Lead-Lag Live

Lead-Lag Live

Welcome to the Lead-Lag Live podcast, where we bring you live unscripted conversations with thought leaders in the world of finance, economics, and investing. Hosted by Melanie Schaffer each episode dives deep into the minds of industry experts to discuss current market trends, investment strategies, and the global economic landscape. In this exciting series, you'll have the rare opportunity to join Melanie Schaffer as she connects with prominent thought leaders for captivating discussions in real-time. The Lead-Lag Live podcast aims to provide valuable insights, analysis, and actionable advice for investors and financial professionals alike. As a dedicated listener, you can expect to hear from renowned financial experts, best-selling authors, and market strategists as they share their wealth of knowledge and experience. With a focus on topical issues and their potential impact on financial markets, these live unscripted conversations will ensure that you stay informed and ahead of the curve. Subscribe to the Lead-Lag Live podcast and follow @leadlagmedia on X to stay updated on upcoming live conversations and to gain exclusive access to a treasure trove of financial wisdom. Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to learn from the best and brightest minds in the business. Join us on this journey as we explore the complex world of finance and investments, one live unscripted conversation at a time. Be sure to like, comment, and share the Lead-Lag Live podcast with your network to help others discover these invaluable insights. Stay tuned for the latest episode of the Lead-Lag Live podcast, and remember to turn on notifications so you never miss a live conversation with your favorite thought leaders. Happy listening!

Episodes

December 11, 2025 12 mins

Emerging markets are changing fast. Old economy sectors like banks and energy no longer define the space. Instead, growth is being driven by internet platforms, tech enabled consumer companies, and new economy business models reshaping how investors approach EM exposure. 

In this Lead-Lag Deep Dive, Melanie Schaffer sits down with Brendan Ahern, Chief Investment Officer at KraneShares, to break down how this transformation...

Mark as Played

Short term yields have shifted, liquidity matters more than ever, and investors are rethinking how to manage cash efficiently. In this Lead-Lag Deep Dive, Melanie Schaeffer sits down with Aram Babikian to break down the purpose of TRSY, why its structure is different from traditional cash vehicles, and how investors are using it in today’s rate environment.
They explore why liquidity, cost, and transparency are shaping cash dec...

In this episode of Lead-Lag Live, I sit down with Matt Simpson, CEO of Brazil Potash (NYSE: GRO), to break down how the Autazes project could transform fertilizer security for Brazil and shift the balance of power in global agriculture.

From navigating permits and construction milestones to securing long-term offtake agreements for more than 90 percent of expected production, Simpson explains how domestic potash supply could reduce ...

In this special Lead-Lag Live webinar sponsored by GraniteShares, Michael Gayed brings together some of the biggest YouTube creators in the income-investing space for a fresh, free-flowing conversation on weekly dividends, options-based income ETFs, yield strategies, and the rise of “living free from your brokerage account.”

Featuring leaders from across the ETF and income-investing world, this session dives into:

  • Why weekly divi...

Join Michael Gayed, Melanie Schaffer, and the OptionsANIMAL team for a conversation about options trading, risk management, and the famous “George Costanza Trade.”

In this webinar, they chat about:

  • What the “Costanza approach” really means in trading
  • How professional traders manage risk and avoid emotional decisions
  • High-probability setups explained in simple terms
  • Options strategies that work in volatile markets
  • Actionable tips you ...

International markets are leading and according to DWS’s Aram Babikian, we’re still in the early innings. In part 1 of this Lead-Lag Deep Dive Series, Melanie Schaeffer sits down with Aram to explore why Europe and Japan are gaining momentum, what’s structurally different this time, and how two key XTrackers ETFs, HDEF and DBEF, are positioned for 2025–2026.

They break down:

- Why Europe, especially Germany, is en...

In this episode of Lead-Lag Live, I sit down with Jay Hatfield, CEO of Infrastructure Capital Advisors, to break down what Nvidia’s blockbuster quarter means for mega-cap tech, why markets fade after earnings season, and the implications for dividend stocks, preferreds, and small caps as rate expectations shift.

From valuation pressure in momentum names to tightening money supply and the path of Fed policy, Hatfield explains where h...

In this episode of Lead-Lag Live, I sit down with Alex Shahidi, Co-Chief Investment Officer at Evoke Advisors, to unpack the structural forces reshaping markets — from persistent inflation to weakening growth, rising deficits, and the return of macro volatility.

From the limitations of the traditional 60-40 portfolio to the misunderstood mechanics behind risk parity, Shahidi explains how investors can build portfolios that survive m...

In this episode of Lead-Lag Live, I sit down with Seth Cogswell, Managing Partner at Running Oak Capital, to break down Michael Burry’s warnings about depreciation manipulation, inflated AI earnings, and the concentration risk dominating today’s market.

From the speed of chip innovation to the widening gap between revenue and AI CapEx, Cogswell explains why valuations at the top of the S&P 500 may be far more stretched than inve...

In this episode of Lead-Lag Live, Michael Gayed sits down with Cole Wenner from KraneShares to break down the rise of humanoid robots and why the theme is moving from cool demos to real-world deployment. Cole explains embodied intelligence, the labor and aging-population pressures driving demand, and where humanoids are likely to show up first — warehouses, factories, hospitals, and eventually the home.

They walk through t...

In this episode of Lead-Lag Live, Michael Gayed talks with Henry Greene from KraneShares about how recent changes in US–China trade incentives are improving the outlook for China’s tech sector and why it matters for investors.

They discuss the rise of AI in China — including DeepSeek and Alibaba’s Qwen models — and how letting companies train AI on their own data could boost cloud adoption. Henry also explains China’s push...

In this episode of Lead-Lag Live, I sit down with Steven Rossi, Founder and CEO of Worksport, to break down the company’s clean-energy transformation — including the long-awaited launch of the COR portable power system and the SOLIS solar tonneau cover.

Steven explains how COR’s modular batteries, onboard inverter system, and solar integration are designed to create a new category in portable power — one that serves contractors, ove...

In this episode of Lead Lag Live, I sit down with Brendan Ahern, Chief Investment Officer at KraneShares, to break down the renewed momentum behind emerging markets and the forces driving performance across global tech and e commerce.

From valuation gaps and dollar depreciation to sector leadership shifts, Ahern shares how EM growth factors and specifically the KEMQ ETF are positioned to benefit from a structural rebalanci...

n this episode of Lead-Lag Live, I sit down with Brendan Ahern, Chief Investment Officer at KraneShares, to break down the pivotal shift happening inside China’s equity markets. A Trump–Xi truce, policy stabilization, and a surge in cloud and AI revenues are driving fresh optimism into Chinese tech — and Brendan explains why global investors are quietly reallocating back into KWEB.

From improving CPI and government action ...

In this episode of Lead-Lag Live, I sit down once again with Si Katara, Founder and CEO of TappAlpha, to dive deeper into how daily option overlays are redefining the balance between growth, income, and risk management.

Since our last conversation, markets have shifted fast. AI valuations have cooled, volatility has returned, and investors are rethinking how to generate income without sacrificing upside. Si shares how TappAlpha’s TS...

In this episode of Lead-Lag Live, host Melanie Schaffer sits down with Jay Hatfield, CEO of Infrastructure Capital Advisors, to unpack the market’s next chapter. From AI valuations and small-cap opportunities to rate cuts and dividend ETFs, Jay breaks down where he’s seeing risk and reward as we head into 2025 and 2026.

Topics covered:
• AI and the “Magnificent 8” valuations
• The Fed’s next moves and rate outlook<...

In this exclusive conversation, Michael Gayed, founder of The Lead-Lag Report, sits down with Will Rhind, CEO of GraniteShares, to discuss the booming demand for options-based income ETFs like YieldBoost — funds generating 50% to 150% annual yields through innovative option strategies.

They unpack:
- Why rates are headed lower (and what it means for investors)
- How YieldBoost ETFs work and generate high income

In this special Take Your Kid to Work Day edition of Lead-Lag Live, Grade 9 student Ezra Briski steps in as host to explore this year’s theme: Lift Up Your Future — how the choices we make today shape the opportunities we have tomorrow. Ezra sits down with Seth Cogswell, Founder and Managing Partner at Running Oak Capital, to discuss why starting early with money and investing can change your entire life’s trajectory.

In this episod...

In this exclusive webinar hosted by Michael Gayed of Lead-Lag Media, Jay Hatfield from Infrastructure Capital shares his market outlook for 2025 — including why he believes the Fed will have to cut rates, why housing hasn’t crashed, and why the next market move could surprise to the upside.

Jay breaks down:

  • Why the Fed has caused nearly every post-WWII recession
  • How inflation is finally cooling (and why CPI is misleading)
  • The real ...
  • Read more

In this episode of Lead-Lag Live, I sit down with Brad Barrie, Co-Founder, Managing Director, and Chief Investment Officer at Dynamic Wealth Group, to unpack how global-macro investing helps investors prepare for uncertainty — not predict it.

From his Halloween-candy analogy on diversification to the risks hiding behind record valuations, Brad explains why hope isn’t a strategy, why true diversification means non-correlation, and ho...


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