In the Know

Nadine Sarwat (Bernstein’s American & European Beverages Analyst) joins host Diana Wood for a discussion on deglobalization, considered an investment controversy across all sectors. Distillers are at the crux of this debate. Their reliance on protected geographical indication products (PGIs, i.e. spirits that must be produced in a given geography) were once a clear asset. Now they are a potential liability. We explore which companies are most at risk given rising trade tensions. Plus, we discuss Nadine's recent coverage expansion into the European Coca-Cola bottlers, which have proven to be a safe haven in today’s volatile environment.

Global Software Analyst Mark Moerdler joins host Diana Wood to discuss multinational computer technology company, Oracle. We take a look into their story, looking into their transition to the Cloud and how their revenue, margins and earnings were impacted. Plus, we discuss the controversy of the Oracle database, the AI capabilities of Oracle OCI, MultiCloud, and the security offering from Oracle.

Food Packaging Analyst Alexia Howard joins host Diana Wood on the podcast this week for a deep dive into food additives and dyes. Used to enhance flavour, appearance and/or to extend shelf life, some of these substances have been associated with adverse health implications including cancers and behavioural disorders. Alexia walks us through the additives we may find in our kitchen pantry, why they have found their way into our food systems (particularly in the US) – and importantly, which ones to avoid and why.

Neil Beveridge, APAC Oil, Gas & Energy Storage Analyst joins Diana Wood on the podcast this week to discuss CATL, a global leader in new energy innovative technologies and the largest battery maker today. Here, we discuss the basics – who they are, and who their customer base is – and delve into their capacity expansion plans for the future, their biggest competitors and how they think about their supply chain.

US Retailing Analyst Zhihan Ma joins host Sid Malkani this week to unpack multi-billion dollar global retailer Costco, self-described as a “membership warehouse club” and operating in 14 countries.We delve into the history of the club model, and where Costco fits into this strategy – from their unique pricing and branding strategy to the Kirkland brand as a whole. Plus, we look at Costco’s international strategy, and their runway for growth in other markets.

Senior Technology Analyst Boris Van joins Richard Moffat on the podcast this week to discuss the Chinese travel market. As Chinese consumers shift their rapidly growing disposable income towards experiential consumption, we discuss the potential growth of domestic vs. international travel, the competitive tension between travel agents, hotels and airlines, and finish with the material impact on global hotel room demand.

US Energy & Global Natural Resource Analyst Bob Brackett joins host Diana Wood to walk us through his bullish view on the natural gas market. We discuss the two demand drivers that are permanently inflecting, and the supply squeeze that we cannot ignore, as well as geopolitical factors and the evolving landscape in the US.

Diana Wood hosts US Semiconductor Analyst Stacy Rasgon for a topical episode surrounding DeepSeek, a Chinese artificial intelligence company who have had an ‘AI mic drop’ moment, causing a major stir in the markets. In this episode, Stacy provides an update on the ‘latest and greatest’ in the world of AI, plus we delve into who DeepSeek are, the initial reactions, and what this may mean for Open AI and the industry at large.

Once the hottest start-up and a notorious cash-burn business, Uber has now emerged as a scaled and profitable Internet platform. US Internet Analyst Nikhil Devnani joins host Sid Malkani on the podcast this week to discuss Uber, the category-defining app.We dig into its history and evolution into a global and multi-category on-demand network. Today, Uber faces its next big transition phase to an increasingly autonomous network as driverless cars are finally here. We touch on what these inventions mean for Uber and how the company might navigate this future.