The Art of Investing

The Art of Investing

By IG UK

Looking to turn Market Chaos into Investing Clarity?
Welcome to The Art of Investing - a brand new podcast that transforms market noise into clear investing strategies. Brought to you by IG, global ... more
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  1. Number 1: Our Portfolio Returned 26%. Here’s What We Did - An Honest Review

    📊 The Art of Investing Survey – Fill in the form here, we’d love your feedback: https://forms.office.com/e/tCyxzN48Ks 📈 Download the full Portfolio Performance Slides View the portfolio breakdown: here 📧 Get in touch: [email protected] 📱 Behind the scenes: @_theartofinvesting on TikTok 🎧 Listen on: Apple, Spotify, YouTube This week on The Art of Investing, it’s the end-of-year exam as the portfolio officially reaches its first anniversary. With the portfolio finishing the year up 26.0% since inception, Rich puts Mark and Chris in the hot seat to assess how much of that performance came from good portfolio management, where they got it wrong, and the lessons they’re taking into year two. The team revisit some of the biggest investment calls of the past 12 months, from avoiding government bonds and maintaining exposure to commodities, to navigating the Iran conflict and buying back into US equities following the sell-off. They also look ahead to the next 12 months, debating whether the AI investment boom can continue to drive US earnings, what could finally challenge US market leadership, and why rising bond yields and a changing Federal Reserve could become increasingly important for investors. Alongside the annual review, Mark unpacks another busy week across markets, with AI investment continuing at extraordinary levels, oil prices climbing and the portfolio ending its first year with another positive weekly return. This Week’s Highlights: 🎂 One Year of the Portfolio The team mark 52 weeks of the portfolio, finishing its first year with a total return of +26.0%. 📝 The End-of-Year Exam Rich grills Mark and Chris on their best calls, biggest mistakes and whether the portfolio’s performance really came down to skill or a favourable year for markets. 🤖 The AI Investment Boom Continues Huge financing and capital expenditure commitments keep flowing into AI and data centres, but the team debate whether investors are becoming too reliant on the same story. 🇺🇸 US Bull Case Put to the Test Mark explains what would genuinely make him rethink his bullish stance on US equities and why earnings growth remains central to his outlook. 📉 Why the Team Avoided Bonds Staying away from government bonds is identified as one of the portfolio’s defining calls of the year, differentiating it from a traditional 60/40 approach. 🌍 Where Could Returns Come From Next? The team assess the outlook for the US, Japan, emerging markets, the UK, Europe, India and China as they consider positioning for year two. 🏦 A Changing Fed Could Change the Rules Chris explains why the Federal Reserve’s approach to supporting markets could become one of the most important risks to watch over the coming months. Portfolio Snapshot - Week 52: 📊 Weekly portfolio performance: +0.5% 📈 Total return since inception: +26.0% 📅 2026 year-to-date return: +13.5% Top Performers: 📈 BlackRock World Mining Trust PLC: +3.3% 📈 iShares Nikkei 225 ETF: +2.7% 📈 Vanguard FTSE 250: +1.0% Underperformers: 📉 iShares MSCI India ETF: -1.4% 📉 WisdomTree Copper ETF: -1.0% 📉 iShares Core FTSE 100 ETF: -0.5% Portfolio Changes: No portfolio changes this week. The portfolio closes out its first year with 14 holdings, including 10% in cash, as the team maintain their existing positioning heading into year two. Big Questions This Week: • How much of the portfolio’s 26% return came from good management versus rising markets? • What were the team’s best decisions, and biggest mistakes, of the past year? • What would make Mark finally change his bullish view on US equities? • Can the enormous investment in AI and data centres ultimately justify current expectations? • Could higher bond yields eventually pull capital away from equities? • Where could the strongest and weakest investment opportunities emerge over the next 12 months? What You’ll Learn: ✔️ Why avoiding government bonds became one of the portfolio’s most important calls ✔️ How the team assess performance beyond simply looking at headline returns ✔️ Why earnings growth remains key to the US equity bull case ✔️ How experienced investors respond when markets move sharply against them ✔️ What could trigger a major change in the portfolio’s asset allocation ✔️ Which markets and asset classes the team are watching as they enter year two Disclaimer: This podcast is provided for educational and informational purposes only. The content presented is not intended as personal investment advice or a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any particular securities or investments. All discussions regarding the model portfolio are illustrative and for educational purposes. 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.

    55min
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  2. Number 2: How Excessive Leverage brought down Wall Street’s Golden Boy

    📈 Download the full Portfolio Performance Slides: Here 📧 Get in touch: [email protected] 📱 Behind the scenes: @_theartofinvesting on TikTok | @theartofinvestingpod on Instagram 🎧 Listen on: Apple, Spotify, YouTube This week on The Art of Investing, after a sharp reversal across AI-linked stocks, the team explain how Leopold Aschenbrenner’s highly leveraged AI trade became one of the biggest stories in markets, why crowded positioning matters, and how forced selling helped shape the latest moves across tech, software, commodities and emerging markets. They also look at the parallels with previous market excesses, including 1929, ask whether AI could be disinflationary, and debate whether markets can keep running into Jackson Hole before investors need to think about taking risk down. This Week’s Highlights: 📈 Portfolio Jumps +4.2% A strong week takes the portfolio to +25.5% since inception, with no changes made this week. ⚠️ Leopold and Leverage The team unpack how leverage works, why margin calls can force selling, and why a “one big trade” portfolio can unravel quickly. ⚒️ Miners Lead the Way BlackRock World Mining Trust tops the portfolio, up +10.4% on the week as gold, silver and copper strength feed through to mining shares. 🇯🇵 Japan Bounces Hard The Nikkei position rises +9.5%, helped by currency intervention and a stronger week for Japanese equities. 🌏 Emerging Markets Rally MSCI Emerging Markets gains +6.5%, supported by Korea’s sharp rebound, a weaker US dollar and renewed appetite for growth. 🤖 Nasdaq Reverses Higher The Nasdaq position rises +5.9% as money flows back into AI and tech after weeks of pressure. 📉 1929 Lessons Chris draws on Andrew Ross Sorkin’s 1929 to compare today’s market risks: leverage, speculative new technology, retail risk-taking and policy error. 🏦 Jackson Hole in Focus The team debate whether the Fed is “running the economy hot” and why late August could be important for market direction. Portfolio Snapshot – Week 51: 📊 Weekly portfolio performance: +4.2% 📈 Total return since inception: +25.5% 📅 2026 year-to-date return: +13.0% Top Performers: 📈 BlackRock World Mining Trust PLC: +10.4% WoW 📈 iShares Nikkei 225 ETF: +9.5% WoW 📈 iShares Core MSCI EM IMI ETF: +6.5% WoW 📈 Invesco EQQQ Nasdaq 100 UCITS ETF: +5.9% WoW 📈 XLI SPDR US Industrials ETF: +5.3% WoW Underperformers: 📉 iShares Core FTSE 100 ETF: -0.1% WoW 📈 Cash: +0.1% WoW 📈 iShares UK Gilts 0-5yr ETF: +0.5% WoW 📈 iShares MSCI India ETF: +1.3% WoW Portfolio Decision: No changes were made to the portfolio this week. The team remain positioned for the current market rally, while noting they may look to reduce some risk later in August if markets continue to run strongly. Big Questions This Week: • What is leverage, and why can it be so dangerous? • How can a hedge fund lose control of a winning trade? • Are AI stocks back in charge, or is this just a relief rally? • Why does a weaker dollar help commodities and emerging markets? • Are there real parallels between today’s market and 1929? • Could AI improve margins without reigniting inflation? • Should investors enjoy the August rally, or prepare to reduce risk before September? What You’ll Learn: ✔️ How leverage magnifies gains and losses ✔️ What margin calls mean in real market conditions ✔️ Why crowded trades can reverse violently ✔️ How AI is affecting earnings, margins and market leadership ✔️ Why commodities, Japan and emerging markets performed strongly this week ✔️ Why the team are watching Jackson Hole before making the next portfolio move Disclaimer: This podcast is provided for educational and informational purposes only. The content presented is not intended as personal investment advice or a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any particular securities or investments. All discussions regarding the model portfolio are illustrative and for educational purposes. 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.

    58min
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  3. Number 3: Interest Rates Are Going Up - Is the UK Ready?

    📈 Download the full Portfolio Performance Slides View the portfolio breakdown: here 📧 Get in touch: [email protected] 📱 Behind the scenes: @_theartofinvesting on TikTok 🎧 Listen on: Apple, Spotify, YouTube This week on The Art of Investing, the team ask whether the investment landscape is beginning to change as bond yields continue to climb around the world. Chris compares the very different forces driving UK and US bond markets, arguing that while America faces a growing competition for capital to fund the AI investment boom, the UK is confronting a much more uncomfortable inflation and credibility problem. The team also revisit Jackson Hole, where Kevin Warsh’s more hawkish message pushed markets towards expecting further interest rate rises, and examine the latest chapter in the increasingly public disagreement between Scott Bessent and Stanley Druckenmiller over the direction of US bond yields. Alongside the macro debate, they answer listener questions on the role of short-dated gilts in a diversified portfolio, whether higher bond yields have changed the case for the Russell 2000, and why becoming emotionally attached to an investment can be one of the most dangerous mistakes an investor makes. This Week’s Highlights: 🛢️ Oil Puts Markets Under Pressure Oil prices jump sharply as conflict escalates again in the Middle East, adding to inflation concerns and weighing on industrials, commodities and interest-rate-sensitive assets. 🏦 UK vs US: Two Very Different Bond Problems Chris explains why rising US yields reflect a shortage of capital, while UK bond markets are signalling much greater concern about long-term inflation and the credibility of monetary and fiscal policy. 🤖 Is AI Creating a Shortage of Capital? The extraordinary sums being invested in AI and data centres are increasing demand for funding, raising the question of how high bond yields may need to go before capital starts moving out of other assets. 📊 Does the Russell 2000 Still Make Sense? Mark explains why he remains positive on US small caps despite rising rates, pointing to strong domestic growth and expectations for significant earnings growth across the index. 🛡️ Why Hold Short-Dated Gilts? A listener challenges the portfolio’s short-term gilt position, prompting a discussion about diversification, defensive assets and why bonds do not always protect portfolios when inflation is driving markets. ❤️ The Danger of Falling in Love With an Investment The team share painful lessons from their own careers on becoming emotionally attached to positions, ignoring price action and allowing past profits or losses to influence future decisions. Portfolio Snapshot - Week 55: 📊 Weekly portfolio performance: -0.9% 📈 Total return since inception: +24.6% 📅 2026 year-to-date return: +12.0% Top Performers: 📈 Invesco EQQQ Nasdaq 100 UCITS ETF: +0.6% 📈 iShares Core MSCI EM IMI ETF: +0.4% 📈 iShares MSCI India ETF: +0.3% Underperformers: 📉 XLI SPDR US Industrials ETF: -4.0% 📉 BlackRock World Mining Trust PLC: -2.2% 📉 iShares Russell 2000 ETF: -2.0% Portfolio Changes: No portfolio changes this week. The portfolio fell 0.9% as higher oil prices and rising bond yields weighed particularly heavily on cyclical assets, while technology and emerging markets provided some support. The portfolio remains up 12.0% year to date and 24.6% since inception. Big Questions This Week:Are rising global bond yields beginning to change the investment landscape?Why are bond yields rising for very different reasons in the UK and the US?Could the enormous demand for capital from AI eventually pull money out of equities?Do short-dated gilts still have a role in the portfolio if they have delivered little return?Has the rise in bond yields weakened the investment case for the Russell 2000?How can investors avoid becoming emotionally attached to a winning or losing position?What You’ll Learn: ✔️ Why rising bond yields do not always mean markets are worried about inflation ✔️ What UK bond markets are signalling about long-term inflation expectations ✔️ How the AI investment boom is increasing competition for capital in the US ✔️ Why short-term bonds can still play a defensive role within a diversified portfolio ✔️ How higher interest rates affect small and mid-sized companies differently ✔️ Why successful investors need to separate their emotions from their investment decisions Disclaimer: This podcast is provided for educational and informational purposes only. The content presented is not intended as personal investment advice or a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any particular securities or investments. All discussions regarding the model portfolio are illustrative and for educational purposes. 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.

    1h 5min
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  4. Number 4: Nvidia vs Gold; Which is the greater fools rally?

    📈 Download the full Portfolio Performance Slides View the portfolio breakdown: here 📧 Get in touch: [email protected] 📱 Behind the scenes: @_theartofinvesting on TikTok 🎧 Listen on: Apple, Spotify, YouTube This week on The Art of Investing, Rich McDonald, Mark “Spice” Holden and Chris “CJ” Fellingham are back with a big listener Q&A episode, taking on three of the biggest questions facing investors right now: should you bother picking single stocks, is gold worth buying again, and are equities entering a more difficult phase? With Nvidia delivering another extraordinary update, Bitcoin back above $80,000, oil falling sharply, and bond markets still waiting on Jackson Hole, the team unpack a market where confidence is returning in some places, but the warning signs have not disappeared. From the challenge of beating ETFs to the case for gold, AI infrastructure spending, and the hidden effect of new share issuance, this episode asks whether investors should be adding risk, sitting tight, or preparing for a harder turn in markets. Portfolio Snapshot - Week 54: No changes were made to the portfolio this week. 📊 Weekly portfolio performance: +0.5% 📈 Total return since inception: +25.4% 📅 2026 year-to-date return: +12.9% Top Performers: 📈 BlackRock World Mining Trust PLC: +4.7% WoW 📈 WisdomTree Copper ETF: +1.9% WoW 📈 iShares Core MSCI EM IMI ETC: +1.8% WoW Underperformers: 📉 XLI SPDR US Industrials ETF: -1.2% WoW 📉 iShares Russell 2000 ETF: -1.2% WoW 📉 Invesco EQQQ Nasdaq 100 UCITS ETF: -1.1% WoW This Week’s Highlights: 📊 Portfolio Edges Higher The model portfolio rises around +0.5% on the week, taking performance to +25.4% since inception and +12.9% year-to-date. 🤖 Nvidia Reignites the AI Debate Nvidia guides to 70% revenue growth for the year ending January 2028, but the team debate whether the market is still right to stay cautious. 📉 Bonds Stay in Focus Stanley Druckenmiller criticises Scott Bessent’s Treasury bond-buying plan, keeping fiscal credibility and bond-market pressure firmly on the agenda. 🛢️ Oil Falls Sharply Oil drops around 7% as progress around the Strait of Hormuz eases supply fears, helping bonds but raising new questions about inflation and commodities. 🥇 Gold Gets Another Look After a strong rebound, the team debate whether gold deserves a place in the portfolio again, or whether real yields still make the case difficult. 📦 ETFs vs Stock Picking CJ and Spice explain why even professional investors struggle to beat indices, and why ETFs remain the preferred route for most long-term investors. 🏗️ Re-Equitisation Risk The team examine whether a wave of IPOs, AI funding and insider selling could reverse years of shrinking share supply and weigh on future returns. Big Questions This Week: • Is Nvidia still cheap, or is the market right to be suspicious of future AI growth? • Should everyday investors bother picking single stocks, or stick with ETFs? • Is gold attractive again after its pullback and rebound? • Will weaker oil and a softer dollar bring central banks back into gold? • Could a new wave of IPOs and equity issuance drag on market returns? • Are investors close to the point where they should start reducing risk? What You’ll Learn: ✔️ Why Nvidia’s numbers can be outstanding while the wider market still stays cautious ✔️ Why most active managers struggle to beat their benchmark over time ✔️ How factor ETFs can replace some traditional fund-manager exposure ✔️ Why real yields, the dollar and central-bank buying matter for gold ✔️ What “de-equitisation” and “re-equitisation” mean for stock market returns ✔️ Why Jackson Hole could shape the next portfolio move Disclaimer: This podcast is provided for educational and informational purposes only. The content presented is not intended as personal investment advice or a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any particular securities or investments. All discussions regarding the model portfolio are illustrative and for educational purposes. 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.

    1h 1min
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  5. Number 5: Will Bond Vigilantes end the Equity Bull Market?

    📊 The Art of Investing Survey – Fill in the form here, we’d love your feedback: https://forms.office.com/e/tCyxzN48Ks 📈 Download the full Portfolio Performance Slides View the portfolio breakdown: here 📧 Get in touch: [email protected] 📱 Behind the scenes: @_theartofinvesting on TikTok 🎧 Listen on: Apple, Spotify, YouTube This week on The Art of Investing, attention turns to the bond market as rising real yields begin to create a new challenge for investors. Chris breaks down what real yields actually are, why they are moving higher and how increasingly attractive returns from government bonds could eventually start competing with equities for investors’ capital. The team also unpack the US Treasury’s latest intervention in the bond market, likening the move to a modern-day “Operation Twist”, and debate whether policymakers can successfully push down longer-term yields when borrowing demand remains so high. Alongside the bond discussion, Mark reviews a busy week across markets, from a weaker US dollar and a rebound in Bitcoin and Ethereum to Moderna’s extraordinary rally. The team also answer listener questions on whether it’s too late to start following the portfolio, how they use moving averages to inform investment decisions, and the role currency hedging can play when investing overseas. This Week’s Highlights: 💰 Why Real Yields Matter Chris explains the difference between nominal and inflation-linked bonds, and why rising real yields could become increasingly important for equities and other risk assets. 🔄 Operation Twist Returns The team unpack the US Treasury’s plan to increase long-term bond buybacks while issuing more short-dated debt, and why they believe the intervention matters for markets. 🏦 The Competition for Capital With governments and major technology companies borrowing heavily, the team discuss why growing demand for capital is pushing yields higher and creating a more challenging backdrop for investors. 📉 When Do Bonds Become Too Attractive to Ignore? Chris considers the level at which higher risk-free returns could encourage investors to reduce equity exposure and start allocating more heavily towards bonds. 📊 How the Team Decide When to Buy and Sell Responding to a listener question, Mark and Chris explain how moving averages can help identify when markets are becoming stretched and provide a less emotional view of price action. 💷 Should Investors Hedge Currency Risk? The team explore the impact exchange rates can have on overseas investments and why sterling investors may choose between hedged and unhedged funds. Portfolio Snapshot - Week 53: 📊 Weekly portfolio performance: -1.1% 📈 Total return since inception: +24.9% 📅 2026 year-to-date return: +12.4% Top Performers: 📈 BlackRock World Mining Trust PLC: +1.0% 📈 iShares Russell 2000 ETF: +0.1% 📈 Cash: +0.1% Underperformers: 📉 iShares Nikkei 225 ETF: -3.7% 📉 WisdomTree Copper ETF: -2.9% 📉 XLI SPDR US Industrials ETF: -1.8% Portfolio Changes: No portfolio changes this week. Despite weakness across several holdings, diversification helped limit the overall portfolio decline to 1.1%, with the team maintaining their existing positioning as they begin the second year of the portfolio. Big Questions This Week:Could rising real yields eventually pull meaningful capital away from equities?Why is the US Treasury intervening in the long end of the bond market?Can policymakers successfully fight the direction of the bond market?Is it too late for investors to start following the model portfolio after its strong first year?Which indicators can investors use to help decide when to buy and sell?Should UK investors hedge the currency exposure in their overseas investments?What You’ll Learn: ✔️ What real yields are and why they matter for investment markets ✔️ How rising government bond yields can affect equity valuations ✔️ Why the latest US Treasury bond buybacks are different from quantitative easing ✔️ How moving averages can be used as part of an investment decision-making process ✔️ What to consider when choosing between hedged and unhedged overseas funds ✔️ Why the team are becoming more cautious as markets head towards September and October Disclaimer: This podcast is provided for educational and informational purposes only. The content presented is not intended as personal investment advice or a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any particular securities or investments. All discussions regarding the model portfolio are illustrative and for educational purposes. 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.

    56min
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