Fidelity Answers | BONUS: Why you can't - and shouldn't - take central bank independence for granted | With Salman Ahmed

Hostilities in the Middle East are grinding into their fifth week and the impact is spreading through the global economy. What can we say about the likely effects on the ground of the shock facing industry around the world, and how should portfolios be positioned? Seb Morton-Clark digs into the details with Fidelity's Head of Equity Research in Europe, Punam Sharma, and fund manager Marcel Stotzel.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The conflict in the Middle East shows no immediate signs of abating, and markets are now pricing in a longer period of instability than had been apparent two weeks ago. Does that derail this year's big market trends? Or is this chiefly a period of short-term volatility to look through? Seb Morton-Clark is joined in the studio by Capital Markets Strategist Carsten Roemheld to analyse views from a range of  Fidelity's investment experts including CIO for Equities Niamh Brodie-Machura, CIO for Fixed Income Marion Le Morhedec, Global Head of Macro Salman Ahmed, and Multi Asset Portfolio Manager George Efstathopolous as they consider the state of the Strait of Hormuz and where next for markets.  Watch the podcast on YouTube Watch the Fidelity webinarSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does the make-up of an audience at a Chinese comedy show tell you? Why is gold the hot new thing amongst Chinese consumers? And how should investors sensibly approach Chinese tech? In the latest episode of The Investor’s Guide to Asia, portfolio managers Nick Price and Cynthia Chen explore all this and more to explore why Chinese equities continue to play a pivotal role in global portfolios. Hosts Taosha Wang and Stuart Rumble guide the conversation, unpacking what long‑term investors need to understand about China’s evolving market dynamics. We also hear from Analyst Bunny Huang, reporting on the ground in Shanghai, where she speaks directly with shoppers about what’s driving their spending habits. And Asia Economist Peiqian Liu joins us fresh from the National Party Congress in China to share her immediate takeaways and what they could mean for the region’s economic outlook. Please note that this podcast was recorded on March 3.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a decade in the doldrums, a perfect storm has driven prices of raw materials higher. In the race to mine, refine, and use them for everything from the energy transition to AI infrastructure, the commodities and industrials companies essential to the process are finally enjoying a moment in the sun. In the latest episode of Fidelity Answers we talk to portfolio managers Oliver Hextall and Ashish Bhardwaj, and analyst Laura Stafford, about how the trend is likely to develop and who is benefitting.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Central bank independence has suddenly become a big issue where, for investors, it matters the most: on US interest rates. In this bonus edition, Fidelity Global Head of Macro Salman Ahmed breaks down the implications for the short and the long term. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens if the Federal Reserve makes good on White House demands for lower interest rates but inflation holds up? Fidelity portfolio managers Becky Qin and Philip Fielding discuss the potential for a period of financial repression in the United States and what it will mean for investors, while Senior Sovereign Analyst Andressa Tezine explains the political risks of an election year in Brazil.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

External shocks and domestic challenges made 2025 a tough year for Indian equities. In the latest episode of The Investor’s Guide to Asia, Fidelity International Investment Director Nitin Mathur discusses the chances of a turnaround in 2026 and why we should focus more on India’s long-term growth story. With Stuart Rumble and Toasha Wang. Additional contributions from Portfolio Manager Terence Tsai and Asia Economist Peiqian Liu.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Surging interest in artificial intelligence has generated huge gains for tech stocks across the world this year. But with the stock market hitting new highs, there are growing concerns that we might be in the midst of an AI bubble. In this bonus edition of the Fidelity Answers podcast Patrick Graham puts four possible flaws in the AI investment case to Terence Tsai, one of Fidelity's portfolio managers who has invested strongly in the boom and therefore one of the people looking hardest for evidence of when it ends. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Demand isn’t the main driver of profitability, supply is. In the latest edition, portfolio managers Fred Sykes and Tom Record look for the money left in the AI boom and places to hide if it goes wrong, while arguing investors should obsess a bit less about GDP growth and macroeconomics.  Plus: analyst Srishti Sinha on the risks to a US power sector flooded with datacentre investment.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s one of this year’s global stock market success stories: South Korean equities are emerging from decades in the shadows as reforms of corporate governance change the way foreign capital sees the Seoul market. With the help of fund managers Jochen Breuer and Lynda Zhou, this month’s podcast investigates whether that surge in confidence is really justified, what else needs to be done for it to continue, and where in the region is also making advances when it comes to shareholder returns.  With additional contributions from Asia Economist Peiqian Liu, who gives us her take on China's 4th plenum, and Analyst JaeMin Shim. Hosted by Stuart Rumble and Toasha Wang.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.