Latest Interviews
Showing 1–12 of 12 transcripts.
Clear all filters- Goldman Sachs10 min
Why Global Insurers Are Leaning Into Risk
Goldman Sachs' 10th annual insurance report surveyed 286 respondents representing over $14 trillion in assets to reveal a global "risk-on" strategy where insurers are shifting allocations toward private equity, private credit, and floating-rate assets to capture illiquidity premiums. While inflation concerns have replaced deflation fears and credit cycle optimism places the market in the middle stage, participants project recessions more than three years away and are increasingly integrating ESG factors into underwriting and investment processes. This widespread appetite for higher yields and impact investing is most pronounced in Asia, where rapid growth contrasts with slower European expansion, fundamentally reshaping capital deployment across life, property casualty, healthcare, and reinsurance sectors.
- Goldman Sachs19 min
Outlook for Equity Markets
Goldman Sachs Investment Strategy Group asserts that the current equity market is not in a bubble despite rich valuations, attributing stability to a 2.9% implied equity risk premium and low Treasury yields below the 3.0% to 3.5% recession threshold. While forecasting a robust 6.5% GDP growth with only a 10% recession probability, the firm anticipates post-pandemic earnings expansion to be partially tempered by potential corporate tax hikes. Consequently, Goldman Sachs advises investors to remain fully allocated to equities but to shift their allocation toward undervalued value stocks using dollar-cost averaging rather than waiting for market pullbacks.
- Goldman Sachs13 min
Big, Bold, Strategic Moves: The 2021 M&A Outlook
Stephan Feldgoise, Mark Sorrell, Jake Seward, Stefan Feldgeus
Following a pandemic-induced dip, the M&A market achieved a record $1.8 trillion in second-half 2020 deal value, a rebound driven by vaccine optimism and robust capital availability that propelled activity to double pre-pandemic levels by early 2021. Goldman Sachs facilitated over 100 of these transactions through a predominantly virtual execution model, which clients now favor for efficiency while major cross-border and large-ticket deals exceeding $10 billion resume traditional global patterns. The 2021 outlook predicts aggressive strategic repositioning fueled by abundant private equity dry powder, innovative financing structures, and a heightened appetite for hostile approaches as boards prioritize growth over caution.
- Goldman Sachs22 min
2021 Investment Outlook: “US Resilient”
Sharmin Mossavar-Rahmani, Jake Seward
Goldman Sachs CIO David Koston presents a 2021 investment strategy centered on the "U.S. Resilient" framework, advocating for sustained U.S. equity exposure despite elevated valuations while assigning a base case 8% total return with specific tactical allocations to bank loans over high-yield bonds. The outlook highlights China as the primary emerging market growth driver and warns of downside risks including vaccine efficacy against variants and geopolitical tensions, though upside potential remains tied to robust fiscal stimulus and pent-up consumer demand. Ultimately, the analysis urges clients to maintain long-term equity participation rather than attempting to time exogenous shocks like the pandemic, citing historical evidence that institutional resilience and economic fundamentals will eventually drive market recovery.
- Goldman Sachs17 min
Robert Draper, Writer at Large for "The New York Times Magazine"
Robert Draper's *To Start a War* identifies Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz as the primary architect who shifted the Bush administration from containment to invasion, leveraging the 9/11 attacks to overcome President George W. Bush's initial hesitation regarding Iraq. The text details how flawed intelligence was amplified to secure domestic support, creating a credibility chasm that influenced subsequent presidencies while noting that Colin Powell's refusal to resign likely preserved the necessary UK coalition for the 2003 invasion. Draper concludes by analyzing the war's enduring legacy on modern foreign policy, highlighting Joe Biden's regrets over his 2002 vote and the current administration's cautious approach to intelligence and military intervention.
- Goldman Sachs19 min
Evan Osnos, Author of "Joe Biden: The Life, the Run, and What Matters Now"
Evan Osnos, Joe Biden, Jake Seward
Interviewer Jake Seward and author Evan Osnos analyze President Biden's political psychology, linking his resilience against childhood tragedy and his early 1972 Senate bid to a governing philosophy that balances personal agency with the acceptance of uncontrollable fate. The discussion outlines Biden's distinct negotiation style, his strategic redefinition of the vice presidency as a substantive partnership with Kamala Harris, and the incoming administration's intent to bypass legislative gridlock through immediate executive action on climate and bureaucratic repair. Furthermore, the narrative details Biden's commitment to rebuilding diplomatic alliances amidst global uncertainty while adopting a conventional media relationship that contrasts sharply with his predecessor's approach.
- Goldman Sachs26 min
John Dickerson, Author of 'The Hardest Job in the World: The American Presidency"
In *The Hardest Job in the World*, journalist John Dickerson argues that the modern presidency has evolved from a constitutionally limited office into an unmanageable entity due to expanded security threats, legislative abdication, and inflated public expectations. Dickerson critiques the current selection process for prioritizing campaign theater over governance skills, citing the Trump administration's pandemic response as evidence that effective leadership requires rigorous operational testing rather than solo heroics. By highlighting the disconnect between campaign narratives and the complex reality of decision-making, the author urges a shift in media and voter focus toward substantive management capabilities and the feasibility of policy implementation.
- Goldman Sachs24 min
The Great Reset: A Framework for Investing After COVID-19
Goldman Sachs Senior Advisor Steve Strong identifies the pandemic as a transformative rule-changing event in his report *The Great Reset*, predicting a permanent economic shift driven by the adoption of resilient business models and "sticky" behavioral changes in remote work and digital health. The analysis forecasts a regulatory pendulum swing that will favor companies with built-in redundancy over efficiency, while simultaneously fragmenting consumer markets into distinct risk-based segments that demand tailored safety and social distancing measures. Ultimately, Strong cautions investors to look beyond immediate crisis survivors toward the upcoming innovation phase, where new entrants and retooled incumbents will dominate by creating superior, more resilient economic structures.
- Goldman Sachs24 min
Rahm Emanuel, Former Chicago Mayor and Author of "The Nation City"
Political leader Rahm Emanuel argues that global power has permanently shifted from dysfunctional national institutions to local governments, where 75% public confidence drives mayors to assume federal responsibilities in climate action, education, and economic growth. Citing Chicago's transformation of its school system and energy grid, Emanuel demonstrates how local leadership can achieve measurable outcomes, such as raising high school graduation rates from 56% to nearly 80%, while overcoming federal gridlock. He asserts that this structural realignment is irreversible and calls for a political strategy focused on execution and enabling policy rather than broad, unfulfillable campaign promises.
- Goldman Sachs29 min
Episode 136: What’s It Really Like to Be a Goldman Sachs Intern?
Jake Seward, Catherine Dorvitz, Rebecca Shiner, Dane Holmes
Dane Holmes, Head of Human Capital Management, guided a Summer 2019 panel of interns, including upcoming analysts Catherine Dorvitz and Rebecca Shiner, to discuss the firm's strategic evolution toward holistic diversity and intentional living. Participants highlighted a critical shift in recruitment where 92% of interns value brand loyalty and a 17% priority on mental disconnection to prevent burnout, alongside an optimistic outlook on AI as a tool for enhancement rather than displacement. The session concluded by outlining the firm's investment in manager education and internal mobility to align with these evolving expectations for meaningful work-life integration.
- Goldman Sachs26 min
Episode 87: The Rate Stuff: What Markets Are Saying About the Macro Outlook
Francesco Garzarelli, Jake Seward
Goldman Sachs Research analysts attribute current equity and bond volatility to a market repricing of U.S. growth following fiscal stimulus, while forecasting four Federal Reserve rate hikes in 2018 that align with a terminal rate near 3%. The firm contends that a synchronized global bond bear market is unlikely until late 2018 or 2019, noting that divergent central bank cycles currently limit systemic risk despite rising term premiums in Europe and Japan. To capitalize on expected market complacency regarding inflation, the strategy advocates maintaining exposure to risky assets while exploiting volatility premiums through steeper yield curves.
- Goldman Sachs20 min
John A. Farrell: The Life, Legacy and Lessons of Richard Nixon
John A. Farrell, Richard Nixon, Jake Seward, Jack Farrell
Journalist Jack Farrell's biography reexamines Richard Nixon by contrasting his resilient childhood trauma and early friendship with John F. Kennedy against his calculated ambition and the fatal "Chennault Affair." The narrative details how Nixon's secret taping system and subsequent admission of Watergate involvement transformed a political scandal into an unprecedented impeachment crisis fueled by his "uncontrolled cruelty" during the final days of his presidency. Farrell ultimately frames Nixon's arc as a Shakespearean tragedy where a tragic flaw derived from his humble origins and a vow to never be out-cheated again led inevitably to his downfall.