1 00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:04,040 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Bloomberg Markets Podcast. I'm Paul Sweeney, alongside 2 00:00:04,040 --> 00:00:06,920 Speaker 1: my co host Matt Miller. Every business day, we bring 3 00:00:06,960 --> 00:00:11,520 Speaker 1: you interviews from CEOs, market pros, and Bloomberg experts, along 4 00:00:11,560 --> 00:00:15,600 Speaker 1: with essential market moving news. Find the Bloomberg Markets Podcast 5 00:00:15,600 --> 00:00:18,479 Speaker 1: on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts, and 6 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:21,760 Speaker 1: at Bloomberg dot com slash podcast. I'm very excited about 7 00:00:21,800 --> 00:00:26,160 Speaker 1: this next guest for a number of reasons. Um Number one, 8 00:00:26,200 --> 00:00:28,840 Speaker 1: I've always wanted to be a farmer, and it seems 9 00:00:28,920 --> 00:00:32,479 Speaker 1: like I'm getting a little closer with new technology. Number two, 10 00:00:32,520 --> 00:00:34,760 Speaker 1: I'm from Ohio. He's from Kentucky, and I feel like, 11 00:00:35,159 --> 00:00:36,639 Speaker 1: you know, a lot of states that are next door 12 00:00:36,640 --> 00:00:39,839 Speaker 1: to each other have rivalries. I think Ohio and Kentucky 13 00:00:39,880 --> 00:00:44,400 Speaker 1: really compliment each other well. Dwight Yoakum was from Kentucky. 14 00:00:44,520 --> 00:00:48,400 Speaker 1: He moved to Ohio. You know, Sturgill Simpson was from Kentucky. 15 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:51,080 Speaker 1: He moved to Ohio. Uh and a lot of people 16 00:00:51,080 --> 00:00:53,120 Speaker 1: have moved the other way around as well. Jonathan Webb 17 00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:55,600 Speaker 1: joins us right now, founder and chief executive of app 18 00:00:55,680 --> 00:01:00,000 Speaker 1: harvest Um, which so Jonathan set us set us up 19 00:01:00,440 --> 00:01:02,480 Speaker 1: as to what your company does as far as I 20 00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:08,119 Speaker 1: understand it, you basically are bringing tech into farming and 21 00:01:08,800 --> 00:01:11,520 Speaker 1: really solving some E s G problems as far as 22 00:01:11,560 --> 00:01:15,640 Speaker 1: food waste is concerned as well. Yeah, Paul Matt, thanks 23 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:17,760 Speaker 1: for having me. And yeah, I'm a huge Sturtle Simpson fan. 24 00:01:17,880 --> 00:01:22,680 Speaker 1: And uh yeah, heth Kentucky and Ohio. What well, that's right, 25 00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:25,720 Speaker 1: and we're talking to all those East Kentucky artists now 26 00:01:25,760 --> 00:01:28,600 Speaker 1: about this. But um, yeah, I've been in d C 27 00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:31,440 Speaker 1: the past couple of days talking with senators on both 28 00:01:31,480 --> 00:01:34,319 Speaker 1: sides of the aisle, and and what we've messaged is, 29 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:39,119 Speaker 1: you know, controlled environment agriculture is it's inevitable. It's really 30 00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:43,040 Speaker 1: the third wave of sustainable infrastructure. You look, twenty years 31 00:01:43,040 --> 00:01:47,080 Speaker 1: ago was renewable energy the world finally caught on. Ten 32 00:01:47,160 --> 00:01:50,360 Speaker 1: years ago it was electric vehicles the world finally caught on. 33 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:52,840 Speaker 1: Uh And right now you can look at the you know, 34 00:01:53,320 --> 00:01:56,400 Speaker 1: at the US, and we are incredibly vulnerable as it 35 00:01:56,440 --> 00:01:59,919 Speaker 1: relates to food security in this country. You know, calif 36 00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:03,960 Speaker 1: Ornia drought stricken, wildfires, the southwest of the US is 37 00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:08,200 Speaker 1: drying up. CBS just did a big piece on the 38 00:02:08,240 --> 00:02:11,520 Speaker 1: Colorado River drying up. You know, I'm standing in coal 39 00:02:11,600 --> 00:02:15,760 Speaker 1: country eastern Kentucky. And we've talked about mining fossil fuels 40 00:02:15,760 --> 00:02:18,720 Speaker 1: for decades. What we've not talked about is we're mining 41 00:02:18,760 --> 00:02:22,320 Speaker 1: our water. We're we're extracting our water, uh to a 42 00:02:22,400 --> 00:02:25,960 Speaker 1: point to where you know, our our awkwifers are not refilling, 43 00:02:26,080 --> 00:02:29,160 Speaker 1: so app harvest. We're building some of the world's largest 44 00:02:29,200 --> 00:02:33,680 Speaker 1: controlled environment agriculture facilities. We grow a fruit and fruit 45 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:37,400 Speaker 1: and vegetable with nine less water and get thirty times 46 00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:42,400 Speaker 1: more more yield breaker uh, using technology. So Jonathan described 47 00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:44,440 Speaker 1: for us, or explain to us, what is a controlled 48 00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:50,399 Speaker 1: environment agriculture? Yeah, so I think of you know, anything 49 00:02:50,600 --> 00:02:54,560 Speaker 1: you grow indoors and control the environment. So I'm thinking 50 00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:57,840 Speaker 1: about weed by the way, I'm thinking just about marijuana basically. 51 00:02:58,080 --> 00:03:02,280 Speaker 1: But well, well that that that has helped push the 52 00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:08,680 Speaker 1: industry technology wise forward. You look at LED lights, yeah, hydroponics, 53 00:03:08,720 --> 00:03:12,400 Speaker 1: you know, climate control, humidity controls. So you know, there's 54 00:03:12,440 --> 00:03:15,280 Speaker 1: several companies out there were one of them, and you know, 55 00:03:15,680 --> 00:03:19,400 Speaker 1: I personally don't see anybody as competition. This problem is 56 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:23,519 Speaker 1: so big, uh. We as as you know, the US 57 00:03:23,560 --> 00:03:26,880 Speaker 1: are not nearly moving fast enough. Uh. The U n 58 00:03:26,960 --> 00:03:30,800 Speaker 1: is predicted we need fifty to seventy more food by 59 00:03:30,840 --> 00:03:34,160 Speaker 1: twenty fifty, and we would need to planet Earth's the 60 00:03:34,200 --> 00:03:36,800 Speaker 1: way we currently grow that food. We've got to use 61 00:03:36,840 --> 00:03:39,720 Speaker 1: technology to grow more food with less resource. The point 62 00:03:39,720 --> 00:03:42,280 Speaker 1: being you can grow a lot of other stuff besides weed. 63 00:03:42,320 --> 00:03:45,000 Speaker 1: I mean, this is not a little pineapple express barn. 64 00:03:45,040 --> 00:03:51,680 Speaker 1: You're talking about big indoor farming operations that can feed masses. Right, Yeah, 65 00:03:51,680 --> 00:03:54,280 Speaker 1: that's that's right. And and no, we're we're growing fruits 66 00:03:54,280 --> 00:03:57,720 Speaker 1: and vegetables. We're definitely not growing the other stuff. Uh, 67 00:03:57,880 --> 00:04:01,280 Speaker 1: We're we're growing fruits and vegetables. But yeah, it's we're 68 00:04:01,320 --> 00:04:03,960 Speaker 1: at scale. It's massive. So to put this in perspective, 69 00:04:04,320 --> 00:04:07,840 Speaker 1: our first facility in Morehead, Kentucky is two point eight 70 00:04:07,920 --> 00:04:12,160 Speaker 1: million square feet UH sixty acres under glass. One of 71 00:04:12,200 --> 00:04:15,240 Speaker 1: the largest facilities under construction in the world in the 72 00:04:15,240 --> 00:04:17,960 Speaker 1: middle of COVID is what we built here in Kentucky. 73 00:04:18,680 --> 00:04:22,520 Speaker 1: We have four more facilities under construction. Uh. We just 74 00:04:22,560 --> 00:04:24,920 Speaker 1: went public on the NASDAC under a p p H 75 00:04:25,040 --> 00:04:28,479 Speaker 1: and raised five million dollars to build out our series 76 00:04:28,520 --> 00:04:33,040 Speaker 1: of of indoor UH facilities here here in eastern Kentucky. 77 00:04:33,080 --> 00:04:36,240 Speaker 1: So Jonathan explained to me your business per se, do 78 00:04:36,279 --> 00:04:40,880 Speaker 1: you go to existing farmers and say, let us kinda 79 00:04:41,320 --> 00:04:44,560 Speaker 1: help you get to the future. What what what is 80 00:04:44,600 --> 00:04:48,400 Speaker 1: exactly your day to day business? Well, unfortunately, the American 81 00:04:48,400 --> 00:04:51,320 Speaker 1: farmers already lost to Mexico. And when I've met with 82 00:04:51,360 --> 00:04:53,720 Speaker 1: everybody on Capitol Hill last week, that's what we were 83 00:04:53,720 --> 00:04:57,039 Speaker 1: talking about. We implore most of our fruit and vegetables 84 00:04:57,080 --> 00:04:59,920 Speaker 1: from Mexico because the US is slowly shutting down for 85 00:05:00,040 --> 00:05:03,520 Speaker 1: and vegetable production. So you know, our competition really an 86 00:05:03,520 --> 00:05:07,719 Speaker 1: app harvest, it's it's the imports from Mexico. Four billion 87 00:05:07,800 --> 00:05:11,360 Speaker 1: pounds of tomatoes were imported from Mexico last year. That 88 00:05:11,480 --> 00:05:15,360 Speaker 1: was nearly one point two billion pounds about fifteen years ago. 89 00:05:15,520 --> 00:05:20,120 Speaker 1: So we're app Harvest is building the facilities, we're operating 90 00:05:20,120 --> 00:05:24,760 Speaker 1: the facilities. We're selling the Windy's, Walmart, Kroger, uh, some 91 00:05:24,880 --> 00:05:27,440 Speaker 1: of the so we're selling directly to some of the 92 00:05:27,520 --> 00:05:31,920 Speaker 1: largest grocers and retailers who see the vulnerability and their 93 00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:34,159 Speaker 1: supply chain. How hard is it to get the human 94 00:05:34,200 --> 00:05:36,520 Speaker 1: I mean, you've got the tech side covered and robotics 95 00:05:36,560 --> 00:05:39,160 Speaker 1: I know are all are all up and working there 96 00:05:39,200 --> 00:05:42,360 Speaker 1: as well, but you still need humans to pick the crop, right, 97 00:05:42,360 --> 00:05:45,039 Speaker 1: I mean, how do you get strawberries off the vine? 98 00:05:45,080 --> 00:05:49,040 Speaker 1: You've got to have people working. Well, we have robotic harvesters, 99 00:05:49,080 --> 00:05:50,960 Speaker 1: but we have a lot of people. And look, I'm 100 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:53,280 Speaker 1: in I'm in eastern Kentucky. I don't think cause I'm 101 00:05:53,320 --> 00:05:56,599 Speaker 1: from the state here and I love this state. But 102 00:05:57,240 --> 00:05:59,279 Speaker 1: we had some of the hardest working men and women 103 00:05:59,560 --> 00:06:03,200 Speaker 1: in the US powering or coal mines for the Industrial 104 00:06:03,279 --> 00:06:06,839 Speaker 1: Revolution and on we hired five for I watched the 105 00:06:06,839 --> 00:06:08,880 Speaker 1: news every day. People say people didn't want to work, 106 00:06:08,880 --> 00:06:11,479 Speaker 1: and I laugh. We had eight thousand people apply to 107 00:06:11,520 --> 00:06:14,680 Speaker 1: work at this company, five hundred and fifty people working now. 108 00:06:14,760 --> 00:06:17,080 Speaker 1: So we have a workforce here that's going to drive 109 00:06:17,160 --> 00:06:20,799 Speaker 1: high tech forward for the years to come in Eastern Kentucky. 110 00:06:20,839 --> 00:06:23,839 Speaker 1: That's a great story. Johnson Webb, founder and chief executive 111 00:06:23,839 --> 00:06:28,440 Speaker 1: officer from app Harvest. All right, Matt. When I went 112 00:06:28,640 --> 00:06:31,080 Speaker 1: on my West Coast marketing trip when I was the 113 00:06:31,160 --> 00:06:33,919 Speaker 1: South Side analysts, and you go to l A, you 114 00:06:34,080 --> 00:06:37,320 Speaker 1: have to have to lockdown meetings and then you can 115 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:39,159 Speaker 1: book the rest of the day. In l A, one 116 00:06:39,240 --> 00:06:42,359 Speaker 1: was Capital Group and the other was Trust Company of 117 00:06:42,400 --> 00:06:45,600 Speaker 1: the West t c W. Just monsters Today, we're joined 118 00:06:45,600 --> 00:06:49,720 Speaker 1: by Brian Whalen, Group Managing Director for TCWS Fixed Income Group. 119 00:06:49,800 --> 00:06:51,520 Speaker 1: And why did I have to get that meeting? Two 120 00:06:51,880 --> 00:06:55,280 Speaker 1: and fifty three billion dollars in assets under management? Brian, 121 00:06:55,279 --> 00:06:58,719 Speaker 1: thanks so much for plus the nicest guys. Yeah, my 122 00:06:58,720 --> 00:07:00,760 Speaker 1: my media guy on the equity I was a great 123 00:07:00,800 --> 00:07:03,440 Speaker 1: guy and I still keep in touch with them. So um, 124 00:07:03,640 --> 00:07:05,280 Speaker 1: always a fun meeting to go to to see the 125 00:07:05,279 --> 00:07:07,400 Speaker 1: folks at tc W Bryant. I'm looking at the ten 126 00:07:07,520 --> 00:07:11,280 Speaker 1: year here, I got one point four four percent. If 127 00:07:11,320 --> 00:07:13,800 Speaker 1: I'm a fixed income geek, and I say that nicely? 128 00:07:14,240 --> 00:07:19,360 Speaker 1: Uh like you where do I go to get some yield? Boy? Well, 129 00:07:19,400 --> 00:07:21,240 Speaker 1: first of all, thank you for the nicest introduction I 130 00:07:21,280 --> 00:07:25,400 Speaker 1: think I've ever heard. Um. Yeah, you know it's pretty hard. 131 00:07:25,440 --> 00:07:26,920 Speaker 1: I mean you talked about the tenure at one point 132 00:07:26,960 --> 00:07:29,760 Speaker 1: four or five percent. That doesn't seem to line up 133 00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:32,040 Speaker 1: with you know, equities at the all time highs and 134 00:07:32,080 --> 00:07:33,920 Speaker 1: you know, and there's a story behind that, but you know, 135 00:07:33,960 --> 00:07:37,640 Speaker 1: looking for yield, I mean, look, you know, within fixed income, 136 00:07:37,920 --> 00:07:41,280 Speaker 1: to define the high yield bond market, generally speaking, the 137 00:07:41,480 --> 00:07:43,920 Speaker 1: highest type of yield you can get three point seven 138 00:07:44,000 --> 00:07:46,440 Speaker 1: five I mean that that's what you get for generic 139 00:07:46,520 --> 00:07:49,760 Speaker 1: hi yield portfolio. So, um, the FED has uh you know, 140 00:07:49,840 --> 00:07:52,840 Speaker 1: and the fiscal side of things has done their job 141 00:07:52,880 --> 00:07:55,800 Speaker 1: to flood the economy with money, uh, you know, suppressed 142 00:07:55,840 --> 00:07:58,960 Speaker 1: interest rates and have you know, investors scrambling to to 143 00:07:59,040 --> 00:08:02,320 Speaker 1: put any type of yielding their portfolio sometimes, I think, 144 00:08:02,320 --> 00:08:04,600 Speaker 1: regardless of of the risk they're they're they're taking on 145 00:08:04,640 --> 00:08:10,520 Speaker 1: the underlying credits. So what's going on? Um, why are 146 00:08:10,560 --> 00:08:16,400 Speaker 1: we seeing yields dumped down to now? And how does 147 00:08:16,440 --> 00:08:20,920 Speaker 1: this turn around? If not the FEDS hawkish you know, uh, 148 00:08:21,280 --> 00:08:25,640 Speaker 1: change in tone, you know, I think first I'd say, remember, 149 00:08:25,680 --> 00:08:28,240 Speaker 1: you know, we don't have a US capital markets, we 150 00:08:28,280 --> 00:08:30,720 Speaker 1: have a global capital markets. And you think about the 151 00:08:30,760 --> 00:08:32,600 Speaker 1: things going on around the world right now. So first 152 00:08:32,640 --> 00:08:35,079 Speaker 1: of all, you know, obviously the what's been leading the 153 00:08:35,600 --> 00:08:37,679 Speaker 1: news and the economy and the markets for a year 154 00:08:37,679 --> 00:08:39,760 Speaker 1: and a half now is COVID and we've got the 155 00:08:39,800 --> 00:08:42,520 Speaker 1: delta variant going around and while we may have not 156 00:08:42,559 --> 00:08:44,520 Speaker 1: really see it here so much, it is affecting other 157 00:08:44,559 --> 00:08:47,080 Speaker 1: parts of the world. Um. Also, remember that you know, 158 00:08:47,280 --> 00:08:49,480 Speaker 1: one point four or five percent sounds really low to 159 00:08:49,520 --> 00:08:51,880 Speaker 1: you and I you look at the developed world out there, 160 00:08:51,960 --> 00:08:55,160 Speaker 1: one point four looks really cheap. You know, maybe Australia, 161 00:08:55,240 --> 00:08:58,880 Speaker 1: New Zealand, places like Singapore slightly higher. But you know, 162 00:08:58,880 --> 00:09:00,640 Speaker 1: you go to Germany, you go to Switzerland, you go 163 00:09:00,679 --> 00:09:02,439 Speaker 1: to Japan, you're talking about a ten year yield of 164 00:09:02,559 --> 00:09:05,680 Speaker 1: zero or less, you know, minus twenty five basis points. 165 00:09:06,200 --> 00:09:07,680 Speaker 1: And then you know, back back here to the US, 166 00:09:07,760 --> 00:09:10,520 Speaker 1: I think, and you focus on the fundamentals. One. I think, 167 00:09:10,800 --> 00:09:14,400 Speaker 1: you know, investors are starting to you know, realize that 168 00:09:14,440 --> 00:09:17,120 Speaker 1: the economy, you know, it may not accelerate in the 169 00:09:17,160 --> 00:09:19,000 Speaker 1: second half of the year as quickly, you know, as 170 00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:22,079 Speaker 1: they were anticipating. Instead of adding a million jobs a month, 171 00:09:22,120 --> 00:09:24,480 Speaker 1: we're going to add maybe six D seven hundred thousand 172 00:09:24,480 --> 00:09:27,040 Speaker 1: a month, so that might be slower. Uh. And then 173 00:09:27,120 --> 00:09:29,640 Speaker 1: you know, finally, most recently, you know, the Fed, the 174 00:09:29,640 --> 00:09:31,200 Speaker 1: Fed just told us, you know, I said, look, you know, 175 00:09:31,440 --> 00:09:34,199 Speaker 1: we may let inflation run hot for a little while, 176 00:09:34,720 --> 00:09:37,760 Speaker 1: but we're not ready to turn in our inflation fighting batch. Uh. 177 00:09:37,760 --> 00:09:39,680 Speaker 1: And so that's why you saw, you know, you saw 178 00:09:39,720 --> 00:09:42,240 Speaker 1: this flattener, you saw its long end rates come down, 179 00:09:42,400 --> 00:09:44,720 Speaker 1: you know, as the Fed kind of let everyone know that, 180 00:09:44,760 --> 00:09:46,280 Speaker 1: you know, they're not going to let inflation get out 181 00:09:46,280 --> 00:09:48,280 Speaker 1: of hand or they're gonna try not to. And you 182 00:09:48,280 --> 00:09:50,520 Speaker 1: saw short end rates go up, meaning that you know, 183 00:09:50,559 --> 00:09:54,359 Speaker 1: the market just started the price a slightly higher probability 184 00:09:54,440 --> 00:09:56,240 Speaker 1: that the Fed may move a little bit sooner with 185 00:09:56,280 --> 00:09:59,480 Speaker 1: regards to interest rates than the market was expecting just prior. 186 00:09:59,520 --> 00:10:01,520 Speaker 1: So do you put all this together and then a 187 00:10:01,520 --> 00:10:04,320 Speaker 1: few other factors, and I think it does explain why 188 00:10:04,400 --> 00:10:07,640 Speaker 1: we're under one. Dude, you had me at negative twenty 189 00:10:07,800 --> 00:10:11,800 Speaker 1: points on the BUND. I got you cheap now right, yeah, 190 00:10:11,840 --> 00:10:16,600 Speaker 1: exactly so. But my question then, and I just want 191 00:10:16,600 --> 00:10:18,600 Speaker 1: to get your take on this. The dollar is important 192 00:10:18,600 --> 00:10:21,520 Speaker 1: then if I'm a euro investor, you know, UM and 193 00:10:22,520 --> 00:10:25,079 Speaker 1: the US. You know, from the perspective of a German, 194 00:10:25,360 --> 00:10:30,680 Speaker 1: the US budget is like out of control, you know GDP, 195 00:10:30,960 --> 00:10:34,400 Speaker 1: that's very on Deutsch. Is that does that bother you 196 00:10:34,440 --> 00:10:38,160 Speaker 1: at all? I think I think that's a problem for 197 00:10:38,200 --> 00:10:40,480 Speaker 1: another day, to quite honest with you. You know, we 198 00:10:40,520 --> 00:10:42,160 Speaker 1: could go on and on about the levels of debt 199 00:10:42,160 --> 00:10:44,280 Speaker 1: in the economy on the corporate side and as you said, 200 00:10:44,280 --> 00:10:47,560 Speaker 1: on the fiscal side, and the long term ramifications for 201 00:10:47,600 --> 00:10:50,160 Speaker 1: the dollar and whether that will retain a reserve currency 202 00:10:50,240 --> 00:10:52,520 Speaker 1: or whether others will kind of share that that that title. 203 00:10:52,880 --> 00:10:55,560 Speaker 1: I think in the you know, short term, intermediate time horizon, 204 00:10:56,320 --> 00:10:58,760 Speaker 1: given what the Fed just said, you know, the dollar 205 00:10:58,880 --> 00:11:01,960 Speaker 1: looks fairly stay able lift not will continue to strengthen 206 00:11:02,000 --> 00:11:05,040 Speaker 1: a bit versus these other currencies. And we've seen that 207 00:11:05,080 --> 00:11:07,800 Speaker 1: reflecting the bond market, you know, almost it feels like 208 00:11:07,880 --> 00:11:10,240 Speaker 1: for for months now, you know, you come into you know, 209 00:11:10,280 --> 00:11:12,480 Speaker 1: you wake up in the United States and you hear 210 00:11:12,520 --> 00:11:15,520 Speaker 1: about all this buying of US bonds, whether they be 211 00:11:15,559 --> 00:11:19,000 Speaker 1: treasuries or corporate bonds from overseas because of just like 212 00:11:19,000 --> 00:11:21,920 Speaker 1: we talked about before the tenure, just how cheap they look. 213 00:11:22,040 --> 00:11:24,000 Speaker 1: You know, Remember, we're not just starve for yield. The 214 00:11:24,000 --> 00:11:27,000 Speaker 1: globe is starf for yield. And every night these investors 215 00:11:27,000 --> 00:11:28,640 Speaker 1: from un from outside the U S. They come in 216 00:11:28,679 --> 00:11:31,360 Speaker 1: their poor dollars in here because even when you adjust 217 00:11:31,400 --> 00:11:34,280 Speaker 1: for the currency, it's still the best place to find 218 00:11:34,280 --> 00:11:37,480 Speaker 1: some yield. I feel you, Brian, thank you so much 219 00:11:37,520 --> 00:11:40,920 Speaker 1: for joining us. Brian Whale and there group managing director 220 00:11:40,960 --> 00:11:44,840 Speaker 1: Fixed Income and portfolio manager at TCW talking to us 221 00:11:44,840 --> 00:11:47,040 Speaker 1: about what's going on in markets. By the way, as 222 00:11:47,120 --> 00:11:49,480 Speaker 1: he was talking, I saw the yen. UM, Well, the 223 00:11:49,559 --> 00:11:52,559 Speaker 1: dollars jump against the end. You can now buy a 224 00:11:52,640 --> 00:11:57,960 Speaker 1: hundred ten yen for your dollar. Let's get over to 225 00:11:57,960 --> 00:12:02,080 Speaker 1: Everett Millman. He's apprecially med medals specialist with Gainesville Coins. 226 00:12:02,480 --> 00:12:06,840 Speaker 1: He's gonna talk to us about commodities even more broadly. 227 00:12:06,880 --> 00:12:09,520 Speaker 1: We'll get into copper and bitcoin as well, but I 228 00:12:09,559 --> 00:12:12,439 Speaker 1: want to focus it on gold first. Everett, good morning, 229 00:12:12,480 --> 00:12:16,560 Speaker 1: Thank you for joining us. UM. Why is gold not 230 00:12:16,760 --> 00:12:21,680 Speaker 1: performing the way? UM? Well, look, we've got rates that 231 00:12:21,720 --> 00:12:24,720 Speaker 1: are coming down, which I would think means gold goes up. 232 00:12:24,760 --> 00:12:27,080 Speaker 1: The ten year over the last three months goes from 233 00:12:27,080 --> 00:12:30,080 Speaker 1: one seventy five to one forty five, and we're seeing 234 00:12:30,160 --> 00:12:33,839 Speaker 1: gold UM that has done a whole lot of nothing 235 00:12:33,840 --> 00:12:38,520 Speaker 1: at seventeen sixty three. What's what gives? Right? I think 236 00:12:38,920 --> 00:12:41,480 Speaker 1: part of that is that risk appetite seems to be 237 00:12:41,559 --> 00:12:44,760 Speaker 1: elevated right now. That's siphoning off some of the normal 238 00:12:44,840 --> 00:12:49,760 Speaker 1: saife haven demand for gold. But also we're seeing seasonality 239 00:12:49,960 --> 00:12:52,960 Speaker 1: kind of return to normal for the gold market. The 240 00:12:53,000 --> 00:12:56,440 Speaker 1: summer months are almost always unkind to gold, and the 241 00:12:56,480 --> 00:12:59,280 Speaker 1: only reason that hasn't been reflected in the price the 242 00:12:59,320 --> 00:13:03,839 Speaker 1: past two years years is some unprecedented circumstances with the 243 00:13:03,920 --> 00:13:08,520 Speaker 1: early stages of the pandemic in tw and some fluctuations 244 00:13:08,520 --> 00:13:11,400 Speaker 1: in the rebo market in twenty nineteen, So I think 245 00:13:11,760 --> 00:13:13,800 Speaker 1: that's one of the main factors. And also, as you 246 00:13:13,880 --> 00:13:16,599 Speaker 1: pointed out, with rates um, I think this is a 247 00:13:16,679 --> 00:13:21,000 Speaker 1: knee jerk reaction and overreaction even to the hawkishness by 248 00:13:21,040 --> 00:13:24,320 Speaker 1: the Fed, because if you look at the tenure yield, 249 00:13:24,360 --> 00:13:28,679 Speaker 1: it actually fell in response to that, And with inflation rising, 250 00:13:28,800 --> 00:13:32,600 Speaker 1: that means that real rates, the federal funds rate minus 251 00:13:32,640 --> 00:13:35,800 Speaker 1: the rate of inflation, is still rather negative. So you 252 00:13:35,800 --> 00:13:39,080 Speaker 1: would expect that to be a favorable environment for gold. 253 00:13:39,160 --> 00:13:42,520 Speaker 1: But I think that risk sentiment and kind of the 254 00:13:42,520 --> 00:13:46,480 Speaker 1: summer doldrums of seasonality are the main factors holding back 255 00:13:46,520 --> 00:13:50,040 Speaker 1: gold right now. Everard, I wonder if you know bitcoin 256 00:13:50,240 --> 00:13:55,079 Speaker 1: has is having an impact on how gold is trading. 257 00:13:55,160 --> 00:13:58,880 Speaker 1: You know, the smart folks around crypto are trying to 258 00:13:58,920 --> 00:14:01,880 Speaker 1: convince me that a bitcoin is a store of value, 259 00:14:01,920 --> 00:14:04,800 Speaker 1: and that's kind of typically how folks have you gold? 260 00:14:05,080 --> 00:14:07,440 Speaker 1: How do you think bitcoin is impacting, if at all, 261 00:14:08,120 --> 00:14:11,960 Speaker 1: kind of how how gold is trading. I do tend 262 00:14:12,000 --> 00:14:15,480 Speaker 1: to agree that it is drawing away some of that 263 00:14:15,720 --> 00:14:19,800 Speaker 1: store of value appeal of gold into the crypto market, 264 00:14:20,360 --> 00:14:25,200 Speaker 1: as it's essentially the most appealing alternative to the dollar 265 00:14:25,320 --> 00:14:28,600 Speaker 1: right now. And although we have seen the dollar been rising, 266 00:14:28,680 --> 00:14:31,800 Speaker 1: that's been reflected in the bitcoin price that we've had 267 00:14:31,840 --> 00:14:35,440 Speaker 1: this significant pullback. But as you pointed out at the beginning, 268 00:14:35,480 --> 00:14:38,520 Speaker 1: that gold have been kind of moving sideways, hasn't done 269 00:14:38,520 --> 00:14:41,480 Speaker 1: a whole lot. We don't often see that from bitcoin. 270 00:14:41,840 --> 00:14:44,920 Speaker 1: The volatility is certainly a feature of bitcoin, and I 271 00:14:44,960 --> 00:14:48,080 Speaker 1: think that appeals a lot to most investors that if 272 00:14:48,120 --> 00:14:50,760 Speaker 1: they want to get some exposure to something that is 273 00:14:51,200 --> 00:14:54,960 Speaker 1: anti dollar or outside of the dollar, then they'd rather 274 00:14:55,040 --> 00:14:58,600 Speaker 1: have that greater upside with something like bitcoin rather than gold, 275 00:14:58,640 --> 00:15:03,960 Speaker 1: which is fundamental, more boring and sort of a conservative investment. Also, 276 00:15:04,200 --> 00:15:06,720 Speaker 1: bitcoin maybe a little bit easier to use in the catastrophe, 277 00:15:06,760 --> 00:15:10,240 Speaker 1: you know. I like, uh the idea of both because 278 00:15:12,200 --> 00:15:16,360 Speaker 1: I'm looking forward to some post apocalyptic world when all 279 00:15:16,400 --> 00:15:18,640 Speaker 1: we have is gold, guns, and water. Right, But you're 280 00:15:18,680 --> 00:15:20,320 Speaker 1: not going to get a hundred cents on the dollar 281 00:15:20,440 --> 00:15:22,760 Speaker 1: for your gold and bitcoin. You can just zap over 282 00:15:22,760 --> 00:15:26,200 Speaker 1: to somebody else, isn't it you know? In the end 283 00:15:26,280 --> 00:15:30,640 Speaker 1: days going to be easier to use digital currency. That's 284 00:15:30,640 --> 00:15:33,520 Speaker 1: a fascinating point, and I do agree that I think 285 00:15:33,560 --> 00:15:36,560 Speaker 1: a little bit of both is ideal because although it's 286 00:15:36,640 --> 00:15:40,120 Speaker 1: true that the digital nature of bitcoin makes it much 287 00:15:40,200 --> 00:15:43,520 Speaker 1: more easy to use in those situations. Um, if we're 288 00:15:43,520 --> 00:15:46,960 Speaker 1: talking about kind of a a end of time scenario, 289 00:15:47,520 --> 00:15:51,360 Speaker 1: you would think that some of our digital Internet capabilities 290 00:15:51,360 --> 00:15:55,960 Speaker 1: would perhaps be offline. So I think that the physical 291 00:15:56,040 --> 00:15:58,480 Speaker 1: nature of gold sort of is the backup plan for that. 292 00:15:58,560 --> 00:16:01,040 Speaker 1: Could be a red dawn, could be a red dawn 293 00:16:01,120 --> 00:16:03,480 Speaker 1: kind of moment, you know, when the Soviets invade and 294 00:16:04,160 --> 00:16:07,720 Speaker 1: occupy the US and we all have to huddle up 295 00:16:07,720 --> 00:16:11,720 Speaker 1: with our teenage friends in the Colorado Mountains. Who knows? 296 00:16:11,840 --> 00:16:16,720 Speaker 1: Who knows? What could it happened? Yeah? Every aside from gold, 297 00:16:16,880 --> 00:16:19,120 Speaker 1: give it. Where where do you see the best I 298 00:16:19,160 --> 00:16:25,360 Speaker 1: guess value or opportunities here in the precious metal space? Well, 299 00:16:25,400 --> 00:16:28,920 Speaker 1: the precious metals I think are sort of mixed right now. 300 00:16:29,160 --> 00:16:32,640 Speaker 1: Silver seems to be tracking gold, but it is much 301 00:16:32,720 --> 00:16:36,080 Speaker 1: more sensitive to the industrial metals, to what's going on 302 00:16:36,200 --> 00:16:39,880 Speaker 1: in the broader economy. And although we have seen um 303 00:16:39,920 --> 00:16:44,840 Speaker 1: some encouraging manufacturing numbers, particularly in Japan and Germany. UM. 304 00:16:44,920 --> 00:16:48,960 Speaker 1: These potential setbacks with the delta variant of the coronavirus 305 00:16:49,160 --> 00:16:53,480 Speaker 1: may kind of crimp that potential UM, although it's considered 306 00:16:53,480 --> 00:16:56,800 Speaker 1: a semi precious metal. I'm also looking at copper because 307 00:16:56,840 --> 00:17:00,080 Speaker 1: some of the UH impediments, some of the roadblocks to 308 00:17:00,440 --> 00:17:03,680 Speaker 1: hire copper demand that we've seen are are pretty well understood. 309 00:17:03,800 --> 00:17:07,240 Speaker 1: The crackdown in China where Beijing and is limiting its 310 00:17:07,280 --> 00:17:12,240 Speaker 1: exposure to UM, commodity inflation, and also in the housing market, 311 00:17:12,240 --> 00:17:15,159 Speaker 1: the fact that new home sales are dropping. That's a 312 00:17:15,200 --> 00:17:19,240 Speaker 1: major source for copper demand. But UM Chile is far 313 00:17:19,280 --> 00:17:22,360 Speaker 1: and away the world's number one producer of copper, and 314 00:17:22,560 --> 00:17:26,560 Speaker 1: right now their legislature is considering legislation that would impose 315 00:17:26,800 --> 00:17:31,159 Speaker 1: pretty steep taxes on their copper miners. So if that 316 00:17:31,200 --> 00:17:33,720 Speaker 1: were to come to pass, it is estimated that about 317 00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:37,000 Speaker 1: a one million metric tons of copper output from Chile 318 00:17:37,520 --> 00:17:40,280 Speaker 1: would be in doubt. So on the supply side, I 319 00:17:40,320 --> 00:17:44,159 Speaker 1: think that UM copper does have some potential headwinds, and 320 00:17:44,240 --> 00:17:48,000 Speaker 1: that these supply concerns would mean that prices won't fall 321 00:17:48,080 --> 00:17:50,719 Speaker 1: quite as far as many are as expecting. All right, ever, 322 00:17:50,880 --> 00:17:53,840 Speaker 1: thank you so much. We always appreciate chatting with you, 323 00:17:53,880 --> 00:17:57,080 Speaker 1: getting in getting the latest on precious metals. Everett moment, 324 00:17:57,119 --> 00:18:02,960 Speaker 1: he's a precious metal specialist at Gainesville. All coins, Let's 325 00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:07,639 Speaker 1: talk tech, Let's talk cybersecurity, chip shortages, all that good stuff. 326 00:18:07,680 --> 00:18:13,080 Speaker 1: Nicola Marini, chief technical officer for e Y, joins us. Uh, Nicola, 327 00:18:13,119 --> 00:18:14,840 Speaker 1: thanks so much for joining us here. Love to get 328 00:18:14,880 --> 00:18:18,360 Speaker 1: your thoughts on I'm thinking cybersecurity. We've seen a lot 329 00:18:18,400 --> 00:18:21,480 Speaker 1: of ransomware hacks, and I was just going to ask 330 00:18:21,560 --> 00:18:25,960 Speaker 1: myself it doesn't Corporate America or just the C suite 331 00:18:25,960 --> 00:18:28,359 Speaker 1: in general get it that they need to spend money 332 00:18:28,520 --> 00:18:32,719 Speaker 1: to protect their systems. What's the latest? Yeah, so, hi, 333 00:18:32,880 --> 00:18:34,920 Speaker 1: Hi guys, good morning. It's great to be here. Thank 334 00:18:34,960 --> 00:18:37,720 Speaker 1: you for having me. Uh yeah, exactly. I think it's 335 00:18:37,760 --> 00:18:40,560 Speaker 1: a very bizarre situation. I said, on one side, you know, 336 00:18:40,600 --> 00:18:44,159 Speaker 1: cybersecurities on the front page everywhere, right, and then on 337 00:18:44,200 --> 00:18:47,439 Speaker 1: the other hand, we're not seeing, uh, the same type 338 00:18:47,480 --> 00:18:53,159 Speaker 1: of reaction intense of the prioritization of of investment for cybersecurity. 339 00:18:53,240 --> 00:18:55,960 Speaker 1: So I would summarize it as a sort of you know, 340 00:18:56,000 --> 00:18:58,560 Speaker 1: on one side that is alarmed, you know, exact to 341 00:18:58,560 --> 00:19:01,360 Speaker 1: be almost panic in some some elements and as well 342 00:19:01,440 --> 00:19:03,320 Speaker 1: at the same time, you know, with subt of the 343 00:19:03,440 --> 00:19:06,919 Speaker 1: important it's a sense of resignation and say, you know, 344 00:19:07,000 --> 00:19:08,600 Speaker 1: this is something that sooner or later it's going to 345 00:19:08,680 --> 00:19:12,040 Speaker 1: happen to us, and we're gonna sit and wait. So 346 00:19:12,240 --> 00:19:15,040 Speaker 1: we had done, for example, a survey very recently, and 347 00:19:15,080 --> 00:19:18,879 Speaker 1: we see that, you know, for s the CEOs that 348 00:19:18,960 --> 00:19:23,000 Speaker 1: we have interviewed, you know, day sacience technology is I consider, 349 00:19:23,080 --> 00:19:25,840 Speaker 1: you know, the base of the future growth. And at 350 00:19:25,840 --> 00:19:28,720 Speaker 1: the same time, only one third of the same CEO 351 00:19:29,000 --> 00:19:32,359 Speaker 1: ce cybersecurity as as a top priority. So it's kind 352 00:19:32,400 --> 00:19:37,879 Speaker 1: of puzzling. Well, I guess the ransomware attacks are the 353 00:19:37,920 --> 00:19:41,160 Speaker 1: alarm sounding and and and maybe they're gonna start ramping 354 00:19:41,240 --> 00:19:44,120 Speaker 1: up spending. By the way, I love Ernst and Young. 355 00:19:44,440 --> 00:19:47,720 Speaker 1: The word for the business that you're in in German 356 00:19:47,840 --> 00:19:52,440 Speaker 1: is vietshaft's proofunk's gazelle shaft Vshaft's proofunks gazelle shaft. That's 357 00:19:52,480 --> 00:19:54,359 Speaker 1: one word, thirty two letters. I just thought it was 358 00:19:54,400 --> 00:20:01,879 Speaker 1: probably I didn't know that it's a professional services is auditing, taxes, 359 00:20:02,000 --> 00:20:05,560 Speaker 1: financials all rolled up into one. And obviously e Y 360 00:20:05,880 --> 00:20:09,399 Speaker 1: is one of the biggest in the globe and you 361 00:20:09,440 --> 00:20:14,960 Speaker 1: know you advise businesses from mining to real estate tech, 362 00:20:15,160 --> 00:20:20,119 Speaker 1: you vice finance and government and automotive, the automotive industry. 363 00:20:20,240 --> 00:20:22,240 Speaker 1: So I wanted to ask a little bit about the 364 00:20:22,280 --> 00:20:26,400 Speaker 1: chip shortage. Um, this affects more than just cars obviously, 365 00:20:26,480 --> 00:20:29,359 Speaker 1: but they're most important to me. How soon do you 366 00:20:29,400 --> 00:20:33,360 Speaker 1: expect companies to be able to solve this issue? Yeah, 367 00:20:33,440 --> 00:20:35,679 Speaker 1: I think the time a rising is still probably between 368 00:20:35,760 --> 00:20:40,040 Speaker 1: one and two years. Still, uh, the because the systemic issues, right, 369 00:20:40,080 --> 00:20:43,520 Speaker 1: that actually led to that problems almost like a perfect 370 00:20:43,560 --> 00:20:46,240 Speaker 1: storm of I think a little bit of an obsolete 371 00:20:46,280 --> 00:20:51,040 Speaker 1: way of planning, right, very localized for for some companies 372 00:20:51,040 --> 00:20:54,080 Speaker 1: where they look at the supply chain in components versus 373 00:20:54,160 --> 00:20:57,320 Speaker 1: looking at the supply chain a systemic as a system. 374 00:20:57,640 --> 00:21:00,359 Speaker 1: And so that led to you know, compound with the 375 00:21:00,359 --> 00:21:05,359 Speaker 1: pandemic maybe you know, very conservative estimates around potential growth 376 00:21:05,359 --> 00:21:08,800 Speaker 1: excess that they all contributed to a massive, massive clock. 377 00:21:08,880 --> 00:21:11,639 Speaker 1: This is one almost in a lifetime, you know, a 378 00:21:11,760 --> 00:21:17,120 Speaker 1: case study for for food planning any way, So explain 379 00:21:17,200 --> 00:21:21,240 Speaker 1: to us the nicol of the you know, digital twin 380 00:21:21,320 --> 00:21:24,040 Speaker 1: concept and how that might be impactful here. So we 381 00:21:24,080 --> 00:21:28,280 Speaker 1: think its p what are digital twins. Yes, So the 382 00:21:28,320 --> 00:21:32,200 Speaker 1: digital twin is expectively like a the digital representation of 383 00:21:32,240 --> 00:21:35,080 Speaker 1: a system, right, And so it started with dirt in 384 00:21:35,119 --> 00:21:37,959 Speaker 1: the manufacturing space where you know, you could build For example, 385 00:21:38,040 --> 00:21:40,119 Speaker 1: I think a General Electric was one of the first 386 00:21:40,160 --> 00:21:42,760 Speaker 1: ones to actually launch the concept where they were able 387 00:21:42,800 --> 00:21:45,760 Speaker 1: to build the turbine in a in a computer simulation 388 00:21:45,880 --> 00:21:48,280 Speaker 1: and so using that you can understand, you know, what 389 00:21:48,359 --> 00:21:51,000 Speaker 1: are the impacts of changes in some of the variables 390 00:21:51,080 --> 00:21:54,879 Speaker 1: that this particular system was experiencing it. So if you 391 00:21:54,920 --> 00:21:57,840 Speaker 1: take the concept, then you're actually evolved it from a 392 00:21:58,000 --> 00:22:02,760 Speaker 1: very specific sub atomics right into the whole system. I 393 00:22:02,800 --> 00:22:05,280 Speaker 1: think you'll be able to capture, you know, the signals 394 00:22:05,320 --> 00:22:07,720 Speaker 1: that you're saying in the system itself and be able 395 00:22:07,760 --> 00:22:10,480 Speaker 1: to react even if you don't know exactly how things 396 00:22:10,560 --> 00:22:13,600 Speaker 1: will play out. But the ability through technology and the 397 00:22:13,680 --> 00:22:18,000 Speaker 1: gathering on data to understand the correlation across the variable 398 00:22:18,040 --> 00:22:20,920 Speaker 1: state of seeing and how they're evolving time, I think 399 00:22:20,960 --> 00:22:23,880 Speaker 1: at least raises those red flags that in the case 400 00:22:23,920 --> 00:22:27,000 Speaker 1: of the ship shortage and nobody has seen coming, what's 401 00:22:27,040 --> 00:22:31,640 Speaker 1: the what's the competition? Like, I'm always interested to hear 402 00:22:31,680 --> 00:22:35,959 Speaker 1: about the Big Four and you guys are truly the 403 00:22:35,960 --> 00:22:38,280 Speaker 1: heavyweights of the world. What's it like coming out of 404 00:22:38,320 --> 00:22:42,119 Speaker 1: COVID competing with the likes of KPMG, pw C, the 405 00:22:42,200 --> 00:22:46,000 Speaker 1: Lloyd An Y. Yeah, it's a it's a fierce competition. 406 00:22:46,119 --> 00:22:48,840 Speaker 1: But you know, I think you're saying, actually very strong 407 00:22:48,920 --> 00:22:54,040 Speaker 1: growth across across the world for for the professional services business. Okay, 408 00:22:54,040 --> 00:22:57,440 Speaker 1: so lots of new things happening and in a very 409 00:22:57,520 --> 00:23:00,600 Speaker 1: dynamic world, driving new regulation. Your saying, since so, John 410 00:23:00,760 --> 00:23:03,399 Speaker 1: is an evolution of the marketplace. I think that is 411 00:23:03,560 --> 00:23:06,600 Speaker 1: U is the rewarding right And Nicola, thanks so much 412 00:23:06,600 --> 00:23:10,119 Speaker 1: for joining us. Really appreciate Nicola Marini, chief Technical Officer 413 00:23:10,160 --> 00:23:14,400 Speaker 1: for Why thanks for listening to the Bloomberg Markets podcast. 414 00:23:14,760 --> 00:23:18,000 Speaker 1: You can subscribe and listen to interviews with Apple Podcasts 415 00:23:18,119 --> 00:23:22,040 Speaker 1: or whatever podcast platform you prefer. I'm Matt Miller. I'm 416 00:23:22,040 --> 00:23:26,240 Speaker 1: on Twitter at Matt Miller. Yet on ball Sweeney, I'm 417 00:23:26,240 --> 00:23:28,879 Speaker 1: on Twitter at pt Sweeney. Before the podcast, you can 418 00:23:28,920 --> 00:23:31,160 Speaker 1: always catch us worldwide at Bloomberg Radio.