About
Inflation and payroll growth trends fluctuated dramatically during the first six months of 2026, causing concerns about the direction of the U.S. economy and how the Federal Reserve will react. Barron's Senior Economics Writer Megan Leonhardt speaks with Steven Blitz, chief U.S. economist at TS Lombard, about the economic trends expected as we enter the second half of 2026 and what investors should watch for next.
When
Monday, August 3, 2026 · 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time (US & Canada) (GMT -4:00)
Presenters
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Steven Blitz
Chief US Economist and Managing Director, TS Lombard
Steven joined the company in 2017. His professional experience as economist and portfolio manager began in the late 1970s.

It includes econometric modelling at Data Resources Inc., creating interest rate and FX derivatives strategies at Salomon Brothers, managing US and global fixed-income portfolios at OFFITBANK, being global head of fixed-income at Lazard Asset Management and, more recently, as Chief Economist at M Science he developed “big data” to underpin his analysis of the economy, central bank policies, and capital market pricing.

Aside from his extensive client-facing work, Steven is a well-known commentator on economic and financial issues, is frequently quoted in the financial press, appearing on TV and radio, and writing guest columns for financial publications.
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Megan Leonhardt
Senior Economics Writer, Barron’s
Megan Leonhardt is a senior writer for Barron’s covering economic issues. Before joining Barron’s, she worked at Fortune covering labor, financial, and economic trends. She previously held reporting roles at CNBC and Money magazine.
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