Best Darren Langer and Chris Rands Podcasts (2024)

1
Ep 49: A statement of ifs and buts 10:00

25d ago10:00

10:00

Pundits of Australia's economy expect the central bank will maintain its default rhetoric of “vigilance against inflation risks”. However, given the number of “ifs and buts” in its most recent statement, the RBA seems to be less certain of the next move. In episode 49 of The Rate Debate, Co-Head of Fixed Income Darren Langer and Investment Manager …

1
Ep 48: Central bank independence is still alive 10:51

2M ago10:51

10:51

The RBA is, and continues to remain an independent central bank, committed to openness, transparency, and accountability. Despite this, perceptions in the Australian market continue to challenge the credibility of its independence. In episode 48 of the Rate Debate, Darren is joined by Investment Manager Jessica Ren to discuss the latest rate decisi…

1
Ep 47: RBA loosens its grip: the end of a tightening era? 11:08

4M ago11:08

11:08

The RBA has scrapped any hints of potential further hikes, sparking speculation on whether it will continue to be open on hiking, despite pivoting to a more neutral guidance. In episode 47 of The Rate Debate, co-head of Fixed Income Darren Langer and Investment Manager Jessica Ren unpack the RBA's "shift in language" from a tightening bias to a neu…

1
Ep 46: New regime, same outcome 9:04

5M ago9:04

9:04

The RBA may have started its new regime of two-day meetings and press conferences to improve transparency, yet the outcome remained the same as it was when it last met: no change to the cash rate. In the first episode of The Rate Debate for 2024, co-head of Fixed Income Darren Langer is joined by Investment Manager Jessica Ren to analyse the RBA’s …

1
Ep 45: Is Australia set for a soft or hard landing in 2024? 13:32

8M ago13:32

13:32

The RBA has granted a festive reprieve for mortgage holders, keeping interest rates on hold in line with expectations after inflation continued to slow. The year 2023 was characterised by a period dominated by inflation risk, geopolitics and monetary tightening. Will these economic conditions persist in the new year? In the final episode of The Rat…

1
Ep44: Is “funflation” fuelling rising interest rates? 11:43

8M ago11:43

11:43

The RBA delivers a Melbourne Cup rate hike to curb persistent inflation. Rising energy and service costs are contributing factors, but the post-pandemic spending spree, favouring experiences over possessions, raises questions about “funflation” stoking inflationary pressures. Will higher rates further fan the flames? Darren is joined by his new spa…

1
Ep 43: What’s driving higher bond yields? 18:11

10M ago18:11

18:11

September was a tough month for the fixed-rate bond market, but on the flip side, credit spreads narrowed. In this month’s episode of The Rate Debate, Darren is joined by senior credit portfolio manager Phil Strano to give their insights and discuss the impact of a default cycle as quantitative easing ends, and monetary policy starts to normalise.…

1
Ep 42: Inflation has peaked 19:59

11M ago19:59

19:59

Outgoing Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe finished his tenure as he began by keeping rates on hold as inflation cools. With inflation past its peak, can we expect rate cuts on the horizon, and could a softening of China's economy bring them even closer or will services inflation drive the incoming governor Michele Bullock to deliver a rate rise la…

1
Ep 41: Uncertainty abounds in the face of economic challenges 16:31

12M ago16:31

16:31

Amidst ongoing economic uncertainties, the RBA has seen fit to keep rates on hold for a consecutive month and wait to see how the lagging effects of 12 rate hikes play out. While inflation is decelerating, uncertainty abounds over consumer spending, falling productivity and wage growth. Will the central bank's aim to deliver a soft landing make it …

1
Ep 40: The winners and losers 21:07

1y ago21:07

21:07

The RBA has paused on hiking rates (for now) creating some big winners and losers. This month Darren is joined by special guest Roy Keenan, Co-Head of Fixed Income, to identify the potential warning signs for lenders, discuss whether Australia's banks will remain "unquestionably strong", and examine which companies in the consumer sector will stand…

1
Ep 39: Monetary policy changing the goalposts 23:58

1y ago23:58

23:58

Australia has been delivered another rate hike in an attempt to "quash" inflation. This month Darren debates with special guest Tim Toohey, Head of Macro and Strategy, the risks posed by rising wages and weak productivity growth, and why the RBA continue to change its goalposts to drive down inflation.…

1
Ep 38: Mixed signals from RBA creating market confusion 19:04

1y ago19:04

19:04

Hitting the economy with surprise after surprise, the RBA takes another fresh assault to tackle inflation head-on by taking the cash rate to 3.85%. Continued mixed signals from Australia’s central bank are causing havoc within the domestic economy. With the RBA not ruling out further rate hikes, Darren and Chris look into the impact on markets and …

1
Ep 37: Did the RBA fuel the fire or douse the flames? 14:22

1+ y ago14:22

14:22

Despite the RBA's massive rate "U-turn" and their insistence that we are in the final stage of the hiking cycle, has it come too late to stop a recession? Chris Rands and Darren Langer examine the factors influencing the market and reveal their expectations of the economy and the Australian credit market in episode 37 of The Rate Debate.…

1
Ep 36: How many times can the RBA say "just one more time"? 15:04

1+ y ago15:04

15:04

After hiking for the tenth consecutive month, the RBA has Australia questioning whether its repeated actions to combat inflation will cause an overshoot and push the nation into recession. From a wage-price spiral, rising unemployment, and faltering GDP, it seems the consumer and government sectors have been the most exposed to the ongoing "inflati…

1
Ep 35: Is the RBA setting monetary policy in the rear-view mirror? 15:12

1+ y ago15:12

15:12

At its first meeting for 2023, the RBA hiked rates for the ninth consecutive month to urgently tame inflation, telling the market to expect more to come. Given Australia’s inflation levels have lagged the US, is Australia six months behind? or are we going into a period of higher inflation than the rest of the world? Chris and Darren debate this an…

1
Ep34: 2023 predictions on the economy, inflation, and the fixed-rate mortgage cliff 19:12

1+ y ago19:12

19:12

The RBA delivered an eighth-straight rate hike to hit a 10-year high to round out a tumultuous 2022. In the final episode of The Rate Debate for the year, Darren and Chris discuss their thoughts on further tightening next year, whether a global recession could solve the inflation problem and the impact of the fixed-rate mortgage cliff on Australian…

1
Ep33: Storm clouds continue to gather in global markets 17:05

1+ y ago17:05

17:05

The RBA hiked rates for the seventh consecutive month as it seeks to stifle inflation. Global central banks continue aggressive monetary tightening despite early signs of moderating inflation and weaker forward growth indicators. With the consumer bearing the brunt of high inflation and tighter financial conditions, the RBA has backed away from agg…

1
Ep32: Are central banks at risk of blowing up markets? 20:38

2y ago20:38

20:38

The RBA hiked rates for the sixth consecutive month. With lead indicators showing signs of inflation coming off the boil and European banks starting to see stress, cracks are forming in the credit and equity markets. Have central banks tightened too aggressively risking a recession? Chris and Darren debate this and more in episode 32 of The Rate De…

1
Ep31: No sign of a pause from the RBA as the risk of mortgage stress intensifies 18:50

2y ago18:50

18:50

Australia’s central bank has now raised interest rates five months in a row. It’s the most aggressive tightening cycle since 1994. With more hikes expected, and house prices in Sydney and Melbourne on the slide, cracks are starting to appear. Chris Rands and Darren Langer discuss how further rate hikes will impact the housing market, unemployment r…

1
Ep 30: Can the RBA thread the needle? 16:53

2y ago16:53

16:53

After hiking for the fourth consecutive month, the RBA’s tone has shifted to suggest a pause at the September meeting is possible, reflecting in part the troubling signals emanating from markets as the US teeters on the brink of recession and conditions continue to cool across the globe. As lead indicators continue to flash red – consumer confidenc…

1
Ep29: Leading indicators warn of global recession 24:06

2y ago24:06

24:06

Central banks state they are not seeing signs of a recession as they continue hiking rates to curb spiralling inflation. But, with forward indicators flashing red across the board, low consumer confidence, declining forward sales, the US yield curve beginning to invert and the continued drop in the global equities, markets are telling us they see s…

1
Ep28: Has the RBA hit panic mode? 19:24

2y ago19:24

19:24

With rates on the rise, higher inflation and wages below expectation, has Australia's central bank panicked by hiking rates by 50bps, the largest monthly move in over 20 years? The RBA's charter is to ensure the economic prosperity and welfare of the Australian people, which increasingly appears to be being overlooked in favour of an inflation targ…

1
Ep27: Is the RBA risking a recession to solve inflation? 19:27

2y ago19:27

19:27

The RBA hikes rates by 25bps, with more set to come in 2022 as Australia’s central bank attempts to keep a grip on inflation. With oil and commodity prices set to continue to be at elevated levels due to Russia’s war with Ukraine, could a series of rapid rate hikes push the Australian economy into recession? Darren and Chris discuss this and more i…

1
Ep26: How high and how fast can rates go? 24:16

2+ y ago24:16

24:16

The RBA expects to see economic data that will drive them to hike interest rates earlier than expected. Markets have already jumped the gun and priced future hikes into bond prices. Is the economy as strong as central banks believe, and will interest rates go up as aggressively as the market suggests? Darren and Chris discuss their take in episode …

1
Ep25: RBA flags global uncertainty, remains patient on rate hikes 19:21

2+ y ago19:21

19:21

The RBA continued to keep rates on hold this month even though Inflation picked up more quickly than they expected. The length of time it took to resolve supply chain problems, which have been pushing up prices continues to be a source of uncertainty regarding the inflation outlook, as are developments in global energy markets. With Russia’s war wi…

1
Ep24: RBA ends QE and pushes back on rate hike 20:57

2+ y ago20:57

20:57

The RBA announced an end of QE and kept interest rates on hold as they wait to see stronger wage growth. If inflation continues to rise faster than forecast, and the RBA hikes earlier than expected, what could the knock-on effect be on markets? Tune in to hear Darren and Chris discuss this and more in episode 24 of The Rate Debate.…

1
Ep23: The reopening trade to determine economic growth in 2022 23:11

2+ y ago23:11

23:11

One of the key factors that will make or break the case for the RBA tightening in 2022 will be the reopening trade. Will consumers start spending heavily as is forecast, or will the threat of inflation and a rise in interest rates scare them off? Darren and Chris discuss their views in the last episode of The Rate Debate for 2021.…

1
Ep22: Bond market loses confidence in the RBA's forward guidance 24:26

2+ y ago24:26

24:26

With the RBA seemingly MIA last week, the market was left to its own devices. Not surprisingly, bond yields spiked as multiple rate hikes were priced as early as mid-2022. Will mortgage rates rise that soon? And can the market trust the RBA going forward? Darren Langer and Chris Rands discuss their views in episode 22 of The Rate Debate.…

1
Ep21: Is the heat coming off the housing market? 17:38

3y ago17:38

17:38

While the RBA maintained its view of holding rates until at least 2024, Australia’s central bank has now acknowledged the need to curtail the housing boom and signalled the potential introduction of macroprudential measures. With APRA set to tighten lending standards, will we see heat come out of the red-hot domestic housing market? Darren and Chri…

1
Ep20: Is the RBA banking on a rebound? 19:14

3y ago19:14

19:14

The RBA expects a material slowdown in economic growth in September, but is forecasting a bounce-back in December that will stretch into the first half of 2022. Given market uncertainties, is the RBA’s confidence justified, and could it mean higher interest rates are coming? Darren and Chris answer this question and more in episode 20 of The Rate D…

1
Ep19: RBA sees Delta impact as a temporary phenomenon 16:19

3y ago16:19

16:19

The RBA continues to be optimistic despite the current state lockdowns, forecasting the economy to bounce back quickly once the virus is contained. Is the RBA taking a gamble on their positive outlook given the uncertainties in the market right now? Tune in to hear Darren Langer and Chris Rands debate their views in episode 19 of The Rate Debate.…

1
Ep18: The market versus the RBA – is a hike before 2024 likely? 25:33

3y ago25:33

25:33

The RBA is sticking with their timing of 2024 before they look at an increase in interest rates. The market believes that inflation will be back sooner than the RBA is forecasting. What’s driving the differing opinions and who’s right? Tune in to hear Darren Langer and Chris Rands discuss their views in episode 18 of The Rate Debate.…

1
Ep17: Could an increase in interest rates derail the housing market? 18:18

3y ago18:18

18:18

The market has seen a small increase in fixed-rate mortgages from some of the banks. Is this the beginning of a tightening cycle and has the Australian consumer seen the last of ultra-low interest rates? In episode 17 of The Rate Debate, Darren Langer and Chris Rands discuss if a potential increase in inflation combined with a rise in interest rate…

1
Ep16: Are we heading for a debt trap? 18:04

3y ago18:04

18:04

The government's policies have been focused on spending and have encouraged Australians to borrow more, driving strong credit growth. However, the more indebted Australians are, the harder it is for the RBA to increase interest rates. In episode 16 of The Rate Debate, Darren Langer and Chris Rands discuss whether Australia could fall into a potenti…

1
Ep15: Is the free ride over? 17:32

3+ y ago17:32

17:32

The RBA’s stimulus policies have boosted the economy post COVID-19 driving increases in house prices, retail sales, and employment but is this a double-edged sword? Darren Langer and Chris Rands discuss the impact of the RBA’s policies on future growth, and question who will pay for it in the long run.…

1
Ep14: What’s driving interest rates higher? 17:23

3+ y ago17:23

17:23

Bonds experienced their fastest sell off since 2009, resulting in the largest one month rise in 10-year yields. Given the economic outlook is looking more positive globally, is the rise justified and where to next for bond yields? Darren Langer and Chris Rands delve into these questions and more in episode fourteen of The Rate Debate.…

1
Ep13: Could housing be the good news story for 2021? 19:40

3+ y ago19:40

19:40

Everyone loves a good housing story and it’s looking like 2021 could become a best seller. But at what cost? According to the numbers, we’re still in an economic hole, and with immigration down 80% and the government’s income support program about to end, are we setting ourselves up for a down fall? Darren Langer and Chris Rands examine the factors…

1
Ep12: Could house prices top 20% growth in 2021? 22:22

3+ y ago22:22

22:22

If anyone questioned the power of low interest rates to drive house prices in Australia, they only need look back at 2020. Despite COVID-19, the recession, high unemployment and stagnant wages growth, house prices in Australia stood firm. Find out why Darren Langer and Chris Rands believe house prices are set to climb and why a commodity boom could…

1
Ep11: The RBA finally unleashes the bazooka 21:40

3+ y ago21:40

21:40

If the RBA cutting rates is the entrée for markets this week, then the outcome of the US election is the main course and dessert rolled into one. Tune in to hear Darren Langer and Chris Rands dissect the big picture for global markets and find out why fixed income makes so much sense right now—even with historically low rates.…

1
Ep10: Has the RBA gone too far by not going far enough? 18:40

4y ago18:40

18:40

Despite some industry heavyweights predicting a rate cut, the RBA kept rates on hold for October. What three reasons do Darren Langer and Chris Rands give that could explain the RBA’s decision? And could Donald Trump’s health really impact markets? Darren and Chris examine these topics and more in episode 10 of The Rate Debate.…

1
Ep9: Talk is cheap 22:33

4y ago22:33

22:33

Over the past few weeks, the RBA has started to change its narrative, suggesting that while negative rates are extremely unlikely, they’re not off the table. They’ve also hinted that a new bond buying program could be on the cards. Is the RBA just posturing or is change afoot? Darren Langer and Chris Rands examine these topics and more in episode 9…

1
Ep8: Is Australia ready for more monetary stimulus? 21:49

4y ago21:49

21:49

With Aussie bonds in high demand across the world, a growing demand for a more aggressive fiscal response from the Australian government, and a rise in COVID-19 cases in Victoria and NSW, is Australia ready for more monetary stimulus? Darren and Chris answer this question and more in episode eight of The Rate Debate.…

1
Ep7: A sting in the tail 26:29

4y ago26:29

26:29

Is the RBA too concerned with front end rates that are aimed at helping the banking sector at the expense of the taxpayer who, ultimately, will be picking up the interest cost of higher bond yields? And what will happen to employment and housing once Job Keeper comes to an end or the lockdowns are extended? Darren and Chris go toe-to-toe on these t…

1
Ep6: Out of step 26:33

4y ago26:33

26:33

Despite the RBA’s recent monetary and fiscal intervention, a recession still seems to be on the cards. Why is the RBA so unwilling to follow along with more unconventional policy and what are the implications of its ‘play-it-safe’ approach to solving our economic woes? Darren and Chris go looking for answers.…

1
Ep5: Credit crunch or crisis? 27:31

4y ago27:31

27:31

With an expected 10% contraction in GDP, rising unemployment, and inflation at the lowest level we’ve seen in decades, how has COVID-19 impacted credit markets and what’s next for interest rates?By Darren Langer and Chris Rands

1
Ep4:The RBA’s buying spree 35:48

4+ y ago35:48

35:48

The RBA has been buying up big, purchasing around $36bn in government and semi-government bonds throughout March. But when is enough, enough and can these efforts really help stave off a recession in Australia? Darren and Chris give their view on the current situation.By Darren Langer and Chris Rands

1
Ep3: Special Edition: The RBA Announcement 17:43

4+ y ago17:43

17:43

In response to the coronavirus epidemic, the RBA cut the cash rate to 0.25% on 19 March and announced a number of QE measures. In the long run, will the government’s response deliver the benefits it is hoping for?By Darren Langer and Chris Rands

1
Ep2: Down, but not out 21:31

4+ y ago21:31

21:31

On 3 March 2020, the RBA cut rates by 25 basis points to 0.50% in response to the coronavirus. But have they cut too early? And what happens if markets are hit with another unexpected event? With so little fuel left in the tank, how will the RBA respond? Darren and Chris explore these issues and discuss the hazards of credit in times like this. Rel…

1
Ep1: Introducing The Rate Debate 25:11

4+ y ago25:11

25:11

Amidst the outbreak of the coronavirus, ongoing bushfires and global trade deals, Darren Langer and Chris Rands introduce their new podcast The Rate Debate to question the RBA’s latest rate decision and discuss news that’s making headlines. Email Darren and Chris with questions you want answered in future episodes to: theratedebate@nikkoam.com…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Darren Langer And Chris Rands Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Quick Reference Guide