The OMFIF Podcast

Gold and the future of the global reserve currency system

Michael Kitson, assistant director of the Centre for Business Research at the University of Cambridge, and Tatiana Fic, director of central banks and public policy at the World Gold Council, join Pierre Ortlieb, economist at OMFIF,  to discuss the state of the gold market and the internationalisation of the renminbi. They talk about the long-term future of the global reserve currency system, the political economy of capital account liberalisation, and the drivers behind central bank demand for gold.

 

Music: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music

Impact investing: Promoting a universal standard

The appetite for impact investing is growing. But in the past, the financial industry has lacked common standards for monitoring and measuring impact investments. This has affected the ability to identify good investment practices, avoid ‘green washing,’ and enable comparability across projects.

Neil Gregory, chief thought leadership officer at the International Finance Corporation, the private sector arm of the World Bank and the largest global development bank focused on the private sector in emerging markets, joins Katie-Ann Wilson, programmes manager for emerging markets at OMFIF, to discuss impact investing. They outline how the Operating Principles for Impact Management aims to address the bottlenecks in the market, the market size, what distinguishes impact investing from other forms of sustainable finance and the converging of impact investing measurement tools.

For more information on signing up to the Operating Principles for Impact Management, click here.

The IFC's report on impact investing is available here.

 

 

Music: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music

Andrew Adonis on the UK election and Brexit: ‘Watch the policy, not the rhetoric.’

Andrew Adonis, Labour peer in the House of Lords and cabinet minister between 2005-10 under Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, speaks to OMFIF Chairman David Marsh. They discuss whether the result of the UK general election was inevitable, the issue of ‘uniting your party’, and the future of Labour. They address how Boris Johnson will try to unite the North and South of England, trade negotiations with the European Union, and the prime minister’s new-found freedom from Brexit hardliners.

 

Music: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music

Fed Talk: Rates remain on hold

In its December decision, the Federal Open Market Committee kept interest rates on hold. This was a widely expected move after three rate cuts earlier this year. Beyond the rate decision, people were most interested in the tone of the statement issued and whether the outlook for 2020 will be dovish, hawkish or neutral. Daniel Tenengauzer, head of markets strategy and insights at Bank of New York Mellon, joins Mark Sobel, US chairman of OMFIF, to discuss the rate decision and prospects for 2020.

 

Music: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music

Synopsis: A critical Federal Reserve quandary, the future of Chinese growth, and the ECB under Christine Lagarde

In this episode of Synopsis, OMFIF’s weekly roundup of news and analysis, Senior Editor Julian Frazer looks back over the most recent articles published on the OMFIF website, including those on a critical policy-making quandary at the Federal Reserve, the future of Chinese growth, and what to expect from the European Central Bank under President Christine Lagarde. To receive our newsletters, visit https://thinktank.omfif.org/subscribe.

Articles and other items referenced:

1. Fed’s enduring target rate debacle
2. Five ways to advance on climate change
3. Volcker and Nölling: Benevolently independent
4. Ahead of the ECB

Music: Hey Mercy by Pierce Murphy is licensed under an Attribution License.

Ahead of the ECB: Forecasting Lagarde’s direction

Frederik Ducrozet, strategist, at Pictet Wealth Management, joins Danae Kyriakopoulou, chief economist and director of research at OMFIF, to discuss what to expect from the European Central Bank’s next monetary policy meeting and Lagarde’s direction for the ECB. They cover stylistic changes in communication with the public and markets, internal changes to decision making, as well as the timing of the strategic review and what may come of it.

 

Music: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music

Synopsis: European green policy, cutting the ECB inflation target, and signs pointing to a global recession

In this episode of Synopsis, OMFIF’s weekly roundup of news and analysis, Senior Editor Julian Frazer looks back over the most recent articles published on the OMFIF website, including those on the possibility of a green policy realignment in Europe after the UK general election, why the European Central Bank should not cut its inflation target, and the various signs that point to an impending global recession. To receive our newsletters,visit https://thinktank.omfif.org/subscribe.

Articles and other items referenced:

1. Europe reset on climate change
2. Cutting ECB inflation target ill-advised
3. Signs point to global recession
4. Kenneth Clarke speaks with David Marsh about Brexit and the UK general election

Music: Hey Mercy by Pierce Murphy is licensed under an Attribution License.

Listen on iTunes or Spotify.

Synopsis: Federal Reserve communications, UK party manifestos, Trump's troubled relationship with the dollar

In this episode of Synopsis, OMFIF’s weekly roundup of news and analysis, Senior Editor Julian Frazer looks back over the most recent articles published on the OMFIF website, including those on the virtues and shortcomings of the Federal Reserve's financial stability reports, the manifestos presented by Britain's biggest political parties in the run up to the 12 December general election, and Donald Trump's vexed relationship with his currency. To receive our newsletters,visit https://thinktank.omfif.org/subscribe.

Articles and other items referenced:

1. New Fed reports fall short on risks
2. Statism v. 'safety first' in UK election
3. Mighty dollar maddens Trump
4. What is driving increased gold demand?
5. Paris roundtable on making Europe competitive
6. London seminar on central bank supervisory technology
7. New York meeting on Asia's economic priorities for 2020

Music: Hey Mercy by Pierce Murphy is licensed under an Attribution License.

Listen on iTunes or Spotify.

Kenneth Clarke on the UK general election

Kenneth Clarke, a Conservative member of parliament for 49 years and the UK’s chancellor of the exchequer between 1993-97, speaks with OMFIF Chairman David Marsh in the run-up to the 12 December general election. They discuss the surreal circumstances that have changed the face of British politics since the Brexit referendum in June 2016, Jeremy Corbyn’s tenure as leader of the Labour party, and how Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson might conduct future negotiations with the European Union.

 

 

Music: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music

The gold market: What is driving increased demand?

Juan Carlos Artigas, director of investment research at the World Gold Council, joins Pierre Ortlieb, economist at OMFIF, to discuss recent developments in the gold market, as well as its future outlook. They pore over whether gold is becoming more pro-cyclical, the nature of central bank gold demand, and tools available to properly analyse the market.

 

Music: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music