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Squawk on the Street

Fed Decision Day, Hot PPI and Oil Prices Weigh on Stocks, Jensen Huang on "The Next ChatGPT" 3/18/26

Squawk on the Street

CNBC

News, Investing, Business

4.0566 Ratings

🗓️ 18 March 2026

⏱️ 43 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Carl Quintanilla, Jim Cramer and David explored rising oil prices and hotter-than-expected February PPI being a double whammy for stocks. Wall Street awaits Wednesday's Fed decision on rates — and what the accompanying statement might say about inflation in wake of the Iran war. The anchors discussed Jim's "Mad Money" interview with Jensen Huang: The Nvidia CEO called new AI agent OpenClaw "the next ChatGPT" — and said it's possible that Nvidia could become the first $10 trillion company. Also in focus: The White House vs. Anthropic, red-hot memory chip stocks, day one for new Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro, Starbucks downgraded, Cramer's "Jeopardy!" surprise. Squawk on the Street Disclaimer

Transcript

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0:00.0

It's Jim Kramer here. You're listening to the opening bell of CNBC Squawk on the Street.

0:04.7

Don't miss a minute of the action.

0:13.3

Good Wednesday morning. Welcome to Squawk on the Street. I'm Carl Kintanier with Jim Kramer,

0:17.0

who's back at Post 9, David Faber here at the New York Stock Exchange.

0:20.4

Oil spiking here on reports that in that gas field was attacked in southwestern Iran this morning. New fears that upstream infrastructure may increasingly be in military crosshairs. Futures as a result lost their gains. Hot PPI didn't help. Up nearly 4% now on annual core. That's the biggest jump in a year.

0:39.0

Our roadmap begins with Decision Day for the Fed. The policymakers statement's going to be in

0:43.0

focus, what it might say about inflation in the wake of the war. Also ahead in Vidi's CEO,

0:47.7

Jensen Wong, tells Jim that the AI agent OpenClaw is, quote, definitely the next chat GPT. And speaking of AI, the Trump administration,

0:58.1

responding to Anthropics lawsuit, this in a court filing, it defends the Pentagon's decision

1:03.9

to essentially what we call blacklist the company. Let's begin with the markets, though,

1:10.5

as the street awaits the Fed decision today and the statement

1:13.2

this afternoon.

1:13.9

Jim, although the more immediate story is this upside reversal in Brent back to 108.

1:18.4

And a lot of firms not rule a city, not ruling out $200 Brent.

1:22.8

Well, one of the things we thought was when Israel struck an oil facility, that was really the moment

1:28.8

where a lot of people said, okay, this is out of bounds.

1:31.7

And we heard Sundervuchi, it is out of bounds, and that it wouldn't happen again.

1:36.4

And now it's back, this time natural gas.

1:39.5

It does seem like the president is more emboldened.

1:43.0

Israel seems more emboldened because this is bad for the

1:46.0

market. But obviously, David, the bad for the market means absolutely nothing. What do you mean by saying that?

1:55.6

They're not looking at the stock market. Who? When they're buying. Well, the U.S. bomb

...

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