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Coverage of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, each year is something I consider a competitive sport.
I'm actually starting to train for the intensive week over the summer, as my few close friends know (and yes, they're all making fun of me). The number of training sessions each week in the lead up is incremental so I can easily sprint up and down the two mile promenade with a rucksack to stuff in as many meetings as humanly possible (yes, I do this).
My one cheat meal a week is replaced with green drinks and extra doses of vitamins to ensure I don't get sick. I meditate twice a day and carefully choose clothes that I know will help me perform at the highest level. Look good, feel good, good things happen.
For me, this one event is the closest I'll get to being like Michael Jordan in the playoffs — and I'm very lucky to be there.
And this year, the gathering of elites who fly in on private jets to hear poetry on the world's biggest problems will be more nutty.
The conference unofficially begins on Trump's Inauguration Day. Some CEOs I know who would normally be in Davos all week drop by mid-week after working the inauguration party rounds. By Tuesday, the newly minted president may have uncorked a slew of executive orders that could affect the businesses of top CEOs on the ground. And, of course, affect the global markets.
This is why this year's WEF will be more important than the norm for you, the average investor. The headlines will come in hot and heavy as CEOs try to challenge Trump or get on his good side. They will also try to talk about their businesses before the start of earnings season, and with markets getting a little rockier lately.
This is what you really have and ours Jennifer Schoenberger watching while bundled up in five layers all week. Be sure to bookmark the “streaming now” ” section on Yahoo Finance to catch all our market moving interviews in real time. Or listen where you usually catch us, whether that's on Samsung TV or our nifty app.
Unlike our previous trips to Davos over the past decade, I will be taping several special episodes of the Opening Bid Podcast on the ground. We can tell you who those guests will be, but where's the fun in that? Better to be surprised!
Now, on to that guide…
Big Bank CEOs: The biggest names in banking, such as JPMorgan (JPM) Chief Executive Officer Jamie DimonBank of America (BAC) Chief Executive Officer Brian MoynihanGoldman Sachs (GS) Chief Executive Officer David SolomonCiti (C) Chief Executive Officer Jane Fraserand Morgan Stanley (MS) Chief Executive Officer Ted Pick will be present. While this group will all be questioned about Trump's policies, their outlook on interest rates will be most key to market sentiment. Most have not spoken publicly since the Fed a sign of a likely halt in rate cuts last month, and will want to be heard before the Fed's January 28-29 policy meeting.
Principals of the tariff: Retail will have a nice show in Davos, with the CEOs of Polo Ralph Lauren (RL), Williams Sonoma (WSM), and Gap (CAP) (their CEO's first time at the event) are doing the rounds. These companies are right in the in the middle of the tariff debate. I will be interested in how they are preparing for Trump's tariffs from a supply chain perspective. I'm also interested in how much they might raise prices after tariffs — it could offer valuable insight into the 2025 inflation outlook and Fed policy.
The race to catch Nvidia: It will be another year of AI chattering through all the halls of Davos. This time, I think the discussions will take two forms. First, unlike last year, where the AI discussions were mostly about potential, investors will want to see clear lines to revenue and profit. So I encourage AI CEOs to bring it. And two, we'll probably hear more about how the Big Tech players at Microsoft (MSFT) and the Alphabet (GOOGLE) are aiming to develop their own powerful AI chips to catch Nvidia (NVDA), or at least make chips good enough to diversify. Leaders from OpenAI and Anthropic will also be in attendance, and their opinions on chips could be key. I'll be watching Nvidia's stock price like a hawk this week, and you should be too.
Crypto delegation: The crypto industry has had a solid presence at Davos in the last five years. This year the industry is expected to be out in force, headlined by an appearance from Coinbase (COIN) CEO Brian Armstrong. I'll be totally tuned in to what the crypto crowd thinks about the latest volatility in bitcoinMicroStrategy (MSTR) bitcoin buying spreeswhat they are hearing from the pro-crypto Trump administration, and early assessments on Paul Atkins as the likely next SEC chairman.
And of course, it was the new Trump coin that brought much fanfare (and the market cap) on Friday.
The token quickly rose to a market cap of $73 billion in about 48 hours, surpassing DOGE as the largest meme coin to date.
The crypto's market cap has since dropped to $12 billion since its launch, according to CoinMarketCap.
Stocks: Stocks are starting to look very heavy (especially the Magnificent 7), as I have reported. I'm keen to hear from market pros like JPMorgan Mary Erdoes and economic experts like Nouriel Roubini on if they see red flags on the horizon. Any calls they make at this Davos may carry more weight given more volatile market conditions and more uncertainty regarding Trump's policy.
The political wild cards: As of this writing, contacts have told me that President-elect Donald Trump plans to send representatives to Davos. Who exactly gets the goal is the wild card. (I fancy it will be future Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who has been a regular party scene in Davos for many years. Elon has long hated Davos, so hard to see him appear). Trump himself is expected to give a speech remotely on Thursday, a source told Yahoo Finance.
But who ultimately emerges from Trump's orbit—and what they say after touching him—could set the tone for US international relations right out of the gate. If a representative arrives in Davos days after Trump takes steps that could weigh on the economic growth of foreign countries and then aims to explain the actions, it's best to believe the inevitable headlines might not be so friendly to the market.
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Brian Sozzi is the Executive Editor of Yahoo Finance. Follow Sozzi on X @BrianSozzi, Instagram and on LinkedIn. Ideas on stories? Email brian.sozzi@yahoofinance.com. Three times a week, Sozzi hosts insightful conversations with the biggest names in business and markets on Yahoo Finance. Opening Offer a podcast. Find more episodes on our video hub. Watch on your optional streaming service. Or listen and subscribe Apple Podcasts, Spotifyor wherever you find your favorite podcasts.
