Lagniappe

Episodes

135
Oct. 3, 2024

Geopolitical Tensions, Strikes, and Natural Disasters

A lot is certainly happening all over the world. This week, we discuss the current geopolitical tensions, particularly focusing on the Israeli attacks on Hezbollah and the subsequent reactions from Iran. We analyze the impact of these events on global oil prices and the stock market, highlighting the surprising resilience of the markets despite these tensions. The conversation then shifts to the domestic economic landscape, including the performance of the Chinese market and the implications of...
134
Sept. 25, 2024

The Market’s Reaction to the Fed’s Rate Cut

Doug and Greg discuss the recent 50 basis point rate cut by the Federal Reserve, analyzing its implications on the economy and the labor and real estate markets. They explore market reactions, economic indicators, and the bullish/bearish conversations around a soft or hard landing. They also touch on the ongoing hurricane season and its economic impact, as well as a weekly update on the upcoming election and its significance. Key Takeaways [00:57] - The Fed's rate cut: implications and analysi...
133
Sept. 19, 2024

Navigating the Current Macro Landscape with Kyle Bass

This week, Doug and Greg Stokes interview Kyle Bass, Founder & Chief Investment Officer of Hayman Capital Management, and a prominent macro strategist. They discuss the current economic landscape, the implications of Federal Reserve policies, the real estate market, and the geopolitical tensions surrounding China and Taiwan. Bass provides insights into the economic challenges facing the U.S. and China, the importance of tariffs, the financial/defense ramifications of the election, and America's...
132
Sept. 10, 2024

What Does a Soft Landing Look Like?

As we brace for the first hurricane of the season, we hope everyone in the storm’s path stays safe. This week, Greg & Doug Stokes discuss what a soft landing for the market means and the challenges faced by urban areas and the commercial real estate industry. They also touch on the yield curve, Fed cuts, and the upcoming U.S. presidential election as we continue to emphasize the importance of not letting political ideologies drive investment strategies. Key Takeaways [00:17] - Hurricane updat...
131
Sept. 5, 2024

Talking Hydrocarbons with Walker Moody of Pickering Energy Partners

This week, we welcome on special guest Walker Moody, President of Pickering Energy Partners based out of Houston. He’ll educate us on the geopolitical ramifications on the energy sector, from wars to our elections. Walker also tells where he sees the future of energy transition heading—in terms of investment—and why Pickering is focused on upstream investments and looking toward longer time horizons. Key Takeaways [00:17] - Introducing Walker Moody, President of Pickering Partners [04:28] - G...
130
Aug. 29, 2024

Rate Cuts Are Coming. Now What?

With the news out of Jackson Hole signaling that the Fed is ready to make cuts, what happens now that we’re heading into a rate-cutting cycle outside of the realm of emergency cuts in a recession? We’ll dive into how that affects real estate and the economy as a whole, and we’ll discuss the seemingly closed IPO window and a revised jobs report. Key Takeaways [00:18] - An aura of “mission accomplished” from the Fed [05:14] - What happens to real estate prices post-rate cuts? [11:30] - What to...
129
Aug. 22, 2024

Evan Loomis on Protecting the World, AI, and Living on the Moon

This week we had a fascinating chat with Evan Loomis, General Partner at Overmatch and Founder of ICON. We discuss investing in our defense and how the U.S. strategy is moving from big to small and from expensive to cheap. He’ll also educate us on our weak spots, how we compare to Russia and China, and how autonomous weapons and surveillance vehicles keep our brightest servicemen and women out of harm's way. We’ll then shift gears away from Earth and talk about the commercialization of space a...
128
Aug. 16, 2024

Narrative Ping Pong: Recessions and All-Time Highs

After seeing a 10% correction, the markets are knocking on the door again near record levels. It's never boring, and that’s why we love these weekly dialogues with you. We’ll also chat about what Chevron’s new drilling tech, the Super Bowl, and hurricanes mean for our local economy, and we’ll end —as we seemingly always do—with where we think rates are going. Key Takeaways [00:18] - Walmart, Amazon, AI + what the data is saying about a recession [06:24] - Chevron rolls out new drilling tech +...
127
Aug. 7, 2024

Recapping a Wild Week in the Markets

What a week! Morgan Housel called this the biggest market decline since the last one you don't remember or care about. With talk of a flash crash happening and a recession looming, we’ll look at how Warren Buffet, Apple, and Japanese Yen played into a crazy ride over the past few days. We’ll also discuss historical market corrections and how the labor market has constantly evolved throughout history. Key Takeaways [00:18] - Let’s recap a crazy week [08:03] - What history says about market cor...
126
Aug. 1, 2024

Don’t Let Politics Drive Your Investment Agenda

There is a lot happening! Doug and Greg are back solo this week to talk about the markets. We’ll examine the affordability and performance of stocks outside of the Magnificent Seven. We’ll also look at AI and ask if the bubble has peaked and when can we expect to see a return on the massive investment. We’ll finish with a future-facing eye on a potential Kamala Harris tax agenda and why you should not let political beliefs/changes influence your long-term investment strategy. Key Takeaways [00...
125
July 25, 2024

An Energy Investment Conversation with Fortress Energy Co-Founder, Jordan Strebeck

We’re pleased to welcome Jordan Strebeck, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Fortress Energy, to the Lagniappe Podcast. Jordan walks us through his background, from New Mexico to Harvard to Midland, and why he chose to focus on minerals. We’ll talk about how technology and technique have changed the Permian Basin and the energy sector as a whole and discuss ESG, a narrative shift in the oil and gas industry, and what the U.S. needs to do to keep progressing as a global energy leader. Key Takeaw...
124
July 18, 2024

Talking Private Equity with Permanent Equity CEO Brent Beshore

We sat down for a fascinating conversation with Permanent Equity Founder and CEO, Brent Beshore. Brent is a pioneer in the micro private equity space so we loved picking his brain on how/why he created PE’s unique model, their risks/competition, how he finds businesses, and where he sees the private equity industry heading over the next 10 years. Key Takeaways [00:17] - Getting to know Brent Beshore [05:10] - Who is Permanent Equity and why is their model so unique? [10:23] - What’s the one ...
122
July 3, 2024

What the 4th of July Means to Us

Happy Independence Day to you and your family. To commemorate the holiday, we’ll share what America means to us and reflect on how good we’ve got it. On the flip side, we’ll look at the aftermath of last week’s debate and the odds on what happens next. We’ll also discuss our expectations for rate cuts and the economic impact of Ozempic-like drugs. Key Takeaways [03:17] - Fallout from the disaster of last week’s debate [09:04] - How fixed income relates to inflation [11:42] - Our logical expe...
121
June 27, 2024

Thinking About the Markets Like Roger Federer

It’s debate day in America! We’ll mark the occasion by examining election predictions and what either result could mean for the economy. We’ll also discuss American strength/resilience and why the data says we’re not in a debt doom spiral. We’ll finish with a Roger Federer mindset as we look under the financial hood and find long-term optimism. Key Takeaways [00:17] - On debate day, we look at what the election could mean financially [09:50] - America and American families keep prevailing/thr...
120
June 18, 2024

Looking Back at the (Almost) First Half of 2024

This episode is all about where we are vs. where we thought we’d be as we near halftime of 2024. Are we surprised by no rate cuts? Could a bullish real estate environment be on the horizon? Why isn’t there more news/outcry over the bond markets? We’ll look back to answer these questions and look ahead to the buzz of big sporting events and elections coming soon. Key Takeaways [00:17] - Looking back at the first half of 2024 [07:04] - They will they/won’t they rate cut convo [12:50] - The rea...
119
June 12, 2024

Regional Banks, Stock Splits, and Apple AI

As volatility returns to regional banking, we’ll look at what the markets are telling us about the probability of a soft landing. We then say goodbye to Siri and hello to Apple’s new AI features and discuss the ins and outs of NVIDIA’s stock split. Key Takeaways [00:18] - PIMCO says more regional bank failures on property are expected [04:51] - Banking strategy and economic growth post-Financial Crisis [12:37] - What is the market saying about the chances of a soft landing? [17:34] - ...
118
June 6, 2024

Can Softening Data Lead to a Tailwind of Growth?

As economic data continues to show softness, we predict what that means for rate cuts potentially coming this summer. We’ll look at oil prices and discuss why whether you’re making business or vacation plans, the stability of prices is so important across the economy. Plus, airline travel and car sales are back! Key Takeaways [00:18] - Is the economy telling us that rate cuts are coming? [05:01] - The tailwinds from dropping oil prices [11:26] - Do higher rates add to inflation? [17:50] - T...
117
May 30, 2024

Is NVIDIA the Cisco of Today’s AI Age?

NVIDIA is officially the financial story of the year so far, and we’ll look at what it means for the economy as a whole and the future of AI. And with advancements in tech, we’ll examine how that affects data usage and why commodities, not technology, might be the discussion point for the next decade. Key Takeaways [00:17] - NVIDIA is the story of the year [05:12] - Is NVIDIA the Cisco of today? [10:50] - The trial and error of AI [15:42] - Energy usage today + a commodity supercyle incomin...
116
May 23, 2024

General Optimism Has Been the Recipe for Success

As we head into Memorial Day Weekend, we’ll touch on some of the biggest headlines including Trump’s Media company woes and an endless shrimp promotion leading to bankruptcy for Red Lobster. And with the bears dropping out of the conversation, we’ll look at forecast grades for industry experts and how long-term optimism plays into the equation. Key Takeaways [03:25] - Trump Media hardships [06:37] - Red Lobster and the Endless Shrimp Investigation [09:52] - The business of weight loss [12:4...
115
May 17, 2024

Shelter Continues to Drive Inflation

As markets hit all-time highs again, we’ll look at shelter being the key driver of inflation. We’ll also touch on Roaring Kitty, meme stocks, and why you can’t gamble on the markets. We’ll finish with the Scottie Scheffler story and take a look at the future of EVs and fossil fuel consumption. Key Takeaways [02:41] - Shelter continues to be the main inflation driver [08:05] - Who is Roaring Kitty + gambling on the markets [12:48] - Scottie Scheffler arrest story [15:27] - The decline of Bir...
114
May 10, 2024

In the Grand Scheme of Things

We jump into a conversation we recently had about the inverted yield curve and what it means as a recessionary signal plus, why the charlatans and doom-and-gloomers continue to pop up. We’ll then take a trip down memory lane, via stats and stories, about what investing was like in the early 2000s and what it’s like at all-time highs. We’ll finish with a reminder that although the short term can feel long, it’s important to contextualize and focus on the long term. Key Takeaways [00:18] - The i...
113
May 2, 2024

The Market Reacts to Fed Day

As earnings and economic growth deliver above expectations, the market is digesting new information from Jerome Powell and the Fed that rate cuts aren’t coming soon. We’ll look back at the last 30 years of returns and ahead to the next 10 years of prices, discuss offshoring jobs, and give bond market and inflation updates. Key Takeaways [00:19] - Fed Day breakdown [05:07] - April brought a much-needed market reset [09:16] - Looking back at the last 30 years' returns + what to expect over the...
112
April 25, 2024

Sticking With a Game Plan

It’s peak season in Nola with Jazz Fest, the Zurich Classic, the Pels in the Playoffs, and town is buzzing. We’ll zoom out to examine what all that spending means for the national economy. We’ll also look at wide-breadth market participation and why despite a sell-off in tech, the rest of the market is holding up well. We finish with a rearview mirror view of COVID-era oil prices, how we missed a recession, and what we’re expecting for the rest of this year. Key Takeaways [00:20] - Fun times i...
111
April 18, 2024

Another Reminder to Ignore the Forecasts

While the debt doomers circle, we’ll examine why no one is good at forecasting and why widely acceptable notions of cross-asset correlations are wrong. We’ll also focus on the market's strengths and discuss the incredible power of America’s dollar, wages, and efficient energy output. Key Takeaways [00:17] - Inflation Update + shelter’s outsized effect [06:33] - Disinflation + the debt-doom loop [09:40] - The power of the US: the Dollar, our wages, energy production [13:36] - The incredible ...