Market Update | May 2026

Find out how volatile world events are affecting the markets and potentially your investments, in our latest Market Update podcast with WHZ Senior Managing Partner & Chief Strategist Jim Zahansky. 

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Transcript

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Sam Welcome to the monthly market update on You and Your Money. I'm Jim Zahanski, senior managing partner and chief strategist at WHZ Strategic Wealth Advisors. What's happening in the market right now? This will actually correlate very nicely with what we're gonna, our topic today in the war, because much of what's been happening in the market correlates to what's going on with the operation we have going on in Iran and the Strait of Hormuz. I mean, essentially, if you remember back entering the year, we really thought that monetary policy or interest rates would start to come down and that inflation would be tamed. The war has put a little bit of a damper on that assumption just as we try to work through the war and its objectives. Oil prices have skyrocketed, which has a negative effect on inflation. It has the chance to increase inflation, right? Gas prices are higher, food prices are higher, and all of that is happening the longer the war goes on. And that negatively affects this monetary policy assumption. Lower the inflation, lower the, lower the interest rates. And hence the markets like lower interest rates because people can borrow at lower rates. And so anyway, as we stand here right now, despite all that, we have most of the stock market indices are all up single digits. So not double digits like last year, but single-digit growth this year. And then it's really at the— what we would say at the whim of where we are with oil and where we are with the war. So today we're on peace talks. and oil is down about$10 a barrel. And you know, markets are responding favorably with the futures before they open in the US market. So those are the things we're watching. And longer term, it's about companies hitting earnings and job growth. Sam sa. For more information regarding wealth management and customized financial planning with WHZ Strategic Wealth Advisors, please visit whz wealth.com whz strategic wealth Advisors offer securities and advisory services through Commonwealth Financial Network Member FINRA sipc, a registered investment advisor Fixed insurance products and services offered through CES Insurance Agency. They practice at 697 Pomfret Street Pomfret Center Center, CT 06259 and 392AMerrow Road, Toland, CT 06084. They can be reached at 860-928-2341. WHZ Strategic Wealth Advisors do not provide legal or tax advice. The tenured financial services team strives to support clients in achieving their financial life goals while providing absolute confidence and unwavering partnership for life.