Joe Amato

President and CIO, Equities, Neuberger Berman

Search every verified Joe Amato interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. On October 20, 2026, Joe Amato, President and Chief Investment Officer at Neuberger Berman, appeared on CNBC's "Squawk Box" to discuss market conditions and investment strategy. He described October as "a bit of a mess" in markets and said his firm had pulled back on risk due to the beginning of a rate hike cycle. Amato stated that the economy could handle a couple of "soft taps on the brake," but expressed concern that an extensive rate hike cycle could lead to an even bigger risk pullback. He clarified that Neuberger is not bearish. Amato commented on the "Mag-7" stocks, saying they offer "good value" with reasonable multiples and strong expected earnings growth. He emphasized the theme of market broadening, urging investors to consider not only direct beneficiaries of AI but also companies adopting the technology for longer-term earnings and productivity gains. Amato suggested that segments of the U.S. market that have not risen over the past couple of years may now perform well. He also noted that markets are expecting a divided government, and said that if strong pushback against data centers emerges, it could worry him around the AI trade. He included scenarios of Democrats taking the House and Senate under the divided government umbrella, noting executive actions still carry significant impact.