Leifbridge Podcast
Disinflation vs AI: What Really Drove Markets - and What Comes Next
In this month’s Investment Brief podcast, host Neil Williams is joined by Ernst Knacke, Head of Investment Research, and Stewart Abrahart, Investment Associate, to unpack what really drove markets in 2025, and what matters most for portfolio positioning in 2026.
Drawing on our latest Quarterly Insights, the discussion explores why markets leaned so heavily into disinflation and AI optimism, even as labour market weakness, fiscal pressure and geopolitical risk quietly intensified. Is falling inflation a sign of genuine productivity gains, or weakening demand? And can the AI productivity story deliver returns at scale without significant capital, energy and infrastructure costs?
The episode also revisits Gold’s standout performance and explains why, despite strong gains, it remains a core strategic holding. With central bank demand rising, financial repression risks building and geopolitical noise growing louder, the team outlines why gold continues to play a critical role in diversified portfolios.
Listen in on the conversation below 👇🏼
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