WSJ's Take On the Week – Details, episodes & analysis

WSJ's Take On the Week brings you the insights and analysis you need to get a leg up on the world of money and investing. Weekly, we cut through the noise and dive into markets, the economy and finance. Join The Wall Street Journal's Telis Demos and Gunjan Banerji in conversation with the people closest to the hot topics in markets to get incisive analysis on the big trades, key players in finance and business news ahead. The show returns November 17. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re going on hiatus. A message for our listeners from WSJ’s Take On the Week producer Jess Jupiter. For more coverage of the markets and your investments, head to WSJ.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chipmaker Nvidia is having a strong start to the year. The company is currently the best performing stock in the S&P 500 for 2024 and the third-largest company in the U.S., with a value of about $1.8 trillion. But how are investors feeling about Nvidia’s success? Ahead of the company’s earnings report later this week, we’re speaking with Cathie Wood, CEO and chief investment officer of ARK Invest, who recently went from a buyer to a seller of Nvidia stock. Cathie shares insight into that decision and what she’s most looking forward to from this week’s report. You can hear an extended conversation with Cathie Wood - plus other exclusive content - on WSJ SPECIAL ACCESS. Available on Spotify and Apple Podcast. Then, we’re turning our attention to Thursday’s existing home sales report from the National Association of Realtors. Few markets have been as impacted by inflation as the housing market. With mortgage rates touching the highest level in 23 years in October, we bring on WSJ housing reporter, Nicole Friedman, to discuss what that means for potential homebuyers and sellers. Lastly, we keep Nicole around to discuss inflation and how it’s shifted homeowners to focusing less on selling and more on renovating their homes. We’ll also be looking out for signs that prices are rising again in the earnings reports we’re expecting this week from Walmart and Home Depot.  (Correction: Nvidia is the third-largest company in the U.S. An earlier version of this podcast incorrectly said it was the fourth-largest. (Corrected on Feb. 20) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BlackRock’s Rick Rieder leads the $10 trillion asset manager’s global asset allocation team and he’s excited about a return to normalcy in 2024. He’s expecting strong economic growth and he’s hoping the Fed will speed up its interest rate cuts this year. Plus, he explains why he likes bitcoin and what his big worry is right now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 Why will DoorDash’s earnings report deliver a better check-up for the U.S. economy than Marriott, Coca-Cola and Kraft-Heinz this week? Because the affordable luxury of food delivery is a great barometer for how much Americans are still willing to spend. Jason Helfstein, Oppenheimer and Company’s managing director and head of Internet research, tells us why he’s giving the stock a buy rating and how he thinks the latest changes to minimum wage laws will affect stockholders. And it’s still all about inflation. WSJ markets reporter Eric Wallerstein joins us to break down why this week’s CPI inflation report could really move markets. Plus, Valentine’s Day is on the way, which for many means gifts. We look at which sector might see a boost from the holiday of love. Further Reading As CFOs Prepare for an Unpredictable 2024, Here’s What Tops Their Checklists  Investors Are Almost Always Wrong About the Fed  Why Inflation Is Rising Again: Breaking Down the December CPI Report  11 Valentine’s Day Gifts to Warm Her Heart (and Everything Else)  For more coverage of the markets and your investments, head to WSJ.com.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, multinational food, snack, and beverage company, PepsiCo is set to release their fourth quarter financial results. The soda maker has made headlines recently after their products were removed from European supermarket chain, Carrefour. The split follows a recent announcement by PepsiCo's chief financial officer, Hugh Johnston, that the company is expecting to slow price hikes this year. Jeremy Goldberg, portfolio manager at Professional Advisory Services, joins us to share what these moves will mean for investors. Then, we're turning our attention to CVS Health Corp’s earnings this week. The retail pharmacy chain recently announced plans to close dozens of pharmacies inside Target stores as pharmacies struggle to grow retail profits. WSJ reporter Anna Matthews joins to share what this means for the company's future and what it says about the state of drugstores. We wrap up the show with a 'happy birthday' to Meta, which will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of Facebook later this week. Sal Rodriguez, WSJ's social media reporter, joins us to discuss what the tech giant may be looking forward to next. Further Reading PepsiCo, Grocery Giant Bicker Over Who Dumped Whom  CVS Is Closing Pharmacies Inside Some Target Stores  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 to understand what this means for you and your investments. WSJ reporter, Laura Saunders, joins us to share what investors should be paying most attention to as they prepare their filings. Plus, we’re gearing up to enter Apple’s virtual world. The technology company is set to release their mixed-reality headset, Vision Pro, at the end of the week. The company also faces added pressures from Microsoft as the company briefly overtook Apple as the largest U.S. company by market value. Could virtual reality be what keeps Apple on top?  Further Reading Stocks Fall on Rate-Cut Pessimism  Fed Posts Largest-Ever Annual Operating Loss  How Much Is the Standard Deduction and Should I Take It on My Tax Return?  How You Can Grab a 0% Tax Rate  For more coverage of the markets and your investments, head to WSJ.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 years if Biden is re-elected? To find out, we’re talking to Jared Bernstein, chair of the Council of Economic Advisors, an agency within the White House that gives the president advice on economic policy. Bernstein previously served as Biden’s chief economist during his first two years as vice president, from 2009 to 2011. In this bonus episode, we'll talk with Bernstein about jobs, the national debt, inflation, China and the trade war, and whether the U.S. economy needs more stimulus or some serious budget cuts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 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 the economy and financial markets in 2024. And, in our roundtable with WSJ reporters Sharon Terlep and George Downs we discuss Boeing's recent issues with its 737 Max jet and its upcoming earnings call.  Further Reading Consumers Start 2024 on Strong Footing After a Jolly Holiday  Boeing’s Pile of Problems Gets Bigger as a Crucial Buyer Hesitates  Can Boeing Repair the $12 Billion Hole in Its Reputation?  Inflation Is Down, but It Wasn't 'Transitory'  For more coverage of the markets and your investments, head to WSJ.com.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 capital investor who has co-founded some of the most well-known companies in the U.S., including Hotwire.com, Rascoff also tells us how he’s reading the markets as we get into 2024. Plus, the World Economic Forum begins this week. The annual meeting, held in Davos, Switzerland, brings together cultural, policy and business leaders "to shape global, regional and industry agendas." From AI to unexpected economic optimism, WSJ deputy editor in chief Charles Forelle will discuss what he’ll be looking for from the conference.  Further Reading Investors’ Hope for 2024: A Return to Long-Lost Normalcy  The Hidden Force Pushing Mortgage Rates Down  Facing Housing Shortages, Cities Try Cramming More Units on Lots Misinformation Seen as Top Global Risk in Year of Pivotal Elections  For more coverage of the markets and your investments, head to WSJ.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices