

Lead-Lag Live
Michael A. Gayed, CFA
Welcome to the Lead-Lag Live podcast, where we bring you live unscripted conversations with thought leaders in the world of finance, economics, and investing. Hosted by Melanie Schaffer each episode dives deep into the minds of industry experts to discuss current market trends, investment strategies, and the global economic landscape.In this exciting series, you'll have the rare opportunity to join Melanie Schaffer as she connects with prominent thought leaders for captivating discussions in real-time. The Lead-Lag Live podcast aims to provide valuable insights, analysis, and actionable advice for investors and financial professionals alike.As a dedicated listener, you can expect to hear from renowned financial experts, best-selling authors, and market strategists as they share their wealth of knowledge and experience. With a focus on topical issues and their potential impact on financial markets, these live unscripted conversations will ensure that you stay informed and ahead of the curve.Subscribe to the Lead-Lag Live podcast and follow @leadlagmedia on X to stay updated on upcoming live conversations and to gain exclusive access to a treasure trove of financial wisdom. Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to learn from the best and brightest minds in the business.Join us on this journey as we explore the complex world of finance and investments, one live unscripted conversation at a time. Be sure to like, comment, and share the Lead-Lag Live podcast with your network to help others discover these invaluable insights.Stay tuned for the latest episode of the Lead-Lag Live podcast, and remember to turn on notifications so you never miss a live conversation with your favorite thought leaders. Happy listening!
Episodes
Mentioned books

Dec 9, 2025 • 10min
The New Cash Strategy: How TRSY Helps Investors Navigate Today’s Yield Landscape
Short term yields have shifted, liquidity matters more than ever, and investors are rethinking how to manage cash efficiently. In this Lead-Lag Deep Dive, Melanie Schaeffer sits down with Aram Babikian to break down the purpose of TRSY, why its structure is different from traditional cash vehicles, and how investors are using it in today’s rate environment.They explore why liquidity, cost, and transparency are shaping cash decisions, how TRSY compares to CDs, money markets, and ultra short bond funds, and what its treasury-only structure means for both risk and potential tax advantages. Babikian also explains how the short duration profile, competitive expense ratio, and intraday tradability create flexibility for investors who need cash options without sacrificing yield.In this episode:• Why TRSY offers a different approach to short term cash management• How intraday liquidity can help investors react to market volatility• How expense ratios impact yield preservation in a higher rate world• Key differences between TRSY, CDs, money markets, and ultra short bond funds• The potential tax benefits tied to treasury backed incomeLead-Lag Live brings you inside conversations with the financial thinkers who shape markets. Subscribe for interviews that go deeper than the noise.Start your adventure with TableTalk Friday: A D&D Podcast at the link below or wherever you get your podcasts!Youtube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgB6B-mAeWlPM9KzGJ2O4cU0-m5lO0lkr&si=W_-jLsiREjyAIgEsSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/75YJ921WGQqUtwxRT71UQB?si=4R6kaAYOTtO2V Support the show

Dec 8, 2025 • 10min
Global Food Risk: How Brazil’s New Potash Supply Could Reshape Fertilizer, Commodities, and Agriculture
In this episode of Lead-Lag Live, I sit down with Matt Simpson, CEO of Brazil Potash (NYSE: GRO), to break down how the Autazes project could transform fertilizer security for Brazil and shift the balance of power in global agriculture.From navigating permits and construction milestones to securing long-term offtake agreements for more than 90 percent of expected production, Simpson explains how domestic potash supply could reduce Brazil’s reliance on imports and strengthen global food stability at a time when commodity markets remain volatile.In this episode:– Why fertilizer supply is tightening as global agriculture demand accelerates– How domestic Brazilian potash could reduce geopolitical and logistics risk– What the Autazes project means for future pricing, imports, and food security– How infrastructure partnerships are cutting project Capex and speeding timelines– Why growth in fertilizer demand could reshape commodities in 2025–2027Lead-Lag Live brings you inside conversations with the financial thinkers who shape markets. Subscribe for interviews that go deeper than the noise.Start your adventure with TableTalk Friday: A D&D Podcast at the link below or wherever you get your podcasts!Youtube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgB6B-mAeWlPM9KzGJ2O4cU0-m5lO0lkr&si=W_-jLsiREjyAIgEsSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/75YJ921WGQqUtwxRT71UQB?si=4R6kaAYOTtO2V Support the show

Dec 4, 2025 • 35min
Weekly Income ETFs Explained: GraniteShares + Top Creators Break Down the New Income Investing Boom
In this special Lead-Lag Live webinar sponsored by GraniteShares, Michael Gayed brings together some of the biggest YouTube creators in the income-investing space for a fresh, free-flowing conversation on weekly dividends, options-based income ETFs, yield strategies, and the rise of “living free from your brokerage account.”Featuring leaders from across the ETF and income-investing world, this session dives into:Why weekly dividend ETFs have exploded in popularityThe psychology behind income now vs long-term growthHow YieldBoost works — and how it differs from traditional covered callsMyths and misunderstandings about options-based incomeHow creators and investors actually use weekly distributionsGlobal demand for passive-income toolsHow income ETFs behave in a rate-cutting cycleNew launches from GraniteShares, including semiconductors & gold minersIf you’re looking to build income, understand the mechanics of modern ETF strategies, or learn from creators who have built massive communities in this space — this conversation is packed with practical insight.#GraniteShares #YieldBoost #Dividends #ETFs #InvestingStart your adventure with TableTalk Friday: A D&D Podcast at the link below or wherever you get your podcasts!Youtube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgB6B-mAeWlPM9KzGJ2O4cU0-m5lO0lkr&si=W_-jLsiREjyAIgEsSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/75YJ921WGQqUtwxRT71UQB?si=4R6kaAYOTtO2V Sign up to The Lead-Lag Report on Substack and get 30% off the annual subscription today by visiting http://theleadlag.report/leadlaglive. Support the show

Dec 4, 2025 • 3min
The George Costanza Trade? Options Experts Break Down Smarter Trading Strategies | OptionsAnimal Webinar
Join Michael Gayed, Melanie Schaffer, and the OptionsANIMAL team for a conversation about options trading, risk management, and the famous “George Costanza Trade.”In this webinar, they chat about:What the “Costanza approach” really means in tradingHow professional traders manage risk and avoid emotional decisionsHigh-probability setups explained in simple termsOptions strategies that work in volatile marketsActionable tips you can start applying immediatelyWhether you're looking for CE credits, want to improve your trading discipline, or simply want to learn new frameworks from top options educators, this conversation is packed with value.Lead-Lag Live brings you inside conversations with the financial thinkers who shape markets. Subscribe for interviews that go deeper than the noise#OptionsTrading #OptionsAnimal #LeadLagLive #Investing #FinanceStart your adventure with TableTalk Friday: A D&D Podcast at the link below or wherever you get your podcasts!Youtube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgB6B-mAeWlPM9KzGJ2O4cU0-m5lO0lkr&si=W_-jLsiREjyAIgEsSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/75YJ921WGQqUtwxRT71UQB?si=4R6kaAYOTtO2V Support the show

Dec 3, 2025 • 21min
Regime Shift Ahead: Alex Shahidi on Inflation Risk, True Diversification, and Building Resilient Portfolios
In this episode of Lead-Lag Live, I sit down with Alex Shahidi, Co-Chief Investment Officer at Evoke Advisors, to unpack the structural forces reshaping markets — from persistent inflation to weakening growth, rising deficits, and the return of macro volatility.From the limitations of the traditional 60-40 portfolio to the misunderstood mechanics behind risk parity, Shahidi explains how investors can build portfolios that survive multiple economic regimes without relying on forecasts or market timing.In this episode:– Why inflation volatility poses the biggest risk to portfolios today– How the past decade created dangerous concentration in equities– Why most investors misunderstand what true diversification means– How risk parity protects against extreme macro outcomes– How RPAR expresses a balanced, multi-regime investment frameworkLead-Lag Live brings you inside conversations with the financial thinkers who shape markets. Subscribe for interviews that go deeper than the noise.#RiskParity #Diversification #Inflation #RPAR #Markets #EvokeAdvisors #PortfolioConstruction #MacroInvestingStart your adventure with TableTalk Friday: A D&D Podcast at the link below or wherever you get your podcasts!Youtube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgB6B-mAeWlPM9KzGJ2O4cU0-m5lO0lkr&si=W_-jLsiREjyAIgEsSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/75YJ921WGQqUtwxRT71UQB?si=4R6kaAYOTtO2V Support the show

Dec 3, 2025 • 25min
Michael Burry’s Warning, AI Math Reality, and the Hollowing Out of “Core”
In this episode of Lead-Lag Live, I sit down with Seth Cogswell, Managing Partner at Running Oak Capital, to break down Michael Burry’s warnings about depreciation manipulation, inflated AI earnings, and the concentration risk dominating today’s market.From the speed of chip innovation to the widening gap between revenue and AI CapEx, Cogswell explains why valuations at the top of the S&P 500 may be far more stretched than investors realize — and why diversified, valuation-discipline strategies could be the antidote to extreme concentration.In this episode:– Why extending depreciation cycles may be inflating mega-cap earnings– How today’s top 10 S&P names are valued above the peak of the tech bubble– What investors misunderstand about investing in AI– Why Running Oak has reduced tech exposure despite an AI revolution– How passive flows have hollowed out the core of the U.S. equity marketLead-Lag Live brings you inside conversations with the financial thinkers who shape markets. Subscribe for interviews that go deeper than the noise.#RunningOak #Markets #TechValuations #AIBubble #PassiveInvesting #RiskManagement #Equities #InvestingStart your adventure with TableTalk Friday: A D&D Podcast at the link below or wherever you get your podcasts!Youtube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgB6B-mAeWlPM9KzGJ2O4cU0-m5lO0lkr&si=W_-jLsiREjyAIgEsSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/75YJ921WGQqUtwxRT71UQB?si=4R6kaAYOTtO2V Support the show

Dec 3, 2025 • 16min
Europe & Japan Are Back: Aram Babikian on HDEF, DBEF & the 2026 International Bull Case
International markets are leading and according to DWS’s Aram Babikian, we’re still in the early innings. In part 1 of this Lead-Lag Deep Dive Series, Melanie Schaeffer sits down with Aram to explore why Europe and Japan are gaining momentum, what’s structurally different this time, and how two key XTrackers ETFs, HDEF and DBEF, are positioned for 2025–2026.They break down:- Why Europe, especially Germany, is entering a new era of investment- Japan’s wage growth, inflation stabilization & corporate reforms- How DBEF helps reduce currency-driven volatility- Why advisors are using a 50/50 split between HDEF & DBEF- The global policy shifts creating long-term opportunity- What investors should expect in 2025, 2026 and beyondStart your adventure with TableTalk Friday: A D&D Podcast at the link below or wherever you get your podcasts!Youtube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgB6B-mAeWlPM9KzGJ2O4cU0-m5lO0lkr&si=W_-jLsiREjyAIgEsSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/75YJ921WGQqUtwxRT71UQB?si=4R6kaAYOTtO2V Support the show

Dec 3, 2025 • 14min
Greed to Fear: Jay Hatfield on Post-Earnings Volatility, Tech Rotation, and the Case for Income
In this episode of Lead-Lag Live, I sit down with Jay Hatfield, CEO of Infrastructure Capital Advisors, to break down what Nvidia’s blockbuster quarter means for mega-cap tech, why markets fade after earnings season, and the implications for dividend stocks, preferreds, and small caps as rate expectations shift.From valuation pressure in momentum names to tightening money supply and the path of Fed policy, Hatfield explains where he sees opportunity as volatility resets — and why income strategies may be entering their strongest stretch of the cycle.In this episode:– Why strong tech earnings often lead to short-term market weakness– How Bitcoin and leveraged crypto products spill over into tech volatility– Why dividend-heavy large caps offer resilience in rotation periods– How preferreds and corporate bonds can outperform into 2026– The setup for small-cap value once Fed cuts beginLead-Lag Live brings you inside conversations with the financial thinkers who shape markets. Subscribe for interviews that go deeper than the noise.Start your adventure with TableTalk Friday: A D&D Podcast at the link below or wherever you get your podcasts!Youtube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgB6B-mAeWlPM9KzGJ2O4cU0-m5lO0lkr&si=W_-jLsiREjyAIgEsSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/75YJ921WGQqUtwxRT71UQB?si=4R6kaAYOTtO2V Support the show

Nov 25, 2025 • 37min
Humanoid Robots Are Coming: Investing in the KOID Opportunity
In this episode of Lead-Lag Live, Michael Gayed sits down with Cole Wenner from KraneShares to break down the rise of humanoid robots and why the theme is moving from cool demos to real-world deployment. Cole explains embodied intelligence, the labor and aging-population pressures driving demand, and where humanoids are likely to show up first — warehouses, factories, hospitals, and eventually the home.They walk through the three parts of the KOID approach: the “brain” (AI and semiconductors), the “body” (motors, sensors, actuators, materials), and the integrators building full robots. Cole also highlights why many of the most investable opportunities sit inside the global components supply chain, where costs are falling fast across LiDAR, motors, and compute.The conversation also covers timelines, pilot programs, cost bottlenecks, and how US strength in AI and China’s manufacturing advantage could speed adoption.In this episode:• Why humanoids are becoming practical now• First real-world use cases• The KOID framework: brain, body, integrators• Component companies driving early value• What needs to improve for mass adoptionLead-Lag Live brings you conversations with the people shaping global markets. Follow the show and comment with the first task you’d want a humanoid to handle.#KOID #Robotics #HumanoidRobots #AI #Automation #KraneShares #Investing #TechTrendsStart your adventure with TableTalk Friday: A D&D Podcast at the link below or wherever you get your podcasts!Youtube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgB6B-mAeWlPM9KzGJ2O4cU0-m5lO0lkr&si=W_-jLsiREjyAIgEsSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/75YJ921WGQqUtwxRT71UQB?si=4R6kaAYOTtO2V Sign up to The Lead-Lag Report on Substack and get 30% off the annual subscription today by visiting http://theleadlag.report/leadlaglive. Support the show

Nov 25, 2025 • 35min
China Q3 Update & the KLIP Covered Call Strategy with Henry Greene From KraneShares
In this episode of Lead-Lag Live, Michael Gayed talks with Henry Greene from KraneShares about how recent changes in US–China trade incentives are improving the outlook for China’s tech sector and why it matters for investors.They discuss the rise of AI in China — including DeepSeek and Alibaba’s Qwen models — and how letting companies train AI on their own data could boost cloud adoption. Henry also explains China’s push into robotics and how it fits alongside US leadership in chips and software.To bring it back to portfolios, Henry breaks down why KWEB tends to react strongly to policy headlines, how KLIP uses that volatility to generate monthly income, and simple ways to combine the two depending on your goals.In this episode:• What’s changing in US–China trade• China’s growing AI ecosystem• Why enterprise fine-tuning matters• How robotics and chips fit into the story• How KWEB behaves during policy shifts• How KLIP turns volatility into incomeLead-Lag Live brings you real conversations with the people shaping global markets. Subscribe for more insights that cut through the noise.#KWEB #KLIP #ChinaTech #AIinChina #EmergingMarkets #Investing #KraneShares #MarketInsightsStart your adventure with TableTalk Friday: A D&D Podcast at the link below or wherever you get your podcasts!Youtube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgB6B-mAeWlPM9KzGJ2O4cU0-m5lO0lkr&si=W_-jLsiREjyAIgEsSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/75YJ921WGQqUtwxRT71UQB?si=4R6kaAYOTtO2V Sign up to The Lead-Lag Report on Substack and get 30% off the annual subscription today by visiting http://theleadlag.report/leadlaglive. Support the show


