The Modern Investor

Episodes

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  Anthropic’s IPO Filing Should Make Investors Nervous | Market Open 28.10.2026 30m

  Anthropic’s S-1 offered investors a much clearer look at the business - and a few reasons to be uneasy. In this week’s Market Open, Reda Farran and Russell Burns unpack the filing, from Anthropic’s growing reliance on Big Tech to some striking disclosures about how its models behave. They also look at SpaceX’s growing advantage in the AI infrastructure race, the squeeze on smaller data-center players, and what this week’s earnings and rate decisions could mean for markets. Try Finimize ...
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  Market Open: Why This AI Sell-Off Feels Different 20.10.2026 30m

  The AI trade had a rough week. And this time, the warning signs weren’t limited to stocks. In this week’s Market Open, Reda Farran and Russell Burns look at stress in the credit market, the pressure on CoreWeave, and whether the huge sums being spent on AI can ultimately be justified. They also unpack why Treasuries are starting to look interesting again, and what the broader market is telling us beneath the headline index numbers. Try Finimize Pro
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  Why Smart Investors Still Make Bad Decisions: Alex Edmans 19.10.2026 46m

  Rational investors are supposed to price assets correctly. But investors are people, and people are irrational – which is exactly why bubbles form, herds stampede, and markets overreact to information that doesn’t deserve it. Alex Edmans is Professor of Finance at London Business School. He started on the trading floor at Morgan Stanley before completing a PhD at MIT as a Fulbright Scholar, and has since become one of finance’s most prominent public communicators through bestselling books, f...
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  Market Open: Can the AI Spending Boom Keep Going? 13.10.2026 32m

  SpaceX is reportedly looking to raise $40 billion to help fund its AI buildout. That’s a lot of money, even by the standards of this boom. In this week’s Market Open, Reda and Russ Burns ask how much longer markets can keep financing AI at this scale, what higher borrowing costs change, and whether Big Tech’s earnings are telling the full story. They also look at nuclear power, bank earnings, and what the latest inflation data could mean for the wider economy. Try Finimize Pro
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  Options Aren’t Just For Traders. Here’s How Investors Can Use Them, w/ CBOE & Charles Schwab 09.10.2026 34m

  Options have a reputation for being complicated and risky. But they can also be useful tools for investors looking to manage risk, generate income, or make the most of a volatile market. In this episode, Reda Farran speaks to JJ Kinahan from CBOE Global Markets and James Kostulias from Charles Schwab about how investors are actually using options — from covered calls and puts to more complex strategies with defined risk. They also discuss volatility, zero-day options, and where someone new to...
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  Bill Ackman: AI Is a ‘Nuclear Weapon’, And Why Big Tech Still Looks Cheap 06.10.2026 40m

  Bill Ackman is worried about where AI could lead. He’s also still finding reasons to own some of the companies spending the most on it. On today’s episode, Finimize CEO Carl Hazeley talks to the Pershing Square founder about AI risk, why he still sees value in Big Tech, and what he looks for in businesses he’s willing to own for years. Try Finimize Pro
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  Market Open: Why Bonds Suddenly Look More Attractive 22.09.2026 28m

  Higher bond yields have been painful for existing investors. But for anyone buying today, they also mean something that’s been missing from bonds for years: a genuinely attractive starting return. In this week’s pod, Reda and Russ look at why bonds are starting to deserve another look, how the latest round of rate hikes is changing the picture, and where Reda sees the most interesting opportunities across the market. They also discuss the US-China summit, the risk that slowing AI spending cou...
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  Research Drops: Is Anthropic Really Worth $2 Trillion? 15.09.2026 6m

  Anthropic is preparing for what could become the biggest IPO in history, with a rumoured valuation of around $2 trillion. The question for investors is whether the business can actually grow into a price tag that large. In today's episode, we’re sharing another preview of Research Drops – investment research normally available exclusively to Finimize Pro members. Finimize analyst Russell Burns looks at the bull case for Anthropic: its extraordinary growth, the scale of its infrastructur...
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  Market Open: Could Bond Yields Pop The AI Bubble? 08.09.2026 32m

  Bond yields are climbing to levels not seen in decades. That matters well beyond the bond market – particularly when so much of the US economy is riding on an AI investment boom. This week on Market Open, Finimize CEO Carl Hazeley joins Reda to unpack what’s driving the sell-off in government bonds, why inflation and mounting debt are making investors nervous, and how higher borrowing costs could put pressure on the AI trade. Try Finimize Pro
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  Market Open: Is Nvidia…Too Cheap? And America's $40 Trillion Problem 02.09.2026 24m

  Nvidia just delivered another huge quarter, with revenue growth expected to accelerate next year. Yet after everything that’s happened to the stock, its valuation is starting to look surprisingly modest. This week on Market Open, Reda and Russ digest Nvidia’s latest numbers, and discuss whether some of its biggest beneficiaries might actually be cheap. They also turn to America’s growing debt problem. With US national debt now above $40 trillion and borrowing costs rising, why is fixing it so...
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  Research Drops: Finding The Winners In China’s AI Race 31.08.2026 5m

  China is spending roughly one dollar on AI for every eight spent by America. But for investors, having less money to spend doesn’t necessarily mean fewer opportunities. In the second week of our summer hiatus, we’re giving you another preview of Research Drops – investment research normally available exclusively to Finimize Pro members. Finimize analyst Theodora Lee Joseph looks beyond China’s biggest tech names to follow where the country’s AI spending is actually going…and where the winners...
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  Research Drops: How To Get Better At Being Wrong In Investing 24.08.2026 7m

  The best investors aren’t always the ones making the smartest calls. Sometimes, they’re simply the ones making fewer costly mistakes. Today we’re doing something a little different: giving you a taste of Research Drops - investment research normally available exclusively to Finimize Pro members. Inspired by Barry Ritholtz’s How Not To Invest, our Head of Content Reda Farran looks at the bad ideas, bad numbers, and bad behaviors that can quietly derail a portfolio - and why accepting that you’...
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  Market Open: AI Might Be Propping Up the US Economy 18.08.2026 29m

  For years, the American consumer has been the reliable engine of the US economy. Right now, though, some of the most important spending is happening somewhere else entirely. In this week's episode of Market Open, Reda and Russ chew through the vast sums flowing into data centers and compute, why Wall Street is finding new ways to finance it, and how long today's extraordinary demand can continue. Plus, why Europe is starting to look like an interesting diversification play if the tech trade t...
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  Market Open: What Really Caused the AI Sell-Off? 05.08.2026 25m

  Markets rebounded quickly last week. But beneath the recovery are some bigger questions about leverage, valuations, and where the AI trade goes next. This week on Market Open, Reda and Russ unpack what's really driven the recent sell-off - from a highly leveraged hedge fund to renewed questions around AI spending and market valuations. Plus, they run through the latest Big Tech earnings, why bond markets are questioning the Fed, and what Japan's currency intervention could mean for investors....
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  Why The Best Companies Stay Private, w/ Ben Black, Founder & CIO Of Powerlaw Corp 22.07.2026 22m

  Some of the world's most valuable companies are staying private for longer than ever. So by the time they reach the stock market, have everyday investors already missed the biggest opportunity? In today's episode, Reda's joined by Ben Black, Co-founder of Akkadian Ventures and CIO of Powerlaw Corp, to get to brass tacks about how private markets are changing, and what that means for the average investor. Ben also breaks down the different ways investors can gain exposure to private comp...
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  Market Open: AI's Biggest Winners Could Be Changing 15.07.2026 26m

  Is the AI trade entering a new phase? In this week's episode of Market Open, Reda and Russell unpack another eventful week for markets. They discuss SK Hynix's record-breaking US listing, why some investors are starting to question whether AI stocks have run too far, and what the latest moves in memory chips could mean for the companies building the next generation of AI. In this episode: Why AI investors may need to rethink the winnersSK Hynix's blockbuster US listingThe growing pressure on ...
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  Market Open: The Inflation Problem Isn't Over 30.06.2026 29m

  Inflation may have slipped from the headlines, but is it really behind us? This week on Market Open, Reda and Russell explore why inflation could prove more persistent than investors expect - even before this year's Middle East conflict. They also turn to one of the biggest shifts happening inside the AI boom: why memory chip makers are gaining pricing power, what it means for the hyperscalers pouring billions into AI infrastructure. Plus: South Korea's volatile week, the latest on AI s...
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  Market Open: Is Everything Becoming an AI Trade? 24.06.2026 29m

  Introducing Market Open: a new weekly show from The Modern Investor. Each week, Finimize analysts Reda Farran and Russell Burns chew over the biggest stories in markets, what they mean for investors, and what they're watching in the week ahead. In todays episode.... Why AI is increasingly driving every corner of financial marketsSpaceX's latest AI deals and what they mean for the companySouth Korea's push for MSCI developed-market statusThe outlook for inflation, rates, and the global e...
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  Is Crypto A Safe Haven? w/ Chris Bendiksen, Bitcoin Research Lead (Coinshares) 04.06.2026 32m

  Is Bitcoin digital gold, a risk asset, or something entirely different? In the first episode of The Modern Investor Podcast, Finimize CEO Carl Hazeley sits down with Chris Bendiksen, Head of Bitcoin Research at CoinShares, to unpack one of the most debated assets in modern investing. They discuss Bitcoin's fundamentals, whether it can act as a safe haven during periods of market turbulence, as well as Chris's outlook on Bitcoin's long-term future. Try Finimize Pro
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  2024’s Lessons & 2025’s Biggest Opportunities: Finimize Analyst Roundtable 24.12.2024 24m

  After some too much turkey and an unfamiliar chocolate dessert, the Finimize analysts huddled in the studio for a chance to talk markets. They went around the room, sharing their big takeaways, the events that surprised them, and the things they see just ahead for this quarter-century year. They also dished about the trends and risks that they see mostly flying under the radar. Try Finimize Pro Subscribe to the Finimize Newsletter: https://finimize.com/