# Labor Trends and Feb. 2026 Market Advantage Data + Insights from The Basis Point's Julian Hebron | March 9, 2026

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/optimal-insights-mortgage-data-capital-markets-insights-7025480/labor-trends-and-feb-2026-market-advantage-data-insights-from-the-basis-point-s-julian-hebron-march-9-2026
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/optimal-insights-mortgage-data-capital-markets-insights-7025480/labor-trends-and-feb-2026-market-advantage-data-insights-from-the-basis-point-s-julian-hebron-march-9-2026.md
Podcast: [Optimal Insights - Mortgage Data & Capital Markets Insights](https://stenobird.com/podcast/optimal-insights-mortgage-data-capital-markets-insights-7025480)
Published: 2026-03-09T20:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://optimal-insights.captivate.fm/episode/ep-74
Audio file: https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/e4ecfd3b-feb0-4722-8711-b54e643e919d.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/optimal-insights-mortgage-data-capital-markets-insights-7025480/episodes/labor-trends-and-feb-2026-market-advantage-data-insights-from-the-basis-point-s-julian-hebron-march-9-2026
Duration seconds: 3944

## Resource

Welcome to this week’s episode of Optimal Insights . In this episode, Jim Glennon is joined by Alex Hebner and James Cahill for a market update focused on weakening labor data, rising geopolitical risk, and inflationary pressures tied to global energy disruptions. The team discusses why rates are unlikely to move meaningfully lower in the near term and what recent employment and inflation data may signal for the months ahead. The episode also features a Market Advantage Report preview with Mike Vough and Brennan O’Connell , highlighting February lock activity, purchase and refinance trends, spreads, servicing valuations, and evolving investor behavior. Finally, Julian Hebron , Founder of The Basis Point , joins Jim and Mike to share his perspective on mortgage affordability, data-driven lending strategies, and key takeaways from the Optimal Blue Summit , including technology innovation, ecosystem integration, and the role of AI-powered tools like the Virtual Economist. Key Points Labor market data surprised to the downside, but broader indicators suggest gradual cooling rather than a sharp contraction Energy price shocks tied to geopolitical conflict are expected to be inflationary, complicating the Fed’s policy outlook February lock activity showed strength across purchase and refinance channels, with improving year-over-year trends Data and technology are increasingly central to affordability conversations, retention strategies, and lender efficiency Insights from the Optimal Blue Summit reinforced the importance of ecosystem integration and practical AI adoption Chapters 00:00 – Market conditions and rate environment overview 01:45 – Labor market data, employment trends, and economic signals 08:30 – Geopolitics, energy prices, and inflation risk 15:13 – Market Advan…

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