AI Summary
5 min read🎙️ The Voices & The Context
- The Format: Interview-style podcast episode with hosts interviewing a guest expert on investing.
- The Key Players:
- Hosts: Michael Batnick and Ben Carlson – longtime co-hosts of Animal Spirits with sharp banter on markets; they poke fun at each other (e.g., Ben's "sensitivity" to inflation talk).
- Guest: David Chastler, Head of Multi-Asset Solutions at Van Eck, running the Real Assets ETF (RAAX); interesting for his optimistic, growth-driven pitch on "hard assets" beyond doom-and-gloom.
- The Vibe: Educational yet optimistic and energetic – counters typical "apocalypse" narratives for commodities with an exciting AI-fueled prosperity angle; light-hearted host chemistry keeps it fun.
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:00) **🎙️ Introduction: David Chastler**
- 2 (02:48) **Defining Real Assets**
- 3 (06:04) **New Regime: AI Innovation and Infrastructure**
- 4 (07:31) **Portfolio Construction Process**
- 5 (09:09) **Catalysts for Real Assets Bull Market**
- 6 (11:02) **Gold and Silver Outlook**
- 7 (15:15) **Energy and Productivity from AI**
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Show Notes
On this episode of Animal Spirits: Talk Your Book, Michael Batnick and Ben Carlson are joined by David Schassler from VanEck to discuss: the case for owning real assets, the gold bull market, how AI is fueling the demand for energy and materials and how the world will look different going forward.
Important Disclosures from VanEck: https://www.vaneck.com/us/en/talk-your-book-vaneck-disclosures-march-2026/
Find complete show notes on our blogs...
Ben Carlson’s A Wealth of Common Sense
Michael Batnick’s The Irrelevant Investor
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Investing involves the risk of loss. This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be or regarded as personalized investment advice or relied upon for investment decisions. Michael Batnick and Ben Carlson are employees of Ritholtz Wealth Management and may maintain positions in the securities discussed in this video. All opinions expressed by them are solely their own opinion and do not reflect the opinion of Ritholtz Wealth Management. See our disclosures here:
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