Squawk Pod

The Federal Reserve has once again hiked interest rates by 0.75%, but the markets breathed a sigh of relief at the central bank’s signal that the peak hikes might be behind us. Today’s GDP data revealed a second consecutive quarter of contraction in the US economy, which traditionally would constitute a recession; however, Fed Chair Jay Powell does not believe our country to be in a recession, despite the data. He, President Biden, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, and other economists are considering a different definition of “recession.” Former Vice Chair of the Fed Roger Ferguson unpacks the latest rate hike and the various components of a true recession. Whether or not we’re in one, consumers are feeling inflation’s squeeze on their wallets. President of Kraft Heinz North America Carlos Abrams-Rivera discusses the pressure on American families in the grocery store, and shares ways he’s hoping to keep mac & cheese and the rest of his portfolio accessible through a downturn. Plus, Meta reported its first ever revenue decline, and Washington is negotiating about a trillion dollars of new spending, including a new chapter of the Build, Back, Better agenda, following Sen. Joe Manchin’s surprising deal on certain key issues for Democrats.  In this episode:Becky Quick @BeckyQuickJoe Kernen, @JoeSquawkAndrew Ross Sorkin, @AndrewrsorkinCameron Costa, @CameronCostaNY Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Microsoft and Alphabet both missed analyst expectations in quarterly financial results, pointing to “uncertainty” ahead. Investors were buoyed by certain metrics, though, and Wall Street anxiously awaits the rest of tech’s earnings results. Despite Walmart’s warning to the Street and inflation pressures on the consumer, Visa execs have assured investors that the company hasn’t seen any sign of a spending slowdown. Disney has announced that Hulu will begin accepting political issue ads in addition to political candidate ads. Axios reporter Sara Fischer discusses the details of targeting ads for streamers, and crisis manager Eric Dezenhall explores the risk-reward calculus for Disney and its fellow media giants. And, Twitter is asking shareholders to vote in September for world’s richest man Elon Musk’s bid for the company – which he says he won’t do.  But, the continuing fallout from the Wall Street Journal’s reporting about Musk’s alleged affair with Sergey Brin’s wife is what has Joe Kernen asking “just what happened at Art Basel in Miami?” In this episode: Sara Fischer, @sarafischerEric Dezenhall, @EricDezenhallBecky Quick @BeckyQuickJoe Kernen, @JoeSquawkAndrew Ross Sorkin, @AndrewrsorkinKlaire Odumody, @klairemarie Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Walmart has issued a dire warning to Wall Street, sending share prices of other retailers lower after cutting its profit outlook. Congress aims to move on U.S. chip manufacturing legislation this week. Senator Todd Young (R-IN) discusses moving the industry to the country’s heartland in the name of national security. Washington lawmakers are aiming to make it easier for consumers to use cryptocurrency in everyday purchases; Ylan Mui reports on plans for a future without a bitcoin capital gains tax for small buys. Plus, more of Elon Musk’s extracurriculars and the EU’s tenuous energy landscape.  In this episode:Sen. Todd Young @SenToddYoungYlan Mui, @ylanmuiBecky Quick @BeckyQuickJoe Kernen, @JoeSquawkAndrew Ross Sorkin, @AndrewrsorkinKlaire Odumody, @klairemarie Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The U.S. economy may see two consecutive quarters of GDP contraction, but the White House isn’t ready to call it a recession. Whatever we call it though, today’s economic and political environment has pushed Americans to an unhappy place; host of ‘The Art of Happiness’ podcast Arthur Brooks says, both sides of the aisle are to blame. Brooks, also a Harvard professor and contributor for The Atlantic, discusses the loss of faith in capitalism and in America herself, and whether we’ll ever get back to national satisfaction. Plus, we’re tracking billionaire social circles and scandals and an appeal to grown-ups from Disney+.  In this episode:Arthur Brooks, @arthurbrooksBecky Quick @BeckyQuickJoe Kernen, @JoeSquawkAndrew Ross Sorkin, @AndrewrsorkinKlaire Odumody, @klairemarie Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

President Biden has tested positive for covid-19, and the White House has shared his prognosis and treatment. Former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb discusses the President’s health status, Paxlovid, and how pockets of unvaccinated communities could have prompted America’s first case of polio in ten years. FedEx is delivering a big change for customers, and American Express has scored points for shareholders with its impressive Q2 report. Plus, the Squawk Box segment that went viral! Aureus Asset Management’s Karen Firestone laughs about the meme-worthy moment in her (and her husband’s, and her dog’s!) markets hit this week. In this episode:Dr. Scott Gottlieb, @ScottGottliebMDKaren Firestone, @Karen_FirestoneBecky Quick @BeckyQuickJoe Kernen, @JoeSquawkAndrew Ross Sorkin, @AndrewrsorkinKatie Kramer, @Kramer_Katie Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Consumers are taking longer to pay their bills, says AT&T CEO John Stankey.  In an extended interview, Stankey discusses the pulse of the American consumer, as well as his company’s renewed focus on 5G and smart devices after the company spun-off its content business, WarnerMedia. In a surprise decision, the European Central Bank has raised interest rates for the first time in over a decade; CNBC’s Steve Liesman, Joe Kernen, Becky Quick, and Andrew Ross Sorkin explain the significance of the move, particularly in light of the bloc’s energy turmoil. Tesla, once a crypto-believing company, has swapped 75% of its bitcoin holdings for fiat currency. Plus, the latest in Joe Kernen’s up-and-down viewing relationship with “The Old Man.”   In this episode: John Stankey, @ATTSteve Liesman, @SteveLiesmanBecky Quick @BeckyQuickJoe Kernen, @JoeSquawkAndrew Ross Sorkin, @AndrewrsorkinKatie Kramer, @Kramer_Katie Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Nord Stream 1 pipeline, the main route for Russian energy passage to the rest of Europe, is set to start functioning again on Thursday, but EU leaders are concerned that the Kremlin won’t restart flows, especially after the majority state-owned energy giant Gazprom originally cut flows to 40% and is now suggesting that it cannot fulfill its energy contracts with the EU, even if the pipeline reopens as planned. Europe’s energy turmoil could spell bigger supply and cost problems in the U.S.; Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg discusses what’s next in energy geopolitics, at home and abroad. After an alarming first quarter, Netflix is quelling investor concerns with its Q2 report. Variety’s Cynthia Littleton and Engine Media’s Tom Rogers discuss what these financial results mean for the rest of the streaming landscape. Plus, the Elon Musk-Twitter saga could finally be reaching an end…maybe.  In this episode:Pete Buttigieg, @SecretaryPeteCynthia Littleton, @Variety_CynthiaBecky Quick @BeckyQuickJoe Kernen, @JoeSquawkAndrew Ross Sorkin, @AndrewrsorkinKatie Kramer, @Kramer_Katie Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Johnson & Johnson beat analysts’ estimates on the strength of its pharmaceuticals unit despite the company cutting its profit forecast due to a stronger dollar. CFO Joseph Wolk blamed the forecast cut on currency fluctuations, pointing to the parity between the euro and the dollar. As the job market starts to cool down and companies begin to look for ways to save with a possible recession on the horizon, there is a renewed return-to-office debate. CNBC’s Hugh Son reports on slowed hiring at Goldman Sachs, and Harvard Business School professor Tsedal Neeley whether business leaders need to keep hybrid work to retain top talent, and if remote workers are at higher risk of being cut.  In this episode:Hugh Son @Hugh_SonTsedal Neely @tsedalBecky Quick @BeckyQuickJoe Kernen, @JoeSquawkAndrew Ross Sorkin, @AndrewrsorkinKatie Kramer, @Kramer_Katie Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode:Amos Hochstein, @amoshochsteinClaire Atkinson, @claireatkiMatt Belloni, @MattBelloniJoe Kernen, @JoeSquawkAndrew Ross Sorkin, @AndrewrsorkinCameron Costa, @CameronCostaNY Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The U.S. Congress is set to go on August recess, but Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger has a tough message for them before they go: pass the CHIPS Act, ASAP. America’s manufacturing industry has been waiting on government funding to produce tech’s all-important semiconductors for over a year, and Gelsinger says, it’s a matter of national security. We track the holdup in DC, the impact it’s having on job creation in America’s heartland, and the global chips supply chain. Plus, the USD is nearly at parity with the Euro, and President Biden is halfway through his Middle East travels.  In this episode: Pat Gelsinger, @PGelsingerBecky Quick, @BeckyQuickJoe Kernen, @JoeSquawkCameron Costa, @CameronCostaNY Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.