The Art of Investing

• The Fed is Cook-ed, Long Live the Fed

  Rich McDonald, Chris Fellingham and Mark "Spice" Holden debate whether Jackson Hole’s dovish vibes can offset Trump’s Fed takeover plans. Spoiler alert: they disagree. A lot.This week’s drama includes French governments falling faster than their bond prices, Nvidia disappointing despite making buckets of cash, and our first portfolio shake-up as the team goes hunting for Russell 2000 gains.Plus: your burning questions on profit-taking, currency hedging, and why global ETFs are basically just expensive ways to buy American stocks.What’s Hot This EpisodeThe Spice Market Update: S&P 500 hits all-time highs while French politicians practice musical chairsAI Revolution 2.0: Snowflake surges 15% as companies finally figure out what to do with all that dataNvidia Reality Check: $38bn guidance gap sends shares on a rollercoaster (spoiler: they recovered)Fed Independence Crisis: Trump’s chess moves to stack the FOMC and what it means for your moneyThe One Big Beautiful Bill: Manufacturing jobs vs. AI job losses in the ultimate economic cage matchPortfolio ActionOur first live trade! The team dumps 5% of gilts to buy Russell 2000 exposure.Mark gets his way on US small caps while Chris mutters about political risks from the sidelines.Current performance: Up 0.59% (crypto leads the charge, India gives back last week’s gains)Your Questions AnsweredPortfolio Building 101: The three factors that actually matter for the next five yearsCurrency Headaches: Why your dollar ETF isn’t matching the S&P 500 (hint: sterling happened)Profit vs. Loss Paranoia: When to cut and run vs. diamond hands strategy2008 PTSD: What the team learned from Lehman’s collapse and Mario Draghi’s “whatever it takes” momentBook RecommendationThe Art of Execution by Lee Freeman-Shor – discover whether you’re a rabbit, assassin, hunter, raider, or connoisseur (spoiler: we’re all rabbits at heart). 📧 Get in touch: [email protected]:This podcast is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute investment advice, financial planning guidance, or a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any securities. All portfolio discussions are for educational purposes only. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Your capital is at risk.

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• S&P 500: Are stocks in a Bubble or Rational Exuberance?

  Welcome to Episode 7 of The Art of Investing – This week, Rich McDonald, Chris Fellingham, and Mark Holden dive into the strength of U.S. equities and ask the big question: can the S&P 500 keep climbing, or is a correction on the horizon? With U.S. indices testing record levels, shifting rate expectations, and mixed signals in global markets, the team break down what it all means for investors.This week’s highlights include:Market update: S&P 500 nearing highs, Fed policy expectations, and global equity performance.Portfolio review: The latest allocation moves and how the team are balancing growth and caution.Risk & discipline: Why diversification and risk awareness are critical in bullish conditions.Investor psychology: How sentiment can distort decision-making when markets approach peaks.Practical investing takeaways: What this all means for positioning in 2025.📄 Download ETF list and performance here:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1R3LEKkNo4M6UDaw4eyeBdBeaV7aH_fvL?usp=drive_link👉 Download supporting slides from this episode:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1YDv9-F6Tm4-41XqjWvlZnxTw5eJOPZRd?usp=drive_link📧 Get in touch: [email protected] capital is at risk. The value of shares, ETFs and ETCs can fall as well as rise, which could mean getting back less than you put in. New customers only. Offer valid until 15 August for ISA, GIA, and SIPP accounts. Other fees may apply. T&Cs apply.Disclaimer: This podcast is provided for educational and informational purposes only. The content is not intended as personal investment advice, financial planning guidance, or a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any securities. All portfolio discussions are for educational purposes only. Past performance is not an indication of future results.Subscribe ► https://www.youtube.com/IGUnitedKingdom?sub_confirmation=1Start your investing journey here: https://upl.inc/the-world-of-ig

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• FTSE All Time Highs: Is the UK Stock Market about to Boom?

  Welcome to Episode 6 of The Art of Investing – our deep dive into the UK market.Rich MacDonald, Chris Fellingham, and Mark Holden explore why the FTSE 100 has underperformed for years, the key factors driving its performance, and whether the tide might finally be turning. With 12 new all-time highs this year, could a catalyst spark a comeback?We also answer listener Matt Carter’s question: “I’ve got cash ready to invest – how do I start?” Expect a simple, step-by-step guide to opening an account, funding it, and choosing investments.This week’s highlights include:Market update: S&P 500, NASDAQ, Nikkei and Bitcoin hitting new highs; UK interest rate cut; US rate cut expectations.FTSE 100 deep dive: Why it’s dominated by financials, consumer staples, and energy – and what that means for investors.Value vs. growth: How the UK’s sector mix compares to the US, and why “cheap” isn’t always enough.Catalysts to watch: Banks’ re-rating, falling bad debts, and the potential impact of the UK budget.When the FTSE outperforms: Lessons from 2008, Brexit, and the Russia–Ukraine conflict.Investing 101: How to open and fund an account, choose an ISA or SIPP, and start building a diversified ETF-based portfolio.Explore accounts with IG: https://www.ig.com/uk/investments/share-dealing📄 Download the Portfolio ETFs List here📧 Get in touch: [email protected]:This podcast is provided for educational and informational purposes only. The content is not intended as personal investment advice, financial planning guidance, or a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any securities. All portfolio discussions are for educational purposes only. Past performance is not an indication of future results.

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• The Bull, The Bear, and The Chairman: Portfolio Launch Day

  Welcome to episode 5 of The Art of Investing, entitled "Live Portfolio Launch" - the moment when real-life investment decisions meet real-life consequences. Join Rich McDonald, Chris Fellingham, and Mark Holden as they launch their live model portfolio, unveiling the asset allocation for a targeted 10% annual return. This episode kicks off with a market update, including the recent 4% fall and quick recovery of US equity markets, impacts from new tariffs on countries like India and Switzerland, and notable corporate earnings from Amazon, Apple, and more.This week’s discussion also covers the US non-farm payroll data, shifts in interest rate expectations, and a deep dive into portfolio construction. The team debates the ideal equity allocation, discusses inflation and AI productivity impacts, and considers risks like rising bond yields and seasonality effects in August and September. The portfolio emphasizes a 75% equities and 25% other assets split for long-term investors aged 30-40, with adjustments for risk appetite and market timing.What you'll learn in this episode:How recent market volatility and tariff changes are impacting global equities and commodities.The rationale behind the live portfolio’s 60% equity allocation and its geographic diversification, including US, UK, Japan, Germany, and India.The role of inflation, AI productivity gains, and US political risks in shaping investment strategy.The importance of balancing equities with real assets like gold, copper, and blockchain ETFs for portfolio stability.Why holding 20% in short-term gilts provides dry powder for opportunistic buying.Next week:More insights and portfolio updates following the launch, plus a continued exploration of how market themes evolve.Download the Portfolio ETF's list hereThe Portfolio:Equities S&P 500 Hedged (GBP) – 10%German DAX – 10%Japanese Nikkei – 10%Nasdaq 100 – 10%FTSE 100 – 10%India Sensex – 5%BlackRock Mining – 5%Commodities Gold Physical – 10%WisdomTree Copper – 5%Fixed IncomeUK Gilts 0–5 Year – 20%Cryptocurrency VanEck Bitcoin – 5%Get in touch with the show:[email protected] podcast is provided for educational and informational purposes only. The content presented is not intended as personal investment advice, financial planning guidance, or a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any particular securities or investments. All discussions regarding the model portfolio are for educational purposes only. Past performance is not an indication of future results.Your capital is at risk. The value of shares, ETFs and ETCs can fall as well as rise, which could mean getting back less than you originally put in.

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• All That Glitters – Commodities, gold & Bitcoin

  Welcome to episode 4 of The Art of Investing, entitled "All That Glitters" - our commodity special exploring various forms of gold, from black gold (oil) and green gold (copper) to traditional gold and digital gold (Bitcoin). Join Rich McDonald, Chris Fellingham and Mark Holden as they complete their deep dive into asset classes ahead of next week's big portfolio launch.This week covers a massive avalanche of company earnings, with 25% of the S&P 500 reporting results that pushed NASDAQ and S&P 500 to new all-time highs. The FTSE 100 also hit record highs for the second week running. However, copper experienced its biggest single-day fall ever - dropping over 20% after Donald Trump modified tariff policies for raw versus manufactured copper imports.Discover the fundamentals of commodity investing, from supply and demand dynamics to storage costs and the crucial role of China, which buys over 50% of all global commodities. Learn why it takes 25 years to bring a new copper mine online and how mining companies have become more disciplined with capital expenditure, creating supply constraints.Explore the precious metals market, where gold makes up three-quarters of the sector, with 45% going to jewellery and 25% to investment demand. Hear the cautionary tale of Gordon Brown's gold sales at $220 per ounce - now trading at $3,300. Understand why India and China account for over 55% of global gold demand and the surprising fact that all gold ever mined would only fill 3.5 Olympic swimming pools.Get introduced to Bitcoin as "digital gold" - from the famous $1 billion pizza transaction (10,000 Bitcoin for two pizzas in 2010) to its limited supply of 21 million coins and potential role as an inflation hedge and store of value.What you'll learn in this episode:Commodities Are Dollar-Denominated: All commodities are priced in US dollars, making the dollar's strength a crucial factor in commodity performance. When the dollar falls, commodity prices typically rise, making currency views essential for commodity investing.China Dominates Commodity Demand: China purchases over 50% of all global commodities, with even higher percentages for specific materials like iron ore (75%). Understanding China's economic health and stimulus policies is critical for commodity investment decisions.Supply Constraints Drive Long-Term Pricing: Mining companies learned from previous over-investment cycles and now exercise capital discipline. With no major new copper mines expected for decades due to 19-25 year development timelines, supply constraints support higher prices.Gold Remains Scarce and Valuable: All gold ever mined throughout history would only fill 3.5 Olympic swimming pools or half of St Paul's Cathedral dome, highlighting its extreme scarcity and enduring value as a store of wealth.Bitcoin Offers Digital Scarcity: With only 21 million Bitcoin ever to be created and 19.7 million already mined, Bitcoin provides programmable scarcity that could serve as "digital gold" - offering protection against currency debasement and inflation like traditional gold.Next week: The live portfolio launch where the team will construct their target 10% annual return portfolio using ETFs across all the asset classes covered in recent episodes.Download the Portfolio ETF's list here.Get in touch with the show by emailing [email protected] New Customer OfferUntil 15th August 2025, IG is giving away a free UK share bundle to all new customers, worth up to £100 when you invest just £20. Sign up for a...

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