• Jim Zelter, President at Apollo Global Management 
• Lindsey Piegza, Chief Economist at Stifel 
• Katy Kaminski, Chief Research Strategist at AlphaSimplex 
• Matt Shay, President of the National Retail Federation 

Apollo Global Management President Jim Zelter looks at some of the expectations for the year ahead while highlighting this year’s strengths in the M&A market and the “amazingly resilient” US economy. Lindsey Piegza, Chief Economist at Stifel, shares her expectations for next week’s FOMC meeting and the path ahead for monetary policy into 2026. Katy Kaminski, Chief Research Strategist at AlphaSimplex, discusses how rate cut optimism is carrying over into small and mid-cap stocks. Matt Shay, President of the National Retail Federation, shares his insights into the state of the US consumer with holiday shopping season in full swing.