Episodes

  • What the Nuclear Power Revival Means for the Price of Uranium
    Nov 1 2024

    There's something of a uranium cult out there: the investors and traders who believe that nuclear is the future of energy, and therefore this crucial commodity will end up being a huge winner. And over the last several years, the price has gone up substantially. But what are the economics of the uranium market? And how sensitive is it to some of these power plants that are reopening? On this episode, we speak with commodities guru Bob Brackett, head of Americas energy and transition at Bernstein Research. Bob knows everything about just about every commodity under the sun, so in addition to talking uranium, we get an update on lithium, gold, silver, oil, and more.

    Previously: The Three Big Things Driving the Nuclear Energy Revival

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Show more Show less
    45 mins
  • Years of Restrictions Didn't Slow China's Quest for Tech Dominance
    Oct 31 2024

    In 2015, China identified several key industries of the future for which it aimed to compete at the technological frontier. The 'Made in China 2025' plan included expansion in things like EVs, solar power, batteries, semiconductors, AI, and drones. But now, 2025 is almost here and China's progress has been remarkable across several of these categories. In fact, it's the world leader in some of these industries (like EVs and solar), and it's catching up in others. In this episode we speak with Bloomberg News reporter, Rebecca Choong Wilkins, as well as Gerard DiPippo, senior geoeconomics analyst at Bloomberg Economics. The two of them were part of a team that took a major look at the status of Made In China 2025 (a name that isn't really even used that much anymore). We discuss how much progress China has made despite efforts from the US over the last several years to impede its ambitions, and how it's judging the success of the program.

    Read More:
    US Efforts to Contain Xi’s Push for Tech Supremacy Are Faltering
    How American Tax Breaks Brought a Chinese Solar Energy Giant to Ohio

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Show more Show less
    42 mins
  • Big Take Asia: The US Pledged to Contain China’s Tech Ambitions. It’s Not Working.
    Nov 1 2024

    China is making steady progress in its quest to dominate key industries of the future, despite years of US tariffs, export controls and sanctions.

    Check out this special episode of Bloomberg's Big Take Asia podcast, as hosts K. Oanh Ha talks to Bloomberg News correspondent Rebecca Choong Wilkins about how the US is struggling to curb Beijing’s technological advances, and whether the upcoming presidential election could change the dynamic.

    Then come back on Thursday, as Rebecca joins the next episode of Odd Lots -- along with Bloomberg economic analyst Gerard DiPippo -- to take a further look at the ongoing tech rivalry between the US and China.

    Read more:
    The Big Take: Efforts to Contain Xi’s Push for Tech Supremacy Are Faltering

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Show more Show less
    15 mins
  • Why Home Insurance in Florida Is a Mess
    Oct 28 2024

    Florida has been struck by two big hurricanes this year, setting off a wave of damage and, of course, new insurance claims. As we all know by now, insurance rates in places like Florida, Louisiana, and California have jumped in recent years thanks to a combination of more natural disasters, higher replacement costs, and other factors. But Florida has become a particularly expensive market, with roofing scams supposedly pushing up rates for everyone, and a string of private insurers exiting the market. So what's the future of this messy market? We speak with Jerry Theodorou, policy director of finance, insurance and trade at R Street Institute, a free market think tank. He's also a veteran of the insurance industry and, in this episode, he walks us through what's been going on in Florida's insurance market and argues that there are some signs that things are getting better.

    Read More:
    Why Insurance Rates Have Been Surging in California and Florida
    Florida Home Insurers With Lax Ratings Pose New Property Risk

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Show more Show less
    43 mins
  • Listen Now: The Deal with Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly
    Oct 27 2024

    When sports, business and culture collide, there’s often a deal to be made. Join Alex Rodriguez and Bloomberg correspondent Jason Kelly as they get the inside track from corporate titans, sports champions and game-changing entrepreneurs on investing, strategy, reinvention and the ones that got away. The Deal is a Bloomberg Podcasts and Bloomberg Originals series that’s passionate, relaxed, insightful and inspirational. If you think you know these icons, prepare to be surprised.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Show more Show less
    2 mins
  • Lots More on the Ongoing Mess That Is Boeing
    Oct 25 2024

    Shares of Boeing, America's biggest aerospace manufacturer, have plummeted 40% so far this year. The company is facing a string of challenges, including fatal crashes of its 737 Max jet, a door blowing off another 737 aircraft, striking workers, and difficulties ramping up production. That's opened up some pretty existential questions for the company — including whether this former national champion will even survive for much longer. In the meantime, Boeing executives are trying to turn things around by raising additional capital and slashing the workforce to bring down costs. But will it work? In this episode, we speak with aerospace veteran Richard Aboulafia, a managing director at AeroDynamic Advisory, about the ongoing mess that is Boeing.

    Read More:
    Boeing Workers Reject Deal in Longshot Bid to Revive Pension
    The Remarkable Story of Brazilian Jet Maker Embraer

    Become a Bloomberg.com subscriber using our special intro offer at bloomberg.com/podcastoffer. You’ll get episodes of this podcast ad-free and exclusive access to our daily Odd Lots newsletter. Already a subscriber? Connect your account on the Bloomberg channel page in Apple Podcasts to listen ad-free.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Show more Show less
    22 mins
  • How Banks and Private Credit Became the Best of Frenemies
    Oct 24 2024

    By now, everyone knows that private credit is a hot market. What's less known is that banks want in on it too. It's an odd state of affairs given that both these entities are in the business of making loans, so in theory they should be competing against each other. But instead we're seeing a bunch of deals, with more than a dozen big banks teaming up with private credit over the past year. So why are two seemingly natural competitors joining forces? And how much of an existential threat does private credit really pose for the banking industry? On this episode, we with speak with Huw van Steenis, vice-chair at Oliver Wyman and a long-time bank analyst at Morgan Stanley, about this new dynamic.

    Read More:
    The Macro Impact of the Private Credit Boom
    The Black Hole of Private Credit

    Become a Bloomberg.com subscriber using our special intro offer at bloomberg.com/podcastoffer. You’ll get episodes of this podcast ad-free and exclusive access to our daily Odd Lots newsletter. Already a subscriber? Connect your account on the Bloomberg channel page in Apple Podcasts to listen ad-free.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Show more Show less
    42 mins
  • Why Mortgage Rates Went Up After the Fed's Big Cut
    Oct 21 2024

    On September 18, the Federal Reserve kicked off the cutting cycle by reducing overnight rates by 50 basis points. Since then, mortgage rates have gone higher. This is not obviously an intuitive thing to happen. The point of a rate cut is to stimulate the economy by reducing the cost to borrow. And people generally know that interest rates and mortgage costs are linked. Well, it turns out they are linked, but not directly. And certainly not in some linear manner. On this episode of the podcast, we speak with Tom Graff, the CIO of the wealth management firm Facet, and a long-time trader in the fixed income space. We talk about the factors that influence mortgage rates, why the spread between a 30-year fixed and a 10-year Treasury fluctuates over time, and how rate cuts can be priced in before they even happen. We also talk about what we'll need to see for mortgage rates to move sustainably lower.

    Read More:
    US Mortgage Rates Climb to 6.52%, Highest Since Early August
    Why a 'Broken' Mortgage Market Is Keeping Borrowing Rates Extra High

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Show more Show less
    35 mins