The IRF Podcast

David Osman of IRF is joined by Ron William, the Founder of RW Advisory. In this podcast Ron assesses the underlying cyclical trends in the global financial markets and highlights those sectors and investment styles that should perform well during the remainder of this year from a structural and tactical perspective. ----more---- Ron then discusses the importance of his business cycle roadmap and what it implies for 2027. He says that this, in conjunction with the unfolding convergence of short-, medium- and long-term cycles in the next 5 – 6 years, indicates that we are in a prolonged late-cycle period of slower economic growth and inflation volatility due to potential energy, fiscal and geopolitical shocks. Ron discusses what this will likely mean for short term interest rates, long-term government bond yields and the yield curve in the US and elsewhere over the next 18 months, including the potential for a “generational regime shift”. Ron also explains what this means for world stock markets, with particular reference to the US and the AI investment theme. In addition, he discusses the outlook for the currency and commodity markets, highlighting the prospects the US dollar, gold and Bitcoin in both the near term and the longer term. Ron concludes by highlighting his high-conviction investment recommendations for his preferred markets, sectors and styles, as well as identifying the main risks that investors should watch out for.   Ron William is a market strategist with over 20 years of experience producing macro research, trading strategies and insightful non-consensus ideas for leading economic research and institutional firms. Ron is also a behavioural finance expert, trading psychologist and performance coach. RW Advisory specialises in blended, top-down, semi-discretionary analysis, driven by his cycles roadmap and by his proprietary timing models, which use both quantitative and qualitative techniques.

David Osman of IRF is joined by Chris Watling, the Founder, CEO & Chief Market Strategist at Longview Economics. ----more---- In this podcast, Chris Watling explains how the A.I. investment boom is impacting on the US economy and elsewhere. He discusses the underlying trends in income and consumption with reference to the wealth-effect of the A.I.-driven rise in the US stock market. He points out how US economic growth appears to be broadening in response to the credit cycle and the industrial cycle. Chris discusses the outlook for inflation, with particular reference to the current geopolitical concerns and the rise in energy costs. He then assesses the likely differences in the monetary policy responses in Europe, the US and Japan. He also explains how the conduct of US monetary policy is likely to evolve under the new Fed Chairman, Kevin Warsh and how that will eventually influence other central banks around the world. This leads into a discussion about the outlook for the US dollar. Then, in conjunction with his view on the prospects for the world economy, Chris sets out some of his key global strategy recommendations for asset allocations in the Bond, Equity and Commodity markets, including his views on several of the most important emerging markets.   Prior to founding LongView Economics in 2003, Chris Watling was the European Economist and Strategist at Cazenove where he developed his proprietary Risk Appetite Gauge Models, which are also known as “RAG” Models. When combined with SELL-off indicators, these “RAG” Models have proved to be very successful in calling equity market direction and timing waves of risk aversion in global markets. LongView Economics is an Independent Global Macro and Strategy Advisory Boutique that is located in London. Their pioneering research approach brings Macro and Markets together, drawing on Deep Macro Analysis of the most important global themes, cycles and events in order to make actionable, often contrarian, investment and trading recommendations.

David Osman of IRF is joined by Paul Cavey, the Founder of East Asia Econ. ----more---- In this podcast, Paul Cavey of East Asia Econ explains that there are two terms of trades shocks playing through in East Asia at present, one positive, one negative. He points out that the A.I. boom and the strength of the global semiconductor sector have helped the stock markets of Japan, South Korea and Taiwan to reach new record highs recently, despite the Gulf war and the oil price shock. With respect to China, Paul discusses the evidence that suggests the Chinese economy is stabilising and should pick up once there’s a US-Iranian peace agreement and the oil market starts to normalise. In Japan, Paul says there are expectations that the Bank of Japan will raise interest rates to combat the rise in inflationary pressures, thereby helping to support a stronger yen exchange rate, but this is not a done deal. In South Korea and Taiwan, Paul highlights how the growth-inflation trade off is influencing monetary policy and could result in a strengthening of the Korean won and the Taiwanese dollar versus the US dollar.   Paul Cavey has been living in East Asia for over twenty years – in Taipei, Beijing, Hong Kong and Tokyo. Paul is currently living in Taiwan and is fluent in Mandarin Chinese. He has been analysing the Economies of the East Asian region, with a particular focus on China, for over 25 years. Previously, Paul has been the Chief Regional Economist at several leading firms, notably the Economist Intelligence Unit, Macquarie Securities and Wellington Management. East Asia Econ provides high-quality research and thematic analysis of Macroeconomic and Market Issues in China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan.”