Hosts Merryn Somerset Webb and John Stepek are both back from their holidays and this week unpack the surge in global bond yields and how governments might respond. They also look at a study which suggested that Small Language Models (SLM) could make today’s vast AI data-centre buildout unnecessary, posing a substantial risk to hyperscalers and investors.

https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.07885

Hosts Merryn Somerset Webb and John Stepek are both back from their holidays and this week unpack the surge in global bond yields and how governments might respond. They also look at a study which suggested that Small Language Models (SLM) could make today&rsquo;s vast AI data-centre buildout unnecessary, posing a substantial risk to hyperscalers and investors. <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.07885">https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.07885</a>

Merryn Talks Money with Bloomberg senior columnist Merryn Somerset Webb is your key to understanding how markets work – and how you can make them work for you. Every episode features a relaxed but in-depth conversation with a fund manager, a strategist, a Bloomberg expert or just someone Merryn finds particularly interesting in any given week. Listen in for the kind of insights and explanations everyone can use to help them make better saving and investing choices.

Merryn Talks Money with Bloomberg senior columnist Merryn Somerset Webb is your key to understanding how markets work – and how you can make them work for you. Every episode features a relaxed but in-depth conversation with a fund manager, a strategist, a Bloomberg expert or just someone Merryn finds particularly interesting in any given week. Listen in for the kind of insights and explanations everyone can use to help them make better saving and investing choices.

Merryn Talks Money

Markets Wrap: Higher Yields, Higher Gold

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/cdfaba7a-8242-45fe-9914-b4ad009e16a4/transcript

In this episode of Merryn Talks Money, host Merryn Somerset Webb is joined live at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe by Bloomberg Opinion columnist Adrian Wooldridge, former British ambassador Nick Hopton and Orbis Investment Management Chairman Alec Cutler to ask what Adam Smith can teach us about today's rapidly changing economic order.

The panel considers rising government debt, the growing relationship between states and powerful companies, and whether the AI investment boom could follow the same pattern as previous market bubbles. They also discuss what it all means for investors, from the impact on gold and government bonds to the implications for energy stocks and, specifically for the UK, the future of the North Sea.

In this episode of Merryn Talks Money, host Merryn Somerset Webb is joined live at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe by Bloomberg Opinion columnist Adrian Wooldridge, former British ambassador Nick Hopton and Orbis Investment Management Chairman Alec Cutler to ask what Adam Smith can teach us about today's rapidly changing economic order.
The panel considers rising government debt, the growing relationship between states and powerful companies, and whether the AI investment boom could follow the same pattern as previous market bubbles. They also discuss what it all means for investors, from the impact on gold and government bonds to the implications for energy stocks and, specifically for the UK, the future of the North Sea.

Live From Fringe: What Adam Smith Can Teach Us About Debt and Power

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/ca7873e2-d190-475a-9e4b-b4bf006a95fc/transcript

Host Merryn Somerset Webb is joined by Interactive Investor CEO Richard Wilson,  Anna MacDonald, investment strategy director at Hargreaves Lansdown, and Russell Napier, financial historian and Keeper of the the Library of Mistakes for the second installment of panel discussions at Panmure House during the 2026 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

The panel discussed the state of global bond markets, how policymakers seem incapable of thinking about second-order consequences and the fiscal constraints facing the UK government.

Original Music Composed by Mint Sherbets

Host Merryn Somerset Webb is joined by Interactive Investor CEO Richard Wilson,&nbsp; Anna MacDonald, investment strategy director at Hargreaves Lansdown, and Russell Napier, financial historian and Keeper of the the Library of Mistakes for the second installment of panel discussions at Panmure House during the 2026 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The panel discussed the state of global bond markets, how policymakers seem incapable of thinking about second-order consequences and the fiscal constraints facing the UK government. Original Music Composed by Mint Sherbets

Live From Fringe: What Adam Smith Would Say of Bond Market Turmoil

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/e64d789d-e254-4802-866c-b4bb0098cbf8/transcript

In this episode of Merryn Talks Money, host Merryn Somerset Webb is joined by Bloomberg senior reporter John Stepek, Schroders Head of Strategic Research Duncan Lamont and Nelsons Chairman and Creative Scotland Chair Robert Wilson for a special roundtable recorded at Panmure House during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Marking 250 years since the publication of The Wealth of Nations, they ask what Adam Smith can teach the world about artificial intelligence, government intervention and investing.

The panel discusses whether policymakers interfere too much in markets, why holding too much cash can be a risk in itself and whether investors should worry about buying stocks at record highs. They also explore what the rise of AI could mean for jobs, trust and the relationships that hold societies together.

Original Music Composed by Mint Sherbets

In this episode of Merryn Talks Money, host Merryn Somerset Webb is joined by Bloomberg senior reporter John Stepek, Schroders Head of Strategic Research Duncan Lamont and Nelsons Chairman and Creative Scotland Chair Robert Wilson for a special roundtable recorded at Panmure House during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Marking 250 years since the publication of The Wealth of Nations, they ask what Adam Smith can teach the world about artificial intelligence, government intervention and investing. The panel discusses whether policymakers interfere too much in markets, why holding too much cash can be a risk in itself and whether investors should worry about buying stocks at record highs. They also explore what the rise of AI could mean for jobs, trust and the relationships that hold societies together. Original Music Composed by Mint Sherbets

Live from Fringe: What Adam Smith Can Teach Investors About AI and Investing

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/67973e0d-3bdd-4aaf-91e7-b4b900a4e0cb/transcript

Markets Wrap: Higher Yields, Higher Gold

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