8-11-26 What Really Drives Markets?

What really drives bull and bear markets? Lance Roberts & Jon Penn examine why corporate earnings remain one of the most important forces behind market performance. Rising profits can support bull markets, while significant earnings declines have historically accompanied the most severe bear markets. We also examine calls for "sound money" and a return to the gold standard. While concerns over debt, deficits, inflation, and dollar debasement are legitimate, a gold-backed dollar could have significant consequences for credit, economic growth, and investors. The key is separating economic concerns from the fundamental forces actually driving markets. 0:00 INTRO 1:01 - CPI Preview & Economic Numbers 4:51 - Markets Break Out to All-new Highs 10:15 - Birthday's & Beach Trips 12:13 - Emails to Lance - Back to Gold? 15:28 - Why We Invest 17:46 - Short-run Price Uncertainty 20:26 - The US as Reserve Currency of the World 21:30 - Real GDP vs Debt 24:38 - The Gold Standard Trap 25:53 - Gold's Role in Your Portfolio 29:26 - Earnings & Valuations - What to Pay Attention To? 31:57 - Markets are Constantly Pricing-in Earnings Expectations 33:17 - Earnings & Multiplier Performance History 34:56 - How We Rebalanced - Black Rock vs Goldman 36:16 - When Earnings Fall (chart) 39:05 - Credit Spread - The Differential Between Yields 43:02 - AI Credit Spreads are a Small Part of Market Hosted by RIA Advisors' Chief Investment Strategist, Lance Roberts, CIO, w Senior Investment Advisor, Jonathan Penn, CFP Produced by Brent Clanton, Executive Producer ------- Do you enjoy our content? Rate us on Google: https://bit.ly/4b9JtEo ------- Watch today's "Before the Bell" premarket commentary, "Market Highs Come With a Warning" https://youtu.be/3RiOabBiud4 -------- Watch Today's Full Video on our YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/live/c9cOlFVLGoU ------- Articles mentioned in this report: "Wage Growth As A Leading Inflation Indicator" https://realinvestmentadvice.com/resources/blog/wage-growth-as-a-leading-inflation-indicator/ "Sound Money: Be Careful What You Wish For" https://realinvestmentadvice.com/resources/blog/sound-money-be-careful-what-you-wish-for/ "Earnings Drive Both Bull & Bear Markets" https://realinvestmentadvice.com/resources/blog/earnings-drive-both-bull-bear-markets/ "Leveraged ETFs: Math Often Trumps Hype" -------- Watch our previous show, "Internet Scams You Need to Know - The Ari Schwartz Interview https://youtube.com/live/Azt1_vs16bA?feature=share ------- Get more info & commentary: https://realinvestmentadvice.com/insights/real-investment-daily/ ------- * REGISTER for our next Dynamic Learning Series, "Savvy Medicare Planning: Everything You Need to Know Before You Enroll," Thursday, August 20, 2026: https://streamyard.com/watch/Qjx33M2tS4i4 --- Visit our Site: https://www.realinvestmentadvice.com Contact Us: 1-855-RIA-PLAN --- Subscribe to SimpleVisor : https://www.simplevisor.com/register-new --- Connect with us on social: https://twitter.com/RealInvAdvice https://twitter.com/LanceRoberts https://www.facebook.com/RealInvestmentAdvice/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/realinvestmentadvice/ #StockMarket #Investing #MarketOutlook #MarketRisk #Volatility #Earnings #Gold #MarketOutlook