In a world of constant change, Barclays Brief is your weekly source for differentiated perspectives that cut through the noise.
Each bite-sized episode delivers clear insights into the structural trends transforming sectors – from technology and healthcare to energy, industrials and beyond.
Through sharp dialogue and scenario-based analysis, we help you navigate complexity, make meaningful connections and anticipate what’s next – whether you’re managing a portfolio or leading a business.
Each week we dig deep into a key market theme, spanning equities, macro, credit and more, uncovering the forces shaping tomorrow to help you make smarter decisions today.
Stay sharp. Stay briefed.
Published by Barclays Investment Bank: https://www.ib.barclays/
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The path for US interest rates has shifted sharply in recent months, as markets move from pricing rate cuts to pricing a potential hike. In this episode, Ronnie Wexler sits down with Barclays’ Chief US Economist Marc Giannoni to look at what’s driving that shift. At the centre of the discussion is inflation. While headline inflation has been pushed higher by rising energy prices driven by the Iran war, the key question for new Fed chair Kevin Warsh is whether those pressures feed through into co...
Productivity growth has been uneven across many sectors and economies. But AI in the form of humanoid robotics could change that, extending automation into physical services at scale. In this episode of Barclays Brief, Patrick Coffey is joined by Christian Keller, Head of Economics Research, to discuss what this shift could mean for productivity and the wider macro outlook. Keller explains that while a jobless future remains unlikely, the long‑running balance between labour and capital could con...
Global bond yields have been rising sharply, with long-term yields breaking higher across multiple markets - pushing US 30‑year yields above 5%. The sell-off was initially triggered by energy-linked inflation resulting from the Iran war, but increasingly reflects a broader, cross‑market re-pricing, with fiscal pressures, shifting rate expectations and signs of bear‑flattening emerging in key markets. In this episode of the Barclays Brief, Lucile Flight, Managing Director in Rates Trading, join...
Markets are facing two competing inflation stories at the same time: a near‑term energy shock pushing inflation risks higher, and the possibility that AI acts as a medium to longer-run disinflationary force. In this episode of Barclays Brief, Patrick Coffey, Global Head of the Product Management, sits down with Jon Hill, Head of US Inflation Strategy, to break down how energy price spikes feed into headline versus core inflation, what breakevens and real yields are signalling, and how central b...
Patrick Coffey and Andrew Lobbenberg dissect the jet fuel shortage, explaining Europe's unique exposure due to import reliance and contrasting consumer confidence in the US and Europe. They explore the profound uncertainty surrounding supply, the potential scenarios for flight cancellations (up to 15%), and the broader economic challenges for airlines, including potential failures and an aging fleet. The discussion also covers the likely impacts on passengers, from schedule changes to higher prices, and advises those planning holidays.
Credit markets often process stress before other parts of the market are able to. During periods of volatility, the signals they send can help investors distinguish between shocks that are likely to prove temporary and those that risk becoming more systemic. In this episode of Barclays Brief, Ronnie Wexler, Head of Equities, sits down with Drew Mogavero, Global Head of Credit Products and CEO of Barclays Capital Inc., to explore why credit markets have remained relatively stable during recent p...
Food delivery is changing fast, with last-mile autonomous hardware being developed and deployed at pace. In this episode of the Barclays Brief, Patrick Coffey is joined by Guillaume Galland to explore how robots and drones are beginning to reshape food delivery economics around the world. Drawing on ground‑level observations from cities including Los Angeles, Helsinki, Dublin and Dubai, Guillaume explains why autonomous delivery adoption differs by geography, and why some markets are already see...
Prediction markets are suddenly top of mind for a range of people. From elections and sporting events to pop culture and breaking news, probabilities are flashing across screens in real time. What started as a niche concept is increasingly being treated as a signal for how uncertainty gets processed and priced. In this episode of the Barclays Brief, Ronnie Wexler sits down with US Gaming Research Analyst, Brandt Montour, to explore why prediction markets have surged into the spotlight. They dig...
Quantum computing has long been viewed as a future technology. Now, it’s poised to overtake classical computing systems in specific useful tasks in the next 12-24 months. In this episode of Barclays Brief, Laia Marin joins Patrick Coffey to discuss why now may be the time for corporates and investors to engage with quantum computing. They break down the fundamentals, including the different modalities, and its potential to solve complex business problems, analysing unstructured data and developi...
In recent months, market narratives have been dominated by geopolitical shocks, energy volatility and higher interest rates. But step back, and a much bigger story is coming into focus. Advanced economies may be on the cusp of a new, historic investment cycle – one with the potential to rival the great build‑outs of the past, from 19th‑century railroads to the Apollo missions and the information‑technology boom of the 1990s. While much of the capex narrative has focused on AI and the race by hyp...
Markets have been anything but calm lately. Inflation shocks, surging energy prices and the AI narrative have collided to deliver one of the most dramatic periods in rates markets in years, forcing investors to rethink interest‑rate paths in real time. In Europe and the UK, that reassessment has been especially stark. Expectations for rate cuts have rapidly flipped to pricing further hikes, with the Bank of England at the centre of the storm. Gilt yields have surged to levels last seen during th...
Despite a calm facade, global markets are undergoing significant sector rotations, driven by crowded international trades unwinding and energy price shocks repricing risk. While commodity markets present compelling long-term opportunities due to US-China decoupling, the AI memory trade faces challenges. The US economy, with healthier private-sector balance sheets and strong corporate margins, is better positioned to absorb higher energy prices and capitalize on AI-driven capital expenditure trends, supporting a bullish view on US risk assets.
Volatility has returned, and markets are recalibrating risk premia as new sources of uncertainty emerge across oil, inflation expectations, private credit and the AI investment cycle. In this episode of the Barclays Brief, Ronnie Wexler speaks with Ajay Rajadhyaksha to break down how markets are processing this uncertainty, and the transmission mechanisms that matter most for the medium-term path. They explore how investors are interpreting elevated oil prices and what sustained higher prices co...
Weight loss drugs have pushed the obesity therapeutics market to an inflection point, reshaping not only patient behaviour, healthcare spending and investor expectations, but also potentially the global economic outlook, as lower obesity rates could promise higher productivity and reduced long term healthcare costs. In this episode of the Barclays Brief, Patrick Coffey speaks with Emily Field, Head of US Biopharmaceuticals Equity Research, to break down the forces driving this shift. They pinpoi...
Software equities sit in the eye of the AI storm, caught at a decisive inflection point as AI reshapes the sector and investors grapple with one of the sharpest valuation resets in years. In Episode 20 of the Barclays Brief, Raimo Lenschow, Head of North American Software Research, joins Ronnie Wexler, Global Head of Equities Distribution, to explore what’s driving the sell‑off and why the long‑term software story remains far from written. The discussion examines the forces behind the recent ...
European Industrials have underperformed for years, but signs of stabilisation are emerging. In Episode 19 of The Barclays Brief, George Featherstone, European Industrials Research Analyst, joins Patrick Coffey to unpack what the next phase of Europe’s Industrial sector could look like – and where early momentum may be building. The conversation explores areas of optimism for the sector, from improving consumer spending and housing activity to renewed grid‑infrastructure investment and robust d...
Japan’s decisive election result is recalibrating market expectations, bringing FX, rates and fiscal policy signals into sharper focus. The LDP’s clear mandate will likely feed through to household demand, BoJ decisions and global moves in rates and FX, with implications for global investors’ near-term portfolio positioning. In this episode of Barclays Brief, Yun Zhang, Co‑Head of FIC Trading, Asia Pacific and Global Head of MTN & Macro Structured Notes Trading, joins host Patrick Coffey to ...
Sharp swings across precious metals, especially gold, have thrust the sector into the spotlight, sustaining investor interest and stirring fresh debate over whether a new supercycle is emerging. Amos Fletcher, European Metals & Mining Research Analyst, joins Ronnie Wexler on The Barclays Brief to unpack what’s driving the moves. A powerful mix of macro and structural forces is at work: shifting Fed rate cut expectations, renewed inflation‑hedging flows, dollar softness and accelerating elect...
Most episodes of The Barclays Brief focus on a single market theme, but this week we have a special episode for you. Adeel Khan, our Global Head of Markets, joined hosts Ronnie Wexler and Patrick Coffey, to give you his insights across the full breadth of macro, equities and credit, bringing you perspectives from Adeel’s unique vantage point. Adeel outlines why the global backdrop remains more resilient than headlines suggest, buoyed by a powerful US consumer and an AI investment cycle shifting ...
Humanoid robotics is moving from experimentation and into a true economic inflection point. The market, valued at just $2–3bn today, is projected to expand to ~$40bn by 2035 in the base case*, with upside scenarios approaching $200bn as physical AI scales across labour‑intensive sectors. In this episode of the Barclays Brief, Zornitsa Todorova, Head of Thematic FICC Research, joins host Patrick Coffey to unpack the shift from software‑driven AI to physical AI - the fusion of cognitive intelligen...
In just the first two weeks of 2026, investors have had a lot to take in amidst fast-moving headlines and shifting policy signals. In this episode of Barclays Brief, Global Head of Macro Distribution Kristen Macleod joins host Patrick Coffey to unpack how investors are navigating a market defined by both optimism and caution. They break down key positioning themes from curve steepeners and real yields in rates to USD‑centric FX trades and selective exposure to commodities. They also examine the...
While traditional macroeconomic factors such as labour markets, central bank policy and inflation are all important considerations for 2026, the economy is “going to live or die” by what happens with AI, according to Global Chairman of Research Ajay Rajadhyaksha. In the first Barclays Brief episode of 2026, Global Head of the Product Management Group Patrick Coffey welcomes Ajay back to discuss why AI is the dominant force shaping the global economy, and what risks and opportunities investors...
2026 is expected to be a breakthrough year for the US robotaxi market, as autonomous vehicles shift gears from pilot projects to large-scale deployment across major cities. Some players are expanding their fleets and coverage, while others are working to remove safety drivers and enter new metro areas. Meanwhile, several ride-hailing companies face strategic challenges as they invest in fleets but lack proprietary AV technology. In this week’s episode, Senior Research Analyst for the Internet Se...
If you spent 2025 watching credit and thinking “this feels suspiciously quiet,” you are not alone. Barclays’ Global Head of Research, Brad Rogoff, and Global Head of Equities Distribution, Ronnie Wexler, walk through the late‑cycle credit playbook for 2026: why spreads might finally move, how trillion‑dollar ambitions for AI are colliding with debt markets, and why private credit’s rapid growth brings new complexity and risk. They also examine structural credit market shifts, such as portfolio ...
Conversations about AI often revolve around the outlooks for the Mag7, capex or the resources required to power the technology. This episode of the Barclays Brief explores agentic AI’s potential for tangible results if applied to the energy industry. Lydia Rainforth, Head of European Energy Equity Research, joins Patrick Coffey to explain how agentic AI, defined as systems that plan, decide and act without human intervention, could unlock $80bn in productivity gains by 2030. The bulk of produc...
The rise of real-time trading platforms, combined with steady 401(k) inflows, has amplified wealth effects – making retail investors acutely aware that fluctuations in equity markets directly influence their perceived financial well-being, with over 30% of household net worth tied directly to equities*. As Alex Altmann puts it, “the stock market now is the economy”, as market moves have the potential to ripple straight into household spending and sentiment, reshaping the old narrative. In this w...
As technological advancement continues at pace across AI, defence and everything in between, demand for critical minerals such as rare earth elements (REEs) and copper, lithium, aluminium, nickel and cobalt (collectively known as CLANCs) has skyrocketed. Yet their supply is incredibly concentrated, making access a high stakes priority for many economies. China has invested heavily over recent decades in everything from mineral processing plants to STEM graduates and has become the dominant suppl...
AI is reshaping corporate investment priorities at breakneck speed, with the US private sector pledging trillions in capital expenditures to power the next wave of innovation. Investment waves have affected currencies before, yet, for now, FX markets remain focused on near-term narratives and tactical considerations. Could this structural shift in AI spending redefine dollar dynamics, while domestic and geopolitical headwinds reinforce sentiments of de-dollarization? In this episode of Barclays ...
AI, hyperscaler capex, credit markets, and debt issuance: the landscape for big tech funding is shifting fast. In the latest episode of Barclays Brief, Ronnie Wexler is joined by Andrew Keches, Co-Head of US High Grade Credit Research, to unpack how the world’s largest technology companies have recently turned to the credit markets. They discuss how evolving from cash-funded expansion was strategically inevitable, but how a wave of debt issuance has recently overwhelmed credit markets. Together,...
Recent high-profile bankruptcies have put private credit in the headlines. In this episode, Peter Troisi explains how private credit is weaving itself into the financial system – linking banks, insurers, non-bank financial institutions and business development companies. These connections create new funding channels and opportunities but also introduce potential hidden systemic risks. We break down what these linkages mean for stability, transparency and the future of credit markets. Tune in to ...
