One of my favorite things to do on the weekend as I putter around doing household chores is to listen to some of the top financial podcasts from the U.S., Canada and elsewhere. It’s a great way to kill two birds with one stone.
Not every podcast has to do strictly with investing. There are ones about business history — a favorite pastime of mine — franchising, regional economic development, city building, etc.
What separates the best investing podcasts from the rest is that you learn something while simultaneously being entertained. It’s not easy talking for 45 minutes, even if you have engaging guests. It’s hard work.
Of all the stock market podcasts out there, I’d probably say Barry Ritholtz’s Masters in Business on Bloomberg Radio is my favorite. He gets interesting guests, and the subject matter is never dull. Ritholtz makes the job look easy. It isn’t.
So, whether or not you check out any of my three other suggestions for top financial podcasts, do take in Ritholtz’s show. It’s a must.
Invest Like the Best with Patrick O’Shaughnessy
Years ago, I read What Works on Wall Street, a book by Patrick O’Shaughnessy’s father, James, the founder of O’Shaughnessy Asset Management. First published in 1996 and now on its fourth edition, it opened my eyes to quantitative analysis. It’s timeless.
I lost track of the O’Shaughnessy brand until a few years ago when fellow Canadian, Howard Lindzon, talked about this Patrick O’Shaughnessy person with great reverence and respect. Lindzon appeared on O’Shaughnessy’s Oct. 23, 2018, episode. You ought to give that one a listen.
O’Shaughnessy’s Invest Like the Best podcast, like Ritholtz’s, has some very bright people as guests, and it never disappoints.
“Conversations with the best investors and business leaders in the world. We explore their ideas, methods, and stories to help you better invest your time and money,” the podcast’s preview page states.
The last episode I really dug into was Feb. 7, when O’Shaughnessy had Jeff Green on the show. He’s the co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of The Trade Desk (NASDAQ:TTD), a $31 billion ad-buying platform. If you’re into the advertising industry, this is a must-listen.
I could go on about this podcast, but I’ve got to keep moving. Give it a shot. You won’t regret it.
Business Wars with David Brown
Business Wars, hosted by David Brown, is one of the great podcasts from Wondery, a podcast studio and developer owned by Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN).
The show deep dives into historical business rivalries between two companies that have shaped American business. I got into the show because of its Macy’s (NYSE:M) versus Gimbels six-episode storyline from December 2019. I’ve always liked the Christmas movie Miracle on 34th Street, so it was fun to learn about the history of the two businesses and their rivalry.
The beauty of this show is that it’s helpful for investors of any skill level because it gets into the nitty-gritty of business strategy, both the successful and unsuccessful. It teaches you how to spot a business ready to go over a cliff or, conversely, one ready to blast off.
I didn’t know host David Brown from Adam when I started listening. He’s a legend in the crazy world of public radio. Who knew? Anyways, he’s excellent at his job and has a perfect radio voice. That’s probably why he’s been so successful in his 30-plus years in public radio.
The show’s not about investing, per se, but it could be.
Franchise Empires with the Wolf
This last podcast I’ve come to more recently. I happened upon Franchise Empires after coming across a quote from The Wolf Report newsletter in an article I was reading while researching a publicly traded franchisor.
I signed up for its excellent free newsletter (you should, too!), which led me to the podcast. My favorite episode so far is from Feb 28, titled “How A Side Hustle Led To 300+ Restaurants, Hotels and Hardware Stores.” It tells the story of CMG Companies, a business led by a bunch of college friends who clearly don’t have a problem with hard work.
For some, the fact that The Wolf never reveals their true identity might be unsettling, but that shouldn’t take away from the quality of the information presented.
Whether you want to buy a franchise, develop a multi-unit concept, or invest in a franchisor or franchisee, The Wolf’s podcast and newsletter are two excellent places to start.
I’ve already learned a ton, and I consider myself quite educated when it comes to franchising.
On the date of publication, Will Ashworth did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.
