The Dividend Cafe

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David recaps a volatile market session in which the Dow finished up while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq reversed to close lower, extending October’s sharp rotation and market broadening as mega-cap AI/tech names fell while most stocks and sectors rose. He highlights big declines in Nvidia, Meta, and Google, Intel’s steep drop, and OpenAI raising less than targeted at a lower valuation as potentially important for AI financing and broader credit narratives, pushing back on claims the S&P is now “cheap.” He notes the 10-year yield fa...

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In this Friday Dividend Cafe (recorded Thursday), David discusses rising credit risk concerns in the AI investment ecosystem, emphasizing that while comparisons to 2008 are often fear-mongering and today’s risks are not centered in commercial banking, credit markets still matter because major market events often begin in credit. Using a Michael Burry chart as an example, he highlights the complex, interconnected financing behind AI buildouts, citing Anthropic’s massive compute commitments relative to revenue. He notes sharp increases in credit default swap (CDS) costs and volumes across AI-linked issuers, including Orac...

From New York City just before the close, Brian Szytel recaps a market session where the Dow fell ~0.4%, the S&P 500 ~0.5%, and the Nasdaq ~1.5% as tech/AI reacted to earnings, while broader “non–Mag Seven” names outperformed, reflecting rotation toward value, cyclicals, and small caps. Rates moved lower with the 10-year down ~6 bps to ~4.97. He reviews strong Q3 GDP (3.4% vs 3.1% expected), better jobless claims (194k vs 200k), and PCE data showing core PCE at 0.3% m/m and 3.1% y/y, with consumer spending and personal income slightly under expectations. He discusses the Fed likely raising modestly (about 50 bps) and criticizes tokeni...

Brian Szytel reports a third straight up day for markets on a Fed day as the Fed held rates steady, upgraded the economy from “solid” to “strong,” and noted two dissenters favoring a hike amid supply shocks and inflation concerns; he expects the pause to be election-related, with an 86% chance of a December hike and two to three more priced in thereafter, implying a 4.50%–4.75% terminal fed funds range. Markets were modestly higher (Dow +97; S&P and Nasdaq +0.25%), yields barely moved, WTI remained above $100, and inventories data were mostly in line. He addresses a question comparing China’s “ghost city” overbuilding to...

Brian Szytel broadcasts from the Bahnsen Group’s Newport Beach headquarters on Tuesday, Oct. 27, describing a late-session recovery led by AI-related tech, with mixed underlying breadth: the Dow up 15, S&P 500 up 0.6%, Nasdaq up 1.2%, and the 10-year Treasury ending at 5.0%. With ~40% of S&P 500 companies reporting earnings this week and an FOMC decision imminent, he cautions against top-down investing or positioning around elections, citing Brazil’s surprise result and market drop, and urges a fundamentals-based, bottom-up approach; he notes an upcoming David Bahnsen interview with Mark Halperin on Nov. 5. He reviews economic data (durable goods up 1.8%, softer Case-Shiller, slightly bett...

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From Newport Beach, the episode recaps a modest market rebound (Dow +146, S&P +0.7%, Nasdaq +0.82%) with tech leading while communication services lagged, and highlights the 10-year yield at 4.99% after falling ~35 bps in two weeks, which the host attributes more to supply/demand and positioning than inflation. He notes elevated volatility, worsening market breadth and concentration risk, and “under the hood” weakness despite the S&P being near highs. Major items include Brazil’s election (Lula victory and a sharp equity drop), a $63B AI-compute financing structure tied to Broadcom/Anthropic, and Meta a...

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David Bahnsen explains how range-bound, volatile markets can feel productive yet deliver flat or mediocre returns over long stretches, citing the S&P 500 from 2000–2009 (about -0.9%/year with dividends) and the Dow from 1966–1981 (flat on price but roughly 4–4.5%/year with dividends). He notes periods when dividends comprise most or all of total return, but shifts to today’s math: recent S&P gains (about 15% annualized over 15 years and 22.9% over three) imply either a higher long-run average or future below-mean returns via sharp declines or prolonged choppiness. Applying this to AI, he highl...

In this Dividend Cafe episode, Brian Szytel reviews a highly dispersed market day: the Dow finished slightly up while the S&P 500 fell 1.25% and the Nasdaq dropped 2.6% as high-valuation growth, tech, semis, and AI-related names sold off sharply. Treasury yields declined broadly, with the 10-year down 15 bps to 4.96%, while WTI rose about 2% to 99 amid Middle East uncertainty. He notes initial jobless claims were 194,000 versus 200,000 expected and argues more reasonably valued, dividend-oriented areas held up better. He also explains the difference between non-purpose lending and margin, highlighting total margin debt around $1.5T (near 5% of GDP), elevated versus 2000 and 2021, with high...

Brian Szytel reviews a constructive midweek market update: the Dow rose 360 points, the S&P 500 gained about 0.6%, and the Nasdaq was up a little over 1% as tech and growth led on early strong tech earnings expectations; energy is also expected to post blowout earnings due to higher oil prices. He notes calm interest rates with the 10-year around 5.12, WTI near $98 and Brent about $109, plus a quieter geopolitical backdrop ahead of midterm elections, though there is talk of relocating some U.S. embassy officials and families in the Gulf. He discusses the delayed Anthropic IPO and highlights the AI landscape’s...

Brian Szytel recaps an up day for the Dow (with the S&P slightly up and Nasdaq flat), framing it as ongoing rotation from growth to value amid solid earnings trends but mixed sector results and stress signals in credit, including widening high-yield CCC spreads and leveraged “neo cloud” providers facing double-digit financing costs and rising CDS. The key data focus is housing, described as broadly weak: housing starts fell 4.5% to 859,000 and pending home sales dropped 7.3% in September, reflecting a frozen market driven by locked-in low mortgage rates, high homeowner equity, and record-low affordability as mortgage rates jumped from 6.8% to 7...

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David Bahnsen reviews a volatile news weekend and announces The Bahnsen Group’s new Santa Barbara office. Markets were mixed (Dow flat, S&P up 0.4%, Nasdaq up ~1%) amid unusual breadth and rotation dynamics, while AI-related “pick-and-shovel” names faced pressure tied to funding concerns and slowing expectations for the rate of AI capex growth. The 10-year yield rose to 5.14% and sector performance diverged sharply (consumer discretionary led; utilities lagged). He notes Goldman Sachs earning more from lending against equities than equity trading, signaling rising leverage and potential volatility, and highlights a NASDAQ...

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David Bahnsen recaps The Bahnsen Group’s annual “money manager week,” describing its history since 2006 and explaining how he, Brian Szytel, and Kenny Molina held nearly 30 meetings and later debriefed with their investment committee. He highlights a major, disappointing lesson from an emerging markets manager whose portfolio shifted heavily into AI/semiconductor-related positions and who said they “hold views lightly while expressing it aggressively,” prompting Bahnsen to stress the importance of consistent philosophy, disciplined process, and accountability over peer-pressure-driven positioning; the team must now reallocate nearly $200 million. Additional takeaways include he...

Brian Szytel recaps a volatile market day marked by value outperforming growth, dividend payers beating growth-oriented stocks, and equal-weight indices outperforming cap-weighted, alongside notable bond-market swings following hotter-than-expected CPI and a sharply higher PPI print. He reviews key economic data: initial jobless claims in line, retail sales far above expectations, and improving manufacturing readings (Philly Fed and Empire State), suggesting a strong consumer and near full employment. On inflation, headline PPI rose 1.3% m/m and core PPI 0.7% versus lower consensus forecasts, implying core PCE may run around 3.2% y/y, keeping pressure on the Fed to continue hiking, with additional...

On October 14, Dividend Cafe recapped a down market day with the Dow nearly flat, the S&P down over 1%, and the Nasdaq down about 1.9% as tech and semis led declines. Markets reacted to September CPI, with headline inflation up 0.6% (in line) but core CPI up 0.3% versus 0.2% expected and year-over-year core at 2.6% versus 2.5%, with broader components like airfares, transportation, and shelter costs rising. Rates rose then fell as stress prompted some flight-to-safety dynamics, and the yield curve continued flattening. The episode discussed a “mini” rate-hike cycle (around three hikes) and emerging cracks such as stressed neocloud bonds, bank loan value pres...

Brian Szytel recaps a modestly lower, mixed market day with the S&P flat, Dow down 180, and Nasdaq down about 40, led by weakness in semis and some AI names. With CPI due tomorrow, markets were largely rudderless; rates fell across the curve, especially long-end, further flattening the yield curve. Early bank earnings were generally positive even as financial stocks fell. He notes year-to-date gains alongside stronger earnings growth, implying multiple contraction and cheaper stocks. The main stress area is CCC credit, where yields are 15–17% and spreads have widened about 300 bps in five months, while broader credit remains constructive. He di...

In this Monday Dividend Cafe, David Bahnsen notes the stock market was open while the bond market was closed for a government/bank holiday, which he считает distortive given markets’ sensitivity to yields, and points viewers to Friday’s bond-yield episode. He recaps markets: Dow +196, S&P slightly down, Nasdaq down nearly 0.5%, with energy leading (oil above $93) and technology lagging. He emphasizes weakening market breadth and concentration, citing an unusually large gap between average S&P stock moves and the index, a low share of stocks above their 200-day moving average, and that the top five S&P companies equal the bottom...

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David L. Bahnsen previews a fuller recap of portfolio-manager meetings next week and focuses this episode on the recent rise in long-term Treasury yields, especially the 10-year. He argues the 75-basis-point jump is not credibly explained by worsening U.S. deficits or national debt, noting total public-plus-private debt-to-GDP is unchanged versus 20 years ago and interest cost-to-GDP remains below historical averages. He also downplays inflation as the primary driver, citing only a 12-basis-point increase in 10-year breakeven inflation despite tariffs and oil-related supply shocks. Instead, he attributes higher yields to supply-demand...

Brian Szytel records shortly before the close on October 8, noting a modest down day with the Dow and S&P off about a third of a percent and the Nasdaq down about two-thirds, as value holds up better than growth amid sharply higher oil (WTI around $92, Brent around $106) and slightly higher rates. He observes the yield curve has been flattening over the past two weeks as long rates come down somewhat, with news out of France adding bond-market reverberations, and highlights better-than-expected initial jobless claims. Drawing on meetings with multiple portfolio managers, he discusses strong near-term earnings expectations—particularly in...

Brian Szytel reports a modest down day in equities after all-time highs, with oil trending lower (WTI ~88, Brent ~100), a slightly flatter yield curve, and the 10-year around 5.28%. He cites limited economic news beyond FOMC minutes reaffirming a 25 bp hike and expectations for another hike this year, alongside a well-received ~40B 10-year auction. He describes a bifurcated backdrop: higher-for-longer rates pressuring rate-sensitive, long-duration sectors (real estate, BDCs, asset/alternative managers) while credit remains stable with subdued high-yield spreads, and the economy stays strong with full employment, high corporate margins, and inflation easing slowly. He highlights AI-driven productivity expectations as pivotal...

David Bahnsen delivers the Daily Recap from New York City while Brian Szytel meets with a manager, noting that he, Brian, and Kenny Molina are in their annual week of meetings with many money managers, having completed 16 meetings in two days and not yet halfway through. He says early takeaways include the biggest area of disagreement among managers being differing views on AI, while the common concern is the impact of higher bond yields across asset classes, with the 10-year yield (5.28% after falling three basis points) highlighted as especially important. Markets rose: Dow +250, S&P +45, Nasdaq +122; the bond market...

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The Monday Dividend Cafe is recorded mid-day during a “money manager week” of meetings at Apollo, Blackstone, and Golden Tree. With earnings season starting, quarterly earnings expectations have risen 1.8% in five days, with upward revisions concentrated in technology and downward revisions in consumer staples and industrials, shaping the bar for surprises. Yield-sensitive areas have dropped in recent weeks, creating potential recovery setups for REITs and alternative asset managers as fundamentals like asset gathering and slowing private credit retail redemptions remain solid. President Trump announced a federal AI “super intelligence” task force ch...

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David Bahnsen announces a temporary shift from the usual Dividend Cafe format: a normal episode on Monday, a future deep dive on long-term bond yields, and a later recap of the firm’s annual New York meetings with money managers. He marks the closing (September 30) of The Bahnsen Group becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of Hightower Advisors, explaining what changes and what does not—especially continued autonomy, culture, and client service while leveraging Hightower’s technology, compliance, cybersecurity, and client portal resources. Bahnsen recounts his path into finance from managi...

Brian Szytel hosts The Dividend Cafe from New York City on the first day of Q4, noting a benign market day (Dow, S&P, and Nasdaq flat) and a slightly steepening yield curve. He argues that higher long-term rates repricing toward nominal growth is natural, not inherently sinister, and says the first “cracks” to watch would be widening high-yield credit spreads, which remain very tight, suggesting no recession signal. He reviews economic data including initial jobless claims at 197, manufacturing PMI still expanding at 55.9, and construction spending up 0.9%, ahead of an expected 90,000 nonfarm payrolls report. Responding to an article on divi...

On Sept. 30, Brian Szytel reports a bifurcated market into quarter-end, with the Dow down about 200 points while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq rise, led by large-cap growth; yields steepen as the 10-year and 30-year move higher. A cooler-than-expected PCE inflation report (core and year-over-year) lowers implied odds of an October Fed hike to about 35%, though Friday’s nonfarm payrolls could shift expectations. Other data were stronger: Q2 GDP revised up to 2.2%, ADP payrolls beat estimates, and consumer spending was robust, suggesting the economy is still humming despite high rates and debt concerns. He discusses a shifting Fed “put” narrative and an...

Brian Szytel reviews modest market declines (Dow -131, S&P -0.15%, Nasdaq -0.10%) with major indexes still up YTD, and focuses on the bond selloff pushing the 10-year yield to about 5.24% amid speculation about 6%. He argues higher yields reflect both higher nominal growth near 6% and a Fed intent on reducing its balance sheet, with limited ability for Treasury financing tactics to meaningfully lower yields. He notes consumer confidence missed (81 vs. 89), JOLTS openings dipped slightly (7.1M vs. 7.2M), and Case-Shiller home prices rose 0.3% monthly but lag inflation amid high mortgage rates and weak price discovery. He answers why rates rise...

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From Las Vegas ahead of an investment conference, the host recaps a volatile market day (Dow -347, S&P -0.77%, Nasdaq -0.92%) while the S&P sits near all-time highs despite very weak breadth: ~60% of S&P 500 names are down 20%+ and the market has seen repeated 52-week lows exceed highs; he clarifies a misunderstood stat showing the weighted average decline among 430 down names is 21.7%. He ties the damage to rising yields (10-year ~5.23%), notes defensives led on the down day (staples, healthcare, energy), and argues mega-cap rallies can occur within...

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David Bahnsen hosts the Friday Dividend Cafe and explains he chose to focus on an energy investment theme rather than the week’s surge in bond yields. He argues investors and media overemphasize headlines about the Strait of Hormuz, Iran, and WTI prices, while the energy sector remains largely ignored due to its small S&P 500 weight (about 3.5% versus Apple at 7.4%, and midstream at 0.5%). He notes oil supply disruptions have been buffered by large inventory drawdowns, and that energy equities appear disconnected from oil’s move, with valuations running about 70% of t...

On Thursday, Sept. 24, Brian Szytel recaps a down Dow day with the S&P and Nasdaq flat as markets rebounded late on optimism about U.S.-Iran talks potentially easing the Strait of Hormuz situation; WTI still rose about 3% to roughly $95. He highlights the bigger story as higher interest rates, with the 10-year yield up another 10 bps to about 5.21% and up 120 bps year-to-date, arguing media may be overstating it and noting long rates also reflect growth expectations, strong earnings, and economic activity, while higher rates also boost interest income to savers and the economy. Economic data included better-than-expected initial...

Brian Szytel reports a broad market decline driven by a bond selloff, with yields rising across the curve in a bearish flattener; the 10-year finished near 5.11%, while the 2s/10s spread remained about 21 bps. He attributes the rate move to stronger flash PMI data in services (58.7 vs. 55.7) and manufacturing (57 vs. 53.5), alongside hotter input inflation tied to fuel and transportation. Energy markets showed angst amid Iran-related developments and discussion of a possible U.S. diesel export ban, with WTI up about 2.7% to nearly $93. He then addresses comparisons between the 1990s internet boom and today’s AI boom, arguing that even pr...

Brian Szytel recaps a mixed market day: the S&P 500 finished flat, the Dow fell 185 points, and the Nasdaq rose about 0.5% as long-end yields eased slightly and the 10-year held near 4.95%. He notes financial conditions have loosened a bit since the Fed’s recent hike, with stocks higher, tight credit spreads, and long yields down, while markets still price more restrictive Fed policy even as WTI slipped below $90. He observes a previously strong negative correlation between AI/semiconductors and software stocks is becoming more nuanced, creating potential opportunities. Addressing a listener question, he explains how the long-running yen carry tr...

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David Bahnsen delivers a quick Monday Dividend Cafe update from Chicago after travel disruptions, covering a strong market day led by communication services and technology while energy fell on a nearly 5% drop in oil; he notes the S&P 500 is near an all-time high even as market breadth has deteriorated sharply. He discusses rising margin debt and how its use has shifted toward non-purpose lending, highlights record ETF inflows into technology as a contrarian signal, and reviews news including media access litigation, progress on the Paramount/Warner Brothers deal...

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David Bahnsen discusses the Fed’s quarter-point rate hike, arguing it was largely “performative” because markets had already tightened financial conditions and the Fed is now following rather than leading. He notes the fed funds futures market implies an 87% chance of another hike this year and reviews the political speculation around Chairman Kevin Warsh and President Trump, including Trump’s post calling for 1% rates while diverting attention to trade deficits. Bahnsen highlights the unanimous 12–0 vote, the Fed’s focus on price stability amid supply-shock pressures, and the neutral mechanics of paying 3...

Brian Szytel reports a pre-close market rebound from Newport Beach on Thursday, September 17, with the Dow up over 300 points, the S&P up over 1%, the Nasdaq up about 1.5%, and the 10-year yield falling to 4.95% as the curve flattens; oil prices eased and recent sector rotation briefly reversed as tech regained bids and equal-weight indexes underperformed cap-weighted. On the economic calendar, the Philly Fed Manufacturing Index beat expectations and initial jobless claims fell to 196,000 versus 208,000, while housing starts and pending sales missed slightly. He addresses fears about AI by noting historical patterns of technology skepticism and euphoria, citing the 1990s...

Brian Szytel recaps a volatile Fed day in which the FOMC unanimously raised rates 25 basis points, moving the range from 3.50–3.75 to 3.75–4.00, a move largely priced in. He notes dot plots implying one more hike before year-end (around 4.00–4.25), with market reaction reflecting short-term yields up slightly, long-term yields down slightly, and the 10-year unchanged near 5.01. Markets sold off (Dow ~-740, S&P ~-0.6%, Nasdaq ~-0.1%) but improved off the lows, with internals not signaling a major risk-off flush. Economic data included stronger-than-expected August retail sales (1.2% vs 0.8%) and weaker NAHB homebuilder sentiment. He also answers a viewer question, distinguishing price spikes in ite...

Brian Szytel reviews a down market day driven by oil staying above $100 (Brent 108, WTI 105), ongoing Middle East tensions, and the 10-year Treasury closing near 5%, noting equities are only a few percent off highs. Using an S&P 500 forward earnings estimate of about $406/share next year, he argues a 5% pullback implies ~17.5x forward earnings and a 10% drawdown ~16.6x—normal moves that would still look reasonable given expected double-digit earnings growth and a more tech-heavy index. He contrasts today’s resilience with 2023’s 5% yield episode when markets fell and credit spreads widened, saying spreads remain orderly. Ahead of the FOMC, markets price...

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David Bahnsen hosts the Monday Dividend Cafe from the Newport Beach studio, recaps the show’s weekly content cadence, and reviews a relatively calm market day after a volatile weekend. Nasdaq and S&P finished down about 0.5% with semiconductors down 5.6%, tied to a weekend letter from Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei urging major AI labs to slow development and seek regulation, with support from Elon Musk, Sam Altman, and Google’s AI leadership. Bahnsen notes heightened volatility, a brief 10-year yield move above 5%, and sector performance led by communication services whil...

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On September 11, 2026, David Bahnsen marks the 25th anniversary of 9/11 with reflections as an investor, an American, and a person, focusing mainly on market lessons. He notes the S&P 500 was already down about 30% from its 2000 high before 9/11 amid falling earnings and a valuation re-rating, then reviews how markets closed for four days and fell sharply upon reopening, with about $1.5 trillion in market value lost that week. Bahnsen argues 9/11’s enduring investor lesson is not generic “markets recover,” but that markets adapt because human innovation and resilience reassert themselves, with U.S. equ...

Brian Szytel reports another broad market decline (Dow -316, S&P 500 -0.5%, Nasdaq -0.7%) alongside a sharp oil rally (WTI ~+7% to $102; Brent $107), with oil up about 20% over the past week and a half amid Middle East tensions and threats to key Red Sea chokepoints including the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Markets are focused on CPI ahead of next week’s FOMC meeting, with discussion of a roughly 70% chance of a rate hike and political pressure from upcoming midterms; he frames possible policy levels using core PCE (3.3%) and current fed funds (3.50–3.75%). He cautions against trading headlines and says rate moves are bein...

Brian Szytel reports a third straight market decline (Dow -405, S&P -0.5%, Nasdaq -0.7%) alongside falling bond prices and a 10-year yield up 5 bps to 4.84%, noting Treasury talk of increasing long-bond buybacks to $6B is too small versus ~$5.5T of long debt and was met by higher yields. He walks through a hypothetical of refinancing all long-term debt with T-bills, which could flatten the curve but would push short rates up, remove long-duration supply, and make U.S. financing resemble an emerging market, undermining the Fed and increasing fiscal sensitivity and inflation premiums. He notes T-bills are ~22% of...

Brian Szytel reviews a down day in markets after Labor Day, noting the Dow fell 628 points while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq also declined, though the Dow remains up over 10% year-to-date. Oil prices rose (WTI near $93.6, Brent near $98) amid heightened US-Iran/Middle East tensions, lifting inflation expectations and interest rates and raising concern about energy as a consumption “tax.” He highlights NFIB small business optimism at 98.7 and points to Friday’s CPI as the key market-moving event. He discusses the strong nonfarm payrolls report (162,000 vs. ~58,000 expected) alongside discrepancies with private payroll measures, with unemployment around 4.1% and the Fed seen as hav...