In this episode of WSJ's Take On the Week, we jump straight into a topic on many minds: the GOP's One Big Beautiful Bill. Co-hosts Gunjan Banerji and Telis Demos are joined by Michael McLean, public policy senior analyst at Barclays, to unpack what some investors are paying attention to when it comes to the GOP’s One Big Beautiful Bill. McLean explains the differing viewpoints between Washington and Wall Street and the role of a rising U.S. deficit. Plus, the hosts share and answer listener ques...
Jun 29, 2025•24 min
On this special episode of WSJ’s Take On the Week, co-host Telis Demos and guest co-host Miriam Gottfried explain why the private market has its eyes on your 401(k) retirement savings account. To offer insight into what that means for retirement savers, we’ll be joined by two separate guests. The first is Holly Verdeyen, partner and U.S. defined contribution leader at Mercer, a human resources consultant and asset manager. Verdeyen shares why and how the addition of private investment assets to ...
Jun 22, 2025•30 min
With companies like Target blaming DEI backlash for lower sales while competitors like Costco are seeing boosts in foot traffic, how can a company’s DEI commitments affect investors with a socially conscious approach to investing? In this special bonus episode of WSJ’s Take On the Week, guest host Miriam Gottfried is joined by Rachel Robasciotti, founder and Co-CEO of investment firm Adasina Social Capital. Adasina runs an exchange-traded fund dedicated to it called “social justice investing” th...
Jun 18, 2025•22 min
On WSJ’s Take On the Week, co-hosts Telis Demos and Gunjan Banerji start the show by explaining how financial trading platform Robinhood’s stock may tell investors what they need to know about the markets right now. They discuss how company’s CEO, Vlad Tenev, recently visited the White House to discuss “ MAGA Accounts ,” President Trump’s proposal for a new tax-preferred savings account for children. Plus, with the Federal Reserve’s next interest-rate decision coming this week, the hosts share h...
Jun 15, 2025•24 min
On WSJ’s Take On the Week, co-hosts Telis Demos and Gunjan Banerji start the show by looking at why rare earth magnets remain at the center of trade talks with China. Why are business leaders like Elon Musk and Jamie Dimon critical of President Trump’s tax and spending bill, and what does it mean for bonds and the deficit? Plus, we take a look at inflation ahead of this week’s CPI report. Later on the show, Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody’s Analytics, gives his take on all the policy balls ...
Jun 08, 2025•31 min
On WSJ’s Take On the Week, co-hosts Telis Demos and Gunjan Banerji start the show by diving into the latest tariff updates. What does the ruling from the U.S. Court of International Trade mean for investors? Plus, the co-hosts look ahead to the upcoming jobs report for insight on economic uncertainties, including what indicators may point toward a recession. Later on the show, David Kelly, J.P. Morgan Asset Management’s chief global strategist and head of the firm’s global market insights strate...
Jun 01, 2025•31 min
On WSJ’s Take On the Week, co-host Telis Demos and guest co-host Miriam Gottfried start the show off by diving into President Trump’s latest trade deals. They then get into the president’s push to cut drug prices and how pharmaceutical stocks reacted to the news. Telis and Miriam also talk about the slew of housing data and home-improvement stock earnings, including Home Depot and Lowe’s, expected this week and what it could tell us about the state of the housing market amid the spring home-buyi...
May 18, 2025•30 min
On WSJ’s Take On the Week, co-hosts Gunjan Banerji and Telis Demos talk about the most recent Federal Reserve meeting and Chair Jerome Powell’s wait-and-see approach. They then get into Wall Street’s latest obsession: following shipping data for indications on how the economy is faring. The co-hosts also get into what to expect from Walmart’s earnings later this week and Warren Buffett’s remarks at the recent Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting. Later on the show, Harvard economist and former IMF ...
May 11, 2025•27 min
In this special bonus episode of WSJ’s Take On the Week, co-host Telis Demos is joined by social-media content creator and economic commentator Kyla Scanlon, who has helped transform how younger generations, specifically Gen Z, are engaging with news about the economy and finance. Through platforms like TikTok, Instagram and Substack, Scanlon has cultivated a dedicated audience of more than half a million people by simplifying complex economic data with creativity and humor. Recognized for coini...
May 07, 2025•26 min
Will the Federal Reserve cut interest rates this year? How is Fed Chair Jerome Powell and central bankers thinking about recent volatility in financial markets? Rob Kaplan, vice chairman at Goldman Sachs and former president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, joins WSJ’s Take On the Week. Co-hosts Gunjan Banerji and Telis Demos and Kaplan discuss the central bank’s tough task ahead to lower inflation. They also dive into President Trump’s recent remarks about Powell and the Fed indep...
May 04, 2025•32 min
On WSJ’s Take On the Week, co-hosts Gunjan Banerji and Telis Demos start the show by discussing the divergence between consumer sentiment and hard economic data, and whether we’ll see any sign of market softening in the forthcoming jobs and GDP reports. Then, all that glitters IS gold. The co-hosts talk about gold’s recent all-time highs. They also dig into whether the Magnificent Seven trade may be on the downswing. Later on the show, Markus Hansen, portfolio manager and senior research analyst...
Apr 27, 2025•30 min
On WSJ’s Take On the Week, co-hosts Gunjan Banerji and Telis Demos talk about the markets' reaction to the latest developments in President Trump’s tariffs policies. They talk about the “buy the dip” trade and weigh in on “the stock market isn’t the economy” debate. The hosts also discuss what’s going on with Treasurys. Later on the show, Kris Kraus, a managing director and portfolio manager at one of the world’s largest bond managers, Pimco, joins the podcast to give us a pulse check on the hea...
Apr 13, 2025•26 min
In this special bonus episode of WSJ’s Take On the Week, we dive into the most pressing questions for investors about tariffs and markets following the news of President Trump’s 90-day pause on some of his largest import taxes. Co-host Telis Demos is joined by two friends of the show, WSJ reporter Miriam Gottfried and investing columnist Spencer Jakab. They get into which sectors are most exposed to tariffs, how consumer-facing companies such as Restoration Hardware and car-parts sellers have be...
Apr 11, 2025•17 min
EARLY DROP!!! We know tariffs and markets are on your mind so we're dropping this episode ahead of time to give you even more time to plot out how to take on your week! On WSJ’s Take On the Week, co-host Telis Demos and guest co-host Miriam Gottfried get right into President Trump’s unveiling of his latest tariff policies. Then, they discuss the upcoming first quarter earnings results season. They talk about why they’re curious regarding what Delta Air Lines and used-car retailer CarMax have to ...
Apr 05, 2025•32 min
On WSJ’s Take On the Week, co-host Telis Demos and guest co-host Miriam Gottfried dive into the impending 25 percent tariffs that are set to be placed on global automotive imports to the U.S. Then, we explore what the bond market tells us and what a decrease in the U.S. Treasury yields means for investors. Plus, is the IPO market buzzing? Provider of specialized cloud-computing services, CoreWeave, is the latest company to debut for trading. With companies like StubHub, eToro, and Klarna also an...
Mar 30, 2025•26 min
On WSJ’s Take On the Week, co-host Telis Demos and guest co-host Miriam Gottfried dive into a smorgasbord of forthcoming macroeconomic data that will illustrate how the economy is faring since President Trump’s inauguration. Then, Telis shares what investment bank Jefferies’s forthcoming fiscal-quarter report could tell us about the state of mergers and acquisitions on Wall Street. And it’s baseball season, folks! The co-hosts talk about the latest deal between the San Francisco Giants and priva...
Mar 23, 2025•28 min
The Federal Reserve is often a key player in the markets. Now with investors uncertain about the economic outlook and the general policy volatility of the Trump administration, people are closely watching whether the Fed and Chair Jerome Powell might ride to the economic rescue in the near future. In a special interview-only episode, WSJ’s Take On the Week co-host Telis Demos talks with Ed Al-Hussainy, global interest rate strategist at asset manager Columbia Threadneedle Investments, about what...
Mar 16, 2025•24 min
The Consumer Confidence Index had its biggest drop in more than three years in February. We're at a crossroads moment in the economy. Uncertainty is back, according to financial experts and consumers alike. In a special interview-only episode, WSJ’s Take On the Week co-host Telis Demos talks with Seth Carpenter, Morgan Stanley's chief global economist, about where we are in the fight against inflation and what that means for the stock market, the Federal Reserve, and more. This is WSJ’s Take On ...
Mar 09, 2025•26 min
On WSJ’s Take On the Week, co-host Telis Demos talks with reporter Miriam Gottfried about what is driving a slide in 10-year Treasury yields. Then they get into the upcoming jobs report and whether any DOGE-related shakeups in the federal workforce could be reflected in the data. They also discuss the flurry of tariff-related developments ahead of a deadline this week for proposed taxes on imports from Canada and Mexico. Later on the show, Telis dives into what President Trump’s tariff agenda co...
Mar 02, 2025•27 min
On WSJ’s Take On the Week, co-host Telis Demos talks with reporter Peter Rudegeair about this coming week's latest inflation gauge, the personal-consumption-expenditures price index, or PCE, and what’s going on with the price of eggs . Then they dive into what to expect from the slew of forthcoming housing data and what that could signal about mortgage rates. They also discuss Nvidia, Vistra and Constellation Energy earnings. Later on the show, Telis and Peter are joined by Chris Hansen, founder...
Feb 23, 2025•25 min
On WSJ’s Take On the Week, co-host Telis Demos talks with Aaron Back, WSJ’s Heard on the Street column editor, about the latest inflation report and what it could mean for the Federal Reserve. They also discuss upcoming earnings from Chinese tech company Alibaba and retail behemoth Walmart. Later on the show, Telis talks about all things retail with Dana Telsey, CEO and founder of Telsey Advisory Group, a brokerage firm focused on the consumer sector. They chat about what’s behind Walmart’s winn...
Feb 16, 2025•24 min
On WSJ’s Take On the Week, co-hosts Gunjan Banerji and Telis Demos talk about the whiplash surrounding tariffs, including what could be next for the U.S. and China . They also get into the latest in the crypto world, from Coinbase’s upcoming earnings to the forthcoming confirmation hearing for Securities and Exchange Commission nominee Paul Atkins. Before turning to this week’s interview, they get into Robinhood’s back-peddling on launching Super Bowl betting contracts after regulators’ pushback...
Feb 09, 2025•26 min
On WSJ’s Take On the Week, co-hosts Gunjan Banerji and Telis Demos start off the show with the latest on the surprise dark horse in AI, DeepSeek, and what the development means for companies like Microsoft and Meta. Then they get into the latest Federal Reserve interest-rate decision and news on the consumer spending front. Later on the show, the co-hosts dive into the world of sports investing—from the publicly traded Atlanta Braves, and Knicks’ and Rangers’ parent company Madison Square Garden...
Feb 02, 2025•24 min
On WSJ’s Take On the Week, co-hosts Gunjan Banerji and Telis Demos discuss Wall Street’s reaction to President Donald Trump’s inauguration and his slew of executive orders. They talk about the president’s and his wife Melania Trump’s meme coins and the Stargate venture , an AI infrastructure plan led by ChatGPT maker OpenAI and global tech investor SoftBank Group. Later on the show, Gunjan and Telis tackle what might be the biggest question for investors right now: Is the Federal Reserve done cu...
Jan 26, 2025•28 min
On WSJ’s Take On the Week, co-hosts Gunjan Banerji and Telis Demos discuss the latest news on the L.A. fires and their impact on the insurance market. Then, they get into Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration and Wall Street’s reaction to the new administration. A who’s who of big tech like Tesla’s Elon Musk, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and even TikTok CEO Shou Chew will reportedly be in attendance. Gunjan and Telis also dig into bank earnings following surging profits for some of the largest bank...
Jan 19, 2025•26 min
On WSJ’s Take On the Week, co-hosts Gunjan Banerji and Telis Demos dive into what almost everyone on Wall Street is fixated on right now: rising bond yields. Then they explore what Disney’s potential merger with FuboTV means for streaming services and how sports and other live events are driving those deals. Telis also gears up for the Super Bowl. Well, his super bowl — bank earnings. JPMorgan, Bank of America, Wells Fargo and others report later this week. Later on, Peter Orszag, CEO of the ass...
Jan 12, 2025•27 min
AI was a big stock market theme in 2024. We’ve talked about it, and heard it many times. But it was far from the only thing that happened in stocks last year. We saw record-breaking growth from power companies like Vistra . Cult stocks like Palantir and MicroStrategy also had a moment. And of course, Nvidia, a company that needs no introduction, had a blockbuster year. But where there are winners, there are also losers. The announcement of Walgreens ’ potential sale highlighted the challenges wi...
Jan 05, 2025•25 min
Jan Hatzius, chief economist and head of global investment research at Goldman Sachs, joins co-hosts Gunjan Banerji and Telis Demos for the show’s last episode of 2024. They talk about Jan’s 2025 economic outlook, the role tariffs could play in the second Trump Administration, and the Federal Reserve’s latest interest-rate decision . They even get into the holiday spirit and chat about gift-giving. A note to listeners: WSJ’s Take On the Week is going to take a break for the holidays and will ret...
Dec 22, 2024•23 min
Welcome to WSJ’s Take On the Week. Co-hosts Gunjan Banerji, lead writer for Live Markets, and Telis Demos, Heard on the Street’s banking and money columnist, cut through the noise and dive into markets, the economy and finance—the big trades, key players and business news ahead. Gunjan and Telis start off by discussing the upcoming Federal Reserve interest rate decision, and tackling what’s been going in the market for risky derivatives, where activity is on track to hit an all-time high this ye...
Dec 15, 2024•27 min
Welcome to WSJ’s Take On the Week. Co-hosts Gunjan Banerji, lead writer for Live Markets, and Telis Demos, Heard on the Street’s banking and money columnist, cut through the noise and dive into markets, the economy and finance—the big trades, key players and business news ahead. This week, Telis and Gunjan debrief on BlackRock ’s $12 billion acquisition of private credit manager HPS. Then they tackle the “i word” – inflation – and the upcoming consumer-price index report. They also chat about bi...
Dec 08, 2024•24 min
