First Trust ROI Podcast

Josh Volen, co-founder and managing principal at CIRE Equity, joins the podcast to discuss trends in commercial real estate investing as urban populations shift, hybrid work environments evolve, and industries adapt to changes in global trade. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe Here to the ROI Podcast & other First Trust Mar...

Dave McGarel discusses potential winners and losers in the equity market as the Federal Reserve embarks on a new interest rate cutting cycle. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe Here to the ROI Podcast & other First Trust Market News Website:  First Trust Portfolios Connect with us on LinkedIn: First Trust LinkedIn Follow us...

Brian Wesbury discusses Fed independence, inflationary fears, the growth of government, and whether the broader economic benefits of AI adoption will materialize. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe Here to the ROI Podcast & other First Trust Market News Website:  First Trust Portfolios Connect with us on LinkedIn: First Trus...

Brian Comiskey, Senior Director of Innovation and Trends at the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), explores how emerging technologies—including cybersecurity, AI, robotics, and cloud computing—are evolving into digital utilities, with important implications for investors. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe Here to the ROI Po...

Bob Stein breaks down 2028 presidential contenders, 2026 midterm odds, Trump’s fiscal agenda, tariffs’ impact, and the economic forces shaping America’s political and financial future. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe Here to the ROI Podcast & other First Trust Market News Website:  First Trust Portfolios Connect with us o...

In this episode Jeff Chang breaks down the virtues and risks of Bitcoin, highlighting Bitcoin-linked tools and strategies that aim to generate income and mitigate downside risk. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe Here to the ROI Podcast & other First Trust Market News Website:  First Trust Portfolios Connect with us on Linke...

Jim Murchie explains recent developments in the energy sector, including growing, bipartisan demand for nuclear power and why the non-cyclical energy industry is “an island in a sea of chaos”. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe Here to the ROI Podcast & other First Trust Market News Website:  First Trust Portfolios Connect w...

Brian Wesbury discusses why the conventional wisdom about tariffs and inflation is wrong, how the Fed can save taxpayers $2 trillion over the next decade, and the positives and negatives of the Big, Beautiful Bill.  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe Here to the ROI Podcast & other First Trust Market News Website:  First Tru...

Richard Bernstein draws on over four decades of investment experience to offer insights on how to navigate risks and opportunities amid soaring economic uncertainty and market volatility.  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe Here to the ROI Podcast & other First Trust Market News Website:  First Trust Portfolios Connect with...

Bob Carey discusses his long-term outlook for equity markets as the baby boom generation ages.  He also weighs in on potential near-term drivers of equity market performance, including tariffs, regulations, and the “one big, beautiful bill”. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe Here to the ROI Podcast & other First Trust Marke...

Ron Pernick is the founder of Clean Edge, a firm specializing in thematic research surrounding clean energy, transportation, water, and the power grid.  In this episode, we discuss the evolution of these themes and how a new administration may impact their continued growth.  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe Here to the ROI Pod...

Brian Wesbury shares his views on why the Trump Administration is upending global trade, why tariffs may be an insufficient cure for problems created by big government, and where the US economy is headed for the rest of 2025. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe Here to the ROI Podcast & other First Trust Market News Website: ...

Bob Stein provides perspective on likely economic outcomes that may result from the evolving policy mix of the new Trump Administration.  Plus…Bob shares an early peak at potential contenders for the 2028 US Presidential election. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe Here to the ROI Podcast & other First Trust Market News Webs...

Bill Housey explores how fixed income investors can navigate rising uncertainty—from trade policies to inflation and beyond—in this deep dive into the bond market’s shifting dynamics. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe Here to the ROI Podcast & other First Trust Market News Website:  First Trust Portfolios Connect with us on...

Amid a sharp drawdown in US equities, Dave McGarel highlights the risks and opportunities that may lie on the horizon. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe Here to the ROI Podcast & other First Trust Market News Website:  First Trust Portfolios Connect with us on LinkedIn: First Trust LinkedIn Follow us on X: First Trust on X...

Gibson Smith, founder and CEO of Smith Capital, discusses some of the unique challenges—and opportunities—facing fixed income investors today. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe Here to the ROI Podcast & other First Trust Market News Website:  First Trust Portfolios Connect with us on LinkedIn: First Trust LinkedIn Follow us...

Electricity demand is poised to soar after decades of slow growth, driven by AI, reshoring, and EVs.  Jim Murchie, CEO and portfolio manager at Energy Income Partners, unpacks how natural gas, nuclear power, and renewables will fuel this surge, as utilities scramble to keep up. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe Here to the ROI...

Brian Wesbury explains why cutting government spending could be painful in the near-term but boost longer-term economic growth, similarities and difference between Trump and Reagan, and how he thinks about investing in an overvalued market. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe Here to the ROI Podcast & other First Trust Market...

Mandeep Singh, Global Head of Technology Research at Bloomberg Intelligence, joins the podcast to explore how massive investments in artificial intelligence made over the past few years could drive future innovations and profits. From humanoid robots to self-driving vehicles, Mandeep shares his expert analysis on the potential impact of these technologies in the years to come. --------------------...

Companies are investing billions to build out artificial intelligence capabilities.  Ryan shares First Trust’s perspective on various investment themes that may benefit—either directly or indirectly—in the years ahead. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe Here to the ROI Podcast & other First Trust Market News Website:  First...

Paul Black and Mike Trigg are portfolio managers and co-CEOs at WCM Investment Management.  They join the podcast to discuss WCM’s unique path to becoming a leading global equity manager, highlighting WCM’s unconventional approach for identifying investment opportunities, including why a company’s culture matters and the important of economic moat trajectory. --------------------------------------...

Richard Bernstein provides his perspective on key investment themes to watch in the year ahead, including overlooked opportunities, potential pitfalls, and the value of seeking “maximum diversification”. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe Here to the ROI Podcast & other First Trust Market News Website:  First Trust Portfolio...

Dave Rutherford has been a Navy SEAL, a contractor for Blackwater and the CIA, and performance coach.  In this episode, he shares insights and strategies for pursuing excellence and overcoming fear in high-pressure environments.  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe Here to the ROI Podcast & other First Trust Market News Websi...

In this episode, Brian Wesbury discusses the implications of Trump's recent election victory. Recorded the day after Election Day, Brian explores potential changes in economic and tax policies, providing insights into the future economic landscape. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe Here to the ROI Podcast & other First...

Bob Stein — As Election Day looms, Bob analyzes the probabilities of different election scenarios. Additionally, we explore how tariffs and other tax policies might affect the economy, discuss the implications of government spending, and consider if advancements in AI might pave the way for universal basic income initiatives. ------------------------------------------------------------------------...