The Penta Podcast Channel

Today on What's at Stake, Bryan DeAngelis, partner at Penta based in Washington, D.C., is in London to interview two of the leaders of Penta's international financial services work, partners David Cook and Victoria Walsh. David and Victoria share how their experiences helping government institutions and businesses in Europe communicate around the biggest financial services developments in recent history–including the 2008 Financial Crisis–inform their thinking about stakeholder engagement.

The group discusses the outlook for inflation, the recent turmoil in the banking sector, and the potential for changes in financial regulation around the world. Bryan, Victoria, and David also talk about how Penta's strategy and intelligence services can support financial services companies during these turbulent times.

On today's Macrocast, Ylan Mui, Brendan Walsh, and John Fagan discuss this morning's "Goldilocks" March jobs report and the not-too-hot, not-too-cool labor market. Later, the group explores the impact of OPEC's production cuts on gas prices, which are rising just in time for spring break season, and examines the potential risks associated with de-dollarization. Finally, this week's episode wouldn't be complete without a discussion of former President Trump's indictment and the subsequent market reaction.

Read Penta's March Jobs Day Fact Sheet here.

The takeaway: the news is affecting consumer behavior, as indicated by major drops in confidence in the job market and in the overall U.S. economy. On today's Macrocast, Ylan, John, and Brendan host John Dick from Civic Science discuss the latest economic sentiment index, which shows that layoffs and banking crises in the headlines could be driving pessimism and lower spending among consumers. Later on, the group delves into tightening bank regulations as the Fed and FDIC tackle a shaken landscape.

Take a look at Penta's latest ESI analysis here.

On March 10, Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) collapsed after what many are calling a bank run, triggering the second largest bank failure in U.S. history. Since then, regulators and policymakers have searched for answers, mid-sized banks across the country have struggled to assuage fears over their stability, and Swiss investment firm Credit Suisse has been taken over by UBS as the SVB fallout has rippled through the economy.
On this episode of What's at Stake, Bryan DeAngelis, a partner at Penta, and Ylan Mui, a managing director at the firm, are joined by Aaron Klein to discuss the impacts of SVB's collapse and–as Aaron sees it–the failure of our banking regulatory system. Aaron Klein is currently a senior fellow in Economic Studies at the Brookings Institution, focused on financial technology and regulation, payments, macroeconomics, and infrastructure finance and policy. Between 2009 and 2012, Klein served as the deputy assistant secretary for economic policy at the Department of Treasury, where he helped develop and secure the passage of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010.
The group discusses how the Fed failed to implement proper oversight of SVB, Michael Barr's pre-written testimony, and if we should be allowing more banks to fail. They also answer the question: Was this the first bank run of the social media age
Read more from Aaron Klein here.

In today's installation of our 2024 election series, host and Penta Senior Partner Kevin Madden is joined by Penta Director Brendan Conley and special guest David Kochel, an inside participant in six presidential campaigns and current host of the HighBall Politics podcast. The group breaks down the results of the recent Iowa Republican caucus, examining the political undercurrents that contributed to Donald Trump's significant victory. The discussion delves into the debate on the media's early call of the race and the often-overlooked role of low voter turnout. Learn how these factors, coupled with groundwork laid by veteran campaigns, set the stage for the 2024 presidential race, challenging newer presidential contenders like Nikki Haley.

Amid identity shifts in the Republican Party, this episode dissects the influence of Trump's working-class appeal and the impact of the Bragg indictment on his support base. David provides a boots-on-the-ground perspective, offering valuable insights into Trump's nuanced position as both a leader and a near-victim in the eyes of his followers. With the New Hampshire primary on the horizon, the spotlight is on the strategies of candidates like Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis. Tune in for a comprehensive analysis of the race poised to redefine the GOP and the nation's political future.

Check out the HighBall Politics podcast here.