Larry McDonald: SP500 Is A Screaming Sell; But Buy The Dip In Energy

Wilfred Frost welcomes back Larry McDonald, founder of The Bear Traps Report and bestselling author of “A Colossal Failure of Common Sense” (2009) and “How to Listen When Markets Speak” (2024), for a timely, in-person conversation in London.  Larry thinks the SP500 is “a screaming sell” and would use the post Iran War ceasefire announcement as an opportunity to sell the index, especially Mag7 tech names, which he continues to view as wildly overpriced. But he would use the dip in energy stocks post-ceasefire as a buying opportunity. Larry explains why he believes we are still only in the “second or third inning” of the hard-asset super-cycle that has already seen outsized gains in precious metals, energy and other real-asset plays like copper since his latest book was published in March 2024, which called for buying hard assets over financial assets.   If you’d like to attend the upcoming Master Investor Show in London on Saturday 25 April, where I’ll be interviewing Jim Mellon amongst others, with over 5000 like minded investors in attendance, then click the link below and use code “MIPOD” for a free ticket:  https://forms.reg.buzz/masterinvestorshow-2026/mipod   Bottom line with the Iran war, Larry argues the latter order effects of the war - particularly the six-week surge in energy prices - are being underestimated, and are likely to drive a major inflation spike later this year. He thinks Wall Street’s muscle memory and recency bias – which led to a major rally when President Trump unwound his April 2025 Liberation Day tariffs – are fuelling a wave of excess optimism around the Middle East, when in reality, the situation is far more complex and unlikely to unwind so neatly. He and Wilf also dig into why - for the first time ever - he is a buyer of Bitcoin (albeit as a short term trade rather than long term strategy); why the rebuilds in Ukraine, Gaza and Iran are still underappreciated and will drive metals like copper higher; why Microsoft has further to fall before it is attractive; why certain emerging market bonds are vulnerable here; and the “evils” of passive investing.   You can watch the full video on The Master Investor Podcast YouTube channel   And follow @WilfredFrost on X and Linked In   Sponsored by BNY Investments, Interactive Brokers - ibkr.com/masterinvestor, The World Gold Council and London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG).    The Master Investor Podcast is produced by Paradine Productions, Master Investor Ltd in association with Bird Lime Media.   Wilf has positions in the OIH and FCG ETFs mentioned in this episode.   This podcast is for information purposes only. It does not constitute an invitation or inducement to engage in any investment activity. It is not a financial promotion as defined under section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (FSMA). The views expressed by the presenter of this podcast are those of the presenter and are provided in the course of journalism. This podcast benefits from the exemption under Article 20 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (FPO), It does not require approval by a person authorised under the FSMA. Generic information, not identifying any specific investment, fund, provider or service, about a class of investments such as shares, bonds, derivatives and cryptoassets, might be provided and/or discussed during this podcast. Such discussion falls within the generic promotions exemption (Article 17 of the FPO). Such discussion is not a financial promotion requiring approval by an authorised person under section 21 of the FSMA. Investing involves risk. You should consult a suitably qualified adviser who can assess your individual circumstances before making any investment decision.