Offbeat Wall Street

This week, we're asking the question:   "Is the Fed dazed and confused?" The Federal Reserve is scheduled to announce its latest interest rate decision this week.  On the surface, this seems like a boring meeting.  Almost everyone believes the central bank will leave rates alone.  But where is the Fed going to go next?  Opinions are starting to split. Longer term, it seems likely that the Fed will eventually resume its rate-hiking campaign.  But there are growing whispers that the next move might have to be a rate cut. We'll take a deep dive into what the markets are looking for from the Fed and what the current economic outlook tells us. We'll also take a look at some of the earnings reports due out this week, including package delivery giant FedEx And as always, we'll park our Chevelles in front of some of Wall Street's more unheralded parties... We've got some good news about incomes in the U.S.  Well, good news if you didn't have to live through the last 17 years.   We've got Facebook claiming a wi

This week, we're celebrating Labor Day.  There's no better time to take a look at work and employment market. Lucky for us, we have some jobs data to digest.  Unlucky for us: the data came in worse than expected. We take a look at the numbers say and detail what they mean for the overall labor picture. We also take some time to acknowledge the tragedy in Houston and along the Gulf Coast.  We look at the potential economic impact of the disaster, from gas prices to overall GDP impact. And as always, we send our consultants to review some of the more unusual departments on Wall Street... We've got some tales of accidental gouging in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.  We've got a loss in the legal battle to watch movies without sex or violence.  We've got a wall coming down in Westeros, but one maybe going up in Arizona.   And we've got some controversy about who is going to replace the White Supremacist on our $20 bill.

This week, we've got the big fight on our minds.  Not Mayweather vs. McGregor. We've got job growth vs. the Federal Reserve's interest rate policy. The government is set to release its monthly jobs data this week.  Employment growth has been strong throughout most of the year so far.  We take a deep dive into the recent data, letting you know what's going on below the surface and how it stacks up historically. We also take a look at how the jobs data could impact the Federal Reserve's thinking.  Earlier this year, it looked like the rate-hike train was well out of the station and picking up stream.  In recent weeks, though, there's been a growing sense that the Fed needs to scale back.  There's even been whispers that the next move should be a rate cut. And as always, we brawl with some of Wall Street's more obscure middleweights... We've got a review of the feud involving everyone's new cabinet WAG.  We've got a lawsuit alleging premium bottled water is really just from a tap.  We've got an electric Micr

This week, we're looking at three major themes: entertainment, sexism and shopping.  That makes it a perfect week for Pretty Woman. First, entertainment: last week saw the release Disney's quarterly report.  But the bigger news is the company's move away from Netflix.  We take a look at the decision and at the state of Disney's business. On to sexism: last week saw another in a long line of troubling revelations about the state of gender relations in Silicon Valley.  This time, the epicenter of the turmoil was in the capital of the new economy - Google.  We recount what happened and look at how it fits into the larger narrative about Silicon Valley. Finally, to shopping: this week will see the release of a number of key earnings reports from the retailing sector.  Wal-Mart will lead the charge.  There's also reports due out from Target and from Home Depot.  Meanwhile, we're poised to get the latest retail sales numbers from the government. And as always, we strut our stuff on some of Wall Street's more se

This week, we're talking earnings again.  We've gotten some big companies reporting recently.  Last week alone, we got results from Facebook, Amazon and the parent of Google. But this week is the big dog.  The alpha tech company. That's right: Apple is reporting.  So we're taking a Teen Wolf-inspired look at leader of the Wall Street pack.  And because we're old, we're inspired by the 1985 Michael J. Fox movie and not the MTV TV show. Sorry kids... Earnings aren't the only thing out this week...we're also going to get one of the biggest economic reports. The government is scheduled to release its monthly jobs data.  We'll take a look at the labor market and how the employment report could affect interest rates. And as always, we howl at some of Wall Street's more obscure moons. This week, in honor of Apple, we've got a series of stories about technology taking over our lives.  We've got a company in Wisconsin that's installing chips into their workers.  We've got federal regulators trying to get oversi

Dunkirk is out this week.  So we're taking as our inspiration another World War II epic: Inglourious Basterds.  With that in mind, we've got some glorious basterds on the docket this week... Some of the biggest of the big names are set to report their quarterly results this week.  This includes three out of the four so-called FANG companies.  On tap for this week: results from Facebook, Amazon and the parent company of Google. We also take a look back at earnings from Netflix - the other FANG brother - which has raised expectations for the bunch. We also check in on some upcoming economic news.  The latest Federal Reserve decision is due out.  Not much is expected this time around, but we'll preview what might be on tap for the rest of the year.  Meanwhile, the first reading of economic performance for the second quarter is due out as well.

This week, we're shaking up the format a bit.  Instead of our usual tour through the darker alleys on Wall Street, we're taking a look at a little bit of business history. And in deference to Independence Day (and to cold beverages), we're going for a July-centered theme.  In this episode, we detail two key days in the history of the Coca-Cola Company, both taking place in July, but happening nearly seven decades apart. In the first, we look at the July day in 1916 when Coke introduced its now-iconic bottle.  In the second, we fast-forward to the 1980s, when the company had to fight to save itself from one of the biggest blunders in corporate history.

The latest installment in Michael Bay's Transformers series is out.  So we're paying tribute to the one-and-only original Transformers movie: the 1980s cartoon version. And with that in mind, we're looking at an economy that might be transforming.  Or maybe its a cartoon. Updated statistics about economic growth are coming out.  We'll bring you up to date on the current trends and preview what to expect.  We'll also take a deep dive into some recent info for a couple of key sectors.  Big stats are out about the housing and banking sectors.  We'll look at how these affect the overall economic picture. We'll also take an early peak at the jobs numbers due out early next month.  We'll review recent employment trends and see how it might impact upcoming Fed policy. And as always, we disguise ourselves as some of Wall Street's stranger vehicles... This week, we've got a shortage of a key ingredient in everyone's third-favorite ice cream flavor.  We've got a baby born on an international flight.  And he's got

This week, with The Mummy marking another in Hollywood's unending series of sequels and unnecessary reboots, we're honoring the ancient dark magic that keeps Tom Cruise's career going.  We're asking the question: is the U.S. economy undead?   Earlier this month we got jobs data.  The stats showed that employment growth last month was weaker than expected.  However, the unemployment rate ticked to its lowest level in more than a decade and a half.   We take a deep dive into the data and look at what it means for the economy as a whole.  We also preview this week's Federal Reserve meeting.  The central bank is almost universally expected to announce another increase in interest rates.  But we take a longer view, and look at how Fed policy could shape up for the rest of the year. And as always, we excavate some of Wall Street's dustier tombs... We've got false advertising from the Honest Company.  We've got Walmart beginning to use employees for deliveries, while getting rid of employees for pick ups.  We've

This week, with the release the fifth installment in the Pirates Of The Caribbean franchise, we're climbing into the crow’s nest and scouring the horizon for threats that could hijack the economy. First, we're going to get a new job report this week.  The results have been spotty recently.  After a run of good reports, the labor market took on some water in March.  It bobbed back up in April, though, and we'll take a look at the labor market ahead of the new numbers.   We’ll also check in on the Fed.  The central bank is set to announce its next rate decision in a couple weeks.  We detail provide an early preview of the meeting. And as always, we'll take on crew in some of Wall Street's more eclectic ports... We have a billionaire who is NOT running for president.  Even though he's got a political platform to tell you about.  We've got the great Amazon banana give away.  We've got underpaid Uber drivers and facial recognition baggage drops.  And we have a real tongue-twister of a logo fight.

On Wall Street, no one can hear you scream... With Alien: Covenant out in theaters and Russia growing like a xenomorph in Donald Trump's chest, we're wondering what monsters might be gestating in the economy. The last GDP report showed anemic growth in the first quarter.  This week, we'll get an update on those statistics.  We detail how the numbers look and what to expect. We also preview some housing data due out this week and take a look at some upcoming earnings reports. And as always, we'll harvest some of Wall Street's more exotic organisms... We've got an NBA fan suing over what happened in the first Spurs/Warriors playoff game.  We've got InfoWars admitting to some fake news.  We've got Facebook facing exile from a country over a picture of a man in a crop-top.  We've got Google convincing a judge that it’s not generic.  And we've got the official end to an iconic media format.

This week, with the release of "Guardians of the Galaxy," we're looking at those men and women who guard our financial galaxy.  That is, the good people at the Federal Reserve.  The Fed held interest rates steady at its last meeting, as expected.  But rates are looking to move up in the near future.  We'll preview what's in store for monetary policy over the next few months. We'll also reveal the latest jobs data and preview what's coming up on Wall Street, including inflation data and earnings from Disney. Meanwhile, we'll take our usual tour of some out of the way planets in the financial universe.  We've got a Google co-founder building a secret airship.  We've got a museum dedicated to some of the worst business decisions of all time.  We've got a legendary band suing the namesake of its most famous song.  And we've got a couple of markets that have gotten out of control lately.  Hint: Guacamole might start to get a lot more expensive.

Last week, we had administrative professionals’ day.  This week, we'll get the latest employment data.  It's a good time to think about jobs. We'll take a look at the upcoming jobs report.  Last month was a real stinker - the worst showing in 10 months.  We'll detail the current labor situation headed into the new data. We'll also check in with the Federal Reserve and detail what to expect from the biggest upcoming earnings report, including results from Apple. And as always, we'll check in on some of Wall Street's weirder stories.  We've got a company looking to launch a flying car in the next 3 years.  We've got record support for legalizing pot.  We've got golf balls in hash browns and a liberal dream coming to Canada.  

This week, we're looking at another batch of earnings reports.  A large number of companies are set to release their quarterly results. Among the highlights: two of the world's largest car companies.  Both Ford and General Motors are set to release their results.  We'll preview those reports and take a look at some of the other big names on the docket. We're also driving head-on into some high-profile economic data. We're going to get our first look at how the economy did in the first three months of the year.  This is the first GDP report of the Trump years.  We'll let you know what to look for from that. And as always, we'll spin out on some of Wall Street's back roads. We've got stories about Eli Manning's jerseys, Subway's Canadian chicken feud and Facebook's plan to let you hear with your skin.  We have a new poll that shows what people think about upper-income taxes.  And we've got a sign about what Steve Ballmer thinks about government spending.

The Fate of the Furious is just out and on Wall Street, that's how the earnings reports are going to start coming: fast and furious. We'll look at some of the big reports due out.  This includes reports from Goldman Sachs, Bank of America and Netflix. There's also some economic data due out in the next few days.  We'll preview some key housing data that set to be released.  And we'll do our usual check-in on the Fed and see what the future holds for interest rates. And as always, we race around some of the more out-of-the-way neighborhoods on Wall Street... We've got Lyft getting its own nitrous boost - another $500 million capital injection.  We've got Adidas making shoes with 3-D printing.  We've got Google explaining how it doesn't underpay women employees.  And we've got a couple stories about robots, including Burger King trying to hijack your Google Home device.

The Fate of the Furious is just out and on Wall Street, that's how the earnings reports are going to start coming: fast and furious. We'll look at some of the big reports due out.  This includes reports from Goldman Sachs, Bank of America and Netflix. There's also some economic data due out in the next few days.  We'll preview some key housing data that set to be released.  And we'll do our usual check-in on the Fed and see what the future holds for interest rates. And as always, we race around some of the more out-of-the-way neighborhoods on Wall Street... We've got Lyft getting its own nitrous boost - another $500 million capital injection.  We've got Adidas making shoes with 3-D printing.  We've got Google explaining how it doesn't underpay women employees.  And we've got a couple stories about robots, including Burger King trying to hijack your Google Home device.

This week, we're talking retailers... Statistics on monthly retail sales are due out in a few days.  We'll preview the report and detail the troubles the retailing sector has seen lately. The number of bankruptcies in the industry continue to mount.   We'll put the recent problems in perspective and take a look at some of the new additions to the bankruptcy list. We'll also check in on the Fed.  First we'll examine what the Fed's minutes told us about the future of monetary policy.  Then, we'll dive into the latest jobs report and look at what that means for both the economy and for interest rates. And as always, we'll try on some of the funkier outfits hanging in Wall Street's closet... We've Uber using psychological tricks to get the most out of its drivers.  We've got the IRS turning to private debt collectors.  We've got real-life college scholarships for video games.  And we've got yet another business for Amazon: showing football games.

Baseball season is getting underway.  Which means it's a time of superstition.  It's time to get your garters on, breathe through your eyelids and let the mold grow on your shower shoes.  And baseball has a lesson for Wall Street: never mess with a streak. This is a good week for that lesson.  The jobs data is set to come out.  After two straight months of more than 200,000 jobs added, we'll see whether we can keep the streak alive this time around. We preview the employment report and take a look at what the labor market has looked like lately. And as always, we'll clear the fence at some of Wall Street's more out of the way ballparks... This week we've got some stories about the Trump Administration.  Toronto school kids aren't coming to America anymore, thanks to the threat of a travel ban.  And the Treasury Secretary is in trouble for a movie recommendation.  We've got a couple of tough overseas stories about Coca-Cola.  There's human waste discovered in a shipment in Ireland, and a Nigerian judge cal

Last week was marked by breakups and family quarrels.  We had the U.K. taking steps to enact Brexit - signing the divorce papers as it were. And we had the drama on Capitol Hill.  Despite controlling both houses of Congress and the White House, the Republicans weren't able to get their Obamacare replacement smoothly through the House.  We take a look at both Brexit and the failed health care bill.  We also look ahead to some economic statistics due out this week, including a last look at the economic legacy of the Obama Administration. Lastly, we take our usual tour of out-of-the-way spots on Wall Street.  It's a theme week this week. Inspired by the discord in both Europe and in Washington, we run out a list of the strangest lawsuits we have seen recently.  We've got lawsuits about alleged fake chicken.  Lawsuits about golf balls.  Lawsuits about drinkable sunscreen.  We've got a case involving the look of cheerleader uniforms that reached the U.S. Supreme Court.  And we have an overtime dispute that turne

This week, we're taking a break from our normal format to bring you an episode we first broadcast in the middle of last year. Usually, we take a look at what's going on in the markets and look ahead at what to expect in the near future. This week, we're going to look back - way back. Last year marked the 40th anniversery of the founding of Apple Computer. We're going to take a little time to tell that story - 7 minutes to be precise. We'll look at how Steve Jobs went from being a wunderkind to the greatest icon in the history of tech to a guy universally acknowledged as one of the biggest jerks in modern business history.  And of course, eventually back again to icon. But today, we're just telling the first part of the story.