
Top Traders Unplugged
Discover the fascinating world of investing with Niels Kaastrup-Larsen and his remarkable co-hosts. Each week, we bring you compelling conversations with legendary investors, leading economists, masterful traders, and forward-thinking thought leaders. From Trend Following and Global Macro to Geo-Politics, Commodities, Quant Investing, Crypto, and Volatility, we uncover the strategies, stories, and lessons behind their success. Gain actionable insights from industry veterans as we celebrate their achievements and learn from their challenges. Stay ahead in the ever-evolving landscape of investing - tune in weekly and elevate your financial knowledge. For the latest episodes and expert insights, visit https://toptradersunplugged.com
Latest episodes

Sep 30, 2023 • 1h 6min
SI263: Changes aren't permanent, but change is ft. Mark Rzepczynski
Mark Rzepczynski, an economic and financial analyst, discusses the trend following industry's performance, passthrough fees in multi-strategies, and the current state of the economy. He emphasizes the importance of understanding psychology when building models. The podcast also touches on topics such as the performance of stocks and bonds, big moves in the commodity space, and managing risk in portfolio returns.

Sep 27, 2023 • 1h 2min
GM50: A Century of Disorder ft. Helen Thompson
Join Professor Helen Thompson of Cambridge University, author of Disorder: Hard Times in the 21st Century, as she discusses Europe's energy dependence on Russia, the shift towards industrial policy in the US, China's economic challenges, the role of the US dollar in the international monetary order, and her thoughts on the upcoming US presidential election.

Sep 23, 2023 • 1h 3min
SI262: Opportunities in FX fueled by the FED ft. Alan Dunne
Alan Dunne, Forex trading expert, discusses the relationship between interest rates and GDP, the evolution of FX trading, return expectations in markets, and his recent investor event in Paris.

Sep 20, 2023 • 59min
IL21: How China Manages Their FX Reserves ft. Zongyuan Zoe Liu
In this episode we lift the veil on China’s often secretive system for managing its multi-trillion dollar holdings of foreign assets. Guiding us through the discussion is Dr. Zhongyuan Zoe Liu, the Maurice R. Greenberg fellow for China studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. Dr. Liu spent years researching financial reports and conducting in-person interviews with those involved in running China’s multiple “Sovereign Leveraged Funds”. We discuss how they evolved, what purposes they serve for the Communist party and why other countries may soon follow China’s lead. The interview is based on Dr. Liu’s new book: How The Communist Party of China Finances Its Global Ambitions.-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HERE-----Follow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to info@toptradersunplugged.comAnd please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow Kevin on SubStack & read his Book.Follow Zongyuan on Twitter and Read her Book.Episode TimeStamps: 00:00 - Intro03:52 - Sebastien’s journey into the investment management industry07:45 - How Sebastien’s book came about19:43 - Investing in a rising interest rate environment24:06 - Responding to unexpected regime shifts in the markets33:24 - Defining and achieving utility maximisation37:48 - The merits and drawbacks of mean variance analysis58:51 - The durability of treasury bonds01:05:18 - Lessons from research on high performance individuals and teams01:07:58 - Achieving a state of ‘flow’01:10:58 - Simplifying complex financial topicsCopyright © 2024 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved----PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here3. Other Resources that can help youAnd if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click HerePrivacy PolicyDisclaimer

Sep 16, 2023 • 59min
SI261: The Biggest Story in Asset Allocation ft. Nick Baltas
Nick Baltas, an investment strategy expert, discusses the shifting tides of investment strategy and the evolving dynamic between equities and bonds. They explore the historical correlation between these asset classes and the impact of inflation on asset allocation. They also touch on topics such as trend following strategies, hedge fund behavior, and the concept of network momentum across different asset classes.

Sep 13, 2023 • 1h 13min
GM49: Unveiling the Power of Confidence ft. Peter Atwater
Expert Peter Atwater discusses the hidden influence of confidence in decision-making and its impact on politics and the economy. They explore the relationship between sentiment and market behavior, the connection between panic and confidence, the influence of fake news, and the power of having a disciplined process in handling stressful situations. They also emphasize the significance of confidence in markets, politics, and the world.

Sep 9, 2023 • 1h 17min
SI260: The Voldemort of the Asset Management Business ft. Andrew Beer
Andrew Beer, an expert in asset management and replication strategies, joins the podcast to discuss replication strategies, differentiation among managers, and the growth outlook for the CTA industry. They also touch on the challenges of the Lemming effect, the obsession with multi-strategy hedge funds, and the capacity of the trend following industry.

Sep 6, 2023 • 59min
GAL05: Pumping the BRICS Agenda & Hidden Risks ft. Nelson Rangel
In this episode we are joined by a true Macro thinker, Nelson Rangel, CIO at Raven Capital. Nelson walks us through his fascinating lens of the world evolved from his formative career years where his mentors taught him chaos theory and quantitative analysis. The conversation delves in to global conflict, adapting to social media information flows, and the challenges of finding investment value in LATAM markets. Be sure to stick around to the very end where Nelson leaves us with a cliff hanger as he reveals the beginning of his three part investment framework to interpret the impact of human contact with more advanced civilizations!-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HERE-----Follow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to info@toptradersunplugged.comAnd please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow Cem on Twitter.Follow Nelson on Twitter.Episode TimeStamps: 03:32 - Introduction to Nelson Rangel08:09 - Takeaways from being exposed to chaos theory12:29 - A look around the globe17:37 - Reflecting on the U.S debt21:17 - How is the next decade unfolding for China?25:29 - The BRICs taking over the monetary system30:38 - Who is behind the manipulation of narrative on social media?34:58 - Being adaptable to new scenarios39:26 - Advice for investing in South America48:14 - News about UAPs (UFOs)56:24 - Key takeaways from NielsCopyright © 2024 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved----PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here3. Other Resources that can help youAnd if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click HerePrivacy PolicyDisclaimer

Sep 2, 2023 • 1h 1min
SI259: Trend Following & the New Normal ft. Katy Kaminski
In this episode, Katy Kaminski, an expert in trend following systems and overcoming unintended biases in CTA systems, joins the Systematic Investor Series. They discuss the challenges of bias in trend following systems, the mispricing of bonds, and the current global macro narrative. They also touch upon the perception of bonds as low-risk investments, convergent and divergent strategies, and managing expectations for managed futures. The episode concludes with a discussion on biases, future paper ideas, and a teaser about a big name CTA joining the ETF world.

Aug 30, 2023 • 57min
GM48: Resilient Growth BUT Economic Downturn Ahead ft. Chen Zhao
Chen Zhao, co-founder and Chief Global Strategist at Alpine Macro joins us today to outline why growth has been resilient in 2023 but why he sees deflation and an economic downturn as a rising risk as we move into in 2024. We hear why the best global macro trades are the hardest to hold and why he believes long fixed income is the best trade at the moment. We discuss the long term outlook for growth and inflation in the major economies and hear why Chen is dismissive of the idea that deglobalisation and the greening of the global economy may be inflationary forces going forward. We also discuss investment opportunities in Japan and emerging markets and hear why Chen is concerned about the macro outlook in China but sees value in the local stock market. -----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HERE-----Follow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to info@toptradersunplugged.comAnd please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow Alan on Twitter.Follow Chen on LinkedIn.Episode TimeStamps: 02:13 - Who is Chen Zhao?06:19 - Why has the economy been so resilient?11:20 - The typical electoral cycle?16:44 - The outlook for inflation19:27 - Concerns about stagflation - valid or not?26:07 - Rates going back to zero?28:48 - Achieving high sustained investment growth31:01 - The effect of moving towards climate friendly production32:57 - China - a deflationary force38:38 - Bond yields - any surprises?39:29 - Concerns about the U.S. debt dynamics?42:07 - Have yields reached their peak?42:54 - The situation in Europe45:20 - Back to the 2010s?46:36 - A global increase in spending?47:37 - Concerns from a global risk perspective51:00 - The Japanese economy52:35 - The outlook for emerging markets54:45 - Advice for other traders55:59 - Thanks for listeningCopyright © 2024 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved----PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here3. Other Resources that can help youAnd if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click HerePrivacy PolicyDisclaimer