Merryn Talks Money

Hosts Merryn Somerset Webb and John Stepek are both back from their holidays and this week unpack the surge in global bond yields and how governments might respond. They also look at a study which suggested that Small Language Models (SLM) could make today’s vast AI data-centre buildout unnecessary, posing a substantial risk to hyperscalers and investors. https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.07885 See...

Joining Merryn Somerset Webb for this week's episode is Duncan Lamont, Head of Strategic Research at Schroders. Lamont explains how investors can protect their portfolios against stagflation, and how to avoid being too exposed to the AI trade. He also explains why all-time highs might not actually be a sell signal for investors - and how AI-driven job losses might affect US stocks. https://www.sch...

At a Bloomberg.com subscriber event earlier this year, Merryn Somerset Webb and John Stepek spoke with Paula Steele, director at John Lamb Hill Oldridge, about how to pass on an inheritance efficiently — minimise tax, manage the succession process, and avoid unintended effects on beneficiaries’ motivation. This is a re-run of that conversation which first aired March 17th, 2026. ...

What is "capital-cycle" investing and why does it matter for your portfolio? Luke Bridgeman, Senior Partner and Portfolio Manager at Hosking Partners joins Merryn Somerset Webb for a discussion on why supply, not demand, is the key to finding the best investment opportunities. The pair also discuss investing in Japan, energy markets, and why the shipping industry might be easier to break into...

It's been a tumultuous few weeks for markets, and yet nothing much has changed. Join Merryn Somerset Webb and John Stepek as they discuss why an AI hedge fund implosion and US intervention in the Japanese yen appear to have merely strengthened market optimism. Meanwhile, the FTSE 250 has hit a new record high, even as the underlying need for practical policy help to save the UK market from ex...

Have we become too risk-averse? This week John Stepek and Bloomberg Opinion columnist Allison Schrager discuss her new book, Worth the Risk, and why avoiding risk could be holding back both individuals and economies. They explore the challenges of retirement planning, whether homeownership is still a rewarding investment and what history can teach us about navigating the future of AI. Se...

Large sections of the debt and equity markets now depend on the ongoing growth of a vast AI ecosystem that ranges from chipmakers to hyperscalers to end-consumers. Does this week's drama in the South Korean Kospi market point to a wider problem? On this week's Merryn Talks Money Markets Wrap, Author of the Money Distilled newsletter John Stepek, is joined by Bloomberg's Private Companies Managing...

On today's personal finance edition of Merryn Talks Money, we're playing an episode that first aired in July 2025 when hosts Merryn Somerset Webb and John Stepek, shared their top money-saving tips for helping you get the most out of your holiday.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Liaquat Ahamed joins Merryn Somerset Webb to discuss 1873: The First Great Depression and the Making of the Modern World , exploring how the first truly global financial crash reshaped economics, politics and society for decades to come. Together, they unpack striking parallels between the railway boom of the 1870s and today's AI investment frenzy, asking whether hist...

Even as Britain welcomed a new Prime Minister this week, renewed conflict in the Middle East threatened to remove what little breathing space he may have had, pushing up everything from oil to food prices. This week, John Stepek is joined by Bloomberg macro strategist Simon White to discuss why inflation matters so much for asset prices, what it might mean for the increasingly indebted AI companie...

Here is the second part of our special broadcast on how the next generation of investors is changing the wealth management industry. Merryn Somerset Webb brings together Bloomberg's John Stepek, Bytetree's Charlie Morris and Jean-Damien Marie, Global Head of Investments for Barclay's Private Bank and Wealth Management.  Join us in Edinburgh for Fringe Festival!  https://www.edfringe.com/...

Asia's AI-fueled market rally has created huge winners — but also growing risks. In this episode, Merryn Somerset Webb speaks with Invesco fund manager Fiona Yang about why Korea's AI boom has become increasingly volatile, where she's still finding value in China and India and why the next generation of winners may be the companies using AI rather than building it. Join us in Edinburgh for F...

It's been a week of turning points in markets: from Japan's shifting stance on the weak yen, to star fund manager Terry Smith revisiting his "buy and hold" strategy, to incoming British Prime Minister Andy Burnham's apparent last-minute change of heart on chancellor, to SpaceX falling below its IPO price. One thing that didn't change - the UK market keeps shedding stocks. What does it all mean for...

In the first of a two-part special recorded live at Bloomberg's London offices, Merryn Somerset Webb brings together Bloomberg's John Stepek, Bytetree's Charlie Morris and Jean-Damien Marie, Global Head of Investments for Barclay's Private Bank and Wealth Management to discuss how the next generation of investors is changing the wealth management industry. From Bitcoin and gold to private equity,...

Sign up for our wealth management webinar. It's free! Register now to reserve your place. https://events.bloombergevents.com/event/website/a95c1380-56d6-4d12-89a1-950bdf99d55a/landingPage Anthropic, Stripe and OpenAI are some of the world's most sought-after private companies. Maggie Fanari explains to host Merryn Somerset Webb how her team invests in them and firms like them before they reach pub...

Bloomberg senior reporter John Stepek is joined by co-editor of Bloomberg’s Markets Today blog, Morwenna Coniam to discuss the ever changing status of the Iran ceasefire and the resulting impact on oil prices and bond yields. They also highlight the growing evidence that the AI trade could be falling apart and what this means for global markets. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...

The number of REITs (real estate investment trusts) listed in London has shrunk dramatically over the past five years. Now the biggest REIT on the market is the subject of a bid from a US buyer. In this week's personal finance edition of Merryn Talks Your Money, Bloomberg senior reporter and author of the Money Distilled newsletter, John Stepek, is joined by Bloomberg real estate team leader Jack...

AI can read every earnings report, filing and research note in seconds — but can it ever replace the instincts of a seasoned investor? Merryn Somerset Webb sits down with Causeway Capital Management chief executive Sarah Ketterer to explore where AI is genuinely changing fund management and why human judgment still matters. Ketterer also shares where she is finding value in today's markets,...

Merryn Somerset Webb and John Stepek are joined by Cavendish's Roger Lee to unpack Andy Burnham's North Star of "Manchesterism" and what it could mean for the UK economy, markets, and investors. They debate whether devolving more power to the regions represents genuine economic reform or simply another version of heavy-handed state intervention, while exploring the implications for growth, governm...

Could vintage jewelry be one of the smartest real assets to own right now? Merryn Somerset Webb speaks with vintage jewelry expert Emma de Sybel, a former banker who is now the director of Baroque Rocks, about which gemstones, eras, and brands are holding their value—and why buying pre-owned pieces could offer both financial potential and something beautiful to wear. See omnystudio.com/liste...

Despite agreeing that AI is likely as transformative as its proponents argue, Ed Cole, head of multi-strategy equities at Man Group, believes it’s too early to understand whether there’s a bubble. Meanwhile, the growing backlash against globalization and an effort to reshore means traditional 60/40 portfolios are at risk of becoming outdated. He says a reallocation of assets across gol...

Merryn Somerset Webb is joined by Sam Unsted, editor of Bloomberg’s Markets Today blog. Together they discuss rallying UK gilts in the wake of Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s resignation, inflation fears resulting from the artificial intelligence infrastructure boom and how narrative and sentiment look to be shaping the gold price. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Can Andy Burnham keep his promises without hitting Britons in the pocket? Merryn Somerset Webb speaks with Bloomberg's Phil Aldrick about the tax hikes, spending pressures and economic realities facing Britain's likely next Prime Minister—and why there may be no painless solutions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Carson Block believes investors may be underestimating the economic consequences of artificial intelligence. The Muddy Waters founder and CEO joins Merryn Somerset Webb to explain why recent advances in AI have made him rethink its impact on the labour market—and why he believes widespread displacement of knowledge workers could eventually create a major challenge for financial markets. See...

Merryn Somerset Webb and Bloomberg Opinion columnist and senior markets editor John Authers discuss how SpaceX’s market debut has highlighted the hidden risks of passive investing, from index concentration to the growing influence of benchmark providers. They also assess new Fed Chair Kevin Warsh’s first policy signals and debate whether today’s AI boom is a bubble—and what...