The expectations coming out of the COVID pandemic was that China's economy would experience a rebound, but that has not materialized. In this episode we look at some of the potential reasons for that including a slowing housing market, the tapering of the migration from rural to urban regions and the buildup of debt.

With share buybacks on the rise, Shareholder Yield Portfolio Manager John Tobin, PhD joins to discuss how shareholders benefit when a company buys back its stock. He also explores why management teams should not try to time their buybacks. Finally, John and Steve explore the impact of the U.S. tax on buybacks that went into effect at the beginning of 2023.

We look at the importance of understanding how company management is compensated. At a very basic level, we believe that incentives matter. Presumably, executives want to maximize their compensation, so any time you are thinking of investing in a company, you should want to know what incentives those executives are responding to, because that will tell you what kinds of actions they are likely to take. (February 21, 2023)

For three decades, "globalization" was the dominant economic paradigm. But in the wake of pandemic, war, and a new geopolitical reality, the tide of globalization is reversing. In this episode, Global Investment Strategist Kevin Hebner explains what that will mean in the near term for some key industries like energy and technology, and what other impacts we might see in the longer term. We also discuss the challenges for Chinese equities and U.S.-based multinational corporations, which have been the two biggest beneficiaries of globalization. (December 1, 2022)

The impact of the Russian war in Ukraine has made many countries, especially Europe, reconsider their stance on nuclear power. Senior Research Analyst Michael Jin joins the podcast to discuss the history of nuclear power, the ESG implications, whether the need for nuclear power will be enough to overcome people's perhaps irrational fear of nuclear, and how the technology has changed since the first wave of plants were built decades ago. (September 14, 2022)

President Biden has appointed high profile antitrust activists to top positions at the Federal Trade Commission, Department of Justice and the White House. How do their views of market fairness fit into the U.S. history of antitrust? And will they be able to successfully reduce the power of today's tech behemoths? (June 20, 2022)

2022 has been a vicious year for crypto assets, but why now? In this episode, Global Investment Strategist Kevin Hebner explores the different types of stablecoins including those at the center of the latest downturn. We also discuss the potential for contagion into other asset classes, the diversification value of crypto and the outlook for the regulatory environment. (May 25, 2022)

While the Environmental and Governance components of ESG are often quantifiable, the Social component may not be. Ravi Varghese, Head of Sustainable Investing joins the podcast to explain how we look at the "S" including how it is analyzed against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine and pressure on Big Tech and energy companies. (April 26, 2022)

With inflation's macro impacts already being well covered, we look instead at its micro impacts. Senior Research Analyst Nikolay Petrakov joins the podcast to discuss the implications for financial services companies, particularly banks and insurers. Also joining is Portfolio Manager and Senior Research Analyst Glen Petraglia who discusses the effects consumer goods companies, which is where inflation is typically most visible. (March 1, 2022)

China, and more specifically, its Common Prosperity initiative have clearly been in the headlines of late but, what is not clear is how the initiative will impact investors. Will it lead to real policy moves and implications for Chinese companies, or is it just a catchy political slogan? Global Investment Strategist Kevin Hebner joins the podcast to discuss the macro backdrop of Common Prosperity and Emerging Markets Portfolio Manager Tim Sledge explores the potential implications for Chinese companies. (December 13, 2021)