Podcast

Mining pain may be just getting started

22 Feb 2024

Falling prices for nickel, lithium and copper have hit earnings at Glencore and Anglo American. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists explain why competition and dwindling demand for electric vehicles will keep key battery commodities under pressure.

The rocky road to an ‘eBay for carbon credits’

20 Feb 2024

Markets that trade the right to emit greenhouse gases have a ropey history. Still, in this Exchange podcast Harvard University Fellow Ely Sandler argues that companies and countries may increasingly pay carbon taxes via emission permits – and unlock cash for the green transition.

Deal famine is driving private equity evolution

15 Feb 2024

M&A activity fell 30% in 2023 and this year is off to a relatively slow start. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists discuss how a dearth of deals is spotlighting a shift of focus among traditional buyout houses like KKR and Carlyle into areas like private credit.

The green agenda’s best shot at a revival

13 Feb 2024

Economic distress prompted by globalisation undermines support for the energy transition, climate change economist Valentina Bosetti tells The Exchange podcast. That matters as key US and EU elections approach. Using proceeds from carbon taxes to address inequality is paramount.

The obesity drug craze is entering its next phase

8 Feb 2024

Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk can’t keep up with demand for their weight loss medications. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists discuss the hype among celebrities, the different approaches to prescribing them in the US and Europe, and how they can reshape the world.

Why tech giants will rake in AI’s big gains

6 Feb 2024

Amazon, Microsoft, Nvidia and Alphabet powered roughly 8% of 2023’s North American venture deals, largely in artificial intelligence. In this Exchange podcast, Altimeter Capital investor Apoorv Agrawal explains why these companies are reaping rewards from the latest tech craze.

JPMorgan succession is a high-stakes soap opera

1 Feb 2024

The US’s largest bank shuffled its business leaders, sparking speculation as to who might eventually take over from boss Jamie Dimon. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists explain why it matters, even if Dimon’s eventual successor is unlikely to fill his shoes.

Shipping giants can withstand Red Sea crisis

30 Jan 2024

Houthi attacks near the Suez Canal are slowing global trade. In this Exchange podcast, Zvi Schreiber, CEO of shipping platform Freightos, discusses how the sector was caught by surprise, but excess container ships and more air cargo capacity are helping limit the immediate pain.

Shein’s China and ESG risk puts IPO on iffy ground

25 Jan 2024

The fast-fashion giant is preparing a New York stock market listing. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists explain how US investors might be wary of links to Beijing, and how its hard-to-recycle $5 tops and sweaters could be vulnerable to future regulation.

Fixed income investors have reasons to be fearful

23 Jan 2024

Uncertainty over the direction of inflation and monetary policy is buffeting markets. In this Exchange podcast Jim Grant, founder of ‘Grant’s Interest Rate Observer’, discusses his gloomy outlook for US bonds and sounds a warning about the risks of shadow banking.

Global risk pile-up penetrates Davos bubble

18 Jan 2024

Nearly 3,000 movers and shakers have converged on the Swiss resort amid crises in the Red Sea, Gaza and Ukraine. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists discuss how Davos-goers unable to ignore these perils are nervously anticipating another Trump presidency.

Bain is keeping the private in private equity

16 Jan 2024

Rivals like Apollo and KKR went public more than a decade ago, over time de-emphasizing their buyout roots, especially amid a recent deal drought. In this Exchange podcast John Connaughton of Bain Capital explains why his firm isn’t following them, and how the market is healing.

Prolonged Red Sea attacks can hurt global economy

11 Jan 2024

Freight costs are soaring as militants target ships on a crucial trade route. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists debate how inflation could rise and which companies could suffer if the tensions aren’t resolved soon.

AI startups’ key challenge is creativity, not cost

9 Jan 2024

Developing humanlike models is notoriously expensive. In this Exchange podcast, venture capital investor Konstantine Buhler of Sequoia Capital discusses how new breakthroughs are starting to lower costs and how that presents opportunities for challengers like OpenAI.

The world’s paradigm shift will create a busy 2024

2 Jan 2024

Surprise IPOs, a wave of M&A activity and changing recruitment patterns are just a flavour of predictions from Breakingviews. In this Viewsroom podcast, columnists explain how a better understanding of the rates environment and inflation will make it easier to get things done.

Policymakers take divergent paths toward rate exit

14 Dec 2023

Central banks in Europe and the US left borrowing costs untouched this week. But the latter went a step further and unexpectedly promised cuts. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists explain how ratesetters, who were slow to tackle inflation, could be laggards again.

Global energy fissures are a risk for the West

12 Dec 2023

Falling oil prices despite recent cuts imply a weak OPEC+. Yet the producer group may increasingly align with other emerging market states on areas like Russia and climate change. In this Exchange podcast commodities expert Helima Croft says that’s an issue for Europe and the US.

COP28 wrestles with the nuances of binning oil

7 Dec 2023

The global climate conference in Dubai has seen its fossil fuel-rich UAE host criticised for appearing to contest the need to phase out crude. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists discuss how the picture is a bit more complex.

COP28’s big dilemma: fossil fuel cuts, or fudges

28 Nov 2023

The success of the Dubai climate shindig rests on how much it slashes emissions via cuts to oil production, and how much it relies on carbon storage or removal. In this Exchange podcast, Energy Transitions Commission chair Adair Turner warns against relying on the latter.

OpenAI’s boardroom drama is far from over

23 Nov 2023

Sam Altman will return to the helm of the artificial intelligence firm after a torrid week of resignations. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists explain how the saga has raised concerns about governance, the future of AI and an alarming cult of the CEO.