Economy & Market Catalysts

Understand what’s behind the market’s reaction

Economic news doesn’t move markets based simply on whether the headline is good or bad. A strong jobs report can send stocks lower, while a company can beat earnings expectations and still fall.

I pay attention to what the market was expecting beforehand, how the actual information compares with those expectations, and whether it changes the outlook for growth, inflation, interest rates, earnings, or risk. The same piece of news can produce very different reactions depending on the environment the market is already in.

These are the catalysts I pay the most attention to when I’m trying to understand what’s behind a market move.

Fed Policy & Interest Rates →
How monetary policy and changing expectations for interest rates can influence stocks, bonds and broader financial conditions.

Inflation, Jobs & Economic Growth →
How major economic reports fit together and why the market’s reaction can differ from what the headline might suggest.

Earnings & Corporate Outlook →
How earnings results, guidance and changing expectations can affect individual companies, sectors and the broader market.
Geopolitical & Unexpected Events →

How geopolitical developments and other unexpected events can change assumptions about growth