Why the Yen Is an Attractive Proxy

To kick off 2026, Wilfred Frost is joined by billionaire investor and Chairman of The Burnbrae Group, Jim Mellon who shares his big investment calls for 2026.

Jim reveals he is loading up on energy stocks; that he has reduced his gold and silver exposure by 80% following a phenomenal year in 2025; remains bearish the Magnificent 7 and AI stocks, but thinks Robotics is the way to play AI; and why he loves the Japanese Yen.

“We’ve been loading up [on energy stocks], I mean literally loading up on oil and gas in November and December.” This is as clear and bullish a call from legendary investor Jim Mellon as you will hear – and Jim explains why – the sector is currently unloved by investors, yet critical to the AI and data centre build out. He discusses the US move to remove President Maduro from power in Venezuela and why the market reaction to it validates his bullish stance on the sector. Jim also shares the stocks he likes the most – including BP, Shell, Equinor, ADNOC and Santos.

On gold and sliver, where he enjoyed great gains, and the Magnificent 7 where he has been on the sidelines, he reflects on a mantra that has served him well – “my view in life is that you don't need to be in the game that everyone else is playing. There's plenty of other things to do and that's what I try and do. Leave the party before the last of the punch is drunk and the hangover sets in.”

Following his new book on Robotics, Jim discusses why it’s the best way to play AI, expecting the robotics market to be larger than food or transport by 2040 and why China currently holds the manufacturing edge. That said, the Japanese Yen remains his top pick as a proxy for undervalued Asian currencies.

If you would like to sign up for Jim's upcoming in person investing event that he discussed with Wilf, then visit masterinvestorshow.com 

You can watch the full video on The Master Investor Podcast YouTube channel

And follow @WilfredFrost on X and Linked In

Sponsored by Interactive Brokers - ibkr.com/masterinvestor, BNY Investments and London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG). 

The Master Investor Podcast is produced by Paradine Productions, Master Investor Ltd in association with Bird Lime Media.

This podcast is for information purposes only. It does not constitute an invitation or inducement to engage in any investment activity. It is not a financial promotion as defined under section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (FSMA). The views expressed by the presenter of this podcast are those of the presenter and are provided in the course of journalism. This podcast benefits from the exemption under Article 20 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (FPO), It does not require approval by a person authorised under the FSMA. Generic information, not identifying any specific investment, fund, provider or service, about a class of investments such as shares, bonds, derivatives and cryptoassets, might be provided and/or discussed during this podcast. Such discussion falls within the generic promotions exemption (Article 17 of the FPO). Such discussion is not a financial promotion requiring approval by an authorised person under section 21 of the FSMA. Investing involves risk. You should consult a suitably qualified adviser who can assess your individual circumstances before making any investment decision.

Please note - Wilf holds the following ETF’s that Jim mentions during the episode - iShares MSCI Europe Energy Sector ETF, VanEck Oil Services ETF, First Trust National Gas ETF