On today's Macrocast, Stratton, John, and Brendan host  John Dick from Civic Science and Brai Odion-Esene, founder of SW4 Insights. They delve into the latest jobs report, recent central bank meetings, and takeaways from a fascinating earnings season.John and Brendan explain how the Fed, the European Central Bank, and the Bank of England were less aggressive in early 2023 than markets feared last year. Jobs are on the rise, but with the tech sector's lower-than-expected earnings, mass layoffs are grabbing headlines.Read Penta's latest Jobs Day report here.Tune in next week for more on US consumer sentiment, President Biden's State of the Union speech, and new earnings coverage.

Macrocast: A month of mixed signals

On this edition of What's At Stake, Bryan DeAngelis is joined by Fabian Astic, Global Head of DeFi and Digital Assets at Moody's Investors Service, to explore how traditional finance experts are thinking about crypto and blockchain technology today.As the industry continues to innovate, Moody's is tracking global regulatory developments that can bridge the gap between the digital and traditional finance worlds. Bryan and Fabian discuss the exciting transformations in digital finance expected in the next few years – including the EU's DLT Pilot Regime for digital securities and Hong Kong's new licensing regime for crypto exchanges – and grapple with key questions facing policymakers and business leaders in the space. Will Congress push through long-awaited stablecoin legislation, or will the U.S. fall behind the global pace of progress? And what can investors seeking new ways to diversify their portfolios expect from the coming years? Tune in to hear about the crypto and blockchain developments shaking up the world of finance, whether companies are ready, and what work still needs to be done. 

Facing the future of digital finance with Fabian Astic of Moody's

On today's Macrocast, Stratton Kirton, partner at Penta, joins John and Brendan of Markets Policy Partners to discuss the latest GDP report, this week's earning's numbers, and some of the factors currently impacting the labor market, including immigration and the recent uptick in layoffs. How will these layoffs impact next week's Jobs Day numbers? The group talks about some of the reasons the impact might not be as drastic as some expect. Changes to some key positions in the Biden Administration are coming, and Stratton, Brendan, and John talk about their implications, especially given the current climate on Capitol Hill. This week was also a notable one for the war in Ukraine. The group talked about the potential economic and geopolitical ramifications of the Biden administration sending Abrams tanks, Russian food shortages, and potential Russian escalation of the war.Read Penta's GDP analysis here.Check back next week for Penta's Jobs Day report.

Macrocast: All we need is immigration reform

On today's special episode of What's at Stake, John Fagan and Brendan Walshfrom Markets Policy Partners offer their take  on what investors should expect from financial markets over the coming year.. Looking beyond today's relatively calm market environment, the group sees  risks of a recession  and policy uncertainty that could intensify by the summer. In addition, the group offers predictions surrounding the future of Fed policy, China's impact on global markets, oil prices , and cryptocurrency. All of these factors are set against an increasingly uncertain fiscal and political situation here in the US. Tune in as MPP explains all this and more and shares key insights for the year to come. Watch the video version of MPP's conversation here.

Markets Policy Partners on what's moving markets in 2023

On today's jam-packed Macrocast, guest host Meghan Pennington is joined by John and Brendan from Markets Policy Partners, former senior Treasury official Bob Dohner, John Dick of Civic Science, and Penta Senior Associate Matthew Robbins. The group discusses the latest Economic Sentiment Index, the Chinese economy, and the potential for a debt limit crisis.Read Penta's latest ESI here. 

Macrocast: An egg-cellent episode on economic sentiment

On today's episode of What's at Stake, Greg Bertelsen, CEO of the Climate Leadership Council (CLC), and Catrina Rorke, CLC's senior vice president of policy and Research, join Stratton Kirton, partner at Penta. The group discusses today's climate policy landscape, specifically the intersection between climate and trade and the increasing appetite for climate solutions that leverage America's carbon advantage for better trade and climate outcomes. Greg and Catrina explain why the current political environment presents a unique opportunity for these policies.The group breaks down a recent report CLC released on the carbon loophole, which refers to emissions associated with producing goods in one country that are consumed in another. The report finds that nearly a quarter of global emissions occur in the carbon loophole. Catrina and Greg explain how policymakers can close this loophole in order to incentivize more efficient production of globally traded goods.Read more about the Climate Leadership Council here.Read CLC's carbon loophole report here.

Closing the carbon loophole with the Climate Leadership Council

On this week's Macrocast, Brendan and Bryan are joined by Matt Dell Orfano from Telamonius Ventures to talk about the latest CPI trends, China's sudden reopening, and implications for the world economy. The group begins by diving into the latest CPI numbers and what they mean for ongoing housing market disruption and supply chain issues in other sectors. Matt also discusses the shortcomings of traditional econometric models and the need for real-world examples to back up economic outlooks. The group also touches on what China's recent and rapid reopening means for global manufacturing, deglobalization, and foreign investment. They discuss how manufacturing pushes like the CHIPS Act are reflective of a broader effort towards more domestic production, and share their optimism on America's private sector coordination to achieve that goal. Additional information:January 2023 Consumer Price IndexMarkets Policy Partners: Five Minute Macro

Macrocast: Sir, this is a Wendy's

This week, Penta acquired Hume Brophy, a global public affairs, communications, and strategy firm, expanding Penta's global footprint as the world's first comprehensive stakeholder solutions firm. Conall McDevitt, Managing Partner of Penta Europe and Asia and former Hume Brophy CEO, and Jill Craig, Managing Director in Penta's Brussels office, join Parter Kevin Madden to discuss this news, as well as discuss how the strategy solutions field is shifting, geo-political influences, and what can be expected from Penta in the coming months.The group first explores how the acquisition will enhance Penta's global reach and strategic expertise, adding offices in Brussels, Dublin, Paris, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Conall and Jill then discuss some of the biggest issues facing our clients in Europe and Asia in the next few months and years. Finally, Kevin weighs in on what business leaders should expect from  the new Congress and the remaining years of President Biden's first term.  Read more about Penta's acquisition of Hume Brophy here.

Penta goes global, acquiring Hume Brophy

Today on the Macrocast, season five begins with Penta President Matt McDonald joining John, Brendan, and Bryan to talk about the latest Jobs Day numbers. The group notes that markets have reacted favorably to this month's numbers and discusses why the labor force participation rate has remained low since the COVID-19 pandemic. They also offer predictions as to how the Federal Reserve might handle interest rates in 2023.Finally, the group covers the latest news in the vote for speaker of the House of Representatives, breaking down its implications for important issues including the debt ceiling debate and government funding. Read December's Jobs Day fact sheet here.

One person's wage is another person's price

In this episode of What's at Stake, Penta President Matt McDonald joins partner Andrea Christianson to share his reading recommendations for those interested in business, including young professionals, aspiring leaders, and experienced executives.The two not only discuss their favorite books, but also explain why business professionals and leaders should take the time to engage with business literature at various stages of their careers. Plus, Matt shares what he's reading for fun these days. It's the perfect episode for anyone crafting their 2023 reading list! You can find the full list of Matt's reading recommendations here or at the link below:bit.ly/Twitter-3CqefXQ

The case for reading business books

In the final Macrocast of 2022, Penta Partner Stratton Kirton joins Brendan and John of Markets Policy Partners to look back on a jam-packed year of macroeconomic events. The group reviews the historic passage of the Inflation Reduction Act and discusses the continuing economic toll of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, before turning to their predictions for the coming year, including the likelihood of a soft landing for the U.S. economy.

Macrocast: A year in review

On today's episode of What's at Stake, Penta Partner Stacy Kerr and Senior Partner Mike Berland recap Penta's collaboration with Axios to put on the first ever Axios Communicators event last week in New York City. One of the major themes coming out of the event was the evolving role of the chief communications officer (CCO). Stacy and Mike discussed how chief executives are increasingly leaning on their CCOs to provide input into how their companies' stakeholders will react to business decisions.Mike and Stacy also dive into how companies are increasingly leveraging data to understand their stakeholders and help them make more informed decisions, as well as how Penta's intelligence tools can help.

Axios Communicators recap: The evolving role of the CCO

On today's Macrocast, Penta Managing Director Jonathan Graffeo is joined by John and Brendan from Markets Policy Partners, and Brai Odion-Esene, founder of SW4 Insights. It's been a big week in macroeconomic news! The group responds to the Federal Reserve’s Wednesday rate hike—the seventh this year—and discusses the outlook for retailers.Read the latest CPI report here, and learn more about SW4 Insights here.

Macrocast: Is the Fed playing make believe?

On this edition of What's At Stake, Bryan DeAngelis is joined by Julia Decerega and Rustin Finkler, two directors at Penta Strategy, and Meredith McCleary, an associate and podcast producer at Penta, to discuss the economics, geopolitics, and business challenges of the 2022 FIFA Men's World Cup.Controversy has dogged this World Cup from the moment former FIFA President Sepp Blatter announced in 2010 that Qatar would host it in 2022.  The group not only breaks down the money behind the biggest event in soccer, but also tackles the stakeholder risks and opportunities for businesses looking to sponsor  similar events. How are advertisers and other businesses navigating these challenges? And what should business leaders take away from their experiences?The group discusses the main criticisms of the tournament, the economic payoff of hosting the World Cup, and the cost of hosting similar events. Plus, the group shares hopes and predictions for the future of American soccer fandom when the World Cup comes to North America in 2026.

The economics of the World Cup

On today's Macrocast, Penta President Matt McDonald is joined by John and Brendan from Markets Policy Partners and John Dick, CEO of CivicScience. The group first explores the Economic Sentiment Index, before diving into last week's banking conference, treasury yields, oil prices, and likelihood of a recession in 2023.

Macrocast: ESI, banks, and the Princess Bride

On this edition of What's At Stake, Penta Strategy Managing Director Stratton Kirton is joined by Vincent Smith, a Professor of Agricultural Economics at Montana State University and Director of Agricultural Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), and Jerry Hagstrom, a columnist at National Journal and Executive Editor of the agricultural news service The Hagstrom Report, to discuss the upcoming Farm Bill.The Farm Bill sets the national priorities for agriculture, conservation, nutrition, and forestry policy. A new bill is debated every five years, with the next deadline in 2023. Hagstrom and Smith both discussed how the next Congress will put its stamp on the Farm Bill, along with some of the large economic and political dynamics affecting the agricultural sector today.The trio also discusses some of the various policy areas not tied to agriculture that could be impacted by the Farm Bill, including CFTC oversight, potential crypto regulation, and foreign aid. Tune in to a jam-packed episode on a significant topic that is too often ignored.Read more of Jerry Hagstrom's work at The Hagstrom Report here.Check out Vincent Smith's recent writings for AEI here.

Breaking down the Farm Bill with Jerry Hagstrom and Vincent Smith

On today's Macrocast, Penta President Matt McDonald is joined by John and Brendan from Markets Policy Partners and Matt Dell Orfano, Founder of Telamonius Ventures. The group first dives into November's job numbers, offering differing interpretations of what the data means for the state of the economy. The group then discusses the holiday shopping season and the outlook for the retail sector.Read Penta's GDP fact sheet for Q3 2022 here.

Macrocast: Breaking down November's jobs numbers

In this episode of What's at Stake, Bryan hosts Penta managing directors Stratton Kirton and Jonathan Graffeo, as well as senior associate Matthew Robbins, for a conversation on an eventful November for businesses and policymakers.ESG is top of mind for many business leaders, with sustainability issues featuring prominently at the G20 summit and the election of a new Republican majority in the House of Representatives. Meanwhile, an underwhelming COP27 conference raises important questions for businesses trying to tell their ESG stories: How are stakeholder attitudes about sustainability changing? And how should businesses tell their ESG stories in an evolving landscape?As Stratton, Jonathan, and Matthew explain, media and public attention to environmental issues is growing, even as advocates express disappointment at the lack of new actions announced at COP27. Jonathan breaks down how businesses can communicate their ESG priorities in a way that resonates across the ideological spectrum. Plus, the group discusses "the three Ms" of stakeholder engagement: measure, message, and monitor.Read Penta's new analysis on media coverage and partisan sentiments on ESG issues here.

Measure, message, monitor: takeaways from COP27 and G20

What's at stake: a Penta podcast is taking a week off for the Thanksgiving holiday and will return with new content next week. In the meantime, tune in to one of our favorite episodes so far, released shortly after Penta's launch earlier this fall. The episode features a conversation between Penta leaders on the informational landscape for business leaders as they navigate complex stakeholder challenges. How do businesses understand what their stakeholders–be they employees, policymakers, shareholders, or others–want? What do stakeholder pressures look like today, in an era of growing concern for ESG issues and macroeconomic headwinds?

What's at stake rerun: What will companies' stakeholders care about next?

On this special edition of the Macrocast–published on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving–Penta Managing Director Jonathan Graffeo joins John and Brendan to discuss how prepared retailers are for Black Friday, whether shoppers will show up amid high prices, and what the Fed is doing to cool inflation. Plus, the group explores the potential macro implications of a brewing freight rail strike and a looming debt ceiling fight.

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