Skip to content
Sign in
Artwork for Barclays Brief
BusinessNewsBusiness NewsSociety & Culture

Barclays Brief

Barclays Investment Bank

In a world of constant change, Barclays Brief is your weekly source for differentiated perspectives that cut through the noise.

Each bite-sized episode delivers clear insights into the structural trends transforming sectors – from technology and healthcare to energy, industrials and beyond.

Through sharp dialogue and scenario-based analysis, we help you navigate complexity, make meaningful connections and anticipate what’s next – whether you’re managing a portfolio or leading a business.

Each week we dig deep into a key market theme, spanning equities, macro, credit and more, uncovering the forces shaping tomorrow to help you make smarter decisions today.

Stay sharp. Stay briefed.

Published by Barclays Investment Bank: https://www.ib.barclays/

Important content disclosures: https://www.ib.barclays/disclosures/important-content-disclosures.html
Important non-Research content disclosures: https://www.ib.barclays/disclosures/important-nonresearch-content-disclosures.html

Play
Open in
  • 23 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 10 min
  • English

Episodes 23

NewestOldestLongest
All3Unplayed3In progress0Played0
Counted on this page — what you have heard stays on this device, so it is not something the list can be paged by.
  • #27
    April 14 · 10 min

    Prediction markets: A new market signal

    Prediction markets are suddenly top of mind for a range of people. From elections and sporting events to pop culture and breaking news, probabilities are flashing across screens in real time. What started as a niche concept is increasingly being treated as a signal for how uncertainty gets processed and priced.​ In this episode of the Barclays Brief, Ronnie Wexler sits down with US Gaming Research Analyst, Brandt Montour, to explore why prediction markets have surged into the spotlight. They dig into how these platforms work, why the “wisdom of crowds” has captured attention across media and finance, and what’s driving the growth in activity and valuations.​ The conversation goes beyond the hype, tackling the growing regulatory pushback, the tension between state and federal oversight, and the key differences between prediction markets and traditional sportsbooks. They also examine who’s winning, who’s losing, and what the rapid shift in capital across the gaming landscape may be signaling for investors thinking about how to position as this market continues to evolve.​ Clients can read more on Barclays Live:​ Mounting Opposition, but No Quick Regulatory Endgame​ Predicting a Sports Launch - 72¢​ Prediction markets for CPI?​ ​ Important Content Disclosures​ Important non-Research Content Disclosures​

    • Transcript
    • Chapters
  • #26
    April 7 · 12 min

    The quantum computing moment

    Quantum computing has long been viewed as a future technology. Now, it’s poised to overtake classical computing systems in specific useful tasks in the next 12-24 months. In this episode of Barclays Brief, Laia Marin joins Patrick Coffey to discuss why now may be the time for corporates and investors to engage with quantum computing. They break down the fundamentals, including the different modalities, and its potential to solve complex business problems, analysing unstructured data and developing complex optimisation solutions. Laia also explores the current limitations of quantum systems, the competing qubit modalities racing to scale, and how quantum computing is additive to classical computing infrastructure, potentially allowing companies to integrate quantum capabilities alongside existing systems, rather than replacing them. This episode offers an accessible overview of where quantum stands today – and how to start preparing for its impact. Listeners can hear more on this topic:​ •Episode 20: Software: In the AI storm Clients can read more on Barclays Live: •Quantum Computing: The race is on •Quantum Computing: Friend, not foe •Quantum Computing: Correcting the biggest investor myths around quantum Important Content Disclosures Important non-Research Content Disclosures

    • Transcript
    • Chapters
  • #25
    March 31 · 13 min

    The cusp of a capex supercycle

    In recent months, market narratives have been dominated by geopolitical shocks, energy volatility and higher interest rates. But step back, and a much bigger story is coming into focus. Advanced economies may be on the cusp of a new, historic investment cycle – one with the potential to rival the great build‑outs of the past, from 19th‑century railroads to the Apollo missions and the information‑technology boom of the 1990s. While much of the capex narrative has focused on AI and the race by hyperscalers to build faster, more efficient models, this is only one part of the picture. Energy systems, electrification, defence spending and economic resilience are all reinforcing the scale of capital deployment now underway. In this episode of the Barclays Brief, Patrick Coffey is joined by Christian Keller, Chief Economist at Barclays, to examine how 150 years of investment data show that long periods of under‑investment are often followed by powerful capex cycles and why after two decades of weakness, the latest numbers point to the early stages of one with historic potential. Listeners can hear more on this topic:​ •Episode 22: Processing uncertainty in real time •Episode 17: Metals & mining: meltdown or opportunity? •Episode 7: US dollar & the AI capex cycle Clients can read more on Barclays Live: •Supersize me: The coming investment cycle •Cracks, but not a crater (Q2 Global Outlook) •Defence Quarterly: a 10-year cycle still to come? Important Content Disclosures Important non-Research Content Disclosures

    • Transcript
    • Chapters
Showing 21–23 of 23 episodes