Podcast Summary: Becker Business with Scott Becker

Episode: The Markets Are Getting Crushed Today + 14 Quick Notes
Date: January 14, 2026
Host: Scott Becker

Episode Overview

In this concise and fast-paced episode, Scott Becker provides an up-to-the-minute overview of major shifts in the stock markets as well as quick commentary on specific companies, trends, and upcoming events. The episode is a rapid-fire collection of 15 succinct observations reflecting both short-term turbulence and longer-term perspectives in business and investing.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Stock Market Volatility

• At the time of the episode, the S&P and Nasdaq had shown resilient gains year to date, both up around 1.7-2%. However, that progress is being erased in a sharp drop today.
• Quote:

  "Despite that resilience, the markets are actually getting crushed today. ... They're down about 2 percentage points. That's going to erase most of this year's gains."
  (Scott Becker, 01:03)

2. Performance of Major Tech Stocks

• Microsoft: Starting 2026 in the red, down ~3% YTD. (01:24)
• Nvidia: Flat performance YTD. (01:33)
• Amazon: Up 5.1% YTD but also declining by a couple percent today. (01:43)
• Alphabet / Google: Leading with a 7.2% YTD gain.
• Tesla & Palantir: Both essentially flat year to date, though Palantir was a major winner in 2025. (02:01)
• Intel: Surging, up 28% YTD. Major regret over missing this investment. (02:37)
  • Quote:

    "We certainly wish we'd invested in Intel."
    (Scott Becker, 02:40)

• Meta Platforms: Starting layoffs; stock down 4.4% YTD. (02:53)
• Salesforce: "Got crushed" yesterday, down nearly 7%, and almost 9% YTD. (03:34)
• MicroStrategy: Rebounding after a tough previous year, up nearly 14% YTD. (03:48)

3. Private Equity and Investment Caution

• Growing skepticism about whether private equity and venture capital funds can outperform simple index fund investing.
  • Quote:

    "The more that we invest in private equity and venture capital funds, the less certain I am that this set of investments is going to beat the index funds. We'll see how this goes."
    (Scott Becker, 01:42)

• Announcement of a forthcoming podcast to further discuss this topic.

4. Upcoming Events & Personalities

• Excitement about Mark Cuban joining as keynote speaker at Becker’s Healthcare Chief Pharmacy Officer Summit. Looking forward to talking about Cuban’s Cost Plus Drugs company. (02:18)
• Announcement of a webinar on business concepts scheduled for January 27, hosted by Molly Gamble and centered on Becker's new book, "Building Great Businesses."
  • Registration via texting Scott Becker directly.
  • Quote:

    "Molly Gamble will interview us largely around our new book, Building Great Businesses."
    (Scott Becker, 03:24)

5. Industry News Highlights

• Sterile Labs: Significant upside, up 8.5% YTD. (02:29)
  • Quote:

    "God bless those investors who steered me into that company. At least God bless them today while it's still up."
    (Scott Becker, 02:32)

• JP Morgan: Stock fell 4.2% after an earnings miss attributed to the Apple credit card acquisition and slowing investment banking, not deeper business issues. Becker still holds CEO Jamie Dimon in very high regard. (03:04)
  • Quote:

    "I continue to believe Jamie Dimon’s about the best CEO that's out there."
    (Scott Becker, 03:13)

6. Global and Political Context

• Support for protesters in Iran and statement of attempting to keep politics out of the podcast while expressing solidarity. (02:49)
• Quote:

  “We're very supportive of the people in Iran that are trying to overthrow and protest that government.”
  (Scott Becker, 02:49)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Market Anxiety:

  "The markets are actually getting crushed today. ... That's going to erase most of this year's gains."
  (01:03)

• Intel FOMO:

  "We certainly wish we'd invested in Intel."
  (02:40)

• Candid Investment Reflection:

  "The more that we invest in private equity and venture capital funds, the less certain I am that this set of investments is going to beat the index funds."
  (01:42)

• Gratitude to Peers:

  "God bless those investors who steered me into that company. At least God bless them today while it's still up."
  (02:32)

Timeline of Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-----------|--------------------------| | 00:30 | Episode & theme intro | | 01:03 | Market performance update| | 01:24 | Microsoft update | | 01:33 | Nvidia update | | 01:42 | Private equity reflection| | 01:43 | Amazon & Alphabet update | | 02:01 | Tesla & Palantir | | 02:18 | Mark Cuban keynote news | | 02:29 | Sterile Labs highlight | | 02:37 | Intel surge and regret | | 02:49 | Iran protests support | | 02:53 | Meta layoffs | | 03:04 | JP Morgan earnings miss | | 03:13 | Praise for Jamie Dimon | | 03:24 | Upcoming webinar & book | | 03:34 | Salesforce drop | | 03:48 | MicroStrategy recovery |

Tone and Style

Scott Becker’s style is informal, rapid-fire, and deeply candid, offering listeners both actionable information and personal reflections. The episode mixes technical market data, pointed commentary, and human moments of gratitude or humility.

Takeaway

For listeners who want to quickly grasp the biggest moves and news in the markets—and get a sense for the bigger themes facing business leaders—this episode delivers sharp snapshots, seasoned with Becker’s real-world thinking and an openness to share both wins and misses.