2026 Market Risk: Tigress Financial CIO Identifies Putin as Top Concern

This report is based on a YouTube interview [1] featuring Tigress Financial Partners CIO Ivan Feinseth, published after regular market hours on December 31, 2025 (New Year’s Eve), where he identified Russian President Putin as the primary 2026 market risk. Prior to the event, 2025-12-31 regular trading hours market data [0] shows the S&P 500 (SPX) declined 0.77%, defense sector leader Lockheed Martin (LMT) dropped 1.09% (worse than the broader market), and energy major Exxon Mobil (XOM) fell 0.69%. These pre-event moves are unrelated to Feinseth’s comments, as the event was released after U.S. markets closed for the year. Geopolitical risks linked to Russia have historically disrupted global energy supplies, impacted defense spending dynamics, and created supply chain volatility [0], which could underpin Feinseth’s concerns.

1. Timing Impact
   : The event’s after-hours, NYE publication (when markets are closed globally) means any direct market reaction to Feinseth’s comments will likely be delayed until the first trading session of 2026.
2. Sector Precedent
   : While LMT and XOM underperformed the S&P 500 in regular hours on 12/31, these moves are not correlated with the event but highlight pre-existing sector volatility that could intersect with geopolitical risk narratives in 2026.
3. Information Gaps
   : Critical details are missing, including Feinseth’s specific reasoning (e.g., potential Ukraine escalation, cyberattacks, energy supply disruptions) and how other analysts may respond to this outlook.

: If geopolitical tensions involving Russia escalate as Feinseth suggests, potential impacts include: (1) energy price volatility (especially oil and natural gas), which could stoke inflationary pressures; (2) supply chain disruptions for critical commodities; (3) heightened volatility across global equity markets [0].
: Sectors like defense (e.g., LMT) and energy (e.g., XOM) have historically shown resilience or growth during periods of increased geopolitical tensions, though this depends on specific escalation scenarios and remains speculative.

• Event
  : 2025-12-31 after-hours YouTube interview where Feinseth names Putin as the top 2026 market risk [1]
• 2025-12-31 Regular Trading Data
  : SPX -0.77%, LMT -1.09%, XOM -0.69% [0]
• Historical Context
  : Russia-related geopolitical risks historically impact energy, defense, and supply chains [0]
• Data Gaps
  : Feinseth’s specific reasoning, after-hours reaction, and analyst consensus on his outlook
• Core Risks
  : Energy price volatility, supply chain disruptions, and inflationary pressures [0]