WSJ's Take On the Week

• The Anti-AI Investment: Why This Investor Is Betting Big on Sports

  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 Sports, to private equity’s new role in the NFL—with Chris Marangi, co-chief investment officer of value at Gabelli Funds. They also talk about the rise in popularity of sports betting apps, like DraftKings and FanDuel, and how media deals are reshaping the sports industry.  This is WSJ’s Take On the Week where 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. Have an idea for a future guest or episode? How can we better help you take on the week? We’d love to hear from you. Email the show at [email protected]. To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel or the video page of WSJ.com  Further Reading To read more from our hosts, catch up on The Day DeepSeek Turned Tech and Wall Street Upside Down and Amex Has a First-Class Problem: Can Consumer Spending Really Keep Up?  For more coverage of the markets and your investments, head to WSJ.com, WSJ’s Heard On The Street Column, and WSJ’s Live Markets blog.  Sign up for the WSJ's free Markets A.M. newsletter.

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• Investors' Big Question: Is the Fed Done Cutting Interest Rates?

  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 cutting interest rates? They’re joined by Sonal Desai, chief investment officer of Franklin Templeton Fixed Income, to dive into what may be the new normal for interest rates, what she will be looking out for when Jerome Powell speaks at the upcoming Federal Reserve meeting, and Treasury secretary pick Scott Bessent’s stance on tariffs. They also talk about what’s happening in the bond market.  This is WSJ’s Take On the Week where 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. Have an idea for a future guest or episode? How can we better help you take on the week? We’d love to hear from you. Email the show at [email protected].  To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel or the video page of WSJ.com. Further Reading To read more from co-host Telis Demos, catch up on Are the L.A. Wildfires One Catastrophe or Two? It Matters to Insurers.  For more coverage of the markets and your investments, head to WSJ.com, WSJ’s Heard on the Street column and WSJ’s Live Markets blog.

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• What Trump 2.0 Means for Banks, Crypto and More

  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 banks, like Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase. Telis shares what to look out for ahead of regional banks, including Fifth Third and Keycorp, and credit card companies, such as Capital One, reporting earnings this week.  Later on, Meg Tahyar, head of the Financial Institutions Group at the law firm Davis Polk, joins the co-hosts to talk about what to expect when it comes to banking regulation in a second Trump administration, how it might differ from his first term, and what regulations may mean for banks, crypto and more. This is WSJ’s Take On the Week where 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. Have an idea for a future guest or episode? How can we better help you take on the week? We’d love to hear from you. Email the show at [email protected].  To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel or the video page of WSJ.com. Further Reading To read more from our hosts on topics discussed in this episode, read There Is a Safety Valve for Private Home Insurance in California and Prediction-Markets Venue Kalshi Appoints Donald Trump Jr. as Adviser. For more coverage of the markets and your investments, head to WSJ.com, WSJ’s Heard on the Street column and WSJ’s Live Markets blog.

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• Will Dealmaking Boom Under Trump? Lazard CEO Peter Orszag Weighs In

  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 asset manager and investment bank Lazard, joins the co-hosts to talk about what to expect when it comes to M&A dealmaking in 2025. Peter, who also served as the director of the Office of Management and Budget in the Obama administration, also talks about prospective tariffs, how the dealmaking landscape may change in a second Trump administration, and about the proposed Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy-led advisory council, Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. This is WSJ’s Take On the Week where 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. Have an idea for a future guest or episode? How can we better help you take on the week? We’d love to hear from you. Email the show at [email protected]. Further Reading For more coverage of the markets and your investments, head to WSJ.com, WSJ’s Heard On The Street Column, and WSJ’s Live Markets blog.

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• WSJ’s Take On the Year: Market Trends to Watch in 2025

  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 within the retail pharmacy sector. Shares of the biotech company Moderna also slumped partly due to waning demand for its Covid-19 vaccine and booster. And discount chain Dollar Tree took a hit this year as its shoppers showed signs of belt-tightening. For our first episode of 2025, we’re joined by global editor of WSJ’s Heard on the Street column, Spencer Jakab, and deputy editor of WSJ’s Heard on the Street, Aaron Back, to reveal more of the market’s winners and losers in 2024 and examine what their wins or losses could mean for investors and the economy in the year ahead.  Further Reading  Walgreens Is in Talks to Sell Itself to Private-Equity Firm Sycamore Partners  Tech-Loving Hedge Funds Have a Crush on Utility Stocks  For more coverage of the markets and your investments, head to WSJ.com, WSJ’s Heard On The Street Column, and WSJ’s Live Markets blog.

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