The Open Bell

Alex Monroe
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The Open Bell is an independent financial news show — a daily podcast and newsletter for people who are affected by markets, policy, and the economy.Every episode follows the same process: research, a written script, a quality check, and a final review — every morning, before anything goes out. Alex is the on-air voice of that process. The tools behind the research and scripting are AI; the editorial judgment and the responsibility for what airs are ours.We tell you this because trust is the actual product here, not an afterthought — and a daily show only earns it by being straightforward about how it's made. The standard doesn't change because the tools did.New episodes Monday to Saturday. Not investment advice — for informational purposes only.

  1. 20h ago

    The Open Bell — Ep. 029 — 31 Jul 2026

    Today on The Open Bell: The US economy slowed sharply in Q2 and inflation is finally cooling, but both things are happening for the same reason, which is that oil prices fell, which is itself a consequence of the Middle East conflict, so the "good news" on prices and the "bad news" on growth aren't really two separate stories. A drone hit an American gas tanker in Egypt yesterday, the first attack of this war on a vessel at Damietta, and the port sits right next to the Suez Canal, the last functioning safe route for Gulf oil heading to Europe, so this one matters well beyond the ship itself. The Bank of England held UK interest rates at 3.75% today but three of the nine policymakers on the committee voted to raise them, which is a closer call than almost anyone expected and a real signal that another hike is on the table when they meet again in September. If today's episode helped you get your head around a genuinely complicated news day, a five-star rating helps the next listener find the show. Hosted by Alex Monroe. New episodes every weekday morning at theopenbell.co Not investment advice. For informational purposes only. --- Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 00:25 US Q2 GDP Slows to 1.5% as PCE Inflation Cools to 3.3% 03:08 Drone Strikes US LNG Vessel at Egypt's Damietta, Rattling Su 05:29 Bank of England Holds at 3.75% in Tight 6-3 Vote, Flags Hike 07:14 Closing thoughtsSupport the show

    The Open Bell — Ep. 029 — 31 Jul 2026

  2. 1d ago

    The Open Bell — Ep. 028 — 30 Jul 2026

    Today on The Open Bell: The Fed held rates steady again, but three of its own members wanted a hike, the bond market threw a fit, and long-term borrowing costs are now at levels most people haven't seen since the mid-2000s — so "on hold" is doing a lot of work as a phrase right now. Iran fired ballistic missiles at US troops in Jordan, every one of them was intercepted, and oil still surged nearly 8% in a single session, because markets aren't pricing what happened, they're pricing what comes next. South Korea's stock market hit its emergency stop for the second day in a row, something that has never happened in its history, and the reason buried under all the numbers is a growing fear that the AI spending boom won't actually pay off the way everyone assumed. If today's episode helped you get your head around a genuinely strange news day, a five-star rating takes about ten seconds and helps other listeners find the show. Hosted by Alex Monroe. New episodes every weekday morning at theopenbell.co Not investment advice. For informational purposes only. --- Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 00:15 Divided Fed holds rates at 3.5–3.75%, sparking bond market r 03:00 Brent crude surges 7.90% to $90.74 as Iran targets US forces 04:58 South Korea's KOSPI triggers circuit breaker for second stra 06:53 Closing thoughtsSupport the show

    The Open Bell — Ep. 028 — 30 Jul 2026

  3. 2d ago

    The Open Bell — Ep. 027 — 29 Jul 2026

    Today on The Open Bell: Iran fired ballistic missiles at US troops in the Middle East overnight, every one was intercepted, and oil prices surged more than 4% anyway, because markets don't price what happened, they price what comes next. The Fed held rates steady for the fifth meeting in a row, which sounds boring until you realise your mortgage rate and your savings rate have both been frozen since December while a Middle East conflict quietly pushes prices higher. South Korea's stock market triggered a trading halt today after SK Hynix, one of the world's biggest AI memory chip makers, reported record profits and still saw its stock tumble more than 15%, which tells you everything about how brutal the expectations game has become in the AI trade. If today's episode helped you cut through the noise, a five-star rating on Apple Podcasts or Spotify takes about ten seconds and genuinely helps other people find the show. Hosted by Alex Monroe. New episodes every weekday morning at theopenbell.co Not investment advice. For informational purposes only. --- Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 00:07 Iran Launches Ballistic Missile Salvo at US Forces; Oil Surg 02:51 Fed Holds Rates at 3.50–3.75% for Fifth Straight Meeting Und 05:15 South Korea's KOSPI Tumbles 8%+ as Chip Rout Deepens on SK H 07:10 Closing thoughtsSupport the show

    The Open Bell — Ep. 027 — 29 Jul 2026

  4. 3d ago

    The Open Bell — Ep. 026 — 28 Jul 2026

    Today on The Open Bell: South Korea had to hit the pause button on its entire stock market this morning as the global bet on AI spending started looking a lot shakier than it did last week. A Chinese memory chip company you've almost certainly never heard of briefly became worth more than Walmart on its very first day of trading, and that tells you something important about where Beijing thinks the real war in tech is being fought. While everyone was watching chips crater, Europe's economy quietly crossed back into growth for the first time in months, which is either a genuine turning point or the most poorly timed piece of good news in recent memory. If this helped you make sense of a genuinely strange day in markets, a quick rating on Apple Podcasts or Spotify helps the next listener find the show. Hosted by Alex Monroe. New episodes every weekday morning at theopenbell.co Not investment advice. For informational purposes only. --- Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 00:14 Korea halts trading as Kospi plunges 9% on AI spending doubt 03:00 China's CXMT IPO surges 535% on Shanghai debut, valued at $4 05:09 Eurozone and UK PMIs return to expansion, lifting European s 07:07 Closing thoughtsSupport the show

    The Open Bell — Ep. 026 — 28 Jul 2026

  5. 4d ago

    The Open Bell — Ep. 025 — 27 Jul 2026

    Today on The Open Bell: Oil just had its worst day in months, and the reason is genuinely good news: Iran and the US have agreed to stop hitting each other, at least for now, and the relief in energy markets was immediate and dramatic. The European Central Bank held rates steady at 2.25% last week, but the message underneath the pause was clear enough that anybody with a mortgage or a business loan in Europe should probably pay attention to September. Japan's inflation ticked up for the first time since March, and the story buried inside that number points straight back to the Persian Gulf, which tells you just how connected all of this really is. If this helped you join the dots today, a quick rating in your podcast app helps the next listener find the show. Hosted by Alex Monroe. New episodes every weekday morning at theopenbell.co Not investment advice. For informational purposes only. --- Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 00:13 Brent Crude Tumbles 7%+ as US and Iran Suspend Strikes 03:03 ECB Holds at 2.25% with Hawkish Tone; September Hike on Tabl 05:21 Japan Core CPI Rises to 1.6% in June, First Uptick Since Mar 07:18 Closing thoughtsSupport the show

    The Open Bell — Ep. 025 — 27 Jul 2026

  6. Jul 24

    The Open Bell — Ep. 024 — 24 Jul 2026

    Today on The Open Bell: Oil crossed $100 a barrel overnight because Houthi rebels in Yemen set fire to a Saudi tanker in the Red Sea, and if you're wondering what that has to do with your petrol bill, the answer is: quite a lot, quite soon. Alphabet beat its revenue forecast and still got punished by markets, because it told investors it plans to spend $205 billion on AI this year and Wall Street's patience for "trust us, the payoff is coming" is running thin. America is now twelve nights into airstrikes on Iran, the president is hinting publicly at something much larger, and with oil already above $100, the global economy is operating with almost no margin for this to get worse, and it might. If today's episode was useful, a quick five-star rating helps other people find the show. Hosted by Alex Monroe. New episodes every weekday morning at theopenbell.co Not investment advice. For informational purposes only. --- Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 00:11 Brent Crude Tops $100 After Houthis Strike Two Saudi Tankers 03:21 Nasdaq Tumbles 2.15% as Alphabet and Tesla AI Spend Alarms W 06:01 Trump Threatens Massive Iran Strike; US Completes 12th Night 07:56 Closing thoughtsSupport the show

    The Open Bell — Ep. 024 — 24 Jul 2026

  7. Jul 23

    The Open Bell — Ep. 023 — 23 Jul 2026

    Today on The Open Bell: Iran nuclear talks have collapsed, the U.S. is on its eleventh straight night of strikes on Iranian military facilities, and for the first time since this conflict started, two of the world's biggest oil shipping routes are under threat simultaneously, with Brent crude already above $95 and Goldman Sachs calling $120 the base case if neither lane reopens. Alphabet just beat Wall Street's revenue expectations by nearly three billion dollars, announced it's spending $205 billion this year building AI infrastructure, and the stock still fell, which tells you something about how high the bar has become for the companies running this race. The European Central Bank held interest rates steady today at 2.25%, which sounds like nothing happened, but with oil prices surging and inflation forecasts already revised upward, the September meeting is quietly setting up to be one of the most consequential calls the ECB has faced in years. If today's episode helped you get your head around what's actually going on, a five-star rating takes about ten seconds and helps the next person find the show. Hosted by Alex Monroe. New episodes every weekday morning at theopenbell.co Not investment advice. For informational purposes only. --- Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 00:17 Brent Crude Surges Past $95 as Iran Talks Collapse, Two Sea 03:02 Alphabet Q2 Revenue Hits $119.8bn, But $205bn Capex Plan Rat 05:13 ECB Holds Rates at 2.25%, Signals Caution as Oil Inflation R 06:54 Closing thoughtsSupport the show

    The Open Bell — Ep. 023 — 23 Jul 2026

  8. Jul 22

    The Open Bell — Ep. 022 — 22 Jul 2026

    Today on The Open Bell: Trump just hit Canada with 50% tariffs using a law that hasn't been touched since Herbert Hoover was in the White House and the Great Depression was still getting started, and if that doesn't tell you how far outside normal territory we've moved, nothing will. Britain's bond market, which had been pricing in a rough ride under the new Burnham government, calmed down fast when the surprise chancellor pick turned out to be someone traders read as a fiscal grown-up rather than a political reward. South Korea's stock market just had one of its best sessions in months, and the reason is almost entirely Nvidia's order book, which probably tells you more about how the AI trade is reshaping the world than any summit communiqué ever could. If today's episode helped you make sense of things, a five-star rating takes about ten seconds and it genuinely helps more people find the show. Hosted by Alex Monroe. New episodes every weekday morning at theopenbell.co Not investment advice. For informational purposes only. --- Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 00:13 Trump hits Canada with 50% tariffs on autos, dairy, wine 03:10 UK gilts stabilise as surprise chancellor pick calms markets 05:48 South Korea's KOSPI surges 5.56% as AI chip rally extends 07:37 Closing thoughtsSupport the show

    The Open Bell — Ep. 022 — 22 Jul 2026
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About

The Open Bell is an independent financial news show — a daily podcast and newsletter for people who are affected by markets, policy, and the economy.Every episode follows the same process: research, a written script, a quality check, and a final review — every morning, before anything goes out. Alex is the on-air voice of that process. The tools behind the research and scripting are AI; the editorial judgment and the responsibility for what airs are ours.We tell you this because trust is the actual product here, not an afterthought — and a daily show only earns it by being straightforward about how it's made. The standard doesn't change because the tools did.New episodes Monday to Saturday. Not investment advice — for informational purposes only.

Information

  • Creator
    Alex Monroe
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    28
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Open Bell