FT News Briefing - Financial Times

Latest Episodes:

Russia targets western companies Jul 19, 2023

Show notes

Big investment banks are turning more bearish on the dollar, and Europeans struggle with a near-record heatwave. Plus, the FT’s Anastasia Stognei explains why Russia is starting to seize assets from food and beverage companies.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Kremlin oligarchs circle Danone and Carlsberg’s Russian assets

Wall Street banks ditch bullish dollar bets over ‘soft landing’ hopes

Scorching Europe struggles to adapt to near-record temperatures

Carlos Ghosn says he filed $1bn lawsuit so Nissan managers cannot ‘sleep quietly

Reuters: Carlos Ghosn speaks online at Japan press conference

The FT News Briefing is produced by Fiona Symon, Sonja Hutson and Marc Filippino. Additional help from Monica Lopez, Katie McMurran, Peter Barber, Michael Lello, David da Silva and Gavin Kallmann. Topher Forhecz is the FT’s executive producer. The FT’s global head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. The show’s theme song is by Metaphor Music.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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China’s economic slump Jul 18, 2023

Show notes

Thames Water’s biggest investor slashed the value of its stake last year, Ford’s steep price cut for its electric pick-up truck rattled shareholders and BlackRock will offer retail investors more of a voice in its biggest exchange traded fund. Plus, the FT’s Thomas Hale unpacks what’s ailing China’s economy.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Thames Water’s biggest investor cut value of its stake by 28%

Does Xi Jinping need a plan B for China’s economy?

Ford shares sink after steep price cuts for electric pick-up truck

BlackRock offers a vote to retail investors in its biggest ETF

BlackRock: investor votes are no revolution in shareholder democracy

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Can Tories prevent a massive defeat? Jul 17, 2023

Show notes

The EU wants other polluting nations to cut emissions faster. Three of the largest US banks reported a surge in profits last week from charging more for loans as more US banks report this week. Plus the FT’s political editor, George Parker, examines how the UK conservative party might squeeze out a win during the country’s next general election.

Mentioned in this podcast:

‘We are on for a massive defeat’: can the Tories prevent the inevitable?

Large US banks reap bumper profits on Federal Reserve rate rises

EU pushes other polluting nations to cut emissions faster

The FT News Briefing is produced by Fiona Symon, Sonja Hutson and Marc Filippino. Additional help from Monica Lopez, Saffeya Ahmed (suff-YUH, EH-med) Peter Barber, Michael Lello, David da Silva and Gavin Kallmann. Topher Forhecz is the FT’s executive producer. The FT’s global head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. The show’s theme song is by Metaphor Music.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Peak social media: The ads machine Jul 15, 2023

Show notes

Mark Zuckerberg used advertising to turn Facebook into the first global social media giant, boasting 3bn users around the world. But today there are questions about the business model that has powered it for the past 15 years, and what Zuckerberg’s new focus on building the Metaverse means for the platform that started it all. Elaine Moore speaks to veteran Silicon Valley investor Roger McNamee, one-time advisor to Zuckerberg; writer and researcher Tim Hwang, author of Subprime Attention Crisis; and Steven Levy, editor at large at Wired and author of Facebook: The Inside Story. Meta declined a request for an interview for this episode, but directed us to their Q1 2023 earnings.

Presented by Elaine Moore. Produced by Edwin Lane and Josh Gabert-Doyon, Executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design by Breen Turner and Samantha Giovinco. Original music by Metaphor Music. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. Special thanks to Hannah Murphy

Clips: Meta, US Senate.

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Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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ChatGPT generates US investigation Jul 14, 2023

Show notes

The UK government has invited Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to London, and US regulators are going after the company behind ChatGPT. Plus, the FT’s Beijing bureau chief, Joe Leahy, explains how China’s youth are dealing with high levels of unemployment.

Mentioned in this podcast:

ChatGPT maker investigated by US regulators over AI risks

Prince Mohammed bin Salman invited to visit UK in autumn

Rachman Review: Will this year’s climate talks be a washout?

China’s youth left behind as jobs crisis mounts

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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US inflation cools Jul 13, 2023

Show notes

US inflation fell sharply to 3 per cent in June,the $1.35tn US junk bond market has shrunk by almost $200bn since its all-time peak in late 2021, and tensions started to boil over during Nato’s two-day summit.

Mentioned in this podcast:

US inflation slows to 3% as interest rate rises bite

US junk bond market shrinks as rising rates put off borrowers

‘We’re not Amazon’: tensions with Ukraine surface at Nato summit

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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A big win for Microsoft’s Activision deal Jul 12, 2023

Show notes

Jeremy Hunt has ordered ministers to find more than £2bn to fund public sector pay rises this year, JPMorgan is trying to scoop up Silicon Valley Bank’s clients, and a US court denies a watchdog’s request to block the Microsoft-Activision merger

Mentioned in this podcast:

Nvidia in talks to be an anchor investor in Arm IPO

JPMorgan hires dozens of start-up bankers to capitalise on SVB collapse

US judge denies FTC attempt to block Microsoft’s Activision deal

Behind the Money: Frances Haugen’s lessons as a Facebook whistleblower

JPMorgan expands startup banking team abroad with ex-SVB hires

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nato torn over Ukraine’s membership bid Jul 11, 2023

Show notes

Hedge funds have cut their bets on a rising US stock market to the lowest level in at least a decade and pivoted to Europe, a top US banking regulator has announced tougher capital rules for a broader range of lenders, and Dutch PM Mark Rutte is quitting politics after the collapse of his coalition. Plus, the FT’s Henry Foy explains why Nato is torn over whether to admit Ukraine.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Hedge funds slash bets on US after rally and pivot to Europe

Top US bank watchdog outlines tougher rules for larger lenders

Nato’s dilemma: what to do about Ukraine’s bid to join?

Erdoğan links Sweden’s Nato bid with Turkey’s EU accession

Dutch PM Mark Rutte to quit politics after collapse of coalition

Correction: In the July 10 episode of the FT News Briefing we mistakenly described the UK Chancellor’s annual speech as the Madison speech. It is the Mansion House speech. We regret the error.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Loan losses mount for US banks Jul 10, 2023

Show notes

Israel is set to start voting on controversial judicial reforms on Monday and the largest US banks are expected to report the biggest jump in loan losses since the onset of the pandemic. Plus, global manufacturers are shifting business out of China to Vietnam.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Benjamin Netanyahu faces fresh wave of resistance to Israeli judicial reform plans

Wall St to report biggest jump in loan losses since pandemic

Vietnam becomes vital link in supply chain as business pivots from China

The FT News Briefing is produced by Fiona Symon, Sonja Hutson and Marc Filippino. Additional help by Katie McMurran, Peter Barber, Michael Lello, David da Silva and Gavin Kallmann. Topher Forhecz is the FT’s executive producer. The FT’s global head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. The show’s theme song is by Metaphor Music.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Congo river conservation debate Jul 07, 2023

Show notes

Investors sold stocks and bonds across the world on Thursday as US borrowing costs touched a 16-year high, US Treasury secretary Janet Yellen is in China, and Meta said more than 30mn people had signed up to its long-awaited competitor to Twitter. Plus, the FT’s Africa editor David Pilling explains why conservation in the Congo has become contentious.

Mentioned in this podcast:

US borrowing costs hit 16-year high as markets roiled by jobs data

Janet Yellen to visit China in new US push to ease tensions

Meta says 30mn people have signed up to Twitter competitor Threads

In search of the ‘village of the elephants’, deep in the central African rainforest

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.