Money Life with Chuck Jaffe

Julius de Kempenaer, senior technical analyst at StockCharts, says that while the rally may seem range-bound, the recent upswing has pushed it past the range and started the next rally, one which he thinks could go by another 10 percent likely before the end of the year. De Kempenaer notes that while the rally has been fueled by a few stocks, the rally will be more broad, with small caps starting to participate. In The Big Interview, financial journalist Allan Sloan goes further on what he has labeled 'The Skinny Bull' and just how much our perceptions of the current year for the market are based on the actions of seven companies. Plus, Doug Baker, head of preferred securities at Nuveen, looks at how current market conditions have made it relatively easy to find paper that is yielding north of 7 percent, and notes that concerns over the financial services sector have made it possible to get that yield on sale now at discount levels that this area of the market rarely sees.

Michael Kelly, global head of multi-asset at PineBridge Investments, says he expects the market 'to reverse the gains we have had year to date' and suggests investors will be better off in cash riding out the downturn, which he thinks will be stubborn and persistent even if the downdraft is not exceptionally steep. In the Market Call, Nancy Prial, co-chief executive officer at Essex Investment Management, says that small-cap stocks are already discounting a recession, setting up 'a generational opportunity' for smaller companies to play catch up and outperform over the next two to five years. Plus, Tom Lydon, vice chairman at VettaFi, heads to China with his pick for the ETF of the Week.

Joe Kalish, chief global macro strategist at Ned Davis Research, says that he expects a short, shallow recession that starts no later than early into 2024, but he also says there is the potential for the economy to avoid the status of a recession while riding the U-shaped economic recovery through sub-par and sluggish growth. Ed Carson, news editor at Investor's Business Daily discusses the latest IBD/TIPP Economic Optimism Index, which dropped sharply a month ago and failed to rally this month despite a strong, solid move in the market, and Matt King, president of King Wealth Advisors in northern California talks mutual funds and ETFs in the Market Call.

Paul Seaton, managing director at Fulcrum Asset Management North America, thinks that persistent inflation and a potential recession leave the equity markets vulnerable during the second half of 2023, and while he is not expecting a volatile downturn as a result, he does think investors need to check their expectations and not get carried away by the market's gains to this point in the year. Ken Berman, founder and chief strategist at Gorilla Trades, says that the market's technicals are more mixed than they have been in years, creating a range-bound market where the downside is limited while the market takes time to gather the base for the start of the next secular bull market cycle. In the 'Find Me The Money' segment, forensic accountant Tracy Coenen discusses the financial hide-and-seek games that some spouses start playing at a point when they start to believe that a marital split is likely. Plus, Matt Schulz of Lending Tree on how much parents are spending on average for their kids' extracurricular activities.

Howard Yaruss, professor at New York University and the author of 'Understandable Economics' says that while the stock market is up sharply this year, 'this is not a stock market on fire, this is a stock market 15 percent below it's peak.' The year's increase has been mostly due to a few technology/artificial-intelligence companies, but he does not believe the AI business is setting up a new bubble/crash, because their valuations haven't approached unreasonable; Yaruss also noted that he thinks the Fed will hold off on raising rates this month to see if inflation continues its slow decline. Also on the show, Jeff Ptak, chief ratings officer at Morningstar Inc., goes 'Off The News' on his research that showed that certain tactical asset allocation funds were much worse for investors than simply buying-and-holding a static portfolio, David Trainer of New Constructs issues a warning for the entire stock market over the coming earnings season, and Chuck explores the weird financial news.

Brendan Ahern, chief investment officer at KraneShares, says that any recession or economic downturn in the United States will wind up having spillover effects in China, where the economy is so geared to the West that it is the proverbial 'canary in the coal mine,' because if manufacturing there is slowing and exports are down, it reflects a sluggish economy in the U.S. and Europe. He sees improved potential for China and emerging markets, provided that the politicians on both sides can avoid trade conflicts and allow for improved trade. Rob Shaker of Shaker Financial Services, says that the stock market hasn't been climbin a wall of worry so much as a 'Wall of Meh,' but notes that economic mediocrity is creating opportunities for long-term investors in closed-end funds to buy into discounts now and get paid off as early as the second half of this year, when he expects a 'generalized recovery' from today's worrisome issues. Plus, Gene Peroni of Peroni Portfolio Advisors talks technical analysis and says the range-bound market is likely to see the upper limits on the current market swings move higher -- by more than 10 percent -- before the year ends.

Kristof Gleich, founder and chief investment officer at Harbor Capital Advisors, says investors should be surprised that the economy hasn't gone into inflation, but notes that the market has a 'genuine inflation problem' that is persistent and structural and likely to linger for a year or two, at least, as the Federal Reserve struggles to get the pace of rising costs down to 2 percent. As a result, he expects more volatility from the market, with more vibrant rallies like we are seeing now balanced out by more vicious snapbacks/ Also on the show, Tom Lydon of VettaFi responds to the market's narrow leadership with a counter-intuitive play, making the equal-weighted version of a popular index his ETF of the Week, Christian Mitchell discusses the first data release of Northwestern Mutual's 2023 Progress and Planning Study, noting that investors are braced for impact with a downturn, and Chuck answers a listener's question about the resources he reads and uses for help in guiding his portfolio.

Michael Sansoterra, chief investment officer at Silvant Capital, says the artificial intelligence boom currently fueling a Wall Street rally is here to stay -- though he notes the stocks are not recession- or crash-proof thanks largely to real earnings and sustainable growth curves. During the Internet bubble days around the turn of the century, companies were bid up on hope and hype, but Sansoterra notes that artificial intelligence stocks -- a surprisingly small group that is growing rapidly --- have substance that should give them longevity. Also on the show, financial adviser Brian Kuderna discusses his recent book, 'What Should I Do with My Money?' and Bankrate.com's Ted Rossman discusses side hustle activity and why people keep working side jobs, what they're trying to achieve and how many hustlers think they'll be doing odd jobs forever.

David Trainer, president at New Constructs, says that the initial public offering for fast-casual restaurant chain Cava Group is another poster child for bad new issues, a 'rip-off' with 'the private equity holders hoping to get bailed out by unsuspecting public investors.' He compared Cava to WeWork, an IPO so troubled that it wound up being canceled; he's hoping the Cava deal suffers a similar fate. In the 'Find Me The Money' segment, forensic accountant Tracy Coenen discusses financial infidelity and the slippery slope that many people take in crossing the line from normal financial behaviors to troubling ones, Allison Hadley discusses a RetirementInvestments.com survey looking at the ways and the extents many parents are going to in order to support their adult children, and The Book Interview features author and comedian Jamie Loftus on her book 'RawDog: The Naked Truth About Hot Dogs," a look at both the meat-packing industry and some of the best hot-doig joints in America.

Andy Kapyrin, co-chief investment officer at CI RegentAtlantic Private Wealth, says that in past debt-ceiling debates -- notably heated times like 2011 and 2013 -- stock market investors made times volatile, creating an incentive for Washington to act, but with current volatility being muted, Kapyrin sees ratings agencies like Fitch applying pressure that should help politicians to resolve the issue. While Kapyrin notes that the Federal Reserve has always struggled to deliver a soft landing, there are signs that it can at least escape the current cycle with nothing worse than a mild recession. Also on the show, Duncan Farley of the BlueBay Destra International Event-Driven Credit Fund discusses how rising rates and inflation have created more and different opportunities in the public and private credit markets, delivering the potential for double-digit returns without correlation to the stock market, Jerremy Newsome of Real-Life Trading talks about how investors can make money playing both sides against the middle of the current range-bound market, and Tom Plumb of the Plumb Funds discusses innovative, disruptive companies in the Market Call.

Mike Foss, former partner at Brown Advisory and former manager of the Brown Advisory Equity Income fund, says he expects a slowdown, but high inflation and low unemployment leave us without the makings for a strong recession. Meanwhile, he believes interest rates will remain 'higher for longer than bond market investors actually think.' Also on the show, Tom Lydon of VettaFi makes his ETF of the Week pick an issue that builds its portfolio around stocks that are popular among hedge funds, Claire Martin-Tellis discusses a survey showing that people living in higher-income areas are much more likely to be targeted by scammers, plus we revisit a recent Market Call interview with absolute-value investor Brian Frank of the Frank Funds.

Scott Wren, senior global market strategist for the Wells Fargo Investment Institute, says that he is expecting economic contraction for the last half of the year and into 2024, but notes that the market looks ahead and tends to get optimistic about half way through a recession. He's not expecting the economic slowdown to bring a major market meltdown, but by the middle of the downturn he expects signals to turn to where opportunistic investors with multi-year time horizons will want to use the pullback as a chance to buy on the cheap. Also on the show, Greg McBride of Bankrate.com discusses research showing that about one-in -four investors has moved money this year out of stocks and to fixed income or savings accounts, Chuck answers a listener's question about the process for becoming an accredited investor -- the kind who can invest in hedge funds, private-equity deals and equity crowdfunding -- and Francisco Bido, senior portfolio manager at F/m Acceleration talks stocks in the Market Call.

Alan McKnight, chief investment officer at Regions Asset Management, says that the market is being buffeted by a lot of forces, but is mostly climbing the wall of worry, making it a time to be neutral between stocks and a recovering bond market, staying more domestic over international in both fixed income and equity due to international risks and despite good valuations overseas, while waiting for the market and economy to negotiate a soft landing and possible brief recession. Likewise, D.R. Barton Jr., chief investment strategist at Finiac, says that technical analysis supports the current range-bound market staying within its range for a while longer, thoug he notes that if the market can break out of the range to the upside -- which it is close to right now -- it could pick up 10 percent by year's end. Plus, Julie Ramhold of DealNews.com discusses what to shop for in Memorial Day sales and what to leave for later in the summer, and forensic accountant Tracy Coenen talks about proving your case and using the results to get money back in the latest episode of 'Find Me The Money.'

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Gretchen Morgensen, co-author of 'These Are the Plunderers: How Private Equity Runs—and Wrecks—America,' discusses the wide-ranging impacts that private equity firms are having in America, running a large percentage of nursing homes of private equity and hospital emergency departments, media companies and much more. She notes that leveraging companies in order to purchase them and re-sell them at a profit is detrimental to the business, while enriching the wheeler-dealers, leaving a 'circle of pain' after private equity takeovers. Also on the show, Laura Geritz of Rondure Global Advisors says that the entire world is dealing with the inflation problem, but that it impacts smaller companies less, meaning there are good buys among small firms around the globe. She notes that she particularly likes the Mexico market now, dislikes Korea and is working through the complexities of China. Plus, David Trainer of New Constructs revisits an old Danger Zone pick -- a zombie stock that he says is headed to zero -- after a recent earnings surprise made the market consider whether the troubled company remains viable.

Ed Moya, senior market analyst at OANDA, sees the stock market as being stuck in its current range for months, possibly testing October lows while it waits to get more clarity on the Federal Reserve's position on ending the rate-hike cycle and starting cuts. Declines and weakness are buying opportunities, Moya says, because 'this market is looking for a big move,' with money on the sidelines looking for a breakout that will happen only once investors are confident with where inflation and rates are heading. In The Big Interview, Barry Martin of the Shelton Equity Income Fund discusses defensive investing and covered-call strategies and how they are working in the current period of volatility without much direction. Also, in The NAVigator segment, Matt Freund, co-chief investment officer/head of fixed-income strategies at Calamos Investments, says he expects interest rates to settle in and remain stable for quite a while before trending down, though he expects heightened volatility in longer-term bonds; and in the Market Call, Brian Huckstep, chief investment officer at Advyzon Investment Management, talks the macro picture and the exchange-traded funds best suited for his current outlook.

George Bory, chief investment strategist for fixed income at Allspring Global Investments, says that investors should lean into the currently inverted yield curve and buy bonds for f longer maturities so that they can lock down. High current interest rates before the Federal Reserve decides to cut rates. Bory also notes that he expects the federal government to avoid a true default but explains that a downgrade from ratings agencies won’t be the big deal most authorities expect. Plus Tom Lydon, vice chairman at VettaFi turns to a small-cap co weed-call fund for his ‘ETFof the Week,’ and Raymond Bridges, portfolio manager of the recently opened Bridges Capital Tactical ETF talks stylized stock investing in the Market Call

John Porter, chief investment officer at Newton Investment Management, says the market has traded in a tight range for almost 10 months and he expects it to stay in that range while the economy sorts out its unknowns until a clear picture emerges, which he thinks will take another six to nine months. Meanwhile, to produce reasonable results in a choppy market, he says money managers will need to increase their turnover and trade more, taking advantage of the short, tight fluctuations even as the market has no bigger trend. Also on the show, Jill Gonzalez discusses the new study from WalletHub.com showing that U.S. households now have $17 trillion in household debt, more than $140,000 per household, Carter Malloy of AcreTrader.com discusses the benefits and expected returns to investing in farmland and timberlands, and Chuck celebrates what would have been the 70th birthday of his brother by talking about the delicate balance between making money and enjoying life.

John Blank, chief equity strategist/chief economist at Zacks Investment Research, says the range-bound market is going to stick around unchanged until the Federal Reserve changes its policies. Once inflation comes down, Blank says 'the market is going to rally like you've never seen.' But even now, Blank says the economy is having its soft landing -- and has been in one for some time -- no matter how much most economists protest that there hasn't been any landing yet. Also on the show, Scott Fulford, author of 'The Pandemic Paradox: How the COVID Crisis Made Americans More Financially Secure,' survey researcher Jenn Tracy on a study showing about how Americans are -- or aren't -- pampering themselves during tough economic times, and, in the 'Find Me The Money' segment, forensic accountant Tracy Coenen talks about the documents and paper trail that you need and how to follow them to find the proof of financial infidelity.

John Jennings, author of 'The Uncertainty Solution: How to Invest with Confidence in the Face of the Unknown,' says that investors have proven throughout times by their actions that less is more effective during times when every move looks sketchy. Getting over your compulsion to do something, he notes, will help your portfolio thrive in times when the market isn't doing so well. Also on the show, Megan Moncrief, chief executive officer at the travel-insurance platform Squaremouth, discusses the high prices travelers are facing, paying and insuring for their summer vacations, David Trainer of New Constructs puts a popular stock name back in 'The Danger Zone,' noting that popularity can't save it, and Chuck takes a listener's question on how to deal financially with adult children returning home to live.

Quincy Krosby, chief global strategist at LPL Financial, says that the market is suggesting the possibility of a rate cut coming from the Federal Reserve by September, and that won't happen if conditions are fine. With a solid labor market and low unemployment, Krosby says the market is still range-bound and struggling to sort things out, but the futures market is signalling that trouble must be afoot. Also on the show, Jim Baker, co-head of energy infrastructure at Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors, talks about the strong opportunity in the sector over the next few years, despite recession concerns, and Wade Pfau returns to the show to discuss the new edition of his 'Retirement Planning Guidebook.'