Animal Spirits Podcast - podcast cover

Animal Spirits Podcast

Animal Spirits is a show about markets, life, and investing. Join Michael Batnick and Ben Carlson as they talk about what they're reading, writing, listening to and watching. Look for new episodes every Wednesday morning. See our disclosures here - https://ritholtzwealth.com/podcast-youtube-disclosures/

Episodes

Talk Your Book: Opportunities in Commercial Real Estate Debt

On today's show, we are joined by Richard Byrne, President of Benefit Street Partners to discuss the chaos within the commercial office space sector, the opportunity for commercial real estate debt, what separates one asset manager from another, how real estate lending works, and much more! Find complete show notes on our blogs... Ben Carlson’s A Wealth of Common Sense Michael Batnick’s The Irrelevant Investor Feel free to shoot us an email at [email protected] with any feedback,...

Sep 24, 202437 min

The Michael & Ben Origin Story (EP.378)

On episode 378 of Animal Spirits, Michael Batnick and Ben Carlson discuss: how Ben got started in the industry and eventually arrived at Ritholtz Wealth Management, the best movies to watch on an airplane, and more! This episode was filmed in front of a live audience at the Future Proof festival in Huntington Beach, CA on 9/17/24. This episode is sponsored by YCharts and Fabric by Gerber Life. Get 20% off your initial YCharts Professional subscription when you start your free trial through Anima...

Sep 18, 202436 min

Talk Your Book: Investing in Free Cash Flow

On today's show, we spoke with Michael Mack, Associate Portfolio Manager for Victory Capital to discuss how to calculate free cash flow, if the Mag 7 would have shown up on a free cash flow screen, avoiding value traps, sector exposure within high free cash flow strategies, and much more! Find complete show notes on our blogs... Ben Carlson’s A Wealth of Common Sense Michael Batnick’s The Irrelevant Investor Feel free to shoot us an email at [email protected] with any feedback, q...

Sep 16, 202433 min

When Your Friends Are Richer Than You (EP.377)

On episode 377 of Animal Spirits, Michael Batnick and Ben Carlson discuss: a bad week for the stock market, why foreign stocks are so cheap, the state of America's wallet, the coming HELOC boom, the finances of Only Fans, how to become a millionaire, next week's live Animal Spirits from Future Proof, and much more! This episode is sponsored by Jensen Investment Management. Learn more about the Jensen Quality Growth ETF at: https://www.jenseninvestment.com/etf/ Sign up for The Compound newsletter...

Sep 11, 20241 hr 10 min

Talk Your Book: Dividend Stocks are Cheap

On today's show, we spoke with Jennifer Chang, Portfolio Manager and Executive Director for Schafer Cullen to discuss utilizing active management within dividend strategies, how dividend stocks are affected by rising rates, how Schafer's call writing strategy differs from other popular income strategies, tax optimizing income strategies, and much more! Find complete show notes on our blogs... Ben Carlson’s A Wealth of Common Sense Michael Batnick’s The Irrelevant Investor Feel free to shoot us a...

Sep 09, 202428 min

Founder Mode (EP.376)

On episode 376 of Animal Spirits, Michael Batnick and Ben Carlson discuss: Josh Brown's new book, an excellent year for investors, how bullish investors are, a new record high in 401k millionaires, efficient markets, the nostalgia premium, inflation at the arcade, the wait-and-see housing market, the stresses of being a parent, drinking at the movie theater, and much more! This episode is sponsored by YCharts. Get 20% off your initial YCharts Professional subscription when you start your free tr...

Sep 04, 20241 hr 8 min

Talk Your Book: Balancing Risk and Yield

On today's show, we are joined by Priya Misra, Portfolio Manager for the JPMorgan Core Plus Bond ETF to discuss why private credit has gotten so popular, where corporate bond spreads are today, high quality companies within the high yield category, what a soft landing means for interest rates, and much more! Find complete show notes on our blogs... Ben Carlson’s A Wealth of Common Sense Michael Batnick’s The Irrelevant Investor Feel free to shoot us an email at [email protected] ...

Sep 02, 202436 min

What is Wealth? (EP.375)

On episode 375 of Animal Spirits, Michael Batnick and Ben Carlson discuss: Jerome Powell's speech at Jackson Hole, Nvidia millionaires, financial voices you can safely ignore, housing affordability, what it takes to be considered wealthy, every generation thinks they have it bad, Michael's college transcript, and much more! This episode is sponsored by YCharts. Get 20% off your initial YCharts Professional subscription when you start your free trial through Animal Spirits (new customers only). S...

Aug 28, 20241 hr 14 min

Talk Your Book: Finding Small Cap Diamonds in the Rough

On today's show, we spoke with Brandon Nelson, Senior Portfolio Manager for Calamos to discuss Calamos' favorite small cap sectors, why small caps have flown under the radar, understanding the relationship between momentum and fundamentals, profitability of small cap stocks, and much more! Find complete show notes on our blogs... Ben Carlson’s A Wealth of Common Sense Michael Batnick’s The Irrelevant Investor Feel free to shoot us an email at [email protected] with any feedback, ...

Aug 26, 202439 min

Talk Your Book: Alt Goes Mainstream with Michael Sidgmore

On today's show, we are joined by Michael Sidgmore, Partner and Co-Founder of Broadhaven Ventures to discuss all things Alternatives, how that world has changed in recent years, why financial advisors in the RIA channel is such a big opportunity for alternative investments, and much more! Find complete show notes on our blogs... Ben Carlson’s A Wealth of Common Sense Michael Batnick’s The Irrelevant Investor Feel free to shoot us an email at [email protected] with any feedback, q...

Aug 24, 202451 min

Inflation or Price Gouging? (EP.374)

On episode 374 of Animal Spirits, Michael Batnick and Ben Carlson discuss: what an average year in the stock market looks like, Seinfeld on consumers, why inflation is such a tricky concept, millennials are richer than you think, grocery stores are not the enemy, star fund managers, how demographics will help the housing market, sending your kids away to summer camp, and much more! This episode is sponsored by Eaton Vance. To learn more about the Eaton Vance Short Duration Income ETF (EVSD), vis...

Aug 21, 20241 hr 14 min

Talk Your Book: Quality Growth Investing

On today's show, we are joined by Kevin Walkush, Portfolio Manager at Jensen Investment Management to discuss what quality means to Jensen, why META was removed from the portfolio, thoughts on AI and tech bubbles, the most exciting sectors for the long term, how interest rates affect valuation models, hallmarks for great quality businesses, and much more! Find complete show notes on our blogs... Ben Carlson’s A Wealth of Common Sense Michael Batnick’s The Irrelevant Investor Feel free to shoot u...

Aug 19, 202434 min

Boomers vs. Millennials (EP.373)

On episode 373 of Animal Spirits, Michael Batnick and Ben Carlson discuss: a history of stock market flash crashes, the end of the travel boom, why the economy is finally softening, how to predict a recession, how many households actually live paycheck to paycheck, the coming refi/HELOC boom, stock pick loss aversion, movie theaters aren't dead yet, and much more! This episode is sponsored by YCharts and Fabric by Gerber Life. Get 20% off your initial YCharts Professional subscription when you s...

Aug 14, 202455 min

Talk Your Book: Back to the Futures Market

On today's show, we are joined by Jerry Prior III, COO & Senior Portfolio Manager of Mount Lucas Management to discuss what managed futures are, how portfolios can benefit from them, how managed futures are handling the Japan carry trade, diversification benefits of managed futures, the story of how the MLM Index was created, and much more! Find complete show notes on our blogs... Ben Carlson’s A Wealth of Common Sense Michael Batnick’s The Irrelevant Investor Feel free to shoot us an email at a...

Aug 12, 202432 min

Flash Crash or Recession? (EP.372)

On episode 372 of Animal Spirits, Michael Batnick and Ben Carlson discuss: market mayhem, Japan's 1987 crash moment, Jerome Powell's legacy game at Jackson Hole, recession worries, the worst asset class for the next decade, the vibe shift on inflation, the Godfather of the 21st century, and much more! This episode is sponsored by Global X. Visit https://www.globalxetfs.com/ to explore a lineup of more than 90 ETFs, along with insights to help you navigate a dynamic investing landscape. Sign up f...

Aug 07, 20241 hr 2 min

Talk Your Book: The Housing Market with Mike Simonsen

On today's Talk Your Book, we are joined by Mike Simonsen, Founder and President of real estate analytics firm Altos Research to discuss how easy to access real estate data has affected buyers, the effects rates have on buyers and sellers, a realistic scenario for a housing market correction, thoughts on the iBuyer phenomenon, and much more! Find complete show notes on our blogs... Ben Carlson’s A Wealth of Common Sense Michael Batnick’s The Irrelevant Investor Feel free to shoot us an email at ...

Aug 05, 202439 min

How to Pick the Winners (EP.371)

On episode 371 of Animal Spirits, Michael Batnick and Ben Carlson discuss: how small cap stocks got so cheap, how to improve your chances of outperforming the market, why investors are rushing into bonds, Americans make more money than you think, good news on gas prices, how the Fed can help the housing market, the best way to eat potatoes, the downfall of Nike, IMAX theaters, and much more! This episode is sponsored by YCharts and CME Group. Subscribe to the YCharts Advisor Pulse, and remember,...

Jul 31, 20241 hr

Talk Your Book: Investing in BlackRock's Mega Forces

On today's show, we are joined by Jay Jacobs, U.S. Head of Thematic and Active ETFs to discuss BlackRock's favorite Mega Force themes to invest in, investing in the reshoring theme, IBIT trading volume, the Ethereum ETF launch and Ethereum use cases, getting cash off the sidelines, and much more! Find complete show notes on our blogs... Ben Carlson’s A Wealth of Common Sense Michael Batnick’s The Irrelevant Investor Feel free to shoot us an email at [email protected] with any fee...

Jul 29, 202435 min

Talk Your Book: Investing in Corporate Culture

On today's show, Michael Batnick and Ben Carlson are joined by Kristof Gleich of Harbor Capital and Scott Colson of Irrational Capital to discuss how the Human Capital Factor was discovered, what is being measured to quantify the Human Capital Factor, how advisors are utilizing this fund, the importance of portfolio construction when utilizing factors, and much more. Find complete show notes on our blogs... Ben Carlson’s A Wealth of Common Sense Michael Batnick’s The Irrelevant Investor Feel fre...

Jul 27, 202432 min

Living the Dream (EP.370)

On episode 370 of Animal Spirits, Michael Batnick and Ben Carlson discuss: why the stock market doesn't care who the president is, the U.S. stock market is having a boring year, the biggest winners in stock market history, the economics of a martini, the best comedy movies of all-time, the broken beer bottle economy, Nvidia employees are rich, and much more! This episode is sponsored by Global X and Fabric by Gerber Life. Visit https://www.globalxetfs.com/ to explore a lineup of more than 90 ETF...

Jul 24, 20241 hr 1 min

Talk Your Book: Future Proof 2024

On today's show, we spoke with Matt Middleton, Founder and CEO of Future Proof to discuss changes and updates to Future Proof 2024, breakthru meetings and experiences, the updated fintech demo alley, who should attend Future Proof, Third Eye Blind, and much more! Find complete show notes on our blogs... Ben Carlson’s A Wealth of Common Sense Michael Batnick’s The Irrelevant Investor Feel free to shoot us an email at [email protected] with any feedback, questions, recommendations,...

Jul 20, 202428 min

Fast Food Inflation (EP.369)

On episode 369 of Animal Spirits, Michael Batnick and Ben Carlson discuss: the two types of Fed rate cuts, a positive outcome from high inflation, the stock market was right again, the number of millionaires worldwide, Wingstop vs. Chipotle, how many renters could afford to buy a home, how much it costs to build a new house, why private markets aren't in a bubble, Kevin Bacon movies, and much more! This episode is sponsored by YCharts and CME Group. Get 20% off your initial YCharts Professional ...

Jul 17, 20241 hr 5 min

Talk Your Book: Trend Following with Eric Crittenden

On today's show, Ben Carlson and Michael Batnick spoke with Eric Crittenden, CIO of Standpoint Asset Management to discuss adjusting for bias within data analysis, defining holding periods for trend following strategies, multi-asset strategies vs managed futures, simplifying the trading process when trend following, and much more! Find complete show notes on our blogs... Ben Carlson’s A Wealth of Common Sense Michael Batnick’s The Irrelevant Investor Feel free to shoot us an email at animalspiri...

Jul 15, 202436 min

Buying a House at the Top of the Market (EP.368)

On episode 368 of Animal Spirits, Michael Batnick and Ben Carlson discuss: why the stock market never really changes, why this is the hardest it's ever been to beat the market, the travel boom rolls on, Boomers are having fun in retirement, young people are making money, the economy is slowing, Bitcoin ETFs are like 401k plans, people love guaranteed income, the new season of The Bear, and much more! This episode is sponsored by NEOS Investments and Fabric by Gerber Life. NEOS has set out to enh...

Jul 10, 20241 hr 3 min

Talk Your Book: Public and Private Market Credit Opportunities

On today's show, Ben Carlson and Michael Batnick are joined by Ben Santonelli, Lead Portfolio Manager of Polen Capital's Credit Opportunities Strategy to discuss how interval funds work, navigating interest rate increases within your bond allocation, how Polen Capital is actively managing bonds, the biggest risk to high yield bonds, how Polen Capital values businesses, thoughts on why spreads have remained tight, and much more! Find complete show notes on our blogs... Ben Carlson’s A Wealth of C...

Jul 09, 202429 min

Talk Your Book: Why We Don't Build Enough Houses

On today's show, Ben Carlson and Michael Batnick are joined by Coby Lefkowitz, Partner at Backyard to discuss why homebuilding has slowed, why building houses has become such a complex process, thoughts on start-up cities, Private Equity is not buying up all single family units, solutions to the housing crisis, and much more! Find complete show notes on our blogs... Ben Carlson’s A Wealth of Common Sense Michael Batnick’s The Irrelevant Investor Feel free to shoot us an email at animalspirits@th...

Jul 06, 202440 min

Living Paycheck-to-Paycheck (EP.367)

On episode 367 of Animal Spirits, Michael Batnick and Ben Carlson discuss: U.S. domination of the world stock market, how credit spreads work, how the 401k revolution changed the stock market, Americans are rich, an economic slowdown is here, the U.S. labor force is huge, everyone wants to travel, the $5 meal deal inflation indicator, and much more! This episode is sponsored by YCharts and CME Group. Get 20% off your initial YCharts Professional subscription when you start your free YCharts tria...

Jul 03, 202452 min

Talk Your Book: Income Outcome Investing

On today's show, Ben Carlson and Michael Batnick are joined by Hamilton Reiner, Managing Director, Portfolio Manager, and Head of US Equity Derivatives at JPM Asset Management to discuss active strategies combined with option overlays, why limiting outcomes improves investor experience, how J.P. Morgan constructs option strategies, how volatility affects yield for income strategies, and much more! Find complete show notes on our blogs... Ben Carlson’s A Wealth of Common Sense Michael Batnick’s T...

Jul 01, 202434 min

Who Owns the Stock Market? (EP.366)

On episode 366 of Animal Spirits, Michael Batnick and Ben Carlson discuss: the biggest difference between bull and bear markets, cyclical vs. secular bull markets, what's wrong with Europe, Gen Z is obsessed with the stock market, spending on concerts, everyone is moving to the south, how the Fed can help the housing market, when to honk your horn, spending on groceries, and much more! This episode is sponsored by Global X and CME Group. Visit https://www.globalxetfs.com/ to explore a lineup of ...

Jun 26, 202454 min

Talk Your Book: Growth Stock Concentration

On today's show, Ben Carlson and Michael Batnick are live from Charleston, joined by Kathleen McCarragher, a Portfolio Manager for Jennison Associates and Harbor Capital to discuss market concentration within the S&P 500, how growth managers combat high-flying stocks within the index, how interest rates affect valuation, and much more! Find complete show notes on our blogs... Ben Carlson’s A Wealth of Common Sense Michael Batnick’s The Irrelevant Investor Feel free to shoot us an email at animal...

Jun 24, 202439 min