Odd Lots

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Latest Episodes:

63: This Is How Monetary Policy Works in The Islamic State Jan 20, 2017

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The Islamic State is mostly discussed in terms of its threat to the safety and security of the world. But as a geopolitical entity, its leadership has to deal with mundane considerations such as operating a financial system. So how does it work? On this week's Odd Lots podcast, the first in a series on money, markets and crime, we speak with Graeme Wood, the author of a new book about ISIS, about the monetary system and how it fits into ISIS ideology. We also discuss how ISIS uses the internet to promote its ideology and to recruit.

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62: How The Biggest Bull Market Could Come Crashing Down Jan 13, 2017

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The stock market is currently in one of its longest bull markets ever, but that doesn't hold a candle to what's going on bonds. According to Paul Schmelzing, a PhD candidate at Harvard and a visiting researcher at the Bank of England, you have to go back more than 500 years (!) to find a bull market in bonds longer than than the one we're experiencing now. After bonds tumbled since last summer (especially since the election) there's a lot of interest in whether we're on the cusp of a major downturn. In this week's Odd Lots, Schmelzing walks us through the history of bull and bear markets in bonds and explains why we could see some gigantic losses ahead.

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61: Here's What's Going to Happen in 2017 Jan 06, 2017

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Welcome to the start of the new year! 2016 defied almost everyone's expectations, but that won't stop us from making predictions for 2017. On this episode of Odd Lots, we're joined by our Bloomberg News colleagues as we look ahead and forecast what will transpire in markets, politics, finance, economics and deals. Featuring: Max Abelson, Ed Hammond, Dan Moss, Megan Murphy and Mike Regan.

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60: These Were the Most Interesting Stories of 2016 Dec 23, 2016

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It was quite a year, 2016! Trump and Brexit alone made it one for the history books. But there was more than political upheaval. In this end-of-year episode of Odd Lots, we speak to five reporters and editors from Bloomberg News to find out what they thought were the most interesting and important stories of the year. Among the huge stories that you might have missed: A momentous turn by the Bank of Japan, the incredible significance of the Mexican Peso, and of course, a Hamptons house party called #sprayathon. Featuring: Max Abelson, Ed Hammond, Dan Moss, Megan Murphy and Mike Regan.

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59: What Sneakers Can Tell You About How Financial Markets Work Dec 16, 2016

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One of our favorite topics here at Odd Lots is market structure. On multiple occasions, for example, we've talked about how trading bonds is fundamentally different than trading stocks. This week our guest is Josh Luber, who has built a market for a non-financial asset: sneakers. The market for collectible sneakers (like Air Jordans) is worth over $1 billion, but it's very hard to get transparent pricing, in part because the action happens across a variety of different sites and venues. Luber explains how his startup StockX wants to unify the industry, bring about transparency, and fundamentally change how this market works.

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58: Ignore Investing's Mathematical Underpinnings at Your Peril Dec 09, 2016

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What's the optimum amount of money you should bet on a particular outcome? The answer is dictated by mathematics, yet plenty of people still go against the laws of numbers and probabilities when it comes to investing. This week, we speak with Victor Haghani, CEO of Elm Partners Management and the co-founder of the collapsed hedge fund Long-Term Capital Management, about the most important mathematical concepts for investing. We also discuss the pros and cons of quantitatively led finance.

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57: Was November the Start of a Huge Turning Point In Markets? Dec 02, 2016

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Something huge happened in November. No, we're not talking about the U.S. presidential election. We mean the worst month in history for the the Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate Total Return Index, a bond market index that's more than two decades old. So is this the start of something big, or was it just a blip? In this week's episode, we speak with Bloomberg Strategist Mark Cudmore, a former FX trader, about what's happening in markets around the world. We talk about currencies, inflation, growth, China, the election, the eurozone and more... a full global tour!

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56: How To Launch Your Own Form Of Money Nov 25, 2016

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By now you've probably heard of Bitcoin. But Bitcoin isn't the only digital currency. In fact, there are hundreds of "altcoins" out there, all of which are different from Bitcoin in varying degrees. One of the hottest new currencies is ZCash, a digital currency designed to provide more anonymity than Bitcoin. And unlike Bitcoin, whose founder is pseudonymous and unknown to the public, ZCash was backed by a company with a known team. In the latest episode of Odd Lots, ZCash founder Zooko Wilcox explains how and why he launched his own currency and explains why anyone would actually use it.

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55: Here Are The Signs That A Civilization Is About To Collapse Nov 18, 2016

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All great civilizations eventually collapse. It's inevitable. So what are the signs of their demise? On the latest edition of Odd Lots, we speak with Arthur Demarest, a professor at Vanderbilt University who specializes in the end of civilization. Demarest is an anthropologist and archaeologist who's most well known for his work on the Mayans. He tells us about his work, what he's learned -- and what we should be watching out for today.

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54: How Trump Did Something Yellen, Draghi Could Only Dream Of Nov 11, 2016

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There's a lot to process from last week's U.S. election. One surprising thing already is the market reaction. Equities surged following the vote, and interest rates are sharply higher. Market measures of inflation expectations and Fed hikes now suggest that people see more inflation and more rate hikes in the future. This is something our top central bankers have had a very difficult time in doing. How come? On this week's Odd Lots, we spoke with David Beckworth, a research fellow at the Mercatus Center, about Trump, fiscal policy, monetary policy and the changing market outlook for interest rates and inflation.

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