Unhedged

It's high noon for Paramount Studios, one of the most legendary names in Hollywood. In one corner, Wall Street and private equity. In the other corner, talented producer David Ellison, head of Skydance. OK, to be fair, he’s partnering with private equity, too. Today on the show, we break down the boss battle for Paramount with deals editor James Fontanella-Khan. Also we talk about sports.For a free 30-day trial to the Unhedged newsletter go to: https://www.ft.com/unhedgedofferYou can email Katie Martin at katie.martin@ft.com.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

The annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway this past weekend was a celebration of Warren Buffett’s unparalleled record and his legendary charm. Today on the show, FT correspondents Katie Martin and Robert Armstrong talk about recent investments in energy stocks, Apple and the ultimate question: succession. Also, we invent a new festival – TrackerFest – and short Shell’s climate credit shenanigans. For a free 30-day trial to the Unhedged newsletter go to: https://www.ft.com/unhedgedofferYou can email Katie Martin at katie.martin@ft.com.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

The Federal Reserve this week chose to hold interest rates unchanged. But inflation still continues to outpace its 2 per cent target. Today on the show, capital markets correspondent Kate Duguid joins us to ask if the US central bank is making the wrong decisions, and what options they have. Also, we short Starbucks and dissect Ray Dalio's bet on civil war. For a free 30-day trial to the Unhedged newsletter go to: https://www.ft.com/unhedgedofferYou can email Katie Martin at katie.martin@ft.com. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

The American economy is strong — and the dollar is extremely expensive. Today on the show, we talk about how the strong dollar affects the rest of the world, pressuring importers, benefitting manufacturers, and causing capital to flow into the United States. Also we go long McDonald’s and long the British pub. For a free 30-day trial to the Unhedged newsletter go to: https://www.ft.com/unhedgedofferYou can email Katie Martin at katie.martin@ft.com. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

The FT’s Rob Armstrong sits down with Tim Harford, host of the podcast Cautionary Tales, to discuss Ponzi schemes, how they spiral out of control and what differentiates them from bubbles — and from Amazon. Plus, we go long pyramid schemes and short, as usual, crypto. For a free 30-day trial to the Unhedged newsletter go to: https://www.ft.com/unhedgedofferCheck out Tim’s podcast, Cautionary Tales, and the full story on Sam Israel’s Ponzi scheme here.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Diamond output by the mining giant De Beers is down 23% this quarter. Demand is slowing as a bounce from the coronavirus pandemic wears off and synthetic diamonds eat into market share. Today on the show, we try to understand the market for diamonds. Also, we go short Charles Dickens in the theatre and short UK weather. For a free 30-day trial to the Unhedged newsletter go to: https://www.ft.com/unhedgedofferYou can email Katie Martin at katie.martin@ft.com. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com