WEBVTT - Chief Economist at Stifel, Lindsey Piegza, Talks Latest Economic Data, Fed's Path Ahead

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<v Speaker 1>Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio news.

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<v Speaker 2>So Alexis mentioned the math, I want to go over it,

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<v Speaker 2>and Lindsay's going to tell me what to do with

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<v Speaker 2>Lindsay pigs.

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<v Speaker 3>This was Stefel nominal GDP last.

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<v Speaker 2>Time around, ending September thirty was a China like eight

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<v Speaker 2>point three percent, Paul. If you add in the one

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<v Speaker 2>percent government shutdown, we go from five point one percent

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<v Speaker 2>published nominal to six point one Ish.

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<v Speaker 3>I'm going to say, there is Well.

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<v Speaker 2>Joining us, the Queen of Ish in economics, Lindsay pigs

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<v Speaker 2>joining us. What do you do with these numbers, Lindsay,

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<v Speaker 2>how do you format the view forward? Given the plethora

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<v Speaker 2>of data in the last ten minutes, Well, I think.

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<v Speaker 4>When we dig through some of the details, we're going

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<v Speaker 4>to see that it's pretty messy, particularly given that the

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<v Speaker 4>economy was shut down for almost half of that three

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<v Speaker 4>month period. Now the President says it shaved off about

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<v Speaker 4>two points, the BA says it shaved off about one percent,

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<v Speaker 4>So we know that there was a significant damping down effect,

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<v Speaker 4>regardless of whether it's one or two percentage points. So

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<v Speaker 4>parsing through some of the details, I think the more

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<v Speaker 4>important figure to focus on right now. To really gauge

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<v Speaker 4>the underlying momentum of the economy is let's strip out inventories,

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<v Speaker 4>let's strip out trade. Let's look at real final sales

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<v Speaker 4>to domestic purchasers, which rose at two point four percent,

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<v Speaker 4>more in line with what we saw in the third

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<v Speaker 4>quarter at two point nine percent.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, that's like, that's brilliant and I really really buy

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<v Speaker 2>this angle from years ago at Fidelity with Betina Dalton.

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<v Speaker 3>And the bottom line, Paul is that's a pretty good number.

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<v Speaker 5>I think it's a pretty good number. And how about

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<v Speaker 5>the inflation outlook there, lindsay, if you give it that

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<v Speaker 5>the economy is growing at a solid rate, what's the

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<v Speaker 5>inflation story on top of that.

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<v Speaker 4>Well, as you know, I have been long concerned about

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<v Speaker 4>inflation and the Fed's lack of focus on inflation. So

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<v Speaker 4>we see this pick up to two point nine percent,

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<v Speaker 4>and that is in the direction we don't see this

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<v Speaker 4>ongoing improvement of disinflation that the FED remains very optimistic

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<v Speaker 4>that we're going to achieve getting back to two percent

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<v Speaker 4>as the forecast by twenty twenty eight. Now, any improvement,

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<v Speaker 4>of course, is welcome, but I do expect inflation to

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<v Speaker 4>remain elevated nearer that three percent pace for some time,

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<v Speaker 4>which will keep pressure on the Fed to remain on

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<v Speaker 4>the sideline.

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<v Speaker 3>She so under sells it.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean she was my Economist of the year one

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<v Speaker 2>year or two years, three years ago, I can't remember.

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<v Speaker 3>Lindsay with Jim Bianco, was out front with Muhammad Larian.

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<v Speaker 3>You know what, folks, Inflation is going to be resilient.

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<v Speaker 3>She nailed it.

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<v Speaker 5>So, Lindsay, talk to us about kind of how you

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<v Speaker 5>think the Fed is digesting the numbers we had today,

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<v Speaker 5>some of the labor data we had last week, the

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<v Speaker 5>CPI data we had last week. How are they putting

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<v Speaker 5>it all together?

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<v Speaker 4>Do you think?

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<v Speaker 2>Well?

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<v Speaker 4>I think right now the Fed is looking at this

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<v Speaker 4>moderate trend line in activity as a justification for their

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<v Speaker 4>earlier decision to cut rates. Remember, over the past two years,

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<v Speaker 4>we're now one hundred and seventy five basis points closer

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<v Speaker 4>or arguably at now that neutral level. But the reacceleration

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<v Speaker 4>in payrolls in the latest report, the pickup as we

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<v Speaker 4>saw this morning in inflation is going to really solidify

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<v Speaker 4>now their position on the sidelines.

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<v Speaker 1>As we saw in the minutes yesterday.

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<v Speaker 4>There were some members that we're considering that we're willing

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<v Speaker 4>to consider a rate hike scenario. I don't think we're

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<v Speaker 4>there quite yet. This is a FED that has been

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<v Speaker 4>willing to tolerate above target inflation for years.

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<v Speaker 1>So simply maintaining this.

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<v Speaker 4>Three ish percent isn't going to move the needle. But

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<v Speaker 4>they are sending the signal to the marketplace that they're

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<v Speaker 4>focused on inflation and that should help rein in market.

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<v Speaker 1>Excuse me, inflation expectations.

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<v Speaker 2>We have a PhD in economics. You can say ish, yep,

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<v Speaker 2>with quality, lindsay, I mean, I mean. The bottom line

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<v Speaker 2>here is it's a K shaped economy. We're going to

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<v Speaker 2>get all sorts of mail. You guys are nuts. You

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<v Speaker 2>have no idea the struggle out here after fourteen minutes

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<v Speaker 2>of analysis. How case shape is our K shaped America?

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<v Speaker 4>Well, I would argue it's not necessarily a K shaped,

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<v Speaker 4>but more of an E shaped recovery.

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<v Speaker 1>It's going to be uneven.

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<v Speaker 4>Certainly, there is this dichotomy across classes, particularly as we

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<v Speaker 4>see household net worth significantly increase for those at the

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<v Speaker 4>upper end of the income spectrum as a result of

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<v Speaker 4>a run up in asset prices via the housing market

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<v Speaker 4>the equity market, a benefit which the middle class and

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<v Speaker 4>the lower end of the income spectrum has not benefited from.

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<v Speaker 4>But we do see other stimulants coming out into the economy,

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<v Speaker 4>the One Big Beautiful Bill Act averting a reset to

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<v Speaker 4>a higher tax rate. This won't necessarily provide a windfall

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<v Speaker 4>to spending, but it will help to maintain the current

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<v Speaker 4>levels of expenditures across those different rungs in the E

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<v Speaker 4>shaped recovery so on, even yes, but not necessarily a

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<v Speaker 4>K shaped where some are particularly perpetually i should say,

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<v Speaker 4>doing better and others are losing momentum.

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<v Speaker 5>How much of an impact are you expecting, Lindsey from

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<v Speaker 5>some of the President's legislation, the One Big Beautiful Bill,

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<v Speaker 5>I mean, are you factoring that into your GDP forecast,

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<v Speaker 5>your consumer spending forecast? How is that impacting it things?

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<v Speaker 4>Well, we're looking at the overall impact on the economy

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<v Speaker 4>for twenty twenty six to be upwards of several tenths

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<v Speaker 4>of a percentage point. Now, that doesn't seem like a lot,

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<v Speaker 4>but again, as we're looking at an economy at a

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<v Speaker 4>growth rate at two point two percent last year, any

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<v Speaker 4>additional boost to consumers or businesses it is a welcome

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<v Speaker 4>step in the right direction. But right now, I think

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<v Speaker 4>the biggest factor is going to be how much of

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<v Speaker 4>a dampening effect does that overheating of elephanty prices take

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<v Speaker 4>out of consumer's ability to spend out in the marketplace.

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<v Speaker 2>So help us here with what Alexis said, and she

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<v Speaker 2>took her queue from the President of the United States.

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<v Speaker 2>He's out with the tweets saying it costs two points

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<v Speaker 2>a shutdown, lindsay, pigs are just back of the Steifel

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<v Speaker 2>Nicholas envelope.

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<v Speaker 3>How much do you.

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<v Speaker 2>Add on to real GDP to get where we are now?

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<v Speaker 4>I think the President may be looking at this overly.

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<v Speaker 4>It may be accounting a bit more for the shutdown

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<v Speaker 4>then I would assign. I would say, maybe in line

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<v Speaker 4>with the ba's forecast of about one percent. But remember

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<v Speaker 4>whatever we lost at the end of the year, we

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<v Speaker 4>typically regain when the government reopens, and so if there

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<v Speaker 4>was a one percent loss, we're likely going to see

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<v Speaker 4>an even stronger one percent boost across the first quarter.

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<v Speaker 4>Now this time it is a little more complicated because

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<v Speaker 4>we did see that second round shutdown, although it was

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<v Speaker 4>much shorter and much less disruptive.

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<v Speaker 1>But I would expect that to be reclaimed.

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<v Speaker 4>Anything that was lost at the end of the year

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<v Speaker 4>to be reclaimed at least within the first half of

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<v Speaker 4>twenty twenty six.

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<v Speaker 3>Doctor Peterson thinks so much