Musk’s Stock Sales; Pfizer’s Covid Pill; Slack and the Newest Normal

Warren Buffett is setting the record straight after The Wall Street Journal insinuated that Berkshire Hathaway might have had inside information on the Microsoft-Activision Blizzard deal that informed his own timely ATVI buy. Buffett said the stock buys were made by “one of the two investment managers who operate independently of me at Berkshire” – a reference to Berkshire investors Ted Weschler and Todd Combs – and were completed long before the acquisition was announced. Steve Ballmer, former Microsoft CEO and the company’s largest shareholder, discusses the Activision Blizzard deal, investing--or not investing--in the metaverse, inflation, and the markets. As founder of the non-partisan, nonprofit data organization USA Facts, Ballmer shares data on the US population amid the pandemic, as well as misinformation. The Ukraine-Russia crisis entered a tense new day, as reports indicated there were new outbreaks of violence and ceasefire violations. Plus, happy fry-day!In this episode:Steve Ballmer, @Steven_BallmerJoe Kernen, @JoeSquawkBecky Quick, @BeckyQuickAndrew 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.

18 Feb 202230min

Ongoing tension at the Russia-Ukraine border continues to impact market sentiment. The U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations says the conflict has reached a “crucial moment” and that Russia is moving toward “an imminent invasion.” Senate Republicans are blocking votes on President Joe Biden’s five nominees for the Federal Reserve Board, creating an impasse while the central bank is under increasing pressure to combat inflation. Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND.), discusses delaying the vote and why he has particular ethical concerns for nominee Sarah Bloom Raskin. Jennifer Sey, former Levi’s Brand president, discusses how publicizing her personal views created problems for her career, and whether it’s happening to other employees across the country. Plus, there are big changes at the FAA and some tech stocks are beginning to lose their luster.In this episode:Sen. Kevin Cramer, @SenKevinCramerJennifer Sey, @JenniferSeyJoe Kernen, @JoeSquawkBecky Quick, @BeckyQuickAndrew Ross Sorkin, @andrewrsorkinPhil LeBeau, @LebeaucarnewsKatie 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.

17 Feb 202236min

Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel finds it “reasonable” to think the pandemic might be over, but economies and politics around the world must recover in its wake. Cameron Mitchell, CEO of Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, discusses the increased labor and product costs hitting all restaurateurs, whether Covid ends or not. Arthur Brooks, Harvard professor and The Atlantic contributor, discusses Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his approach to truckers protesting vaccine mandates. Brooks considers leadership before and beyond the pandemic: “If you don't love everybody, if you don't believe in the equal dignity of all people, you can't be an effective leader.” The ‘Art of Happiness’ podcast host also discusses his new book, ‘From Strength to Strength.’ Plus, big media is making big moves, like ViacomCBS’s rebrand to Paramount Global, and the Squawk anchors are sharing their game show favorites. In this episode:Arthur Brooks, @arthurbrooksCameron Mitchell, @CMRColumbusJoe Kernen, @JoeSquawkBecky Quick, @BeckyQuickAndrew 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.

16 Feb 202235min

Russia appears to be backing away from an immediate invasion of Ukraine, cooling geopolitical tensions that have knocked the stock market down the last three days. Daleep Singh, deputy national security advisor for international economics and a deputy assistant to the President, discusses the Russia-Ukraine border crisis and confirms that the U.S. is prepared to levy severe sanctions on Russia, should President Putin pursue an invasion. Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway bought roughly $1 billion in Activision Blizzard shares during the fourth quarter, right before Microsoft agreed to buy the video game maker. Plus, underwear company Tommy John sealed a deal with former PVH chairman and current partner at PE firm LNK Partners, Manny Chirico, who has joined the company’s board of directors. Tom Patterson, Tommy John co-founder and CEO, joins Manny Chirico to discuss their new partnership.In this episode:Tom Patterson, @tompattersonnycMatt Bradley, @MattMcBradleyJoe Kernen, @JoeSquawkBecky Quick, @BeckyQuickAndrew 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.

15 Feb 202234min

A super-sized episode, starting with St. Louis Federal Reserve President James Bullard’s suggestion of a super-sized hike in interest rates. After Bullard’s original comments spooked the markets last week, he makes his case to mitigate 40-year inflation highs with a fast reaction from the U.S. central bank. Abroad, tensions between Russia and Ukraine--and now the rest of the world--remain unresolved, and investors gauging the geopolitics remain uncertain. Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov suggested Russia would continue diplomatic talks with the West, a move toward deescalation. Plus, The Los Angeles Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl 56, but there was another battle--between crypto companies--during breaks from the game. President of crypto exchange FTX U.S. Brett Harrison discusses crypto commercials at the Super Bowl, his platform’s own collaboration with comedian Larry David, and Coinbase’s QR code that crashed its website. In this episode:James Bullard, @stlouisfedBrett Harrison, @Brett_FTXUSMike Santolli, @michaelsantoliBecky Quick, @BeckyQuickAndrew 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.

14 Feb 202245min

Inflation is squeezing consumer wallets, and it’s likely to soon start affecting the housing market. Becky Quick and Brian Sullivan discuss how the latest inflation data may strongarm the Fed into taking more aggressive economic action than originally planned for 2022. Truckers protesting vaccine mandates on the U.S.-Canada border are disrupting an already fraught auto industry. New York Times columnist Tom Friedman admits their right to protest and underlines his own right to label the activism “selfish.” As states begin to lift mask mandates, Dr. Scott Gottlieb considers the impact of rates of Covid infection. Cases might not decrease as rapidly, but he says they’ll remain on the decline. Plus, Congress is regulating their own portfolios, and Becky’s preparing for an #AskMeAnything interview with Berkshire Hathaway’s Charlie Munger. Submit questions of your own to dailyjournalquestions@cnbc.com! In this episode:Tom Friedman, @tomfriedmanDr. Scott Gottlieb, @ScottGottliebMDBecky Quick, @BeckyQuickBrian Sullivan, @SullyCNBCKatie 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.

11 Feb 202233min

Inflation rose 7.5% over the past year, its highest level since 1982. Jim Paulsen, The Leuthold Group CIO, CNBC’s Rick Santelli and Steve Liesman break down January’s key consumer price index data. Twitter reported fourth quarter financial results that missed analyst estimates on earnings, revenue, and user growth. The report is the first under new CEO Parag Agrawal after Jack Dorsey stepped down from the role in November. Twitter CFO Ned Segal discusses the company's latest acquisitions and its share buyback program. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont breaks down the state’s decision to lift its mask mandate in schools starting Mon. Feb. 28th. Plus, Uber and Pepsi are sharing their good news after reporting better than expected quarterly results.In this episode:Rick Santelli, @RickSantelliSteve Liesman, @steveliesmanNed Segal, @nedsegalGoc. Ned Lamont, @GovNedLamontJoe Kernen, @JoeSquawkBecky Quick, @BeckyQuickAndrew 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.

10 Feb 202233min

Support is growing among lawmakers on Capitol Hill for legislation that would ban lawmakers from trading stocks. CNBC’s Ylan Mui reports on Pelosi’s proposal, and Senator Steve Daines (R-Mont.), who sits on the Senate Finance Committee, explains the bipartisan support to ban stock trading among Congressional lawmakers. Transportation Sec. Pete Buttigieg discusses U.S. companies investing in manufacturing and ensuring the nation’s electric vehicle infrastructure is made at home. New York is pulling back its strict indoor mask mandate, marking a turning point in how the former epicenter of Covid responds to the pandemic. Plus, Lyft falls short on riders, and Meta’s major market cap slips below a key level.In this episode:Sen. Steve Daines, @SteveDainesSec. Pete Buttigieg, @SecretaryPeteYlan Mui, @ylanmuiBecky Quick, @BeckyQuickAndrew 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.

9 Feb 202234min