

The Penta Podcast Channel
Penta
The Penta Podcast Channel is home to all of Penta's podcasts, including the Macrocast and What's At Stake: A Penta Podcast. The Macrocast, produced by Penta and Markets Policy Partners, features weekly insight and analysis on the latest macroeconomic trends. What's at Stake: a Penta Podcast features in-house experts and often special guests for analysis on the biggest issues shaping business and public policy.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 14, 2020 • 36min
Macrocast: Yield For A Vaccine
Tony, John, and Brendan discuss the steepening yield curve, Treasury and muni markets, and how the Fed can tweak lending facilities to meet the moment. The crew also talks through the likelihood of another federal stimulus package. Plus, they discuss housing data, increased fees on mortgages, and what this all means for the housing market.

Aug 7, 2020 • 37min
Macrocast: Trying To Read Tea Leaves
Matt joins Tony, John, and Brendan to discuss new Jobs Day figures, the impacts of the pandemic on individual sectors' jobs numbers, and market reactions to the latest interactions between the U.S. and China. The team also discusses ongoing negotiations over the next stimulus package and a possible executive order, the performative aspects of congressional dealmaking, and what's behind the smoke and mirrors of Microsoft's potential deal with TikTok.

Jul 31, 2020 • 38min
Macrocast: "Check Your Grandparents' Stock Portfolios"
Tony, John, and Brendan discuss Big Tech's antitrust hearing & Q2 earnings, national security issues in the pharmaceutical supply chain, and this week's FOMC meeting. They also talk about where negotiations stand on a phase four coronavirus relief bill.

Jul 24, 2020 • 38min
Macrocast: This Is The Alamo
John Dick, Founder and CEO of Civic Science, joins Tony, John, and Brendan to discuss the latest economic sentiment index readings—from price sensitivity and savings, to the end of unemployment insurance payments. The guys also discuss the market's response to increasing COVID cases across the country, the pitfalls of the Main Street Lending Program, and the latest on European stimulus. Finally, the crew previews Fed interest rate news, Q2 GDP numbers, and earnings for the tech giants coming up next week.

Jul 17, 2020 • 38min
Macrocast: A Tale Of Two Economies
To cap off a relatively "normal" week, Tony, John, and Brendan talk through what we've learned so far from Q2 earnings and how they represent the divergence in how companies have fared during the pandemic. The gang also takes a global look at the European economy, ECB fiscal stimulus, and how U.S.-China tensions have evolved from trade disputes to cultural confrontation. Plus, they take a look ahead to upcoming earnings.

Jul 17, 2020 • 53min
Insights: How Can We Create A More Inclusive Economy?
Sonal Shah, the Founding Executive Director of the Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation at Georgetown and former Deputy Assistant to President Obama, joins Stacy Kerr and Tony Fratto to discuss inclusive finance and the economic landscape. Sonal shares insights on her experience working on the Biden-Sanders Unity Taskforce, what COVID is exposing in our economy, how to bring new economic voices and perspectives to the forefront, and what government and philanthropic organizations can do to become more nimble.

Jul 15, 2020 • 36min
Insights: Higher Ed Episode Four: Duke's Matt Perault
In a new episode of HPS Insights' special series on higher education we talk to Matt Perault, Director of the Center on Science & Technology Policy and former Head of Global Policy Development at Facebook. Matt joins Stacy and Elliott to discuss synergies between the technology and education worlds and innovation in higher education in the time of COVID-19. They dive into the contributions that universities are making to public policy and discuss tech regulation on the horizon.

Jul 10, 2020 • 34min
Macrocast: The End Of The Beginning
Matt, John, and Brendan discuss the state of play with initial government-run pandemic relief programs wrapping up and take a look at how the "real" economy in America is doing at this moment in time. The guys also talk about the 2020 presidential race and preview upcoming Q2 earnings.

Jul 2, 2020 • 36min
Macrocast: "A Tale Of Two Jobs Reports"
Tony, John, and Brendan break down another interesting jobs report and try to make sense of what it means for the state of the economy. The gang also plays a game of "known knowns and known unknowns" to try to figure out what we can expect in the weeks and months ahead for schools, fiscal support, the economic recovery, and even politics.

Jul 1, 2020 • 39min
Insights: An Education On The Hard Realities Facing Higher Ed: Episode Three ft. Texas Lutheran University's Dr. Debbie Cottrell
On the third episode of HPS Insights' special series on higher education, Stacy, Matt, and Elliott host Dr. Debbie Cottrell, President of Texas Lutheran University in Seguin, Texas. Dr. Cottrell joins the podcast to discuss her role as the head administrator at a small, private university and the behind-the-scenes planning of students' eventual return to campus after the COVID-19 pandemic. The team discusses the economic effects of the pandemic on the higher education sector, how policymakers can take an active role in supporting students, and the true costs of higher education with endowments, financial aid, and complex pricing models.