As we welcome back Duncan Williams and John Newsome of Williams Investment Management for another episode of the podcast, the only story that is making the news is the economic fallout from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Which means we are going to be covering the inevitable impact on the global economy, an inflationary shock and the subject of energy security.

There is also some news about a new member of the Williams team, and how he will feed into the future discourse.

Back after a short break, and straight into the economic repercussions of the conflict in the Middle East. Duncan Williams and John Newsome try to make some sense of the last few days, and what it might mean in the short, and the medium term.

They consider the immediate impact on the strength of the dollar, and whether it will be an ongoing trend, and what it might mean for the markets. They also consider why it wasn't mentioned in the Chancellor's Spring Statement (but also what was) and what it will mean for wider Government policy, particularly around the future of fossil fuel.

Finally they turn to private markets, and a couple of key updates.

After a couple of fairly epic episodes (certainly by our standards) John and Duncan are back for a more streamlined take on the latest economic and investment news.

Proceedings are more than a little influenced by what is going on in the U.S, and the Presidents pick for the Chair of the Federal Reserve, which starts a whole heap of chat about the reasons behind the pivot and how the markets may have influenced the choice.

There is a look at the volatility of trading in Silver and Precious Metals, what was learned from the recent forum in Davos, and the nagging question at the heart of Bitcoin.

A bit of a bumper episode this time around, as Duncan Williams, Val Wade and John Newsome try and make some sense of the craziness that threatens to engulf us all.

There is a lot to ponder around the recent interventions of the American President, particularly around his desire to appropriate Greenland and impress his will on the decisions of the Federal Reserve. Does any of it make any kind of sense, and has he gone too far?

There is some clarity around the performance of Silver, as it appears to be experiencing similar performance to that of Gold, and some conversation around the performance of the Pharmaceuticals market.

And there is just enough time to touch on Davos, Home Reit and the planned that David Lammy has for taxing the legal profession.

Welcome to the latest Just Williams podcast, in which Abi Ostler invites podcast regulars Duncan Williams and John Newsome to muse on the latest goings-on in the world on investment.

The theme this time is a look back at the significant moments of 2025, and what they potentially mean for the upcoming year, so be ready for lots of Geopolitical updates.

We begin at home with the recent performance of the FTSE, and then turn our attention to Venezuela, Greenland and Taiwan, and the ramifications for oil, minerals and microchips. There is a review of recent market performance and look at what is driving the value of both gold and silver.

For the last time in 2025 we drop in on the team at Williams Investment Management. And because it's the last one then it's time to look back to the market predictions that Abi, Val, John and Duncan made a year ago, to see how they got on.

As you would expect there were some bullseyes, as well as some darts that completely missed the board, all of which will be discussed and explained.

And of course it wouldn't be the festive special if we didn't have another crack, so Val, Kimi, James, John and Duncan are soon back at the oche with best guesses for next year. Pitching for glory, and attempting to get the Ally-Pally crowd to its feet. We hope you enjoy it.

Thank you for listening, and all the very best for Christmas and the New Year!

Welcome back to another episode of the Just Williams podcast. Today Abi Ostler is joined by Duncan Williams, Valerie Wade and John Newsome to discuss the things that are making news in the investment markets, both here and around the globe.

There is some hangover chat from the recent budget, including how it might impact the inflation stats over the coming months, as well as an update on the jobs market in the U.S. There is also a very pertinent and timely reflection on service levels within the sector.

We know it was only last week, and we know you might be a little sick of hearing about it, but honestly we do need to talk to you a little about the Budget.

Whether it was better than we feared, or indeed worse than we hoped, the fact is that we are going to have to deal with the changes that the Chancellor has put forward, and what the long term consequences might be.

So settle back as Duncan, John and James take you through the key talking points, especially those that will impact your financial and investment decisions in the coming months.

Oh and for those of you who aren't acronym blessed, VCT stands for Venture Capital Trusts and they are publicly listed companies that invest in small, young, and often privately-owned UK companies.