Why the Midterm Elections Are So Pivotal for Bonds | WSJ’s Take On the Week

It’s election season again, and affordability is on the ballot for voters. High gas prices, energy costs and persistent inflation continue to squeeze households—what does that mean for the upcoming midterm elections and the stock market? In this week's episode of WSJ’s Take On the Week, co-hosts Miriam Gottfried and Telis Demos break down the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) report, the sell-off in chip stocks and whether Federal Reserve interest-rate hikes are cooling the AI boom. Then, Monica Guerra, head of policy and geopolitical strategy at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, joins to discuss potential election outcomes, the possibility of a blue wave or divided Congress, and how local regulations on AI data centers and gridlock in Washington could impact investor portfolios and the S&P 500. Chapters: 00:00 Market Reactions to Gridlock 00:21 Midterm Predictions 01:25 Inflation Data & CPI Report 02:20 Fed Rates & Tech Stocks 04:23 Midterms & Divided Government 05:46 Senate Balance of Power 08:27 Policy Implications of Elections 11:03 Data Centers & AI Regulation 13:28 Local Infrastructure Battles 15:15 Regulatory Impact on Innovation 17:12 Affordability as Election Driver 21:20 Energy Costs & Social Security 23:28 Tax Debate & Future Outlook This is WSJ’s Take On the Week where co-hosts Telis Demos, writer for WSJ’s Heard on the Street, 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. 🎧 Prefer just the audio version? Subscribe and listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts: https://on.wsj.com/3LBGo5Q?mod=WSJ_TOTWPOD #WSJ #MIDTERMS #MARKETS