There are so many challenges facing investors from the fallout of elections globally to AI and other global forces shaping the economy. On this show, we speak to Philip Chandler, a multi-asset investor, about how investors might deal with those challenges and the opportunities they present. RUNNING ORDER: 00:58 - Part one: Trading elections 06:22 -…

We have a very special guest for you this week. In the year of elections we thought we'd get a politician on the podcast, or at least a former politician. The Right Honourable Lord William Hague agreed to join us. Lord Hague's held many senior roles, including Leader of the House of Commons, but is best known as the Leader of the Conservative party…

Leo Quinn is the CEO of infrastructure firm Balfour Beatty. He joined as a graduate but left to explore other opportunities and learn new skills. As a problem solver he was re-hired by Balfour in 2014 and became chief executive the next year. Since then, the company has grown in strength. On the latest mid 250 podcast, Leo joins hosts Jean Roche an…

A very, very late change to the schedule this week but it's a welcome one too. My colleagues Vera German and Jade Zhang had the opportunity to speak to legendary Emerging Markets investor Mark Mobius on the Value Perspective, our sister podcast, and we thought it would be rude not to share that with you. Mark founded Mobius Capital Partners in 2018…

For years investors have been asking, does engagement matter and if so, how does it affect financial returns? So I sat down with my colleague, Olga Cowings who has been looking to answer those questions. In this show we’ll look how investors engage with companies, whether companies actually listen and how that might affect returns. RUNNING ORDER 00…

As the crisis in the Middle East threatens to escalate we speak to General Sir Nick Carter about the situation in Israel, Gaza and beyond. Sir Nick is a former British Army officer who served as Chief of the Defence Staff in the UK. RUNNING ORDER 01:01 - Part one: Middle East update 15:20 - Part two: what the near future might hold NEW EPISODES: Th…

Despite markets wobbling after a surprise rise in US inflation, the assumption remains that the federal reserve will begin cutting interest rates this year. So, we delved into the data to find out what happens in markets when central banks begin cutting rates. My colleague Duncan Lamont, Head of Strategic Research, is our guide for this episode. RU…

The last time the Japanese stockmarket was at current levels the Berlin Wall had only just fallen and Billy Joel was top of the hit parade. We speak to Taku Arai, Deputy Head of Japanese Equities at Schroders, about what happened and whether the renaissance can last in the land of rising stocks. RUNNING ORDER: 02:58 - Part one: 80s boom followed by…

Today's show is the latest in our series of Mid 250 podcasts where we speak to CEOs of some of the biggest names listed on the UK's mid-cap stock exchange. Today, James Goodman and Jean Roche speak with Nick Jefferies, the CEO of discoverIE, which designs and manufactures customised electronic components for industrial applications. Since Nick Jeff…

Energy security and carbon targets are high on the list of priorities among policymakers, consumers and investors. While a lot of people see renewable energy as a solution, Matthew Wald believes nuclear has a bigger role to play in the energy mix of the future. Matthew was a journalist for four decades at the New York Times. He's now an analyst at …

Recent inflation muddled the picture on when interest rates might be cut, but investors still believe it will be this year. However, how brave do they need to be to invest in markets already at or near recent peaks? Schroders ran the numbers and came up with some interesting findings on how stocks perform after hitting highs and how assets perform …

The food system is on track to bust the world's entire 1.5 to 2 degree carbon budget, yet it's barely been spoken about by policymakers at climate conferences. Portfolio manager Felix Odey is our guide as we explore the way our food production and consumption is challenging climate targets. We'll look at potential solutions and what it means for yo…

Tom Walker admits that getting anyone to have a discussion about real estate in recent years has been difficult. Then, at the end of 2023, that all changed. Now all anyone wants to talk about is real estate. Tom's Co-Head of Global Real Estate at Schroders and he joins the pod to discuss how real estate went from a difficult conversation to have to…

Former poker player Casper Berry gives advice on how investors might avoid some of the pitfalls that can lead them to making bad decisions in the coming year. NEW EPISODES: The Investor Download is available every other Thursday and will be released at 1700 UK time. You can subscribe via Podbean or use this feed URL (https://schroders.podbean.com/f…

Chief Investment Officer Johanna Kyrklund and Senior Economist Azad Zangana join the show to discuss the outlook for 2024. We cover everything from interest rates and inflation to artificial intelligence and the US election in just 15 minutes. This is the final show of the year. We thank you for all your support and wish you a very happy and prospe…

Welcome to a very special edition of The Investor Download where your host is Schroders’ CEO Peter Harrison – and the topic is all things AI. Join Peter as he talks to Michael Bhaskar, one of the authors of The Coming Wave, a 2023 bestseller which critics have described as “vital”, “terrifying”, and “unmissable”. Michael visited Schroders’ London o…

The Federal Reserve gave the clearest indication yet that their aggressive tightening cycle is coming to an end, sending the price of gold to new highs. For nearly 15 years, the relationship between gold prices and real returns on government bonds remained strong. Whenever interest rates rose and real rates on bonds turned positive, the gold price …

James Montier is an author, a member of GMO’s asset allocation team and a partner at the firm. He also wrote the book on the seven sins of fund management. In this episode, James takes us through the seven sins, which apply to all investors, not just fund managers. They’re even more relevant today, given the new era we’re entering of markets and th…

Earth Overshoot Day - the date when humanity exhausts nature's budget each year – fell on August 2 in 2023. Worryingly, that date is getting earlier every year. So, how do economies keep growing without draining the earth of its natural resources? One answer is the circular economy. For investors, it's a huge opportunity. In this show, analyst Joe …

Peter Hinssen is an entrepreneur, teacher, speaker and author who believes in the "never normal”, within which there are phoenixes and unicorns battling for supremacy. The winner will depend on which one adapts better. Keen to find out what the never normal is and who are the phoenixes and the unicorns? then keep listening. RUNNING ORDER: 01:03 - P…

It’s now less than a year to go before the US presidential election. And in a world facing heightened geopolitical tensions and the challenge or higher interest rates and higher inflation, the outcome of the election could prove seismic. So, Sam Furlonger sat down with Economist George Brown to discuss current expectations of who might win and how …

Investment director John Mensack and portfolio manager Autumn Graham lift the veil on emerging markets and in particular the world of corporate debt. They discuss challenges and opportunities in this vast asset class and how it's expected to perform against the backdrop of the 3D reset. RUNNING ORDER: 01:06 - Part one: defining emerging market corp…

Pets At Home is a company hoping to create a better world for pets and the people that love them. As part of its plan the company recruited Lyssa McGowan as CEO in 2022. On the latest mid 250 podcast, Lyssa joins hosts Jean Roche and James Goodman. They discuss Lyssa's journey to becoming CEO and her life as a CEO, as well as her vision for the com…

Given the conflicts in the middle East and Ukraine, worsening relations between the US and China and instability in Africa, we thought it would be useful to hear the views of General Sir Nick Carter. Sir Nick is a former senior British Army officer who served as Chief of the Defence Staff and as commanding officer during conflicts in Bosnia and Kos…

A recent panic in the bond market sparked headlines in the press of an imminent crash in financial markets, but should investors be worried? Alex Funk, Chief Investment Officer of Schroders Investment Solutions, joins the pod to take us through what's happened, what's next and how investors might tackle an uncertain period for markets. RUNNING ORDE…

Long Term Asset Funds are a new initiative by the UK government. They've been created in an attempt to boost investment in areas such as infrastructure and climate-related goals and to turbo charge a flagging economy. Known as LTAFs, they are new to the UK but they're similar to schemes already in place in Europe and the rest of the world. But what…

Central banks have paused their rate-hiking cycle but have made it clear the battle to suppress inflation is not yet won and interest rates are likely to remain higher, for longer. Investors Alex Funk and Tara Jameson join the pod to discuss the pros and cons of keeping your money in cash, even when interest rates are so high. RUNNING ORDER: 02:13 …

Susannah Nicklin, the Non-Executive Chair of the Schroders BSC Social Impact Trust, joins the pod to discuss everything impact investment. From what it is, where to invest and the returns you might expect we cover everything you've always wanted to know impact investing. RUNNING ORDER: 01:05 - Part one: A short history of impact investment 05;44 - …

To meet net zero targets countries will need companies like RWE creating power from clean sources. So we speak to Tom Glover, UK country chair of RWE, about the the challenges and opportunities that presents. Fund manager Ashley Thomas also joins the pod to give his view of the current situation from an investor's perspective. RUNNING ORDER: 00:24 …

In the second part of our exploration of the new space race, author and journalist Tim Marshall once again guides us through space. In the wake of India's historic landing at the moon’s south pole, we talk about the rush for commodities, supply chain issues and tensions in space. If you missed part one you can listen here. RUNNING ORDER: 01:33 - Pa…

The US, China and Russia are among 80 countries globally contesting the new space race. But why now and what do they want? Tim Marshall, author of "The Future of Geography: How Power and Politics in Space Will Change Our World" will be our guide through space in the this two part series. In part two, released next Thursday, we’ll cover the search f…

The financial crisis of 2008 was tied to real estate markets in the US and elsewhere. Almost 15 years later China's real estate sector is facing a growing crisis, prompting questions about if – and how far – this could spill out into the wider economy. Deflation, slowing growth at home and sluggish demand from abroad are also concerning investors. …

What would you do and where would you start if you were tasked with transforming a power grid to meet ambitious new decarbonisation targets? John Pettigrew is the CEO of National Grid one of the world's largest publicly listed utilities and he's been asked to do just that. John joins the show along with investor Ashley Thomas to discuss what's bein…

This is the second show in our two part series on the energy transition. If you missed part one last week you can listen here. It was all about chasing bubbles, growth areas and key risks. In this show, we’re going to look at the $100 trillion opportunity the energy transition presents and how investors might seize them. Your host again is Adam Far…

In the next two shows, Adam Farstrup, Head of Multi-Asset Americas, speaks to two big investors in energy - David Boyce, CEO of Schroders Greencoat in North America, and Fund Manager Mark Lacey - about the risks and opportunities in energy transition. In the first show they’ll talk about chasing bubbles, the tech race and key growth areas along wit…

Critical materials are vital to the future of our economy and society, particularly one looking to decarbonise. The scramble for critical materials has intensified since the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. So in this show, Fund Manager James Luke, an expert in commodities, will be our guide to critical materials. We'll look at what they are, who c…

For years investors have looked at employees as a cost on a balance sheet. However, new research and better data have started to shift that view. In this pod Vicki Owen speaks with a researcher, an analyst and an investor to find out what's changed and how investors are trying to equate investment in human capital with returns. NEW EPISODES: The In…

It's not yet been a year since our world was, perhaps, changed forever with the launch of ChatGPT. But now the chat is out of the bag questions are being asked about what Artificial Intelligence (AI) might mean for society and the potential opportunities for investors So, Alex Tedder, Head of Global and Thematic Equities at Schroders, Adelina Balas…

The global economy is slowing in the face of a globalisation reset and it's posing a dilemma for multi-national companies and investors. Strategist Andrew Rymer and economist David Rees join the pod. They talk us through the countries that could potentially benefit from the global reset and look at how companies and investors might capitalise on th…

Emerging markets have been described as "the adults in the room" as they largely got ahead of the game by hiking rates early to combat inflation. Now, it looks like that cycle is nearing the end. Fernando Grisales , Senior Portfolio Manager, joins John Mensack to discuss what the new phase of fiscal policy will mean for investors. RUNNING ORDER 03:…

It’s no bigger than Mars bar, but a device called the MinION could prove vital in the fight against the next pandemic. The MinION – a DNA/RNA sequencer – has already been deployed in the battle against Ebola and was crucial in helping to identify mutations of Covid-19. We speak to Gordon Sanghera, CEO of Oxford Nanopore Technologies, which develope…

Deglobalisation is happening. And commodity security has risen up the political agenda. So, what does this mean for the role of commodities in an investor’s portfolio? John Mensack will again be your host for today along with fund managers Jim Luke and Malcolm Melville. They'll talk through what globalisation did for the world economy, what we're s…

Investors are facing a new set of financial market conditions. It’s being referred to as the The 3D Reset. Decarbonisation, deglobalisation and demographics will likely lead to higher inflation for longer, more active fiscal policy, a new world order challenging globalisation, a faster response to climate change and labour shortages driving technol…

Adam Couch, the CEO of food producer Cranswick, joins the pod. You may not have heard of the name but you will have certainly consumed some of Cranswick's products, particularly if you are a fan of sausages. £10,000 invested in Cranswick in 1991 (when Adam joined the business) is worth over £2.3m today (with dividends reinvested), more than a 200x …

Hydrogen, the combustible gas responsible for the Hindenburg disaster, is being seen by some as a panacea for net zero. But how practical is it for the world to adopt such a complex and dangerous fuel as a major clean energy alternative? Kristian Hoeg Madsen, Co-Head of Hydrogen Investment at Schroders Greencoat, joins the pod to shed some light on…

Herjola Spahiu used to be a banker. But when the global financial crisis struck she turned her attention to the people that needed help the most. Through microfinancing her company NOA invests millions of euros into projects across Albania from farming to boat building. In this episode we learn about Herjola's journey in microfinancing. We also spe…

If you haven’t listened to the previous episode with Bethany McLean on the fall of Enron then please do. Because in this short episode we speak to fund manager Juan Torres Rodrigues, who interviewed Bethany. We pick up some of the points Bethany makes throughout the pod and discuss some of the techniques Juan uses when he invests to try to avoid in…

At the turn of the millennium and the dot com bubble burst Enron, from seemingly nowhere, became the biggest corporate fraud in history. Bethany McLean, the journalist who broke the story after a tip-off from activist short-seller Jim Chanos, joins the pod to discuss how it all unravelled and what we've learned 23 years on. Remember to download my …

Recession is a word that seems to have fallen off the radar of some investors in recent months, having been a hot topic last year. However, it’s back, with inflation stubbornly high and central banks still raising interest rates. So, Tina Fong, a strategist at Schroders, joins the show to discuss the potential impact of a recession on markets and t…

Last week UK inflation data spooked markets. Along with inflation numbers in the US and Europe it got investors asking whether or not inflation is becoming embedded. I spoke with my colleague and Chief Economist Keith Wade about why inflation remains stubbornly high, what more can be done about it and what it likely means for the economy and invest…