This Week in Business

Barbara Kahn, Wharton Professor of Marketing, discusses Saks Global’s bankruptcy, the strategic missteps behind it, and how luxury department stores can rebuild through experiential retail, omnichannel integration, and elite customer relationships. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eric Bradlow, Vice Dean of AI and Analytics and Professor and Chair of the Marketing Department at the Wharton School, discusses new research with Accenture that empirically measures the skills gap and explores how AI is redefining education, hiring, and the future labor market. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wharton Associate Professor of Financial Regulation, Peter Conti-Brown, analyzes the end of Jerome Powell’s term, the potential next chair, and why Federal Reserve independence is central to monetary policy, regulation, and the U.S. economy heading into 2026. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stefano Puntoni, Wharton Marketing Professor and Co-Director of Wharton Human-AI Research, explores six major AI trends for 2026, including model specialization, agentic systems, everyday consumer AI, monetization, regulation, and the implications for business education and the future workforce. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dan Taylor, Professor of Accounting at the Wharton School, discusses how his research helped shape new legislation requiring foreign company executives to disclose stock trades and protect U.S. investors from opportunistic insider selling. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Susan M. Wachter, Albert Sussman Professor of Real Estate at the Wharton School, discusses the outlook for housing and commercial real estate, focusing on inflation trends, interest rates, inventory challenges, and what these forces mean for markets in the year ahead. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jeremy Siegel, Wharton Emeritus Professor of Finance and Senior Economist at WisdomTree, shares his perspective on the state of the U.S. economy, analyzing recent rate cuts, inflation progress, employment data, tariff uncertainty, and what they could mean for markets and growth in 2026. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matthew Bidwell, Wharton Professor of Management, reflects on the cooling labor market, the influence of artificial intelligence, hybrid work dynamics, and what workers and graduates should expect as the economy heads toward 2026. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ethan Mollick, Co- Director of Wharton Generative AI Labs, examines how artificial intelligence continues to advance without slowing, highlighting its growing business adoption, potential labor market effects, and the importance of guardrails as organizations prepare for 2026. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

John Zhang, Wharton Marketing Professor, discusses his recent analysis of free versus fair trade, explaining the economic assumptions, political incentives, and distributional consequences of tariffs in today’s global trading system. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lynn Wu, Wharton Associate Professor of Operations, Information and Decisions, explains why today’s AI investment frenzy, while exhibiting bubble-like characteristics, represents a vital phase of technological evolution—driving infrastructure development, enabling future economic spillovers, and laying the groundwork for transformative advancements across industries. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com...

Itamar Drechsler, Wharton School Professor of Finance and Co-Director of the Rodney L. White Center for Financial Research, explains the economic forces behind high credit card interest rates, highlighting the roles of defaults, operating costs, marketing expenditures, and market power in shaping what consumers ultimately pay. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Serguei Netessine, Professor of Operations, Information and Decisions and Senior Vice Dean for Innovation and Global Initiatives at the Wharton School, discusses new research analyzing how Amazon fulfillment centers affect county-level employment, median household income, and poverty rates. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stefano Puntoni, Wharton Marketing Professor and co-director of the Wharton Human AI Research Project, discusses emerging research on AI companionship, its effects on loneliness and mental health, and the complex safety, ethical, and legal considerations shaping this rapidly evolving space. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jeremy Siegel, Professor Emeritus of Finance at the Wharton School and Senior Economist at WisdomTree, offers his perspective on Fed decision-making amid data gaps, evolving consumer trends, AI-driven market competition, and the broader economic implications of shifting U.S.–China relations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mark Pauly, Professor Emeritus of Healthcare Management at the Wharton School, examines Senator Bill Cassidy’s new health savings account–based proposal, evaluates its relationship to existing ACA tax credits, and offers broader insights into the persistent economic and political challenges of U.S. health care reform. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mina Fader, Managing Director of the Baker Retailing Center at the Wharton School, offers insights on how inflation, inventory strategy, consumer spending habits, and the renewed importance of in-store experiences are shaping the outlook for holiday retail performance. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kevin Werbach, Wharton Professor of Legal Studies and Business Ethics, explores the goals, limits, and broader national context of California’s newly enacted AI child-protection bill and what it signals for future regulation and industry responsibility. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ezekiel Hernandez, Wharton Management Professor, explains new research co-authored with Britta Glennon revealing how limits in the H-1B visa program push companies toward targeted M&A activity as a strategic response to skilled labor shortages. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Itay Goldstein, Wharton Professor of Economics and Finance, analyzes Coinbase’s $375 million acquisition of blockchain capital-raising platform Echo, exploring how reduced regulatory uncertainty, renewed interest in Initial Coin Offerings, and innovations like stablecoins are influencing the next stage of crypto market evolution. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kent Smetters, Wharton Professor of Business Economics and Public Policy and Faculty Director of the Penn Wharton Budget Model, explains the economic realities behind the United States’ $38 trillion national debt, discussing options for increasing revenue, reforming entitlements, and fostering bipartisan approaches to secure the nation’s fiscal future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for mo...

Stefano Puntoni, Wharton marketing professor and co-director of Wharton Human AI Research, discusses findings from a multi-year study on how companies are implementing generative AI, examining its impact on entry-level jobs, return on investment, and the growing intersection between human expertise and emerging technology. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jeremy Siegel, Emeritus Professor of Finance at the Wharton School and Senior Economist at WisdomTree, analyzes the Federal Reserve’s latest rate decisions, the evolving U.S. labor market amid AI-driven changes, and the global economic implications of renewed U.S.-China trade negotiations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rob DiGisi, Lecturer in Legal Studies and Business Ethics at the Wharton School, joins the show to discuss how recent gambling indictments involving NBA figures reveal the complex intersection of legality, ethics, and integrity in professional sports—and why issues like prop bets, player vulnerability, and federal cooperation continue to shape the future of regulated sports wagering. Hosted on Aca...

Ben Keys, Wharton Real Estate Professor, discusses the renewed interest in adjustable-rate mortgages, outlining how these products can offer short-term savings for homebuyers facing steep housing costs and elevated interest rates, while also exploring the long-term risks and strategic considerations involved. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.