What’s News in Earnings: Soaring Backlogs for Defense Companies

A.M. Edition for July 28. Monday’s slump in chip stocks spreads to Asian markets. Finance editor Alex Frangos says new concerns that China is catching up in the technological arms race come just as investors brace for updates on how much hyperscalers are spending on the AI buildout. Plus, as Volodymyr Zelensky returns to the White House, WSJ’s Marcus Walker says the Ukrainian president is hoping to turn President Trump’s fresh optimism about the war against Russia into a promise of more support. And Mercedes-Benz is the latest automaker to warn of headwinds in China, as the country’s appetite for foreign cars continues to decline. Luke Vargas hosts. Sign up for the WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

P.M. Edition for July 27. In the two years since Waymo introduced its robotaxis to Austin, Texas, its cars have gotten thousands of dollars in parking fines. WSJ’s Ellie Davis explains why. Plus, Cracker Barrel’s CEO is stepping down after a turbulent three years. And WSJ advertising reporter Katie Deighton digs into why Target and other companies are partnering with “nanoinfluencers” with followers in the low thousands or even just hundreds to advertise their products on social media. Danny Lewis hosts. Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Bonus Episode for July 27. Defense companies Lockheed Martin and RTX report surging backlogs as war increases demand for weapons. Wall Street Journal aerospace and defense reporter Drew FitzGerald discusses how the defense sector is responding to demands from Washington and what to look for as Boeing, General Dynamics and L3Harris report this week. WSJ national security reporter Marcus Weisgerber hosts this special bonus episode of What's News in Earnings, where we dig into companies’ earnings reports and analyst calls to find out what’s going on under the hood of the American economy. Sign up for the WSJ's free Markets A.M. newsletter. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A.M. Edition for July 27. President Trump calls off a major escalation of strikes against Iran, amid efforts to revive diplomacy with Tehran and a debate over America’s declining munitions stockpiles. Plus, Nvidia is in talks to provide a roughly $250 billion financial backstop for OpenAI to lease a massive data center project in Ohio. And WSJ tech reporter Amrith Ramkumar explains how dual lobbying efforts from Apple and Micron are putting the Trump administration in the center of a fight over access to Chinese memory chips. Luke Vargas hosts. Sign up for the WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The aviation industry is grappling with an array of challenges, from a backlog of planes, to safety concerns, and widespread labor shortages. WSJ aviation reporter Ben Katz joins host Luke Vargas to discuss how the sector is thinking about AI, plus the latest technology on display at the Farnborough International Airshow in the U.K. Further Reading Aerospace Startup JetZero to Start Building Futuristic Planes in North Carolina Airbus Comes for Boeing in Battle Over World’s Biggest Jets Boeing Chooses Palantir to Boost AI Adoption in Defense, Space Unit Honeywell Aerospace CEO Says AI Works for Blueprints but Isn’t Ready for the Cockpit Sixteen Airbus A380s to Undergo Inspection After Cracks Found on Airplane Wings Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How much AI spending is too much? And why are some Tesla and SpaceX investors losing patience with Elon Musk? Plus, why are Wall Street firms paying up to $100,000 for a fast track to Trump posts? Host Imani Moise discusses the biggest stock moves of the week and the news that drove them. Sign up for the WSJ's free Markets A.M. newsletter. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

P.M. Edition for July 24. Today an FDA committee voted to increase access to six of seven peptides. Those are substances that haven’t undergone regulatory approval, but they’re promoted on social media and promise physical transformations like better skin. We hear from WSJ health and wellness reporter Alex Janin about what the vote means and whether it paves the way for a peptide gold rush. Plus, new tariffs went into effect today intended to combat forced labor, and President Trump also threatened new tariffs on the European Union. Journal trade and economic policy reporter Gavin Bade discusses the future of President Trump’s tariff agenda. And measles cases in the U.S. this year have already surpassed last year’s number, reaching a three-decade high. Alex Ossola hosts. And for more on peptides, listen to our What’s News Sunday episode. Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A.M. Edition for July 24. Global markets are reckoning with the prospect of prolonged conflict in the Middle East and rising inflation as oil prices roar back – pushing up borrowing costs in the U.S. and Asia. Plus, hotel chain Melia pulls out of Cuba in a blow to the island’s vital tourism sector. And WSJ defense reporter Alistair MacDonald explains how Europe is turning to homegrown defense technologies in an effort to counter U.S. dependence. Luke Vargas hosts. Sign up for the WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

P.M. Edition for July 23. The U.S. plans to impose new tariffs on most trade partners, replacing President Trump’s temporary global 10% tariff. Plus, the threat of escalating conflict in the Middle East drove oil prices over $100, and concerns around higher inflation made bond yields surge. WSJ markets reporter Sam Goldfarb discusses how that ripples through the economy. Meanwhile, heavy AI spending from Alphabet and Tesla spooked investors, and the Nasdaq dropped more than 2%. And after IBM issued a rare profit warning last week, the company’s earnings shed more light on what went wrong. We hear from reporter Anissa Gardizy about where its business goes from here, while tech columnist Christopher Mims spoke with IBM CEO Arvind Krishna. Alex Ossola hosts. Correction: New U.S. tariffs target 60 economies, or more than 80 countries. An earlier version of this podcast incorrectly said the tariffs target 60 countries. (Corrected on July 24.) Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A.M. Edition for July 23. Oil futures are rising again today, after Iran-backed Houthi militants claimed attacks on a pair of Saudi tankers in the Red Sea, and as the U.S. surges special-operations forces to the Middle East. Plus, Alphabet and Tesla shares tumble as the big-spending tech giants turn cash-flow negative. WSJ reporters Meghan Brobowsky and Becky Peterson break down the numbers and what to make of Elon Musk’s most boring earnings call ever. And the FDA investigates a new outbreak of cyclospora. Luke Vargas hosts. Sign up for the WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.