Money With Murphy
Finding Higher Ground: Cautiously Optimistic For 2026
After finishing strong in 2025, the broad U.S. equities market got off to a rocky start this year. Stocks initially traded higher during the first quarter, but the onset of the Iran conflict in late February and resulting global spike in oil prices clouded the economic picture and triggered a broad selloff.
When the dust settled, the S&P 500 posted its first quarterly loss in a year (-4.3%). Does a difficult first quarter portend a down year? Not necessarily. In this week’s Markets in a Minute, we unpack first quarter performance and touch on some reasons to be cautiously optimistic about the balance of the year.
Money with Murphy: Q1 2026 Market Review: Adjusting to Volatility
Markets entered the new year on solid footing but quickly had to deal with the escalation of conflict in Iran. Oil prices surged, volatility picked up, and the investment landscape was reshaped. In this week’s Money with Murphy, Kara explains the key takeaways from the quarter and reasons to remain optimistic about the market beneath the noise.
Money with Murphy – Higher Gas Prices on the K-Shaped Economy
Rising oil prices that stem from the Iran conflict are putting pressure on households, but not everyone is feeling it in the same way. In this week’s Money with Murphy, Kara explains how today’s energy shock is amplifying the so-called “K-Shaped Economy” and the divergent economic realities it creates for different people.
The Iran Conflict, Geopolitics, and Oil – What Matters for Investors
With the conflict in the Middle East reaching its second month and traffic through the Strait of Hormuz continuing to remain at a standstill, markets have been turbulent. To help make sense of the volatility, Kara Murphy hosted a market flash webinar on the Iran conflict with Ryan Bohl, Senior Middle East and North African Analyst at RANE Network. In this week’s Markets in a Minute, Kara shares the most valuable insights from her discussion and provides historical evidence of the market’s resilience in the face of previous geopolitical shocks.
Money with Murphy: Managing Market Volatility During Iran Conflict
The Iran conflict has led to a spike in market volatility, especially in the oil markets where consumers are feeling the pain at the pump. In this week’s Money with Murphy, Kara shares why the United States is uniquely positioned to weather the oil shock and the surprisingly resilient performance of the market in the aftermath of global conflicts.
Market Tensions and an IPO Comeback: What to Expect and Why it Matters
After a multi-year drought, the IPO market is showing signs of life, and 2026 could mark a turning point. A growing pipeline of long-awaited companies going public could lead to record-setting deal sizes. But with geopolitical uncertainty, market volatility, and shifting sentiment towards AI and technology, the window for new listings may be smaller than it appears. In this week’s Markets in a Minute, Kara explores what a potential IPO comeback means for investors..
Higher Oil, Higher Stakes: A New Test for Consumers and the Fed
Rising oil prices amid an escalating Middle East conflict are creating new challenges for consumers, markets, and policymakers alike, with inflation risks and economic growth both hanging in the balance. This week’s Markets in a Minute explores why the duration of higher energy prices matters more than the initial spike and how prolonged pressure could complicate the Federal Reserve’s path forward. The bottom line: uncertainty is elevated, but history suggests disciplined, long-term investors are often rewarded for staying focused on fundamentals.
Money with Murphy: Q1 Wake-Up Call
Mega-cap tech stumbled hard in Q1, but diversification came through. Kara Murphy breaks down the quarter’s surprises—from market shakeups to rising trade tensions—and why the “boring stuff” might just be your portfolio’s MVP.
Beyond Big Tech: The Global Surge in AI Adoption and Implications for Investors
U.S. companies have been leaders in developing AI technology but global economies are embracing and deploying the technology faster. Companies integrating AI are seeing gains in innovation, efficiency, and employee satisfaction. In this week’s Markets-in-a-Minute, Kara explores how the global AI surge is reshaping industries, influencing markets, and redefining where investors may find long-term growth.
Thriving in Uncertainty: Market Review and Outlook
In 2025, the S&P 500 posted its third consecutive year of double-digit gains and strong earnings growth signals the market is backed by strong fundamentals. As we look ahead to 2026, a variety of policies could help extend the bull market to a fourth year. In this week’s Markets in a Minute, Kara walks through the highlights of 2025 and the importance of diversification in a broadening rally.
A Rising Tide: Third Quarter Market Review and Outlook
For much of this year, uncertainty around trade, fiscal and monetary policy ran high. In the third quarter, however, investors got answers to some key policy questions with the passage of President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act and the Federal Reserve’s resumption of the rate-cutting cycle it paused nearly a year ago. Earnings growth, greater policy clarity and other tailwinds drove U.S. stocks to new highs. The third quarter marked the first quarter this year the U.S. stock market outperformed international equity markets, which have been buoyed by a sharp decline in the value of the dollar.
Money with Murphy: The AI Revolution Part 2: Managing the Transition
The macroeconomic impact of AI may be wide-ranging, but it will depend on how quickly and extensively AI technologies are adopted. At a high level, AI has the potential to boost productivity, reshape labor markets, alter income distribution, and change global economic dynamics, but for now, it’s a wait-and-see game. Watch this week’s Money with Murphy to learn more.
No Place Like Home: Pain Points in the Housing Market and the Path Ahead
If you’ve driven past half-finished subdivisions or watched apartment buildings rise in your neighborhood, you might assume that the housing market is on a roll. In reality, housing has been one of the weakest areas of the economy for some time — stuck in a rut characterized by a low supply of homes for sale and tepid demand tied to affordability challenges.
In this week’s edition of Markets in a Minute, we explore the state of the all-important housing market and its outlook. For this discussion, we focus on the single-family housing market, which makes up the largest share of the residential market.
Money with Murphy: What Q2 Earnings Tells us about AI’s Impact
This quarter’s earnings results are in—and they’re sending a powerful message. In this week’s Money with Murphy, Kara breaks down one of the strongest earnings seasons in recent years and unpacks how artificial intelligence is reshaping more than just the tech sector, the AI ripple effects are reaching deep into industrials and beyond. Kara also explores what rising guidance and shifting corporate investments say about the future—and whether we’re witnessing the early stages of a new economic revolution.
The Loong in Parts: Five Myths, Five Realities
Much like the legendary “Loong” (Chinese for dragon)—seen only in fragments and misunderstood in full—China’s economy is often perceived through incomplete or misleading lenses. Is it collapsing, slowing, dominating, or transforming? In this week’s Markets in a Minute, we explore five common myths shaping global narratives about China’s economic trajectory, trade power and what is truly shaping modern China.
Meme Stocks: Risk vs. Reward in Today’s Market
A new wave of meme stock mania has taken over social media, sending the prices of some surprising companies soaring. But behind the hype lies a cautionary tale—just ask investors who bought AMC at its peak during the 2021 frenzy. In this week’s Money with Murphy, Kara Murphy draws on her experience as a former stock analyst to explain why chasing momentum can backfire, and what investors should focus on instead. Spoiler: fundamentals still matter.
Tariff Turmoil and Rebound: Second Quarter Market Review and Outlook
The start of summer often feels like a reset — a time to shed jackets, settle into longer days and look forward to family vacations. This year, the market gave us another reason to feel sunnier in the second quarter, staging a remarkable comeback after a rough start to the year. In this week’s Markets in a Minute, we recap some key themes from the quarter, including pockets of outperformance and opportunity that should provide a tailwind for investors with broadly diversified portfolios.
From Bear Scare to Record Highs – A Resilient Q2 Recap
In the second quarter, markets took investors on a wild ride—from a sharp selloff that nearly pushed stocks into bear market territory to a powerful rebound that ended with new all-time highs. Bonds also posted gains, while the U.S. dollar saw a notable decline. Economic data remained supportive, with easing inflation and strong job growth helping stabilize sentiment. In this week’s Money with Murphy, Kara breaks down the key drivers behind Q2’s volatility, what the latest numbers are telling us, and why diversification remains critical heading into the second half of the year.
July Money with Murphy: Stars, Stripes, and Spending
In this Fourth of July edition of Money with Murphy, we explore how Americans celebrate Independence Day—past and present. From fireworks and parades to burgers and multi-billion-dollar spending, the holiday has evolved into a powerful mix of tradition and economic activity. We’ll highlight some surprising stats, a few historical quirks, and even what markets tend to do in July. Because whether you’re traveling or grilling, you’re part of a celebration as old as the country itself.
June Money with Murphy: Evaluating Economic Implications of the “One Big Beautiful Bill”
The “One Big Beautiful Bill” encompasses sweeping changes to tax policy, spending, and regulations. However, according to the CBO, if enacted, these changes would significantly add to the national deficit. In this week’s Money with Murphy, Kara takes a deeper dive into the “One Big Beautiful Bill” and how it could reshape America’s fiscal future.
May Money with Murphy: You Gotta Be In It to Win It
From April 2 to April 8, the S&P 500 declined nearly 13%. A shockingly sharp fall in just six days. But what followed was a rally nearly as sharp such that stocks regained their level before reciprocal tariff rates were announced. Sadly, many investors sold after the decline, locked in their losses, and missed out on the rally. It’s a tale as old as time. In this week’s Money with Murphy, Kara Murphy explains why you gotta be in it to win it.