Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
AI’s surge in demand for memory and storage drove some of 2025’s biggest stock market winners, including hard-drive makers Seagate Technology and Western Digital, and AI chip maker Micron Technology. Retail trading platform Robinhood also put up a blockbuster year and made its S&P 500 debut. And the bidding war by Netflix and Paramount for Warner Bros. Discovery propelled the entertainment giant into a top market performer.
Not all companies fared as well, with those tied to health care and consumer brands flagging through last year. A major reset of expectations in October cratered Fiserv’s stock, putting the payment processing company near the bottom of the barrel.
What awaits in the year ahead? For our first episode of 2026, co-host Telis Demos along with WSJ Heard on the Street Editor Aaron Back and Heard Columnist David Wainer tackle audience questions about what to expect for the year and offer their own predictions for investors and the U.S. economy.
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction and Topic for 2026
0:13 Welcome to WSJ's Take On the Week and Guest Introductions
0:50 Agenda for the Episode
1:28 2025 Winners: Western Digital and Seagate
2:33 2025 Winners: Robinhood
4:16 2025 Winners: Warner Brothers (Bidding War)
5:22 2025 Winners: Micron Technology
5:41 2025 Losers: Fiserv
6:55 2025 Losers: Molina Healthcare and Obamacare
8:37 2025 Losers: Life Sciences REIT
10:38 2025 Losers: Deckers Outdoors, Lululemon, "Slop Bowl" Restaurants
13:50 2025 Losers: Companies Left Behind by the AI Trend
14:47 Audience Question: Will Energy Costs Slow Down Data Center Buildout?
17:27 Audience Question: Climate Change and the Markets in 2026
20:07 Audience Question: United Healthcare Issues and Rising Medical Costs
23:07 Audience Question: Credit Default Swaps in the Tech Sector
25:25 2026 Prediction: Obesity Drugs (GLP-1s)
27:19 2026 Prediction: Tariffs
29:35 2026 Prediction: US Treasuries
30:52 Conclusion
This is WSJ’s Take On the Week where we 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.
#WSJ #2026trends
AI’s surge in demand for memory and storage drove some of 2025’s biggest stock market winners, including hard-drive makers Seagate Technology and Western Digital, and AI chip maker Micron Technology. Retail trading platform Robinhood also put up a blockbuster year and made its S&P 500 debut. And the bidding war by Netflix and Paramount for Warner Bros. Discovery propelled the entertainment giant into a top market performer.
Not all companies fared as well, with those tied to health care and consumer brands flagging through last year. A major reset of expectations in October cratered Fiserv’s stock, putting the payment processing company near the bottom of the barrel.
What awaits in the year ahead? For our first episode of 2026, co-host Telis Demos along with WSJ Heard on the Street Editor Aaron Back and Heard Columnist David Wainer tackle audience questions about what to expect for the year and offer their own predictions for investors and the U.S. economy.
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction and Topic for 2026
0:13 Welcome to WSJ's Take On the Week and Guest Introductions
0:50 Agenda for the Episode
1:28 2025 Winners: Western Digital and Seagate
2:33 2025 Winners: Robinhood
4:16 2025 Winners: Warner Brothers (Bidding War)
5:22 2025 Winners: Micron Technology
5:41 2025 Losers: Fiserv
6:55 2025 Losers: Molina Healthcare and Obamacare
8:37 2025 Losers: Life Sciences REIT
10:38 2025 Losers: Deckers Outdoors, Lululemon, "Slop Bowl" Restaurants
13:50 2025 Losers: Companies Left Behind by the AI Trend
14:47 Audience Question: Will Energy Costs Slow Down Data Center Buildout?
17:27 Audience Question: Climate Change and the Markets in 2026
20:07 Audience Question: United Healthcare Issues and Rising Medical Costs
23:07 Audience Question: Credit Default Swaps in the Tech Sector
25:25 2026 Prediction: Obesity Drugs (GLP-1s)
27:19 2026 Prediction: Tariffs
29:35 2026 Prediction: US Treasuries
30:52 Conclusion
This is WSJ’s Take On the Week where we 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.
#WSJ #2026trends
