In our latest podcast, Neil Williams, Head of LeifBridge Investment Services, hosts and interviews Ernst Knacke and Stewart Abrahart. The team discuss the recent wobble in equity markets, discussing whether this signals a crash or a mere profit-taking phase.

Ernst highlights the importance of Daniel Kahneman‘s work on prospect theory and how understanding behavioural biases can enhance investment strategies.

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In this week’s Podcast, Neil Williams, Head of LeifBridge Investment Services and Ernst Knacke, Head of Investment Research at Shard Capital discuss their recent monthly macroeconomic outlook, as well as their insights in emerging markets, including the ‘golden’ opportunities that they see in Emerging Markets.

In this podcast, the duo cover:

- A deep dive into market perspectives.
- A Market analyses using Shard Capital’s macroeconomical factor quadrant.
- Inflation trends and economic insights.
- The global landscape.
- Emerging markets: India and China
- Investment themes: The ‘golden’ opportunity.

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In the latest podcast 🎙 - Neil Williams, Head of LeifBridge Investment Services and Ernst Knacke, Head of Investment Research dive into the issue of top-heavy markets, specifically focusing on the concentration risks and biases within global equity markets.

In the previous year, not having a stake in any of the Magnificent Seven stocks meant potentially missing out on substantial gains. However, as Ernst astutely observes, many investors were inadvertently exposed to these stocks, whether directly or indirectly. This underscores a pressing concern...

Given the outsized influence of a handful of stocks on index performance, what are the ramifications if one of these mega-cap stocks experiences a significant decline in value?

Ernst and Neil delve into the inherent risks of market concentration present across various indices worldwide, drawing comparisons and exploring strategies to capitalize on opportunities while mitigating risk.

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In this week’s podcast, Neil Williams the founder of LeifBridge Investment Services, and Ernst Knacke, our Head of Investment Research, get together to discuss Shard Capital’s monthly Global Investment Committee (GIC).

The duo reviews the output from the GIC, including changes to the macroeconomic factor quadrant and asset allocation framework and go on to share some insights on their expectations for growth and inflation, some investment themes, and the importance of risk management in portfolio construction.

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In this week’s podcast, Neil Williams, Ernst Knacke, and Julian Wheeler discuss this week’s hotly anticipated NVIDIA earnings report.

While recognising that NVIDIA has been a huge beneficiary of the AI revolution, the team discusses NVIDIA’s impressive figures in recent quarters, stock market performance, future prospects, and the potential risks that might affect NVIDIA’s dominance in the market.

Listen in on the conversation below 👇🏼

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In this week’s Podcast, we host two special guests from Dejima Asset Management who are long term players in the Japanese arena.

Our Head of Investment Research, Ernst Knacke, and Market Strategist at Shard Capital and author of the Morning Porridge, Bill Blain host the conversation with Matthew Lonergan and Trevor Sliwerski, Partners at Dejima Asset Management.

They discuss various aspects of the Japanese market, including the shift in corporate behaviour, foreign direct investments, favourable valuations, and transformative technological advancements. They also touch on the impact of Japan’s demographic crisis, the trend of Japanese investors buying in India, and the potential consequences of increasing interest rates.

Listen in on the conversation below.

On a monthly basis, Shard Capital’s Global Investment Committee (GIC) get together to review their macroeconomic factor quadrant which set the base of asset allocations across the various functions at Shard Capital.

In this week’s podcast, our Head of Investment Research, Ernst Knacke, and founder of LeifBridge Investment Services, Neil Williams discuss the latest data to come out of the GIC that guides their views on economic growth, inflation, and asset classes.

The duo also shares insights on the changing economic cycle, the potential implications of inflation, the impact of central bank policies, and the importance of risk management in portfolio construction.

In this week’s podcast, Ernst Knacke and Neil Williams are joined by special guest Richard Liddle, CEO of Bowmoor Capital. Richard shares the simplicity and effectiveness of CTAs and a trend-following strategy, particularly in a volatile market. He explains that by focusing on the trend rather than the specific asset or market, the strategy can yield positive returns. The trio then touch on the importance of liquidity and the unique balance of risk return in a portfolio context while considering managed futures or trend-following strategies.

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In this edition of our weekly podcast, Neil Williams, Head of LeifBridge, and Ernst Knacke, Head of Investment Research, explore their outlook for volatility. They unpack the risks on the horizon including geopolitical tension, misinformation, and market challenges, and also delve into strategies such as dollar-cost averaging.

They go on to share some of the bigger market drawdown events of recent decades, discuss the opportunities they present, and stress the importance of understanding a client’s liquidity needs.

They end the conversation by flagging the importance of being disciplined with investment execution to weather market volatility.

Listen to the latest podcast below:

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In the first 2024 edition of our Shard Capital podcast, host Neil Williams and investment research head Ernst Knacke discuss their views on the economic and market trends that are projected to shape 2024.

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This episode takes a short recap of how we exited 2023, and then looks at the global economic outlook for this year and how our portfolios are positioned.

In the latest podcast of the year Head of LeifBridge, Neil Williams plays host to Head of Research, Ernst Knacke, and Shard Capital's US Equities Specialist, Julian Wheeler, as they discuss their top industry winners and losers poised for investment opportunities in 2024.

This episode covers crucial market insights and potential investments, exploring:

🕹 Technology Stocks: their current status and future projections

📈 Impact of Inflation on2024 markets

🚢 Travel Industry: identifying winners and losers

⛏ Commodity performance, including a deep analysis on metals and natural gas

🚗 Electric Vehicles, global politics and finally,

🎌 Japan.

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Our Head of Research, Ernst Knacke, alongside Shard Capital's Market Strategist, Bill Blain. Together, they delve into pivotal market developments and headlines: from dissecting the recent OpenAI transformation and its impact on Microsoft, to an insightful exploration of real asset markets, spotlighting enduring commodities like gold and gas.

Explore their in-depth analysis of global economic trends, political competency, and corporate governance, backed by real-world examples from Argentina and Greece.

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In this week’s Podcast, Ernst Knacke, our Head of Research, and Benny Osei, Investment Associate, discuss the broad topic of biotechnology and AI.

Together, they discuss the biggest developments in healthcare over the next decade by delving into the overlap between AI, diagnostics, drug discovery and treatment. They also discuss the big opportunities they foresee in biotech, as well as what they think are novel ideas, and whether others are just trends.

In this week’s Podcast, Ernst Knacke, our Head of Research, and Mike Hollings, Chief Investment Officer, discuss whether now is a good time to be investing in gold.

Gold’s value is currently sitting slightly under its all-time high, but with continued uncertainty with global politics, markets across the world looking as fragile as they are, and no clear solution on the horizon, Ernst and Mike question whether increasing their gold allocation to investment portfolios is a strategically smart move.

Historically, gold has been a reliable asset to invest in during times of global political and economic uncertainty, but investing in gold is not as easy as it sounds. With options such as physical gold and gold mining companies, as well as different methods on how to invest in the above options, the duo discuss the pros and cons.

Listen in on the conversation below.

The USA – Interest rates, elections, safe investments and more.

In this week’s podcast, Ernst Knacke, Head of Research and Benny Osei, Investment Associate discuss the USA and other macro news. Specifically, the duo touch on interest rates, a rising cost of capital, how wartime is often a good time to print money, social media and free speech, US elections, typical safe haven investments and more.

Listen in on the conversation below.

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In the early hours on Saturday 7^th October, Hamas launched an attack on Israel by land, sea and air. The shocking events in the Middle East will be a primary focus this week – just how will Israel react to Iran’s terror by proxy, and how will the attack play out?

Opinion will likely harden on all sides, and the implications for markets could be massive. The critical aspects to watch will be Israel’s reaction and what Saudi Arabia does. Saudi will be seeking to preserve its leadership of the Arab World and is bitterly opposed to Iran. Will it continue to support Russia and higher oil prices, or will it pull away to avoid being blamed for a deeper global recession if energy prices trigger a new inflationary nudge?

This week, Shard Capital's Market Strategist Bill Blain, LeifBridge's CIO Mike Hollings and Head of Research Ernst Knacke look at the impacts of the new conflict on markets, and how it relates to the coming crisis in bond and credit markets.

UBS is currently in the market, seeking to secure Additional Tier 1 Capital. However, it’s worth noting that just half a year ago, the failure of its recent rival, Credit Suisse, resulted in investors suffering losses exceeding $17 billion from written-off AT1 “CoCo” bonds.

In the latest podcast, Strategist Bill Blain from Shard Capital, CIO Mike Hollings from LeifBridge and esteemed guest, Killian Fitzgerald, Portfolio Manager from Rubrics Asset Management, delve into the outlook for financial institutions and their capital. They pose the following question:

Is it a prudent choice to invest in banks within the current market environment?

Join us for our latest podcast discussion with Shard Capital's strategist, Bill Blain, our Head of Research, Ernst Knacke, and our US equities expert, Julian Wheeler. We’ll be diving into the latest headline topics including the AI boom, the upcoming ARM IPO, as well as Nvidia’s recent triumphs, plus the world of oil and the future of energy.

In a world where good news can sometimes have unexpected twists, we’ll be dissecting these topics and giving you our take on whether the news is positive or not.

With the official end of the summer holidays and the children returning to school next Monday, it’s time for most of us to emerge from our market hiatus. As a result, our weekly podcast is back in action.

Usually, our podcast delves into a singular topic often centred around headline news or under-discussed subjects. This week, however, we’re shifting gears to highlight the standout stories that unfolded during the summer break. Join us as Neil Williams, Ernst Knacke, and Bill Blain provide insightful summaries of recent market developments, spanning global politics, the semiconductor industry, and the fascinating world of AI.

In this week’s podcast, Ernst Knacke, Benny Osei, and the newest member of the Shard Capital and LeifBridge team, Stewart Abrahart, engage in a discussion about the Magnificent 7, US politics, and the NatWest/Coutts controversy.

The trio begins by analysing the latest figures from the Magnificent 7, which comprises Apple, Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Tesla. They delve into the performance and developments of these major companies.

Moving on, they shift their focus to US politics, discussing the candidates and events leading up to the presidential election. The team provides insights into the current political landscape and its potential implications.

Finally, Benny provides a detailed summary of the recent controversy involving Coutts, which forms part of the NatWest group’s wealth management division and former UK politician, Nigel Farage. Yesterday we saw the CEOs from NatWest and Coutts depart, which Benny sheds some light on the situation and its consequences.

Have we become slightly obsessive in our industry about daily liquidity, and if given some of the headwinds that traditional asset classes seem to be facing going forward, do we need to hit the reset button to some extent?

Richard Bacon, Shard Capital's Head of Business Development and Sales asks this question as he dives into the topic of liquidity with our very own Mike Hollings, Chief Investment Officer and Partner, and Ernst Knacke our Head of Research in our latest podcast.

The trio talk about the risks of liquidity in a portfolio on one hand, and the strategies for wielding the benefits of

Head of Research Ernst Knacke and Investment Associate Benny Osei discuss recent headlines and investing opportunities in Africa on their podcast.

In this week’s podcast, Head of Research Ernst Knacke and Investment Associate Benny Osei discuss the latest headlines, including Meta’s new social media platform Thread, Elon Musk’s latest AI tool xAI, and the economic state of Africa. They also focus on the opportunities that exist in certain African countries.

The two experts discuss how Thread could disrupt the social media landscape, the potential of xAI to revolutionise the way we interact with technology, and the challenges and opportunities facing Africa as a continent. They also highlight some of the specific countries that they believe offer attractive investment opportunities.

Yesterday’s headlines and front-page news exclaimed that Thames Water may be on the brink of collapse. Bill Blain, Strategist at Shard Capital fears that this may be the straw that breaks the UK’s back. Simultaneously, Ernst Knacke, Head of Research for Shard Capital and LeifBridge, shares apprehensions about the UK facing what many have deemed the most anticipated recession in its history. Joining forces, they delve into a thorough examination of these pressing issues, engaging in a thoughtful discussion on the potential outcomes and investment prospects for those interested in the UK market.

In this week’s podcast, join Bill Blain, Strategist and Head of Alternative Investing at Shard Capital, and Ernst Knacke, Head of Research at LeifBridge, as they examine the UK economy through a comprehensive lens. They cover a wide range of topics, including currencies, politics, central bank policies, and the UK’s housing market, and offer their predictions for the future trajectory of inflation.

In this week’s podcast, Bill Blain, Ernst Knacke and Julian Wheeler delve into the topic of investing in Japan.

With Japan’s Nikkei Index recording a remarkable growth of over 30% year-to-date as of June 16th, 2023, and renowned investor Warren Buffett significantly increasing Berkshire Hathaway‘s holdings in Japanese companies from around 5% in August 2020 to approximately 7.4% in 2023, we find ourselves pondering the potential for lucrative returns in Japan.

Between Bill Blain, Strategist and Head of Alternative Investing st Shard Capital, Ernst Knacke, Head of Research at LeifBridge, and Julian Wheeler, US Equities Expert at Shard Capital, they explore the historical context of Japan’s economy, the notable transformations it has undergone, the existing investment opportunities, and the prudent approach to take when venturing into the Japanese market.

In this week’s podcast episode, Ernst Knacke, our Head of Research, engages in an insightful conversation with Benny Osei, an Investment Associate, regarding the intersection of Healthcare and Technology and its impact on wealth creation in the industry.

Additionally, the duo explores the promising role of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare, as well as its implications for the Financial industry.

In our latest podcast, Ernst Knacke, our Head of Research at LeifBridge interviews Bill Blain, Strategist and Head of Alternative Assets at Shard Capital.

This week, the duo shine a light on the recent banking turmoil we’ve seen this year, why it happened, and what opportunities exist when investing in banks.

Bill Blain, who has a rich history of working in investment banking tells us of his “Blain’s Rules on Bank Investing”.

Welcome to the latest podcast. This week, Bill Blain leads an insightful discussion on “What to Look for in an Investment Manager”. As we all know, choosing the right person to manage our hard-earned money can be a daunting task. That’s why Bill, together with Ernst Knacke, Head of Research at LeifBridge, and Richard Bacon, Head of Business Development and Sales at Shard Capital, dive deep into the different types of fund managers, investment managers, and actively and passively managed portfolios.

During the podcast, the team shares their expert insights on the qualities to look out for in an investment manager and the red flags to avoid.

In this week’s podcast episode, we dive deep into the recent US inflation numbers and what they mean for the economy.

Hosted by Bill Blain, market strategist at Shard Capital, this episode features an enlightening discussion with Julian Wheeler, Shard Capital's US equities expert, and Mike Hollings, CIO at LeifBridge Investment Services. These experts share their insights on the factors driving inflation in the US and its potential impact on markets and investment strategies.

Inflation has been a hot topic in the financial world in recent months, with concerns about rising prices and their effects on consumers and investors. This podcast episode offers a timely and informative analysis of the latest inflation figures and what they could mean for the future of the US and global economy.

Is it worthwhile to include property investments in your or your clients’ portfolios?

In this week’s podcast, Richard Bacon, Head of Business Development at Shard Capital, moderates a discussion with Ernst Knacke, Head of Research at Shard Capital and LeifBridge, and Neil Williams, Head of Investment Management at Shard Capital and Partner at LeifBridge, to explore the viability of property investments in portfolios.

The three experts delve into the history of property investments as a portfolio component and evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of incorporating them into portfolios in the current landscape.

In this week’s podcast, Bill Blain hosts Mike Hollings, CIO at LeifBridge, along with Simon Harris from Shard Capital, our in-house expert on Structured Products.

The group explores the past reputation of Structured Products, current changes, and the enticing benefits they offer to investors, including retail investors, IFAs, and corporate clients.

Structured Products can be an excellent choice during market instability, allowing investors to assess their risk tolerance.

Join Richard Bacon, Head of Business Development at Shard Capital in this week’s podcast as he discusses the importance of currency exposure in client portfolios.

Richard is joined by Head of Research, Ernst Knacke, and Partner, Mike Hollings from LeifBridge as they delve into the critical role that currency investing/FX has in growing client wealth.

During the podcast, Ernst and Mike share their expertise on how they research and allocate base currencies into foreign currencies to diversify client portfolios. They also discuss the significance of Yen and its role in the world of FX, as well as the value of Gold as a currency.

In this week’s podcast, Bill Blain, Strategist and Head of Alternative Assets is joined by Ernst Knacke, Head of Research, as they discuss what exactly happened to Silicon Valley Bank and why markets have been affected by it.

What will happen next?

• Will we see a change in the valuations in real assets?
• How will risk be priced into equities?
• Will Central Banks continue to normalise rates and fight inflation, or will they be forced to ease to preserve market stability?

The duo discusses it all in this week’s podcast.

We delve into the world of investment, as we often do, and explore the most pressing topics of the day. In this episode, our host Bill Blain, Head of Alternative Assets and Strategist at Shard Capital, explores the theme of volatility and whether it should be seen as a friend or a foe.

Joining Bill on this episode are two experts in the field of investment strategy: Mike Hollings, Partner at Shard Capital, and Richard Bacon, Head of Business Development. Together, they share their insights and experiences in navigating the often-choppy waters of volatility.

In a world where markets are constantly evolving, volatility has become a fact of life for investors. It can be unsettling, unpredictable and at times, downright scary. But as Bill, Mike, and Richard argue, it doesn’t have to be.

Through an engaging and informative discussion, our panel define the role volatility has played since the global finance crisis, the role it is likely to play now, and strategies investors can employ to harness volatility to their advantage.

From understanding risk management techniques, to identifying opportunities in times of market disruption, they provide insights that investors can use to improve their returns and minimize risk.

So, whether you’re an experienced investor or just starting out, tune in to the Shard Capital Podcast and discover how you can make volatility work for you. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from the experts and take your investment strategy to the next level.

In our latest podcast episode, our esteemed Strategist, Bill Blain, is joined by Mike Hollings, Partner at Shard Capital, and Ernst Knacke, Head of Research at Shard Capital, to discuss the opportunities to invest in emerging markets.

The team dives into the significant changes that have occurred in the past 25 years since the Asian Financial Crisis, particularly the maturing of many Asian markets. Through their analysis, they identify some great investment opportunities and conclude that some Emerging Asian Markets could contribute to a significant portion of your portfolio.

If you’re interested in exploring investment opportunities in emerging markets and diversifying your portfolio, this is a must-listen episode.

In this week’s podcast, Ernst Knacke, Head of Research at Shard Capital and LeifBridge, asks Bill Blain, Head of Alternative Assets, and Julian Wheeler, Partner at Shard Capital the following questions:

• What are the chances of a US recession in 2023?
• Will Inflation fall back to the 2% target?
• What will drive economic growth?
• If inflation sticks around, what does this mean for the future of funding costs, liquidity, and the enormous corporate and government debt?
• What are the investment safe-havens for the next 12 months?

Listen in on the conversation below: