The Open Bell

The Open Bell — Ep. 001 — 23 Jun 2026

Tue, 23 Jun 2026 07:00:00 +0100

Today on The Open Bell: Iran announced the Strait of Hormuz — the narrow channel that carries roughly a fifth of the world's oil — was closed, on the exact same day the US quietly granted Iran permission to sell more of that oil, which tells you everything you need to know about how well these Switzerland talks are actually going. SpaceX pulled off the biggest stock market debut in years, pocketed $75 billion, and then immediately walked over to the bond market — where companies borrow by issuing debt to investors — to ask for $20 billion more, which is either visionary capital strategy or a sign that building a rocket empire costs more than even a $75 billion payday can cover. For the first time in 25 years, an AI chip company just knocked the previous king off the top of the global stock market rankings — the list of the most valuable companies on Earth — and if that feels distant from your life, consider that most pension funds are still catching up to a shift that already happened. Hosted by Alex Monroe. New episodes every weekday morning at theopenbell.co Not investment advice. For informational purposes only. --- Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 00:23 Iran's Hormuz Closure Statement Rattles Oil as Switzerland T 03:26 SpaceX Launches $20bn Bond Sale Days After Record $75bn IPO 05:43 AI Boom Crowns New Global Market Cap Leader for First Time S 07:40 Closing thoughts

The Open Bell — 19 Jun 2026

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 07:30:00 +0100

Today on The Open Bell: Brent is still above $100 and the ceasefire holding the Strait of Hormuz together is contested enough that calling it a ceasefire feels generous — this is the biggest oil supply shock in recorded history, and it isn't over. Kevin Warsh chaired his first FOMC meeting and walked out threatening rate hikes, not cuts — and the bond market's reaction was the loudest it's been on a Fed day in nearly two decades. Hosted by Alex Monroe. New episodes every weekday morning at theopenbell.co Not investment advice. For informational purposes only.

The Open Bell — 18 Jun 2026

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 07:30:00 +0100

Today on The Open Bell: American consumers spent nearly twice what forecasters expected in May, which sounds like great news until you ask whether they're actually better off or just paying more for the same stuff. China has just published a five-year plan to lock down global critical minerals, and Europe is already reaching for import quotas — the materials trade war that's been simmering for years is starting to boil. Brazil is sitting on a 13.5% interest rate with inflation still running hot, but falling oil prices — a side effect of geopolitics nobody saw coming — may quietly hand its central bank the exit ramp it's been waiting for. Hosted by Alex Monroe. New episodes every weekday morning at theopenbell.co Not investment advice. For informational purposes only.

The Open Bell — Coming Soon

Sat, 13 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0100

Here's something nobody tells you: the global economy doesn't ask permission before it rearranges your life.

Interest rates, oil prices, currency moves, trade deals — these aren't abstractions happening to someone else. They're why your mortgage payment went up. They're why your weekly shop costs more than it did two years ago. And they're why your pension is doing whatever it's doing right now, whether you've checked it or not.

I'm Alex Monroe, and The Open Bell is a daily financial podcast for curious, intelligent adults who want to understand markets — but don't work in them. Every weekday morning, plain English, around ten minutes.

Subscribe now wherever you get your podcasts. The first episode drops soon.

Not investment advice. For informational purposes only.