Behind the Money
209 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 20 hours ago - ★★★★★ - 105 ratingsFrom hostile takeovers to C-suite intrigue, Behind the Money takes you inside the business and financial stories of the moment with reporting from Financial Times journalists around the world.
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Episodes
When M&A goes wrong
April 24, 2024 04:00 - 20 minutes - 47.3 MBWhen a company is sold there tends to be a standard playbook: There’s some tough negotiations. Then, the buyer gets a business and the seller gets a check. Everyone’s happy. That’s not what happened when a private equity firm recently bought a California grocery store chain. The FT’s Wall Street editor Sujeet Indap explains how the deal went off the rails, and how the supermarket’s owners might end up paying millions of dollars to sell their company. Clip from KCRA - - - - - - - - - - - ...
Inside the battle for America’s West
April 17, 2024 04:00 - 23 minutes - 53.9 MBA few years ago, four men went on a hunting trip to Wyoming. That trip would end up changing their lives — and possibly, the future of the public’s access to millions of acres of land in America's western states. The FT’s Oliver Roeder expands on the saga that’s played out since 2021 inside courtrooms and within thousands of pages of legal documents. Clips from KGWN, Ludlow Music and The Richmond Organisation - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For further reading: Bat...
Coming soon: The Five Minute Investor from Money Clinic
April 12, 2024 04:00 - 1 minute - 2.78 MBIntroducing Money Clinic’s Five Minute Investor, a miniseries hosted by Claer Barrett, the FT’s consumer editor. In each episode, Claer challenges top financial commentators to break down financial jargon in just five minutes, making you a smarter, and hopefully richer, investor. Tune in every Tuesday, and subscribe to Money Clinic wherever you get your podcasts. If you would like Claer to demystify an investment term, email the team at [email protected] or send Claer a DM on social media — she’s ...
Can WeightWatchers survive the Wegovy era?
April 10, 2024 04:00 - 17 minutes - 39.8 MBWeightWatchers is struggling. Launched in the early 1960s, the brand grew by helping members shed pounds through behavioural change programmes. Then, GLP-1 anti-obesity drugs hit the market, long-time spokesperson and board member Oprah Winfrey announced her departure, and the company’s credit rating was downgraded. FT reporter Anna Mutoh examines whether WeightWatchers’ latest strategy can produce the turnaround investors are hoping for. Clip from Lionsgate Television - - - - - - - - - ...
A surprising winner in the US-China chip wars
April 03, 2024 04:00 - 18 minutes - 43.4 MBThe US and China’s battle for dominance in the semiconductor industry is having some surprising knock-on effects: Companies are looking to insulate their supply chains from rising geopolitical tensions. And many from around the world are setting their sights on Malaysia to set up or expand their chip factories. FT correspondent Mercedes Ruehl explains how the country earned a prized spot in the supply chain, and what it needs to do to keep hold of it. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ...
A radical change for the US Treasury market
March 27, 2024 04:00 - 15 minutes - 35.9 MBThe past several years in the US Treasury market have not been what you’d call smooth sailing. Three crises in a decade recently pushed regulators to introduce important changes to the world’s largest and most liquid market. The Securities and Exchange Commission passed the most significant reform a few months ago. The FT’s capital markets correspondent Kate Duguid examines that change — plus the potential pitfalls and promise that come with it. Clips from CNBC, Bloomberg - - - - - - - - ...
Listener mailbag with the Unhedged podcast
March 19, 2024 20:00 - 24 minutes - 55.1 MBMore questions — more answers! We’ve partnered with the FT’s Unhedged podcast for a special two-part episode, fielding questions you have submitted about markets and finance. The host of Unhedged, Ethan Wu, plus the FT’s US financial commentator Rob Armstrong and markets editor Katie Martin join Michela to traverse topics ranging from the longevity of the Magnificent Seven stocks to Japan’s economic outlook. To listen to the other part of the episode, visit the Unhedged podcast feed. Clip...
Are penny stocks getting the memestock treatment?
March 13, 2024 04:00 - 17 minutes - 39.2 MBPenny stocks are having a moment. In recent months, little-known companies with names such as Bit Brother and Phunware have been among the most traded stocks in America’s public markets, surpassing companies like Tesla and popular exchange traded funds. The FT’s US markets editor Jennifer Hughes explores why this is happening, and whether retail investors should think twice before diving in. Clip from Paramount Movies Plus, a note on next week’s show: Look for Behind the Money in your fee...
How JPMorgan thrived amid a banking crisis
March 06, 2024 05:00 - 17 minutes - 40.9 MBIt’s been a year since Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse left everyone worried that the US’s banking sector sat on shaky ground. Despite that turmoil, one bank stands out: JPMorgan Chase. The largest bank in the country, JPMorgan took home record profits in 2023, and its dominance looks set to continue. The FT’s US banking editor Joshua Franklin walks through the reasons why JPMorgan flew past its competitors, and what threat its size could pose to smaller banks. Clips from AP, CNBC, KTVU, KPI...
Is OpenAI’s business model sustainable?
February 28, 2024 05:00 - 17 minutes - 40.6 MBOpenAI is one of the fastest-growing companies ever, thanks to its artificial intelligence chatbot, ChatGPT. But costs to train and run the models that underpin that technology are steep. And chief executive Sam Altman has said he has even bigger aims. The FT’s Madhumita Murgia and George Hammond examine whether the start-up’s existing business model can achieve its long-term goals. Plus, do you have a question about markets, finance or economics? Get in touch with Michela, and we may use ...
Hedge fund pioneers face signs of a reckoning
February 21, 2024 05:00 - 16 minutes - 38 MBBillionaire financiers such as Ken Griffin pioneered what’s known as the multi-manager model for hedge funds, where big spending begets big returns. In 2022, Griffin’s Citadel became the best-performing hedge fund of all time. But now, cracks in the sector are beginning to form. The FT’s Harriet Agnew and Ortenca Aliaj examine what a downturn could mean for investors and the broader financial sector. Plus, do you have a question about markets, finance or economics? Get in touch with Michel...
Why Elon Musk is breaking up with Delaware
February 14, 2024 05:00 - 15 minutes - 36 MBA Delaware court recently struck down Elon Musk’s $56 billion Tesla pay package. Soon after, Musk took to his social network X and offered some advice: “Never incorporate your company in the state of Delaware.” But will anyone take it? The FT’s Wall Street editor Sujeet Indap explains how Delaware became the favourite place for big companies to incorporate and why that’s unlikely to change. Clips from BBC, WFAA - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For further reading: Ca...
Baidu’s ‘do-or-die’ bet on AI
February 07, 2024 05:00 - 17 minutes - 39.8 MBBaidu made it big as China’s go-to search engine. But in the past decade the tech giant has struggled, while competitors such as Alibaba and Tencent have soared ahead. The FT’s China tech correspondent Ryan McMorrow looks at chief executive Robin Li’s latest venture, in artificial intelligence, and whether this will be enough to turn the company around. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For further reading: Baidu’s bet on AI could make or break China’s fallen tech gro...
Is this nuclear power’s moment?
January 31, 2024 05:00 - 16 minutes - 37.4 MBThe nuclear power industry is receiving a lot of attention recently thanks in part to new technological advancements. That’s excited venture capital groups and private investors, such as Bill Gates and OpenAI’s Sam Altman. But the industry is also known for its boom-and-bust cycles. The FT’s US energy editor Jamie Smyth explains there are many challenges that lie ahead for an industry, which has long been plagued by controversy. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For f...
Introducing: Swamp Notes from The FT News Briefing
January 30, 2024 05:00 - 1 minute - 2.74 MBIf you have questions about this year's US presidential election, we have answers. Swamp Notes is a new podcast from the FT News Briefing. Listen every Saturday morning as our journalists analyse and discuss the latest happenings in US politics. We’ll go beyond the horse race for the White House and offer a global perspective on the election. You can subscribe to Swamp Notes here or wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
BlackRock goes all in on infrastructure
January 24, 2024 05:00 - 17 minutes - 39 MBBlackRock chief executive Larry Fink has been on the hunt for the money manager’s next “transformational” deal. Earlier this month, Fink revealed that he had finally found it with the acquisition of a private capital firm, Global Infrastructure Partners. The FT’s US financial editor Brooke Masters and US private capital correspondent Antoine Gara explain why BlackRock wanted GIP, and how this deal sets the agenda for Wall Street this year. Clips from CNBC - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ...
An IPO drought pushes investors to a murky marketplace
January 17, 2024 05:00 - 18 minutes - 42.3 MBIn Silicon Valley, the promise of a massive payday for a start-up’s early employees and investors has hinged on those companies eventually going public or being sold off. But with the slowdown in initial public offerings and acquisitions, a different marketplace is set to heat up this year. It is called the venture secondary market, and it’s where both investors and early employees can trade their stakes in privately-held companies. The FT’s venture capital correspondent George Hammond expla...
Introducing Untold: The Retreat
January 11, 2024 05:00 - 1 minute - 2.71 MBIntroducing Untold, a new podcast from the special investigations team at the Financial Times. In its first series, The Retreat, host Madison Marriage examines the world of the Goenka network, which promotes a type of intensive meditation known as Vipassana. Thousands of people go on Goenka retreats every year. People rave about them. But some people go to these meditation retreats, and they suffer. They might feel a deep sense of terror, or a break with reality. And on the other side, they’...
Ozempic’s unconventional origins
January 10, 2024 05:00 - 20 minutes - 47.4 MBThe runaway success of diabetes and weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy have turned their maker, Novo Nordisk, into a juggernaut. Last year the Danish drugmaker claimed the title of Europe’s most valuable company. But the development of these drugs was a long, uphill battle.The FT’s global pharmaceutical editor Hannah Kuchler explains how the company’s unique ownership structure played a critical role in the company’s achievements and looks at the challenges ahead. Clips from CNBC, CBS, ...
Listener mailbag with Martin Wolf & more
January 03, 2024 05:00 - 20 minutes - 46.4 MBYou asked us questions, we’ve got your answers. FT columnists and editors such as Martin Wolf and Robert Armstrong respond to listener questions about everything from finance to markets to the economy. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For further reading: Five questions for 2024 The region at the heart of Germany’s economic stagnation FT writers’ predictions for the world in 2024 Overheard in the newsroom: what does the next year hold? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -...
TED Talks Daily: The next global superpower isn’t who you think
December 27, 2023 05:00 - 21 minutes - 49.8 MBWho runs the world? Political scientist Ian Bremmer argues it’s not as simple as it used to be. With some eye-opening questions about the nature of influence, he asks us to consider the impact of the evolving global order — and our choices as participants in the future of democracy. This is an episode from TED Talks Daily. Every weekday, TED Talks Daily goes beyond the headlines and explores a new idea shaping the future in 20 minutes or less. Join host and journalist Elise Hu and hear thou...
Author Amy Edmondson on ‘intelligent failure’
December 20, 2023 05:00 - 30 minutes - 70.4 MBEvery year, the Financial Times selects the most outstanding business book of the year. For 2023, the top pick is a book about failure. The FT’s senior business writer Andrew Hill sits down with the winner, Amy Edmondson, the author of Right Kind of Wrong and “the world’s most influential organisational psychologist”. Edmondson’s book explores the value in failure, what we can learn from it and what’s wrong with Silicon Valley’s “fail fast, fail often” mantra. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ...
The ‘Ponzi scheme’ behind Lebanon’s economic collapse
December 13, 2023 05:00 - 21 minutes - 49.6 MBFor years, Riad Salameh was praised for his revolutionary financial policies as head of Lebanon’s central bank. But suddenly, the country plunged into an economic crisis. And Salameh left the central bank with a disgraced reputation and, investigators believe, a massive personal fortune. So what happened? The FT’s Middle East correspondent Raya Jalabi walks us through the storm of allegations Salameh faces, and the decisions he made that economists think sparked the entire crisis. Clips fro...
Could COP28 catapult the carbon credit market?
December 06, 2023 05:00 - 19 minutes - 43.7 MBThe UN climate conference COP28 is in full swing, and officials from around the world are discussing ways to combat climate change. The agenda includes questions around how to regulate a market that could soon take off — carbon credits. Right now, these credits serve as a way for private buyers, such as companies and individuals, to offset their emissions. But countries may be able to start using these too. FT climate reporter Kenza Bryan explains the risks that could come with this market e...
Inside a hedge fund disaster
November 29, 2023 05:00 - 21 minutes - 48.8 MBIn 2007, when Dan Och took his hedge fund public, he was making a bet that his company would stand the test of time. More than 15 years, a bribery scandal, and a feud with his protégé later, things have not worked out as planned. The FT’s Ortenca Aliaj and Sujeet Indap go inside the saga that lost shareholders more than $10bn. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For further reading: Sculptor Capital: grey areas cause grey hairs in messy bidding war Fight over Sculptor h...
Best Of: Why companies don't want to list in the UK anymore
November 22, 2023 05:00 - 20 minutes - 46.6 MBThis week we’re revisiting an episode from earlier this year about the London Stock Exchange’s decline. The exchange once held the top spot in global financial markets, but that’s changed completely in recent years. The FT’s Harriet Agnew and Katie Martin explain how a yacht floating off the Canary Islands 30 years ago played a critical role in changing the stock market. Clips from CBS, Thames News - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For further reading: Britain’s ‘capita...
Introducing: Life and Art, from FT Weekend
November 20, 2023 05:00 - 1 minute - 3.14 MBIntroducing Life and Art, from FT Weekend. It's a new twice-weekly culture podcast from the Financial Times. On Monday, we talk about life, and how to live a good one, in a one-on-one conversation that explores everything from food and travel to philosophy and creativity. On Friday, we talk about “art” – in a chat show! Three FT journalists come together to discuss a new cultural release across film, TV, music and books. Hosted by Lilah Raptopoulos, together with the FT’s award-winning write...
Citigroup reboots
November 15, 2023 05:00 - 17 minutes - 39.6 MBIn its early days Citigroup styled itself as a “financial supermarket”, a one-stop shop for all kinds of banking services around the world. But that plan has backfired in recent years. Stepping up to the challenge of repairing the bank is chief executive Jane Fraser, who announced her restructuring plan in September. The FT’s US banking correspondent Stephen Gandel and US banking editor Joshua Franklin discuss whether Fraser can turn the bank around, and if not, what happens to Citi. - - -...
Coming soon: Superintelligent AI
November 10, 2023 05:00 - 1 minute - 2.43 MBIn a new series of Tech Tonic, FT journalists Madhumita Murgia and John Thornhill look at the concerns around the rise of artificial intelligence. Will superintelligent AI bring existential risk, or a new renaissance? Would it be ethical to build conscious AI? How intelligent are these machines anyway? The new season of Tech Tonic from the Financial Times, drops mid-November. Presented by Madhumita Murgia and John Thornhill. Senior producer is Edwin Lane and producer Josh Gabert-Doyon. Exe...
Will the union ‘renaissance’ last?
November 08, 2023 05:00 - 19 minutes - 44.8 MBIn the US, nearly half a million people have gone on strike this year demanding better pay, working conditions and job security. With the FT’s US labour and equality correspondent Taylor Nicole Rogers, we’re zooming in on the strategies that three major labour movements have used in recent months to try and secure new contracts, and whether their efforts could signal a new era of power for unions in America. Clips from Associated Press - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ...
Big Oil’s big bet
November 01, 2023 04:00 - 15 minutes - 35.3 MBIn October two US oil and gas giants announced massive deals: Chevron bought Hess, and ExxonMobil acquired Pioneer Natural Resources. These deals expand each company’s operations and secure their access to more oil for decades to come. But recent forecasts say global demand for fossil fuels will soon reach its peak. The FT’s Myles McCormick looks at why these companies are betting oil demand will stick around and whether that bet will pay off. Clips from Yahoo Finance, Reuters, CNBC, Bloom...
How Microsoft bagged Activision Blizzard
October 25, 2023 04:00 - 19 minutes - 43.6 MBIn the 1990s, Microsoft was seen as a tech industry bully. Once viewed as combative and ruthless in the eyes of regulators, the company underwent an image makeover in the decades since. Now, the FT’s Richard Waters explains how Microsoft’s transformation pushed their $75bn acquisition of video game publisher Activision Blizzard over the line earlier this month. Clips from Activision Blizzard - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For further reading: How Brad Smith used Mi...
‘Dumb Money’ writers on the GameStop saga
October 18, 2023 04:00 - 25 minutes - 57.9 MBIt has been more than two years since GameStop’s stock caught fire on social media, at one point rising 135% in one day. The new film Dumb Money chronicles how the GameStop saga played out. The FT’s Ethan Wu sits down with the movie’s writers, Rebecca Angelo and Lauren Schuker Blum, to get a behind-the-scenes look at everything that went into the film. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For further reading: Well, actually: Our ‘Dumb Money’ movie review Dumb Money film ...
Bonus: Michael Lewis on FTX & Sam Bankman-Fried
October 16, 2023 04:00 - 40 minutes - 93.7 MBThis week, we have a bonus episode for you, live from the FT Due Diligence Forum in London. FT chief features writer Henry Mance sits down with author Michael Lewis to discuss his new book, Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon, an all-access account of Sam Bankman-Fried before his crypto exchange FTX collapsed. This conversation was recorded on October 11 2023. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For further reading: What Michael Lewis got wrong about FTX M...
FTC versus Amazon
October 11, 2023 04:00 - 18 minutes - 41.7 MBIn its latest fight to curb the power of Big Tech, the US Federal Trade Commission has sued Amazon. The regulator says the e-commerce giant has become such a big monopoly that its practices are hurting consumers and the third-party sellers that rely on its services. The FT’s San Francisco correspondent Camilla Hodgson explains what this case could mean for the company’s future. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For further reading: Amazon’s most prominent antitrust crit...
Argentina’s $16bn saga with a US court
October 04, 2023 04:00 - 18 minutes - 43.3 MBWhen Argentina’s president announced plans to nationalise an oil company in 2012, it was presented as a way to grow the country’s wealth. Eleven years on, a court in New York City decided that the country owes some of the oil company shareholders $16bn. The FT’s Joe Miller and Ciara Nugent explain why this has happened. And, we look at what this means for Argentina, as it grapples with skyrocketing inflation and an important presidential election later this month. Clips from CNN, NBC News,...
Best Of: Why Apple can’t leave China
September 27, 2023 04:00 - 21 minutes - 49.9 MBThis week, we’re revisiting an episode from earlier this year. Apple has spent two decades and billions of dollars building a massive supply chain for its products. At the centre of that operation is China. But as Beijing has become more authoritarian and relations with the US sour, it has become harder for Apple to do business there. The company has been signalling recently that it will diversify away from the country, but the FT’s Patrick McGee explains why cutting ties will be extremely d...
The push to dominate the battery supply chain
September 20, 2023 04:00 - 17 minutes - 39.5 MBAs the world transitions away from fossil fuels and the electric vehicle market grows, competition to control a piece of a new source of energy is brewing. From rival carmakers to raw materials miners, different groups are racing to carve out their spots in the supply chain of one important technology: lithium-ion batteries. How will it shake out? The FT’s commodities correspondent Harry Dempsey explains who’s likely to succeed, and what that could mean for the future of corporate and nation...
Coming soon: Can AI help us speak to animals?
September 14, 2023 04:00 - 1 minute - 2.66 MBSubscribe now to the FT's Tech Tonic podcast: Some scientists believe that rapid advances in artificial intelligence may also hold the key to decoding animal sounds, allowing us to ‘translate’ them into human language. In a new season of Tech Tonic, FT innovation editor John Thornhill and series producer Persis Love explore how the same technology that powers ChatGPT is being applied to research in animal communication. Could we one day learn to ‘speak whale’ or even chat with bats? And if s...
The Russian Banker, Part 3: Asylum
September 13, 2023 04:00 - 18 minutes - 301 MBCritics argue Russia has a playbook for people who become its targets. On the final episode of the Russian Banker, we explore how Sergei Leontiev saw his fights with Russian President Vladimir Putin as a full-blown war in which seeking US asylum would become just another battle. But how does the US decide who deserves asylum? Note: This episode was updated to clarify that Russia is responsible for forty percent of all publicly disclosed red notices to Interpol. A previous version stated it ...
Bonus: Arm’s race to IPO
September 11, 2023 04:00 - 31 minutes - 71.8 MBThis week, we have a bonus episode for you, live from the FT Weekend Festival in London. Michela sat down with two experts on Arm, the British chip designer, to discuss its imminent initial public offering. Tim Bradshaw, the FT’s global tech correspondent and James Ashton, author of The Everything Blueprint, talk about where Arm stands as a company, and what its chances for growth are when it goes public later this month. This conversation was recorded on September 2, 2023. - - - - - - - -...
The Russian Banker, Part 2: The Whistleblower
September 06, 2023 04:00 - 17 minutes - 39.4 MBSergei Leontiev says he was a political victim of the Putin regime. But when we tracked down other people who used to work at the bank they had a different story about Leontiev — and the extent of his ties to Alexei Navalny. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Russian Banker, Part 1: The Raid
August 30, 2023 04:00 - 17 minutes - 39.2 MBIn 2015, Sergei Leontiev's life's work — a Russian banking business — was taken away from him overnight. Why were he and the bank being targeted? This is the first episode of The Russian Banker, a new three-part series from the Financial Times. The remaining episodes will air the following two Wednesdays on Behind the Money. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Introducing: The Russian Banker
August 25, 2023 04:00 - 1 minute - 4 MBWho is Sergei Leontiev? To the US asylum system, he’s an exiled Russian banker who was persecuted by the state and forced to flee. To Russia, he’s said to be responsible for massive fraud. On The Russian Banker, a new series from the Financial Times, reporters Courtney Weaver and Stefania Palma try to uncover the truth, and find a story that tells us about Russia today and how people in the west build stories about who’s good and who’s bad. The Russian Banker is a special series that will run...
Did Binance miss its chance to rule crypto?
August 23, 2023 04:00 - 18 minutes - 41.5 MBThe collapse of FTX sent shockwaves through the crypto ecosystem last year. But it gave rival crypto exchange Binance, the biggest in the world, a chance to dominate the markets. The FT’s digital assets correspondent Scott Chipolina explains why Binance has struggled to capitalise on that moment. Clips from CNBC, CBS News and Good Morning America - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The FT Weekend Festival is back on Saturday, September 2 at Kenwood House Gardens in Londo...
The controversy around share buybacks
August 16, 2023 04:00 - 18 minutes - 42 MBShare buybacks are a strategy companies use to return excess cash to their shareholders. But recently, they’ve exploded in popularity, and that’s sparked strong discussions inside financial circles. The FT’s US financial editor Brooke Masters explains why share buybacks have become so hotly debated. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For further reading: If companies are going to buy back shares, they should pay a fair price Share buybacks need less hate and more scrut...
How Dubai is reshaping the global oil trade
August 09, 2023 14:24 - 17 minutes - 39.5 MBFor decades, the global centre for oil trading has been Geneva, Switzerland. But Russia’s war in Ukraine changed that. Sanctions have made it harder for western traders to move Russian oil. Now, traders are flocking to a new trading hub that has no restrictions on oil from Russia: the United Arab Emirates. The FT’s energy correspondent Tom Wilson explains how this shift has helped the UAE replace Switzerland, and whether the global energy industry is shifting away from western economies. P...
Institutional investors take to the pitch
August 02, 2023 04:00 - 20 minutes - 47.5 MBThere’s a new club coming to women’s professional football in the United States. Next season will see the debut of Bay FC, out of northern California. Aly Wagner, a former player on the US women’s national team, explains how she helped get the club off the ground with an investment model that has never been used in US professional sports before. We explore how this funding model could change the landscape for American sports. You’ll also hear from the FT’s US sports business correspondent Sa...
A different way to understand the US economy
July 26, 2023 04:00 - 22 minutes - 51.2 MBUnder “normal” circumstances, economists and analysts study a variety of specific indicators to understand what’s happening with the US economy. But lately, those indicators have been sending mixed signals. The FT’s US financial commentator Robert Armstrong explains why they’re wonky and how that’s led him to a different data source to help him understand the economy. Plus, have your own burning questions about business or finance? Send us your questions and we may use them in a future show...
Macquarie’s grip on global infrastructure
July 19, 2023 04:01 - 20 minutes - 45.9 MBAbout 30 years ago, an Australian investment company called Macquarie figured out how to turn public utilities into lucrative assets. This strategy helped catapult the company into the biggest infrastructure investor in the world. Now, its services range from delivering tap water to London to transporting gas across the United States. But recently it has emerged that one of Macquarie’s former assets, Thames Water, is struggling, and the utility’s consumers are feeling the consequences. We si...