The opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange is basically the loudest starting pistol in the world. But for anyone actually trying to trade the market, the real action starts long before the gavel hits the wood. If you've ever flipped on CNBC at 9:00 AM ET, you’ve seen the chaotic, fast-paced, and occasionally snarky energy of Squawk on the Street. It isn't just a news show. It’s a real-time post-mortem of the pre-market and a frantic preview of what’s about to break.
Most people think financial TV is just suits reading teleprompters. Honestly, that couldn't be further from the truth here.
Broadcasting live from Post 9 at the NYSE, the show captures the literal physical energy of the floor. You’ve got David Faber, Sara Eisen, and Carl Quintanilla—and sometimes the legendary (and loud) Jim Cramer—breaking down why a tech giant is cratering or why some obscure economic data point just sent bond yields into a tailspin. It’s raw. It’s fast. If you blink, you might miss a $10 billion move in a stock’s market cap.
The Post 9 Magic and Why Location Matters
Most financial programs are filmed in sterile studios with green screens and perfect lighting. Squawk on the Street is different because it’s in the trenches. When you see Carl or Sara reporting, you’re seeing the actual traders in the background, the guys in the blue jackets who have been doing this for thirty years. That matters. There’s a specific "hum" to the floor that changes depending on whether the market is up 500 points or down 1,000.
David Faber, often called "The Brain" by his colleagues, is perhaps the most influential person on the set. When Faber gets a "ping" on his phone, the market moves. I’m not exaggerating. He is the king of M&A (mergers and acquisitions) reporting. If he says a deal is falling through between two pharmaceutical giants, the stock prices react in seconds. It’s one of the few places where journalism and high-frequency trading collide in real-time.
You’ve probably noticed the chemistry is a bit weird sometimes. That’s because it’s live and unscripted. They argue. They talk over each other. They get excited about things like the "dot plot" from the Federal Reserve, which, let's be real, sounds incredibly boring to anyone who doesn't live and breathe the S&P 500. But that's the charm. It feels like a conversation you're overhearing at a high-end bar near Wall Street where everyone happens to be a millionaire.
How Squawk on the Street Handles the Opening Bell
The show covers the most critical window in the trading day: 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM ET. This is the "Golden Hour" (well, two hours) of volatility.
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- The first 30 minutes are all about the setup. They’re looking at European markets, futures, and any overnight earnings calls.
- Then comes the 9:30 AM bell. It’s loud. It’s iconic. The show shifts gears immediately into "movers and shakers."
- By 10:00 AM, the focus shifts to the macro—what is the "smart money" doing?
Jim Cramer’s role is particularly interesting. While he has his own show, Mad Money, his appearances on Squawk are more grounded. He’s looking at the tape. He’s calling out CEOs by their first names because he’s probably had them on his show twenty times. Love him or hate him, his ability to recall the historical performance of a random retail stock from 1994 is pretty staggering. It adds a layer of institutional memory that younger traders just don't have.
The "Faber Report" and the Art of the Scoop
If you’re watching for one thing, it’s the Faber Report. David Faber has this uncanny ability to get CEOs to tell him things they probably shouldn't. It’s all about the body language. When a CEO is on the hot seat during an earnings interview, Faber doesn't throw softballs. He asks about the debt-to-equity ratio. He asks about the failed merger. He asks why the CFO suddenly resigned.
There was a famous instance involving the T-Mobile and Sprint merger where the reporting on the show basically tracked the deal's health day-by-day. Traders were literally glued to the screen to see if Faber had a new update. That’s the level of influence we’re talking about. It’s not just reporting the news; it’s being the news.
Why This Isn't Just for Wall Street Pros
You might think you need a Bloomberg Terminal and a degree from Wharton to understand what’s going on. Sorta. But not really.
The beauty of Squawk on the Street is that it translates the jargon. When they talk about "the Fed being hawkish," they’re basically saying the government is going to make it more expensive for you to buy a house or a car. When they talk about "crude oil inventories," they’re talking about why you’re paying $4.50 at the pump. They connect the dots between the ticker symbols and your actual wallet.
Sara Eisen is particularly good at this. She often handles the retail and consumer goods beats. She’ll talk about Lululemon or Disney in a way that makes sense to a regular person while still keeping the data rigorous enough for a hedge fund manager. It’s a tightrope walk.
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The Evolution of the Show in the Digital Age
The show has had to change. In the 90s, it was the only way to get this info. Now? Everyone has Twitter (X) and 24-hour news cycles.
To stay relevant, Squawk on the Street has leaned into its "insider" status. They get the big-name guests—people like Jamie Dimon or Janet Yellen—who don't go on random podcasts. They have the "boots on the ground" advantage. Even in a world of AI trading and algorithms, the human element of the NYSE floor still carries weight. There’s a psychological component to seeing the traders’ faces when a major headline breaks.
Common Misconceptions About the Show
People think the hosts are picking stocks for you. They aren't. They are analyzing the action.
Another big misconception is that the show is biased toward big corporations. While they definitely interview a lot of CEOs, the hosts are often pretty cynical. They’ve seen bubbles pop. They’ve seen frauds like Enron or FTX. If a company’s numbers don’t add up, Faber or Eisen will usually sniff it out and ask the awkward questions that make the PR people in the wings sweat.
Sometimes the show gets criticized for being too "noisy." It’s true—there is a lot of shouting. But that’s the nature of the beast. The stock market is a giant, global shouting match over what things are worth. The show just puts a microphone to it.
The Real Power of the Morning Preview
Before the show ends at 11:00 AM, they usually do a segment that sets the tone for the rest of the day. This is where they look at the "internals." Are more stocks going up than down? Is the volume high? This is the "vibe check" for the financial world.
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If the hosts look worried, you should probably check your 401(k). If they’re joking around and talking about where they’re getting lunch, it’s probably a "risk-on" day where everyone is making money. It’s subtle, but after watching for a few weeks, you start to pick up on these cues.
How to Watch Like an Expert
If you want to actually get value out of Squawk on the Street, don't just stare at the scrolling ticker at the bottom. It’s too much data. Focus on the interviews.
- Listen for the "Why": Don't just care that a stock is down 5%. Listen to why they say it's down. Is it a systemic problem or just a one-off bad earnings report?
- Watch the Bond Market: If the hosts start talking about the 10-year Treasury yield, pay attention. That moves everything from tech stocks to your mortgage rate.
- Ignore the Noise: Sometimes they spend ten minutes talking about a "hot" IPO that will be forgotten in a week. Learn to filter the hype from the long-term trends.
Actionable Takeaways for Your Morning Routine
Watching the show can be a bit overwhelming at first. To make it useful for your own financial life, try these specific steps:
Tune in for the first 15 minutes of the market open (9:30 - 9:45 AM ET). This is when the "price discovery" happens. You’ll see how the market is reacting to the news of the day without having to sit through two full hours of commentary.
Follow the hosts on social media for "after-hours" context. David Faber often tweets updates on his reporting that don't make it to the air immediately. It’s a good way to get a jump on the next day's headlines.
Track the "Cramer Effect." If Jim Cramer mentions a stock on the show, watch its volume. Even if you don't trade it, seeing how the market reacts to a media personality's opinion is a great lesson in market psychology and liquidity.
Compare the "Squawk" narrative with the actual charts. Sometimes the hosts are bearish (pessimistic) while the market is actually rallying. This "divergence" is a huge signal. It means the market is looking past the current bad news toward something better in the future.
The stock market is a story that never ends. Squawk on the Street is just the daily morning chapter that tells you who the heroes and villains are for that particular session. Whether you’re a day trader or just someone worried about their retirement fund, understanding the rhythm of this show gives you a massive advantage in understanding how the world’s money actually moves.