock has finally stopped ticking. Unless something dramatic happens, people will have to start paying back what they have borrowed. Have they budgeted for it? Not likely. If they haven’t, what expenditures get the ax? Essentially, what can younger people cut out of a monthly budget when there is a serious need for cash? In this week’s Trading Perspective’s, Sam and John welcome another member of Generation-Z to the podcast, John’s daughter Annie Norris. With two Gen-Z’s with which to contend, will John be able to wax nostalgic about how much cheaper things were back in his day?  

It seems COVID is rearing its ugly head again. As a result, more and more people are wearing masks in public and consciously keeping their distance from others. It begs the question: what would the public’s response be to future mask mandates, economic shutdowns and shelter in place orders? Would we acquiesce as quickly as we did in 2020? Or will people push back on the government this time around? In this week’s Trading Perspectives, Sam and John talk about the potential for a return of pandemic restrictions. Would the government try such a thing? Would people comply? Are there generational or regional differences? Regardless, next time should be different.

Everyone knows lower interest rates are supposed to stimulate economic growth. If that is the case, the inverse must also be true. However, is that really the truth? After all, the Japanese have had manufactured low interest rates for almost three decades, and where has the growth been? The same could be said for the Europeans over the last decade or so. Shoot, even the American economy seemed to be weaker than it should have been with artificially low rates. This begs the counterintuitive question: are high interest rates really as bad as advertised? In this week’s Trading Perspectives, Sam and John discuss the impact permanently higher interest rates might have on the economy. It might not be as bad as feared.

The Chinese have been reducing their holdings of U.S. Treasury securities. The Federal Reserve has stopped adding huge amounts to its balance sheet. However, Washington will still have to borrow trillions of dollars over the next decade. Will we be able to finance at 4% if the Chinese and the Fed are on the sideline? What will individual U.S. investors need to see before they go back to bonds? 5% 6% or higher? It seems higher interest rates are here to stay, but just how high is high? In this week’s Trading Perspectives, Sam and John discuss longer-term interest rates in the U.S. and where they think they will stop. What does the past suggest? What is their gut telling them?

After a positive July, the dog days of summer have shown up in August. The heat has been oppressive, Fitch downgraded U.S. Treasury debt, Moody’s downgraded the banks and the tech stocks have fallen apart. Is it time to worry? In this week’s Trading Perspectives, Sam, John and special guest Grace Schlenker discuss why things seem to be boiling over during the hottest time of the year.

This week, the Fitch Rating organization downgraded U.S. Treasury debt from its highest rating of AAA to AA+. But what did it accomplish? Is the U.S. Treasury market no longer the world’s most liquid? Is the U.S. dollar no longer the world’s primary reserve currency? Did the U.S. financial system suddenly become more opaque? Is the U.S. Treasury in danger of defaulting on its debt? Or is the bigger issue Washington’s inefficiency in spending money that it will eventually have to repay? Further, does anyone really want the Congress to tighten the purse strings in a meaningful way?   In this week’s Trading Perspectives, Sam and John discuss the probable outcomes of Fitch’s downgrade and what it really means for the US. Perhaps Sam really isn’t as cynical as everyone says. Or maybe he is.

For much of 2023, commentators have been wondering about the health of the domestic movie industry. Actor and screenwriter strikes aside, a lot of tried-and-true formulas weren’t performing as well as the studios wanted. Was this a change in consumer preferences? Had streaming killed the movies? Or were viewers just bored? Then came along a strange combination of the world’s most famous plastic doll and “the father of the atomic bomb.” Did Barbenheimer save Hollywood? In this week’s Trading Perspectives, Sam and John discuss changes in the domestic movie industry and come to a not so startling conclusion. If it is unique and interesting enough, people will continue to go to the movies.

Although the economic data has been a little cooler recently, the temperatures outside have been blisteringly hot. What are people doing to escape heat? Further, what can governments around the world do to combat what seems to be more volatile weather patterns? Can they do anything at all? In this week’s Trading Perspectives, Sam, Courtney and John discuss the current heatwave and how they are trying to stay cool. Is there something we all can be doing to reduce stress on the climate?  

Recently, Gallup released the results of its annual survey tracking Americans’ faith in their public and private institutions. Not surprisingly, the results were pretty disappointing. It seems, we don’t place a lot of trust in much in 2023. However, this has been a trend going back decades. But where did our trust go and why? In this week’s Trading Perspectives, Sam, Courtney and John discuss their own faith in various institutions. Are there any generational or gender differences? Further, who would expect to be the most positive? You might be surprised.

Considering all of the advancements in artificial animal protein products, are they logical substitutes to the real thing? After all, all of that soy and pea proteins have to come from somewhere. That doesn’t even include the palm and coconut oil many of these companies use. Further, are animals really as bad for the environment as many would lead you to believe? Then, (and finally) are American consumers ready to switch to meat grown in a lab? Is that sort of thing even kosher or halal? Let alone affordable for the average consumer. In this week’s Trading Perspectives, Sam, Courtney and John discuss the meatless, meat industry. Will it ever be completely scalable? If so, what would the impact be on the environment, let alone the electrical grid?  

Last week, the terrible saga of the OceanGate Titan made global headlines. Will this put an end to commercial exploration or give it a spark? What’s more, who should pay for search and rescue missions when things go awry? Finally, is there any real difference between hubris and risk taking? In this week’s Trading Perspectives, Sam, Courtney and John discuss the recent disaster and what it would take for them to take such risks when exploring the world.

It seems there is always a ‘gotcha’ hidden fee whenever you purchase anything. From thinking you are getting a good deal to sticker shock, this has been a bane for consumers for years. A fee here, a fee there and you are in the poorhouse before you know it. How can companies get away with all of the hidden costs? Or is it the consumer’s responsibility to find out all of the costs before making their purchase? Finally, is it the government’s responsibility to get to the bottom of this? In this week’s Trading Perspectives, Sam, Courtney and John discuss hidden fees and how they have impacted their purchasing decisions in the past and how they will impact them in the future.

Recently, the Administration has pushed for the eventual elimination of natural gas stoves. Intuitively, this could eventually entail hot water heaters, furnaces and other gas powered appliances or products. Is this feasible? Who will produce all of the necessary parts, wires and final products? How much additional electrical capacity will we need? Can the current grid even withstand a mandated uptick in demand for electricity? How do we get from here to there in an economically doable fashion? In this week’s Trading Perspectives, Sam, Courtney and John discuss recent proposals for eliminating gas stoves, et al, in American households. Is this a legitimate use of government power? Regardless, is it even practical?

From Dothan, Alabama, to Edinburgh, Scotland, it seems good help is hard to find. Despite soft economic data, the labor markets remain surprisingly strong. This is especially true for hourly workers. Why are they in such short supply? Are there just not enough people to do the work? Or is there something else happening here? In this week’s Trading Perspectives, Sam, Courtney and John discuss chronic labor shortages here at home as well as over in the UK. How can this be... with economic activity as mediocre as it has been? 

Americans currently aren’t having enough children to replenish the population. Fortunately, immigration should be able to make up some of the domestic shortfall. What is the cause of this? Is it economic in nature? Or is it societal? Essentially, why are Americans waiting longer to have children and having fewer of them? What are the financial implications of more or less children? Are there any long term consequences?   In this week’s Trading Perspectives, Sam and John discuss America’s birthrate woes. Will the pendulum ever swing back the other way? Or will our society’s focus on individualism lead to future population decline?

At a recent presentation, someone asked John what kept him up at night. Was it the debt ceiling imbroglio? The Federal Reserve? The potential for a recession? War in Asia? War in Ukraine? With so many different problems from which to choose, what keeps you up at night? Is it one of these things or something completely different altogether? In this week’s Trading Perspectives, Sam, Courtney and John discuss their greatest fears for the present and the future. Are there any generational or gender differences?

Currently, four of the five big professional sports leagues are in action. While these depend on the common man for success, the money the athletes make is anything but common. The numbers boggle the mind. The question remains: “how much longer will the American public continue to pay the bills?” After all, a trip to the ballpark for a family of four can be an expensive undertaking. In this week’s Trading Perspectives, Sam, Courtney and John discuss the runaway salaries professional athletes make. Will they continue to help foot the bill?

While the rate of inflation has recently gone down, prices remain higher than where they were this time last year. Will this impact any summer vacation plans? If so, how? Will more folks have staycations? Or will people make more PB&Js to take to the beach while on vacation? After all, the wallet might not be as thick in 2023. In this week’s Trading Perspectives, Sam, Courtney and John discuss how higher prices have impacted their personal travel plans for the summer. You might be surprised by the results.

The US dollar has been the preferred reserve currency and method of international exchange since the end of WWII. How much longer can this continue? After all, the rest of the world wants a say about how the global financial system works. But is there an alternative to the greenback? Also, should Sam and Courtney get euros and pounds now or later? In this week’s Trading Perspectives, Sam, Courtney and John discuss the global currency markets, the best way to exchange currencies for the average traveler and whether the U.S. dollar will ever falter.

Over time, the government has gotten more involved in the lives of American citizens. It seems there is a law, ordinance or tax on just about every action and transaction we make. While the argument is always that they are in “the public good,” at what point should that supersede individual rights? Are there any generational or gender differences in opinion? In this week’s Trading Perspectives, Sam, Courtney and John discuss governmental involvement in their day-to-day lives and what, if anything, they would do differently.

Recently, Bud Light has made a lot of headlines for using social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney to promote its product. This has unleashed a firestorm of opinion on the role of influencers in general. Are they effective? Are they cost efficient? Are they the wave of the future as marketing departments get more granular in attracting specific demographics? In this week’s Trading Perspectives, Sam, Courtney and John discuss the use of social media influencers and the impact they have on their purchasing decisions.

Anyone who has been in the market for a new or used car lately knows they have gone up sharply in price. Inventories are still extremely low for both and borrowing costs are substantially higher. Can potential buyers still get the car of their dreams? Or is the dream becoming a nightmare? If so, when will it end? Will car prices ever come back down to a manageable level? In this week’s Trading Perspectives, Sam, Courtney and John discuss the sticker shock in the car industry. Will this impact their buying decisions? For how long? After all, they could all be in the market for a new vehicle if the price is right.

The U.S. labor markets have been incredibly strong for the last couple of years. However, a few months ago, cracks began to show as tech companies started to let workers go. For a while, the job losses seemed relatively contained to the sector, but they seem to be popping up everywhere. How much longer will it be before they hit your industry and your town? In this week’s Trading Perspectives, Sam, Courtney and John discuss the recent increase in layoff announcements. Is this a serious long-term problem? Or is a logical readjustment to slower rates of growth?  

It seems every movie is a sequel or another rendition of long established characters and stories. The same could be said for music as well. Is our entertainment industry in a collective funk? Why do we keep seeing the same old same old, but only with new actors? Has creativity bottomed in the United States? If so, what does that say about the future? Or is there something else happening? In this week’s Trading Perspectives, Sam, Courtney and John ponder why everything seems to be a remake. John also realizes just how old he really is.

There has been an increased number of calls to ban the Chinese social media app, TikTok, in the US. The thought is that Beijing is using it to spy on Americans in order to both gain and skew information. However, would banning TikTok be a violation of the 1St Amendment? Would it be a violation of free speech? Is there any precedent for this sort of action during peace time? Or is this a big conspiracy hoax? In this week’s Trading Perspectives, Sam, Courtney and John discuss the ongoing TikTok saga. Should the government ban it? You might just be surprised who thinks it should.

It seems every day brings a new problem with some bank somewhere. How did this happen? Couldn’t anyone foresee these problems? Is there any end in sight? Will this ultimately be a repeat of 2008? Is there a flock of black swans out there? In this week’s Trading Perspectives, Sam, Courtney and John discuss the recent problems in the global financial system. Will these lead to a much bigger contagion? Or will cooler heads ultimately prevail?

This past week, senior Chinese officials made it very clear Beijing feels threatened by the United States. Or was it just for show? Was the saber-rattling a way of saving face or a new way of doing business with the People’s Republic? With everything that is happening in the world, is the US really capable of handling a two front war against major powers? What is the ultimate endgame and what does success look like? In this week’s Trading Perspectives, Sam, Courtney and John discuss the ongoing deterioration in ties between China and the United States. What are the impacts for the world? What are the potential impacts for them personally?

It seems Washington has been arguing about the debt ceiling for an extremely long time. Why does it go through this political theater? Is there really any appetite in Congress to meaningfully reign in spending? If so, what gets the ax? Also, is there any end in sight to the deluge in dollars? Should we be losing sleep over this? In this week’s Trading Perspectives, Sam, Courtney and John discuss the Federal debt and what, if anything, can be done about it. John also challenges Usain Bolt to a footrace…with a catch.

The average American's attention span has fallen dramatically over the last decade. Currently, 47 seconds is about the time people can stay focused on one subject. How has this impacted worker productivity? How has it impacted mental health, which ultimately impacts productivity? Is technology to blame? Social media? If so, what can we do as a society about it? In this week’s Trading Perspectives, Sam, Courtney and John analyze Courtney’s decision to give up social media for Lent. Will she be able to do it? Will this make her more productive?

Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) investing has been making a lot of headlines. But what is it exactly? Should companies put ESG considerations ahead of the shareholders best interests, as in turning a profit? Also, what happens when or if societal norms shift? Will companies have to change everything just to stay in good ESG graces. In this week’s Trading Perspectives, Sam, Courtney and John discuss ESG investing and whether it is important to them? More than that, they discuss whether it is even necessary if a company is correctly executing its business model.

Sometimes the headlines are hard to believe. Such was the case this past week, as a massive Chinese spy, presumably, balloon floated across the United States. Washington waited until it was just off the coast of South Carolina to shoot it down in order to prevent damages and injury on the ground. All of this begged a lot of questions. Don’t the Chinese have low-orbit satellites already? Why would they resort to a balloon which was visible on clear days? Why hasn’t Beijing pitched more of a fit about us blowing it up? Why was the Pentagon so patient in destroying it IF the balloon was really that much of a security threat? Or was this just another instance of a foreign power testing US resolve in an increasingly changing world? In this week’s Trading Perspectives, Sam and John discuss the Chinese spy balloon and what appears to be a changing world order. Has the so-called “global South” had enough of the existing world order? If so, what comes next?

Football legend Tom Brady announced his retirement, again, this week. Unlike most people, Brady has plenty of options and professional opportunities ahead of him in his “retirement.” This begs the question, what does retirement mean to you? Is there is a differing of opinion between generations? Between genders? Do people have realistic expectations about what the future will hold for them? In this week’s Trading Perspectives, Sam, Courtney and John discuss what retirement means to them. Not surprisingly, there are some trading perspectives.

The sharp increase in egg prices has made a lot of headlines. What is the cause and how is it really impacting American consumers? Do people really eat that many eggs? Are the higher prices causing people to consume fewer? Or are chicken eggs more inelastic than you might think? If so, how much longer are these high prices going to last? In this week’s Trading Perspectives, Sam, Courtney and John discuss the recent rise in egg prices and how it has impacted them personally. Is there any relief in sight?

A number of major companies have already announced layoffs in 2023. These are the ones that get the headlines. However, a lot of smaller businesses have also been letting people go or even shutting for good. After all, when Microsoft announces 10,000 job cuts, it is all over the media. Not so when Daddy Pet’s BBQ in Grand Rapids extinguishes the pit. So, what is behind the recent job losses? Are there seasonal factors at play? Or is this more of a systemic weakening in the labor markets in general? In this week’s Trading Perspectives, Sam and John discuss the recent job cuts, their probable causes, and the likely outcomes. They also touch on another issue: are the elite policy makers completely out of touch with Main Street?

After a topsy-turvy year in 2022, are Americans looking for a  fresh start? If so, what are the willing to give up or start doing to get things right? In short, what resolutions have Americans made to start the new year? What resolutions have Sam, Courtney and John made to better themselves? Finally, what are the resolutions some global leaders should have? In this week’s Trading Perspectives, Sam, Courtney and John discuss new year’s resolutions and whether they are worth the effort.

After three consecutive years of the unexpected, what can investors expect in 2023. Will things return to some semblance of normal, if we even know what that means any longer? What are some of the safe predictions for the new year? Are there any black swans swimming towards us? If so, what will they be. In this week’s Trading Perspectives, Sam and John discuss the prospects for the upcoming year and come to a somewhat startling prediction. Will it come true or how can it not?

2022 was another weird year. The data was bizarre and geopolitical events were head scratching. Unfortunately, this led to a lot of red ink in the investment markets. With everything seemly out of kilter, were there any lessons to be learned? Any a ha moments? Good takeaways from a very frustrating year. In this week’s Trading Perspectives, Sam and John discuss the past year and come to a couple of conclusions. While they didn’t trade perspectives, they might have hit the nail on the head.

The holidays have always been a time for massive blockbuster movies. However, changing consumer behavior seems to be threatening this tradition. After all, a lot of people wonder why they should pay no small sum of money in order to watch a movie that will be on a streaming service in a few weeks. Still, others love the whole ceremony of going to the theater, getting a soda and popcorn, and enjoying the entertainment with others. Which side will win? The new consumer or the old traditionalist? In this week’s Trading Perspectives, Sam, Courtney and John discuss the movies and whether they plan on going to the theater over the holidays. Will it be a surprise who is planning on doing so or not?

In a nation where conformity is paramount, recent protests in China have made global headlines. It seems even the Chinese don’t like Beijing’s zero-COVID policy. However, is the government more concerned with the virus or controlling the citizenry. If the latter, what does that mean for the global economy moving forward? Can multinationals pull their manufacturing capacity out of the PRC fast enough? If so, to where exactly? After all, if China doesn’t protect the rights of its own population, why would it protect those of foreign companies? This week, Sam, Courtney and John discuss China's lockdowns and the protests which have erupted in that country. How would we have responded in the US? What is Beijing’s real endgame and what can the rest of the world do about it?

With inflation eating away at wallets and pocketbooks, how strong will the US consumer be this holiday shopping season? Analyst estimates are all over the place. However, a sharp spike above the rate of inflation would be an enormous surprise. Will families with small children step up or back from the plate? How about Gen X and Baby Boomer “empty nesters’? Will Gen Z even spend money at all? In this week’s Trading Perspectives, Sam, Courtney and John discuss the upcoming holiday shopping season. Will it be better or worse than what the experts think?

Over the last 12 months, cryptocurrencies have fallen dramatically in value. Much of the downfall has to do with tighter monetary policy. However, recent scandals and exchange collapses at platforms like FTX have caused new questions. Are cryptocurrencies a legitimate store of value? Will they ever get back to those highs from 2021? Frankly, who is in charge here? Or is that still a selling point, that no one is in charge? Will anything be able to change the minds of either crypto bulls or crypto bears? This week, Sam, Courtney and John discuss the collapse in the cryptocurrency market in 2022. Is it a temporary setback or will it forever change how investors view the asset class?

Although the government keeps reporting strong jobs numbers, it seems layoffs are on the rise. This is especially true in the technology sector, where many household names have announced some form of job cuts, hiring freezes, and downsizings. So, which is it? Is the labor market strong? Are these job losses contained within the tech sector? Or are they the proverbial “canary in the coal mine, with bigger labor pains to come? This week, Sam, Courtney and John discuss the recent spate of layoffs in the tech sector and what it might mean for the broader economy…if anything.