Episodes

Talk Your Book: Finding Small Cap Diamonds in the Rough
Aug. 26, 2024

Talk Your Book: Finding Small Cap Diamonds in the Rough

On today's show, we spoke with Brandon Nelson, Senior Portfolio Manager for Calamos to discuss Calamos' favorite small cap sectors, why small caps have flown under the radar, understanding the relationship between momentum an...
Talk Your Book: Alt Goes Mainstream with Michael Sidgmore
Aug. 24, 2024

Talk Your Book: Alt Goes Mainstream with Michael Sidgmore

On today's show, we are joined by Michael Sidgmore, Partner and Co-Founder of Broadhaven Ventures to discuss all things Alternatives, how that world has changed in recent years, why financial advisors in the RIA channel is su...
Inflation or Price Gouging? (EP.374)
Aug. 21, 2024

Inflation or Price Gouging? (EP.374)

On episode 374 of Animal Spirits, Michael Batnick and Ben Carlson discuss: what an average year in the stock market looks like, Seinfeld on consumers, why inflation is such a tricky concept, millennials are richer than you th...
Talk Your Book: Quality Growth Investing
Aug. 19, 2024

Talk Your Book: Quality Growth Investing

On today's show, we are joined by Kevin Walkush, Portfolio Manager at Jensen Investment Management to discuss what quality means to Jensen, why META was removed from the portfolio, thoughts on AI and tech bubbles, the most ex...
Boomers vs. Millennials (EP.373)
Aug. 14, 2024

Boomers vs. Millennials (EP.373)

On episode 373 of Animal Spirits, Michael Batnick and Ben Carlson discuss: a history of stock market flash crashes, the end of the travel boom, why the economy is finally softening, how to predict a recession, how many househ...
Talk Your Book: Back to the Futures Market
Aug. 12, 2024

Talk Your Book: Back to the Futures Market

On today's show, we are joined by Jerry Prior III, COO & Senior Portfolio Manager of Mount Lucas Management to discuss what managed futures are, how portfolios can benefit from them, how managed futures are handling the Japan...
Flash Crash or Recession? (EP.372)
Aug. 7, 2024

Flash Crash or Recession? (EP.372)

On episode 372 of Animal Spirits, Michael Batnick and Ben Carlson discuss: market mayhem, Japan's 1987 crash moment, Jerome Powell's legacy game at Jackson Hole, recession worries, the worst asset class for the next decade, t...
Talk Your Book: The Housing Market with Mike Simonsen
Aug. 5, 2024

Talk Your Book: The Housing Market with Mike Simonsen

On today's Talk Your Book, we are joined by Mike Simonsen , Founder and President of real estate analytics firm Altos Research to discuss how easy to access real estate data has affected buyers, the effects rates have on buye...
How to Pick the Winners (EP.371)
July 31, 2024

How to Pick the Winners (EP.371)

On episode 371 of Animal Spirits, Michael Batnick and Ben Carlson discuss: how small cap stocks got so cheap, how to improve your chances of outperforming the market, why investors are rushing into bonds, Americans make more ...
Talk Your Book: Investing in BlackRock's Mega Forces
July 29, 2024

Talk Your Book: Investing in BlackRock's Mega Forces

On today's show, we are joined by Jay Jacobs, U.S. Head of Thematic and Active ETFs to discuss BlackRock's favorite Mega Force themes to invest in, investing in the reshoring theme, IBIT trading volume, the Ethereum ETF launc...
Talk Your Book: Investing in Corporate Culture
July 27, 2024

Talk Your Book: Investing in Corporate Culture

On today's show, Michael Batnick and Ben Carlson are joined by Kristof Gleich of Harbor Capital and Scott Colson of Irrational Capital to discuss how the Human Capital Factor was discovered, what is being measured to quantify...
Living the Dream (EP.370)
July 24, 2024

Living the Dream (EP.370)

On episode 370 of Animal Spirits, Michael Batnick and Ben Carlson discuss: why the stock market doesn't care who the president is, the U.S. stock market is having a boring year, the biggest winners in stock market history, th...
Talk Your Book: Future Proof 2024
July 20, 2024

Talk Your Book: Future Proof 2024

On today's show, we spoke with Matt Middleton, Founder and CEO of Future Proof to discuss changes and updates to Future Proof 2024, breakthru meetings and experiences, the updated fintech demo alley, who should attend Future ...
Fast Food Inflation (EP.369)
July 17, 2024

Fast Food Inflation (EP.369)

On episode 369 of Animal Spirits, Michael Batnick and Ben Carlson discuss: the two types of Fed rate cuts, a positive outcome from high inflation, the stock market was right again, the number of millionaires worldwide, Wingst...
Talk Your Book: Trend Following with Eric Crittenden
July 15, 2024

Talk Your Book: Trend Following with Eric Crittenden

On today's show, Ben Carlson and Michael Batnick spoke with Eric Crittenden, CIO of Standpoint Asset Management to discuss adjusting for bias within data analysis, defining holding periods for trend following strategies, mult...
Buying a House at the Top of the Market (EP.368)
July 10, 2024

Buying a House at the Top of the Market (EP.368)

On episode 368 of Animal Spirits, Michael Batnick and Ben Carlson discuss: why the stock market never really changes, why this is the hardest it's ever been to beat the market, the travel boom rolls on, Boomers are having fun...
Talk Your Book: Public and Private Market Credit Opportunities
July 9, 2024

Talk Your Book: Public and Private Market Credit Opportunities

On today's show, Ben Carlson and Michael Batnick are joined by Ben Santonelli, Lead Portfolio Manager of Polen Capital 's Credit Opportunities Strategy to discuss how interval funds work, navigating interest rate increases wi...
Talk Your Book: Why We Don't Build Enough Houses
July 6, 2024

Talk Your Book: Why We Don't Build Enough Houses

On today's show, Ben Carlson and Michael Batnick are joined by Coby Lefkowitz , Partner at Backyard to discuss why homebuilding has slowed, why building houses has become such a complex process, thoughts on start-up cities, P...
Living Paycheck-to-Paycheck (EP.367)
July 3, 2024

Living Paycheck-to-Paycheck (EP.367)

On episode 367 of Animal Spirits, Michael Batnick and Ben Carlson discuss: U.S. domination of the world stock market, how credit spreads work, how the 401k revolution changed the stock market, Americans are rich, an economic ...
Talk Your Book: Income Outcome Investing
July 1, 2024

Talk Your Book: Income Outcome Investing

On today's show, Ben Carlson and Michael Batnick are joined by Hamilton Reiner, Managing Director, Portfolio Manager, and Head of US Equity Derivatives at JPM Asset Management to discuss active strategies combined with option...
Who Owns the Stock Market? (EP.366)
June 26, 2024

Who Owns the Stock Market? (EP.366)

On episode 366 of Animal Spirits, Michael Batnick and Ben Carlson discuss: the biggest difference between bull and bear markets, cyclical vs. secular bull markets, what's wrong with Europe, Gen Z is obsessed with the stock ma...
Talk Your Book: Growth Stock Concentration
June 24, 2024

Talk Your Book: Growth Stock Concentration

On today's show, Ben Carlson and Michael Batnick are live from Charleston, joined by Kathleen McCarragher, a Portfolio Manager for Jennison Associates and Harbor Capital to discuss market concentration within the S&P 500, how...
The Fed Needs to Cut (EP.365)
June 19, 2024

The Fed Needs to Cut (EP.365)

On episode 365 of Animal Spirits, Michael Batnick and Ben Carlson discuss: why it's finally time for the Fed to cut rates, when valuations will matter again, the best hedges against an AI boom-bust cycle, what would cause hou...
Talk Your Book: A $20 Trillion Dollar Market Opportunity
June 17, 2024

Talk Your Book: A $20 Trillion Dollar Market Opportunity

On today's show, we are joined again by Bob Long, CEO of StepStone Private Wealth to discuss the basics of private credit, how the Dodd-Frank Act affected the banking industry, what types of deals StepStone is pursuing, why p...