The Master Investor Podcast with Wilfred Frost

In this rare extended interview, Wilf sits down with the famed market contrarian and man who coined the phrase "Magnificent Seven", Bank of America’s Chief Investment Strategist Michael Hartnett. Hartnett unpacks the structural forces reshaping markets this decade, from ballooning fiscal spending and nominal growth, to the massive rotation away from sovereign debt. He explains why the AI trade now faces a twin threat: bond market discipline on Wall Street and pushback from voters on Main Street. 

From the Mag 7 shifting from cash-flow machines to spending $1.2 trillion on CapEx, to the historical warning signs from the 1880s railroad boom and the 1990s dot-com bubble, Hartnett provides an unvarnished playbook for navigating today's market regime. 

Hartnett breaks down the reasons why the equity market has not yet collapsed in the face of spiking bond yields and the importance of the Fed reestablishing its credibility. “Central Banks never run out of ammunition, but they can run out of credibility. The Fed has now been forced to do things to restore its credibility. I think that they're panicking and I think that they'll win.”

He reflects on the lessons learned from past stock market bubbles – with particular focus on the Railroad and Nifty50 bubbles which he feels have similarities to today – and answers the question of what pops a bubble? Bonds and social upheaval – which is why he is so focused on the midterms which he feels could derail the AI trade.

Finally – the ultimate contrarian – he explains why he lives by the mantra "Buy Humiliation, Sell Hubris" – revealing and explaining the contrarian trades you should have exposure to – certain bonds, China, small caps and real estate. 

 

Recorded 23rd September 2026

 

Watch the full episode on The Master Investor Podcast YouTube channel

 

And follow @WilfredFrost on X and Linked In

 

Sponsored by BNY Investments, Interactive Brokers - ibkr.com/masterinvestor, The World Gold Council and London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG). 

 

The Master Investor Podcast is produced by Paradine Productions, Master Investor Ltd in association with Bird Lime Media.

 

This podcast is for information purposes only. It does not constitute an invitation or inducement to engage in any investment activity. It is not a financial promotion as defined under section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (FSMA). The views expressed by the presenter of this podcast are those of the presenter and are provided in the course of journalism. This podcast benefits from the exemption under Article 20 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (FPO), It does not require approval by a person authorised under the FSMA. Generic information, not identifying any specific investment, fund, provider or service, about a class of investments such as shares, bonds, derivatives and cryptoassets, might be provided and/or discussed during this podcast. Such discussion falls within the generic promotions exemption (Article 17 of the FPO). Such discussion is not a financial promotion requiring approval by an authorised person under section 21 of the FSMA. Investing involves risk. You should consult a suitably qualified adviser who can assess your individual circumstances before making any investment decision.

What happens if the invisible system feeding and fuelling our planet suddenly breaks down?

In this episode of The Master Investor Podcast, Wilfred Frost sits down with Ed Conway, Economics & Data Editor at Sky News and bestselling author of Material World and Trade World.

Drawing on Ed’s latest book, Trade World, they explore the enormous importance - and growing fragility - of global trade, and why the hyper-efficient, just-in-time supply chains that have delivered decades of cheap goods are increasingly vulnerable to tariffs, geopolitical friction and war. 

Ed offers some stark warnings about what could happen if the global trading system begins to break down:

“So if we were to have a kind of breakdown in global trading system, God forbid, it would make the Global Financial Crisis look like a walk in the park because this is everything.”

And, looking at the growing tensions between major powers:

“It's not implausible that if things go south from here, people will look back and say this was the foothills for another world war.”

At the same time, the fact that the stakes are so high and the world is so integrated encourages him that the cost of escalating conflicts and diminishing trade would far outweigh the upside for world leaders. He also unpacks the ingenuity of trade middlemen who have ensured a resilience to world trade such that while oil prices have risen this year, they haven’t risen as much as worst estimates.

“Trade doesn't just stop when a trade barrier is put in place. It adapts and it evolves - it’s like water - it’s very difficult to stop it from finding a level.”

They also explore why established industries so often push back against new technologies and innovation; the extraordinary moment in history when technological progress delivered an even greater economic transformation than AI; and why global yields have reached multi-decade highs, how hedge funds are driving the gilt market, and the mechanics behind ending QT. 

#EdConway ’s new book, Trade World, is available now in the UK and will be released in the US next May.

 

0:00 Intro

3:21 Why high bond yields?

8:08 QT arrives in UK

13:55 TRADE WORLD

20:03 Wool & Cotton – AI of their day

24:25 Opposition to innovation

30:56 Cotton – greater exponential growth than AI

37:10 Russia biggest exporter of grains

40:00 Protectionism not new

46:39 Fragile or Resilient global economy?

51:48 Recession chances

54:06 Foothills of WW3?

59:30 Wonders of world trade

Check out our podcast channel The Master Investor Podcast YouTube channel

 

And follow @WilfredFrost on X and Linked In

 

Sponsored by BNY Investments, Interactive Brokers - ibkr.com/masterinvestor, The World Gold Council and London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG). 

 

The Master Investor Podcast is produced by Paradine Productions, Master Investor Ltd in association with Bird Lime Media.

 

This podcast is for information purposes only. It does not constitute an invitation or inducement to engage in any investment activity. It is not a financial promotion as defined under section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (FSMA). The views expressed by the presenter of this podcast are those of the presenter and are provided in the course of journalism. This podcast benefits from the exemption under Article 20 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (FPO), It does not require approval by a person authorised under the FSMA. Generic information, not identifying any specific investment, fund, provider or service, about a class of investments such as shares, bonds, derivatives and cryptoassets, might be provided and/or discussed during this podcast. Such discussion falls within the generic promotions exemption (Article 17 of the FPO). Such discussion is not a financial promotion requiring approval by an authorised person under section 21 of the FSMA. Investing involves risk. You should consult a suitably qualified adviser who can assess your individual circumstances before making any investment decision.

Thomas Peterffy is worth well over $100bn, making him one of the 20 wealthiest people in the world. He is a markets titan and the founder of Interactive Brokers, and joins Wilf on this week’s episode of The Master Investor Podcast.

He breaks down how Interactive Brokers has grown both earnings and its share price by around 40% per year over the past five years, driven by its focus on building the products its customers want. He explains why he remains calm about the rise in bond yields, believes the Fed will hike rates, and disagrees with that decision.

Peterffy is optimistic about AI, arguing that fears of a Hindenburg moment are overstated and that AI will overwhelmingly boost the economy and stock market. He points to companies such as Nvidia, which he believes are “cheap” when their earnings growth is taken into account.

Wilf and Thomas also discuss prediction markets at length. Peterffy boldly predicts that they will eventually account for the majority of Interactive Brokers’ earnings, explaining the decade-long thinking behind his forecast, including his attempt to buy Kalshi five years ago.

Most strikingly, Peterffy reveals the deeply personal rationale behind his massive land holdings across the United States. Drawing on his childhood in communist Hungary, he puts the probability of capitalism faltering in America at 20% and explains why he sees physical land - rather than gold - as the ultimate generational hedge.

Check out our podcast channel The Master Investor Podcast YouTube channel

 

And follow @WilfredFrost on X and Linked In

 

Sponsored by BNY Investments, Interactive Brokers - ibkr.com/masterinvestor, The World Gold Council and London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG). 

 

The Master Investor Podcast is produced by Paradine Productions, Master Investor Ltd in association with Bird Lime Media.

 

This podcast is for information purposes only. It does not constitute an invitation or inducement to engage in any investment activity. It is not a financial promotion as defined under section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (FSMA). The views expressed by the presenter of this podcast are those of the presenter and are provided in the course of journalism. This podcast benefits from the exemption under Article 20 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (FPO), It does not require approval by a person authorised under the FSMA. Generic information, not identifying any specific investment, fund, provider or service, about a class of investments such as shares, bonds, derivatives and cryptoassets, might be provided and/or discussed during this podcast. Such discussion falls within the generic promotions exemption (Article 17 of the FPO). Such discussion is not a financial promotion requiring approval by an authorised person under section 21 of the FSMA. Investing involves risk. You should consult a suitably qualified adviser who can assess your individual circumstances before making any investment decision.

This week on The Master Investor Podcast, Wilfred Frost sits down with one of the world’s foremost commodities experts, Jeff Currie. After nearly three decades building and leading commodities research at Goldman Sachs, Currie shares an unvarnished masterclass on why we are only in the "second or third inning of nine" of a generational commodity supercycle that will see hard assets crush tech and the dollar this decade.

At the heart of Currie’s thesis is a simple but radical shift: mounting sovereign debt, financial repression and the debasement of currencies will drive investors away from traditional financial assets and towards gold, energy, agriculture and other hard assets.

Currie explains his bold $10,000 gold forecast, why he would rather own gold than the dollar or pound sterling, and why central banks - particularly in emerging markets - are continuing to de-dollarize and accumulate gold. He reveals why he favours his “Munificent Seven” energy giants over tech’s Magnificent Seven - Exxon Mobil, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, BP, Shell, Total and Saudi Aramco - and explains why agriculture, uranium, critical minerals and other physical assets could all benefit from the same structural forces.

He also offers a sharp critique of Bitcoin and crypto, and explains why he believes digital ledger technology is better suited to AI agents than humans.

From the Iran War and extreme weather to droughts, El Niño and intervention in the bond market, Currie explains why the events of 2026 have only strengthened his conviction - and why he believes the great rotation into hard assets is still in its early stages.

0:00 Intro

2:23 Yields rising

4:00 Bessent intervention is financial repression 

7:36 OWN GOLD

13:08 Not worried about gold pullback

18:36 Energy over Tech

23:30 Watch Diesel

27:02 China buying crude again

29:23 Crude reserves low 

30:19 Recession risk underpriced 

34:53 “Munificent 7”

36:53 Ag commods exploding

41:22 Buy any commod pullback

44:20 Recession risk to commods?

47:00 History suggests still early for commods

49:10 Iran hugely boosts commods bull case

52:43 Bearish Bitcoin

55:28 Post Goldman - Real Macro 

56:50 Conclusion - Own all commodities 

 

Check out our podcast channel The Master Investor Podcast YouTube channel

 

And follow @WilfredFrost on X and Linked In

 

Sponsored by BNY Investments, Interactive Brokers - ibkr.com/masterinvestor, The World Gold Council and London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG). 

 

The Master Investor Podcast is produced by Paradine Productions, Master Investor Ltd in association with Bird Lime Media.

 

This podcast is for information purposes only. It does not constitute an invitation or inducement to engage in any investment activity. It is not a financial promotion as defined under section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (FSMA). The views expressed by the presenter of this podcast are those of the presenter and are provided in the course of journalism. This podcast benefits from the exemption under Article 20 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (FPO), It does not require approval by a person authorised under the FSMA. Generic information, not identifying any specific investment, fund, provider or service, about a class of investments such as shares, bonds, derivatives and cryptoassets, might be provided and/or discussed during this podcast. Such discussion falls within the generic promotions exemption (Article 17 of the FPO). Such discussion is not a financial promotion requiring approval by an authorised person under section 21 of the FSMA. Investing involves risk. You should consult a suitably qualified adviser who can assess your individual circumstances before making any investment decision.

This week on The Master Investor Podcast, Wilfred Frost sits down with Liz Ann Sonders, Chief Investment Strategist at Charles Schwab, which oversees $13.4 trillion in client assets.

Liz Ann begins with the surge in global bond yields and the growing tension between Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and the Federal Reserve. She argues that rising yields don't necessarily spell trouble for equities - provided the move remains orderly - and highlights 5% on the US 10-year Treasury as an important level to watch.

She believes that Kevin Warsh and the Fed will have more impact than Scott Bessent and the Treasury, and ultimately believes Warsh, who she knows personally, is still a hawk at heart wanting to limit inflation, and expects a rate hike soon. She also examines what history tells us about equity-market performance during Fed hiking cycles, arguing that the key question is whether the Fed takes the "escalator or the elevator" approach to raising rates.

The conversation then turns to the AI trade and the growing concentration of earnings growth among a small group of mega-cap companies. Liz Ann warns of a coming inflection point, which still accounts for a disproportionately large share of overall SP500 earnings growth, and thus carry significant risk, but points to the significant opportunities in the market broadening out, which has already begun to happen. 

Ultimately, Liz Ann believes there is plenty of opportunity still in US equities and warns against trying to time the market in the short term. 

 

0:00 Intro
3:20 Rising yields on stocks
5:45 Speed of rise key
7:32 Stock v Bond correlations
11:40 Fed beats Treasury 
17:20 Warsh will hike
22:05 Growth is key & at risk
26:58 AI earnings growth peaking?
31:32 Mag7 earnings concentration 
35:15 SP500 valuations
37:50 Mag7 already underperforming 
41:20 More rotation to come 
44:00 Mid terms
46:30 Wealth effect impact
50:01 Still constructive equities LT
Check out our podcast channel The Master Investor Podcast YouTube channel

 

And follow @WilfredFrost on X and Linked In

 

Sponsored by BNY Investments, Interactive Brokers - ibkr.com/masterinvestor, The World Gold Council and London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG). 

 

The Master Investor Podcast is produced by Paradine Productions, Master Investor Ltd in association with Bird Lime Media.

 

This podcast is for information purposes only. It does not constitute an invitation or inducement to engage in any investment activity. It is not a financial promotion as defined under section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (FSMA). The views expressed by the presenter of this podcast are those of the presenter and are provided in the course of journalism. This podcast benefits from the exemption under Article 20 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (FPO), It does not require approval by a person authorised under the FSMA. Generic information, not identifying any specific investment, fund, provider or service, about a class of investments such as shares, bonds, derivatives and cryptoassets, might be provided and/or discussed during this podcast. Such discussion falls within the generic promotions exemption (Article 17 of the FPO). Such discussion is not a financial promotion requiring approval by an authorised person under section 21 of the FSMA. Investing involves risk. You should consult a suitably qualified adviser who can assess your individual circumstances before making any investment decision.