1 00:00:02,920 --> 00:00:10,799 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio news. You're listening to the 2 00:00:10,840 --> 00:00:15,040 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Intelligence podcast. Catch us live weekdays at ten am 3 00:00:15,040 --> 00:00:17,520 Speaker 1: Eastern on Apple card Playing and Broyd Auto with the 4 00:00:17,520 --> 00:00:21,400 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Business App. Listen on demand wherever you get your podcasts, 5 00:00:21,640 --> 00:00:23,360 Speaker 1: or watch us live on YouTube. 6 00:00:25,200 --> 00:00:28,160 Speaker 2: Joining us speaking of is George Ferguson. He's senior Aerospace, 7 00:00:28,200 --> 00:00:31,200 Speaker 2: Defense and Airlines analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, and he joins 8 00:00:31,240 --> 00:00:35,239 Speaker 2: us from Princeton, New York, OURVII headquarters over there in 9 00:00:35,280 --> 00:00:35,680 Speaker 2: New Jersey. 10 00:00:35,720 --> 00:00:36,879 Speaker 3: What did I say, Princeton, New York? 11 00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:37,279 Speaker 4: I did? 12 00:00:37,479 --> 00:00:39,519 Speaker 3: Yeah, sorry, coffee, coffee. 13 00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:42,120 Speaker 5: I haven't had that second cup because it was delayed. 14 00:00:42,240 --> 00:00:42,800 Speaker 5: I'll get you. 15 00:00:43,080 --> 00:00:44,959 Speaker 2: Well, the eleven o'clock hour will be a good hour 16 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:48,320 Speaker 2: for me. So Boeing is having a lot of issues. 17 00:00:48,520 --> 00:00:52,360 Speaker 2: The CEO will be facing leaders in Congress today. There 18 00:00:52,400 --> 00:00:56,200 Speaker 2: was also Later's whistleblower report that alleged to the planemaker 19 00:00:56,280 --> 00:00:59,200 Speaker 2: mishandled and lost track of hundreds of faulty parts, some 20 00:00:59,240 --> 00:01:01,760 Speaker 2: of which had been in may have been installed in 21 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:06,520 Speaker 2: some new seven thirty seven Max planes. George, Well, okay, 22 00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:09,160 Speaker 2: there's so many questions, but what is Dave Calhoun today 23 00:01:09,280 --> 00:01:11,600 Speaker 2: going to face from Congress and then in the light 24 00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:15,760 Speaker 2: of these consistent whistleblower claims. 25 00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:17,800 Speaker 6: So my guess is that what Dave Calhoun's going to 26 00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:20,960 Speaker 6: say today's going to stick to the script. He's going 27 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:24,600 Speaker 6: to say they're working on fixing all these problems. He'll 28 00:01:24,640 --> 00:01:27,199 Speaker 6: probably you know, not be able to confirm or deny 29 00:01:27,360 --> 00:01:30,720 Speaker 6: sort of individual reports. We saw the report come out, 30 00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:34,200 Speaker 6: you know, the Boeing They gave us a summary of 31 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:37,480 Speaker 6: what they provided to the FAA and their action plan, 32 00:01:38,640 --> 00:01:42,800 Speaker 6: you know, for improving the production process. It included things like, 33 00:01:42,920 --> 00:01:47,560 Speaker 6: you know, making sure they appropriately tracked faulty parts and 34 00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:50,240 Speaker 6: didn't put them in airplanes. So my guess is there 35 00:01:50,240 --> 00:01:53,960 Speaker 6: were some situations where this was a problem. But again, 36 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:55,080 Speaker 6: I think he's not going to give a lot of 37 00:01:55,080 --> 00:01:58,640 Speaker 6: specifics today in front of Congress. I think it's he'll 38 00:01:58,640 --> 00:02:01,320 Speaker 6: stick to the script, is a plan out to fix it, 39 00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:03,920 Speaker 6: and they'll say, we got the plan and we're going 40 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:04,880 Speaker 6: to drive on that plan. 41 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:07,200 Speaker 3: Hey, George, I know from speaking to you in the 42 00:02:07,240 --> 00:02:09,160 Speaker 3: past and reading some of your research, one of the 43 00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:12,280 Speaker 3: challenges as it relates to quality is outsourcing. You know, 44 00:02:12,320 --> 00:02:15,120 Speaker 3: Boeing over the last number of years, ten twenty years, 45 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:17,480 Speaker 3: is maybe outsource a little bit more of their production, 46 00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:20,399 Speaker 3: their parts and so on to third parties, and that 47 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:25,120 Speaker 3: may be introducing some more risk into their process. How 48 00:02:25,160 --> 00:02:28,120 Speaker 3: are they talking about some of their outsourcing strategies. 49 00:02:29,320 --> 00:02:32,000 Speaker 6: So in that same report, right, they talk about inspections 50 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:35,440 Speaker 6: at suppliers, they talk about monitoring quality at suppliers better. 51 00:02:36,040 --> 00:02:36,239 Speaker 7: Yeah. 52 00:02:36,280 --> 00:02:39,640 Speaker 6: I just think this is a it's a wholly different industry, right. 53 00:02:39,639 --> 00:02:41,320 Speaker 6: I think there's a bunch of people that have come 54 00:02:41,840 --> 00:02:47,360 Speaker 6: to the aerospace world from auto backgrounds and other mass 55 00:02:47,400 --> 00:02:51,920 Speaker 6: production backgrounds, right, And in those worlds, safety isn't as important. 56 00:02:52,600 --> 00:02:56,120 Speaker 6: Volume is a lot higher. You can get multiple suppliers 57 00:02:56,160 --> 00:02:59,280 Speaker 6: to provide products to your production line, you can work 58 00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:02,919 Speaker 6: cost on the suppliers, and I think that whole game 59 00:03:02,960 --> 00:03:06,960 Speaker 6: plan is really really difficult to do in aviation. And 60 00:03:06,960 --> 00:03:09,560 Speaker 6: I think this is part of what we're seeing. Right. 61 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:13,519 Speaker 6: I think you can outsource, but I think if you outsource, 62 00:03:14,520 --> 00:03:17,160 Speaker 6: you know, you know, to your supplier base, I think 63 00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:19,800 Speaker 6: it's still got to be you know, a pretty strong 64 00:03:19,880 --> 00:03:23,720 Speaker 6: relationship with them, not a combative relationship where it's always 65 00:03:23,760 --> 00:03:27,200 Speaker 6: about price, because it really matters the quality you get 66 00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:29,720 Speaker 6: to your line right, safety is dependent upon it. And 67 00:03:29,800 --> 00:03:33,280 Speaker 6: so I think what we're finding out as this sort 68 00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:38,120 Speaker 6: of you know, whole Boeing saga unravels, is outsourcing and 69 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:41,000 Speaker 6: banging up your suppliers for price just isn't a winning 70 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:42,120 Speaker 6: strategy in aviation. 71 00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:46,920 Speaker 5: Can have they course corrected enough? Or can they so? 72 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:50,560 Speaker 6: Look, I think they can. Everything can be fixed. I 73 00:03:50,600 --> 00:03:52,880 Speaker 6: think if you look at their competitors across the pond, Airbus, 74 00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:55,760 Speaker 6: they're not having these problems. I think Airbus has been 75 00:03:55,840 --> 00:03:59,160 Speaker 6: less combative with some of their suppliers. They're in the 76 00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:02,520 Speaker 6: middle of this correction. We know they want to buy 77 00:04:02,600 --> 00:04:05,880 Speaker 6: Spirit Aerosystems. We're still waiting to hear news on that. 78 00:04:05,920 --> 00:04:08,640 Speaker 6: There's still you know the challenge of getting some of 79 00:04:08,640 --> 00:04:12,520 Speaker 6: the other companies that Spirit supplies, to name the Airbus 80 00:04:12,640 --> 00:04:16,560 Speaker 6: probably out of the portfolio so they can recover. It's 81 00:04:16,600 --> 00:04:19,479 Speaker 6: gonna it's gonna take some time. Uh, and it's gonna 82 00:04:19,520 --> 00:04:21,000 Speaker 6: take a lot of work with our suppliers. 83 00:04:21,760 --> 00:04:26,080 Speaker 3: So, George, if I think about, you know, rethinking my 84 00:04:26,120 --> 00:04:29,839 Speaker 3: strategy with my suppliers and maybe focusing less on price 85 00:04:29,880 --> 00:04:32,400 Speaker 3: competitives maybe a little bit more on quality, does that 86 00:04:32,440 --> 00:04:36,560 Speaker 3: imply that Boeing's profit margins will be under pressure going forward. 87 00:04:37,160 --> 00:04:39,080 Speaker 6: Yeah, I mean, I think I think for sure, right, 88 00:04:39,120 --> 00:04:41,719 Speaker 6: I think you're you're not going to receive a return 89 00:04:41,839 --> 00:04:45,640 Speaker 6: to the Boeing margins you saw at the end of 90 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:49,880 Speaker 6: last decade. I'm not gonna say ever, like in time, 91 00:04:49,960 --> 00:04:53,159 Speaker 6: perhaps they could get back to that, you know, but 92 00:04:53,200 --> 00:04:55,719 Speaker 6: I think it takes you know, it's it's gonna take 93 00:04:56,240 --> 00:04:59,840 Speaker 6: a bunch of work here near term to improve the quality, 94 00:04:59,880 --> 00:05:02,719 Speaker 6: and and that's going to cost money. Plus we already 95 00:05:02,720 --> 00:05:05,360 Speaker 6: know that some of the business they've put in the books, right, 96 00:05:05,360 --> 00:05:07,840 Speaker 6: they had some challenges delivering into China. That was kind 97 00:05:07,880 --> 00:05:11,000 Speaker 6: of the one two whammy after they had the grounding 98 00:05:11,080 --> 00:05:14,039 Speaker 6: of the Max and the crashes. We know they probably 99 00:05:14,080 --> 00:05:17,120 Speaker 6: sold a bunch of airplanes for some pretty good prices 100 00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:21,599 Speaker 6: to really core customers like United, like Southwest. So I 101 00:05:21,600 --> 00:05:23,760 Speaker 6: think that I think both, you know, both on the 102 00:05:23,800 --> 00:05:28,080 Speaker 6: cost side again, given this correction to improve the supply base, 103 00:05:28,480 --> 00:05:33,800 Speaker 6: improve production, get get capacity rolling again, as well as 104 00:05:33,800 --> 00:05:37,560 Speaker 6: some of the pricing they gave away on backfill for orders. 105 00:05:37,640 --> 00:05:40,520 Speaker 6: Means you're not looking at a Boeing that's going to 106 00:05:40,560 --> 00:05:43,080 Speaker 6: get those margins free through this decade. 107 00:05:43,080 --> 00:05:45,800 Speaker 2: I think if I look at Boeing stock, then I 108 00:05:45,800 --> 00:05:48,760 Speaker 2: mean it's down from December, it's down thirty four percent. 109 00:05:49,560 --> 00:05:54,200 Speaker 2: Does that accurately reflect then this tighter profit margin world 110 00:05:54,320 --> 00:05:56,560 Speaker 2: to sort of revamp and the course correcting that they 111 00:05:56,600 --> 00:05:57,080 Speaker 2: have to do. 112 00:05:58,200 --> 00:06:01,160 Speaker 6: So, you know, I think when you look at their valuations, 113 00:06:01,200 --> 00:06:05,160 Speaker 6: you know, their historical valuations, One, they're really high right now, 114 00:06:05,240 --> 00:06:10,040 Speaker 6: right because earnings are so low, you know, So I 115 00:06:10,080 --> 00:06:12,440 Speaker 6: think that there is a little bit of investor look 116 00:06:12,560 --> 00:06:16,279 Speaker 6: through at this point, you know, on the on the 117 00:06:16,320 --> 00:06:19,840 Speaker 6: on the current problems they have, you know, but the 118 00:06:20,520 --> 00:06:23,599 Speaker 6: sort of whether or not they're they're properly positioned for 119 00:06:23,680 --> 00:06:25,800 Speaker 6: the out years right now. I think it's all a 120 00:06:25,839 --> 00:06:29,440 Speaker 6: function of if they can you know, if they can 121 00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:34,240 Speaker 6: quickly improve the build rate so they can improve economies 122 00:06:34,240 --> 00:06:37,120 Speaker 6: of scale and start to get more profitability back into 123 00:06:37,160 --> 00:06:39,840 Speaker 6: this business, and that, you know, really remains to be seen. 124 00:06:40,480 --> 00:06:43,400 Speaker 3: George, you mentioned China. Where is Boeing in terms of 125 00:06:43,400 --> 00:06:45,680 Speaker 3: getting the seventy three seven max in the air and 126 00:06:45,760 --> 00:06:48,560 Speaker 3: China kind of how's that business looking in terms of 127 00:06:48,880 --> 00:06:50,520 Speaker 3: sales and deliveries. 128 00:06:50,560 --> 00:06:54,120 Speaker 6: So their deliveries going into China, right and uh, it 129 00:06:54,160 --> 00:06:58,720 Speaker 6: looks to us to largely be deliveries that were you know, built, 130 00:06:59,440 --> 00:07:02,440 Speaker 6: you know, when the seven three seven was grounded, and 131 00:07:02,480 --> 00:07:04,720 Speaker 6: they're starting to get some of those back into the country. 132 00:07:05,080 --> 00:07:07,479 Speaker 6: But China's also has this problem now with the flight 133 00:07:07,520 --> 00:07:12,840 Speaker 6: recorder that's been authorized by other jurisdictions, including the US. 134 00:07:13,960 --> 00:07:17,120 Speaker 6: So I mean it feels to me like China is 135 00:07:17,200 --> 00:07:21,000 Speaker 6: allowing deliveries, but they still, you know, they're still not 136 00:07:22,520 --> 00:07:24,800 Speaker 6: I don't know, maybe keen on taking a lot of 137 00:07:24,840 --> 00:07:27,800 Speaker 6: deliveries from Boeing. I haven't seen a bunch of orders 138 00:07:27,840 --> 00:07:31,360 Speaker 6: come in from China, you know, for Boeing. And so 139 00:07:31,480 --> 00:07:35,239 Speaker 6: I would say that relationship still, while it's maybe thawing 140 00:07:35,280 --> 00:07:39,400 Speaker 6: a bit, is nowhere near was it where it was 141 00:07:40,200 --> 00:07:42,440 Speaker 6: in the last decade. And they have their problems too. 142 00:07:42,520 --> 00:07:45,120 Speaker 6: Right now, I think they don't need as many airplanes, 143 00:07:45,120 --> 00:07:48,520 Speaker 6: their economy isn't growing as fast, air travel isn't growing 144 00:07:48,520 --> 00:07:51,960 Speaker 6: as fast. But I still think that relationship is not 145 00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:55,200 Speaker 6: in the right place where it should be, where you'd 146 00:07:55,240 --> 00:07:57,160 Speaker 6: like it to be. I think for Boeing. 147 00:07:57,400 --> 00:07:59,480 Speaker 2: Before I let you go any word yet on and 148 00:07:59,520 --> 00:08:01,800 Speaker 2: replacement for Dave Calhoun, Like, how's that going? 149 00:08:02,840 --> 00:08:03,360 Speaker 7: He laughed? 150 00:08:03,560 --> 00:08:04,560 Speaker 5: The answer is laughing. 151 00:08:04,760 --> 00:08:09,320 Speaker 6: Yes, what I hear from news reports is picking up steam. 152 00:08:09,440 --> 00:08:12,760 Speaker 6: But g I mean, I don't know, it's been a while. 153 00:08:13,160 --> 00:08:18,080 Speaker 6: There's a lot of conjecture. It's a hard job. There's 154 00:08:18,080 --> 00:08:19,880 Speaker 6: probably a lot of people that just aren't willing to 155 00:08:19,920 --> 00:08:25,000 Speaker 6: take it. I don't know, you know, they got to 156 00:08:25,040 --> 00:08:26,640 Speaker 6: the end of the year, and so maybe they're gonna 157 00:08:26,720 --> 00:08:27,640 Speaker 6: use it all. I don't know. 158 00:08:28,400 --> 00:08:30,760 Speaker 2: I mean, and anyone but Larry Cult that you keep 159 00:08:30,760 --> 00:08:31,920 Speaker 2: hearing about, that's for real. 160 00:08:32,600 --> 00:08:34,640 Speaker 6: So I don't really track the people that's you know, 161 00:08:34,640 --> 00:08:37,439 Speaker 6: that's kind of hard for me. I do know, like 162 00:08:37,480 --> 00:08:41,600 Speaker 6: it said, it's got to be a rock star manufacturing, 163 00:08:42,640 --> 00:08:45,160 Speaker 6: you know, sort of CEO. I don't know that there's 164 00:08:45,200 --> 00:08:47,520 Speaker 6: a lot of them left in America. I think we 165 00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:50,480 Speaker 6: do a lot of outsourcing now, so maybe that makes 166 00:08:50,520 --> 00:08:52,160 Speaker 6: it a taller order too. I don't know. 167 00:08:52,559 --> 00:08:54,360 Speaker 5: All right, Hey, Georgia really appreciate it. 168 00:08:54,400 --> 00:08:57,880 Speaker 2: George Ferguson, Bloomberg Intelligence senior Aerospace, Defense and Airlines analysts 169 00:08:57,920 --> 00:08:59,840 Speaker 2: joining us in Princeton, New Jersey. 170 00:09:00,200 --> 00:09:02,200 Speaker 5: Yes, who would have thunk? Yeah, it was a New 171 00:09:02,280 --> 00:09:02,679 Speaker 5: Jersey and. 172 00:09:02,720 --> 00:09:06,280 Speaker 3: You lovely home of hogi Haven, my favorite sandwich shop. 173 00:09:06,320 --> 00:09:07,520 Speaker 5: Also up on that. 174 00:09:08,800 --> 00:09:11,440 Speaker 3: Bowing down two percent today, down thirty three percent year 175 00:09:11,480 --> 00:09:14,600 Speaker 3: to date. You know, it just feels like a stock 176 00:09:15,040 --> 00:09:16,840 Speaker 3: No one wants to step in and really take a 177 00:09:16,840 --> 00:09:21,880 Speaker 3: big position here until you see real signs of our 178 00:09:21,880 --> 00:09:23,760 Speaker 3: turn around there, because it just feels like every day 179 00:09:24,040 --> 00:09:25,120 Speaker 3: there's something coming out. 180 00:09:25,520 --> 00:09:27,000 Speaker 2: And if you just time it out right, like say 181 00:09:27,000 --> 00:09:28,439 Speaker 2: they do take the rest of the year to get 182 00:09:28,440 --> 00:09:30,000 Speaker 2: a new CEO, like, let's just game that out for 183 00:09:30,040 --> 00:09:32,000 Speaker 2: a second, then the new CEO has to come in right. 184 00:09:32,120 --> 00:09:34,320 Speaker 2: Then it's a plan and it's going to be some 185 00:09:34,559 --> 00:09:37,600 Speaker 2: kind of restructuring plan in that, like how we're going 186 00:09:37,679 --> 00:09:40,040 Speaker 2: to manage the business, how we're dealing with suppliers. And 187 00:09:40,040 --> 00:09:43,520 Speaker 2: then if you they do wind up buying a Spirit Aerospace. 188 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:44,559 Speaker 5: Then you got to integrate that. I mean that how 189 00:09:44,600 --> 00:09:45,600 Speaker 5: long a process is that? 190 00:09:45,800 --> 00:09:46,040 Speaker 7: Yep? 191 00:09:46,240 --> 00:09:49,000 Speaker 3: Exactly, So I mean and is there a value here 192 00:09:49,440 --> 00:09:52,440 Speaker 3: where it just says that I'm being compensated for that 193 00:09:52,559 --> 00:09:54,160 Speaker 3: risk and that time and I don't know, and it 194 00:09:54,240 --> 00:09:56,520 Speaker 3: just doesn't feel like it again. Stock down thirty three 195 00:09:56,520 --> 00:09:58,160 Speaker 3: percent year to date. 196 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:03,720 Speaker 1: We're listening to the Bloomberg Intelligence podcast. Catch us live 197 00:10:03,800 --> 00:10:07,360 Speaker 1: weekdays at ten am Eastern on Applecar Play and Android 198 00:10:07,360 --> 00:10:10,160 Speaker 1: Auto with the Bloomberg Business app. You can also listen 199 00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:13,360 Speaker 1: live on Amazon Alexa from our flagship New York station. 200 00:10:13,720 --> 00:10:16,480 Speaker 1: Just say Alexa play Bloomberg eleven thirty. 201 00:10:17,960 --> 00:10:19,960 Speaker 2: All right, coming up, we're gonna talk to Jill Blanchard. 202 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:23,160 Speaker 2: She is president of Enterprise Client Solutions at Abandoned Solutions, 203 00:10:23,640 --> 00:10:26,000 Speaker 2: and we're going to get the take here on retail sales. 204 00:10:26,160 --> 00:10:28,760 Speaker 2: So retail sales barely did anything, and the narrative here 205 00:10:28,880 --> 00:10:30,800 Speaker 2: is that the consumer is strained that they're going to 206 00:10:30,960 --> 00:10:32,800 Speaker 2: buy stuff, but they're going to buy it on sale. 207 00:10:33,200 --> 00:10:35,040 Speaker 5: The rub here is that. 208 00:10:35,040 --> 00:10:37,760 Speaker 2: This is mostly a goods report versus what we're going 209 00:10:37,840 --> 00:10:39,760 Speaker 2: to get when we get consumer spending a little later 210 00:10:39,800 --> 00:10:42,840 Speaker 2: in the month, where that might be actually a services reports. 211 00:10:42,880 --> 00:10:44,920 Speaker 2: There's still questions as to as to what the real 212 00:10:44,960 --> 00:10:46,319 Speaker 2: read through is for the consumer. 213 00:10:46,960 --> 00:10:48,200 Speaker 5: Jill, what are your thoughts? 214 00:10:50,080 --> 00:10:52,600 Speaker 4: Yes, so hello and thanks for having me back. Yeah, 215 00:10:52,800 --> 00:10:55,000 Speaker 4: you know, I think I'd lead off with one big word, 216 00:10:55,000 --> 00:10:57,840 Speaker 4: and that word is cumulative. And so the effect of inflation, 217 00:10:57,960 --> 00:11:00,000 Speaker 4: the slow rise and income the high interest rates are 218 00:11:00,080 --> 00:11:03,800 Speaker 4: really having finally a cumulative effect on the consumer and 219 00:11:03,800 --> 00:11:07,520 Speaker 4: it's a really big impact there's a big difference between 220 00:11:08,040 --> 00:11:11,559 Speaker 4: inflation and affordability as well as inflation and high prices, 221 00:11:11,600 --> 00:11:15,640 Speaker 4: and so as consumers tried to get used to high prices, 222 00:11:15,720 --> 00:11:19,120 Speaker 4: if wages aren't keeping pace and they're not, it creates 223 00:11:19,160 --> 00:11:21,840 Speaker 4: a pretty big gap and drives very different behaviors. So 224 00:11:21,960 --> 00:11:25,560 Speaker 4: you mentioned promotions before, consumers are really doing a lot 225 00:11:25,559 --> 00:11:29,200 Speaker 4: of different things. They're still spending, but they are price conscious, 226 00:11:29,240 --> 00:11:32,160 Speaker 4: they're creative, they're selective. They are and I'm just going 227 00:11:32,240 --> 00:11:34,800 Speaker 4: to walk through like a myriad of strategies. They're delaying purchases. 228 00:11:34,800 --> 00:11:37,440 Speaker 4: They're trading down, whether that's a brand or a retailer, 229 00:11:37,520 --> 00:11:40,920 Speaker 4: or a product or experience. They're shopping promotions, they're price 230 00:11:40,960 --> 00:11:44,440 Speaker 4: shopping across retailer somethind of that consolidated trip. They're going 231 00:11:45,160 --> 00:11:48,840 Speaker 4: to multiple retailers. They are cutting out or reducing discretionary spending. 232 00:11:49,040 --> 00:11:51,240 Speaker 4: They're looking for larger sized products that have a more 233 00:11:51,600 --> 00:11:56,360 Speaker 4: economical value. They are sharing bolt grocery shopping. Third of 234 00:11:56,400 --> 00:11:59,679 Speaker 4: consumers are now doing that. A quarter of consumers are 235 00:11:59,720 --> 00:12:04,240 Speaker 4: skilled big meals and buying unhealthier options because of high prices. 236 00:12:04,280 --> 00:12:06,640 Speaker 4: So it's a lot of different strategies that we're seeing 237 00:12:06,640 --> 00:12:07,199 Speaker 4: come to play. 238 00:12:07,679 --> 00:12:10,040 Speaker 3: When do I don't know if we have any data 239 00:12:10,480 --> 00:12:14,240 Speaker 3: back this up, are when do consumers get used to 240 00:12:14,480 --> 00:12:15,880 Speaker 3: this new price level? 241 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:16,440 Speaker 5: Is it? 242 00:12:16,520 --> 00:12:19,040 Speaker 3: Because it seems like we've been here for a few years, 243 00:12:19,760 --> 00:12:22,480 Speaker 3: and you know, when do we get used to it? 244 00:12:24,240 --> 00:12:24,440 Speaker 7: Yeah? 245 00:12:24,520 --> 00:12:27,400 Speaker 4: That's interesting. So I'd say it's a tale of two 246 00:12:27,600 --> 00:12:30,679 Speaker 4: economies right now. And so at the macro level, we're 247 00:12:30,679 --> 00:12:33,760 Speaker 4: seeing in flaten now. But when you really get underneath that, 248 00:12:34,400 --> 00:12:37,720 Speaker 4: healthier income households, you know, are you know, do do 249 00:12:37,840 --> 00:12:40,640 Speaker 4: have a healthy spend? They're driving demand, but it's balanced 250 00:12:40,679 --> 00:12:44,679 Speaker 4: out by by low and mid income households that are 251 00:12:44,720 --> 00:12:47,760 Speaker 4: curbing their spending. Now that that does split spending, that's 252 00:12:47,800 --> 00:12:49,800 Speaker 4: a shift from what we've seen over the past couple 253 00:12:49,800 --> 00:12:54,640 Speaker 4: of years because spending was really fuel by pandemic era benefits, 254 00:12:54,920 --> 00:12:59,080 Speaker 4: stockpile savings, the cessation of student loan repayments, and rapid 255 00:12:59,120 --> 00:13:01,959 Speaker 4: wage increase, so a number of things that are either 256 00:13:02,360 --> 00:13:07,760 Speaker 4: reduced or actually illuminated now creating a bifurcation in spending 257 00:13:08,000 --> 00:13:10,520 Speaker 4: amongst income households. 258 00:13:10,640 --> 00:13:14,480 Speaker 2: When we take a look at the spending problem, how 259 00:13:14,520 --> 00:13:17,640 Speaker 2: do we understand it? Because slowing versus falling off a 260 00:13:17,640 --> 00:13:21,640 Speaker 2: Cliff are different and they're going to have different reaction 261 00:13:21,720 --> 00:13:22,920 Speaker 2: functions for the FED. 262 00:13:23,559 --> 00:13:25,640 Speaker 5: What's the best kind of description. 263 00:13:28,559 --> 00:13:33,000 Speaker 4: Slow? I mean nothing's going to happen fast, right, I say, 264 00:13:33,000 --> 00:13:36,160 Speaker 4: there's two things to consider, you know. One is spending 265 00:13:36,200 --> 00:13:38,760 Speaker 4: is never going to take a sharp turn in either direction. 266 00:13:38,960 --> 00:13:42,120 Speaker 4: It's going to slowly turn in either direction. And there 267 00:13:42,160 --> 00:13:45,400 Speaker 4: are multiple factors influencing that, you know, like the reduction 268 00:13:45,640 --> 00:13:51,000 Speaker 4: in the pandemic, arab benefits and stockpile savings as well 269 00:13:51,040 --> 00:13:54,000 Speaker 4: as you know, higher prices as well as a lower 270 00:13:54,160 --> 00:13:57,000 Speaker 4: wage increases right now, interest rates. So there's so many 271 00:13:57,000 --> 00:13:59,559 Speaker 4: things that really affect it. I think that we can, 272 00:13:59,760 --> 00:14:03,040 Speaker 4: you know, continue to expect to see things happen slowly 273 00:14:03,120 --> 00:14:07,080 Speaker 4: over time and not be surprised by what it is 274 00:14:07,080 --> 00:14:09,520 Speaker 4: that we're seeing today. It's it's been building to this 275 00:14:09,679 --> 00:14:10,280 Speaker 4: for for. 276 00:14:10,280 --> 00:14:11,760 Speaker 5: Many many months. 277 00:14:11,800 --> 00:14:15,200 Speaker 3: Cicadas, Oh what talk to us about cicadas. 278 00:14:16,320 --> 00:14:19,520 Speaker 4: I will talk to you about cicadas. So here's something interesting, 279 00:14:19,560 --> 00:14:22,120 Speaker 4: and this is you know, partly about cicadas. And I 280 00:14:22,120 --> 00:14:24,840 Speaker 4: happen to live in a cicada part of the country. 281 00:14:24,880 --> 00:14:27,160 Speaker 5: It's brutal out there, the shining. 282 00:14:28,720 --> 00:14:32,440 Speaker 4: Well, so here's the thing we've talked about inflation, we 283 00:14:32,560 --> 00:14:35,640 Speaker 4: talked about the slow rise in income, the high interest rates. 284 00:14:35,920 --> 00:14:40,800 Speaker 4: Let's talk about the effect of on retail spending of 285 00:14:41,120 --> 00:14:44,000 Speaker 4: extreme weather, which I know we've talked about before. We 286 00:14:44,040 --> 00:14:46,440 Speaker 4: saw today that there's going to be record breaking temperatures 287 00:14:46,480 --> 00:14:49,920 Speaker 4: in the Midwest and the Northeast. So it's it's extreme heat, 288 00:14:50,040 --> 00:14:55,000 Speaker 4: it's flooding, it's fires, it's hurricanes, snowstorms, tornados. All of 289 00:14:55,040 --> 00:14:58,920 Speaker 4: those things curb outside of the home activities, which are 290 00:14:58,920 --> 00:15:01,800 Speaker 4: typically a soci stated with bigger ticket spending. 291 00:15:01,920 --> 00:15:02,680 Speaker 1: So think of. 292 00:15:02,640 --> 00:15:04,920 Speaker 4: Things like going to an amusement park or a concert 293 00:15:05,000 --> 00:15:07,600 Speaker 4: versus watching Netflix, going to a lakehouse for the weekend 294 00:15:07,720 --> 00:15:10,280 Speaker 4: versus staying home, going out to dinner versus staying home. 295 00:15:10,760 --> 00:15:14,320 Speaker 4: So the effect the curb on out of the home 296 00:15:14,480 --> 00:15:19,560 Speaker 4: activities will translate into a different and a less retail spend. 297 00:15:19,960 --> 00:15:23,120 Speaker 4: So that's somewhat having to do with cicadas. I stay 298 00:15:23,160 --> 00:15:24,440 Speaker 4: in because it is life as. 299 00:15:24,400 --> 00:15:27,000 Speaker 5: Shining, really horrifying. 300 00:15:27,040 --> 00:15:29,120 Speaker 3: Where where are you, Jill? Where is this happening? 301 00:15:29,920 --> 00:15:30,640 Speaker 7: I am home. 302 00:15:30,480 --> 00:15:33,280 Speaker 4: Based in the Chicago market. They're pretty brutal. 303 00:15:33,480 --> 00:15:36,280 Speaker 5: Interesting, man, I didn't eve think about the sit here? 304 00:15:36,320 --> 00:15:37,440 Speaker 7: Do we know? We do we do. 305 00:15:37,680 --> 00:15:40,760 Speaker 5: Yeah, yeah, no, I mean, like not yet, but they're 306 00:15:40,800 --> 00:15:41,680 Speaker 5: they're definitely gonna come. 307 00:15:41,800 --> 00:15:43,280 Speaker 3: Yeah yeah, okay, But to. 308 00:15:43,200 --> 00:15:44,880 Speaker 5: Your point about extreme temperatures. 309 00:15:44,480 --> 00:15:45,960 Speaker 2: Too, because then you stay home and guess what, you 310 00:15:45,960 --> 00:15:47,760 Speaker 2: pump the air conditioner because if you don't, you're dealing 311 00:15:47,760 --> 00:15:49,760 Speaker 2: with one hundred degree heat and that is a huge bill. 312 00:15:49,800 --> 00:15:52,680 Speaker 2: I mean, already my electricity bill has jumped by what 313 00:15:52,880 --> 00:15:55,400 Speaker 2: by two just just for May and. 314 00:15:55,360 --> 00:15:57,680 Speaker 5: It wasn't even that hot. So that's going to be 315 00:15:57,680 --> 00:15:58,640 Speaker 5: another impact as well. 316 00:15:58,720 --> 00:16:03,440 Speaker 4: Yeah, as well as think about the damage that comes 317 00:16:03,440 --> 00:16:07,080 Speaker 4: from a flood or hurricane tornado. So yeah, it really 318 00:16:07,200 --> 00:16:10,400 Speaker 4: drives dollars being spent elsewhere, as well as the fact 319 00:16:10,400 --> 00:16:12,080 Speaker 4: that it curves outside the home spending. 320 00:16:13,280 --> 00:16:16,080 Speaker 2: Talk about then, in terms of how loyal people are 321 00:16:16,160 --> 00:16:18,040 Speaker 2: to brands, like is it just going to be a 322 00:16:18,080 --> 00:16:20,480 Speaker 2: pure value trade, like the lowest price that you can 323 00:16:20,480 --> 00:16:22,200 Speaker 2: give me is what I'm going to buy? Or do 324 00:16:22,200 --> 00:16:24,160 Speaker 2: you feel like it's going to be very selective and 325 00:16:24,240 --> 00:16:25,480 Speaker 2: brand loyalty matters. 326 00:16:27,360 --> 00:16:29,200 Speaker 4: So I heard somebody call this right now, and I 327 00:16:29,240 --> 00:16:31,720 Speaker 4: thought it was pretty clever that we're ing that we're 328 00:16:31,840 --> 00:16:34,960 Speaker 4: entering into the air of brand co miscuity, where we 329 00:16:35,040 --> 00:16:38,480 Speaker 4: are essentially buying short term loyalty, but we're really creating 330 00:16:38,560 --> 00:16:42,560 Speaker 4: long term disloyalty. So all those promotions buy today, but 331 00:16:42,600 --> 00:16:47,040 Speaker 4: they sacrifice tomorrow. Having said that, I'd say that retailers 332 00:16:47,080 --> 00:16:49,280 Speaker 4: are looking at a number of strategies. So it's not 333 00:16:49,360 --> 00:16:53,000 Speaker 4: just promotions, it's their amping up their loyalty programs, their 334 00:16:53,040 --> 00:16:56,280 Speaker 4: digital offers, their private label offerings. And let's talk a 335 00:16:56,320 --> 00:16:59,840 Speaker 4: little bit about everyday price, right, So Walmart and Target 336 00:17:00,480 --> 00:17:03,520 Speaker 4: publicly said that they plan to reduce the everyday price 337 00:17:03,600 --> 00:17:06,480 Speaker 4: on thousands of items. This is a great trip driving 338 00:17:06,480 --> 00:17:09,399 Speaker 4: strategy to get the consumer into their stores, especially the 339 00:17:09,400 --> 00:17:13,560 Speaker 4: consumers that are struggling to buy the basics every day. 340 00:17:13,640 --> 00:17:15,640 Speaker 4: And it's a real shift in what we've seen over 341 00:17:15,640 --> 00:17:17,879 Speaker 4: the past two to three years, and it might mark 342 00:17:18,200 --> 00:17:20,920 Speaker 4: the beginning of a price war the likes of which 343 00:17:20,920 --> 00:17:22,800 Speaker 4: we haven't seen since inflation took hold. 344 00:17:23,680 --> 00:17:27,080 Speaker 3: So what are retailers trying to do here? I mean, 345 00:17:27,160 --> 00:17:31,080 Speaker 3: are they are they? Are they trying to keep customers? 346 00:17:31,119 --> 00:17:34,040 Speaker 3: Are they are they just looking at for their own margins? 347 00:17:34,320 --> 00:17:35,880 Speaker 3: What are retailers strategy here? 348 00:17:37,080 --> 00:17:41,359 Speaker 4: Oh? Yes, and yes and maybe even more yeses. It 349 00:17:41,520 --> 00:17:44,920 Speaker 4: is less today about a pie that's growing and it's 350 00:17:44,920 --> 00:17:48,600 Speaker 4: more about stealing share versus creating demand. So somebody's win 351 00:17:48,720 --> 00:17:51,080 Speaker 4: is somebody's loss again, could be a brand, a retailer, 352 00:17:51,640 --> 00:17:54,120 Speaker 4: or a product choice. And so retailers you know, are 353 00:17:54,200 --> 00:17:58,760 Speaker 4: trying to are trying to get purchases and consumers that 354 00:17:58,840 --> 00:18:02,119 Speaker 4: they might not normally get and or have recently lost. 355 00:18:02,760 --> 00:18:05,359 Speaker 4: One of the things that we're seeing now that's really 356 00:18:05,400 --> 00:18:10,480 Speaker 4: interesting is both manufacturers and retailers trying to sell you know, 357 00:18:10,560 --> 00:18:13,879 Speaker 4: call it non traditional products and non traditional outlets. And 358 00:18:13,920 --> 00:18:16,719 Speaker 4: so you could expect to see health and beautycare products 359 00:18:16,760 --> 00:18:19,320 Speaker 4: at a Dick Sporting Good, maybe some more food products 360 00:18:19,320 --> 00:18:21,399 Speaker 4: at a TJ Max, And so they're really trying to 361 00:18:21,440 --> 00:18:25,840 Speaker 4: get new avenues and distribution to get those consumers in store. 362 00:18:26,680 --> 00:18:29,159 Speaker 4: A flip version of that is if you look at 363 00:18:29,160 --> 00:18:32,400 Speaker 4: the dollar channel, the dollar channel has traditionally owned that 364 00:18:32,760 --> 00:18:35,840 Speaker 4: you know, that lower price point or that opening price point, 365 00:18:36,040 --> 00:18:39,600 Speaker 4: that so many other retailers are now entering into the 366 00:18:39,680 --> 00:18:43,000 Speaker 4: smaller pack sizes for that opening price point and really 367 00:18:43,080 --> 00:18:45,600 Speaker 4: getting that volume from the dollar stores. 368 00:18:46,040 --> 00:18:47,360 Speaker 5: Wow, that's really interesting. It's true. 369 00:18:47,560 --> 00:18:49,879 Speaker 2: As a frequent user of TJ Max, I do notice 370 00:18:49,920 --> 00:18:52,800 Speaker 2: that there are is more packaged food, the home good store. 371 00:18:52,840 --> 00:18:55,479 Speaker 2: Oh my god, it's everywhere on the half of it 372 00:18:55,480 --> 00:18:59,320 Speaker 2: feels like it's food. Now, just to wrap this conversation 373 00:18:59,400 --> 00:19:01,080 Speaker 2: up as we go to sort of the Fed, let's 374 00:19:01,080 --> 00:19:03,120 Speaker 2: just pretend the FED cuts one or two times this year? 375 00:19:03,200 --> 00:19:04,800 Speaker 5: Did they say one? Market says two? 376 00:19:05,160 --> 00:19:08,280 Speaker 2: Does that matter for the consumers that we are talking about. 377 00:19:08,320 --> 00:19:10,919 Speaker 2: Does that materially change kind of what they buy and 378 00:19:10,960 --> 00:19:13,480 Speaker 2: how they spend long term? 379 00:19:13,560 --> 00:19:16,080 Speaker 4: Yes, near in, not as much as we would think. 380 00:19:16,840 --> 00:19:18,640 Speaker 4: It will have a little bit of an effect. But again, 381 00:19:18,880 --> 00:19:22,479 Speaker 4: cumulative is really the word of the day here, and 382 00:19:22,520 --> 00:19:25,480 Speaker 4: that it takes a while for any of these effects 383 00:19:25,920 --> 00:19:28,840 Speaker 4: to catch up to the consumer. So what we're seeing 384 00:19:28,880 --> 00:19:31,159 Speaker 4: today is the effect of what's been happening over the 385 00:19:31,160 --> 00:19:34,080 Speaker 4: past twelve to twenty four months, and so it will 386 00:19:34,080 --> 00:19:36,200 Speaker 4: have an effect, but not as big of an effect. 387 00:19:36,280 --> 00:19:37,080 Speaker 4: Near In. 388 00:19:38,240 --> 00:19:40,119 Speaker 3: Hey, Jill, thanks so much for joining us. They really 389 00:19:40,200 --> 00:19:43,479 Speaker 3: appreciate it. Joe Blanchard, president of Enterprise Client Solutions at 390 00:19:43,520 --> 00:19:48,880 Speaker 3: Advantage Solutions, on Zoom from Cicada infested Illinois. 391 00:19:50,800 --> 00:19:54,680 Speaker 1: You're listening to the Bloomberg Intelligence Podcast. Catch us live 392 00:19:54,760 --> 00:19:57,560 Speaker 1: weekdays at ten am Eastern on Effo Cardplay and then 393 00:19:57,600 --> 00:20:01,159 Speaker 1: broud outo with the Bloomberg Business app demand wherever you 394 00:20:01,200 --> 00:20:04,880 Speaker 1: get your podcasts, or watch us live on YouTube. 395 00:20:05,520 --> 00:20:07,879 Speaker 2: One other stock we're watching is Lenar, down by almost 396 00:20:07,960 --> 00:20:11,240 Speaker 2: three percent. So there's a homebuilder and it forecasted that 397 00:20:11,280 --> 00:20:12,720 Speaker 2: deals in the third quarter. 398 00:20:13,119 --> 00:20:15,040 Speaker 5: Missed consensus expectations. 399 00:20:15,080 --> 00:20:16,520 Speaker 2: And then Barkley's pointed out that if you take a 400 00:20:16,560 --> 00:20:18,960 Speaker 2: look at their fourth quarter guidance, it implies a very 401 00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:22,399 Speaker 2: large ramp up in gross margins in that quarter, and 402 00:20:22,520 --> 00:20:24,280 Speaker 2: investors are a little skeptical as to whether or not 403 00:20:24,280 --> 00:20:26,560 Speaker 2: that actually is going to happen. So no one to 404 00:20:26,600 --> 00:20:29,639 Speaker 2: turn to but Drew reading Bloomberg Intelligence home builder analysts. 405 00:20:29,640 --> 00:20:32,520 Speaker 2: He joins us now from Princeton, New Jersey. Hey, Drew, 406 00:20:32,560 --> 00:20:34,119 Speaker 2: I don't know. I thought it was all like, we 407 00:20:34,160 --> 00:20:35,119 Speaker 2: don't have enough supply. 408 00:20:35,359 --> 00:20:37,360 Speaker 5: This is bullish for builders. So what happened? 409 00:20:38,520 --> 00:20:41,280 Speaker 7: Well, I think you framed it perfectly. The story with Lenar, 410 00:20:41,359 --> 00:20:43,240 Speaker 7: why the stock sound? Is it so much about what's 411 00:20:43,240 --> 00:20:46,399 Speaker 7: happening with the volumes they deliver good orders? They're up 412 00:20:46,480 --> 00:20:49,200 Speaker 7: nineteen percent, they maintain their four year guidance for eighty 413 00:20:49,240 --> 00:20:52,000 Speaker 7: thousand home closings. It has to do with their outlook 414 00:20:52,040 --> 00:20:56,159 Speaker 7: for gross margin, they guided to about one hundred basis 415 00:20:56,160 --> 00:20:58,720 Speaker 7: points below what the street was looking for, and as 416 00:20:58,760 --> 00:21:00,760 Speaker 7: you mentioned, that would work quire a ramp in the 417 00:21:00,760 --> 00:21:03,600 Speaker 7: fourth quarter to about twenty five percent. So, like you said, 418 00:21:03,600 --> 00:21:07,080 Speaker 7: there's definitely some skepticism and their ability to meet their 419 00:21:07,119 --> 00:21:10,520 Speaker 7: four year outlook. The reason for that is because we 420 00:21:10,560 --> 00:21:12,480 Speaker 7: saw rates move up as high as seven and a 421 00:21:12,520 --> 00:21:15,040 Speaker 7: half percent during the quarter. You know, they've come back 422 00:21:15,080 --> 00:21:17,199 Speaker 7: in a little bit, but we're seeing their need to 423 00:21:17,240 --> 00:21:21,400 Speaker 7: incentivize buyers remain elevated, and that's what's impacting profitability. 424 00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:24,280 Speaker 3: So where are we in that activity there? If I'm 425 00:21:24,440 --> 00:21:27,000 Speaker 3: if I'm looking at a seven percent mortgage, what are 426 00:21:27,000 --> 00:21:27,679 Speaker 3: they going to do for me? 427 00:21:29,400 --> 00:21:32,280 Speaker 7: Yeah, So typically what we're seeing is that the builders 428 00:21:32,359 --> 00:21:34,679 Speaker 7: will maintain a spread versus the headline rate. So if 429 00:21:34,680 --> 00:21:36,720 Speaker 7: you're seeing seven and a half percent in the market, 430 00:21:37,280 --> 00:21:39,639 Speaker 7: typically you're going to get six percent from a builder. 431 00:21:40,480 --> 00:21:42,200 Speaker 7: You know, there are some other builders and depending on 432 00:21:42,240 --> 00:21:45,080 Speaker 7: the market, depending on how strong the market is, what 433 00:21:45,160 --> 00:21:47,760 Speaker 7: demand looks like, they could get you into the fives. 434 00:21:48,800 --> 00:21:50,560 Speaker 7: But obviously that's going to cost them on the gross 435 00:21:50,560 --> 00:21:53,920 Speaker 7: margin line. So the incentives they're using are certainly working, 436 00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:55,520 Speaker 7: it's just what's the cost. 437 00:21:55,840 --> 00:21:58,480 Speaker 2: So that one hundred percent the one hundred bases point miss, 438 00:21:58,560 --> 00:22:01,000 Speaker 2: but then keeping their guidance for ro's margin for the year, 439 00:22:01,119 --> 00:22:03,679 Speaker 2: that must imply that they're looking for rake cuts. 440 00:22:05,720 --> 00:22:08,600 Speaker 7: Yeah, I think a lot of it has to do 441 00:22:08,640 --> 00:22:10,600 Speaker 7: with what they're doing on the call side. One of 442 00:22:10,800 --> 00:22:14,800 Speaker 7: you know, Lenar's emphasis for their business over the last 443 00:22:15,119 --> 00:22:18,600 Speaker 7: several years has really been running a more efficient manufacturing 444 00:22:18,680 --> 00:22:22,879 Speaker 7: based business where they're not necessarily just chasing volume, but 445 00:22:22,880 --> 00:22:25,760 Speaker 7: they're doing it the right way. They're fine tuning their 446 00:22:25,760 --> 00:22:28,600 Speaker 7: floor plans, they're pushing back on their suppliers. You have 447 00:22:28,600 --> 00:22:31,199 Speaker 7: to remember they're one of the second largest builder in 448 00:22:31,240 --> 00:22:33,360 Speaker 7: the country, but they're one of the only builders who 449 00:22:33,400 --> 00:22:36,520 Speaker 7: has scale at the national level, so they're able to 450 00:22:36,640 --> 00:22:38,919 Speaker 7: leverage that and kind of push back a little bit. 451 00:22:38,960 --> 00:22:41,200 Speaker 7: So certainly some of the benefit that they expect in 452 00:22:41,240 --> 00:22:43,240 Speaker 7: foro Q, I would assume is going to come from 453 00:22:43,280 --> 00:22:45,320 Speaker 7: what they're doing on the calls side, as well as 454 00:22:45,359 --> 00:22:49,000 Speaker 7: fixed leverage from higher deliveries. But nonetheless that's still going 455 00:22:49,040 --> 00:22:51,199 Speaker 7: to be the focal point for investors is how do 456 00:22:51,240 --> 00:22:51,760 Speaker 7: they get there? 457 00:22:52,000 --> 00:22:52,400 Speaker 5: How much? 458 00:22:52,480 --> 00:22:54,119 Speaker 3: I mean, I remember this back in the beginning of 459 00:22:54,320 --> 00:22:58,480 Speaker 3: the pandemic, lumber went crazy. Where are we in lumber 460 00:22:58,520 --> 00:23:02,520 Speaker 3: and help? How is that a part of their gross margin? 461 00:23:03,760 --> 00:23:06,520 Speaker 7: Sure so, lumbers about ten percent of the cogs for builders, 462 00:23:06,520 --> 00:23:09,000 Speaker 7: so it's certainly the most important input costs. As you 463 00:23:09,040 --> 00:23:13,600 Speaker 7: would expect, you know, lumber prices have come back down 464 00:23:13,760 --> 00:23:16,560 Speaker 7: a lot, so builders have been benefiting on the margin side. 465 00:23:16,560 --> 00:23:19,800 Speaker 7: I think we've seen more stabilization of late, perhaps a 466 00:23:19,800 --> 00:23:22,840 Speaker 7: little rise to the upside, but really lumbers not impacting 467 00:23:22,880 --> 00:23:25,480 Speaker 7: the business in as significant a way as it was 468 00:23:25,520 --> 00:23:26,720 Speaker 7: over the last couple of years. 469 00:23:27,160 --> 00:23:29,520 Speaker 2: So KB home reports after the bell today, right, So 470 00:23:29,600 --> 00:23:32,879 Speaker 2: what kind of company is KB home versus Lenar and 471 00:23:32,960 --> 00:23:34,639 Speaker 2: has that set up KB home for today? 472 00:23:36,000 --> 00:23:39,760 Speaker 7: Sure so, KB is predominantly focused on the entry level business. 473 00:23:39,760 --> 00:23:43,479 Speaker 7: It's about fifty percent or more of their total sales. 474 00:23:43,560 --> 00:23:46,240 Speaker 7: So in addition to just focus on broadly on the 475 00:23:46,400 --> 00:23:48,600 Speaker 7: entry level, we look at what they're doing from an 476 00:23:48,600 --> 00:23:51,480 Speaker 7: asp perspective to get a more holistic look. And they're 477 00:23:51,640 --> 00:23:55,840 Speaker 7: actually one of the more affordably priced builders, particularly when 478 00:23:55,880 --> 00:23:59,040 Speaker 7: you compare them to the resale market and against you know, 479 00:23:59,080 --> 00:24:02,520 Speaker 7: their public peers. So I think from a pricing perspective, 480 00:24:02,520 --> 00:24:05,000 Speaker 7: they're pretty well positioned, so they'll give us a good 481 00:24:05,040 --> 00:24:07,600 Speaker 7: sense what's happening on the lower end of the market. 482 00:24:08,160 --> 00:24:10,840 Speaker 7: With that being said, as you would expect, entry level 483 00:24:10,880 --> 00:24:13,879 Speaker 7: buyers are much more price sensitive. They're more sensitive to 484 00:24:13,920 --> 00:24:16,639 Speaker 7: that monthly payment and what's happening with rates. And we 485 00:24:16,680 --> 00:24:19,640 Speaker 7: saw that earlier with a low end builder LGI Homes 486 00:24:19,680 --> 00:24:22,680 Speaker 7: who's looking to take buyers out of a rental situation 487 00:24:22,760 --> 00:24:25,160 Speaker 7: and put them into a home, and we saw relative 488 00:24:25,200 --> 00:24:28,000 Speaker 7: weakness there. I think what you see from some of 489 00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:30,040 Speaker 7: the other builders is maybe a little bit more of 490 00:24:30,080 --> 00:24:33,080 Speaker 7: a higher end entry level buyer, maybe duel income who's 491 00:24:33,080 --> 00:24:35,920 Speaker 7: waited a little longer to purchase. So there still has 492 00:24:35,960 --> 00:24:37,760 Speaker 7: been relative strength, but we'll get a good read on 493 00:24:37,800 --> 00:24:38,520 Speaker 7: that buyer today. 494 00:24:39,040 --> 00:24:41,879 Speaker 3: What are the companies tell you about their expectations for 495 00:24:42,440 --> 00:24:44,199 Speaker 3: interest rates mortgage rates? What are they think is going 496 00:24:44,240 --> 00:24:44,600 Speaker 3: to happen? 497 00:24:46,160 --> 00:24:49,440 Speaker 7: So I think the expectation broadly is that mortgage rates 498 00:24:49,440 --> 00:24:51,000 Speaker 7: will start to come in a little bit as we 499 00:24:51,040 --> 00:24:52,919 Speaker 7: get through the end of the year. I don't think 500 00:24:52,960 --> 00:24:56,600 Speaker 7: they're managing their business for any you know, significant dropping 501 00:24:56,720 --> 00:24:59,040 Speaker 7: rates back to you know where we were previously. But 502 00:24:59,080 --> 00:25:02,080 Speaker 7: I think as a builder from a demand perspective, if 503 00:25:02,080 --> 00:25:03,920 Speaker 7: we get rates coming back to the six and a 504 00:25:03,960 --> 00:25:07,159 Speaker 7: half percent range, you know, that's pretty much a sweet 505 00:25:07,160 --> 00:25:09,960 Speaker 7: spot for them. You know, we've heard that as you 506 00:25:09,960 --> 00:25:11,920 Speaker 7: get to five and a half percent, that's really when 507 00:25:12,040 --> 00:25:15,000 Speaker 7: demand in the market starts to move. So the fact 508 00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:16,639 Speaker 7: that if we can get to six and a half 509 00:25:16,680 --> 00:25:18,840 Speaker 7: they're buying down rates one hundred basis points, I think 510 00:25:18,840 --> 00:25:22,040 Speaker 7: they'll continue to do well. And you know what's interesting 511 00:25:22,160 --> 00:25:25,560 Speaker 7: is the public builders are kind of at the top 512 00:25:25,600 --> 00:25:27,320 Speaker 7: of the food chain as it comes to housing. You 513 00:25:27,480 --> 00:25:31,160 Speaker 7: have to realize they're generating about fifty percent market share 514 00:25:31,280 --> 00:25:35,040 Speaker 7: compared to call it thirty eight percent prior to the pandemic, really, 515 00:25:35,119 --> 00:25:37,800 Speaker 7: so they've really leveraged that lack of inventory in the 516 00:25:37,800 --> 00:25:41,320 Speaker 7: resale market and the struggles among some of the smaller 517 00:25:41,359 --> 00:25:43,280 Speaker 7: private piers, and they've capitalized on it. 518 00:25:43,640 --> 00:25:45,320 Speaker 2: So when you say we have to the five and 519 00:25:45,359 --> 00:25:47,200 Speaker 2: a half percent is kind of a nice sweet spot. 520 00:25:47,440 --> 00:25:49,680 Speaker 2: So that implies the Fed Funds rated six and a 521 00:25:49,720 --> 00:25:52,040 Speaker 2: half percent, and the home builders still give thee hundred 522 00:25:52,040 --> 00:25:54,600 Speaker 2: bases point discount. When the Fed Funds rate gets to 523 00:25:54,720 --> 00:25:57,399 Speaker 2: five and a half percent, do the builders still offer 524 00:25:57,440 --> 00:25:58,960 Speaker 2: that one hundred basis point discount. 525 00:26:00,320 --> 00:26:02,880 Speaker 7: I think it's going to depend on what the broader 526 00:26:03,040 --> 00:26:06,840 Speaker 7: macro economic situation looks like. If we get a pullback 527 00:26:06,840 --> 00:26:10,479 Speaker 7: in rates, you know, a modest pullback, and we are 528 00:26:10,560 --> 00:26:14,320 Speaker 7: still dealing with a pretty solid labor market, I think that, 529 00:26:14,760 --> 00:26:16,760 Speaker 7: you know, builders will be able to definitely pull back 530 00:26:16,800 --> 00:26:19,480 Speaker 7: on their use of incentives. I don't know that they'll 531 00:26:19,480 --> 00:26:21,720 Speaker 7: go away all together, because at this point that's something 532 00:26:21,760 --> 00:26:24,360 Speaker 7: that buyers are looking to and it certainly made their 533 00:26:24,400 --> 00:26:28,639 Speaker 7: product more attractive. If we get a significant pullback in 534 00:26:28,720 --> 00:26:31,720 Speaker 7: rates and it's because you know, the economic situation has 535 00:26:31,760 --> 00:26:35,280 Speaker 7: deteriorated further, that's obviously more of a concern and we 536 00:26:35,280 --> 00:26:37,919 Speaker 7: would see them probably push incentives even harder. 537 00:26:38,600 --> 00:26:41,600 Speaker 3: What kind of homes are builders building these days, Drue. 538 00:26:41,640 --> 00:26:43,480 Speaker 3: Is it the mcmanson where they can get the big 539 00:26:43,560 --> 00:26:46,199 Speaker 3: profit margin or are they building what the market actually needs, 540 00:26:46,240 --> 00:26:49,120 Speaker 3: which is some of these entry lever homes. 541 00:26:49,760 --> 00:26:52,240 Speaker 7: Yeah, that's a great question, and we've seen one of 542 00:26:52,240 --> 00:26:56,440 Speaker 7: the primary ways that builders are addressing the affordability equation. 543 00:26:57,000 --> 00:27:00,840 Speaker 7: It's through smaller square footage floor plans. It's a shift 544 00:27:00,920 --> 00:27:02,680 Speaker 7: most of them have done. We've seen it over the 545 00:27:02,760 --> 00:27:05,960 Speaker 7: last couple of years more targeted towards the entry level. 546 00:27:06,760 --> 00:27:09,280 Speaker 7: Interestingly enough, you even have someone like a Toll Brothers, 547 00:27:09,320 --> 00:27:13,000 Speaker 7: who you traditionally think of as that luxury builder within 548 00:27:13,040 --> 00:27:16,520 Speaker 7: the builder space, they've shifted to what they call affordable luxury. 549 00:27:16,880 --> 00:27:18,960 Speaker 7: Now it's still not something that the masses are going 550 00:27:19,000 --> 00:27:21,119 Speaker 7: to be able to afford, but it's certainly a lower 551 00:27:21,160 --> 00:27:24,160 Speaker 7: price point that, as I said before, is attracting those 552 00:27:24,320 --> 00:27:27,840 Speaker 7: more well healed, duel income buyers. So every builder has 553 00:27:27,920 --> 00:27:30,359 Speaker 7: kind of attacked affordability in a different way, but I 554 00:27:30,400 --> 00:27:33,600 Speaker 7: think square footage has been something consistent across the group. 555 00:27:33,880 --> 00:27:35,879 Speaker 2: We only have about like forty five seconds left, But 556 00:27:35,920 --> 00:27:38,080 Speaker 2: what's a builder that's kind of pulling on all levers 557 00:27:38,119 --> 00:27:38,960 Speaker 2: correctly right now? 558 00:27:40,960 --> 00:27:43,639 Speaker 7: I think Lenar is actually an interesting case, and the 559 00:27:44,320 --> 00:27:47,280 Speaker 7: while the guidance may have disappointed a little bit, they're 560 00:27:47,280 --> 00:27:49,320 Speaker 7: really delivering on what they said they're going to do. 561 00:27:49,359 --> 00:27:52,119 Speaker 7: They're focused on price over pace and they're willing to 562 00:27:52,160 --> 00:27:54,560 Speaker 7: sacrifice a little bit of gross margin to do so. 563 00:27:54,960 --> 00:27:56,960 Speaker 7: And the idea is that they're going to generate a 564 00:27:57,000 --> 00:27:59,480 Speaker 7: ton of cash that they can use to pay down 565 00:27:59,520 --> 00:28:02,800 Speaker 7: debt return case to shareholders, which is something investors obviously 566 00:28:02,920 --> 00:28:04,120 Speaker 7: like all right, he Drew. 567 00:28:04,000 --> 00:28:05,399 Speaker 5: Really appreciate it, really great stuff. 568 00:28:05,400 --> 00:28:08,920 Speaker 2: You're reading a Bloomberg Intelligence joining us on the NARS Earning. 569 00:28:09,800 --> 00:28:13,680 Speaker 1: You're listening to the Bloomberg Intelligence podcast. Catch us live 570 00:28:13,760 --> 00:28:17,560 Speaker 1: weekdays at ten am Eastern on Applecarplay and Android Auto 571 00:28:17,720 --> 00:28:20,480 Speaker 1: with the Bloomberg Business app. You can also listen live 572 00:28:20,600 --> 00:28:23,760 Speaker 1: on Amazon Alexa from our flagship New York station Just 573 00:28:23,840 --> 00:28:28,720 Speaker 1: Say Alexa playing Bloomberg eleven thirty. 574 00:28:28,440 --> 00:28:30,159 Speaker 3: The Alex Steel and Paul Sweeney were live here in 575 00:28:30,160 --> 00:28:33,280 Speaker 3: a Bloomberg Interactive Brokers studio, or streaming live on YouTube 576 00:28:33,280 --> 00:28:36,400 Speaker 3: as well, So just head over to YouTube dot com 577 00:28:36,440 --> 00:28:40,040 Speaker 3: and search for Bloomberg podcasts. Let's turn our attention to healthcare. 578 00:28:40,840 --> 00:28:43,960 Speaker 3: How about this. Japan is dealing with rising cases of 579 00:28:44,000 --> 00:28:47,560 Speaker 3: a disease caused by a rare flesh eating bacteria that 580 00:28:47,560 --> 00:28:50,040 Speaker 3: can kill people within forty eight hours. Health authorities have 581 00:28:50,080 --> 00:28:55,239 Speaker 3: reported over one thousand cases of streptocockle toxic syndrome. How 582 00:28:55,240 --> 00:28:57,680 Speaker 3: about that as of early June, higher than the record 583 00:28:57,760 --> 00:28:59,520 Speaker 3: nine hundred and forty one cases reporter for all of 584 00:28:59,520 --> 00:29:03,400 Speaker 3: twenty twenty three. At the current rate of infection, experts 585 00:29:03,400 --> 00:29:06,440 Speaker 3: fear the number of cases in Japan can reach twenty 586 00:29:06,440 --> 00:29:08,080 Speaker 3: five hundred this year. For more on the story, we 587 00:29:08,160 --> 00:29:11,920 Speaker 3: check out on Meshadalogia, Senior scholar at the Center for 588 00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:15,680 Speaker 3: Health Security at John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Uh, 589 00:29:15,840 --> 00:29:17,920 Speaker 3: doctor Adalgia thinks, so much for joining us. Can you 590 00:29:17,960 --> 00:29:21,479 Speaker 3: tell us about streptococcle toxic shock? What is it? 591 00:29:21,600 --> 00:29:25,160 Speaker 5: N by the way I job tell us about it? 592 00:29:25,240 --> 00:29:29,400 Speaker 8: So this is just this is Streptococcus is a bacteria 593 00:29:29,480 --> 00:29:31,440 Speaker 8: that all of us have dealt with. It's the same 594 00:29:31,480 --> 00:29:35,520 Speaker 8: bacteria that causes strep throat. What can happen though in 595 00:29:35,880 --> 00:29:38,719 Speaker 8: certain individuals is it can be a much more severe 596 00:29:38,720 --> 00:29:42,240 Speaker 8: infection where it can cause what we call, you know, 597 00:29:42,360 --> 00:29:46,680 Speaker 8: necrotizing or flesh eating type of skin infections and then 598 00:29:46,720 --> 00:29:50,240 Speaker 8: also spread systemically and cause multiple different organ systems to 599 00:29:50,280 --> 00:29:52,400 Speaker 8: shut down. So that's when we use the kind of 600 00:29:52,480 --> 00:29:56,280 Speaker 8: term toxic shocks. And it was said that bacteria basically 601 00:29:56,320 --> 00:29:58,920 Speaker 8: disseminates toxins throughout your whole body and it's a very 602 00:29:58,920 --> 00:30:02,000 Speaker 8: serious illness with high levels of morbidity immortality. 603 00:30:02,320 --> 00:30:05,160 Speaker 5: Doctor, Is this new or is this always been the case? 604 00:30:06,080 --> 00:30:08,120 Speaker 8: It's always been the case. But what's new is that 605 00:30:08,160 --> 00:30:11,720 Speaker 8: in Japan post pandemic, they've reported at least two years 606 00:30:11,760 --> 00:30:14,800 Speaker 8: where they've had higher than normal cases and trying to 607 00:30:14,880 --> 00:30:18,080 Speaker 8: unravel the mystery of why that change in epidemiology occurred 608 00:30:18,440 --> 00:30:21,920 Speaker 8: is what's getting headlines right now. But streptococcal toxic SHOCKSIM 609 00:30:21,920 --> 00:30:25,440 Speaker 8: has been around forever. It's just this increase in Japan 610 00:30:25,520 --> 00:30:27,360 Speaker 8: that people are interested in. 611 00:30:28,400 --> 00:30:31,720 Speaker 3: How do the medical professionals, how are they treating this? 612 00:30:33,040 --> 00:30:36,000 Speaker 8: So the mainstay is going to be antibiotics, but because 613 00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:38,840 Speaker 8: it's this systemic toxin disease, we often give other drugs 614 00:30:38,880 --> 00:30:43,840 Speaker 8: to modulate the immune system, and if there are elements 615 00:30:43,880 --> 00:30:46,840 Speaker 8: of flesh eating disease going on, they basically have to 616 00:30:46,840 --> 00:30:49,720 Speaker 8: do extensive surgery to kind of cut ahead of the infection. 617 00:30:50,440 --> 00:30:54,640 Speaker 2: Oh my god, this sounds terrible. How quickly does this happen? 618 00:30:54,840 --> 00:30:58,120 Speaker 2: I mean, you know strep can come on really quickly 619 00:30:58,200 --> 00:30:59,680 Speaker 2: and it might take you a couple of days to 620 00:30:59,720 --> 00:31:00,760 Speaker 2: realize that you have it. 621 00:31:00,920 --> 00:31:02,200 Speaker 5: Like, what's the cycle for this? 622 00:31:03,880 --> 00:31:07,200 Speaker 8: Well, when you get into that toxic shock syndrome spiral, 623 00:31:07,480 --> 00:31:10,520 Speaker 8: it's very fast. They can be dramatic, you know, even 624 00:31:10,560 --> 00:31:12,480 Speaker 8: in an hour can be a major difference in a patient. 625 00:31:13,080 --> 00:31:14,800 Speaker 8: But It's important remember that not everybody that gets a 626 00:31:14,800 --> 00:31:18,280 Speaker 8: strep infection is going to get it's still rare, and 627 00:31:18,280 --> 00:31:20,160 Speaker 8: the most people who have a strep infection of their 628 00:31:20,160 --> 00:31:22,280 Speaker 8: throat or if their skin, it's going to turn out 629 00:31:22,280 --> 00:31:24,520 Speaker 8: to be kind of a garden variety infection. But it 630 00:31:24,600 --> 00:31:28,160 Speaker 8: is important for clinicians to keep in mind that if 631 00:31:28,160 --> 00:31:30,560 Speaker 8: people are getting worse, if they're not getting better, if 632 00:31:30,560 --> 00:31:34,720 Speaker 8: they're more concerning systemic symptoms occurring, that they think about this. 633 00:31:35,000 --> 00:31:37,040 Speaker 8: And it's also important for patients to know that as well, 634 00:31:37,080 --> 00:31:38,920 Speaker 8: that if they're not getting better in the expected time, 635 00:31:39,000 --> 00:31:40,920 Speaker 8: or they're taking a turn for the worst when they're 636 00:31:40,920 --> 00:31:43,920 Speaker 8: already on antibiotics, that this is something where they need 637 00:31:43,960 --> 00:31:44,920 Speaker 8: to seek care immediately. 638 00:31:45,440 --> 00:31:48,480 Speaker 3: Is there any reason why it would be I guess 639 00:31:48,560 --> 00:31:53,200 Speaker 3: localized in Japan here to anything that is unique to. 640 00:31:53,200 --> 00:31:56,200 Speaker 8: That part of the world, not particularly, I mean, we've 641 00:31:56,200 --> 00:32:01,040 Speaker 8: seen increases in streptococal infections, not necessarily toxic shock, all 642 00:32:01,080 --> 00:32:04,040 Speaker 8: over all over different countries. For example, the UK had 643 00:32:04,080 --> 00:32:06,560 Speaker 8: a major issue with this a couple of years ago, 644 00:32:06,760 --> 00:32:08,600 Speaker 8: and it may be having to do with kind of 645 00:32:08,680 --> 00:32:12,040 Speaker 8: idiosyncrasies in the immunity in the population in Japan. Remember, 646 00:32:12,080 --> 00:32:13,840 Speaker 8: we all came through a pandemic where there was a 647 00:32:13,840 --> 00:32:17,160 Speaker 8: lot of social distancing and many of the ordinary infections 648 00:32:17,160 --> 00:32:21,000 Speaker 8: that people get every year were kind of disrupted. And 649 00:32:21,360 --> 00:32:23,440 Speaker 8: there may have been different disruptions in different parts of 650 00:32:23,440 --> 00:32:27,320 Speaker 8: the world and different prevalences of these infections, and now 651 00:32:27,320 --> 00:32:31,080 Speaker 8: they're kind of coming back to their prior levels and 652 00:32:31,200 --> 00:32:32,200 Speaker 8: there's some catching. 653 00:32:32,000 --> 00:32:32,360 Speaker 7: Up to do. 654 00:32:32,960 --> 00:32:34,520 Speaker 8: There are people who might not have had as much 655 00:32:34,520 --> 00:32:36,800 Speaker 8: immunity because they weren't exposed at a low level over 656 00:32:36,800 --> 00:32:38,920 Speaker 8: the last couple of years, or they just might not 657 00:32:38,960 --> 00:32:41,480 Speaker 8: have been infected. And there's a certain number that are 658 00:32:41,480 --> 00:32:43,680 Speaker 8: going to be expected every year in Japan, and because 659 00:32:43,680 --> 00:32:48,040 Speaker 8: you had a two year lull, now it's coming back 660 00:32:48,080 --> 00:32:50,840 Speaker 8: to baseline levels and that's what they're noticing. So this 661 00:32:50,920 --> 00:32:52,560 Speaker 8: is kind of one of the leading hypothesis. But we 662 00:32:52,560 --> 00:32:54,720 Speaker 8: don't know quite everything for sure what's going on in Japan, 663 00:32:54,800 --> 00:32:56,400 Speaker 8: but that's what I think is at play. 664 00:32:56,720 --> 00:32:58,800 Speaker 2: What are the sign you mentioned that if you're on 665 00:32:58,800 --> 00:33:00,920 Speaker 2: antibiotics for strap and you know, get better, but you 666 00:33:00,960 --> 00:33:03,000 Speaker 2: get worse. What are some other signs that people should 667 00:33:03,000 --> 00:33:03,720 Speaker 2: be looking out for. 668 00:33:05,080 --> 00:33:09,000 Speaker 8: Well, so severe a spreading rash that's getting severe, severe 669 00:33:09,000 --> 00:33:11,280 Speaker 8: pain if there's a rash where the infection might have been, 670 00:33:12,520 --> 00:33:18,240 Speaker 8: anything involving low blood pressure, extreme fatigue, not being clear mentally, 671 00:33:18,760 --> 00:33:21,800 Speaker 8: difficulty breathing, all of those kind of signs that the 672 00:33:21,840 --> 00:33:23,360 Speaker 8: infection is not localized. 673 00:33:24,200 --> 00:33:26,280 Speaker 3: Nic doctor. I remember we used to talk to you 674 00:33:26,360 --> 00:33:28,400 Speaker 3: all the time during the pandemic. You were very kind 675 00:33:28,440 --> 00:33:30,760 Speaker 3: to share your time and you know, kind of educate 676 00:33:30,800 --> 00:33:34,280 Speaker 3: a lot of folks on what this virus was, how 677 00:33:34,760 --> 00:33:37,800 Speaker 3: doctors and health professionals were treating it, and then ultimately 678 00:33:37,840 --> 00:33:40,200 Speaker 3: the vaccine and the efficacy of the vaccine. So we 679 00:33:40,320 --> 00:33:43,360 Speaker 3: again appreciate all that time you gave us. Now that 680 00:33:43,360 --> 00:33:45,880 Speaker 3: we've got that in the rear view mirror here, I 681 00:33:45,920 --> 00:33:47,960 Speaker 3: know one of the themes that came out of that 682 00:33:48,080 --> 00:33:50,920 Speaker 3: was just the stress on the healthcare system and the 683 00:33:51,040 --> 00:33:54,480 Speaker 3: people of the healthcare system that doctors and nurses and 684 00:33:54,480 --> 00:33:57,000 Speaker 3: everybody of the work they had to be in the 685 00:33:57,040 --> 00:34:00,600 Speaker 3: front lines during those early months and in that year. 686 00:34:01,400 --> 00:34:03,320 Speaker 3: How are the folks, the good folks at Johns Hopkins 687 00:34:03,360 --> 00:34:06,040 Speaker 3: that you deal with in the facilities, how are they 688 00:34:06,240 --> 00:34:07,760 Speaker 3: doing several years on now? 689 00:34:08,840 --> 00:34:11,320 Speaker 8: Well, I think that most healthcare systems around the country 690 00:34:11,360 --> 00:34:14,400 Speaker 8: have kind of come to a new normal where there's 691 00:34:14,520 --> 00:34:18,560 Speaker 8: kind of chronic burnout, there are chronic staffing issues where 692 00:34:18,760 --> 00:34:22,680 Speaker 8: people quite haven't recovered from the way that the pandemic 693 00:34:22,719 --> 00:34:26,640 Speaker 8: altered hospital operations. And this is going to be one 694 00:34:26,680 --> 00:34:29,560 Speaker 8: of the long tails of the pandemic. It's not something 695 00:34:29,600 --> 00:34:31,440 Speaker 8: that you can just bounce back from. There wasn't a 696 00:34:31,440 --> 00:34:33,480 Speaker 8: lot of resiliency built into the system. There wasn't a 697 00:34:33,560 --> 00:34:36,760 Speaker 8: lot of kind of slack in it, and the pandemic 698 00:34:36,960 --> 00:34:39,239 Speaker 8: ate up all that slack. And I just think that 699 00:34:39,239 --> 00:34:42,840 Speaker 8: we're in a situation where a lot of people still 700 00:34:43,320 --> 00:34:46,120 Speaker 8: are carrying those scars around of that time when they 701 00:34:46,120 --> 00:34:49,920 Speaker 8: were overworked, where there were concerns about personal protective equipment, 702 00:34:50,040 --> 00:34:52,960 Speaker 8: where hospitals were crashing, and even when you look at 703 00:34:52,960 --> 00:34:57,280 Speaker 8: the economics of hospitals, we're seeing hospitals closed, rural hospitals 704 00:34:57,440 --> 00:35:01,080 Speaker 8: really looking at their financial viability hospital banker. So this 705 00:35:01,160 --> 00:35:03,240 Speaker 8: was something that took a major toll on the healthcare system, 706 00:35:03,440 --> 00:35:05,920 Speaker 8: just like we expected and predicted it with And this 707 00:35:06,000 --> 00:35:09,760 Speaker 8: is why it's so important to incorporate healthcare preparedness, healthcare 708 00:35:09,760 --> 00:35:14,040 Speaker 8: resiliency into planning for the next infectious disease emergency, whatever 709 00:35:14,080 --> 00:35:16,440 Speaker 8: it might be. This can't just be something that we 710 00:35:16,560 --> 00:35:19,000 Speaker 8: think about when there's a crisis, when it's in the headlines. 711 00:35:19,239 --> 00:35:21,160 Speaker 8: This is something that needs to be done kind of 712 00:35:21,239 --> 00:35:24,520 Speaker 8: with a long term eye to the future to make 713 00:35:24,560 --> 00:35:29,680 Speaker 8: a sustainable way to operate hospitals and make emergency prepared 714 00:35:29,719 --> 00:35:30,800 Speaker 8: and as part of their core function. 715 00:35:32,160 --> 00:35:35,160 Speaker 2: How are we doing with COVID? I mean, COVID loves me. 716 00:35:35,520 --> 00:35:38,560 Speaker 2: It doesn't love Paul, but it loves me. How are 717 00:35:38,560 --> 00:35:41,680 Speaker 2: we doing with COVID? What are the cases like? Where 718 00:35:41,719 --> 00:35:43,560 Speaker 2: are we going to get vaccinations in the fall for 719 00:35:43,680 --> 00:35:44,640 Speaker 2: fluen covid? 720 00:35:44,680 --> 00:35:45,239 Speaker 5: What do you think? 721 00:35:48,000 --> 00:35:50,759 Speaker 8: Well, COVID is something that's increased over time in the 722 00:35:50,880 --> 00:35:53,360 Speaker 8: last several weeks or so. But we've seen is this 723 00:35:53,520 --> 00:35:57,359 Speaker 8: virus is endemic, but it continues to mutate and spin 724 00:35:57,400 --> 00:36:00,520 Speaker 8: off new variants that are able to infect us. Right now, 725 00:36:00,880 --> 00:36:03,720 Speaker 8: all across the country, COVID cases are up, emergency department 726 00:36:03,840 --> 00:36:06,440 Speaker 8: visits are up, but its ability to cause severe disease, 727 00:36:06,640 --> 00:36:09,480 Speaker 8: its ability to crush the hospital severely constrained. Because of 728 00:36:09,520 --> 00:36:11,920 Speaker 8: the community and the other tools that we have. We 729 00:36:11,960 --> 00:36:14,399 Speaker 8: will have new vaccines in the fall that are better 730 00:36:14,400 --> 00:36:18,000 Speaker 8: targeted to what's circulating and that will likely be something 731 00:36:18,040 --> 00:36:20,560 Speaker 8: that's recommended to high risk individuals that they get right 732 00:36:20,600 --> 00:36:22,319 Speaker 8: alongside their flu vaccine. 733 00:36:23,040 --> 00:36:25,680 Speaker 3: All right, doctor George, thank you so much. We appreciate 734 00:36:26,080 --> 00:36:29,719 Speaker 3: that as always. Doctor almesh Adology a senior scholar to 735 00:36:29,760 --> 00:36:32,719 Speaker 3: Center for Health Security at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of 736 00:36:33,000 --> 00:36:36,000 Speaker 3: Public Health. And again, the good folks at Johns Hopkins 737 00:36:36,000 --> 00:36:38,440 Speaker 3: were so good to us, you know during those early 738 00:36:38,560 --> 00:36:40,120 Speaker 3: days when we didn't know anything nothing. 739 00:36:40,320 --> 00:36:42,000 Speaker 2: I actually want to say, we should get him back 740 00:36:42,120 --> 00:36:44,360 Speaker 2: when there's not a crisis, just to like learn about 741 00:36:44,400 --> 00:36:47,600 Speaker 2: stuff that isn't a flesh eating disease, right that comes 742 00:36:47,600 --> 00:36:50,200 Speaker 2: from strap or like COVID spreading again, just to like 743 00:36:50,280 --> 00:36:53,040 Speaker 2: learn about the system and like what cool things are 744 00:36:53,040 --> 00:36:55,560 Speaker 2: in the pipeline to be discovered and what people are treating. 745 00:36:55,560 --> 00:36:57,359 Speaker 5: And I mean everyone's living longer, yep. 746 00:36:57,480 --> 00:36:59,960 Speaker 2: Right, we're letting people live longer, but then how we 747 00:37:00,080 --> 00:37:02,960 Speaker 2: support them really fails. And then getting that dynamic from 748 00:37:03,000 --> 00:37:04,399 Speaker 2: him and be super interesting yep. 749 00:37:04,440 --> 00:37:06,640 Speaker 3: I went into a healthcare episodic for the first time 750 00:37:06,719 --> 00:37:10,280 Speaker 3: yesterday and I can't remember how long and X rays. 751 00:37:10,480 --> 00:37:12,839 Speaker 3: I mean what I was interesting to see, like how 752 00:37:12,880 --> 00:37:15,960 Speaker 3: well it was staff, Like are there nursing shortages are there, 753 00:37:16,000 --> 00:37:19,239 Speaker 3: you know, technician shortage, and it seemed like it was 754 00:37:19,640 --> 00:37:22,320 Speaker 3: back to normal. There's plenty of folks there, you know, 755 00:37:22,360 --> 00:37:23,759 Speaker 3: a few masks here and there from some of the 756 00:37:23,760 --> 00:37:28,360 Speaker 3: healthcare professionals. But it seemed like pre pandemic business as usual. 757 00:37:28,360 --> 00:37:30,160 Speaker 3: But I get as doctor Dalga was saying, there's some 758 00:37:30,560 --> 00:37:33,479 Speaker 3: long tail issues for the industry as a whole. I guess, 759 00:37:33,560 --> 00:37:35,440 Speaker 3: you know, they were so crushed. I think about the 760 00:37:35,480 --> 00:37:37,680 Speaker 3: hospitals here in New York City that were so crushed. 761 00:37:37,680 --> 00:37:40,200 Speaker 5: You should just see, like the ers are crazy, like 762 00:37:40,239 --> 00:37:42,799 Speaker 5: they're just overflowing. It didn't take days to get a bed. 763 00:37:42,880 --> 00:37:46,440 Speaker 5: And yeah, it's just it's it's the healthcare systems and 764 00:37:46,520 --> 00:37:47,440 Speaker 5: real issues with that. 765 00:37:49,760 --> 00:37:53,640 Speaker 1: You're listening to the Bloomberg Intelligence Podcast. Catch us live 766 00:37:53,719 --> 00:37:57,239 Speaker 1: weekdays at ten am Eastern on applecar Play and royd 767 00:37:57,280 --> 00:37:59,959 Speaker 1: Otto with the Bloomberg Business App. You can also listen 768 00:38:00,200 --> 00:38:03,239 Speaker 1: live on Amazon Alexa from our flagship New York station, 769 00:38:03,640 --> 00:38:06,359 Speaker 1: Just Say Alexa, playing Bloomberg eleven thirty. 770 00:38:08,160 --> 00:38:10,560 Speaker 2: I'm Alex Thee alongside Paul Sweeney. This is the Boomberg 771 00:38:10,600 --> 00:38:12,480 Speaker 2: Intelligence Radio. We bring you all the top news and 772 00:38:12,560 --> 00:38:15,680 Speaker 2: business and finance live from an interactive Brokers studio right 773 00:38:15,719 --> 00:38:18,600 Speaker 2: here in midtown Manhattan now for the month of June, 774 00:38:18,640 --> 00:38:21,680 Speaker 2: Bloomberg Radio is committed to bringing you segments and guests 775 00:38:21,719 --> 00:38:24,239 Speaker 2: focus on the topic of equality. And today we have 776 00:38:24,239 --> 00:38:27,200 Speaker 2: the pleasure of speaking with a Lalua Ganga. She's US 777 00:38:27,320 --> 00:38:30,959 Speaker 2: Chief investment Officer over at Mercer. She is a rock 778 00:38:31,000 --> 00:38:34,640 Speaker 2: star in her own right as an investment analyst and 779 00:38:34,719 --> 00:38:38,439 Speaker 2: a portfolio diversifier and talk about clients and. 780 00:38:38,400 --> 00:38:39,200 Speaker 5: All those things. 781 00:38:39,480 --> 00:38:42,799 Speaker 2: And also she is in the C suite and also 782 00:38:42,920 --> 00:38:46,000 Speaker 2: working mom and that's hard, so we can cover both. 783 00:38:46,680 --> 00:38:48,560 Speaker 2: So can you just tell me a little bit about 784 00:38:48,600 --> 00:38:50,480 Speaker 2: you know, your career and how you got to where 785 00:38:50,520 --> 00:38:50,799 Speaker 2: you were. 786 00:38:53,000 --> 00:38:56,240 Speaker 9: Well, thank you for having me. I heard the introduction 787 00:38:56,320 --> 00:38:58,359 Speaker 9: to kind and I just started laughing because my daughter 788 00:38:58,400 --> 00:38:59,480 Speaker 9: would just be like, that's just. 789 00:38:59,520 --> 00:39:01,200 Speaker 5: Mom, Yeah, totally. 790 00:39:01,360 --> 00:39:05,200 Speaker 2: I can appreciate that that is what happened. 791 00:39:05,239 --> 00:39:09,319 Speaker 9: So, you know, I there are days that I take 792 00:39:09,360 --> 00:39:12,359 Speaker 9: a step back and I look at my career and 793 00:39:12,440 --> 00:39:18,200 Speaker 9: I'm I'm even blown away and surprised. Frankly, I've had 794 00:39:18,200 --> 00:39:21,919 Speaker 9: the privilege of being in the US. I moved here 795 00:39:21,960 --> 00:39:25,880 Speaker 9: for college. I'm originally from Nigeria. My family's from Nigeria, 796 00:39:26,000 --> 00:39:29,520 Speaker 9: born and raised both in Nigeria and Botswana, and I 797 00:39:30,400 --> 00:39:34,320 Speaker 9: moved in nineteen ninety nine. I studied math. Didn't know 798 00:39:34,320 --> 00:39:36,680 Speaker 9: what I was going to do with it. It was 799 00:39:36,719 --> 00:39:38,840 Speaker 9: somewhat accidental. I was trying to find a place that 800 00:39:38,920 --> 00:39:40,080 Speaker 9: gave work visas. 801 00:39:40,480 --> 00:39:42,920 Speaker 3: Yep, such a big air. 802 00:39:42,760 --> 00:39:46,840 Speaker 9: Got to be a big firm, and my family science based. 803 00:39:46,960 --> 00:39:51,400 Speaker 9: I ended up working at a bank because big hires 804 00:39:51,440 --> 00:39:53,160 Speaker 9: and they gave visas back in the day, and it 805 00:39:53,200 --> 00:39:56,080 Speaker 9: was a trading desk, and all I could think I 806 00:39:56,200 --> 00:39:58,240 Speaker 9: was I did to work really hard to keep this visa, 807 00:40:00,000 --> 00:40:03,480 Speaker 9: and I learned about markets. I learned about trading. I 808 00:40:03,520 --> 00:40:06,239 Speaker 9: realized that in order to stay here, I had to 809 00:40:06,560 --> 00:40:09,920 Speaker 9: in my head work harder than everybody else and just 810 00:40:09,960 --> 00:40:12,120 Speaker 9: show that I truly wanted it. And I was a 811 00:40:12,200 --> 00:40:16,279 Speaker 9: student of markets. I just loved learning. And over time, 812 00:40:16,360 --> 00:40:20,160 Speaker 9: I was fortunate that folks saw me and gave me 813 00:40:20,200 --> 00:40:23,719 Speaker 9: a chance and opportunity to do more. I raised my 814 00:40:23,760 --> 00:40:26,840 Speaker 9: hand and I asked for more, and you know, fast forward, 815 00:40:28,320 --> 00:40:33,799 Speaker 9: I don't know, twenty something years or more, I'm the 816 00:40:33,880 --> 00:40:39,640 Speaker 9: chief investment officer at one of the most major prominent 817 00:40:39,680 --> 00:40:45,160 Speaker 9: platforms for in Dowmon's Foundation's healthcare pensions. Like the assets 818 00:40:45,160 --> 00:40:47,640 Speaker 9: and the responsibility that we have blows me away, and 819 00:40:47,680 --> 00:40:50,760 Speaker 9: I take it very seriously and I'm just truly grateful 820 00:40:50,800 --> 00:40:51,439 Speaker 9: to be in the seat. 821 00:40:52,440 --> 00:40:57,400 Speaker 3: Women in financial services on Wall Street a constant challenge, 822 00:40:57,440 --> 00:41:00,720 Speaker 3: and in my prior role, I hired a lot of 823 00:41:00,760 --> 00:41:04,640 Speaker 3: folks coming out of school, and our entering classes were 824 00:41:05,040 --> 00:41:08,879 Speaker 3: perfectly diverse, perfectly diverse. Ten years later when it came 825 00:41:08,920 --> 00:41:12,440 Speaker 3: time for the managing director or a partner discussion, not 826 00:41:12,520 --> 00:41:16,239 Speaker 3: so much yep. So what was your experience going through 827 00:41:16,239 --> 00:41:19,439 Speaker 3: this whole process? Having spend that much time in the business. 828 00:41:20,080 --> 00:41:24,359 Speaker 9: I knew that I had to not think about it. 829 00:41:24,360 --> 00:41:26,680 Speaker 9: It was a deliberate choice to not think about it, 830 00:41:26,719 --> 00:41:29,560 Speaker 9: because if I did, and you look at the numbers, like, 831 00:41:29,680 --> 00:41:33,040 Speaker 9: it's very easy to be discouraged. It's very easy to 832 00:41:33,120 --> 00:41:35,439 Speaker 9: say I don't see it, So how can I think 833 00:41:35,520 --> 00:41:38,600 Speaker 9: it and be it? And make no mistake, I did 834 00:41:38,640 --> 00:41:41,920 Speaker 9: think it very often, but I just had to actively 835 00:41:41,920 --> 00:41:45,160 Speaker 9: put it out of my mind. And there are certain 836 00:41:45,239 --> 00:41:49,680 Speaker 9: points that you have as a woman, your choice of 837 00:41:49,719 --> 00:41:53,399 Speaker 9: a partner, your choice of having a family, and when 838 00:41:53,480 --> 00:41:58,480 Speaker 9: you do that, how much time you spend with I 839 00:41:58,480 --> 00:42:01,120 Speaker 9: have a daughter, she's turning five in a few weeks. 840 00:42:02,320 --> 00:42:04,480 Speaker 9: There are points that you will be slower in your 841 00:42:04,680 --> 00:42:07,200 Speaker 9: career as a result of that. It's also a choice 842 00:42:07,200 --> 00:42:09,160 Speaker 9: and there are times that you have the ability to 843 00:42:09,160 --> 00:42:12,440 Speaker 9: do it. For me, I found that it's been support 844 00:42:12,920 --> 00:42:14,600 Speaker 9: and the support system around me. 845 00:42:15,080 --> 00:42:18,319 Speaker 5: And you mean like personal or job wise or both both? 846 00:42:18,680 --> 00:42:23,560 Speaker 9: Yeah, definitely both. The if the job wise is like 847 00:42:23,600 --> 00:42:26,279 Speaker 9: you can do this job, and personally it's hard, you 848 00:42:26,320 --> 00:42:28,200 Speaker 9: have to make that choice. A lot of women are like, 849 00:42:28,239 --> 00:42:30,640 Speaker 9: I will choose and it won't be you. It won't 850 00:42:30,680 --> 00:42:33,239 Speaker 9: be you job, it will be the family because that's 851 00:42:33,480 --> 00:42:34,920 Speaker 9: you know, at the end of the day, when we 852 00:42:35,040 --> 00:42:39,359 Speaker 9: leave this world, that's what matters the most. So when 853 00:42:39,480 --> 00:42:41,719 Speaker 9: put in a situation where you have to choose, and 854 00:42:41,840 --> 00:42:44,600 Speaker 9: many people are in situations whereby they have to choose, 855 00:42:44,640 --> 00:42:49,400 Speaker 9: they don't choose work. So how you have the support 856 00:42:49,440 --> 00:42:52,200 Speaker 9: in place to be able to have both, which you 857 00:42:52,280 --> 00:42:55,280 Speaker 9: can't have them at the same time at the same intensity. 858 00:42:56,160 --> 00:42:57,480 Speaker 9: You know you can have it, but you have to 859 00:42:57,760 --> 00:43:01,120 Speaker 9: stage like sad, my daughter's five are going to be five. 860 00:43:01,600 --> 00:43:04,440 Speaker 9: So I had children later in life in order to 861 00:43:04,480 --> 00:43:07,480 Speaker 9: be able to go as fast as I could without 862 00:43:07,520 --> 00:43:10,600 Speaker 9: making some of those other trade offs, and then having 863 00:43:10,600 --> 00:43:13,319 Speaker 9: the support system in place while you are doing the worst. 864 00:43:13,360 --> 00:43:14,560 Speaker 5: So I love that you brought up support. 865 00:43:14,600 --> 00:43:17,279 Speaker 2: I had a dinner last week with a bunch of 866 00:43:17,320 --> 00:43:20,719 Speaker 2: women in finance, super successful, really great, and eventually it 867 00:43:20,760 --> 00:43:23,520 Speaker 2: turned to the topic of they couldn't do those jobs, 868 00:43:23,600 --> 00:43:26,560 Speaker 2: and it either could I without a really supportive partner, 869 00:43:26,920 --> 00:43:29,479 Speaker 2: and that you learn really fast, particularly when you have kids, 870 00:43:29,520 --> 00:43:32,120 Speaker 2: how supportive that partner is actually going to be, particularly 871 00:43:32,120 --> 00:43:36,040 Speaker 2: when you travel. But that's hard, Like, that's not a given, 872 00:43:36,120 --> 00:43:38,319 Speaker 2: particularly if you're in a if you're a woman with 873 00:43:38,440 --> 00:43:41,400 Speaker 2: like a career driven role, and you put that first. 874 00:43:41,480 --> 00:43:44,839 Speaker 5: That's not a given in the world, not a given 875 00:43:44,880 --> 00:43:45,160 Speaker 5: at all. 876 00:43:45,200 --> 00:43:48,239 Speaker 9: And you know, in life and in work, there is 877 00:43:48,760 --> 00:43:52,040 Speaker 9: your ability to work hard, your intelligence, and then there 878 00:43:52,120 --> 00:43:54,800 Speaker 9: is luck. And I will admit that there's there's a 879 00:43:54,880 --> 00:43:57,200 Speaker 9: lot of luck that I've had. My husband, I've known 880 00:43:57,200 --> 00:43:57,920 Speaker 9: since I was eighteen. 881 00:43:58,400 --> 00:43:59,200 Speaker 5: Oh my goodness. 882 00:43:59,760 --> 00:44:02,240 Speaker 3: So we grew up together. 883 00:44:02,640 --> 00:44:05,760 Speaker 9: Essentially it was okay, you go to school, you're working, 884 00:44:05,880 --> 00:44:08,280 Speaker 9: you're was going it was it was it was trade 885 00:44:08,280 --> 00:44:11,520 Speaker 9: offs and who's on, who's off, How do we do 886 00:44:11,600 --> 00:44:16,080 Speaker 9: it and who knew. You know, the stats in this 887 00:44:16,200 --> 00:44:19,640 Speaker 9: in this country are not necessarily encouraging in that respect, 888 00:44:19,640 --> 00:44:22,239 Speaker 9: But we communicate a lot, and we have honest conversations. 889 00:44:22,239 --> 00:44:26,480 Speaker 9: Who's on, who's off, who, who picks up the gap 890 00:44:26,520 --> 00:44:27,279 Speaker 9: and for how long? 891 00:44:28,200 --> 00:44:28,960 Speaker 8: That's interesting. 892 00:44:29,280 --> 00:44:30,959 Speaker 3: I think what we learned just real quickly at thirty 893 00:44:31,000 --> 00:44:34,879 Speaker 3: seconds the childcare and now the elder care in this country. Boy, 894 00:44:34,920 --> 00:44:36,319 Speaker 3: that's got to change. We learned that. I think during 895 00:44:36,360 --> 00:44:38,480 Speaker 3: the pandemic, people who weren't aware of it, they got 896 00:44:38,520 --> 00:44:40,120 Speaker 3: they became aware of it pretty quickly. 897 00:44:40,280 --> 00:44:47,000 Speaker 9: Yes, absolutely, and the pandemic was a big equalizer for 898 00:44:47,200 --> 00:44:50,160 Speaker 9: many family like men and women whatever. It was like 899 00:44:50,200 --> 00:44:53,360 Speaker 9: everyone had to pitch up and roll up their sleeves. 900 00:44:54,239 --> 00:44:58,319 Speaker 9: You could have a nanny, but could they come in Nope, right, 901 00:44:58,520 --> 00:45:01,960 Speaker 9: So that was it. And then you had that plus 902 00:45:02,040 --> 00:45:06,160 Speaker 9: if you had elderly parents, which my parents are not 903 00:45:06,200 --> 00:45:11,279 Speaker 9: in this country, my husband had at the time, and 904 00:45:11,320 --> 00:45:15,600 Speaker 9: how you're navigating that on both sides, you can get pulled, frankly, 905 00:45:16,320 --> 00:45:19,960 Speaker 9: to be able to do that. During the pandemic, it 906 00:45:20,080 --> 00:45:22,960 Speaker 9: was everybody was experiencing that. But if you remove the 907 00:45:23,000 --> 00:45:27,840 Speaker 9: pandemic and quote unquote normal times, it's hard to be 908 00:45:27,880 --> 00:45:30,759 Speaker 9: able to have that empathy in place with people that 909 00:45:30,800 --> 00:45:34,160 Speaker 9: are managing a number of other personal commitments. 910 00:45:34,960 --> 00:45:37,640 Speaker 2: I could talk to you for dance, so definitely come back. 911 00:45:37,760 --> 00:45:39,120 Speaker 2: We can do a little bit of this. We can 912 00:45:39,120 --> 00:45:41,719 Speaker 2: talk about your market views. 913 00:45:41,760 --> 00:45:43,560 Speaker 5: Really amazing. Thank you so much for sharing. 914 00:45:43,560 --> 00:45:45,160 Speaker 2: You're speaking a lot of what I hear about all 915 00:45:45,160 --> 00:45:46,719 Speaker 2: the time and things that I go through too, So 916 00:45:46,719 --> 00:45:47,560 Speaker 2: thank you for sharing that. 917 00:45:47,640 --> 00:45:51,720 Speaker 5: Lalua Ganga. She's US Chief investment officer over at Mercer. 918 00:45:52,120 --> 00:45:56,640 Speaker 1: This is the Bloomberg Intelligence podcast, available on Apples, Spotify, 919 00:45:56,840 --> 00:45:59,719 Speaker 1: and anywhere else you will get your podcasts. Listen live 920 00:46:00,120 --> 00:46:03,600 Speaker 1: weekday ten am toanoon Eastern on Bloomberg dot com, the 921 00:46:03,719 --> 00:46:07,160 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio app, tune In, and the Bloomberg Business app. You 922 00:46:07,200 --> 00:46:10,400 Speaker 1: can also watch us live every weekday on YouTube and 923 00:46:10,560 --> 00:46:12,160 Speaker 1: always on the Bloomberg terminal.