WSJ's Take On the Week - TopPodcast.com

Latest Episodes:

Are Corporate Earnings in a Bubble? This Quarter Is a Test Jul 12, 2026

Show notes

In this week's episode of WSJ’s Take On the Week, co-hosts Miriam Gottfried and Telis Demos preview earnings from Taiwan’s flagship chip maker, TSMC. They also break down why this coming week’s earnings from Johnson & Johnson, UnitedHealth Group and Abbott Laboratories won’t do much to save healthcare from its negative earnings growth expectations.

Then, Miriam and Telis are joined by Christine Short, head of research at Wall Street Horizon, which is part of the financial-services company TMX Group, to decode why analysts’ corporate earnings expectations are reaching exuberant highs. They ask: How are companies achieving such strong results without massive revenue growth, and are those gains sustainable?

Plus, Short explains how the AI buildout is reshaping corporate efficiency. They also discuss how companies like BJ’s Wholesale, FedEx and Nike are managing tariff refunds and what that has meant for consumers. They talk about what to expect from this week’s bank earnings, with JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, Bank of America and others slated to report. Then the hosts examine the broader market’s health and what the Late Earnings Report Index, or LERI, which tracks when companies report later than expected, might be signaling about future volatility.

This is WSJ’s Take On the Week where co-hosts Telis Demos, Heard on the Street’s banking and money columnist, 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

Honey, I Shrank the Cash Flow

Jet-Fuel Prices Have Plunged but Aren’t Resulting in Much Lower Fares

Meta Rakes It In, Yet Still Borrows Billions for AI

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.

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Can Hot Consumer Companies Like Oura and Whoop Make Good IPOs? Jun 28, 2026

Show notes

In this week's episode of WSJ’s Take On the Week, co-hosts Miriam Gottfried and Telis Demos dig into this past week’s tech selloff and how the market’s volatility reflected serious questions about spending for the AI buildout. They also look at how semiconductor players like Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron are navigating the noise, and why even deep-pocketed tech titans like Meta are tapping the debt markets. They talk about how SpaceX’s bond sale reflects a broader trend of companies borrowing to fund AI infrastructure. Another strategy to fund AI? Cutting jobs. They break down the latest AI-fueled layoffs from Oracle, and whether this week’s U.S. jobs numbers will tell us anything about the state of AI job replacement. They examine the trend of corporate tech pivots, highlighting Allbirds’ radical shift to AI infrastructure and its rebranding as Smartbird.

Plus, Miriam and Telis are joined by health-tech analyst Stephanie Davis to assess whether consumer health companies make good public companies. They ask: Can health-tech wearables startups like Oura or Whoop be sustainable on their own, or are they better off absorbed by tech giants like Apple or Amazon? They break down consumer health companies’ failures of the past, including Fitbit’s meteoric rise and eventual acquisition by Google’s parent Alphabet. They also look at the broader "graveyard" of companies—from Peloton and GoPro to Roomba and Bird scooters—to see if any can replicate the rare, long-term success of a giant like Garmin.

Heads up, we’re taking a break next week! We’ll be back in your feeds July 12.

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

Crazy Rich Returns Lure Cabbies and Even Kids to Red-Hot Asian Markets

Oura Rings Maker Files Confidentially for IPO After $11 Billion Valuation

The Wearable Boom Is Real. The Investment Case Is Murkier

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.

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How Big Tech’s Financials Obscure the True Cost of the AI Buildout Jun 21, 2026

Show notes

In this week's episode of WSJ’s Take On the Week, host Telis Demos and Heard on the Street columnist Jonathan Weil sit down with Kevin Koharki, principal at CAE Consulting and professor at Purdue University, to pull back the curtain on the opaque world of tech companies’ financial statements. They dig into why the massive infrastructure spend on AI data centers might be obscuring other fundamental corporate costs, specifically stock-based compensation.

Koharki explains why tech giants like Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia and Google’s parent company Alphabet need to provide clearer financial reporting. He breaks down the challenge investors face in distinguishing between necessary AI capital expenditure and other underlying costs, and why greater transparency is critical to accurately valuing these businesses in the current market.

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

Meta Rakes It In, Yet Still Borrows Billions for AI

Turbocharged Earnings Are Pushing Stocks Higher. There’s a Catch.

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 Hidden Risks of Buying Into Mega-IPOs Like SpaceX Jun 14, 2026

Show notes

In this week's episode of WSJ’s Take On the Week, co-hosts Miriam Gottfried and Telis Demos break down the historic launch of SpaceX, the biggest initial public offering ever, which priced at $135 a share before popping 11% to open at $150 on Friday. The share price rose steadily after that, closing up 19%. Meanwhile, Tesla shares were volatile, though they ended higher on the day. Plus, the hosts look ahead to a major milestone at the Federal Reserve as Kevin Warsh presides over his first meeting as Fed chairman.

After the break, Owen Lamont, senior vice president and portfolio manager at Acadian Asset Management, breaks down whether the sudden rush to include mega-cap companies such as SpaceX into major indexes like the Nasdaq 100 and Russell 1000—often through specific rule changes—is a signal that the market is beginning to overheat. Then, they discuss the risks of buying into IPOs, particularly those with small floats (that is, a company’s available shares to trade) or lack of profitability. He explains what he calls the "third horseman of the bubble apocalypse" and whether current IPO plans for Anthropic and OpenAI are the beginning of a larger, potentially dangerous market trend.

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

Is it Worth Investing in Unprofitable Companies? We Ran the Numbers

For a Select Few, IPOs Are Winners. Good Luck to Everyone Else.

A Guide to Buying SpaceX Shares via Your Brokerage Account
SpaceX Shares Closed Up 19% in Historic Debut as Musk Becomes First Trillionaire

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.

NYU’s ‘Dean of Valuation’: Elon Musk’s SpaceX Isn’t Worth $1.77 Trillion Jun 07, 2026

Show notes

In this week's episode of WSJ’s Take On the Week, co-hosts Miriam Gottfried and Telis Demos break down the unconventional lead-up to the SpaceX IPO. They examine the rocket maker's choice to propose a single price of $135 a share this past week, rather than a range, which set the valuation at around $1.77 trillion. The hosts also discuss the number of shares being offered to retail investors and the broader IPO boom—including Anthropic and OpenAI—that is poised to impact passive index investors.

After the break, they are joined by NYU Stern School of Business professor Aswath Damodaran, widely known as the "Dean of Valuation" or the "Valuation Guru." Damodaran dissects SpaceX's estimated more than $28 trillion total addressable market, calling the around $26 trillion portion tied to AI more of a "wish than an expectation." He talks about the risks of investing in a founder-controlled company like SpaceX, where Elon Musk retains the majority of the voting rights due to its share structure. He also explains why momentum for the company’s stock could matter more than valuation.

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

A Guide to Buying SpaceX Shares via Your Brokerage Account

Why It Matters if OpenAI or Anthropic Wins the IPO Race

Terms Revealed for SpaceX’s Unconventional $75 Billion IPO

Alphabet’s $80 Billion AI Fundraising Push Shows the Value of Being a Public Company

S&P 500 Won’t Change Rules for SpaceX

FTSE Russell Latest to Make U.S. Index Inclusion Easier Ahead of SpaceX IPO

SpaceX IPO Could Start a Great Divergence in Index Returns

Morgan Stanley Sees SpaceX’s Revenue Reaching $3.4 Trillion in 2040

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.

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

Why This Ex-Trump Economist Says the Fed Needs to Raise Interest Rates May 31, 2026

Show notes

In this week's episode of WSJ’s Take On the Week, co-host Telis Demos is joined by Heard on the Street editor Aaron Back to discuss the economy, inflation, and the appointment of the new Federal Reserve chairman Kevin Warsh. They are joined by Joe Lavorgna, Americas chief economist at SMBC and a former counselor to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Lavorgna argues that the Fed has an inflation problem that is so entrenched that it calls for a hike.

Lavorgna breaks down how massive fiscal stimulus and the recent supply shock from the Iran War and the Strait of Hormuz closure have pushed inflation higher, making a disinflationary boom unlikely. He addresses the question of whether AI-induced productivity will be disinflationary, and how we’ll know.

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
Trump Picked Warsh for Fed Chair to Cut Rates. Markets Are Bracing for the Opposite.

The Fed Keeps Getting Hit With New Shocks in Its Yearslong Inflation Fight

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.

From Walmart to Wall Street: Who Is Really Winning in This Economy? May 17, 2026

Show notes

In this week's episode of WSJ’s Take On the Week, co-hosts Miriam Gottfried and Telis Demos analyze the K-shaped economy, contrasting flourishing corporate capital expenditures—driven by massive AI investment from companies like Nvidia—with the struggling consumer economy. They discuss Nvidia's risks ahead of its earnings this upcoming week, including rising chip costs and the troubles of its key customer OpenAI. The discussion shifts to soaring wholesale prices rising faster than consumer prices all while pressuring corporate margins. They also look ahead to earnings reports from retailers Target and Walmart, and preview earnings for Home Depot and Lowe's, which face headwinds from high mortgage rates and a muted spring housing market.

After the break, Adam Josephson, founder of consumer-focused research company Sakonnet Research, joins the show to explain the disconnect between Wall Street and Main Street. He argues that a buoyant financial economy, where large banks are seeing asset growth from lending to hedge funds and private credit, is masking a deeper consumer weakness. Josephson discusses the gap between corporate earnings and everyone else. He says that while real average weekly earnings have seen little growth, corporate profit margins are at all-time highs. He details how this economic pressure on the consumer is reflected in falling box shipments, the rise of discount retailers, and the growing share of spending on healthcare. He warns that the market is being propped up by excessive financial leverage, and suggests ways investors can think defensively.

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

OpenAI Misses Key Revenue, User Targets in High-Stakes Sprint Toward IPO

Nvidia Is Buying the Chip Supply Chain

Housing Market’s Spring Is Shaping Up as a Bust After April Sales Were Flat

Elon Musk Testifies He Was a ‘Fool’ to Fund OpenAI

Inflation Soared to 3.8% in April, Driven by Gasoline Prices

Wholesale Inflation Shot Higher in April

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.

Billionaire Investor on the Data Center Boom and Oil's Breaking Point May 10, 2026

Show notes

In this week's episode of WSJ’s Take On the Week, co-hosts Miriam Gottfried and Telis Demos discuss what’s beyond the surge in semiconductor companies like Broadcom and Micron. They examine economist Ed Yardeni’s "Buzz Lightyear theory"—which says that demand for compute power will increase to infinity and beyond—that has led to S&P 500 earnings growth expectations surpassing the 2000 tech bubble peak. Plus, they analyze the impact of the fatal hantavirus outbreak on cruise-line stocks.

After the break, billionaire philanthropist and former energy trader John Arnold joins Miriam and Telis at a live taping of the show at the WSJ’s Future of Everything event. Arnold offers an analysis of how the U.S.-Iran conflict is shaping oil markets and discusses the factors preventing crude oil from reaching initial forecasts of $150 to $200 a barrel. He details how the Iran war underscores America's energy-security strengths, which should prompt hyperscalers to prioritize the U.S. for data-center expansion over Middle Eastern alternatives. Finally, he talks about a new focus of Arnold Ventures—the call for guardrails on prediction markets and sports betting—arguing that gambling regulation should remain under state jurisdiction rather than the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

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’s Latest Bet Is on ‘HALO’ Companies With AI Immunity

Wall Street Is Sorting Software Companies Into Winners and Losers

Traders Now See Rate Hike as More Likely Than Rate Cut This Year

Senate Banking Committee Advances Kevin Warsh to be Next Fed Chair

Powell to Remain on Fed Board, Citing Legal Pressure From Trump

Private-Credit Warning Signs Flash After Blue Owl Unloads $1.4 Billion in Assets

An Exodus of Money Endangers Wall Street’s Private-Credit Craze

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.

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

Prediction Markets: Investing, Gambling or a Haven for Insider Trading? Apr 26, 2026

Show notes

In this week's episode of WSJ’s Take On the Week, co-hosts Miriam Gottfried and Telis Demos look at why the Magnificent Seven stocks—including Microsoft, Meta, and Google parent Alphabet—are losing their luster. Are investors finally demanding to see results from AI spending, or are they content with the continued AI infrastructure spending? Then, they dive into the residential real-estate cycle, where we’ve seen national rent growth hit a decade low. Could deeply discounted multifamily Real Estate Investment Trusts, or REITs, be the value play of the year?

Then, Telis and Miriam confront prediction markets, which have been in the news lately for high-profile arrests of insiders accused of trading on confidential information. They are joined by former Susquehanna International Group trader Andrew Courtney, co-founder of prediction markets platform Kalshinomics, who digs into the mechanics of these zero-sum contracts, insider trading and the ongoing legal battles with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission over their classification. Courtney details how professional market makers provide the liquidity that distinguishes them from a bet against the house. And he gives his take on how investors should engage with prediction markets.

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

U.S. Soldier Charged With Using Classified Information to Bet on Maduro’s Ouster

White House Warns Staff Not to Place Bets on Prediction Markets Amid Iran War

Trio of Polymarket Accounts Made $600,000 Betting on Iran Cease-Fire

Court Sides With Kalshi in Major Ruling for Prediction Markets

The AI Spending Spree Is Far from Over

The U.S. Has More Fancy Apartments Than It Is Able to Fill

Rent Price Increase Puts Market on Path to Landlord-Friendly Environment

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.