Hello, Quartz members, and welcome to Sunday Reads!
It’s time to catch up with some of the most important stories of the week, plus a sneak peek at one story coming next week.
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5 things we especially liked on Quartz
🫧 Twenty-five years after the dot-com bubble burst in spectacular fashion, the rise of AI has market veterans debating whether history repeats, or merely runs the same algorithm with new inputs. Some market watchers see structural differences preventing an immediate collapse, while tech critics warn we’re debugging the same old bubble logic. Jackie Snow breaks down the AI bubble debate.
🚢 Even as the U.S. runs headfirst into a trade war with its largest economic partners, the Trump administration says the average consumer won’t be hurt. They’re likely to be wrong. William Gavin on the trade war’s biggest loser.
〽️ Stagflation may be set for its first real return to the U.S. in about 50 years, as recent economic numbers point to a slowing labor market and continued stickiness in inflation. President Donald Trump’s new tariffs won’t help. This risks creating a very difficult environment for consumers. Unemployment may increase and wage gains may slow, even as the cost of living goes up. Josh Fellman has what you need to know about stagflation.
💰 Last year’s multi-billion dollar spending spree on artificial intelligence isn’t slowing down for Big Tech. According to the leaders of Meta, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon, the companies could spend a combined $320 billion on AI development and infrastructure this year. Britney Nguyen has the details.
🧘 Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the wellness industry has seen an explosion in popularity – particularly among men, a change for a culture long associated with either crunchy hippies or affluent white women like Gwyneth Paltrow. Now the wellness world is getting wild and weird. Madeline Fitzgerald takes a look.
One sneak peek
The cost of luxury real estate increased in 2024 — with Asian and Middle Eastern countries dominating the market – even as interest rates continue to deter people from purchasing new properties. In the United States, growth in the luxury housing market is outperforming most other real estate. Madeline Fitzgerald breaks it down. Visit qz.com on Monday morning for the future of everything.
What we’re watching this week
- Monday: Oracle reports earnings.
- Tuesday: Dick’s Sporting Goods reports earnings.
- Wednesday: Adobe, Dollar Tree, and Volkswagen report earnings. The Consumer Price Index for February is released.
- Thursday: Dollar General and Ulta Beauty report earnings.
- Friday: The Producer Price Index for February is released.
Thanks for reading! Here’s to the week ahead, and don’t hesitate to reach out.