Seana Smith

    Host

    Seana Smith hosts Morning Brief an Catalysts from 9-11 a.m. ET. Previously, she anchored ‘The Ticker’ and ‘Midday Movers’ on Yahoo Finance, and spent time reporting from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Before joining Yahoo Finance, Seana worked as a writer and producer at Fox Business. Seana holds a master’s degree in economics and a bachelor’s degree in journalism with a minor in business from Lehigh University.

  • Fed shouldn't take a 'victory lap' with 50 bps cut: Fmr. Fed president

    The Federal Reserve slashes interest rates by 50 basis points at its September meeting. Former President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City and distinguished senior fellow with the Mercatus Center Thomas Hoenig reacts to the Fed's decision and what it means for the US economy going forward. "I thought they would be more cautious," Hoenig tells Yahoo Finance, adding: "I'm somewhat disappointed by it, but, I think they're — based on this, they've taken a little bit of a victory lap." Hoenig goes on to unpack what a 50 basis point cut will do to the the labor market and the inflation. He also weighs in on what he think the Fed's next move will be. Watch the video above to hear Hoenig's take on the Fed's 50 basis point cut. For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Market Domination. This post was written by Daniel A. Nelson

  • Existing home sales fall, JetBlue CEO interview: Catalysts

    The first full trading hour of Thursday, September 19, is in full swing with equities (^DJI, ^IXIC, ^GSPC) popping after yesterday's interest rate cut. Catalysts hosts Madison Mills and Seana Smith cover the biggest market stories and talk to top Wall Street experts about their long-term forecasts on the Federal Reserve's rate-cutting cycle. Citi head of US equity strategy Scott Chronert comes on the show to talk about the barbell approach for Magnificent Seven tech stocks and what the Fed's rate easing means for stocks. JetBlue Airways (JBLU) CEO Joanna Geraghty also joins the program to expand upon the airline operator's plans to return to profitability. Yahoo Finance executive editor Brian Sozzi then speaks with T-Mobile (TMUS) CEO Mike Sievert on the wireless carrier's growth momentum amid the mass adoption of artificial intelligence. Other top trending stocks on the Yahoo Finance platform include DoorDash (DASH), Five Below (FIVE), and Coursera (COUR). This post was written by Luke Carberry Mogan.

  • Stock market is ‘in a transition phase’ after rate cut: Citi

    As the Federal Reserve initiates its first interest rate cutting cycle in four years, Citi head of US equity strategy, Scott Chronert, joins the Catalysts team to discuss how to navigate markets (DJI, GSPC, IXIC) in this transition period. “From a stock market perspective, I think we're in a transition phase,” Chronert says. "We're at the end of a two-year hawkish Fed narrative, and we're going down the path of something different. But this first 50-basis-point cut... we're still in a fairly restrictive monetary mode.” “The transition phase that we're in here is that we have to allow that, historically, when the Fed begins to ease, it's typically in response to some underlying economic concern.” Chronert tells Yahoo Finance, stating Citi has been “referring to it as fraying around the edges.” “We don't think it dramatically impacts the S&P 500 aggregate index earnings performance, but we have to allow that as we go into the Q3 reporting period and then into the end of the year, there's probably a bit more downside risk to those more traditionally economic sensitive sides of parts of the market as to their fundamental trajectories.” For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Catalysts. This post was written by Naomi Buchanan.

  • JetBlue is 'undervalued': CEO explains why

    JetBlue Airways (JBLU) CEO Joanna Geraghty joins Catalysts from the Skift Global Forum to discuss the role of activist investors in the company and the termination of its merger agreement with Spirit Airlines (SAVE). Activist investor Carl Icahn's Icahn Enterprises (IEP) has acquired two board seats at JetBlue, putting pressure on the company as it seeks to return to profitability. "I think it's great when you're aligned with your activist shareholder and board members," Geraghty explains. She continues, "JetBlue is undervalued and we strongly believe that. We've got a number of really important strengths — whether it's the slots, the gates, our network, our people, our product offering — and we want to make sure that we're getting more value out of that." She notes that JetBlue's Jet Forward program, the company's strategy to return to profitability, had full support from the board — including the two seats held by Icahn Enterprises. She adds, "We're focused on transparency and making sure that everybody is on the same page. It's a great company, a great brand, great people, and we need turn things around and everybody's aligned from that perspective." As airliners have had a rocky year navigating various safety issues, Geraghty stresses that "safety is always the number one priority for JetBlue." She explains that the company has a non-retribution culture where employees can feel comfortable to come forward and discuss any issues. "The moment that you have a culture where people feel that they can't come forward and disclose things is where I think things start to take a turn in a direction that's not so great. If you don't have a safe airline, a safe manufacturing facility, then the brand, the experience, none of that really matters," she tells Yahoo Finance. After JetBlue announced it terminated its merger agreement with Spirit Airlines, Geraghty says that there are no other mergers on the horizon as the company focuses on getting back to profitability. "We're focusing on reminding customers about what makes JetBlue special. We need to be profitable. We want to be loved. And we're going to continue to double down on that and focus on our strengths." For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Catalysts. This post was written by Melanie Riehl

  • JetBlue CEO lays out airline's path back to profitability

    Airline stocks are poised for upside growth heading into the final months of 2024, according to Bank of America. JetBlue Airways (JBLU) has recently lifted its forward guidance, citing decreased gas prices and increased July bookings after a challenging year involving the sale of $2.75 billion in debt. JetBlue Airways CEO Joanna Geraghty joins Catalysts from the Skift Global Forum to discuss the airline operator's performance and some of its growth opportunities ahead. Geraghty explains that JetBlue has its sights set on getting back to profitability, and points to the launch of its Jet Forward program as a way to work toward that goal. She explains that the strategy focuses on "reliable and caring service, best East Coast leisure network products and perks customers love, and a secure financial future." She notes that many of JetBlue's planes use Pratt & Whitney GTF engines, which are being investigated for potential issues. Geraghty calls Pratt & Whitney an "important business partner and an important part of JetBlue's future," adding that JetBlue is currently working with the company to "ensure that we receive the right level of compensation to reflect the impact that this is having to our forward-looking capacity." As capacity remains a critical issue, she explains that JetBlue is seeing "positive improvements" in Latin America, which is largely a cyclical industry. She explains that the fall season is historically challenging, and highlights that the company has pulled nearly 10% of its capacity out of the fall to boost its performance Overall, she says, "the peaks and troughs post-COVID are definitely much more acute, and we're taking a number of self-help measures to moderate some of that impact." Moving forward, Geraghty tells Yahoo Finance that JetBlue is focused on "flying to the places where our brand is strong and where we make the most money." She points to areas on the East Coast and expansions into Islip, New York, and Manchester, New Hampshire, while continuing to grow its presence in Boston and surrounding areas. For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Catalysts. This post was written by Melanie Riehl

  • Why bonds can be a 'tremendous offset' in case of a recession

    Treasury yields (^TYX, ^TNX, ^FVX) swing higher in response to the Federal Reserve's decision to cut interest rates by 50 basis points yesterday. PGIM Fixed Income Co-Chief Investment Officer Greg Peters shares his perspective on how the bond market could move off of future rate cuts. "You're seeing that in the reaction today where the bond market's taking a breather because what's built into the current pricing is just a continuation of a lot of cuts. Over 150 [basis points] or so," Peters tells Yahoo Finance. "And to me and to others, I think that actually has to be more of a tipping into a recession type of an environment, not a soft landing. So I think it's just a little too much too soon, honestly." Peters believes the central bank's rate forecasts to be in line with his own projections and should show to be "rationalized over the next several months or quarters." On the fixed income side of things, Peters outlines why Treasuries and the fixed income sector "provide a tremendous offset to your portfolio" in case of a recession or economic slowdown. For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Catalysts. This post was written by Luke Carberry Mogan.

  • Take a barbell approach to Mag 7, tech stocks: Citi strategist

    Tech stocks rallied after the Federal Reserve cut rates 50 basis points, with some of the Magnificent Seven names like Tesla (TSLA) and Nvidia (NVDA) leading the charge. Citi head of US equity strategy Scott Chronert joins Seana Smith and Madison Mills on Catalysts to discuss how to play the tech sector. “It's a buy the news, sell the news reaction to the Fed,” Chronert says. “The leadership this quarter has really been those areas of the market that are perceived beneficiaries of lower rates. So real estate, utilities, even the homebuilder ETFs have been hitting recent highs. In the meantime, tech is still lagging where it was last time the index was through 5,600." “Essentially what you have here… is that a bit of a profit taking on the news in those areas that have been perceived as rate sensitive. And, at the same time, a catch-up move in that mega-cap growth cohort that ultimately does benefit from lower interest rates, but has been a relative laggard thus far this quarter. All told, what you've got is an index moving higher.” Taking a look at the Magnificent 7, Chronert outlines Citi’s view on the group: “We've been arguing for the better part of this year that they're becoming more idiosyncratic in their behavior.” He explains that Nvidia, Apple (AAPL), and Microsoft (MSFT) — who control over 6% of the index — "those companies are going to be important to index price action and I think you're seeing that today. But, what we're focused on from this barbell angle is we want to be holders of those, but when you look at the rate of increase in this and forward-year earnings expectations, it's been a stair-step function for over a year now. It's beginning to decelerate.” For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Catalysts. This post was written by Naomi Buchanan.

  • BofA initiates coverage on Coursera, gives it a Buy rating

    Shares of Coursera (COUR) are moving to the upside after Bank of America initiated coverage and gave the online education platform a Buy rating and $11 price target. Catalysts Hosts Seana Smith and Madison Mills break down the bullish call and report on the stock's performance over the last year. For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Catalysts. This post was written by Melanie Riehl

  • Markets, investors can 'settle down' after Fed cut: Strategist

    US stocks gain as investors digest the Federal Reserve’s 50-basis-point cut. Academy Securities head of macro strategy Peter Tchir joins Seana Smith and Brad Smith on Morning Brief to discuss how to navigate the market (^DJI,^GSPC, ^IXIC) as the interest rate cutting cycle kicks off. Tchir says the market could be “a little bit ahead of itself,” rallying higher after the Fed decision: “I was expecting 50, and I thought the Fed would try and make it a hawkish 50 and you saw that attempt — they had the dissent [from some Fed officials], they moved rates lower, the projections lower — but nowhere near to what the market was pricing at the end of 2025.” “But, they did cut 50, and I think that's giving a big impetus to the market, and we're going to see positioning play out," the strategist tells Yahoo Finance, expecting markets to “settle down a little bit from here. Everyone can calm down” after investors have had some time to digest the Fed’s action. The strategist acknowledges there is some risk in the rotation trade but explains his view that the Russell 2000 (^RUT) small-cap index could become momentum: “They're relatively small. I think there's very little liquidity in this market… Money flows into the ETFs. You've got the day trading. So I think that will push things higher than they should. So I think you could get a really nice response from the Russell 2000 if it attracts the momentum cash.” In regard to the bond market (^TYX, ^TNX, ^FVX), Tchir diagnoses its trends as “largely gridlock” as the market waits for the presidential election. He adds, “I don't think that derails much of the equity rally. But again, it will slow down those mega-caps.” For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Morning Brief. This post was written by Naomi Buchanan.

  • DoorDash rising after BTIG upgrades stock to Buy

    Shares of DoorDash (DASH) are climbing after BTIG upgraded the food delivery company to a Buy rating from Neutral. Catalysts Hosts Seana Smith and Madison Mills report on the bullish call and break down some of the growth opportunities that lie ahead for DoorDash. For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Catalysts. This post was written by Melanie Riehl

  • JPMorgan downgrades Five Below, ups price target. Here's why

    JPMorgan analysts downgraded discount retailer Five Below (FIVE) to Underweight while boosting its price target on the stock to $95 per share. Catalysts Madison Mills and Seana Smith report on the analyst note that references Five Below's declining comparable store sales. For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Catalysts. This post was written by Luke Carberry Mogan.

  • Beware of more downside risk to the dollar, strategist warns

    The US dollar index (DX-Y.NYB) is paring back some of its losses in Thursday's trading session after plunging following the Federal Reserve's 50-basis-point interest rate cut. ING FX strategist Francesco Pesole believes there may be more weakness ahead for the dollar and joins Morning Brief to lay out his case. "I think the initial reaction to the big Fed cut was not very clear for markets. They tried to make sense of the fact that the Fed did cut by 50 basis points. But then Powell, in the press conference, was quite hawkish. Now we think that moving on, it's more likely that the Fed will move in 25-basis-point steps," Pesole tells Yahoo Finance. "However, we think the markets will still prefer to err on the side of dovishness when it comes to pricing and, ultimately, they may prefer to stay on the soft side, the bearish side of the dollar into the US election." He argues that the 50-basis-point cut was "backward-looking," arguing that the Fed should have cut rates at its July meeting: "In a way, it feels more like the Fed is catching up with other central banks. You look at the Bank of Canada that moved early, obviously the European Central Bank, but also the Bank of England, so I don't think there is this very strong notion that the Fed is leading the way in monetary easing." As the 2024 presidential election lies less than two months away, Pesole notes that the market is moving closer to favoring a victory for Vice President Kamala Harris in November. He argues that the election will be very important for the dollar and explains that there is a "decent case for dollar short positions to rise into the election on the back of this Fed cut." For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Morning Brief. This post was written by Melanie Riehl

  • US existing home sales fall 2.5% in August

    US existing home sales fell by 2.5% in the month of August, nearly double the 1.3% decline economists originally forecasted. Catalysts hosts Madison Mills and Seana Smith examine the housing data out from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), noting the 0.7% month-over-month climb in housing inventory and the anticipated impact of the Federal Reserve's interest rate-cutting cycle. For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Catalysts. This post was written by Luke Carberry Mogan.

  • Apple, Alibaba, PayPal and Amazon: 3 Stories In Focus

    EU regulators warned Apple (AAPL) to open up its iPhone operating system — iOS — to rivals or face antitrust fines. Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba (BABA) is launching over 100 AI models and tools to better compete in the generative AI landscape. In a new partnership, PayPal (PYPL) is offering Amazon Prime (AMZN) customers the chance to use the online payment platform when buying from third-party merchants on Amazon. For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Morning Brief. This post was written by Luke Carberry Mogan.

  • Nvidia, chip stocks rise on Fed's rate cut

    The Federal Reserve's decision to cut its benchmark interest rate by 50 basis points is giving chip stocks, including Nvidia (NVDA), Broadcom (AVGO), and AMD (AMD) a boost. In the video above, Morning Brief anchors Seana Smith and Brad Smith break down the action. For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Morning Brief. This post was written by Stephanie Mikulich.

  • Fed should calibrate rate cut sizes using labor data: Economist

    The Federal Reserve's interest rate cut was a long time coming, the first rate reduction since 2020. But what was a 50-basis-point cut too aggressive a move too soon as Fed Chair Jerome Powell assures that the central bank is not behind the curve? Nationwide Mutual senior vice president and chief economist Kathy Bostjancic sits down with Seana Smith and Brad Smith in-studio to talk more about the Fed's soft landing hopes stemming from its rate cut — "there's always the risk that they've [the Fed has] been a little too slow in doing this" — and how she is interpreting key economic data. "At the heart of it, it is about inflation slowing. And if it continues to ease, interest rates should be lowered in line with that. I look at the employment data, labor market data as telling us how they really need to calibrate the size of those rate cuts. And do they go quicker, because we do see this slowing in the labor market? That's not what the Fed is forecasting," Bostjancic tells Yahoo Finance. "Or do we continue to kind of cruise along, above 100,000 jobs each month, and then that means we're we're on path for a soft landing?" For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Morning Brief. This post was written by Luke Carberry Mogan.

  • Darden Restaurants stock pops on Uber partnership

    Shares of Darden Restaurants (DRI) are moving higher after the company reported first quarter results that fell short of estimates, though it did reiterate its fiscal 2025 guidance. One thing that is giving the stock a boost is a partnership with Uber (UBER). The partnership will allow customers to place Olive Garden orders that Uber Direct will deliver. The program is set to launch as a pilot late this year with the hopes of expanding it nationwide by mid-2025.  In the video above, Morning Brief anchors Seana Smith and Brad Smith break down Darden's announcements. For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Morning Brief. This post was written by Stephanie Mikulich.

  • Crypto stocks surge as bitcoin rallies above $62K

    Bitcoin (BTC-USD) is rallying off of the Federal Reserve's landmark interest rate cut, rising over $3,000 since the central bank's announcement yesterday. Crypto stocks like Riot Platforms (RIOT), MicroStrategy (MSTR), exchange platform Coinbase (COIN), and bitcoin miner Marathon Digital (MARA) are climbing higher Thursday morning. Morning Brief hosts Seana Smith and Brad Smith weigh in on what the rate-cutting environment means for the crypto space, referencing Standard Chartered head of crypto research Geoff Kendrick's forecast that sees bitcoin skyrocketing to $200,000 by the end of 2025 regardless of who wins this year's presidential election. For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Morning Brief. This post was written by Luke Carberry Mogan.

  • Fed's cut was an 'optimistic message': Former Atlanta Fed president

    The Federal Reserve kicked off its rate easing cycle yesterday with a 50 basis point cut. Former president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta Dennis Lockhart joins Morning Brief to discuss the move and the rate cut path ahead as the Fed eyes a soft landing for the US economy. "I think it was on balance, an optimistic message. It was not necessarily a reaction to anything particularly wrong. I think the committee is increasingly confident that that inflation is under control and they like where the labor market is and they want to protect that. So it's really not a message of reaction to things going haywire. It's more to preserve a good thing," Lockhart says of the Fed's interest rate decision. He notes that the committee being largely in agreement on the decision is "desirable" as it shows a "unified face" behind US monetary policy. Fed Chair Powell stated in his press conference Wednesday that the cut is the beginning of a "recalibration process" for the economy. Lockhart explains that this process is not a predetermined path. Rather, it will be a "meeting by meeting judgment of what the economy needs with some caution about the ability to react, perhaps with a deeper cut, if necessary, to some development that comes along." While some investors would like to see the Federal Reserve initiate another 50 basis point interest rate cut by the end of the year, Lockhart believes cuts of 25 basis points will be more appropriate as the Fed looks to preserve flexibility. "They, I think, emphasize that the 50-basis-points move yesterday was like a down payment. You could even argue it was a little bit of a catch-up from what could have been done in July," he tells Yahoo Finance. For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Morning Brief. This post was written by Melanie Riehl

  • Nasdaq blasts off as stocks surge the day after Fed rate cut

    After closing Wednesday lower, US stocks have woken up to the reality of the Federal Reserve's 50-basis-point cut and are off to the races. The Dow Jones Industrial (^DJI) is rising by over 1%, while the S&P 500 (^GSPC) sees gains of 1.5% and the Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) blasts off by 2.3%. Seana Smith and Brad Smith highlight Thursday morning's market momentum, namely in the tech-heavy Nasdaq and semiconductor sectors, the bond market (^TYX, ^TNX, ^FVX), and bitcoin's (BTC-USD) price action. For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Morning Brief. This post was written by Luke Carberry Mogan.