MoneyMasters Podcast 🎙️12/4/25: Torres & Hou Talk AI, Quant Analysis, and 2026 Markets

Mike Larson | Editor-in-Chief

Markets look calm on the surface, but the forces shaping the environment in 2026 will be anything but subdued.

In this MoneyShow MoneyMasters Podcast episode filmed at our 2025 Sarasota Symposium, José Torres of Interactive Brokers and Steve Hou of Bloomberg Index Research break down the real drivers behind inflation, interest rate expectations, consumer behavior, quantitative analysis, and more.

They also explain what could derail the growth outlook, how stretched consumers are reshaping spending trends, what falling volatility is signaling, and where risk may be hiding in both stocks and fixed income. The conversation also digs into index construction, sector weighting effects, profiting from changes in corporate earnings trends, plus the scenarios that could push the Fed into action sooner than markets expect.

If you want a grounded take on how professional economists and index researchers see 2026 unfolding, this episode will sharpen your framework – and help you navigate the months ahead.

Reminder: Your next chance to get expert, IN-PERSON portfolio guidance is at the 2026 MoneyShow/TradersEXPO Las Vegas, scheduled for Feb. 23-25 at the Paris Las Vegas. Click here to register.

SlateStone’s Polcari: AI is NOT a Bubble, But Consider These New Sectors in 2026, Too

Kenny Polcari of SlateStone Wealth had PLENTY to say on markets when I caught up with him this week at our 2025 MoneyShow Masters Symposium in Sarasota. In this 60 Seconds with a MoneyShow Expert clip, he explains why AI stocks are NOT in a bubble. But he suggests you target a handful of other sectors for 2026, too. 

• Bitcoin and Gold: Thoughts on Valuing Them...and Where They're Headed 
  👉️ TICKERS: IBIT, SPX, GLD
  Bitcoin rallied sharply recently on news that Vanguard Group, one of the world’s largest asset managers, has reportedly decided to permit ETFs and mutual funds that mainly hold crypto assets to be traded on its platform. Meanwhile, we’ve previously described gold as “physical Bitcoin,” observes Ed Yardeni, editor of Yardeni QuickTakes.

• FCX: A Core Copper Play in this Era of Rising Demand
  👉️ TICKER: FCX
  In every era, there’s one commodity that quietly dictates the balance of economic power. In the 1970s, it was oil. Today, it may well be copper. Copper miners like Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (FCX) are the “high-torque” investor play, writes Nicholas Vardy, editor of The Global Guru.

🎰 📈 Prime your portfolio for maximum profit in 2026 — at the MoneyShow/TradersEXPO Las Vegas! Click HERE to join 100+ experts for three days of education and fun, Feb. 23-25, 2026, at the Paris Las Vegas!