Money Life with Chuck Jaffe – Details, episodes & analysis

Dec Mullarkey, head of investment strategy at SLC Investments, says that when there is a lot of uncertainty and geopolitical risk, the United States economy and markets benefit from the situation, even if the unrest is partially caused by the U.S. As a result, while many observers worry about what might change under the new Trump Administration, Mullarkey expects economic stability, noting that "given all the headwinds we all can think of, [the U.S.) is better fortified than any other economy right now to sustain continuous growth this year. ... The rest of the world is more at risk." David Trainer, founder and president of New Constructs, revisits Sweetgreen, which he put into the Danger Zone in 2021 and subsequently named a "zombie stock," which has bounced back significantly this year, setting it up for another fall. Plus, John Dorfman, chairman of Dorfman Value Investments brings his classic value style to the Market Call.

Liz Ann Sonders, chief investment strategist at Charles Schwab & Co., says that while the stock market has done well at the index level — where a few big names carried the benchmarks to big years — the fuller story has been told at a lower level, where the market has had more struggles and there have been rolling recessions in various areas of the economy without triggering a full-blown, broad-based downturn. She says those conditions will persist for at least the first half of 2025, with the market continuing to roll on if earnings remain strong; to that end, she noted that the market's current expectations — calling for 14 percent earnings growth — seem high, which should make investors cautious at least until they see forward-looking estimates. Mark Gatto, co-founder and co-chief executive officer at CION Investment Group, says that global infrastructure spending estimated at as much as $3 trillion annually worldwide is creating an asset class that can overcome political challenges and that has significant earning potential, which is why his firm recently announced plans for the new CION Grosvenor Infrastructure Fund. And in the Market Call, Jason Browne, president of Alexis Investment Partners and the Alexis Practical Tactical fund talks about ETF investing.

Matt Hougan, chief investment officer at Bitwise Asset Management, says that the real story in cryptocurrency in 2024 has not been the massive gains in Bitcoin -- which is up about 120 percent year-to-date -- but the way the business has matured, adding crypto ETFs from some of Wall Street's biggest firms. Coupled with the new administration, which is crypto-friendly, it makes Hougan more positive about his outlook for the future, which he says includes plenty of room for crypto to run higher in 2025. John Cole Scott, president of Closed-End Fund Advisors, digs into his mountain of data to divine the stories he anticipates to be central to the closed-end fund landscape in the new year, and also delivers the names of five funds that he thinks are poised for breakout performances. Plus, financial adviser Patti Brennan helps answer the big question most investors want to know for the new year and beyond, as she discusses her new book, “Am I Going to Be Okay? Timely Intelligence, Actionable Ideas, Answers to the Questions that Really Matter.” 

Michael Kelly, global head of multi-asset at PineBridge Investments, says that the stock market had priced in a soft landing before the recent, temporary spike in volatility, but that action made investors realize that the potential for a hard landing is on the rise, even with Federal Reserve rate cuts on the way. Either way, Kelly says the long-term trend for the market will be positive, but he cautions that where markets go up during soft landings, investors get punished by hard landings until the bottom is reached, so he suggested caution while watching the Fed try to pull off a perfect landing. Also cautious -- but based on the market's technicals, was Lawrence McMillan, president of McMillan Analysis, who said the early August blip was nothing more than a temporary move, what will ultimately be a forgettable day and he thinks the market is more likely to test resistance at roughly 5,700 on the Standard & Poor's 500 before it tests support, which he figures is roughly 5,380. Jonathan Lansner, financial columnist for the Orange County Register turns to the ways that Wall Street resolved and evolved after the ruling that allowed discount brokers as a possible guide for how real estate firms will adapt to rule changes aimed at re-shaping the landscape and process for home sales.

Chris Vermeulen, chief market strategist at The Technical Traders, says that the market's technicals are very strong, with all signs showing a new bull market that should carry the Standard and Poor's 500 to 4,200. 'You have to throw fundamentals and economic stuff out the window,' he says, 'because this market from a technical standpoint is set to go higher,' noting that the market could climb the wall of worry -- with brief respites and corrections -- all the way to 4,600. Also on the show, William Costigan of Guggenheim Partners says that low real interest rates and nominal Treasury yields at or below zero is forcing investors to 'be more creative, more thoughtful and do more homework' to find better fixed-income results, Ed Carson of Investor's Business Daily discusses the latest IBD/TIPP Economic Optimism Index, and Tom Plumb of the Plumb Funds talks about buying disruptive companies in the Market Call.

At a time when emerging markets investments look particularly promising, Laura Geritz of Rondure Global Advisors says that India is the country where she finds the best opportunities, while China is the market that she finds more troubling. Geritz discusses how the global pandemic -- which has curtailed the brutal travel schedule she keeps, normally spending about three-quarters of the year on the road -- has changed but also improved the investment research process, and why it has created opportunities for small companies around the globe. Also on the show, Tom Lydon of ETFTrends.com makes a classic financial-sector fund his ETF of the Week, and James Abate of the Centre Fuds and Centre American Select Equity covers large-cap domestic stocks in the Market Call. 

Mark Fleming, chief economist for First American Financial Corp., says that the real estate market will not be returning to 'normal' when the pandemic is done because it has been fundamentally changed by the way lives have been affected by work-from-home and other trends. Those issues led to a particularly strong year in 2020 and will contribute to another big year ahead, especially with the millennials aggressively moving into their home-ownership phases at a time when there is a low supply of available homes. Also on the show, Janice Quek of Left Brain Investment Research discusses Datadog, a stock that isn't part of the firm's recent cyber-security theme but which has similar growth characteristics and potential, JP Lee of Van Eck Vectors ETFs talks about the gaming and e-sports industries and Matt Schulz of CompareCards.com discusses where consumers went right and wrong with their savings and spending last year.

Avi Gilburt, founder of Elliott Wave Trader, says that nervous investors should turn off the news, look at technicals and Elliott Wave analysis and join him in thinking the market's next move will be to 4,600 on the Standard and Poor's 500, a gain of more than 20 percent from current levels. But Gilburt goes further to say that he thinks the market will get to 6,000 before the current cycle ends, though it may not be until 2022 or '23 before it goes that far. Also on the show, University of Virginia business professor Gregory Fairchild, author of 'Domestic Emerging Markets," Matt Zajechowski of Digital Third Coast discussing a survey showing that a surprising number of Americans spent less money than expected in 2020, plus Chuck Carlson of the DRIP Investor newsletter talking about removing the emotion from investing during the Market Call.

Michael Mullaney, director of global markets research at Boston Partners, says that while investors have good reasons to be nervous, the market and economy are set up for a good year and reasonable returns, provided there isn't some glitch in the end game of the pandemic. While he acknowledges issues like potential inflation, the disconnect between the market and the economy and more, Mullaney says those concerns will take a while before they truly impact the market. Also on the show, Dave King of Columbia Threadneedle discusses a survey of where investors expect to go to generate income this year, David Trainer of New Constructs reviews three Danger Zone picks that didn't work out in 2020 -- but that he still expects to pay off down the line -- and Bill Hench of the Royce Opportunity fund talks small-cap value investing in the Market Call.

Veteran technical analyst Gene Peroni of Peroni Portfolio Advisors is very bullish on the market, expecting it to move substantially higher -- ultimately eclipsing Dow 40,000 before the current market cycle ends -- driven by broad-based market leadership. Also on the show, Larry Antonatos of Brookfield Asset Management discusses real assets and infrastructure investments and the benefits of making them in closed-end funds, Howard Lindzon, founder of StockTwits talks about the unbundling of investments and how that is benefitting individual investors, and bear-fund manager Brad Lamensdorf of the Lamensdorf Market-Timing Report talks stocks in the Market Call.