Need to Know Investment Podcast

To coincide with the publication of Coutts Outlook 2024, Sarah Muir and Alan Higgins are joined by Lilian Chovin to talk about the three things on our radar for the year ahead.

This week, Sarah Muir and Alan Higgins are joined by James Butterfill, Head of Research at CoinShares for thoughts on the SEC’s recent approval of spot bitcoin ETFs and the pros and cons of blockchain technology. Plus will the rise of bitcoin change how we view investing in equities.

For the first NTK of 2024 Sarah Muir and Alan Higgins go through the new year forecasts in search of optimistic outlooks. Are investors more easily seduced by pessimistic prognostications?

For the final NTK of the year, Sarah Muir and Alan Higgins discuss the US Federal Reserve’s extraordinary pivot.  Plus we look at NTK’s report card - when our contrarian instincts proved to be correct as well as lessons learnt from the past 12 months.

This week Sarah Muir and Alan Higgins are joined by Coutts CIO, Fahad Kamal to look at the three things that might surprise investors in 2024.

This week Sarah Muir and Alan Higgins are joined by Coutts Head of Multi Asset Portfolio Management, Monique Wong to discuss what investors should do during market corrections. Plus lessons learned from David Swensen.

Sarah Muir and Alan Higgins question the data on index linked government bonds. Japanese equities – why ‘boring’ is sometimes better. Plus in homage to Byron Wien, Alan suggests a possible surprise for 2024.

Sarah Muir and Alan Higgins are joined by Coutts UK equity expert Richard Way for a look at why UK equities are unloved – is it simply a case of the Famous Five losing out to the Magnificent 7? Plus you may not believe in Santa Claus, but do you believe in Santa rallies?

Sarah Muir and Alan Higgins discuss Swiftonomics – can Taylor Swift really drive GDP? UBS CoCo bonds and investors with short memories. Plus factor investing – which is better, momentum or quality?

Sarah Muir and Alan Higgins take a look at the reliability of contrarian signals and revisit the case for active management vs passive management. Plus the outlook for bonds when debt issuance is high and the economy remains robust. Plus a rant on the subject of the UK government’s penchant for index linked bonds.

Sarah Muir, Alan Higgins and Howard Sparks turn their attention to US earnings season. This week we look at the general mood, why high expectations mean markets are punishing less-than-stellar numbers and the long term outlook for earnings.

Sarah Muir and Alan Higgins chat with behavioural psychologist, Ed Nottingham about the three things we can all do to help us be more rational investors.

Sarah Muir and Alan Higgins look at whether market corrections are an opportunity, the nature of equity returns and why investors need to look beyond annualised performance. Plus has Alan changed his mind about index investing?

Sarah Muir and Alan Higgins look at how markets normally respond to major geopolitical events and what’s different this time. Plus could a bearish consensus be a contrarian indicator for equity bulls and the pros and cons of ‘T Bill and Chill’.

Ben Allen and Alan Higgins discuss why the US economy remains so resilient, the differences between owning a fund and owning gilts directly, and whether or not we’ll see a market sell-off.

Sarah Muir and Alan Higgins discuss the latest data, why Gilts are CGT exempt and thoughts on Dumb Money, the new film chronicling Gamestop and the meme stock frenzy of 2021.

Is Michael Burry using the 2008 playbook to dictate his most recent ‘big short’? Alan Higgins and Sarah Muir look at three aspects of the Global Financial Crisis and if there any parallels that can be drawn with today’s markets.

Thoughts on inflation in the US vs Europe and the UK, what’s behind this year’s drop in share buybacks and lessons learnt from the dot com bubble.

Alan Higgins and Sarah Muir look at this week’s data, including UK employment. Plus why is the price of oil rising and what can we learn from the big crash of 1987?

Thoughts on the latest US jobs report and whether the Fed can engineer a soft landing. As National Savings announces a one-year bond offering 6.2%, equities in a higher interest rate environment. And last but not least, how do Royal Albert Hall debentures perform as an investment.

This week the latest on the Magnificent 7 and why earnings are ‘ the truth’. Is an increase in put options a bearish indicator for markets and with an increase in availability of lab-grown gems, are natural diamonds a good store of wealth.

With Michael Burry’s latest big short of the US market hitting the headlines, we look at how shorting the market actually works. Plus ahead of this week’s BRICS conference, thoughts on China.

Sarah Muir and Alan Higgins discuss the outlook for UK inflation and why we need to start focusing on the month-on-month number. Plus the case for share buybacks, a luxury alternative to equities and top business tips from the late Mark McCormack.

Sarah Muir and Alan Higgins consider the Fitch downgrade of US sovereign debt and why they might have a point. The US market and why the mood is turning bullish. Plus Jane Birkin and the Hermes Birkin bag…is the iconic tote a better investment than stock in the company that makes it?

Sarah Muir and Monique Wong discuss the latest US data and why you shouldn’t fight the Fed, the Bank of Japan’s yield curve control policy and why that matters for global markets. Plus thoughts on the UK housing market.