Podcast

Canary Wharf faces stiff test to reinvent itself

6 Jul 2023

HSBC is quitting the financial hub and moving to smaller quarters. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists discuss how hybrid working is an existential threat for commercial property and how Canary Wharf’s pivot to residential and retail may only be a partial salve.

Why central banks cannot relax in inflation fight

4 Jul 2023

Western policymakers have frantically hiked interest rates to dampen consumer prices. In this Exchange podcast, Claudio Borio, a top official at the Bank for International Settlements, argues that rate-setters need to keep going to ensure costs of living won’t stay elevated.

Putin’s problems are only minor boost for Ukraine

29 Jun 2023

The Russian president restored a semblance of calm in Moscow after an aborted mutiny. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists debate what this means for the country’s invasion of its neighbour. It’s helpful, but not necessarily transformative, for Kyiv’s resistance.

Why backing prevention can yield better health

27 Jun 2023

Treating illnesses like cancer consumes 11% of global GDP, according to the World Health Organization. In this Exchange podcast, Dr. Katie Tryon, director of healthcare strategy at Vitality, explains that overburdened care systems need to spend their way back into shape.

Rebuilding Ukraine: how much and who pays?

22 Jun 2023

Talk of reconstruction may seem premature with Russia still firing missiles at Kyiv. Yet that’s what policymakers and financiers gathered in London this week to debate. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists discuss the cost, the timetable, and who picks up the tab.

US and China are decoupling, and it is permanent

19 Jun 2023

Forget de-risking or containment. In this Exchange podcast, Gavekal research director Chris Beddor explains the political framing of the slogans, unpicks changing trade and financial flows between the world’s two biggest economies and explains why China hasn’t retaliated more.

Man United sale heads into messy added time

15 Jun 2023

The Premier League soccer club is in the final stages of a tense bidding war. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists debate the merits of offers from a Qatari suitor and chemicals tycoon Jim Ratcliffe, and what options minority investors face if they are shut out.

Fed’s rate hike habit will be hard to kick

13 Jun 2023

The US central bank is mulling a pause after raising interest rates at its last 10 meetings. In this Exchange podcast, Morgan Stanley chief economist Seth Carpenter lays out the calculus behind the Federal Reserve’s next move, and why it’s so hard for policymakers to pivot.

Pampered pets unleash booming market

6 Jun 2023

The pet craze brought on by the pandemic has become a boon for companies that sell products to dog-loving owners. FidoCure founder Christina Lopes explains to The Exchange podcast how this might be able to help humans, too.

Syngenta’s bumper IPO will test Chinese appetite

1 Jun 2023

The seeds-to-pesticides group is planning a $9 bln stock market float in Shanghai this year. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists explain how investors need to get comfortable with its high debt levels and use of toxic chemicals that could hurt its valuation.

Debt ceiling crash will have few victims

25 May 2023

President Joe Biden is trying to hammer out a deal with Republican lawmakers to ensure the United States can keep its lights on. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists explain how even if the world’s largest economy defaults on its debts the damage will be limited.

Erdogan part three would be worse and the same

18 May 2023

The Turkish president is in a heated battle to lead the battered country. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists discuss the risks Turkey faces if he stays in office, his rival’s offering and how the outcome of the election will impact the rest of the world.

Why the jobs market could brush off AI threat

16 May 2023

Hiring seems to be waning in the US and Europe. Yet in this Exchange podcast, recruitment boss Sander van ’t Noordende strikes a hopeful note. The Randstad CEO explains why artificial intelligence and a possible economic slump are doing nothing to dampen demand for talent.

Pharma’s obesity gold rush will have limits

11 May 2023

Drugmakers Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly are vying for a large slab of the weight loss medications market, which analysts reckon could be worth $100 bln by 2031. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists discuss how investor optimism in a booming market is unwarranted.

Credit Suisse debacle raises oversight question

9 May 2023

Swiss authorities hailed the state-backed rescue of the stricken lender by UBS as a commercial solution that will be light on domestic taxpayers. Banking professor and former SNB official Urs Birchler tells The Exchange podcast why the quick fix is far from ideal.

First Republic’s rescue cements ‘too big to fail’

4 May 2023

JPMorgan rode to the rescue of the mid-sized lender, which recently became the latest US bank to keel over. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists discuss the impact of lending giants bulking up further, and whether that itself stores up future risks.

Airbnb swerves tech rout with constant change

2 May 2023

The $77 bln travel company weathered the pandemic and is now navigating a tech valuation bloodbath. Its co-founder Nathan Blecharczyk told The Exchange podcast that lessons learned during Covid-19 about disruption and never sitting still are key to its future.

EY’s failed split raises stakes for Plan B

27 Apr 2023

The Big Four professional services firm called off a plan to separate its audit and consulting arms. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists discuss what went wrong, the implications for its rivals, and the pressure on EY bosses to show the intact business can thrive.

Exploring the City of London’s existential dread

25 Apr 2023

The global financial centre is suffering a spasm of anxiety about its status, while the government is pushing post-Brexit reforms. In this Exchange podcast William Wright, founder of the New Financial think tank, discusses the roots of the malaise and what can be done to fix it.

Politicians and policy wonks diverge on economy

20 Apr 2023

Prominent policymakers and world leaders met in Washington last week to discuss the economic outlook. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists explain why US politicians are taking a rosier view of inflation and vulnerabilities in the banking sector than the IMF.