A Value View - The Merchants Trust PLC Podcast
A Value View is a series of topical podcasts from The Merchants Trust, focusing on developments affecting the UK market environment and how the trust navigates them. So what does this mean for investors? – join portfolio manager Simon Gergel as he offers his thoughts
Episodes
31 episodes since 2020
With elections behind us, who holds the power?
Who holds the power: the government or the market? In this episode, Simon Gergel discusses the aftermath of the recent UK elections, marked by a significant Labour victory. He explores the market response and highlights where opportunities are ...
August 06, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 31
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16:32
Happy 30th
In this 30th episode of the A Value View podcast, Jon and Simon discuss dividends once again. With Merchants having reached its 42nd consecutive year of paying an increased dividend, just how has the trust managed this? And, what does the state...
June 24, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 30
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17:19
A great opportunity set for investors
In this episode, Merchant’s portfolio manager, Simon Gergel is challenged around his ‘glass half full’ view of the UK market. Simon takes the challenge in hand explaining the factors behind his thinking and why, despite short term pain, the opp...
April 11, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 29
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16:39
Glass half full?
There have been many reasons over recent years for investors to be ‘out of love’ with the UK; Brexit, political uncertainty, pandemic, Ukraine, Trussonomics and the perception of worse inflation & economic performance for the UK to name a h...
December 07, 2023
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Season 1
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Episode 28
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11:46
Talking income
As the trust gears up for the release of its latest interim results, many investors will have an eye on the upcoming dividend. As an AIC Dividend Hero, the trust is well known for maintaining a steady dividend payment throughout the many ups an...
September 22, 2023
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Season 1
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Episode 27
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12:48
Building the case for building
The housing market has long been seen as a key bellwether of the overall state of UK market. But the recent squeeze on the cost of living – namely, rising prices which have in turn driven interest rates higher – has been keenly felt in that sec...
May 26, 2023
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Season 1
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Episode 26
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10:28
A Closer Look at the UK’s Stock Market
In the latest episode of ‘A Value View’, host Jon Cronin gets Simon Gergel’s thoughts on the current outlook for the UK’s FTSE 100. On the one-hand, the FTSE hit an all-time high in February, on the back of bumper profits for several of its con...
March 30, 2023
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Season 1
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Episode 25
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13:29
Passed Peak Fear for Investors?
Are we in an environment where investors can now see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel? Some inflation pressures are abating and although rates are still going up, the fear that rates are going to go up faster, and to higher levels ...
February 16, 2023
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Season 1
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Episode 24
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14:05
Challenging times
There are a number of serious challenges facing the UK economy – rising energy costs, the cost of living crisis, rising interest rates and mortgage costs and supply chain issues to name a few. However, while they may not be showing signs of aba...
November 02, 2022
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Season 1
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Episode 23
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11:34
Reigning Supreme
On the occasion of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, Simon and Jon reflect not only on that incredible achievement, but also on the highs and lows faced by The Merchants Trust over its 133 year history. Almost six months into a tumultuous 2022, it ...
June 20, 2022
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Season 1
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Episode 22
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7:48
Powering Towards the Future
The Russian invasion of Ukraine and subsequent concerns over fossil fuel supplies from Russia have combined in a perfect storm with already rising energy prices and wider cost of living inflation to push energy security and affordability into t...
May 03, 2022
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Season 1
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Episode 21
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11:55
A UK Renaissance?
The UK market has been more resilient than global peers so far in 2022 and whilst highly valued growth stocks across the globe feel the impact of rising inflation and interest rates, many value stocks that were previously languishing have seen ...
March 22, 2022
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Season 1
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Episode 20
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9:20
Separating The Wheat From The Chaff
As 2021 fades in the memory, the spectre of inflation is firmly on investors’ minds and Simon Gergel gives his view on what that may mean for markets in 2022. After a year where finding genuinely under-priced good businesses – rather than those...
January 14, 2022
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Season 1
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Episode 19
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11:32
Out of Time For Just-In-Time?
Supply issues have been in the spotlight of late. Where companies had got used to ‘just-in-time’ supply chains, they have now seen just how easily these can be disrupted. Whilst such factors mean we’re not out of the woods yet in terms of econo...
November 02, 2021
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Season 1
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Episode 18
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12:21
The UK Five Years on…
Five years have passed since the Brexit referendum and many different factors have made that a particularly extraordinary and challenging period for the UK market. However, the trick has been to look through the various market uncertainties and...
July 12, 2021
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Season 1
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Episode 17
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12:41
Will There be a Tonic for the Markets?
The latest reporting season has highlighted the difference between resilient businesses and those hit very hard by the effects of the pandemic. Returning dividends across many sectors are an encouraging sign for income seekers and the vaccine r...
March 09, 2021
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Season 1
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Episode 16
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15:41
A Return to Fundamentals?
In this episode, Simon Gergel discusses the potential for a renewed focus on individual companies and their prospects in 2021. While bigger picture themes such as Brexit, the US election, and the impacts of the pandemic dominated markets last y...
January 06, 2021
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Season 1
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Episode 15
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11:15
Looking to the Future
In this Episode, Simon Gergel takes a closer look at how businesses are emerging from the constraints of lockdown and what the trend for dividends from UK equity markets might be. Finally, Brexit trade negotiations are once again a talking poin...
September 28, 2020
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Season 1
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Episode 14
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11:50
Maintaining a Focus on Income
In this episode, Simon Gergel takes a closer look at the situation for income from UK equity markets. What factors should investors consider to differentiate businesses that are suffering a short term shock from those that may be impacted by lo...
July 07, 2020
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Season 1
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Episode 13
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15:40
Coronavirus, Stock Markets and the Economy – an Investor’s Perspective
Simon Gergel looks at how markets are reacting to the coronavirus and describes how he and his team are dealing with the fallout in terms of the investment portfolio. Simon also looks at the outlook for income from dividends, a cornerstone of t...
March 30, 2020
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Episode 12
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18:40
Reflecting on a momentous 2019 and a look at what 2020 may hold
Simon Gergel reviews 2019 – a momentous year in terms of global market volatility and the polarisation of the UK market as investors heavily favoured higher-quality growth stocks. 2020 is starting out with more political certainty in the UK. Th...
January 12, 2020
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Episode 11
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10:54
Opportunity From Uncertainty
As we approach the final quarter of 2019, Simon Gergel reflects on what has been a fascinating year so far, with politics driving market volatility globally and the UK market becoming increasingly polarised. He talks about finding opportunities...
September 30, 2019
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Episode 10
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11:22
What does it mean to be a value investor?
In his latest podcast, Simon Gergel, Portfolio Manager of The Merchants Trust, discusses what it means to be a value investor and how the team implements this across the Merchants portfolio of high yielding shares. Simon also considers the oppo...
June 18, 2019
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Episode 9
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14:12
Celebrating 130 years
Simon reflects on how it all began in 1889, the Trust’s aims to provide an investment solution for individual investors then and now and how the Merchants of yesterday differs to the vehicle it is today. The Trust has lived through many major p...
April 10, 2019
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Episode 8
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12:17
Happy New Year and Happy Birthday
Not only are we at the start of a new year but also a landmark anniversary year for Merchants. Established in 1889, the Trust celebrates its 130th birthday this year. The fact that the Trust has successfully navigated a variety of market condit...
January 13, 2019
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Episode 7
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8:34