Leaders at the Bell with Dan Gramza, Gramza Capital Management, March 24, 2026

Daniel Gramza, president and founder of Gramza Capital Management and longtime CME Group affiliate, joins Victor Rodriguez to analyze market volatility amid escalating Middle East tensions and domestic economic pressures. Speaking on March 24, 2026, Gramza dissects the market's reaction to President Trump's decision to extend a bombing deadline by five days, describing it as an anticipation move rather than fundamental change. He notes that while stock indices surged on the news, they closed well off their highs, suggesting buyer hesitation. Gramza advises investors not to expect continuation of Monday's volatility, characterizing Tuesday as a waiting period where markets digest information and position for the next catalyst.

Looking ahead, Gramza addresses concerns about stagflation scenarios combining rising energy costs with weakening employment. With gasoline approaching five dollars per gallon and sideways jobs data expected to continue, he warns that elevated crude prices could compress profit margins for non-petroleum companies, potentially triggering layoffs. In such environments, Gramza expects dollar strength, rising yields on Treasury instruments, and sideways movement in precious metals. For equity sector allocation, he remains constructive on artificial intelligence as an immature sector with significant development runway, while recommending investors use percentage change charts to identify relative strength among the eleven S&P sectors since year-start for portfolio additions.