Norton: It's not a new world order yet, but there are definitely shifting sands

Watch on YouTube ↗  |  January 16, 2026 at 12:13  |  3:59  |  CNBC
Speakers
Marta Norton — Chief Investment Strategist, Empower

Summary

Marta Norton, Empower's chief investment strategist, discusses how Washington policy, tariffs, and China trade realignment create shifting sands and long-tail risk for company cash flows. She argues earnings and cash flows are the ultimate investing driver, and recent tech and bank rallies reflect a healthier focus on results. On tech, she sees some Magnificent Seven names as attractive after valuation pullbacks and believes the AI trade remains alive. Her preferred ideas are the AI subset and healthcare.

  • Marta Norton explains how Washington policy and trade tariffs remain a long-tail macro factor.
  • She stresses company earnings and cash flows as the key investment determinant.
  • She notes tech has recovered and banks are rallying as results come in.
  • She says tech is expensive versus history, but other sectors are not cheap.
  • She sees attractive valuations among some Magnificent Seven names after the recent malaise.
  • She believes the AI trade remains alive and can be bought below prior nosebleed levels.
  • Her forward best ideas are the AI subset and healthcare.
Ideas
Marta Norton Chief Investment Strategist, Empower 2:59
AI trade alive; tech valuations have reset
Technology broadly looks expensive relative to its own history, but other sectors are not necessarily cheap. Within technology, some of the mega-cap 'Magnificent Seven' fan favorites have become attractive because their valuations have fallen during the November-December-early January malaise, and the AI trade is still very much alive and continuing to deliver. These opportunities let investors get exposure to AI without paying the nosebleed valuations required last September; she is looking closer at the AI subset as a best idea.
Marta Norton Chief Investment Strategist, Empower 3:42
Healthcare is a decent place to be
She says healthcare is a decent place to be for the forward outlook.
Up Next

This CNBC video, published January 16, 2026, features Marta Norton discussing XLK, MAGS, Artificial Intelligence, XLV. 2 trade ideas extracted by AI with direction and confidence scoring.

Speakers: Marta Norton  · Tickers: XLK, MAGS, Artificial Intelligence, XLV