WSJ's Take On the Week

This week, we’re turning our attention to the jobs report. The Labor Department is expected to release their monthly jobs report this Friday. The report is arriving at a crucial time as recession concerns still loom for many investors and consumers. According to last month’s consumer confidence index, released by The Conference Board, a business research organization that oversees the monthly confidence survey, around two-thirds of consumers said a recession was “somewhat” or “very likely” in the next 12 months. We're chatting with Dana Peterson, chief economist at The Conference Board, about why consumers and investors are a bit unnerved right now and what that tells us about the economy and markets. To take the conversation even further, we’re then talking to Heather Boushey, a member of the White House’s Council of Economic Advisors. Heather joins us to share how the Biden administration is handling low confidence levels and slowing job gains. Plus, we get a temperature check on the status of Covid-19 vaccine makers, Moderna and Pfizer. Both companies have had significant stock losses since their highs in 2021. How does that affect the overall health of the pharmaceutical and drug sectors and how do drugs that aid weight loss, like Ozempic, factor into all of this? Jared Hopkins, a WSJ reporter covering healthcare and pharmaceuticals, joins us to explain. Further Reading Investors See Interest-Rate Cuts Coming Soon, Recession or Not  For more coverage of the markets and your investments, head to WSJ.com.

About 95% of companies in the S&P 500 have reported third-quarter earnings. So this week, we’re having a roundtable conversation to discuss what we learned from the latest quarter and what the earnings reports tell us about where the market is and where it’s heading. WSJ’s Heard on the Street editor Spencer Jakab and reporter Justin Lahart join us to explore those ideas and more. Then, we’re turning our attention to Dubai where the 28th annual United Nations Conference of the Parties, or COP 28, is kicking off this Thursday. The conference is all about governments coming together to agree on policies to address climate change. WSJ climate finance reporter Amrith Ramkumar explains why this year's conference is welcoming oil giants like Exxon Mobil and Chevron, and why you could see some big market moves for the next two weeks. We want to know what you’ve been wondering about the economy, companies, stocks, bonds, or markets in general. Send us a note or a voice-memo recording to takeontheweek@wsj.com or leave a voicemail at (212) 416-3489.  Further Reading Breaking Down the Best Earnings Quarter in a Year  Big Oil Producer Lines Up African Carbon Deals Ahead of Climate Talks  Nations Keep Upping Fossil-Fuel Production Despite Climate Pledge  For more coverage of the markets and your investments, head to WSJ.com.

This week is Black Friday, which means it’s the unofficial kickoff of the holiday shopping season. The big question many economists want to know is will consumer spending be strong? WSJ retail reporter Sarah Nassauer joins us as we look ahead to earnings reports this week from retailers, like Best Buy and Dick’s Sporting Goods, to find out if the holiday spirit is enough to boost sales. Then, we’re turning our attention to artificial intelligence. Nvidia, the technology company known for designing and manufacturing computer graphic chips, is expected to report earnings this week. After the AI boom helped fuel gains for the company, investors are looking to see what recent U.S. restrictions limiting exports to China will mean for the company and its stock. Brenda Vingiello, the chief investment officer of Silicon Valley-based Sand Hill Global Advisors, joins us to explain what investors should be looking for in Nvidia’s earnings report. Lastly, we’re queuing up for holiday travel. With a record number of consumers expected to travel in the next six months, we’re checking in with WSJ’s travel reporter, Jacob Passy, to find out if this sky-high travel is reaching a descent anytime soon. Further Reading Five Economic Signs You’re Smart to Procrastinate on Holiday Shopping This Year  Nvidia’s $5 Billion of China Orders in Limbo After Latest U.S. Curbs  For more coverage of the markets and your investments, head to WSJ.com.

This week, we're grabbing our toolboxes and heading to Home Depot. The home improvement retailer is expected to report earnings on Tuesday. Jinjoo Lee, who covers big retailers for The Wall Street Journal’s Heard on the Street column, joins guest host Telis Demos to talk about how the housing market, consumer spending and supply chains all play an integral role in Home Depot’s success. We’re also turning our attention to two upcoming reports on inflation to take a deeper look at what they mean for corporate profits. Nick Colas, co-founder of market analysis services company DataTrek Research, joins us to talk about how the potential of slowing inflation can affect a company's spending and earnings. Plus, we’ve also got expected earnings from Target and Walmart this week. We'll examine what their different stock journeys tell us about the American consumer. Further Reading U.S. Home Prices Rose to Record in August  How Slowing Inflation Can Hit Corporate Profits  For more coverage of the markets and your investments, head to WSJ.com.

Mohamed El-Erian is one of the world’s most respected economists and he has growing concerns about a recession in 2024. El-Erian previously served as the chief executive and chief investment officer at financial services company Pimco, and now is the chief economic advisor at Pimco’s parent company, Allianz, one of the world’s largest insurance and financial services firms. He is also the president of Queens’ College at the University of Cambridge. In this special episode of WSJ's Take On the Week, El-Erian discusses the policy mistakes he says the Federal Reserve has made and why he's hopeful about potential solutions that could keep the economy robust and resilient.   Further Reading The Improbably Strong Economy  Fed Takes Heart in a Supply-Side Boom  The Economy Was Supposed to Slow by Now. Instead It’s Revving Up.  For more coverage of the markets and your investments, head to WSJ.com.

This week, we’re turning our attention to breakfast cereals and snacks. Kellogg, the company responsible for cereals like Frosted Flakes and snacks like Pringles, in early October split into two companies: WK Kellogg and Kellanova. WK Kellogg maintained the company’s cereal products, while Kellanova kept snacks. Snacks have been big business for companies, but with changes to eating habits brought on by obesity drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro, these companies may face some struggles ahead. WK Kellogg and Kellanova are expected to report earnings this week, so we’re speaking with Pamela Kaufman, a Morgan Stanley equity analyst who covers the packaged goods industry, to find out if the separation of the snacks and cereal businesses will prove to be a winning combination and what reduced appetites may mean for investors. Then, we’re queuing up for Disney’s earnings report. Merriment has gotten significantly more expensive with costs for admission to places like Disney’s theme parks rising faster than prices for food and gasoline. What will this week’s earnings from Disney tell us about the cost of having fun? Robbie Whelan, who covers Disney for WSJ, joins us to discuss how Disney’s higher-than-ever amusement park prices and declining television business will affect the company’s bottom line. Lastly, we’re looking at China’s upcoming consumer and producer price index reports to learn how a slowed economy in China impacts investors here in the states. Further Reading America Is Binging on Snacks, and Food Companies Are Eating It Up  The Ozempic Craze Could Put These Companies on a Crash Diet  Ozempic: How the Diabetes Drug Works and Why It’s Such a Big Deal for Weight Loss  It’s Getting Too Expensive to Have Fun  Disney Raises Prices at Its Theme Parks  Disney Sheds New Light on ESPN’s Financial Challenges  For more coverage of the markets and your investments, head to WSJ.com.

This week, we’re opening up our digital wallets and examining the current state of crypto. Wall Street hasn’t been talking much about crypto this year, and that silence has been golden for digital assets. The price of bitcoin has jumped by more than 100% year to date. Cryptocurrency exchange platform, Coinbase, is expected to report earnings this week so we’re chatting with Jeff Dorman, the chief investment officer of Arca, a crypto-focused asset manager, to find out why he thinks crypto will still come out on top despite bankruptcies, money laundering risks, and alleged fraud. It’s also Fed week. Members of the Fed’s rate-setting committee have been hard at work in recent weeks, making the case that moves in financial markets have done some of the Fed’s work for them, by tightening financial conditions. WSJ reporters Gunjan Banerji and Harriet Torry join us for a roundtable discussion on whether we should be expecting one final rate hike before the year’s end and how that could affect the market and investment portfolios. We wrap up with Starbucks. The popular coffee chain is also reporting earnings this week and we’ll be looking to see what their new CEO Laxman Narasihmhan has to share with investors about the health of retail, food service and U.S. consumers.   Further Reading U.S. Targets Crypto Mixers Over Money Laundering Risks  Crypto Lender Genesis Prepares to Liquidate Without Deal With Parent Company  Sam Bankman-Fried to Take the Stand in Fraud Trial  The Fed Is Putting Too Much Faith in Markets  For more coverage of the markets and your investments, head to WSJ.com.

This week, we're looking ahead to the GDP data for the third quarter of 2023 to find out how much the American economy grew from July to September. Thanks to higher than expected numbers from the latest retail sales and jobs reports, economists have lowered the probability of a recession occurring next year to below 50 percent, the lowest it's been since summer 2022. With recession worries now taking a back seat, attention has shifted to the economy’s surprising growth and why it just might be too good to be true. KPMG chief economist Diane Swonk joins us to talk about that and what investors need to look for in this week’s GDP report. Then, we're talking Visa ahead of its expected earnings. WSJ reporter Angel Au-Yeung is here to explore how changes in the credit card fees charged to merchants could change how Visa and Mastercard do business, and what you pay at the store. We wrap things up getting Meta in Mark Zuckerberg’s metaverse to see what the company’s expected earnings report this week could tell us about Meta’s social media platform Threads and whether it’s giving Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) a run for its money. Further Reading A Recession Is No Longer the Consensus Resilient U.S. Economy Defies Expectations Visa, Mastercard Prepare to Raise Credit-Card Fees  For more coverage of the markets and your investments, head to WSJ.com.

This week, we’re looking at what the Federal Reserve is watching as it plots the course of interest rate hikes. In their most recent meeting, last month, minutes revealed that a majority of Fed members say one more rate hike would be appropriate. We’re two weeks away from the next Fed meeting, and investors are paying close attention as the decisions made will play a significant role on consumer spending and banks’ deposits. Mary Daly, the president of the San Francisco Federal Reserve, joins us with her take on where the economy stands, and what people are telling her about their personal economic outlooks. With stalled progress in slowing inflation revealed in September’s consumer-price index report, the road to two percent may take longer than investors would like. Plus, we’re looking ahead to earnings reports coming this week from Goldman Sachs, Netflix, and Johnson & Johnson. Michael Farr, CEO of investment advisory firm Farr, Miller, & Washington, tells us why those are the companies he’ll have his eye on this week and what their earnings reports can tell investors about how consumers are spending their money. Further Reading Fed Minutes Show Officials Divided on Future Rate Rise  How Banks’ Deposit Pressures Could Get Worse, in Three Charts  Why Consumers Are Mad About Inflation Even Though It Has Fallen  This Inflation Report Won’t Let the Fed Declare Victory  For more coverage of the markets and your investments, head to WSJ.com.

This week, we have banking and the recent rise in government bond yields in focus. Mary Daly, president of the San Francisco Federal Reserve, tells us that the run-up in bond yields means the need for another interest rate hike is “diminished.” But with the September jobs report showing job growth remaining stronger than expected, and the Fed seemingly committed to keep interest rates high, what could that mean for three of the biggest banks, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo and Citigroup, who are set to report earnings this week? And what could it mean for how they handle our money? Then, we’re flying into Delta’s earnings report, also expected this week, with analyst Sheila Kahyaoglu, who covers the stock for the investment bank Jefferies. How is Delta navigating through the rough skies of high fuel and maintenance costs and the recent controversial changes to its Skymiles program, and what does that say about the state of travel and consumer spending? Plus, we’re looking ahead to this week’s release of the new Taylor Swift “Eras Tour” concert movie. The movie industry has problems. Could the record-breaking artist’s film – and a deal to distribute Beyonce’s Renaissance concert movie too – help solve them, and provide AMC shareholders with a blockbuster profit?   Further Reading It’s a Good Time to Buy Bonds. Just Know What You’re Getting Into.  Fed Holds Rates Steady but Pencils In One More Hike This Year  Costlier Fuel and Labor Cut Into Corporate Profit  Taylor Swift Concert Film Brings ‘Eras Tour’ to Movie Theaters  Will Taylor Swift’s ‘Eras Tour’ Become the First $1 Billion Tour?  For more coverage of the markets and your investments, head to WSJ.com.

It’s a new month and quarter, and this week, we’re talking about three big pieces of economic news that could impact your money: the September jobs report, the turnover or JOLTS report, and the return of student loan payments. Last month, we saw job gains easing and unemployment ticking higher. Now, as student loan payments resume, economist Danielle DiMartino Booth makes the case that we’re heading for recession. We’re also previewing earnings from Constellation Brands, the company that made Modelo the top selling beer in America, besting Bud Light. Aaron Back, deputy editor for WSJ’s Heard on the Street, explains why that makes Constellation a stock to watch. Plus, ahead of Ford’s monthly sales report, we’re looking at a surprising sticking point in the UAW strike against the Big Three Detroit automakers: stock buybacks and CEO pay. Further Reading The Big Employer Still Adding Jobs and Boosting Pay: The Government  The Job-Market Boom Is Over. Here’s Why and What It Means.  Job Market Cools but Is Far From Freezing  Unions Flex Power When Workers Are in Short Supply  UAW Goes on Strike Against GM, Ford and Stellantis  For more coverage of the markets and your investments, head to WSJ.com.

This week, we have our eye on the sneaker giant Nike. The company behind the Lebron 21, Air Force 1 and Air Jordans is expected to report its first quarter earnings, and it comes at a pivotal time. Nike stock is down around 20% year to date, as it faces a glut of inventory and a rash of thefts. Ahead of the holiday shopping season, Barclays analyst Adrienne Yih explains why she thinks it’s time to Just Do It and bet on Nike stock going higher. We’re also adjusting our collars as we gear up for Paris Fashion Week. What does the semiannual designer presentation tell us about how luxury brands are doing in the market? WSJ reporter Nick Kostov will let us know. And with the release of the new movie “Dumb Money” about the GameStop saga, we’re going to talk meme stocks with WSJ’s Gunjan Banerji. Further Reading How Nike Sneakers Get Stolen at Every Turn   Nike Broke Up With Retailers. Now It’s Trying to Win Them Back.   It’s Not Your Imagination—Shopping in Person Is Getting Worse   Americans Are Buying Less Bling   The World’s Richest Person Auditions His Five Children to Run LVMH, the Luxury Empire   For more coverage of the markets and your investments, head to WSJ.com.

This week, the Federal Reserve is gathering to make its latest interest rate decision. The central bank is widely expected to hold rates steady, but the FOMC September meeting will give us a lot of clues about the future of the economy and the direction of the stock market. Former Fed official Vincent Reinhart, now chief economist at Dreyfus and Mellon, talks about how a new approach from the central bank could affect our money. We’ve also got our eyes on FedEx. The shipping giant is expected to report earnings this week, and WSJ reporter Esther Fung is here to explain its recent struggles, how it is competing with UPS and what this means for shareholders. And we’re talking about ESG. It’s one of the most talked-about terms in investing, but what do those letters actually mean? Take a listen to get a better grip on the markets for the week of September 17. Further Reading An Important Shift in Fed Officials’ Rate Stance Is Under Way   Pushing Inflation to Fed Target Will Run Into Tight Labor Market, Researcher Says  FedEx Quarterly Sales Fall 10% as Shipping Struggles Continue  Looking for an Alternative to ESG Investing? Here’s One Possibility

The market’s next move will be determined by what happens with inflation, and this week, we’re looking ahead to the latest Consumer Price Index inflation report. One of the biggest drivers of inflation right now is housing costs. Chief economist at Zillow, Skylar Olsen, helps break down how the housing and rental markets are contributing to high inflation. Plus, WSJ’s Deputy Editor in Chief Charles Forelle joins to discuss Charles Schwab’s recent financial troubles and what those could mean for retail investors.

WSJ’s Take On the Week is a new weekly podcast that looks ahead at the events on the economic and business calendar to explain what they mean for your money and investments. With straightforward analysis and insight from guests who know what matters, this show provides you with what you need to know to take on the week. Episode 1 will be available September 10.