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 office to record the conversation which was joined by Nils Rode, Charlotte Wood and Alex Tedder – each of whom in their different roles at Schroders...

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 tended to fall. But then something went wrong. Listen to the latest Investor Download with fund manager James Luke. We discuss what's happening...

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 the economy.  If you want to listen to the full interview then follow the link to our sister podcast The Value Perspective. RUNNING ORDER: Part one -...

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 Fernandes explores the circular economy as an investment theme with fund manager Jack Dempsey. RUNNING ORDER: 01:52 - Part one: what is the...

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 - Part one: the never normal 15:20 - Part two: man plus machine 25:12 - Part three: hunting for phoenixes NEW EPISODES: The Investor Download is...

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 the outcome might affect markets and the economy. RUNNING ORDER: 01:44 - Part one: Who might win the election? 05:23 - Part two: How might the...

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 corporate debt 07:58 - Part two: challenges and opportunities 14:40 - Part three: EM corporate debt and the 3D reset NEW EPISODES: The Investor...

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 company and why we haven't seen peak pet just yet. RUNNING ORDER: 01:00 - Part one: the beginning of the journey 09:55 - Part two: are we at peak...

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 Kosovo in the late 90s. RUNNING ORDER: 01:00 - Part one: The Middle East 07:21 - Part two: Russia/Ukraine 12:00 - Part three: US/China 20:45 - Part...

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 ORDER: 02:24 - Part one: bond market turmoil 05:32 - Part two: the interest rate problem 11:06 - Part three: investing in uncertain times NEW...

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 are LTAFs? James Lowe, Sales Director, joins the pod to discuss what LTAFs are, their pros and cons and what areas of the economy they are set to...

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 - Part one: why bother investing? 05:35 - Part two: what's changed? 07:56 - Part three: should i invest? NEW EPISODES: The Investor Download is...

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 - Part two: making an impact investment 11:34 - Part three: impact investing returns NEW EPISODES: The Investor Download is available every Thursday...

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 - Part one: the challenge in keeping energy costs low 04:55 - Part two: taking action 12:34 - Part three: an investors view with Ashley Thomas NEW...

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 - Part one: the race for commodities in space 03:56 - Part two: tensions in space 08:54 - Part three: supply chain issues NEW EPISODES: The Investor...

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 for commodities and the prospects of tensions in space. But in this first show we’ll discuss the benefits and drawbacks of colonising and exploring...

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. Emerging markets economist David Rees joins the pod to discuss what's going on in China and whether it could be the country's “Lehman Brothers...

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 being done and what it will mean for consumers and investors. RUNNING ORDER: 00:24 - Part one: the challenge 03:15 - Part two: the other world beneath...

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 Farstrup, Head of Multi-Asset Americas, and he’s again speaking with two big investors in energy - David Boyce, CEO of Schroders Greencoat in North...

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 with potential risks. The second show is all about the opportunities. That will be released next Thursday. RUNNING ORDER: 01:13 - Part one: Chasing...

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 controls them and the ones that matter to investors. RUNNING ORDER: 03:19 - Part one: what are critical materials? 07:02 - Part two: who controls...

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 Investor Download is available every Thursday and will be released at 1700 UK time. You can subscribe via Podbean or use this feed URL...

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 Balasa, a Senior Cloud Solution Architect at software giant Microsoft, join the pod to help tell the story of AI and try to answer those big...

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 the theme. RUNNING ORDER: 02:50 - Part one: Is the globalisation reset really happening? 12:22 - Part two: Which economies are set to benefit from...

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 03:05 - Part one: what's going on in emerging markets? 12:45 - Part two: what does the future hold? NEW EPISODES: The Investor Download is available...