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Ezra Klein On the Legacy of Bidenomics Nov 04, 2024

Show notes

The Biden administration has overseen a revival of so-called industrial policy in a way that we haven't seen in years. Major efforts are underway to revive or reinvigorate US production of semiconductors, batteries, and other key technologies. But it's not clear if these efforts will have any legs and sustain a new trajectory of US policymaking. Was it just a blip? Or does this represent a new era in terms of how we think about the relationship between the government and the economy? On this episode, we speak with Ezra Klein, host of The Ezra Klein Show, about the legacy of this era. We talk about different possible paths under both a Harris and Trump administration, as well as what other policy areas may come into vague in the years ahead.

Read More:
Bidenomics Leaves a Blue State Industrial Heartland Behind
Trump Threat to Biden’s Industrial Policy Hangs Over Asian Firms
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What the Nuclear Power Revival Means for the Price of Uranium Nov 01, 2024

Show notes

There's something of a uranium cult out there: the investors and traders who believe that nuclear is the future of energy, and therefore this crucial commodity will end up being a huge winner. And over the last several years, the price has gone up substantially. But what are the economics of the uranium market? And how sensitive is it to some of these power plants that are reopening? On this episode, we speak with commodities guru Bob Brackett, head of Americas energy and transition at Bernstein Research. Bob knows everything about just about every commodity under the sun, so in addition to talking uranium, we get an update on lithium, gold, silver, oil, and more.

Previously: The Three Big Things Driving the Nuclear Energy Revival
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Big Take Asia: The US Pledged to Contain China’s Tech Ambitions. It’s Not Working. Nov 01, 2024

Show notes

China is making steady progress in its quest to dominate key industries of the future, despite years of US tariffs, export controls and sanctions.

Check out this special episode of Bloomberg's Big Take Asia podcast, as hosts K. Oanh Ha talks to Bloomberg News correspondent Rebecca Choong Wilkins about how the US is struggling to curb Beijing’s technological advances, and whether the upcoming presidential election could change the dynamic.
Then come back on Thursday, as Rebecca joins the next episode of Odd Lots -- along with Bloomberg economic analyst Gerard DiPippo -- to take a further look at the ongoing tech rivalry between the US and China.

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Years of Restrictions Didn't Slow China's Quest for Tech Dominance Oct 31, 2024

Show notes

In 2015, China identified several key industries of the future for which it aimed to compete at the technological frontier. The 'Made in China 2025' plan included expansion in things like EVs, solar power, batteries, semiconductors, AI, and drones. But now, 2025 is almost here and China's progress has been remarkable across several of these categories. In fact, it's the world leader in some of these industries (like EVs and solar), and it's catching up in others. In this episode we speak with Bloomberg News reporter, Rebecca Choong Wilkins, as well as Gerard DiPippo, senior geoeconomics analyst at Bloomberg Economics. The two of them were part of a team that took a major look at the status of Made In China 2025 (a name that isn't really even used that much anymore). We discuss how much progress China has made despite efforts from the US over the last several years to impede its ambitions, and how it's judging the success of the program.

Read More:
US Efforts to Contain Xi’s Push for Tech Supremacy Are Faltering
How American Tax Breaks Brought a Chinese Solar Energy Giant to Ohio
Become a Bloomberg.com subscriber using our special intro offer at bloomberg.com/podcastoffer. You’ll get episodes of this podcast ad-free and exclusive access to our daily Odd Lots newsletter. Already a subscriber? Connect your account on the Bloomberg channel page in Apple Podcasts to listen ad-free.

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Why Home Insurance in Florida Is a Mess Oct 28, 2024

Show notes

Florida has been struck by two big hurricanes this year, setting off a wave of damage and, of course, new insurance claims. As we all know by now, insurance rates in places like Florida, Louisiana, and California have jumped in recent years thanks to a combination of more natural disasters, higher replacement costs, and other factors. But Florida has become a particularly expensive market, with roofing scams supposedly pushing up rates for everyone, and a string of private insurers exiting the market. So what's the future of this messy market? We speak with Jerry Theodorou, policy director of finance, insurance and trade at R Street Institute, a free market think tank. He's also a veteran of the insurance industry and, in this episode, he walks us through what's been going on in Florida's insurance market and argues that there are some signs that things are getting better.

Read More:
Why Insurance Rates Have Been Surging in California and Florida
Florida Home Insurers With Lax Ratings Pose New Property Risk
Become a Bloomberg.com subscriber using our special intro offer at bloomberg.com/podcastoffer. You’ll get episodes of this podcast ad-free and exclusive access to our daily Odd Lots newsletter. Already a subscriber? Connect your account on the Bloomberg channel page in Apple Podcasts to listen ad-free.

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Listen Now: The Deal with Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly Oct 27, 2024

Show notes

When sports, business and culture collide, there’s often a deal to be made. Join Alex Rodriguez and Bloomberg correspondent Jason Kelly as they get the inside track from corporate titans, sports champions and game-changing entrepreneurs on investing, strategy, reinvention and the ones that got away. The Deal is a Bloomberg Podcasts and Bloomberg Originals series that’s passionate, relaxed, insightful and inspirational. If you think you know these icons, prepare to be surprised.

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Lots More on the Ongoing Mess That Is Boeing Oct 25, 2024

Show notes

Shares of Boeing, America's biggest aerospace manufacturer, have plummeted 40% so far this year. The company is facing a string of challenges, including fatal crashes of its 737 Max jet, a door blowing off another 737 aircraft, striking workers, and difficulties ramping up production. That's opened up some pretty existential questions for the company — including whether this former national champion will even survive for much longer. In the meantime, Boeing executives are trying to turn things around by raising additional capital and slashing the workforce to bring down costs. But will it work? In this episode, we speak with aerospace veteran Richard Aboulafia, a managing director at AeroDynamic Advisory, about the ongoing mess that is Boeing.
Read More:
Boeing Workers Reject Deal in Longshot Bid to Revive Pension
The Remarkable Story of Brazilian Jet Maker Embraer
Become a Bloomberg.com subscriber using our special intro offer at bloomberg.com/podcastoffer. You’ll get episodes of this podcast ad-free and exclusive access to our daily Odd Lots newsletter. Already a subscriber? Connect your account on the Bloomberg channel page in Apple Podcasts to listen ad-free.

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How Banks and Private Credit Became the Best of Frenemies Oct 24, 2024

Show notes

By now, everyone knows that private credit is a hot market. What's less known is that banks want in on it too. It's an odd state of affairs given that both these entities are in the business of making loans, so in theory they should be competing against each other. But instead we're seeing a bunch of deals, with more than a dozen big banks teaming up with private credit over the past year. So why are two seemingly natural competitors joining forces? And how much of an existential threat does private credit really pose for the banking industry? On this episode, we with speak with Huw van Steenis, vice-chair at Oliver Wyman and a long-time bank analyst at Morgan Stanley, about this new dynamic.
Read More:
The Macro Impact of the Private Credit Boom
The Black Hole of Private Credit
Become a Bloomberg.com subscriber using our special intro offer at bloomberg.com/podcastoffer. You’ll get episodes of this podcast ad-free and exclusive access to our daily Odd Lots newsletter. Already a subscriber? Connect your account on the Bloomberg channel page in Apple Podcasts to listen ad-free.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why Mortgage Rates Went Up After the Fed's Big Cut Oct 21, 2024

Show notes

On September 18, the Federal Reserve kicked off the cutting cycle by reducing overnight rates by 50 basis points. Since then, mortgage rates have gone higher. This is not obviously an intuitive thing to happen. The point of a rate cut is to stimulate the economy by reducing the cost to borrow. And people generally know that interest rates and mortgage costs are linked. Well, it turns out they are linked, but not directly. And certainly not in some linear manner. On this episode of the podcast, we speak with Tom Graff, the CIO of the wealth management firm Facet, and a long-time trader in the fixed income space. We talk about the factors that influence mortgage rates, why the spread between a 30-year fixed and a 10-year Treasury fluctuates over time, and how rate cuts can be priced in before they even happen. We also talk about what we'll need to see for mortgage rates to move sustainably lower.

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Meb Faber on the Big Bear Market in Diversification and Tactical Allocation Oct 18, 2024

Show notes

For decades, investors have been told that diversifying is a good thing. You should hold a basket of stocks across different sectors and geographies, plus bonds, maybe some commodities or real estate, and so on. But, it turns out that you probably would have done better if you just bought large-cap US stocks in the form of an S&P 500 ETF like SPY. So why haven't diversified investments performed better? In this episode, we speak with Meb Faber, CIO of Cambria Investment Management, the host of the Meb Faber show, and the author of one of the most-downloaded research papers on SSRN. He says the last 15 years have "arguably been the worst period ever for an asset allocation portfolio.

Read more:
Great ‘Bear Market’ in Diversification Haunts Wall Street Pros
The Fate of the World’s Largest ETF Is Tied to 11 Random Millennials
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