In the City

The global elite gathered in Davos this week but the conversation centered on Trump back in DC. Businessweek Editor Brad Stone joins Francine Lacqua and Dave Merritt on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum to make sense of the Stargate announcement, the Elon Musk-Sam Altman spat and when the alliance between Big Tech and Trump could sour. They also discuss pessimism about Europe and why everyone at Davos is talking about Chinese AI start-up DeepSeek.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is modern technology ruining our children? In a live taping before an audience at Bloomberg House in Davos, Francine Lacqua sits down with author of "The Anxious Generation" and social psychologist Jonathan Haidt to tackle that question. They discuss the impact of social media on Gen Z's childhoods, and how that might shape their potential as a workforce. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Economist Jim O’Neill says that UK market moves have been exaggerated, but Labour still needs to convince investors its plans are sound. O’Neill also discusses what Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves faces going forward. If we are entering a bear market on global bonds, he says, Reeves has an issue with her fiscal framework. But it’s still not time to be an alarmist. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s been a rough week for UK assets. The pound fell to its lowest level in a year, gilt yields surged and investors are losing confidence in the government’s ability to control the nation’s deficit and high borrowing costs. Why are things spiraling now?  Senior reporter Phil Aldrick joins this week’s In the City to explain. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Established in 1689, Lloyd’s of London is a marketplace housing different insurers that sell policies in the UK and around the world. Lloyd’s received more than £50 billion worth of premiums in 2024 alone. All of this is overseen by Chief Executive Officer John Neal, who’s been in the insurance industry for more than four decades. In this episode of In the City, Neal sits down with hosts Francine Lacqua, David Merritt and Allegra Stratton to discuss the difficulties of using artificial intelligence in the insurance industry, how climate change is impacting premiums and the way in which governments can use insurance policies to protect their economies. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2023, Credit Suisse collapsed, shaking the foundations of the global banking establishment. But for onlookers who were aware of the lender’s numerous afflictions, it’s sudden demise was no surprise at all. From one perspective, the bank’s succession of scandals arguably started as early as its founding some 167 years ago. One of those observers who saw it coming was Bloomberg editor Duncan Mavin, author of Meltdown: Greed, Scandal, and the Collapse of Credit Suisse. Mavin has covered banking malfeasance for more than a decade, which in Europe necessarily involved Credit Suisse on an almost regular basis. In this episode of In The City, Mavin sits down with hosts Francine Lacqua and David Merritt to discuss his book and some of the lesser-known crises at the Swiss bank that led to its downfall. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When UBS agreed to buy Credit Suisse in March 2023, it was a pivotal moment for European banking. The government-brokered deal was considered historic and its success was instrumental in containing a crisis that had started to spread across global financial markets. At the center of its success has been Beatriz Martin, head of non-core and legacy operations. Her role is key to this massive restructuring as she sifts through Credit Suisse’s assets and decides which ones to keep and which to wind down. On this week’s episode of In the City, Martin sits down with hosts Francine Lacqua and David Merritt to discuss the process, strategy and progress so far.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

EMEA News Director Rosalind Mathieson and editor Jennifer Surane join Francine to unpack the headlines from Bloomberg’s inaugural Women, Money & Power event that took place in London this week. Key topics include the outlook for private markets, what another term in the US for Donald Trump means for markets, policy and economies, and the outlook for Europe. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Adam Posen, president of the Peterson Institute of International Economics, joins David Merritt and Allegra Stratton to discuss the economic fallout of France's political crisis, the economic effects of Donald Trump's plan for tariffs, and the challenges facing the budget put forth by UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week’s In the City, Nat Benjamin, executive director for financial stability strategy and risk and a member of the Financial Policy Committee at the Bank of England, joins hosts Francine Lacqua and Allegra Stratton to discuss the central bank’s latest financial stability report.  “The value of this exercise is to put the spotlight on these things in peacetime,” Benjamin explains. “So everyone gets prepared for when shocks happen.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.