WSJ's Take On the Week - TopPodcast.com

Latest Episodes:

Gold Is at Record High. Is It Still Time to Buy? Sep 25, 2025

Show notes

Gold prices are up more than 40% this year, on track for their best year since 1979—when a global energy crisis fueled an inflationary shock that thrashed the world economy.

And while it's a very different economy today, with stocks hitting record highs on the S&P 500 and Nasdaq, gold serves as a form of insurance for a diversified investor, particularly when facing risks such as inflation, government debt, war, and questions about the Federal Reserve’s independence under President Trump.

This week on our columnists roundtable, editor Alex Frangos and markets reporter Chelsey Dulaney are joined by senior markets columnist James Mackintosh and chief economics commentator Greg Ip to discuss what’s driving a new rush to gold, how the yellow metal compares to Bitcoin as an inflation hedge and whether it's worth buying in, through the SPDR Gold Trust ETF or by picking up gold bars at Costco.

Further Reading

Why You Should Own (Some) Gold

Gold Hasn’t Rallied This Much Since 1979

The Costco Shoppers Putting $2,000 Gold Bars in Their Carts

Gold Miners Eschew Hedging to Lap Up Sky-High Prices

A Historic Gold Rush Is Under Way, From Wall Street to Main Street

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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Billionaire Investor Cliff Asness on Managing Market Risk and 'Buffer' ETFs Sep 21, 2025

Show notes

In this week's episode of WSJ’s Take On the Week, co-hosts Gunjan Banerji and Telis Demos talk to billionaire investor Cliff Asness, the co-founder and chief investment officer of AQR Capital Management. AQR is a global investment management firm known for quantitative investing, an approach that builds strategies based on data and research. Asness discusses one of the market's biggest trends: the explosion in popular ETFs designed to protect investors from downturns. But do they actually work?

Later, Asness shares why he thinks trading on Robinhood can feel more like betting on FanDuel, why the stock market has become less rational due to social media, and whether Palantir and Tesla are on the meme stock spectrum. Then, he weighs in on companies reporting earnings every six months, market froth and the bind facing the Federal Reserve.

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 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

Funds Promising Shelter From Wild Swings Are Booming. But Do They Deliver?

Traders Are Snapping Up Bullish Bets on Tesla

In This Frothy Market, It’s Boom Times for Brokers Like Robinhood

A New Generation of ‘Buy the Dip’ Investors Is Propping Up the Market

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 Gunjan Banerji here and Telis Demos here.

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The ‘Infinite Money Glitch’ Making the Trump Family Millions Sep 18, 2025

Show notes

The Trump family’s latest venture—a so-called “crypto treasury” stock—could generate their biggest payday through the WLFI token from World Liberty Financial, while being a potential minefield for investors. The offering follows the success of Michael Saylor's MicroStrategy, now renamed as Strategy, a “bitcoin treasury company” that accumulates bitcoin by using debt and new stock issues to keep on buying more.

Listen in on a conversation between some of The Wall Street Journal's sharpest financial minds in the debut episode of Ticker Shock as our team unpacks the trade. Ticker Shock provides insights to help finance-curious listeners connect the dots between what's happening in policy, markets and the economy to their financial lives and investments.

This week, business and finance editor Alex Frangos and markets reporter Chelsey Dulaney are joined by Streetwise columnist James Mackintosh and Markets A.M. newsletter writer and investing columnist Spencer Jakab to discuss the “infinite money glitch.” They also talk about how these sorts of tokens compare to meme stocks such as GameStop and AMC.

Further Reading

Trump Family Amasses $5 Billion Fortune After Crypto Launch

The Trumps’ New Crypto Money Maker: Deals With Themselves

Trump Brothers-Backed Bitcoin Mining Company Surges After Nasdaq Listing

The Recipe Behind the Trump Family’s Crypto Riches: PancakeSwap

The Hottest Business Strategy This Summer Is Buying Crypto

The Man Making Billions From the Wildest Bitcoin Bet

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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Introducing: Ticker Shock Sep 17, 2025

Show notes

Listen in on conversations of The Wall Street Journal's sharpest financial minds. Featuring the Journal’s award-winning columnists and writers Alex Frangos, Chelsey Dulaney and James Mackintosh, the podcast provides insights to help finance-curious listeners connect the dots between what's happening in policy, markets and the economy to their financial lives and investments.

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

Who Really Pays for Tariffs? Citi’s Trade Lead on the Economic Impact Sep 14, 2025

Show notes

In this week's episode of WSJ’s Take On the Week, co-hosts Gunjan Banerji and Telis Demos talk about Oracle's shocking more than 40% stock surge after the technology company said it won several billion-dollar contracts in its latest quarter, and what it signals about the future of the AI investment boom. Next, they explore the Federal Reserve's tricky position as it weighs a weakening jobs report against persistent inflation. Lastly, the hosts ponder how U.S. tariffs are complicating the economic outlook.

Then after the break, Telis is joined by Adoniro Cestari Neto, the head of trade and working capital solutions at investment bank and financial services company Citigroup, for an inside look at the impact of U.S. tariffs. Cestari explains how global companies are adapting their supply chains through "efficiency" to avoid passing costs to consumers. Later, Telis gets an answer to the central question: when it comes to tariffs, who really pays the price?

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

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

Why This Economist Says Government Economic Surveys Can’t Be Replaced Sep 07, 2025

Show notes

In this week's episode of WSJ’s Take On the Week, co-hosts Gunjan Banerji and Telis Demos talk about the bond market, the post-Labor Day volatility it experienced due to concerns over the Federal Reserve’s independence, investors piling into gold, and the U.S.’s potential loss of its tariff income stream after a decision by a Court of Appeals.

Later in the show, Telis is joined by Dana M. Peterson, chief economist and leader of the Economy, Strategy & Finance Center at the Conference Board. They begin with the research group’s August consumer confidence index and whether its results mean we’re in "vibecession.” Then Peterson defends the importance of survey-based data and why revisions are necessary. And Telis asks: Could private data replace government data?

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

Consumer-Confidence Survey Slips in August

Government Data Is Under Fire, but It Makes the World Go ‘Round

Consumer-Confidence Survey Improved in July

Trump Advisers Consider Changes to How Government Collects Jobs Data

Trump’s BLS Firing Tests Wall Street’s Reliance on Government Data

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 Gunjan Banerji here and Telis Demos here.

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Barclays Analyst on How Retail Stocks Are Managing Tariffs Aug 24, 2025

Show notes

In this week's episode of WSJ’s Take On the Week, co-host Gunjan Banerji and guest co-host Miriam Gottfried dive into the big questions around the AI trade after last week's stumble. Could Nvidia’s earnings this week shift things back? Meanwhile, Gunjan points out a shift under the market’s surface: a rotation into blue chips as tech takes a back seat. Plus, earnings from Target and Walmart offer mixed signals on retail.

Later, Miriam and Adrienne Yih, senior retail analyst at Barclays, are set to dive into the impact of tariffs on companies such as American Eagle Outfitters, Gap and Abercrombie & Fitch. Then, Yih tells Miriam why this back-to-school season is important for apparel retailers. Our last take: Which retailer has the most pricing power right now?

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

Retail Sales Rose 0.5% in July

Ulta Beauty, Target to End Partnership

Tapestry Shares Fall as Kate Spade Brand, Tariffs Weigh on Profitability

Target Shares Tumble After Retailer Names a Lifer to Steer Its Turnaround

Walmart Wins Over More Shoppers as Tariffs Push Prices Higher

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 Gunjan Banerji 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.

Does the Weak Housing Market Signal a Coming Recession? Aug 17, 2025

Show notes

In this week's episode of WSJ’s Take On the Week, co-hosts Gunjan Banerji and Telis Demos dissect the latest consumer price index data and how its results have U.S. markets asking: “Will the Federal Reserve cut rates in September?” Next, Gunjan explains how a new generation of investors are “buying the dip” when markets decline. Plus, home-improvement retailers Home Depot and Lowe’s have earnings out this week.

Then after the break, Gunjan sits down with Neil Dutta, head of economic research at Renaissance Macro Research, to discuss housing. First, they dive into the state of the housing market and why Dutta believes it is in a recession. Later, Gunjan asks the important question: “Can the housing market be in a recession without the entire economy falling into a recession?”

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 New Generation of ‘Buy the Dip’ Investors Is Propping Up the Market

Home Prices Hit Record High in June, Dragging Down Sales

Pending Home Sales Fell Unexpectedly in June

Housing Starts Gain but Still Lag From Last Year

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 Gunjan Banerji here and Telis Demos here.

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Are Stablecoins the Future of Payments? Mizuho Analyst Shares Insights Aug 10, 2025

Show notes

In this week's episode of WSJ’s Take On the Week, co-host Telis Demos and guest co-host Miriam Gottfried analyze the implications of a weak jobs report and the removal of Erika McEntarfer, the top official from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, examining how investors are grappling with the prospect of less-reliable economic data in the future. The discussion also covers this week's key CPI, PPI and business inventory reports. Plus, Telis offers a stablecoin primer before crypto firm Circle Internet’s upcoming earnings announcement.

The episode continues with Telis and Dan Dolev, a senior financial-technology analyst at investment firm Mizuho Americas, exploring the burgeoning world of stablecoins. Dolev offers insights into Circle's revenue streams, whether stablecoins can disrupt Visa and Mastercard’s payment network, and their broader implications for international money transfers.

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. Hiring Slowed Sharply Over the Summer

Real Strains Inside the BLS Made It Vulnerable to Trump’s Accusations

June CPI Report: Inflation Accelerates to 2.7%

Trump’s BLS Firing Tests Wall Street’s Reliance on Government Data

Figma Had a Dazzling IPO. It Could Have Been $3 Billion Better.

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.

Is the Stock Market in a Speculative Bubble? T. Rowe Price CIO Weighs In Aug 03, 2025

Show notes

In this week's episode of WSJ’s Take On the Week, co-hosts Gunjan Banerji and Telis Demos dive into how, for the first time, brokerages have taken out more than $1 trillion dollars in margin debt to buy stocks and other securities. Next, they chat about Robinhood’s blowout earnings as another sign of market exuberance, and why investors are eagerly awaiting software and data analytics company Palantir's earnings this week.

Then after the break, Sébastien Page, head of global multi-asset and chief investment officer at T. Rowe Price, joins our hosts to chat about why he thinks AI stocks have strong financial and economic positions, and why he believes stocks will still deliver an equity risk premium. Plus, Page shares what he thinks investors could learn from sports psychology.

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

Five Signs of a Market Bubble Investors Are Tracking

With Hectic Trading in Krispy Kreme and OpenDoor, Stocks Head for a Meme Reversion

Fed Holds Rates Steady, but Two Officials Back a Cut

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.