Sandra Smith has built an unusual career that connects Wall Street, business journalism, and television news. Before becoming a familiar face on Fox News, she worked in financial markets and developed experience in equities, options, investment management, and trading. Today, Sandra Smith is best known as the co-anchor of America Reports on Fox News Channel. Her career path, education, athletic background, marriage, and transition from trading to television help explain why her story stands out in American broadcast journalism.
Who Is Sandra Smith?
Sandra Kaye Smith is an American television journalist, news anchor, and former financial markets professional. She currently serves as co-anchor of America Reports on Fox News Channel, alongside John Roberts. The program airs weekdays from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Eastern Time.
Smith joined Fox Business Network in October 2007 as a reporter after working in the financial industry and appearing on Bloomberg Television. Over the years, she expanded her role across Fox News and Fox Business, becoming one of the network’s recognizable daytime anchors. Fox News says she has also appeared on several daytime and primetime programs and has frequently filled in as a guest anchor.
Her background is particularly interesting because she didn’t begin her professional life as a traditional television journalist. Instead, she spent years working directly in financial markets before moving in front of the camera.
Sandra Smith Quick Facts
| Fact | Details |
| Full name | Sandra Kaye Smith |
| Date of birth | September 22, 1980 |
| Birthplace | Wheaton, Illinois |
| Age in 2026 | 45 |
| Profession | Television anchor and journalist |
| Current role | Co-anchor of America Reports |
| Employer | Fox News Channel |
| Education | Louisiana State University |
| Husband | John Connelly |
| Children | Two |
| Height | Reported at about 5 feet 8 inches |
Smith’s September 22, 1980 birth date is reported by biographical sources, while Fox News confirms her current professional role and career history.
How Old Is Sandra Smith in 2026?
Sandra Smith is 45 years old in September 2026. She was born on September 22, 1980, in Wheaton, Illinois, a suburb west of Chicago.
Because her birthday falls on September 22, she remains 45 for most of 2026 and turns 46 on September 22, 2026.
Her age also puts her career in perspective. Smith has spent many years working in finance and television, giving her experience across both the business and news sides of broadcasting.
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Where Did Sandra Smith Grow Up?
Sandra Smith grew up in Wheaton, Illinois, in the Chicago area. Her early surroundings played an important role in her eventual interest in financial markets.
Biographical accounts say Smith was one of six children and that her father worked as a floor trader at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. That connection to Chicago’s financial world gave her an early exposure to the environment that would later become central to her professional life.
Smith attended Wheaton Warrenville South High School and graduated in 1998. She was active in athletics, earning letters in cross country and track. She also served as captain of her school’s cross-country team during her senior year.
That athletic background remained important even after she moved into finance and broadcasting.
Did Sandra Smith Attend College?
Yes. Sandra Smith attended Illinois State University before transferring to Louisiana State University, where she completed her college education.
At LSU, she studied and competed in track and field. Her experience as a Division I athlete became one of the more distinctive parts of her background.
Her competitive running career also appears to have influenced her approach to work. Smith has previously discussed the similarities between preparing for major television events and preparing for athletic competition, particularly the importance of preparation and staying focused under pressure.
Her college years therefore combined education with serious athletic competition, creating a foundation that later proved useful in the demanding world of financial television.
What Did Sandra Smith Do Before Fox News?
One of the most interesting facts about Sandra Smith is that television wasn’t her first career.
After college, Smith entered the financial sector. Fox News reports that she began her career as a research associate at Aegis Capital, where she helped research retail stocks, prepared weekly stock newsletters, and identified investment opportunities.
She later worked at Hermitage Capital as a trader. Her responsibilities included executing U.S. equities and options orders, conducting portfolio analysis, preparing commission reports, and working with clients.
Smith then moved to Terra Nova Institutional, where she became director of institutional sales and trading. Her work involved investment management and hedge fund accounts, and she also helped develop program trading models for clients.
This experience gave her something many television personalities don’t have: direct professional exposure to financial markets.
Sandra Smith’s Career Timeline
- 1998: Graduated from Wheaton Warrenville South High School.
- College years: Attended Illinois State University before transferring to LSU.
- Early career: Worked as a research associate at Aegis Capital.
- Later: Worked as a trader at Hermitage Capital.
- Terra Nova Institutional: Worked in institutional sales and trading.
- Bloomberg Television: Covered U.S. equities and derivatives as an on-air reporter.
- October 2007: Joined Fox Business Network.
- 2014: Became a co-anchor of Outnumbered.
- 2015: Co-moderated Fox Business Network’s first Republican presidential primary debate with Trish Regan.
- 2017: Became a co-anchor of America’s Newsroom.
- 2021: Became associated with America Reports.
- 2026: Continues as co-anchor of America Reports with John Roberts.
How Did Sandra Smith Get Into Television?
Smith’s move into broadcasting followed her financial career.
Before joining Fox, she worked as an on-air reporter for Bloomberg Television, where she covered U.S. equities and derivatives and contributed to breaking news and analysis.
That experience helped turn her financial knowledge into a television skill set. Rather than learning business reporting from scratch, Smith could discuss markets from the perspective of someone who had actually worked in the industry.
In October 2007, she joined Fox Business Network as a reporter. Over time, her responsibilities grew, and she began appearing on both Fox Business and Fox News programming.
Her career eventually moved beyond financial reporting into broader political and general news coverage.
What Is Sandra Smith Known for on Fox News?
Sandra Smith is currently known for co-anchoring America Reports with John Roberts.
The program covers major afternoon headlines and features interviews with newsmakers and experts. Smith has also taken on significant assignments during major national and international news events.
According to her Fox News biography, she co-anchored special coverage during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and participated in coverage of major political events. She also presented Fox News voter analysis during the 2024 election coverage.
Earlier in her Fox career, Smith became a co-anchor of Outnumbered. She also worked on America’s Newsroom and has appeared as a guest anchor on programs including The Story with Martha MacCallum.
Her range of assignments reflects the shift in her career from specialized financial journalism to broader news anchoring.
What Was Significant About the 2015 Presidential Debate?
In November 2015, Sandra Smith and Trish Regan co-moderated Fox Business Network’s inaugural Republican presidential primary debate.
Fox News described the event as historic because Smith and Regan became the first dual-female team to host a debate for the network. The debate featured candidates who had not qualified for the main primetime debate based on the network’s criteria.
For Smith, the assignment was a significant step beyond her earlier financial reporting work. It demonstrated that her career had expanded into high-profile political journalism and live television events.
Is Sandra Smith Married?
Yes. Sandra Smith is married to John Connelly.
The couple married in 2010. Public biographical records identify May 2010 as the year of their wedding, while some secondary sources give slightly different dates for the ceremony.
Connelly has generally maintained a lower public profile than his wife. Sources describe his professional background as including finance, business, and marketing.
Smith and Connelly have two children. Their family life is relatively private compared with Smith’s public career.
Does Sandra Smith Have Children?
Yes. Sandra Smith and John Connelly have two children.
Their daughter, Cora Belle Connelly, was born in 2013. Their second child, a son, was born in 2015. Smith has spoken publicly about the challenge of balancing motherhood with a demanding television career.
She has generally kept her children’s lives away from the intense spotlight that comes with national television.
That privacy is understandable given Smith’s highly visible professional role. Her public work centers on news and current events, while her family life largely remains separate.
What Is Sandra Smith’s Net Worth?
Sandra Smith’s exact net worth is not publicly confirmed by Fox News or by Smith herself.
Some celebrity finance websites estimate her net worth at around $6 million, with one such source also estimating an annual salary of about $3 million. These figures should be treated as estimates rather than verified financial statements.
Smith’s income is associated primarily with her long career in television journalism. Before broadcasting, she also worked in financial services, including research, trading, and institutional sales.
Because private employment contracts, investments, assets, taxes, and other financial details aren’t publicly disclosed, an exact net worth cannot be established from reliable public records.
Sandra Smith’s Main Career Income Sources
Her professional income has likely been connected to several stages of her career:
- Financial-sector employment
- Bloomberg Television reporting
- Fox Business Network
- Fox News Channel
- Television anchoring and special coverage
The exact amount she earns from each source isn’t publicly established.
What Is Sandra Smith’s Athletic Background?
Before becoming a television journalist, Smith was a competitive runner.
She participated in track and field at Louisiana State University, competing at the Division I level. Her high school record also included cross country and track achievements.
Running didn’t simply disappear when Smith moved into broadcasting. She has continued to talk about running and has described maintaining the habit while living in the New York area. Fox News previously reported that she set a goal of running every day.
Her athletic background is an interesting contrast to her financial career. Smith went from competitive sports to financial trading and eventually to national television.
What Is Sandra Smith’s Connection to Finance?
Finance is more than a subject Smith discusses on television. It was part of her professional life before she became a journalist.
She worked with equities, options, hedge fund accounts, portfolio analysis, and institutional trading. That experience helped shape her financial reporting and gave her a practical understanding of markets.
This background remains relevant because business and financial stories often require more than reading market numbers. Understanding how traders, investors, and companies operate can provide useful context when explaining economic developments to viewers.
Where Does Sandra Smith Work Now?
As of 2026, Sandra Smith works for Fox News Channel and co-anchors America Reports with John Roberts.
Fox News currently lists the program as airing weekdays from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Eastern Time. The network’s biography also notes that Smith continues to appear across its programming and has handled major breaking-news and political coverage.
Her current position represents the latest stage of a career that began far from a traditional newsroom.
What Makes Sandra Smith’s Career Different?
Sandra Smith’s career stands out because it crosses several professional worlds.
She wasn’t simply a journalist who later learned about business. She first worked in finance, including trading and institutional sales, and then moved into financial television before becoming a broader news anchor.
That path gives her professional experience in:
- Financial research
- Stock and options trading
- Institutional sales
- Investment-related analysis
- Business television
- General news
- Political coverage
- Live breaking-news broadcasts
The combination has become a defining feature of her professional identity.
Frequently Asked Questions About Sandra Smith
How old is Sandra Smith in 2026?
Sandra Smith is 45 years old in September 2026. She was born on September 22, 1980.
When did Sandra Smith join Fox News?
Sandra Smith joined Fox Business Network, part of the Fox news organization, in October 2007 as a reporter. She later expanded into Fox News Channel programming.
Who is Sandra Smith’s husband?
Sandra Smith’s husband is John Connelly. They married in 2010 and have two children.
How many children does Sandra Smith have?
Sandra Smith has two children, a daughter and a son.
Where did Sandra Smith go to college?
She attended Illinois State University before transferring to Louisiana State University, where she completed her college education and competed in track and field.
What is Sandra Smith’s job?
Sandra Smith is a television journalist and anchor. As of 2026, she is the co-anchor of America Reports on Fox News Channel.
Did Sandra Smith work in finance?
Yes. Before television, Smith worked in financial research, trading, and institutional sales. She worked at firms including Aegis Capital, Hermitage Capital, and Terra Nova Institutional.
What is Sandra Smith’s net worth?
Some third-party websites estimate Sandra Smith’s net worth at approximately $6 million, but this is not an officially confirmed figure. Net worth estimates should therefore be treated cautiously.
What is Sandra Smith’s height?
Biographical listings commonly report Sandra Smith’s height as approximately 5 feet 8 inches.
What show does Sandra Smith currently host?
Sandra Smith currently co-anchors America Reports with John Roberts on Fox News Channel.
Final Thoughts
Sandra Smith’s story is more than the biography of a television anchor. Her professional path moved from competitive running and a Chicago-area upbringing into financial markets, then from Bloomberg Television to Fox Business and eventually Fox News.
In 2026, she remained a prominent television journalist and co-anchor of America Reports. Her marriage to John Connelly and her two children form an important part of her life outside the studio, while her financial background continues to distinguish her from many traditional broadcast journalists.
The biggest takeaway is simple: Sandra Smith built her television career on experience that began long before she became a familiar face on national news.
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