WSJ's Take On the Week

This week, the Federal Reserve's rate-setting committee is expected to release a decision on interest rates. When will the central bank finally begin lowering rates? Former St. Louis Fed President James Bullard joins us to share his thoughts on the decision and what he thinks the Fed needs to prioritize next. Plus, ready or not, tax season is here. Tax filing season starts January 29 and we want t...

As we look ahead to what this year will hold for the markets, one question looming is the results of November's presidential election. While nothing is certain, it’s very likely that President Biden will be the Democratic nominee for president. So what can investors and everyday Americans who are thinking about their bank accounts, jobs and families expect from the rest of 2024 and the next four y...

 What are business owners' biggest worries and how are they feeling about the economy? This week, the National Association for Business Economics, or NABE, is expected to release its first survey of the year. We spoke with Constance Hunter – a senior adviser at MacroPolicy Perspectives and a past president of NABE – about how investors should be thinking about this data and what it could mean for...

Zillow co-founder Spencer Rascoff joins us this week to talk about housing and the state of tech and investing in private markets. Although mortgage rates have fallen from their peak in 2023, there may not be enough inventory to bring in potential homebuyers. Rascoff tells us about what he sees as potential obstacles and successes for the housing market. And, as an entrepreneur and a venture capit...

Investors are bullish on big companies, but what about the small ones that drive almost half of U.S. economic activity? Arlan Hamilton leads a venture capital firm that invests in these small firms and has a front-row seat. Her fund, Backstage Capital, has invested in hundreds of small companies that are hoping to become large ones and she’ll tell us what she sees happening right now and what’s on...

The new year is upon us, and this week we’re telling you what you need to know to make sense of the markets as we head into 2024. It’s our final episode of 2023, and what a year it was: a long-forecast recession never materialized, the U.S. economy saw solid growth, and the stock market delivered spectacular returns – all while rising interest rates put the squeeze on borrowers and the housing mar...

The financial markets seem convinced that interest rates are poised to come down next year. But officials at the Federal Reserve aren’t committing to rate cuts yet. Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee, who was on the Fed’s rate-setting committee this year, joins WSJ’s Take On the Week to discuss why “all things are on the table” when it comes to interest rates, including potential rate hikes, an...

This week, we’re getting data from the Federal Reserve's favored measure of inflation, the personal consumption expenditures report, or PCE. While surprisingly strong consumer spending has helped boost the economy this past year, several reports show that consumers’ spending may be getting maxed out by high grocery prices and rising costs for medical care and transportation. Nela Richardson, chief...

This week, we’re getting the fourth-quarter earnings from Photoshop creator, Adobe. The company’s announcement in October of new AI tools and services led to a five-percent jump in its stock, solidifying the investor excitement still surrounding AI technology. Dan Gallagher, a technology columnist for WSJ’s Heard on the Street, joins to explain how these new services will affect Adobe’s business a...

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 conf...

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 turni...

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’r...

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...

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 presiden...

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...

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...

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 tak...

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 s...

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 c...

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 headi...

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...

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 cent...

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 Charle...

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Vi...