Moody's Talks - Inside Economics

Three economists. Three opinions. The Inside Economics team worked through a panoply of fresh releases, covering GDP, spending, income, new-home sales, durable goods orders, and inflation, to piece together the true state of the economy. Three tricky statistics tested the team in the stats game before a three-part listener question closed things out.

After two failed attempts at recording the podcast due to technical issues, the team finally nails it on the third try. In a light data week, the team discusses the wide disparity in sentiment between consumers, stock investors, and business leaders. The team discusses Mark’s recent meetings with Brazilian clients, Marisa’s trip to Silicon Valley, and Cris’s meeting with banking clients and their takeaways about the moods among those audiences. The podcast concludes with a set of thought-provoking listener questions, most of which are related to AI.

If you want to get the skinny on anything related to financial markets or the financial system, then you need to talk with Samim Ghamami, Chief Economist of the New York state Insurance Fund. That’s what Mark and Cris do on this podcast. The conversation begins with the outlook for interest rates, turns to a perspective on a popular AI narrative that artificial intelligence will push rates up further by spurring investment and reducing household savings, and closes with a timely look at private credit and the risks it may pose to the broader financial system.

On this momentous day at the Federal Reserve, with Jay Powell handing over the chair to Kevin Warsh, the Inside Economics team, along with guest Julia Coronado, Founder of Macropolicy Perspectives, and colleague Martin Wurm, consider all things related to the venerable institution. There’s, of course, the issue of Fed independence, and beyond that, what changes the new Fed chair may champion. And soaring stock prices and bond yields, and what they mean for the economy, couldn’t help but be topics of conversation.

In a quick-hitting mini-podcast, Mark and Cris are joined by colleague Matt Colyar to discuss April’s (hot) consumer price index data. U.S. inflation has accelerated dramatically since the war in Iran began. Matt breaks down April’s report and opines about where inflation is likely headed from here. Amid affordability concerns and an approaching election, the crew then evaluates recent proposals put forward by policymakers to alleviate some of the burden on U.S. consumers.