Merryn Talks Money

Latest Episodes:

The Cathie Wood Aftershow Nov 06, 2023

Show notes

Cathie Wood says she would unambiguously bet on Bitcoin — rather than gold or cash — to safeguard against the possibility of deflation in the coming decade. The head of ARK Investment Management joins this week’s Merryn Talks Money podcast and reiterates her view that she expects an era of falling prices, backed by new technologies including artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, robotics, genomic sequencing and blockchain. It’s a view she’s held since 2021.

On this week’s special aftershow episode, Somerset Webb and senior reporter John Stepek reflect on Wood’s convictions. For Stepek, Wood’s greatest edge is “being able to sell a good story to investors and make money from it.” But he points out, “that doesn’t mean that the investments she’s in are going to make money.”

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ARK'S Cathie Wood Hasn’t Lost Faith in the Future Nov 03, 2023

Show notes

Despite a rough few years for her Innovation exchange-traded fund, Ark Investment Management founder Cathie Wood still sees a bright future. She joins this week to talk about her outlook, Tesla, the merits of Bitcoin and more.
Plus, John Stepek joins to discuss the Bank of England's decision to keep rates unchanged.

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Where Have All the Companies Gone? Oct 20, 2023

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In the UK, there are 70% fewer listed companies today than in 1996. Around the world, equity markets are getting progressively smaller as the number of publicly traded companies dwindles. So where have all the companies gone? In this week’s episode of Merryn Talks Money, Schroders’s Duncan Lamont and Douglas Abbott join host Merryn Somerset Webb to try and answer that question.

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The Duncan Lamont + Douglas Abbott Aftershow Oct 19, 2023

Show notes

Why have equity markets around the world, and in the UK in particular, been shrinking? According to Duncan Lamont and Douglas Abbott of Schroders, the answer is simple: a robust private equity industry means more companies are going private.

The two men joined Merryn Somerset Webb this week on the podcast Merryn Talks Money to discuss this state of affairs, both globally and in Britain where the situation has become extreme. There are 70% fewer listed companies in the UK today than was the case in 1996.

In this week’saftershow, senior reporter John Stepek joins host Somerset Webb to discuss the solutions posited by Lamont and Abbott for tackling the disappearance of listed UK companies.

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The Paul Johnson Aftershow Oct 13, 2023

Show notes

The way the British government funds itself is complicated—ridden with fiscal drag and stealth levies. Everyone seems to hate the system for something, and there’s arguably a dire need for reform. That’s the case that was made by Institute for Fiscal Studies Director Paul Johnson during an episode of Merryn Talks Money this week. But what kind of changes are we talking about, and will they work? In this week’s special aftershow episode, Somerset Webb and senior reporter John Stepek unpack Johnson’s comments on the UK tax system and the changes he says are necessary to encourage growth across the country.

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Can the UK Fix Its Troubled Tax System? Oct 12, 2023

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Institute for Fiscal Studies Director Paul Johnson joins this week’s episode of Merryn Talks Money to explain how the seemingly impossible can be achieved.

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BONUS: The Housing Market Where Renters Can Make a Fortune Oct 12, 2023

Show notes

In a new series, Merryn Somerset Webb and John Stepek are examining housing markets across the globe to see how they’re holding up, and if there are any lessons we can read across to the UK. On this episode, they take a look at Germany with Bloomberg editor Benedikt Kammel and TV correspondent Oliver Crook, both in Berlin, and talk about the profitable world of subletting, the consequences of rent control and the country's fascination with Kleingartens.

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The Jeremy Grantham Aftershow Oct 10, 2023

Show notes

The reckoning for markets is picking up speed, says GMO co-founder Jeremy Grantham, and as a result investors for should be wary of the US. On this week's aftershow, Merryn and John Stepek unpack Grantham's comments.

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Jeremy Grantham Says No One Should Invest in the US Oct 05, 2023

Show notes

In 2021, Jeremy Grantham was telling anyone who would listen that global asset markets were in one of the biggest bubbles of all time—and that a reckoning was coming. That reckoning, he says, began the next year.
The co-founder of GMO LLC says that, while this reckoning recently took a break, it’s now back with a vengeance. Grantham joins this week’s episode of Merryn Talks Money to make the case that—as a result—no one should be invested in the US. In particular, he warns of the Russell 2000, with its high level of zombie companies and horrible debt levels. He calls it “the most vulnerable area” to rising rates.

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Seema Shah Warns: US Recession Still Coming. What Does That Mean For Your Money? Sep 29, 2023

Show notes

If you think the US is heading for a soft landing, you might have another thing coming. That’s according to Seema Shah, the chief global strategist for Principal Asset Management. Despite a stream of data in recent weeks supporting the Federal Reserve’s best-case scenario, Shah argues there’s no way an economy can survive the super-fast shift in interest rates just seen without some relatively unpleasant repercussions. What would that future look like? Shah joins this week’s Merryn Talks Money to give her view of the landscape.
Plus, Merryn and John Stepek discuss what Shah's predictions could mean for your portfolio, and John's tip of the week could earn you £1000 for a few hours of "admin work."

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