The Big View podcast

How the Federal Reserve got inflation wrong

10 Oct 2023

US policymakers underplayed the spike in consumer prices in 2021. In this Exchange podcast, Don Kohn, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and former Fed vice chair, argues that a rule change a year earlier was a key reason why the central bank failed to lift rates faster.

EU regulators have tech giants in their sights

26 Sep 2023

Brussels is taking on the likes of Amazon and Apple with a slew of new rules aimed at curbing market dominance and taking back control over data. Former EU Commission economist Bertin Martens explains to The Exchange podcast how the industry giants could be forced to open up.

Grocers learn lessons of ‘greedflation’ drama

12 Sep 2023

Food-price rises are easing, which is good news for supermarkets that stand accused of profiting from consumer pain. In this Exchange podcast, Ahold Delhaize CEO Frans Muller explains why demand for own-brand goods gives the Dutch group an upper hand in supplier negotiations.

The obesity drug boom is just getting started

5 Sep 2023

Over 1 bln people are obese, the WHO reckons. Denmark’s Novo Nordisk is ahead of the pharma pack with its Wegovy weight-loss drug. In this Exchange podcast, recorded in August as a Reuters Newsmaker, CEO Lars Jorgensen says the market will be big enough for other players too.

How Europe can square the circle on green economy

1 Aug 2023

Shifting away from fossil fuels is an opportunity for the bloc, argues economy tsar Paolo Gentiloni in this Exchange podcast. But it will have to overcome challenges, such as US competition for investment and the EU’s own narrow set of financial tools.

How to breathe life into zombie office property

18 Jul 2023

Lenders are steering clear of buildings that face reckonings from remote working, pushing prices down. In this Exchange podcast, real estate investor Scott Rechler argues that it will take financial and civic engagement to make empty space desirable for living – and investing.

Venture capital has female entrepreneur black spot

11 Jul 2023

Companies founded by women get at best 3% of venture money each year. That’s a sign investors are not allocating capital wisely and missing lucrative deals, Loyal VC founding partner Kamal Hassan tells The Exchange podcast. It’s time to change the venture playbook.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Cyberattack risks rise up company agendas

18 Apr 2023

Digital breaches and data theft were up 40% in 2022. As firms expand their digital network, the weaknesses criminals exploit will also grow, DXC Technology’s security expert Mark Hughes told The Exchange podcast. Defending against attacks will inevitably cost more.

Bank bail-ins, and how to prevent climate bailouts

4 Apr 2023

Mark Carney helped design the post-2008 system for resolving bust lenders. In this episode of the Exchange, the ex-Bank of England governor tells George Hay what he makes of last month’s rescue of Credit Suisse, and how to limit future financial sector hits from climate change.

Ferrari’s green journey takes surprise turn

30 Mar 2023

Europe’s plan to support carbon-neutral fuels is good news for the $50 bln luxury carmaker, CEO Benedetto Vigna says on the Exchange podcast. It will allow the group to flog the roaring engines that made its fortune. Electric cars remain a goal, but self-driving Ferraris are not.

Busting through the brick wall barricading M&A

28 Mar 2023

Worldwide merger activity is down by about half this year to $470 bln, stymied by tough financing conditions, assertive trustbusters and more. In this Exchange podcast from New Orleans, JPMorgan’s head of M&A Anu Aiyengar debates downbeat dealmakers and the pockets of optimism.