ALL-TIME HIGHS, HALF-TIME PEACE!!
Episode 6 | Week 19 | May 4 – May 8, 2026
The Teflon Market: Six straight weekly gains for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq, the longest streak since 2024, driven entirely by strong corporate earnings. The market is choosing profits over geopolitics, at least for now.
The Iran Halfway Point: Operation Epic Fury is officially concluded, a deal framework is emerging : 12-15 yearnuclear enrichment moratorium in exchange for sanctions relief and Hormuz reopening, but no signatures yet. Oil is down from $111 to $95, but the Strait is still partially blockaded.
The Fed Transition: Powell's era ends May 15th. Warsh is expected to be confirmed this week. His first FOMC meeting is June 17th. The market expects a more dovish stance.
The risk: cutting too early into still-elevated inflation repeats the errors of 2021–22.
CPI Tuesday: April CPI on May 12th is the single most important data point of the month. Above 3.2% = yields jump, tech sells off. Below 3.0% = risk-on rally, rate cut hopes revive.Watch core CPI especially, if services inflation is rising, it's not just an oil shock anymore.
Trump-Xi Summit: May 14-15 in Beijing. Iran will dominate. Boeing aircraft purchases and soybean commitments expected. A 'Board of Trade' managed framework is on the table.Don't expect a tariff breakthrough; but don't underestimate the oil diplomacy angle.
This week in THE ELEVEN: Markets just posted their sixth consecutive weekly gain, with the S&P 500 closing at a record 7,399 and theNasdaq surging 4.5% to 26,247. But record highs are only part of the story.Johan Durden and Tyla Didrikson unpack what's really driving this rally and what could derail it.
This week's eleven stories cover: the April jobs report beat (115K vs 55K forecast), AMD's revenue surprise, Datadog's 28% surge on AI cloud demand, Corning's Nvidia supply deal, a fresh low in US consumer confidence (48.2), the Federal Reserve's final meeting under Jerome Powell, Kevin Warsh's imminent confirmation as the new Fed Chair, the Iran ceasefire progress and the emerging nuclear deal framework, oil pricesfalling from $111 to $95, the upcoming Trump-Xi summit in Beijing (May 14-15), and why Tuesday's April CPI print could set the tone for the entire summer.
Whether you're managing a portfolio or just trying to understand what's moving markets this week, THE ELEVEN gives you real analysis in real time : No jargon, No padding, No agenda!