The Bid

On September 14th, a series of airstrikes hit two Saudi Arabian energy facilities. It was the most significant attack on energy infrastructure in decades – but markets didn’t seem to think so. So why was the reaction so muted?On this episode of The Bid, Amer Bisat, Head of Emerging Market and Sovereign Alpha, sheds some light on the mystery: what happened, why it happened and what comes next. He also provides his take on Turkey’s military invasion of Syria and recent elections in Argentina.  This material is for informational purposes and is prepared by BlackRock, is not intended to be relied upon as a forecast, research or investment advice, and is not a recommendation, offer or solicitation to buy or sell any securities or to adopt any investment strategy. The opinions expressed are as of date of publication and are subject to change. The information and opinions contained in this material are derived from proprietary and nonproprietary sources deemed by BlackRock to be reliable and are not guaran

For the past 10 years, investors have been riding a bull market – a stock market that’s on the rise – in the U.S. But ripples are showing beneath the surface, from trade and geopolitical tensions to changing demographics around the world.But according to Rick Rieder, Chief Investment Officer for Global Fixed Income and Head of Global Allocation, there’s still a lot to be excited about. On this episode of The Bid, Rick talks about why he doesn’t see a recession in the near future, why we’re underestimating the impact of technology and the secret to sleeping just four hours per night.In the U.S., this material is intended for public distribution. In the UK this is issued by BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited, authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered office: 12 Throgmorton Avenue, London, EC2N 2DL. Tel: +44 (0)20 7743 3000. Registered in England and Wales No. 2020394. For your protection, telephone calls are usually recorded. BlackRock is a trading name of

It was the bubble to rival all bubbles. In March of 2000, the tech-heavy Nasdaq stock index hit its dot-com era peak. But by the fall of 2002, it was nearly all gone, alongside many of tech’s unicorn companies. It would take 15 years for the Nasdaq to reclaim its losses, and today tells a different story. Tech stocks are back in the headlines as the sector to keep an eye on. On this episode of The Bid, Tony Kim, portfolio manager for Fundamental Active Equity, discusses what makes today different from history, and why tech is still a breeding ground for innovation.In the U.S., this material is intended for public distribution. In the UK this is issued by BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited, authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered office: 12 Throgmorton Avenue, London, EC2N 2DL. Tel: +44 (0)20 7743 3000. Registered in England and Wales No. 2020394. For your protection, telephone calls are usually recorded. BlackRock is a trading name of BlackRock Inv

Nearly one in six people worldwide don’t have the physical documentation they need to access healthcare, housing or to vote. But what if our identities were completely digitized? It’d be just one of the many ways that blockchain could enter our daily lives.The hype for blockchain has simmered compared to past euphoria – but there’s still a lot to look forward to. On this episode of The Bid, BlackRock’s blockchain lead, Robbie Mitchnick, walks through the evolution of blockchain and cryptoassets and discusses what’s next.This material is for informational purposes and is prepared by BlackRock, is not intended to be relied upon as a forecast, research or investment advice, and is not a recommendation, offer or solicitation to buy or sell any securities or to adopt any investment strategy. The opinions expressed are as of date of publication and are subject to change. The information and opinions contained in this material are derived from proprietary and nonproprietary sources deemed by BlackRock to be reliable

From New York to new players like Denver and Seattle, cities are growing and developing by the second. Brick and mortar stores are being replaced by e-commerce, e-commerce companies are actually opening brick and mortar locations, and co-working and co-living spaces are becoming the norm. On this episode of The Bid, Ben Young, Head of U.S. Real Estate, discusses the three biggest disruptors to real estate and how they shape how we live and work.This material is for informational purposes and is prepared by BlackRock, is not intended to be relied upon as a forecast, research or investment advice, and is not a recommendation, offer or solicitation to buy or sell any securities or to adopt any investment strategy. The opinions expressed are as of date of publication and are subject to change. The information and opinions contained in this material are derived from proprietary and nonproprietary sources deemed by BlackRock to be reliable and are not guaranteed as to accuracy or completeness. This material ma

Movies can tell us a lot about how our society is changing and progressing. Since Jurassic Park came out, the cost of mapping a human genome has drop 99.9% from $14 million to just $1,000. And since The Terminator, robots have become a $15 trillion market worldwide.The topics of science fiction have now become science fact. Megatrends are changing the trajectory of the global economy by shifting societies’ priorities, driving innovation and redefining business models. On this episode of The Bid, Evy Hambro, Global Head of Thematic and Sector investing, discusses the five megatrends that are shifting how we live and work.This material is for informational purposes and is prepared by BlackRock, is not intended to be relied upon as a forecast, research or investment advice, and is not a recommendation, offer or solicitation to buy or sell any securities or to adopt any investment strategy. The opinions expressed are as of date of publication and are subject to change. The information and opinions contained in th

A home goods store started selling a bread machine. When the bread machine first came out, sales were – perhaps unsurprisingly – slow. But then, they released a deluxe version that was 50% more expensive. Suddenly, the original started flying off the shelves.When it comes to money, our irrationalities – our biases – impact more than just our purchasing behavior. They also impact our investment decisions. On this episode of The Bid, Emily Haisley, Head of Behavioral Finance within Risk & Quantitative Analytics, discusses why understanding and tackling our biases can help us become smarter investors.This material is for informational purposes and is prepared by BlackRock, is not intended to be relied upon as a forecast, research or investment advice, and is not a recommendation, offer or solicitation to buy or sell any securities or to adopt any investment strategy. The opinions expressed are as of date of publication and are subject to change. The information and opinions contained in this material are der

When was the last time you bought a shirt you didn’t need, just because it was on sale? Or you drank a $5 coffee when there was cheaper coffee across the street? People are irrational, despite our best efforts otherwise, particularly when it comes to money.On this episode of The Bid, Dan Ariely, behavioral economist, professor at Duke University, and co-founder of Common Cents Lab, speaks about what makes us irrational, and how behavioral economics can help us tackle big issues like savings and retirement. This material is for informational purposes and is prepared by BlackRock, is not intended to be relied upon as a forecast, research or investment advice, and is not a recommendation, offer or solicitation to buy or sell any securities or to adopt any investment strategy. The opinions expressed are as of date of publication and are subject to change. The information and opinions contained in this material are derived from proprietary and nonproprietary sources deemed by BlackRock to be reliable and are

Markets appear poised for change. Global growth is slowing, we are late in the business cycle, and geopolitical tensions could potentially wind back decades of globalization. What will be the main drivers of markets for the rest of this year?On this episode of The Bid, we’ll hear views on our midyear outlook from strategists and portfolio managers such as Elga Bartsch, Head of Macro Research for the BlackRock Investment Institute (BII); Tom Donilon, Chairman of BII; and Rick Rieder, Chief Investment Officer for Global Fixed Income.  This material is for informational purposes and is prepared by BlackRock, is not intended to be relied upon as a forecast, research or investment advice, and is not a recommendation, offer or solicitation to buy or sell any securities or to adopt any investment strategy. The opinions expressed are as of date of publication and are subject to change. The information and opinions contained in this material are derived from proprietary and nonproprietary sources deemed

Markets are sending mixed signals. After a downturn at the end of 2018, we’ve seen the stock market rally in 2019 against a backdrop of geopolitical ups and downs. The whiplash looks set to continue, with trade disputes ongoing in almost every world region, 2020 U.S. elections in full swing and tensions building in the Gulf.Our measure of market chatter around geopolitics – the BlackRock Geopolitical Risk Indicator – is at its highest level since 2005. On this episode of The Bid, we speak to Eric Van Nostrand, Head of Macro Research and Portfolio Strategy for BlackRock’s Multi-Asset Strategies Group, about why that is, and how to build geopolitics into the investment process.This material is for informational purposes and is prepared by BlackRock, is not intended to be relied upon as a forecast, research or investment advice, and is not a recommendation, offer or solicitation to buy or sell any securities or to adopt any investment strategy. The opinions expressed are as of date of publication and are subject

Sometimes it feels like tech is all we talk about these days. And it’s not just in conversation – our Google searches for buzzwords like blockchain and 5G are up over 1,000% in the past few years. But what topics aren’t we covering?New York Times technology columnist Kevin Roose is often the first to know. On this episode of The Bid, Kevin discusses his learnings from the dark underbelly of the internet, how technology is influencing our politics and culture and his journey to using his phone less.  This material is for informational purposes and is prepared by BlackRock, is not intended to be relied upon as a forecast, research or investment advice, and is not a recommendation, offer or solicitation to buy or sell any securities or to adopt any investment strategy. The opinions expressed are as of date of publication and are subject to change. The information and opinions contained in this material are derived from proprietary and nonproprietary sources deemed by BlackRock to be reliable and are no

From companies like Alibaba and Tencent to artificial intelligence and the development of 5G technology, China has become one of the most vibrant hubs for technology in the world. But surprisingly, it’s all pretty recent. In 2010, only about one-third of China’s population was using the internet, compared to 71% in the U.S.How did China become a technology superpower, and how will the race move forward? On this episode of The Bid, Rui Zhao, portfolio manager for Chinese equities, discusses the forces behind China’s technology dominance, and why the tech race may not need a winner.In the U.S., this material is intended for public distribution.In Latin America: this material is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice nor an offer or solicitation to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any shares of any Fund. No securities regulators in Latin America have confirmed the accuracy of any information contained herein. The provision of investment management and investment advisory

China has experienced huge economic success in the last 30 years. With over a 4,000% increase in its GDP, it has transformed from a mainly poor and rural country into a global manufacturing – and technology – superpower. What’s behind its overwhelming success, and how can investors take advantage?On this episode of The Bid, Jeff Shen, Co-Head of Systematic Active Equity, talks about why China is now too big to ignore.Source: The World Bank, 2017.This material is for informational purposes and is prepared by BlackRock, is not intended to be relied upon as a forecast, research or investment advice, and is not a recommendation, offer or solicitation to buy or sell any securities or to adopt any investment strategy. The opinions expressed are as of date of publication and are subject to change. The information and opinions contained in this material are derived from proprietary and nonproprietary sources deemed by BlackRock to be reliable and are not guaranteed as to accuracy or completeness. This material may co

Think about the last time you switched on a light, charged your phone or cooked. Where did that electricity come from? More and more, that power is coming from renewable sources, such as wind and solar, instead of fossil fuels. And as we focus more on society’s impact on the environment and our climate, renewable energy is becoming harder to ignore.On this episode of The Bid, David Giordano, Global Head of Renewable Power, discusses why renewable power is at a tipping point and why the industry is ripe for disruption.This material is for informational purposes and is prepared by BlackRock, is not intended to be relied upon as a forecast, research or investment advice, and is not a recommendation, offer or solicitation to buy or sell any securities or to adopt any investment strategy. The opinions expressed are as of date of publication and are subject to change. The information and opinions contained in this material are derived from proprietary and nonproprietary sources deemed by BlackRock to be reliable an

Poker may seem like a vice. But perhaps it teaches us less about how to win money, and more about how we make decisions. And often? In life, like in poker, we’re not as good as making decisions as we think we are – especially when we have incomplete information.On this episode of The Bid, Maria Konnikova, psychologist, New York Times bestselling author and world champion poker player discusses how to navigate uncertainty, overcome our biases and make the best decision possible with the information we’re given.This material is for informational purposes and is prepared by BlackRock, is not intended to be relied upon as a forecast, research or investment advice, and is not a recommendation, offer or solicitation to buy or sell any securities or to adopt any investment strategy. The opinions expressed are as of date of publication and are subject to change. The information and opinions contained in this material are derived from proprietary and nonproprietary sources deemed by BlackRock to be reliable and are no

A bumpy ride for stocks in 2018 sparked fears that the next recession was around the corner. But this year, we’re seeing a different story play out. Stocks have rallied. The question is, what’s behind the rally and can it last?On this episode of The Bid, Chief Equity Strategist Kate Moore discusses why she still likes taking risks in stocks, why we shouldn’t bet against China and how to take advantage of technological disruption. This material is for informational purposes and is prepared by BlackRock, is not intended to be relied upon as a forecast, research or investment advice, and is not a recommendation, offer or solicitation to buy or sell any securities or to adopt any investment strategy. The opinions expressed are as of date of publication and are subject to change. The information and opinions contained in this material are derived from proprietary and nonproprietary sources deemed by BlackRock to be reliable and are not guaranteed as to accuracy or completeness. This material may contain ’forw

The drama over Brexit – the United Kingdom’s June 2016 decision to leave the European Union – continues to dominate headlines. But from key elections to transatlantic trade threats, it’s one of many issues keeping Europe alert. Across the continent, what’s happening now, and what comes next?On this episode of The Bid, Chief Multi-Asset Strategist Isabelle Mateos y Lago helps us make sense of what we should be watching for from Brexit – and beyond.This material is for informational purposes and is prepared by BlackRock, is not intended to be relied upon as a forecast, research or investment advice, and is not a recommendation, offer or solicitation to buy or sell any securities or to adopt any investment strategy. The opinions expressed are as of date of publication and are subject to change. The information and opinions contained in this material are derived from proprietary and nonproprietary sources deemed by BlackRock to be reliable and are not guaranteed as to accuracy or completeness. This material may c

There’s a gap between men and women that we’re not talking about: a retirement gap. Only 52% of women are saving for retirement, versus 61% of men. More women feel stress at the thought of investing, and more women believe that investing isn’t for people like them.On this episode of The Bid, we break the glass ceiling with Anne Ackerley, Head of U.S. and Canada Defined Contribution and co-founder of BlackRock’s Women’s Initiative Network. She shares advice from 34 years working in financial services and discusses why she believes the word “retirement” is outdated. This material is for informational purposes and is prepared by BlackRock, is not intended to be relied upon as a forecast, research or investment advice, and is not a recommendation, offer or solicitation to buy or sell any securities or to adopt any investment strategy. The opinions expressed are as of date of publication and are subject to change. The information and opinions contained in this material are derived from proprietary and nonprop

It’s a timeless question that’s puzzled people from Cicero in Ancient Rome to rappers like Kendrick Lamar today: Can money really make you happier? We surveyed 27,000 people around the world to find out. What we found? Investing for the future can make you feel better today – so then why are less than half of Americans doing it?On this episode of The Bid, President Rob Kapito discusses how to get more people invested, why he’s still optimistic about the retirement crisis and why he’s in favor of the House of Targaryen.This material is for informational purposes and is prepared by BlackRock, is not intended to be relied upon as a forecast, research or investment advice, and is not a recommendation, offer or solicitation to buy or sell any securities or to adopt any investment strategy. The opinions expressed are as of date of publication and are subject to change. The information and opinions contained in this material are derived from proprietary and nonproprietary sources deemed by BlackRock to be relia

Money is ranked the #1 source of stress in people’s lives, higher than physical health, work or family. But while we’re often willing to talk about the rest of these stressors, money is surrounded by taboo. How can we turn this concept into something approachable and part of cultural conversation? The key: Making wealth a part of our overall picture of well-being. On this episode of The Bid, Chief Marketing Officer Frank Cooper discusses why starting the conversation and taking small steps around our wealth can have benefits not just for the future, but also for our well-being today. This material is for informational purposes and is prepared by BlackRock, is not intended to be relied upon as a forecast, research or investment advice, and is not a recommendation, offer or solicitation to buy or sell any securities or to adopt any investment strategy. The opinions expressed are as of date of publication and are subject to change. The information and opinions contained in this material are derived fro