Markets Edition: Mr. Warsh Goes to Washington
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The podcast highlights how Mr. Warsh's appointment and AI's disinflationary impact are reshaping global markets leading to expectations of lower interest rates and notable shifts in equity and commodity performance
- Artificial intelligence is a key driver of productivity gains across IT and finance influencing job markets and requiring investors to strategically adapt their investment outlooks to evolving macroeconomic trends
- Investors should monitor central bank actions and market volatility considering strategic positioning in equities and certain commodities to navigate the ongoing AI-driven economic transformations
Dirk Willer, Citi's Global Head of Macro Strategy and Asset Allocation, sits down with Alex Saunders, Head of Global Quant Macro Strategy, to discuss factors shaping equity markets so far in 2026. Topics include Kevin Warsh as Fed chair, looking beyond debasement fears in the gold trade, and Japan's elections.
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Dirk Willer, Global Head of Macro Strategy and Asset Allocation, Citi
Dirk Willer is a Managing Director and Global Head of Macro Strategy and Asset Allocation. In this role, Dirk develops broad macro themes, related asset allocation views as well as trade ideas across a wide range of asset classes and geographies. Dirk also directs the Quant Macro Team. Prior to that, Dirk was the Global Head of Emerging Market Fixed Income and FX Strategy. He joined the firm in 2005 as the head of LatAm Local Market Strategy. Previously, Dirk worked at Omega Advisors and RHG Capital as their global macro strategist and portfolio manager. Dirk and his team have been ranked as the first team in the Institutional Investor survey for LatAm local strategy and the first or second team for LatAm sovereign credit strategy since 2017, as well as first in CEEMEA and Asia local strategy in 2019. Dirk is the lead author of “Trading Fixed Income and FX in Emerging Markets”, published by Wiley in 2020. Dirk holds a PhD and MSc in Economics from the London School of Economics. He did his undergraduate work at the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland.
Alex Saunders, Head of Global Quant Macro Strategy, Citi
Alex Saunders is a Director with Citi Research and heads the Quantitative Global Macro and Asset Allocation team. Prior to joining Citi in 2021 he spent more than 15 years on the buy side as a researcher and portfolio manager for quantitative investment strategies. His most recent position covered asset allocation and US credit for Itau Asset Management. Before that, he worked for QS Investors and Deutsche Asset Management across a variety of asset classes. Alex holds an MA degree in Economics from London Metropolitan University and a BSc from the University of Liverpool.
