The Wall Street Skinny

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We're back with The Skinny On...three wild stories: confusing jobs data, Japan's equity market rally, and why everyone's freaking out about AI killing SaaS companies.

Confused by the latest Non-Farm Payrolls report? So were we. The blowout headline number was nothing compared to the massive downward revisions to 2025's data. Yet somehow, bonds still sold off and the market has priced out March rate cuts. Huh?? We're not buying it.

Then we jump to Japan, where the Nikkei's been ripping. Everyone's talking inflation, but the real story is decades in the making: Japan's finally ditching "holder capitalism" (where companies hoarded cash and protected jobs) for actual shareholder value. Prime Minister Takaichi's landslide win just accelerated reforms that started under Abe. With an aging population, pension funds need equities to work — so corporate Japan has no choice but to unlock value.

Next: the "SaaS-pocalypse." Software stocks got obliterated on fears that AI will replace them entirely, pushing many loans in the tech sector into distressed territory. But remember: corporate cash flows don't vanish overnight. We share lessons from the past that suggest the current panic feels overblown, even if the existential threat is real.

As our philosophical debate continues over the appropriate role for AI in the workplace, we bring on Charlie Schilling, CEO of Macabacus, to talk about how his company (creators of a beloved Wall Street productivity toolkit) is navigating this chaos and what AI actually means for financial modeling.
Learn about our favorite tool, Macabacus, here: https://macabacus.com/wss

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Wealthfront.com/wss. This is a paid endorsement for Wealthfront. May not reflect others’ experiences. Similar outcomes not guaranteed. Wealthfront Brokerage is not a bank. Rate subject to change. Promo terms apply. If eligible for the boosted rate of 4.15% offered in connection with this promo, the boosted rate is also subject to change if base rate decreases during the 3 month promo period.The Cash Account, which is not a deposit account, is offered by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC ("Wealthfront Brokerage"), Member FINRA/SIPC. Wealthfront Brokerage is not a bank. The Annual Percentage Yield ("APY") on cash deposits as of 11/7/25, is representative, requires no minimum, and may change at any time. The APY reflects the weighted average of deposit balances at participating Program Banks, which are not allocated equally. Wealthfront Brokerage sweeps cash balances to Program Banks, where they earn the variable APY. Sources HERE.

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Kristen and Jen are joined by Guy Adami and Dan Nathan of CNBC's Fast Money for the fifth installment of "He Said, She Said." The conversation kicks off with the so-called "SaaS Apocalypse" — the brutal selloff across software stocks — and unpacks how the market narrative shifted in just one week from "when will AI spending pay off?" to "what happens when AI destroys your core business?" The group debates whether the repricing is justified or overdone, digs into the credit market spillover with $17.7 billion in SaaS-related loans hitting distressed levels, and discusses what it all means for private credit exposure.
From there, the panel takes on Bitcoin's collapse to $60,000 — roughly half its all-time high — and asks whether the "digital gold" thesis is officially dead now that crypto fell apart while precious metals hit records. They also break down the equity rotation into financials and energy, the irony of banks rallying on AI-driven deal flow while AI-adjacent companies crater, and what enterprise adoption of AI could mean for the hyperscalers longer term.
The episode wraps with a look at Elon Musk's latest consolidation play, SpaceX acquiring xAI ahead of a rumored mega-IPO, and a macro check-in covering weak seasonals, a deteriorating jobs picture, rising 10-year yields, and the historical pattern of markets testing every new Fed chair.

For a 14 day FREE Trial of Macabacus, click HERE
Shop our Self Paced Courses:
Investment Banking & Private Equity Fundamentals HERE
Fixed Income Sales & Trading HERE
Wealthfront.com/wss. This is a paid endorsement for Wealthfront. May not reflect others’ experiences. Similar outcomes not guaranteed. Wealthfront Brokerage is not a bank. Rate subject to change. Promo terms apply. If eligible for the boosted rate of 4.15% offered in connection with this promo, the boosted rate is also subject to change if base rate decreases during the 3 month promo period.The Cash Account, which is not a deposit account, is offered by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC ("Wealthfront Brokerage"), Member FINRA/SIPC. Wealthfront Brokerage is not a bank. The Annual Percentage Yield ("APY") on cash deposits as of 11/7/25, is representative, requires no minimum, and may change at any time. The APY reflects the weighted average of deposit balances at participating Program Banks, which are not allocated equally. Wealthfront Brokerage sweeps cash balances to Program Banks, where they earn the variable APY. Sources HERE.

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In this Infrastructure 101 episode, we sit down with Mike Dorrell, co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Stonepeak, to unpack how infrastructure investing evolved from a niche corner of finance into one of the most important asset classes shaping the global economy. We walk through the origins of modern infrastructure investing --- from Macquarie’s early toll road and airport deals in Australia to the rise of private capital stepping in where governments once dominated --- and explain why infrastructure sits at the intersection of private equity, private credit, and project finance. Along the way, we break down what makes these assets unique: high barriers to entry, essential services, regulated cash flows, and long-duration returns.
The conversation digs into the technical mechanics behind infrastructure deals, including project finance structures, equity versus credit exposure, the role of regulation and tax policy, and why governments are both critical partners and key sources of risk. We explore how infrastructure investors analyze energy markets, power pricing, traffic patterns, and permitting risk, and why changes in “the rules of the road” can make or break long-term investments. From municipal bonds to privatized airports, toll roads, utilities, and power plants, this episode connects the financial structures to the real-world systems people rely on every day.
We also tackle the biggest theme driving headlines today: the AI data center boom. Mike explains why AI is accelerating massive investment across digital infrastructure and energy, what it means for power grids and electricity prices, and how investors distinguish between contracted, de-risked data centers and far more speculative builds. Woven throughout is Mike’s personal story --- from growing up in rural Australia to helping build a global infrastructure platform --- and a candid discussion of what it takes to build durable businesses, invest through cycles, and think long term about both capital and legacy.
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Shop our Self Paced Courses:
Investment Banking & Private Equity Fundamentals HERE
Fixed Income Sales & Trading HERE
Wealthfront.com/wss. This is a paid endorsement for Wealthfront. May not reflect others’ experiences. Similar outcomes not guaranteed. Wealthfront Brokerage is not a bank. Rate subject to change. Promo terms apply. If eligible for the boosted rate of 4.15% offered in connection with this promo, the boosted rate is also subject to change if base rate decreases during the 3 month promo period.The Cash Account, which is not a deposit account, is offered by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC ("Wealthfront Brokerage"), Member FINRA/SIPC. Wealthfront Brokerage is not a bank. The Annual Percentage Yield ("APY") on cash deposits as of 11/7/25, is representative, requires no minimum, and may change at any time. The APY reflects the weighted average of deposit balances at participating Program Banks, which are not allocated equally. Wealthfront Brokerage sweeps cash balances to Program Banks, where they earn the variable APY. Sources HERE.

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SternTao goes to Accra
For a 14 day FREE Trial of Macabacus, click HERE
Shop our Self Paced Courses:
Investment Banking & Private Equity Fundamentals HERE
Fixed Income Sales & Trading HERE
Wealthfront.com/wss. This is a paid endorsement for Wealthfront. May not reflect others’ experiences. Similar outcomes not guaranteed. Wealthfront Brokerage is not a bank. Rate subject to change. Promo terms apply. If eligible for the boosted rate of 4.15% offered in connection with this promo, the boosted rate is also subject to change if base rate decreases during the 3 month promo period.The Cash Account, which is not a deposit account, is offered by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC ("Wealthfront Brokerage"), Member FINRA/SIPC. Wealthfront Brokerage is not a bank. The Annual Percentage Yield ("APY") on cash deposits as of 11/7/25, is representative, requires no minimum, and may change at any time. The APY reflects the weighted average of deposit balances at participating Program Banks, which are not allocated equally. Wealthfront Brokerage sweeps cash balances to Program Banks, where they earn the variable APY. Sources HERE.

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Jen Saarbach & Kristen Kelly join the guys to discuss the decline in the US dollar, market sentiment and Gen Z's proclivity for gambling.
For a 14 day FREE Trial of Macabacus, click HERE
Shop our Self Paced Courses:
Investment Banking & Private Equity Fundamentals HERE
Fixed Income Sales & Trading HERE
Wealthfront.com/wss. This is a paid endorsement for Wealthfront. May not reflect others’ experiences. Similar outcomes not guaranteed. Wealthfront Brokerage is not a bank. Rate subject to change. Promo terms apply. If eligible for the boosted rate of 4.15% offered in connection with this promo, the boosted rate is also subject to change if base rate decreases during the 3 month promo period.The Cash Account, which is not a deposit account, is offered by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC ("Wealthfront Brokerage"), Member FINRA/SIPC. Wealthfront Brokerage is not a bank. The Annual Percentage Yield ("APY") on cash deposits as of 11/7/25, is representative, requires no minimum, and may change at any time. The APY reflects the weighted average of deposit balances at participating Program Banks, which are not allocated equally. Wealthfront Brokerage sweeps cash balances to Program Banks, where they earn the variable APY. Sources HERE.