In Episode 46 of “Market News with Rodney Lake,” Professor Lake, Director of the GW Investment Institute, highlights key macroeconomic updates, including softer-than-expected inflation data, improving trade relations between the U.S. and China, and Nvidia’s expanded market access in Saudi Arabia. Professor Lake also discusses the impact of artifici…

In Episode 45 of “Market News with Rodney Lake,” Professor Lake, Director of the GW Investment Institute, provides an in-depth analysis of Coca-Cola’s current financial and strategic position. He highlights the company’s strong brand, solid gross and net margins, and responsible capital allocation, particularly through consistent dividend growth. W…

In Episode 44 of “Market News with Rodney Lake,” Professor Lake, Director of the GW Investment Institute, discusses the transition at Berkshire Hathaway following Warren Buffett’s announcement that he will step down as CEO by the end of 2025. The episode highlights Buffett’s long-standing philosophy of capital reinvestment and buybacks over dividen…

In Episode 43 of “Market News with Rodney Lake,” Professor Lake, Director of the GW Investment Institute (GWII), interviews Laura Null, a graduating senior from GW’s School of Business majoring in finance and minoring in statistics. Drawn to the “chaos” of trading, Laura quickly immersed herself in the GWII to make a real impact with real capital. …

In Episode 42 of “Market News with Rodney Lake,” Professor Lake, Director of the GW Investment Institute, provides a broad overview of current market conditions, emphasizing the significant influence of tariffs and trade tensions, particularly involving the Trump administration's policies. Despite short-term uncertainty and volatility, with compani…

In Episode 41 of “Market News with Rodney Lake,” Professor Lake, Director of the GW Investment Institute, welcomes Greg Wong, GW alum and advisory board member of the GW Investment Institute. They discuss Greg's unique career path—from studying computer science and serving in the Navy, to earning an MBA at GW, and transitioning into finance and inv…

In Episode 40 of “Market News with Rodney Lake,” Rodney provides a timely and insightful overview of market activity amid ongoing volatility, focusing on the Magnificent 7—Amazon, Nvidia, Meta, Microsoft, Apple, Alphabet, and Tesla. He discusses each company’s recent performance, business fundamentals, management quality, and valuation outlook, wit…

In Episode 39 of “Market News with Rodney Lake,” Rodney Lake, Director of the GW Investment Institute, offers a deep dive into Google’s current business performance and challenges. He emphasizes that while Google's core advertising business remains dominant, the company also sees strong growth in Google Cloud. However, Google’s search dominance fac…

In Episode 38 of “Market News with Rodney Lake,” Professor Lake, Director of the GW Investment Institute, dives into recent market developments focusing on the ongoing impact of tariffs under the Trump administration. Lake examines how major companies like Apple and Nvidia navigate challenges in China, including competition from local brands and ch…

In Episode 37 of “Market News with Rodney Lake,” Professor Lake, Director of the GW Investment Institute, interviews Dan Ives, Managing Director and Senior Equity Research Analyst at Wedbush Securities, focusing on the transformative impact of AI on major tech companies. Ives emphasizes Nvidia's dominance in AI hardware, predicting its market cap c…

In Episode 36 of “Market News with Rodney Lake,” Rodney Lake, Director of the GW Investment Institute, analyzes Salesforce's current business performance. Salesforce’s management, led by co-founder Marc Benioff, receives high marks for its impressive gross margins of 77-80% and net margins of 17.5%, which are expected to increase. However, concerns…

In Episode 35 of “Market News with Rodney Lake,” Rodney Lake, Director of the GW Investment Institute, provides an in-depth analysis of CrowdStrike, a leading cybersecurity company. With impressive 30% revenue growth, CrowdStrike’s subscription-based model and 75% gross margins position it as a high-growth player in the cybersecurity space. Despite…

In Episode 34 of “Market News with Rodney Lake,” Rodney Lake, Director of the GW Investment Institute, provides a market update, focusing on key developments in Apple, Berkshire Hathaway, and Walmart. Apple’s $500 billion investment over the next four years in the U.S. stands out, with plans to expand manufacturing, R&D, and AI infrastructure. Berk…

In Episode 33 of “Market News with Rodney Lake,” Rodney Lake, Director of the GW Investment Institute, discusses Fortinet, a cybersecurity company performing well, recently hitting a 52-week high. The company has demonstrated consistent growth, with a revenue of $5.9 billion and a market cap of $87 billion. Fortinet enjoys impressive gross margins …

In Episode 32 of “Market News with Rodney Lake,” Rodney Lake, Director of the GW Investment Institute, explores Spotify's business model, which revolves around two main revenue streams: premium subscriptions and ad-supported services. The company operates in a competitive streaming market dominated by players like Apple and Amazon, but is praised f…

In Episode 31 of “Market News with Rodney Lake,” Rodney Lake, Director of the GW Investment Institute, covers Oracle’s ambitious push into the cloud, positioning itself as a top contender alongside Amazon, Microsoft, and Google. Despite slower growth than its competitors, Oracle's strategic pricing and strong margins make it a notable player in the…

In Episode 30 of “Market News with Rodney Lake,” Rodney Lake, Director of the GW Investment Institute, speaks with Professor David Halliday about the complexities of the grocery industry. Halliday explains how the grocery sector operates with razor-thin profit margins, often between 1-3%, and how this drives consolidation within the market. With th…

In Episode 29 of “Market News with Rodney Lake,” Rodney Lake, Director of the GW Investment Institute, discusses Tesla’s potential, highlighting Elon Musk’s significant stake in the company and his ability to drive its success despite managing multiple ventures. The episode covers Tesla's high valuation, fueled by growth expectations in Full Self-D…

In Episode 28 of Market News with Rodney Lake, Rodney Lake, Director of the GW Investment Institute, analyzes Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company's (TSM) performance and its critical role in the semiconductor industry. Professor Lake explores TSM's impressive $83 billion in revenue, 55% gross margins, and nearly 40% net margins. He evaluates…

In Episode 27 of “Market News with Rodney Lake,” Rodney Lake, Director of the GW Investment Institute, sits down with economist and GW Professor Tara Sinclair. They discuss the importance of early work experience for students and how internships or summer jobs can help individuals identify their interests, develop communication skills, and prepare …

In Episode 26 of "Market News with Rodney Lake," Rodney Lake, Director of the GW Investment Institute (GWII), sets the stage for 2025 by exploring key investment trends in artificial intelligence and the space industry. Lake emphasizes GWII’s proven framework—business management, price versus valuation, and balance sheet analysis—as a tool for iden…

In Episode 25 of "Market News with Rodney Lake," Rodney Lake dives into Walmart's financial performance and strategic outlook. Lake discusses key metrics, including Walmart's net debt, capital allocation, and recent management decisions under CEO Doug McMillon. Lake highlights Walmart’s challenges in navigating rising interest rates and tariff unce…

In Episode 24 of "Market News with Rodney Lake," Rodney Lake, Director of the GW Investment Institute, dives into Nike's current challenges and opportunities. From iconic brandings like the Nike Swoosh, Jordan, and Air Force 1 to revenue declines and margin struggles, Lake evaluates the company's performance. He emphasizes the need to watch key fac…

In Episode 23 of “Market News with Rodney Lake,” Rodney Lake, Director of the GW Investment Institute, sits down with Professor Bill Collier, a seasoned venture capitalist and GW alumnus, to explore the world of entrepreneurship and venture capital. Professor Collier discusses key indicators of product-market fit. He also shares insights into the h…

In Episode 22 of "Market News with Rodney Lake," Rodney Lake, Director of the GW Investment Institute, analyzes Mastercard's financial health, focusing on its balance sheet, margins, and management. Professor Lake discusses Mastercard's impressive interest coverage ratio and its use of leverage to boost return on equity. He also discusses regulator…

In Episode 21 of “Market News with Rodney Lake,” Rodney Lake, Director of the GW Investment Institute, sits down with GW Investment Institute Advisory Board Member and Partner & Senior Portfolio Manager at Corient, John Roberts, to explore the less glamorous corners of the market where young analysts can uncover hidden opportunities. Roberts shares…

In Episode 20 of "Market News with Rodney Lake," Rodney Lake, Director of the GW Investment Institute, assesses Google’s current standing amidst the fast-evolving AI landscape. Analyzing the company’s management under a non-founder CEO, Sundar Pichai, Lake discusses Google’s overreliance on its core platforms—Search and YouTube—and questions its ab…

In Episode 19 of "Market News with Rodney Lake," Rodney Lake, Director of the GW Investment Institute, dives into Berkshire Hathaway’s current standing, exploring its extensive collection of businesses, financial strength, and unique decentralized management model. Lake evaluates Berkshire’s strategic capital allocation under Warren Buffett, discus…

In Episode 18 of "Market News with Rodney Lake," Rodney Lake, Director of the GW Investment Institute, welcomes Russ Ramsey, the CEO of Ramsey Asset Management, for a wide-ranging discussion. The conversation spans from Russ’ time as a student-athlete at George Washington University (GW) to the founding of the investment bank Friedman, Billings, Ra…

In Episode 17 of "Market News with Rodney Lake," Rodney Lake talks with Dr. Gergana Jostova, Chair of the Finance Department, about the future of finance education. Professor Jostova shares her vision for expanding the department with new programs focused on AI and sustainable finance. They also discuss the importance of an undergraduate degree in …

In Episode 16 of "Market News with Rodney Lake," Rodney Lake, Director of the GW Investment Institute, delves into Costco's current valuation and growth strategy. He shines a spotlight on Costco's forward PE ratio of 48 times and a 30% return on equity. He ponders whether the company's international expansion, particularly its success in China, jus…

In Episode 15 of "Market News with Rodney Lake," Rodney Lake, Director of the GW Investment Institute, reviews Amazon's recent financial performance, focusing on the increased debt levels on the balance sheet since Andy Jassy took over as CEO. Lake examines the company's trajectory, highlighting a significant rise in free cash flow—now nearing $50 …

In Episode 14 of "Market News with Rodney Lake," Rodney Lake, Director of the GW Investment Institute, sits down with Will Ahrens, current GW student and investment enthusiast, to discuss the value of internships and networking for aspiring finance professionals. Will shares personal experiences, emphasizing the importance of starting early in the …

In Episode 13 of "Market News with Rodney Lake," Rodney Lake, Director of the GW Investment Institute, reviews Visa's current performance, focusing on its capital allocation and management under Ryan McHenry. Lake highlights Visa's investments in new products and services while defending its market position against competitors like PayPal. With imp…

In Episode 12 of "Market News with Rodney Lake," Rodney Lake talks with Vanessa Perry, Interim Dean at the GW School of Business, about recent changes in real estate regulations and the expanding role of AI in the workplace. Dean Perry explains how new rules may impact home buyers and sellers, potentially complicating markets and adversely impactin…

In Episode 11 of "Market News with Rodney Lake," Rodney Lake, Director of the GW Investment Institute, analyzes Microsoft's current valuation and financial health. He discusses the company's slightly elevated valuation, which remains near its 10-year median, and highlights its robust balance sheet, characterized by strong free cash flow and a high …

In Episode 10 of "Market News with Rodney Lake," Rodney Lake, the Director of the GW Investment Institute, examines Apple’s current performance and prospects. He discusses the company’s innovation in chip design and its AI challenges, commends Tim Cook’s management while noting succession planning concerns, and evaluates Apple's strong balance shee…

In Episode 9 of "Market News with Rodney Lake," Rodney Lake, the Director of the GW Investment Institute, delves into the intricacies of assessing a company's balance sheet as part of the GWII BMPB Investment Framework. Focusing on companies like Apple and Procter & Gamble, Professor Lake illustrates the impact of financial health on investment dec…

In Episode 8 of "Market News with Rodney Lake," Rodney Lake, the Director of the GW Investment Institute, provides a comprehensive exploration of Apple's price vs. valuation a component of the GWII BMPB Investment Framework, with a focus on using price-to-earnings (PE) ratio. Comparing Apple’s PE of 35.5 with the S&P 500’s 23, he explains that its …

In Episode 7 of "Market News with Rodney Lake," Rodney Lake, Director of the GW Investment Institute, discusses the critical alignment of management incentives with shareholder interests. He uses Tesla’s unique performance-based pay package as an example to highlight the importance of evaluating compensation packages through proxy statements. Profe…

In Episode 6 of "Market News with Rodney Lake," Rodney Lake, the Director of the GW Investment Institute (GWII), explains the business aspect of GWII's BMPB framework (Business, Management, Price/Valuation, and Balance Sheet). He explores the practical applications of the DuPont formula in evaluating business quality, underscores the importance of …

In Episode 5 of "Market News with Rodney Lake," Rodney Lake, the Director of the GW Investment Institute, delves into the significance of Nvidia in the AI era. He explains how Nvidia's graphics processing units are central to AI applications, contributing to the company's substantial market cap of approximately $3 trillion. He highlights Nvidia's i…

In Episode 4 of "Market News with Rodney Lake," Rodney Lake, the Director of the GW Investment Institute, discusses the pervasive impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on businesses. The episode explores how AI technologies, such as ChatGPT and other machine learning applications, are revolutionizing industries by enhancing efficiency and profitab…

A brief review of the GW Investment Institute Investment Framework, BMPB, Business, Management, Price vs. Valuation, and Balance Sheet. Send us your feedback Support the showBy GW Investment Institute

Pricing power is a measure of how much a change in the price of a product will affect the quantity demanded. Investors care about this concept because it shows the extent to which companies can pass costs to customers without harming their sales or margins. In this program, Rodney Lake, Director of the GW Investment Institute, discusses: when compa…

Semiconductors are essential for many products, such as: computers, phones, gaming consoles, medical equipment, cars etc. and therefore their demand skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic. There were a record number of semiconductors sold in 2021, but they also faced supply chain issues and there was an increase in their cost partly due to these …