Why semiconductors have surged

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.

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:

Memory Makers Are the Hottest Thing in Tech. Are They Making Too Much Money?

Why Almost Everyone Loses—Except a Few Sharks—on Prediction Markets

The 33-Day ‘Atlantic Odyssey’ That Turned Into a Hantavirus Nightmare

U.S. Regulator Sues New York State for Prediction Markets Crackdown

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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Follow Miriam Gottfried here and Telis Demos here. 

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