Hot Takes & Cold Data: The 2026 Economic Bingo Card

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Season 9, Episode 15

In this episode, host Winnie Cisar (Global Head of Strategy at CreditSights) is joined by Brian Coulton (Chief Economist of Fitch Ratings) and Cedric Chehab (Chief Economist of BMI) to unpack the macro forces shaping 2026. The team reflects on 2025’s key lessons—tariff impacts, private sector resilience, and fiscal stimulus—before exploring takeaways from recent IMF meetings.

They examine concerns about equity valuations, US labor market slowdown, and the Fed’s challenging position navigating inflation and employment tensions. The conversation assesses delayed tariff pass-through, AI capex sustainability, German fiscal easing’s European impact, and China’s structural vulnerabilities. This episode offers critical insights into market-macro disconnects, contrarian dollar views, and China’s macro risks—essential listening for anyone navigating 2026’s evolving credit and global market landscape.