The Grant Williams Podcast

In this episode of The End Game, Bill and Grant are joined by the excellent “Le Shrub,” an anonymous Twitter account both of us have followed religiously for several years. Le Shrub discusses his approach to investing and his use of social media as a feedback loop mechanism. He also shares his views on Japan’s monetary policy, the role of gold and real assets as hedges against fiscal recklessness, and the potential for a market crash after the US election. We discuss the importance of having an outsized allocation to commodities and cash-flowing assets to protect against the risks posed by policymakers’ monetary and fiscal policies, and the significance of certain events, such as the South African elections and the recent Freddie Mac proposal, in shaping market dynamics. Every episode of the Grant Williams podcast, including This Week In Doom, The End Game, The Super Terrific Happy Hour, The Narrative Game, Kaos Theory and Shifts Happen, is available to Copper, Silver and Gold Tier subscribers at my website www.Grant-Williams.com.  Copper Tier subscribers get access to all podcasts, while members of the Silver Tier get both the podcasts and my monthly newsletter, Things That Make You Go Hmmm… Gold Tier subscribers have access to my new series of in-depth video conversations, About Time.

Discussion on China's strategic push for semiconductor self-sufficiency, including IP theft tactics and Huawei's role. Analysis of US and European sanctions on China and the potential for Chinese dominance. Exploration of shifting global power dynamics with weakening US dollar hegemony and strengthening China-Russia alliance.

Fintwit superstar Paulo Macro joins Bill to dissect central banks' challenges, discussing Japan's economy, BoJ's impact on the yen, China's renminbi, and gold's outlook. Paulo predicts a longer struggle for Japan, a potential yuan appreciation, and a stronger gold. He warns of a tougher trading environment, advising selectivity in strategies.

Author Mark J. Higgins discusses the importance of US financial history, from Alexander Hamilton to the present, highlighting key figures like Hetty Green. He shares insights on investor behavior, the cyclical nature of markets, and the current crypto craze. The discussion also includes mentions of Ray Dalio, Andrew Jackson, Robert Triffin, and Charlie Munger.

Joining Bill Fleckenstein and me once again is our favourite Aussie-based analyst, Gerard Minack, who returns to The End Game to discuss various topics including Japan’s economy and market, US fiscal and monetary policy, central bank independence, gold, and the US dollar. Gerard shares his views on Japan, explaining that while he believes the Japanese equity market is worth being bullish about, he’s not quite as optimistic about the country’s economy. He also addresses the issue of everybody’s favourite issue – Japan’s public sector debt, which Gerard believes is often exaggerated and that the crucial figure to understand -net debt – is actually much lower. We also zero in on the importance of wage growth in Japan and its impact on inflation before pivoting to discuss the broader global markets, where he sees a major gap between market expectations and actual economic conditions. Gerard believes the market is far too optimistic about earnings growth and that there is a risk of a correction in the near future. Other topics under discussion include the US dollar and the recent movements in gold and copper prices. Every episode of the Grant Williams podcast, including This Week In Doom, The End Game, The Super Terrific Happy Hour, The Narrative Game, Kaos Theory and Shifts Happen, is available to Copper, Silver and Gold Tier subscribers at my website www.Grant-Williams.com.  Copper Tier subscribers get access to all podcasts, while members of the Silver Tier get both the podcasts and my monthly newsletter, Things That Make You Go Hmmm… Gold Tier subscribers have access to my new series of in-depth video conversations, About Time.

Steph and Grant return to discuss allllll kinds of stuff including (but not limited to) private credit, the Fed’s balance sheet (I know, I know) inflation and the reality around the market’s curious reliance upon rate cuts. Every episode of the Grant Williams podcast, including This Week In Doom, The End Game, The Super Terrific Happy Hour, The Narrative Game, Kaos Theory and Shifts Happen, is available to Copper, Silver and Gold Tier subscribers at my website www.Grant-Williams.com.  Copper Tier subscribers get access to all podcasts, while members of the Silver Tier get both the podcasts and my monthly newsletter, Things That Make You Go Hmmm… Gold Tier subscribers have access to my new series of in-depth video conversations, About Time.

Travis Kling of Ikigai Asset Management unpacks financial nihilism, central banks managing monetary policy, impact of technological innovation on inflation, possible wealth transfer between generations, and the role of cryptocurrencies in the changing economic landscape.

Joining me on this episode of The Grant Williams Podcast is my great friend Brent Johnson of Santiago Capital, for a discussion about global markets and, of course, The Milkshake Theory. Brent explains how he uses the Theory as a framework to help him understand how a sovereign debt and currency crisis might play out and how, though he’s been uncertain about markets recently, this framework has helped him navigate the volatility. Brent emphasizes the importance of remaining objective and questioning one’s own beliefs, as well as the need to be prepared for drawdowns in asset prices as we discusses the extraordinary bull market in certainty and the importance of diversification. There’s also time for a look at the current political situation in the US and its potential impact on the markets with Brent arguing that, while the US may be facing political and economic turmoil, the rest of the world still relies heavily on the US dollar, and a divided US would be a disaster for the global economy. Something for everyone in here… Every episode of the Grant Williams podcast, including This Week In Doom, The End Game, The Super Terrific Happy Hour, The Narrative Game, Kaos Theory and Shifts Happen, is available to Copper, Silver and Gold Tier subscribers at my website www.Grant-Williams.com.  Copper Tier subscribers get access to all podcasts, while members of the Silver Tier get both the podcasts and my monthly newsletter, Things That Make You Go Hmmm… Gold Tier subscribers have access to my new series of in-depth video conversations, About Time.

Returning to the podcast this time out is Michael Howell of CrossBorder Capital, and what a return it is as we discuss the continuing (some would say escalating) importance of liquidity in global markets. Michael explains how central banks have been the main source of liquidity since the 2008 financial crisis, with their primary goal being to preserve the integrity of sovereign debt markets and ensure a smooth refinancing environment for some $350 trillion of debt. He also highlights the British gilt crisis in September 2022 as a wake-up call for policymakers, signaling that markets are no longer robust and are, in fact, remarkably fragile. We also discuss how the path of least resistance for central banks is to continue kicking the can down the road and monetize the deficit, leading to higher structural inflation rates. Every episode of the Grant Williams podcast, including This Week In Doom, The End Game, The Super Terrific Happy Hour, The Narrative Game, Kaos Theory and Shifts Happen, is available to Copper, Silver and Gold Tier subscribers at my website www.Grant-Williams.com.  Copper Tier subscribers get access to all podcasts, while members of the Silver Tier get both the podcasts and my monthly newsletter, Things That Make You Go Hmmm… Gold Tier subscribers have access to my new series of in-depth video conversations, About Time.

Remi Tetot, the man behind The Mad King, joins me for a discussion around three of his most recent pieces of research. We discuss Remi’s observations around the Bitcoin ETFs and his views on the current up-cycle in crypto before switching to the growth potential of India, during which we discover a fascinating opportunity as India’s GDP expands with inevitable consequences for its defence sector. Finally, we switch our attention to the Magnificent 7… sorry, Magnificent 6, as Remi picks apart the fascination with NVIDIA, AI and data centres, drawing parallels to the broadband ‘revolution’ of the late-1990s. Every episode of the Grant Williams podcast, including This Week In Doom, The End Game, The Super Terrific Happy Hour, The Narrative Game, Kaos Theory and Shifts Happen, is available to Copper, Silver and Gold Tier subscribers at my website www.Grant-Williams.com.  Copper Tier subscribers get access to all podcasts, while members of the Silver Tier get both the podcasts and my monthly newsletter, Things That Make You Go Hmmm… Gold Tier subscribers have access to my new series of in-depth video conversations, About Time.