MoneyMasters Podcast 🎙️4/16/26: S&P 500 Volatility, Midterms, & the Fed's Next Move

Mike Larson | Editor-in-Chief

How do you position yourself in a market defined by relentless volatility and geopolitical instability? 

Today on the MoneyShow MoneyMasters Podcast, Victoria Fernandez and Paul Hickey join me from the 2026 MoneyShow Masters Symposium Hollywood Florida. They explore how to navigate a "crazy year" marked by historic streaks in the energy sector and significant swings in the S&P 500 Index (^SPX).

The chief market strategist at Crossmark Global Investments and co-founder of Bespoke Investment Group emphasize that focusing on the bigger picture protects investors from getting caught up in day-to-day headlines. They also discuss the major rotation away from mega-cap tech giants toward overlooked value sectors like banks. Plus, they say maintaining a defensive posture by trimming "high-flyer" names during rallies is a key strategy for this environment.

The conversation then pivots to why the Federal Reserve will likely remain on hold despite conflicting economic pressures. The guests also identify semiconductors as a leading indicator of economic health to watch closely. Whether the market stabilizes or stays volatile through the midterm elections, this discussion provides tools for staying disciplined.

Please note: You can get Victoria’s latest insights and recommendations LIVE at the 2026 MoneyShow Masters Symposium Dallas, scheduled for May 14-16. Click here to register!

The S&P Just Topped 7,000! So…Why Aren’t Investors More Excited?

The S&P 500 Index just hit a record high…but the reaction is quiet. Why? In this MoneyShow Video Market Minute, I explain that investors are still watching geopolitics, elevated oil prices, and cautious outlooks from companies that just posted strong earnings.

That’s why this rally feels different; belief isn’t fully there yet and sentiment can flip fast from here. In short, this is one of those moments where the move looks strong - but conviction still feels fragile.

Don’t Miss Early Bird Pricing for the Dallas Symposium!

Thinking about attending the 2026 MoneyShow Masters Symposium Dallas...but haven’t pulled the trigger yet? I get it. But if you wait much longer, you’ll miss out on “Early Bird” pass pricing!

Through May 1 — and ONLY through May 1 — you can save $100 on a Standard or Preferred Pass to the May 14-16 event. So, be sure to check out the Symposium details (and lock in your savings) soon here…

• PWR: An AI Play that Keeps Delivering for Investors
  👉️ TICKER: PWR
  Quanta Services Inc. (PWR) recently hosted its 2026 Investor Day, making the case that the company is not simply a beneficiary of the AI-driven infrastructure build-out — it is an essential enabler of it, notes Nancy Tengler, CIO of Laffer Tengler Investments.

• DEO: New CEO, Turnaround Plan Make this an Attractive Value Stock
  👉️ TICKER: DEO
  Diageo Plc’s (DEO) 1H FY2026 earnings report was a textbook “kitchen sink” quarter, the kind you tend to see whenever a brand-new CEO steps into a turnaround situation. The idea is simple: Take all your medicine at once by releasing every piece of bad news so that everything moving forward becomes GOOD NEWS, observes Tom Hayes, editor of HedgeFundTips.

🏙️📈 Get unique market insights and actionable recommendations for this “New World Order” – at the 2026 MoneyShow Masters Symposium Dallas! Click HERE for your pass to the May 14-16 event.