The Rate Debate

Nov 05 2024 52 ep. 19 mins 10
The Rate Debate Podcast artwork

What do you get when you throw a 36-year-fixed-income veteran into the room with a 26-year-old fixed-income millennial? The Rate Debate.

Darren Langer and Jess Ren are seasoned fixed income specialists with a deep passion for bond markets and an opinion on just about everything. And while they may sit facing each other at work, they don’t always see eye-to-eye.

Tune-in each month to hear their take on the RBA’s interest rate decision and other macro matters influencing markets.

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Ep 52: Uncertain RBA overshadowed by US election

Nov 05 2024 14 mins  
In Episode 52 of The Rate Debate, Co-Head of Fixed Income Darren Langer and Investment Manager Jessica Ren dive into the US election’s potential outcomes, exploring its implications for bond markets, foreign policy, spending, and economic stability. The duo break down the gap between trimmed and headline inflation, shifting gold and oil prices, and discuss the geopolitical risks

Ep 51: The rest of the world is changing, so why aren't we?

Sep 26 2024 11 mins  
The big question remains: will Australia follow the Fed’s lead or stick to its current path?In Episode 51 of The Rate Debate, Co-Head of Fixed Income Darren Langer and Investment Manager Jessica Ren unpack the Fed’s recent decision, explore the chances of rate cuts before Australia’s next federal election, and debate the importance and reliability of employment data for the R

Ep 50: Australia to be at the back end of a major regime change - but that's not a bad thing for investors

Aug 06 2024 18 mins  
This month, Co-Head of Fixed Income Darren Langer and Investment Manager Jessica Ren celebrate the 50th episode of The Rate Debate. With 50 insightful discussions on the RBA's decisions and their market impacts, from unexpected rate cuts to bold hikes, they've covered it all.To mark this milestone, they are joined by special guest Hans Lee from Livewire Markets. Together, they tack

Ep 49: A statement of ifs and buts

Jun 18 2024 10 mins  
Pundits of Australia's economy expect the central bank will maintain its default rhetoric of “vigilance against inflation risks”. However, given the number of “ifs and buts” in its most recent statement, the RBA seems to be less certain of the next move. In episode 49 of The Rate Debate, Co-Head of Fixed Income Darren Langer and Investment Manager Jessica Ren explore whethe

Ep 48: Central bank independence is still alive

May 07 2024 10 mins  
The RBA is, and continues to remain an independent central bank, committed to openness, transparency, and accountability. Despite this, perceptions in the Australian market continue to challenge the credibility of its independence. In episode 48 of the Rate Debate, Darren is joined by Investment Manager Jessica Ren to discuss the latest rate decision, share their opinions on why mo

Ep 47: RBA loosens its grip: the end of a tightening era?

Mar 19 2024 11 mins  
The RBA has scrapped any hints of potential further hikes, sparking speculation on whether it will continue to be open on hiking, despite pivoting to a more neutral guidance.In episode 47 of The Rate Debate, co-head of Fixed Income Darren Langer and Investment Manager Jessica Ren unpack the RBA's "shift in language" from a tightening bias to a neutral rate outlook, share their thou

Ep 46: New regime, same outcome

Feb 06 2024 9 mins  
The RBA may have started its new regime of two-day meetings and press conferences to improve transparency, yet the outcome remained the same as it was when it last met: no change to the cash rate.In the first episode of The Rate Debate for 2024, co-head of Fixed Income Darren Langer is joined by Investment Manager Jessica Ren to analyse the RBA’s new approach, unpick the labour m

Ep 45: Is Australia set for a soft or hard landing in 2024?

Dec 05 2023 13 mins  
The RBA has granted a festive reprieve for mortgage holders, keeping interest rates on hold in line with expectations after inflation continued to slow. The year 2023 was characterised by a period dominated by inflation risk, geopolitics and monetary tightening. Will these economic conditions persist in the new year? In the final episode of The Rate Debate for 2024, Darren Langer a

Ep44: Is “funflation” fuelling rising interest rates?

Nov 07 2023 11 mins  
The RBA delivers a Melbourne Cup rate hike to curb persistent inflation. Rising energy and service costs are contributing factors, but the post-pandemic spending spree, favouring experiences over possessions, raises questions about “funflation” stoking inflationary pressures. Will higher rates further fan the flames? Darren is joined by his new sparring partner, Jessica Ren, to

Ep 43: What’s driving higher bond yields?

Oct 03 2023 18 mins  
September was a tough month for the fixed-rate bond market, but on the flip side, credit spreads narrowed. In this month’s episode of The Rate Debate, Darren is joined by senior credit portfolio manager Phil Strano to give their insights and discuss the impact of a default cycle as quantitative easing ends, and monetary policy starts to normalise.