Over the past two years, inflation has been full of surprises. Central bankers are now facing up to the very real possibility that bringing sticky inflation down to their 2% targets could bring deep economic pain. Some analysts are starting to ask whether they might be tempted to tolerate higher inflation instead. On this week’s podcast, hosts Alice Fulwood, Tom Lee-Devlin and Mike Bird ask what would happen if ballooning price rises aren’t brought back down to target. The Economist’s Josh Roberts tells them why higher inflation may be here to stay. And Ed Cole, from asset manager Man Group, and Andrew Balls, from PIMCO, explain what would happen in equities and bond markets if it does. Sign up for our new weekly newsletter dissecting the big themes in markets, business and the economy at www.economist.com/moneytalks For full access to print, digital and audio editions, subscribe to The Economist at www.economist.com/podcastoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Money Talks from The Economist

Money Talks: What happens if inflation sticks?

Cities across the world are in the midst of an identity crisis. With fewer workers commuting into offices and more shoppers heading online, what are they now for? It’s a question that commercial real estate investors are scrambling to find an answer to.On this week’s podcast, hosts Tom Lee-Devlin, Mike Bird and Alice Fulwood explore an office block that’s been repurposed to find out what the future holds for cities. Nick Bloom, a professor of economics at Stanford who’s been researching home working for more than two decades, tells them fully remote work can dent productivity by 10%. And Ed Glaeser, chair of the economics department at Harvard and one of the world’s leading experts on urban economics, says that troubled cities like San Francisco need to focus on making their downtown areas safe.We would love to hear from you. Please fill out our updated listener survey at economist.com/podcastsurveySign up for our new weekly newsletter dissecting the big themes in markets, business and the economy at www.economist.com/moneytalks For full access to print, digital and audio editions, subscribe to The Economist at www.economist.com/podcastoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Money Talks: Averting the city death spiral

In more than half of the world's countries, the number of babies being born has fallen below the replacement rate. For the next generation, that means living in a less-populous country than their parents—and that gives birth to some big problems. Not only will the bill for their ageing parents’ care be shared between fewer people, but there will be a smaller pool of potential entrepreneurs and innovators to create jobs and come up with big ideas for society. On this week’s podcast, hosts Mike Bird, Alice Fulwood and Tom Lee-Devlin ask whether shifting demographics are pushing the world towards the mother of all economic slumps. Matthias Doepke, a professor at London School of Economics, warns there is no quick fix. Demographics expert James Liang, explains how a shrinking population stifles innovation.Sign up for our new weekly newsletter dissecting the big themes in markets, business and the economy at www.economist.com/moneytalks For full access to print, digital and audio editions, subscribe to The Economist at www.economist.com/podcastoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Money Talks: The baby bust blues

For over three decades, the people most excited about Nvidia’s chips have been gamers. They used its graphics cards to render games in super-high definition. But over the last 15 years Nvidia has slowly established itself as the go-to provider of chips and software to the booming artificial intelligence space. Now it is investors that are paying attention—Nvidia’s market cap has almost tripled this year, briefly soaring above $1trn in late May. On this week’s podcast, hosts Alice Fulwood, Tom Lee-Devlin and Mike Bird explore the astonishing rise of Nvidia. The Economist’s Guy Scriven explains how the AI boom made the Californian chip maker into a $1trn company. Stacy Rasgon, an analyst at Bernstein Research, charts the company’s “30-year journey to overnight success” and Pierre Ferragu from New Street Research tells them that Google and Amazon have their sights on the chip market.Sign up for our new weekly newsletter dissecting the big themes in markets, business and the economy at www.economist.com/moneytalks For full access to print, digital and audio editions, subscribe to The Economist at www.economist.com/podcastoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Money Talks: The trillion-dollar question

Decades of cheap money has left businesses in America and Europe addicted to debt. Some companies have been borrowing cash just to dole it out to shareholders. But with interest rates now reaching levels not seen in 15 years, those debt-drunk firms are waking up to the threat of a mighty hangover.On this week’s podcast, hosts Tom Lee-Devlin and Alice Fulwood ask if those firms can kick their debt habit. Goldman Sachs’ chief credit strategist, Lotfi Karoui, explains how companies became hooked in the first place—and what will happen when they start cutting back. And Torsten Slok from Apollo, one of the world’s largest private capital managers, tells them why the cost of borrowing isn’t likely to fall any time soon.Sign up for our new weekly newsletter dissecting the big themes in markets, business and the economy at www.economist.com/moneytalks For full access to print, digital and audio editions, subscribe to The Economist at www.economist.com/podcastoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Money Talks: The great debt hangover

From Alipay’s QR codes to PayPal, it’s never been easier to move money around. Central banks are even considering their own digital currencies. And all that cross-border cashlessness has some wondering about the dollar’s international dominance.On this week’s podcast, hosts Mike Bird and Tom Lee-Devlin examine the risks to the world’s reserve currency. The Economist’s Arjun Ramani explains how far digital payments have come; Mairead McGuinness, European Commissioner for financial services, discusses ambitions for a digital euro; and Michael Pettis from Peking University explains the costs inherent in hosting a reserve currency.We would love to hear from you. Please fill out our listener survey at economist.com/moneytalkssurveySign up for our new weekly newsletter dissecting the big themes in markets, business and the economy at www.economist.com/moneytalks For full access to print, digital and audio editions, subscribe to The Economist at www.economist.com/podcastoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Money Talks: Another way, another dollar?

Housing in America has never been this unaffordable. The pandemic set off skyrocketing prices; then the Fed began to rapidly increase interest rates, pushing up borrowing costs. Many predicted this might result in a crash. But after dropping 10% from all-time highs, home prices in America are picking up again. What is going on?On this week’s podcast, hosts Alice Fulwood, Tom Lee-Devlin and Mike Bird ask if anything can take the heat out of the American housing market. Skylar Olsen, chief economist at property app Zillow, tells them that interest rate rises have added $800 a month to the typical American household’s mortgage bill. And Domonic Purviance from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta explains how central bankers are thinking about the impact on the affordability of those loans.We would love to hear from you. Please fill out our listener survey at economist.com/moneytalkssurveySign up for our new weekly newsletter dissecting the big themes in markets, business and the economy at www.economist.com/moneytalks For full access to print, digital and audio editions, subscribe to The Economist at www.economist.com/podcastoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Money Talks: Why house prices are so stubbornly high

Buying a car used to be about two things: style and performance. But as motorists trade in their petrol or diesel cars for electric vehicles, manufacturers are increasingly focusing on experience by adding features like karaoke machines and mood lighting. Those drivers also have a lot more choices. The ditching of internal combustion engines in favour of battery-power has allowed new car makers to enter the market. But rather than thinking like BMW or Ford, they are looking to firms like Apple for their inspiration.On this week’s podcast, hosts Mike Bird, Alice Fulwood and Tom Lee-Devlin examine the remaking of the auto industry. The Economist’s Simon Wright explains that software, rather than hardware, will define car brands in the future. Henrik Fisker, the founder of one of those new brands, tells them that a history of making petrol-powered cars doesn’t necessarily qualify established car makers to make electric vehicles. And advisor Tu Le explains why Western car makers are worried about competition from China.Sign up for our new weekly newsletter dissecting the big themes in markets, business and the economy at www.economist.com/moneytalks For full access to print, digital and audio editions, subscribe to The Economist at www.economist.com/podcastoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Money Talks: Is the car industry running out of gas?

Around a third of Americans now listen to at least one podcast a week. That fact has not escaped the attention of advertisers, who spent nearly $2bn on podcast ads last year. But with more than 4m podcasts for listeners to choose from, the industry is facing a reckoning. On this week’s podcast, hosts Tom Lee-Devlin and Mike Bird ask what the future holds for the business of podcasts. Michael Mignano, who used to manage Spotify’s podcasting arm, tells them that companies have realised they can be much leaner. And Nick Hilton, a podcast production company founder, explains why he thinks 2022 is the year when podcasting died.Sign up for our new weekly newsletter dissecting the big themes in markets, business and the economy at www.economist.com/moneytalks For full access to print, digital and audio editions, subscribe to The Economist at www.economist.com/podcastoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Money Talks: A business podcast on the business of podcasts

Time may be running short for TikTok. In the US, both Democrats and Republicans view the Chinese-owned app as a national security threat and would like to ban it. It’s practically the only policy issue that the two parties agree on. And yet the politicians in Washington DC have left it very late to act. TikTok has already reached 150 million users in the US, half the country’s population, and every day it adds more.  On this week’s podcast, hosts Alice Fulwood, Tom Lee-Devlin and Mike Bird look at whether the fears about TikTok are well grounded, and what the options are for addressing them. The Economist’s Alexandra Suich Bass explains why alternatives short of an outright ban have gone nowhere. China security analyst Matthew Johnson says his biggest concern is that Beijing could use the app to spread pro-Chinese propaganda. Meanwhile, Nazak Nikakhtar, a former secretary of the US Commerce Department, suggests a way of neutralising the app without upsetting users.Sign up for our new weekly newsletter dissecting the big themes in markets, business and the economy at www.economist.com/moneytalks For full access to print, digital and audio editions, subscribe to The Economist at www.economist.com/podcastoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Money Talks: Last dance for TikTok?

The professional services firm EY reportedly spent hundreds of millions of dollars preparing to split itself into separate audit and advisory companies. Then earlier this month it abruptly called the divorce off. EY is not unique. All of the "big four" accounting firms - including PwC, KPMG and Deloitte - combine the stodgy traditional business of audit with a fast-growing free-wheeling consultancy wing. On this week’s podcast, hosts Tom Lee-Devlin, Alice Fulwood and Mike Bird ask whether all four firms find themselves stuck in unhappy marriages. Professor Laura Empson of Bayes Business School retells how these one-time frumpy low-margin audit firms were beguiled by the glamour and big fees of corporate advisory work. Meanwhile Tom Rodenhauser, managing partner at Kennedy Research Reports, explains why the consulting units have now outgrown their auditing counterparts, and would do well to ditch them and go it alone.Sign up for our new weekly newsletter dissecting the big themes in markets, business and the economy at www.economist.com/moneytalks For full access to print, digital and audio editions, subscribe to The Economist at www.economist.com/podcastoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Money Talks: Why oh why EY?

Fans of the popular television show “Succession” have been gripped by the family battle to take control of the fictional patriarch Logan Roy’s sprawling media empire. But across Asia family businesses are worried about their own, very real, succession battles as a new generation of plutocrats look to take over from their fathers.On this week’s podcast, hosts Mike Bird, Alice Fulwood and Tom Lee-Devlin delve into the challenges facing some of Asia’s wealthiest families. Author, Joe Studwell, talks about some of the characters worrying about their legacy and Kevin Au from the Chinese University of Hong Kong explains how succession challenges can be overcome.Sign up for our new weekly newsletter dissecting the big themes in markets, business and the economy at www.economist.com/moneytalks For full access to print, digital and audio editions, subscribe to The Economist at www.economist.com/podcastoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Money Talks: Succession Asia

Video game makers used to look to Hollywood for their inspiration. But in recent years, the market for games has grown to nearly $200bn, five times more than people spend at the box office and more, even, than they spend on streaming services like Netflix or Disney+. And that has caught the attention of the movie industry, which is now looking to game makers for its ideas.On this week’s podcast, hosts Tom Lee-Devlin, Alice Fulwood and Mike Bird examine how gaming took over media. Bad Robot is one of the film and television production companies that has expanded into gaming. Tanya Watson, president of Bad Robot Games, explains what game makers can learn from cinematographers but also what she has to teach them. And former Spotify executive Nick Lightle discusses why it could take some time before the streamers take over gaming.Sign up for our new weekly newsletter dissecting the big themes in markets, business and the economy at www.economist.com/moneytalks For full access to print, digital and audio editions, subscribe to The Economist at www.economist.com/podcastoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Money Talks: Will video games eat Hollywood?

Hosts Alice Fulwood, Mike Bird and Tom Lee Devlin take to the road this week with a single aim: bring economics to life. The mission takes them to some unexpected corners of the world and forces them to don some interesting attire. Inspired by The Economist’s A-Z guide, Tom travels to one of the UK’s largest sandwich factories for a lesson in efficiency. Alice visit’s George Washington’s estate to understand how mercantilism made America the country it is today. And Mike learns how Singapore has overcome the limits of its sea border.Sign up for our new weekly newsletter dissecting the big themes in markets, business and the economy at www.economist.com/moneytalks For full access to print, digital and audio editions, subscribe to The Economist at www.economist.com/podcastoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Money Talks: The A to Z of economics

Few would have predicted that the demise of Silicon Valley Bank, a niche Californian lender, would be followed by the failure of Credit Suisse. But on March 19 the banking crisis reached Zurich, where regulators brokered a fire sale that saw the ailing 167-year-old bank sold to rival UBS.On this week’s podcast, hosts Alice Fulwood, Tom Lee-Devlin and Mike Bird chart the spread of the crisis and examine its fallout. Richard Berner, a former advisor to the Treasury Secretary, explains: “Silicon Valley Bank was not systemic in life, but proved to be systemic in death.” And Huw van Steenis, who used to advise the chief executive of UBS, explains how the crisis has roiled bond markets.Sign up for our new weekly newsletter dissecting the big themes in markets, business and the economy at www.economist.com/moneytalks For full access to print, digital and audio editions, subscribe to The Economist at www.economist.com/podcastoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Money Talks: Discredit Suisse

Take a seat at the table and learn about the biggest stories in financial markets, the economy and business. Each week our editors and correspondents explore how economics influences the world we live in and share their insights across a range of topics. From inflation and recession risk to all things crypto and even the commercial success of K-pop, we have you covered. Published every Thursday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Money Talks from The Economist

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