The UK Investor Magazine was thrilled to welcome Alastair Unwin, Deputy Manager of Polar Capital Technology Trust, to delve into the trust and its focus on the adoption of artificial intelligence.

The Polar Capital Technology Trust aims to be at the forefront of this transition, seeking to identify and invest in the real drivers and beneficiaries of AI adoption – carefully navigating powerful technologies while positioning for long-term growth.

Find out more about the Polar Capital Technology Trust here.

Alastair outlined Polar Capital Technology Trust’s disciplined approach to investing in the technology sector, emphasising how the fund navigates the inherent challenges of a high-growth sector that’s often susceptible to market hype and speculation.

The conversation explored the significant turbulence experienced by technology stocks in the first half of the year, followed by a strong recovery that pushed markets to new highs. Alastair provided insights into the underlying drivers of these movements, including macroeconomic factors, investor sentiment shifts, and sector-specific catalysts that influenced the dramatic market swings.

A significant portion of the discussion focused on the market concentration within the “Magnificent Seven” technology stocks, several of which feature prominently in PCT’s top holdings. Alastair addressed the critical question of what market conditions and developments would be necessary to achieve broader market participation beyond these mega-cap technology leaders.

Looking ahead to potential market broadening, Alastair highlighted specific investment opportunities that PCT is particularly excited about. The discussion covered sectors and companies positioned to benefit from a more diversified technology rally and the fund’s strategy for capitalising on these emerging themes.

The podcast delved deep into the artificial intelligence investment theme, examining how returns have been predominantly driven by semiconductor companies and infrastructure providers – the “enablers” of AI. Alastair discussed the fund’s perspective on identifying the next wave of AI “beneficiaries” and highlighted early success stories beyond the traditional “picks and shovels” approach to AI investing.

Drawing on recent earnings from technology giants Meta and Alphabet, the conversation addressed the “incumbent’s dilemma” and the massive AI-related capital expenditure commitments from hyperscale cloud providers. Alastair provided his assessment of whether current spending levels are justified by potential returns and market opportunities.

The discussion explored PCT’s approach to measuring AI market health, including their analysis of AI tokens processed as a key barometer. Alastair explained what tokens represent in the AI ecosystem and outlined other metrics the fund monitors to gauge the sustainable growth of artificial intelligence applications.

A forward-looking segment focused on Alastair’s views on “Agentic AI” as the next significant step toward Artificial General Intelligence. The conversation covered what distinguishes agentic AI systems, their potential applications, and the investment opportunities this evolution presents for technology investors.

The podcast concluded with Alastair’s perspective on the most compelling aspects of investing in the AI era, discussing long-term trends and opportunities that have PCT particularly optimistic about the years ahead in technology investing.

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The UK Investor Magazine was thrilled to welcome Duncan Nyanzi, Founder and CEO of Panda Tech Industries, the world’s first smart credit platform for nightlife, to explore how it’s transforming midweek trade for venues and spending power for students.

With over 200 venues waitlisted and partnerships lined up with UCAS and Dig-In, Panda lets students pay later at bars and pubs, while helping operators boost footfall and revenue.

Now opening to investors via Crowdcube, Panda is beginning to gain traction in a £20Bn market.

We discuss the platform’s go-to-market strategy, unique credit model with SteadyPay, and big plans for scaling across the UK and beyond.

Find out more about Panda here.

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The UK Investor Magazine was thrilled to welcome Majestic Corporation’s Krystal Lai to drill down into the company’s recent annual results and plans for the future.

Krystal starts by outlining Majestic Corporation’s critical minerals recycling business model, detailing the specific forms of waste the company processes, and the precious and non-ferrous metals Majestic returns to the supply.

Majestic Corporation recently reported a 67% increase in full-year revenue – we lift the lid on the company’s financial performance and look forward to what investors can keep an eye out for in the year ahead.

We discuss the massive opportunity in the UK for Majestic’s operations and their plans to accelerate growth in the UK.

Working towards a goal of processing 100,000 tonnes of waste per year by 2030, Majestic has announced plans for a new 50,000 sq. ft. facility in Wrexham, Wales.

Find out more about Majestic here.

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The UK Investor Magazine was thrilled to welcome Iain Pyle, Fund Manager at Shires Income, for a comprehensive discussion about the investment trust that currently provides investors with a 5.3% yield.

This is a podcast for UK equity enthusiasts.

We start by exploring the Shires Income approach to achieving a market-beating yield for investors, touching on the portfolio’s composition and key objectives.

Find out more about Shires Income here.

Shires Income is one of the few UK equity income trusts to trade at a premium recently – we ask Iain what he believes the driving factor behind this is.

Iain naturally moves on to the trust’s screening and the types of stocks the managers seek out for inclusion in the portfolio. We discuss balancing an attractive yield with growth and the key attributes Shires require in their portfolio companies.

Shires Income has a notable weighting to fixed income assets, such as preference shares, and we dedicate a segment to the benefits of holding these assets.

Iain provides a deeply insightful breakdown of a selection of Shire’s portfolio companies, really lifting the lid on their investment thesis and what the team likes about the companies.

Companies covered include Greggs, NatWest, Morgan Sindall and Midwich.

Iain finishes by outlining what excites him the most about the year ahead.

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The UK Investor Magazine was thrilled to welcome Adam Ruddle, Chief Investment Officer of LV Group (Liverpool Victoria), to the podcast to delve into the group’s investment strategy and where it sees opportunities for its portfolios.

This comprehensive discussion explores the current landscape for LV, covering everything from asset allocation strategies to geographic positioning in today’s market environment.

The conversation begins with an overview of what investors can expect from LV portfolios in the current climate. The discussion then delves into the balancing act between fixed income and equities, particularly relevant as stock markets hover near all-time highs.

A significant portion addresses recent market turbulence. Specifically, the conversation covers tactical responses to Trump tariff-related volatility and the practical steps taken to navigate this uncertainty. The geographic focus shifts to the UK market, examining current exposure levels, assets under management allocation, and future development prospects in this key region.

Global positioning takes centre stage as the discussion reveals current over- and underweight positions across different geographies.

We discuss specific investment vehicles. Individual picks such as gold and Nvidia are analysed, providing concrete examples of how broader strategy translates into actual portfolio construction and security selection.

Adam finishes with a forward-looking perspective on the year ahead. Key opportunities are identified and assessed, offering listeners actionable insights into where the most promising prospects may emerge in the coming months.

Find out more about LV here.

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The UK Investor Magazine was delighted to welcome Dan Boardman-Weston, CEO of BRI Wealth Management, back to the podcast for an insightful conversation about UK equities, trade tariffs, interest rates, emerging markets, and asset allocation considerations for the rest of 2025.

This podcast explored the current global economic landscape and investment strategies for the second half of the year.

The discussion focused on the outlook for global growth and its impact on market sentiment, with a particular emphasis on the emerging concept of “resilience” in European and emerging markets.

The conversation examined the concentration risk posed by the “Magnificent Seven” tech stocks dominating US equity gains and explored the need for diversification in a concentrated market environment.

We address immediate market concerns around the upcoming US tariff deadline on July 9th and how clients are positioning their portfolios accordingly.

Dan outlines the potential implications of tariffs on US inflation and whether this could undermine the Federal Reserve’s traditional monetary policy effectiveness and credibility in meeting its dual mandate.

The conversation concluded with recommendations on asset allocation shifts, geographical diversification strategies, and sector-specific opportunities.

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The UK Investor Magazine was delighted to be joined by Fiona Cincotta, Financial Market Analyst at StoneX, to break down the latest developments in markets.

We cover US exceptionalism, AI stocks, oil, EUR/USD, and Bitcoin.

Fiona provides her view on US exceptionalism and how US stocks may perform compared to European stocks in the coming periods. We explore recent volatility and question whether there is an element of complacency creeping into markets.

We run through Bitcoin and crypto markets and look at the factors that could drive prices in Q3 2025. Fiona explains the seasonal impacts on Bitcoin and why this year could be different.

Fiona finishes with her view on the biggest opportunities and risks for the remainder of 2025.

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The UK Investor Magazine was delighted to welcome Christian Marston, COO of Altilium, to delve into the UK clean tech’s specialist EV recycling process and the opportunity for investors.

Explore Altilium on Republic here.

Altilium is a UK clean technology company that recycles old EV batteries into sustainable battery materials, supporting Britain’s transition to net-zero emissions. The firm aims to create a circular economy by recovering critical minerals like lithium, nickel, and graphite from waste streams rather than mining new resources.

Having won investment from SQM, the world’s largest lithium producer, Altilium is gaining the attention of industry leaders and is preparing for the next phase of its journey.

Their EcoCathode™ Process

Altilium’s proprietary green recycling technology transforms used EV batteries and manufacturing waste into high-purity materials needed for new battery production. The process achieves 95% recovery of critical minerals, 99% recovery of graphite, and produces 24% lower emissions compared to conventional recycling methods.

By 2040, the company projects that UK battery recycling could supply half the critical minerals needed for domestic EV production, reducing import dependence and strengthening energy security whilst decarbonising the automotive supply chain.

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The UK Investor Magazine was delighted to be joined by Kevin Limn, CEO of Adsure Services, to delve into the company’s TIAA Insight AI tool.

Learn more about Adsure Services here.

TIAA Insight is Adsure Services’ proprietary artificial intelligence tool designed to improve operational efficiency within their subsidiary, TIAA Ltd, which provides internal audit and business assurance services.

The AI tool is built using a closed-source large language model trained exclusively on TIAA’s own data rather than open internet sources, ensuring privacy and security for their government-funded clients, including emergency services, educational institutions, and housing associations.

The tool forms part of Adsure’s strategy to strengthen its position as the preferred provider to the UK public sector through technological advancement.

Developed with an Innovate UK grant in 2023, TIAA Insight will first enhance internal processes before Adsure potentially explores licensing the software to external parties.

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Tekcapital’s CEO joins the podcast to delve into the company’s annual results and plans to broaden investments in Generative AI.

CEO Dr Clifford Gross starts by running through Tekcapital’s 2024 financial performance and the 40% uplift in the group’s portfolio value.

The conversation quickly moves to generative AI and the company’s plans to make further investments in the sector. Gross outlines and interest in early-stage Agentic AI startups. 

We touch on the autonomous vehicle safety company Guident and preparations for its NASDAQ IPO, framed in the context of the rapid adoption of the technology in the United States.

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