In this week's roundup, Merryn Somerset Webb, speaks with Money Distilled newsletter author John Stepek about trade wars, the end to American exceptionalism and President Donald Trump might actually be winning. 

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2025-04-09/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-basis-trade-spooking-markets 

In this week's roundup, Merryn Somerset Webb, speaks with Money Distilled newsletter author John Stepek about trade wars, the end to American exceptionalism and President Donald Trump might actually be winning.&nbsp; <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2025-04-09/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-basis-trade-spooking-markets">https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2025-04-09/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-basis-trade-spooking-markets</a>&nbsp;

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

Trump, Trade Wars and the Basis Trade 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/f52f50c8-76cd-4b71-b3e7-b2bb00cba36f/transcript

On this week's Merryn Talks Your Money personal finance episode, Merryn Somerset Webb and John Stepek tackle another listener question: should you invest in absolute return funds? They start by explaining what an absolute return fund actually is, the pros (aiming for absolute returns makes sense) and cons (it's not easy to achieve consistently) of such an investment, and look at what to consider when trying to pick such a fund. 

On this week's Merryn Talks Your Money personal finance episode, Merryn Somerset Webb and John Stepek tackle another listener question: should you invest in absolute return funds? They start by explaining what an absolute return fund actually is, the pros (aiming for absolute returns makes sense) and cons (it's not easy to achieve consistently) of such an investment, and look at what to consider when trying to pick such a fund.&nbsp;

What Are Absolute Return Funds And Should You Invest In Them?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/295998ba-1122-4c42-a200-b40f010a338d/transcript

Contrarian investor Alec Cutler, manager of the Orbis Global Balanced and Cautious funds, joins Merryn Somerset Webb to discuss why global markets are shifting away from speculative growth toward the fundamentals that underpin economies—energy, infrastructure, and national security.

Using his “pyramid of needs” framework, Cutler explains why investors are increasingly focusing on the resources and industries that sustain modern economies rather than the technologies built on top of them. The conversation explores opportunities in energy, AI infrastructure, global value stocks, and the changing geopolitical landscape shaping markets.

Contrarian investor Alec Cutler, manager of the Orbis Global Balanced and Cautious funds, joins Merryn Somerset Webb to discuss why global markets are shifting away from speculative growth toward the fundamentals that underpin economies&mdash;energy, infrastructure, and national security. Using his &ldquo;pyramid of needs&rdquo; framework, Cutler explains why investors are increasingly focusing on the resources and industries that sustain modern economies rather than the technologies built on top of them. The conversation explores opportunities in energy, AI infrastructure, global value stocks, and the changing geopolitical landscape shaping markets.

Why Contrarians Can't Get Enough of Real Assets 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/c83dc455-4a4a-41dc-aae6-b40e01570d4c/transcript

Hosts Merryn Somerset Webb and John Stepek assess the market reaction to oil price volatity and question whether gold, bonds or even hard assets can offer capital protection in this fragmented and dangerous world. They also discuss the latest in private credit and what this uncertaintly means for investors.

Hosts Merryn Somerset Webb and John Stepek assess the market reaction to oil price volatity and question whether gold, bonds or even hard assets can offer capital protection in this fragmented and dangerous world. They also discuss the latest in private credit and what this uncertaintly means for investors.

Markets Wrap: Private Credit, War and a Lack of Safe Havens

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/824c3ac2-70f1-4b98-96e3-b40b013e2426/transcript

Trump, Trade Wars and the Basis Trade

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