This week could define the quarter. The Magnificent Seven report earnings in rapid succession as investors focus on AI spending, revenue growth, and whether Big Tech’s dominance is built to last. Microsoft and Meta are expected to deliver blockbuster results, Tesla faces its toughest setup yet, and Apple’s iPhone demand and leadership turnover are under the microscope.

Add in a heavy slate of blue chip earnings, the Fed’s first policy decision of 2026, and rising geopolitical uncertainty, and the market is navigating powerful crosscurrents. We break down what matters most and what investors should be watching closely.

In this week’s CB3 Financials Weekly, portfolio manager Charles Brown breaks down the latest non farm payroll report and explains why the headline number tells only part of the story. While job growth slowed in December, key labor market signals suggest the economy is not sliding backward.

Charles walks through sector level job trends, wage growth, youth unemployment concerns, and what all of this could mean for Federal Reserve policy and interest rates heading into 2026.

The episode also previews a blockbuster earnings week, with major reports from JPMorgan, Bank of America, Citigroup, Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley, and what rising deal activity means for financial stocks.

Finally, we explore January seasonality, historical market tendencies, and why small cap participation is critical for a healthy market rally. Plus, a sneak peek at CB3’s 2026 Annual Letter to Investors, arriving later this week.

Welcome to the first CB3 Financials Weekly Podcast of 2026. We open the year by breaking down three major forces setting the stage for markets in the months ahead.

The S&P just wrapped up its third straight year of double digit gains, with strong performances from the Dow and Nasdaq driven largely by AI and big tech. But what does that momentum mean as we enter a midterm election year?

In this episode, we cover the political and economic landscape under President Trump’s second term, including tariffs, deregulation, tax policy, and the potential impact of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on GDP growth. We also look closely at artificial intelligence as the defining investment theme, the growing divide between the Magnificent Seven and the rest of the market, and why international markets quietly outperformed in 2025.

We close with a deep dive into gold and silver’s strongest year since 1979 and why the upcoming decision on the next Federal Reserve chair, with Jerome Powell’s term ending in May, may be the most consequential market event of 2026.

A clear eyed roadmap for the year ahead and the key questions investors should be watching closely.