Merryn Talks Money

Reality TV stars are freezing their eggs on camera. Lawmakers in DC are debating federal protection for IVF. Hundreds of millions of dollars are being invested in slick startups that market fertility treatments for all. But this rapid growth has revealed cracks in the system. Misconception, a new series from Bloomberg’s Prognosis, follows reporter Kristen V. Brown on her own intimate journey as she uncovers the business of fertility. Along the way, she finds a fractured industry — a profit-driven field of medicine that thrives on dueling messages of hope and fear as people gamble everything for a chance at a baby.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Merryn and John are still OOO, enjoying their summer break, so on today's episode, we bring you a conversation between Stephanie Flanders and author and journalist Anne Applebaum about her latest book Autocracy, Inc: The Dictators Who Want to Run The World. She says a network of dictators from China to Venezuela could be the beneficiaries of a welcoming White House should Donald Trump win the US election come November and warns that the self-proclaimed dealmaker and convicted felon’s foreign policy may be more personal and even less predictable in a second term. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As a special treat whilst Merryn and John are away, we're bringing you the latest episode of Money Stuff: The Podcast.Matt and Katie discuss Pershing Square USA's IPO, Citron Research's short-and-distort charges, bond market liquidity, and Katie's trip to Paris to watch running.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lawrence McDonald, founder of The Bear Traps Report and author, dives into actionable trading strategies for our radically reshaped economy. He discusses the aftermath of the Lehman Brothers collapse and its lessons for today's volatility, especially in tech stocks. The conversation also explores financial bubbles, rising inflation, and the interplay between technology and energy, emphasizing hard assets like uranium and lithium. McDonald critiques crypto trends and highlights unique investment opportunities in sectors like solar and cannabis. Mental wellness in decision-making is also addressed.

Alec Cutler, a portfolio manager at Orbis Investments, reveals the secrets behind his fund's impressive decade-long performance and shares his contrarian investment strategies. Joining him is John Stepek, a Bloomberg senior reporter, who discusses the financial implications of potential political changes in the U.S., especially under a Trump presidency. They explore market dynamics, the rising interest in UK small-cap stocks, the contrasting roles of gold and Bitcoin as investments, and the challenges of green energy initiatives in the UK.

Cape Wrath Capital’s Adam Rackley explains why on this week’s Merryn Talks Money. He also discusses why he thinks the time for UK small caps is here, what he currently holds and what might make it into the portfolio soon. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

MacroStrategy’s James Ferguson tells Merryn Talks Money there are better places to put your money. Plus, senior reporter and Money Distilled author John Stepek on what a Labour government means for markets. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Activist investors are on a mission to persuade large British businesses to move from London’s stock market to those of New York. Liad Meidar, founder and managing partner of Gatemore Capital Management, joins this week’s episode of Merryn Talks Money to discuss what’s driving this westward push and the steps London can take to head it off. The main incentive for companies to drop London for the Big Apple is the valuation gap. FTSE 100 companies trade at little more than half of the valuation of those on the S&P 500 on a forward price-to-earnings basis. The reason? Meidar says it’s the cost of capital, the UK takeover code and how board members are incentivized. Address those issues, and you’re on your way to solving the problem. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week’s episode of Merryn Talks Money, Peter Kinsella, global head of FX strategy at Union Bancaire Privee Ubp SA, joins host Merryn Somerset Webb to explain the bullish case he and his team are making for the UK. Earlier this year, UBP opened an initial allocation towards Britain, a first for the Swiss private bank. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Regular listeners of the Merryn Talks Money podcast know that Merryn Somerset Webb usually ends her interviews with one question. If you had to invest all of your money into one of these assets, and hold it for the next 10 years, which would it be: Bitcoin or gold? In this week’s episode, she makes that question the foundation for a conversation with Charlie Morris, chief investment officer and founder of ByteTree, and Alexander Chartres, a fund manager at Ruffer. The episode was taped in front of audience at the Bloomberg offices in London. Want to see Merryn live? Check out her shows in Edinburgh at Fringe Festival this August! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.