Markets Happy Hour Podcast February 27, 2026 - More Flurries

In this week's Markets Happy Hour we discuss the long winter that has descended on the East Coast of the US and the ongoing chill and flurries of anxiety and activity that we are experiencing in markets. We suggest with the new injection of volatility in the aftermath of the US Supreme Court striking down the tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) are in at 6:3 decision. This uncertainty is continuing to unsettle markets which are already coping with the rupture that AI is continuing to create in market expectations. This week was a particularly busy one for this kind of existential thinking, between the continuing fallout from the SAAS-apocalypse as well as well as more contagion. Much of this was due to the 5000-word viral Citrini research piece, has started to cascade through financial services and beyond. We parse this, as well as two other pieces of critical newflow – the standoff between Anthropic and Pentagon with respect to the use of its models in citizen surveillance as well as autonomous weapons, and just overnight the announce of Block cutting 40% of its workforce as it pivots to a more lean business model. Block’s announcement was met by a surge in the stock price. So will it be a sign of things to come? Nvidia’s earnings were blowout, but not that well-received given the already fraught mood in markets. Moving then to private credit we note the “winter” that has descended on sentiment there, which awkwardly is coinciding with a full throttle advance by that segment into the burgeoning private wealth (and retirement savings) business. Clearly a time to be highly selective. Finally the recent fallout for Bitcoin seems to have levelled out somewhat and we analyze this hints at a “floor” or simply a broadening of the depth. Don't forget to tune in next week to our live event in NYC - we will be featuring multi-asset specialist Jai Jacob for a special discussion on AI. Details here.https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1983274102228?aff=oddtdtcreator