WSJ's Take On the Week - TopPodcast.com

Latest Episodes:

Making Sense of Sky-High Treasury Yields Sep 27, 2026

Show notes

In this week's episode of WSJ’s Take On the Week, co-host Miriam Gottfried is joined by guest co-host and WSJ markets reporter Sam Goldfarb to break down the unprecedented surge in the 10-year Treasury yield. Meghan Swiber, U.S. rates strategist at Bank of America, joins the show to discuss what influences these yields, and how a 5% yield affects everyday borrowing costs including mortgage rates, which are again topping 7%.

Swiber unpacks the Treasury Department's surprising buybacks, and how this strategy compares to the actions the Federal Reserve took to mitigate the effects of the last financial crisis. Plus, how is the market reacting to the Fed, which is trying to battle inflation by hiking rates?

This is WSJ’s Take On the Week where co-hosts Telis Demos, writer for WSJ’s Heard on the Street, and Miriam Gottfried, WSJ’s investing and wealth management reporter, 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 takeontheweek@wsj.com.

To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel or the video page of WSJ.com

Further Reading

The Robust U.S. Economy Powers Through Rate Hikes and Rising Bond Yields

A Guide to Owning Bonds When They Are Selling Off

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.

Follow Miriam Gottfried here and Telis Demos here.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Will Real Estate Protect Your Portfolio if the AI Bubble Bursts? Sep 20, 2026

Show notes

In this week's episode of WSJ’s Take On the Week, co-hosts Telis Demos and Miriam Gottfried break down the conversation around AI safety and development, and how markets have reacted. Plus, OpenAI is now expected to have its initial public offering next year instead of this year. Will Anthropic follow suit? They also analyze the Federal Reserve's recent unanimous decision to hike interest rates, the mechanical impact of 10-year Treasury yields crossing 5%, and how these macroeconomic shifts are reshaping the bond market.

Next, Jefferies equity analyst Jon Petersen joins the show to explain how rising interest rates and limited supply are impacting real estate investment trusts (REITs). They also discuss the impact of AI on the sector. Are companies like Digital Realty and Equinix poised to fare well in the data center buildout? What about industrial REITs like Prologis and Stag Industrial? Plus, Petersen breaks down why the REIT sector could be a healthy safe haven for investors if the AI bubble bursts.

News Corp, owner of The Wall Street Journal, has a content-licensing partnership with OpenAI.

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 takeontheweek@wsj.com.

To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel or the video page of WSJ.com

Further Reading

Anthropic Researcher Quits Over ‘Out-of-Control’ AI Fears

Fed Delivers First Rate Hike in Years With Unanimous Vote

Malls Were Left for Dead. Now They Are the Top Performer in Commercial Real Estate.

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.

Follow Miriam Gottfried here and Telis Demos here.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A Breakthrough Cancer Vaccine Fueled a Biotech Rally. Can It Last? Sep 13, 2026

Show notes

Despite a rough past week for the healthcare sector, pharmaceuticals and biotech stocks have outperformed the S&P 500 this year. Investors have gotten excited over cancer treatment breakthroughs for Moderna, Merck and Revolution Medicines—plus regulatory shakeups at the FDA. But is market hype running ahead of reality? Can the rally last?

On this week’s episode, co-hosts Telis Demos and Miriam Gottfried are joined by WSJ’s Heard on the Street columnist David Wainer to discuss how AI and competition from China are shifting the market, where pharma M&A is headed next, and how everyday investors should navigate the sector.

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 takeontheweek@wsj.com.

To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel or the video page of WSJ.com

Further Reading

Exclusive | Cheap Biologic Drug Alternatives Stall, Threatening U.S. Healthcare Savings

Hype for Moderna’s Cancer Vaccine Is Running Ahead of the Math

China is a Threat to Biotech’s Massive Bull Run

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.

Follow Miriam Gottfried here and Telis Demos here.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How AI Speculation Is Fueling the Small-Cap Stock Rally Aug 30, 2026

Show notes

On this week’s episode of WSJ’s Take On the Week, host Miriam Gottfried and guest host Aaron Back, editor of WSJ’s Heard on the Street, preview the upcoming employment and inflation releases in advance of the Federal Open Market Committee’s September policy meeting. They analyze why these economic indicators will draw heightened focus under Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh. Then Miriam and Aaron dig into Nvidia’s recent blowout earnings and whether we will see that echo in Broadcom’s earnings this week.

Next, Dan Rasmussen, founder and portfolio manager at Verdad Advisers, offers insight into the past year's small-cap stock surge following an extended period of underperformance relative to mega-caps. Rasmussen explains why private equity firms face a massive exit logjam from acquisitions of small companies due to inflated valuations. Finally, we ask Rasmussen: does value investing still work?

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 takeontheweek@wsj.com.

To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel or the video page of WSJ.com

Further Reading

Inflation Was 3.4% in July, Down Slightly From the Previous Month

Fed’s Preferred Inflation Gauge Remains Above Target Range

Nvidia Reports Blowout Quarter, Says Demand for AI Chips Is Getting Even Hotter

Nvidia’s $279 Billion Supply-Chain Gamble

Nvidia Has Become a Banker to the AI Boom, Putting It on Dangerous Ground

Private-Equity Firms Are Sitting on a Nine-Year Backlog

A Better Mousetrap for Buying Small Stocks

Moderna Shares More Than Double on Success of mRNA Cancer Vaccine

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.

Follow Miriam Gottfried here and Telis Demos here.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What Fed Chair Kevin Warsh’s Jackson Hole Debut Means for Nervous Markets Aug 23, 2026

Show notes

In this week's episode of WSJ’s Take On the Week, co-hosts Miriam Gottfried and Telis Demos preview the upcoming Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium—one of the longest-standing central banking conferences in the world. They are joined by Columbia Business School professor and former Federal Reserve Governor Frederic Mishkin, as well as the Journal’s Chief Economics Correspondent Nick Timiraos, to break down Fed Chair Kevin Warsh’s major move away from explicit forward guidance.

Together, they discuss why Wall Street is reacting with a "mini inflation scare" and rising long-bond yields, whether Warsh’s less-is-more communication strategy could undermine Fed credibility, and how his approach compares to Alan Greenspan’s legendary tenure. Plus, they examine what central bankers and investors need to watch for as Warsh prepares for his high-stakes speech in Wyoming.

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 takeontheweek@wsj.com.

To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel or the video page of WSJ.com

Further Reading

Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh’s Honeymoon With the Bond Market Is Already Over

Kevin Warsh Invokes Alan Greenspan to Shrink the Fed—and Strengthen Its Chair

Warsh Opens Press Conference Reaffirming Commitment to 2% Inflation

Bessent Leans Into His Role as America’s Bond Trader in Chief

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.

Follow Miriam Gottfried here and Telis Demos here.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How to Make Inflation Work for Your Portfolio Aug 16, 2026

Show notes

In this week's episode of WSJ’s Take On the Week, we dig into Treasury Inflation Protected Securities, or TIPS! Our co-hosts Miriam Gottfried and Telis Demos are joined by Jill Cetina, finance professor at Texas A&M University and former official at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas and the Treasury Department. Together, they analyze the latest inflation data and what it could mean for TIPS if Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh changes the CPI calculation.

Later, Cetina explains why shorter-duration TIPS ladders and I bonds offer better risk protection than long-dated bonds, and why heavy Treasury bill issuance threatens market stability.

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 takeontheweek@wsj.com.

To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel or the video page of WSJ.com

Further Reading

These Bonds Offer a Rare Buying Opportunity

Inflation Was 3.4% in July, Down Slightly From the Previous Month - WSJ

The CPI and Inflation, Explained

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How AI Spending Is Fueling the Economy Overall Aug 09, 2026

Show notes

In this week's episode of WSJ’s Take On the Week, co-hosts Miriam Gottfried and Telis Demos dig into the shifting sentiment away from AI stocks and the pivot into consumer sectors. Are we heading into a new business-led economy, or will it continue to be a consumer-led economy?

Before that, the hosts analyze the fallout from SpaceX earnings report and break down the evolving appetite for potential future IPOs for companies like OpenAI or Anthropic. They also set the stage for earnings reports coming out later this month from companies like Home Depot, Target and Lowe’s.

Plus, Wells Fargo’s Chief Equity Strategist Ohsung Kwon joins the show to break down the massive, overlooked impact of tariff refunds on consumer staples earnings. He also explains why the cycle of capital expenditures in AI is acting as a vital engine for the broader U.S. economy, and why AI job replacement fears may be significantly overstated.

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 takeontheweek@wsj.com.

To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel or the video page of WSJ.com

Further Reading

Wall Street Thinks It Knows How Tech Giants Will Make AI Pay

SpaceX Needs to Make Its Bigger Rockets Work

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.

Follow Miriam Gottfried here and Telis Demos here.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Why Oil Prices Could Hit a Breaking Point by Year End Aug 02, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of WSJ’s Take On the Week, co-host Telis Demos is joined by guest co-host and Wall Street Journal reporter David Uberti to break down the Federal Reserve’s latest moves, and what oil’s volatile pricing—exacerbated by the U.S.-Iran conflict—might mean for inflation and the Fed going forward.

Then, BCA Research’s chief commodities strategist Roukaya Ibrahim joins the show to break down what’s behind oil’s volatile pricing. They discuss what current geopolitical tensions mean for oil and whether recent inventory data suggests a looming supply crunch. Plus, Ibrahim explains why the traditional link between gold and inflation has fractured, and how oil price shocks may impact the Fed.

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 takeontheweek@wsj.com.

To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel or the video page of WSJ.com

Further Reading

Kevin Warsh Asked the Market to Speak. It Answered.

Two Wars Put Stranglehold on Global Energy Supplies

U.S. Emergency Oil Reserve Hits Lowest Levels Since 1983: Why It Matters

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.

Follow Miriam Gottfried here and Telis Demos here.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Buried $150B Bet Inside the Top 20 U.S. Stocks Jul 26, 2026

Show notes

In this week's episode of WSJ’s Take On the Week, host Telis Demos and guest host Spencer Jakab, the Wall Street Journal’s investing columnist and writer of the Markets A.M. newsletter, are joined by Kaitlin Hendrix, asset allocation research director at global investment firm Dimensional Fund Advisors, to decode investors' surging interest in private markets.

They break down how investors may already have exposure in their investment portfolios to private companies like Anthropic, Stripe and Flipkart, through holdings in companies like Alphabet's Google, Amazon and Nvidia. Hendrix explains why your public index fund might already provide the diversification you’re looking for, without the high fees. Plus, Jakab explains the way that big tech’s private company investments are boosting earnings to near-unprecedented levels.

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 takeontheweek@wsj.com.

To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel or the video page of WSJ.com

Further Reading

Earnings Forecasts Are on Steroids

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.

Follow Miriam Gottfried here and Telis Demos here.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How This $150B+ Wall Street Strategy Could Lower Your Taxes Jul 19, 2026

Show notes

In this week's episode of WSJ’s Take On the Week, co-hosts Miriam Gottfried and Telis Demos are joined by Brent Sullivan, founder of Tax Alpha Insider, to dive into a hot, over $150 billion investing strategy called “tax-aware long-short.” This strategy aims to help wealthy investors beat the market while lowering their tax bill by using leverage and short selling to actively harvest losses. Sullivan breaks down how this compares to other forms of tax-loss harvesting and whether the strategy is worth the risk (and cost) for the average investor. He also explains other ways investors can implement tax-aware investing in their own portfolios.

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 takeontheweek@wsj.com.

To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel or the video page of WSJ.com

Further Reading

Stock Gains Without All the Taxes? How the Hottest Trade on Wall Street Works

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.

Follow Miriam Gottfried here and Telis Demos here.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.