MP013: Consumer Confidence, Holiday Spending, and Market Trends with Kara Murphy

In this episode of our podcast, Jason Ranallo and Kara Murphy discuss the current state of the markets and consumer behavior, particularly in the context of the holiday spending season. They explore the complexities of consumer confidence, the impact of inflation on spending habits, and the performance of the stock market, including the potential for a Santa rally. Kara shares insights on the health of consumer balance sheets, the labor market, and the overall economic outlook for the coming year.

Who is Kara Murphy?

Kara Murphy is the Chief Investment Officer of Kestra Investment Management, where she and her team collaborate with Bluespring/Kestra partner firms, including Vector Wealth Management. Kara is a regular contributor on CNBC and Bloomberg TV. She is also active within financial publications including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and Barron’s.

Takeaways from the conversation

• The labor market is healthy with low unemployment.


• Consumer confidence is relatively low, in part due to the impacts of inflation.


• Holiday sales are expected to be up about 3%.


• Earnings growth among large companies is strong.


• Santa rallies (strong year-end market performance) have been less reliable in recent years.

Save the Date – January 14th at 3 pm (CST)

Kara will join us again for a livestream on the market and economic outlook. We will follow up with additional details about this event. Stay tuned.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction to Kara Murphy

03:11 - Current Trends in Consumer Behavior

06:33 - Understanding Consumer Confidence

08:12 - The Impact of Inflation on Spending

09:32 - Market Trends and Santa Rallies

11:34 – Regulatory

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All content discussed in our podcasts, videos, or related blog articles is for informational purposes and should not be construed as individualized financial advice.