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Coverage of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, annually is something I view as a competitive sport.
I actually start training for the extraordinary week over the summer, as my few close friends know (and yes, all of them make fun of me). The variety of workouts every week within the lead-up rises incrementally so I can easily sprint up and down the two-mile promenade with a backpack to stuff in as many meetings as humanly possible (yes, I do that).
My one cheat meal per week gets replaced by green drinks and additional doses of vitamins to make sure I do not get sick. I meditate twice a day and punctiliously select clothes I do know will help me execute at the best level. Look good, feel good, good things occur.
To me, this one event is the closest I’ll get to being like Michael Jordan within the playoffs — and I’m very lucky to be in attendance.
And this yr, the gathering of the elites flying in on private jets to wax poetic on the world’s biggest problems will probably be extra nutty.
The conference unofficially kicks off on Trump’s Inauguration Day. Some CEOs I do know who normally could be at Davos all week are dropping in mid-week after working the inauguration party rounds. By Tuesday, the newly minted president can have uncorked a bunch of executive orders that would impact the companies of the highest CEOs on the bottom. And, in fact, impact the worldwide markets.
This is the reason this yr’s WEF will probably be more essential than the norm for you, the common investor. The headlines will probably be coming in hot and heavy as CEOs look to challenge Trump or get on his good side. They can even look to speak up their businesses ahead of the beginning of earnings season, and with markets getting a bit rockier of late.
Here’s what yours truly and our very own Jennifer Schonberger will probably be watching while bundled up in five layers all week. Make sure you bookmark the “streaming now” section on Yahoo Finance to catch all our market-moving interviews in real-time. Or tune in where you normally catch us, whether that is on Samsung TV or our nifty app.
Unlike our previous trips to Davos over the past decade, I will probably be taping several special episodes of the Opening Bid podcast on the bottom. I could inform you who those guests will probably be, but where is the fun in that? Best to be surprised!
Now, on to that guide…
Big bank CEOs: The most important names in banking, akin to JPMorgan (JPM) CEO Jamie Dimon, Bank of America (BAC) CEO Brian Moynihan, Goldman Sachs (GS) CEO David Solomon, Citi (C) CEO Jane Fraser, and Morgan Stanley (MS) CEO Ted Pick will probably be in attendance. While this group will all get asked about Trump policies, it’ll be their outlook on rates of interest that will probably be most key to market sentiment. Most haven’t spoken publicly for the reason that Fed signaled a probable halt in rate cuts last month, and they’re going to wish to be heard ahead of the Fed’s Jan. 28-29 policy meeting.
The tariff CEOs: Retail can have a pleasant showing at Davos, with the CEOs of Polo Ralph Lauren (RL), Williams Sonoma (WSM), and Gap (GAP) (their CEO’s first time on the event) making the rounds. These firms are right within the middle of the tariff debate. I will be concerned about how they’re preparing for Trump tariffs from a supply chain perspective. I’m also concerned about how much they may raise prices post-tariffs — it could offer up invaluable insight into the 2025 inflation outlook and Fed policy.
The race to catch Nvidia: It is going to be one other yr of AI chatter throughout the halls of Davos. This time, I feel the discussions will take two forms. First, unlike last yr, where the AI discussions were mostly about potential, investors are going to wish to see clear lines to revenue and profits. So I encourage AI CEOs to bring it. And two, we’ll probably hear more about how Big Tech players in Microsoft (MSFT) and Alphabet (GOOGL) are aiming to develop their very own high-powered AI chips to catch Nvidia (NVDA), or at the least make ok chips to diversify. Leaders from OpenAI and Anthropic can even be in attendance, and their thoughts on chips may very well be key. I will be watching Nvidia’s stock price like a hawk this week, and you have to be as well.
Crypto delegation: The crypto industry has had a solid presence at Davos up to now five years. This yr the industry is predicted to be out in force, headlined by an appearance from Coinbase (COIN) CEO Brian Armstrong. I will be quite attuned to what the crypto crowd thinks in regards to the latest volatility in bitcoin, MicroStrategy’s (MSTR) bitcoin buying binge, what they’re hearing from the pro-crypto Trump administration, and early assessments on Paul Atkins because the likely next SEC chairman.
And in fact, the brand new Trump coin that debuted to much fanfare (and market cap) on Friday.
The token quickly rose to a market cap of $73 billion in about 48 hours, surpassing DOGE as the most important meme coin up to now.
The market cap of the crypto has since dropped to $12 billion from its launch, in response to CoinMarketCap.
Stocks: Stocks are starting to look top-heavy (especially the Magnificent 7), as I actually have reported. I’m wanting to hear from market pros akin to JPMorgan’s Mary Erdoes and economic experts like Nouriel Roubini on in the event that they are seeing red flags on the horizon. Any calls they make at this Davos may hold greater weight given more volatile market conditions and increased Trump policy uncertainty.
The political wild cards: As of this writing, contacts have told me President-elect Donald Trump plans to send delegates to Davos. Who precisely gets the nod is the wild card. (I fancy it should be potential Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, a Davos party scene regular for a few years. Elon has long hated Davos, so hard to see him appearing). Trump himself is slated to provide a speech remotely on Thursday, a source told Yahoo Finance.
But who ultimately shows up from Trump’s orbit — and what they are saying once touching down — could set the tone on US diplomacy right out of the gate. If a delegate arrives at Davos days after Trump takes actions that would weigh on the economic growth of foreign countries after which goals to clarify the actions, best imagine the inevitable headlines might not be so market-friendly.
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Brian Sozzi is Yahoo Finance’s Executive Editor. Follow Sozzi on X @BrianSozzi, Instagram and on LinkedIn. Tips about stories? Email brian.sozzi@yahoofinance.com. 3 times each week, Sozzi fields insight-filled conversations with the largest names in business and markets on Yahoo Finance’s Opening Bid podcast. Find more episodes on our video hub. Watch in your preferred streaming service. Or listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you discover your favorite podcasts.