Stocks are climbing, oil is surging, and uncertainty is everywhere — so what is the market seeing that everyone else is missing?

On this episode of Futures Edge, Jim Iuorio and Bob Iaccino sit down with Marta Norton, Chief Investment Strategist at Empower, to break down the biggest forces shaping markets right now.

Marta explains why the U.S. economy may be more resilient than many investors expected, how the AI capex boom is still driving opportunity, and why geopolitical headlines, inflation fears, and rising oil prices are making this one of the toughest environments to handicap. The conversation also dives into the Mag 7 trade, small caps vs. Nasdaq, bond market risks, commodities, deregulation, earnings season, self-driving technology, and what long-term investors should be watching next.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction and Market Overview

02:56 Resilience of the U.S. Economy

05:41 Impact of Oil Prices and Fiscal Policies

08:27 Earnings Expectations and Market Reactions

11:18 Investment Strategies in AI and Tech

14:19 Self-Driving Technology and Its Implications

16:58 Empower and Investment Insights

22:52 Future Economic Outlook and Bond Market Concerns

29:25 Navigating Uncertainty in Financial Markets

31:35 The Commodity Conundrum

33:53 Understanding Inflation and Energy Prices

36:24 Earnings Season Insights

39:12 Small Caps vs. Large Caps

41:30 The Role of Small Businesses in the Economy

46:20 Hedging Against Market Volatility

Follow along on social media:

Twitter: https://x.com/bob_iaccino

Twitter: https://x.com/jimiuorio

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-iaccino/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-iuorio/

Newsletter: http://theunfilteredinvestor.com/

This episode is sponsored by:

Independence Ark: https://www.independenceark.com/

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AmerGold https://www.amergold.com/

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