SI357: Liquidity, Leverage, and the Lie of Calm ft. Cem Karsan
SI357: Liquidity, Leverage, and the Lie of Calm ft. Cem Karsan  
Podcast: Top Traders Unplugged
Published On: Sat Jul 19 2025
Description: As summer sets in, Cem Karsan joins Niels Kaastrup-Larsen to trace the contours of a market that feels calm but isn’t. What looks like low vol masks a crowded hedge fund ecosystem and a structural vol compression regime few understand. From a VIX spike driven by unexpected Call activity to the slow-motion political pressure on Powell, the signals are subtle but mounting. They cover China’s resource diplomacy, AI’s quiet dislocation of white-collar work, and the rising fragility from concentration across assets, brokers, and narratives. This is a conversation about setup, not outcome... and the traps hiding in plain sight.-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HERE-----Follow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to info@toptradersunplugged.comAnd please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow Cem on Twitter.Episode TimeStamps: 01:19 - What has been on our radar recently?03:30 - Stay tuned for the latest UGO episode!05:04 - China is taking the long view - and succeeding with it07:04 - Tech companies are starting to buy into rare earth08:30 - The risk of high stock trading firm concentration11:01 - Industry performance update13:33 - Q1, Rick: What other asset class volatilites besides gold are mispriced at the moment?24:59 - Karsan's thoughts on the current macro environment30:33 - What could trigger a deleveraging/degrossing event?32:28 - The impact of tariffs - what do the numbers tell us?41:21 - Is a firing on the horizon for Powell?46:53 - Inflation is becoming hard to hedge56:15 - The Emperor's New Clothes moment58:05 - Addressing Paul Jones' asset allocation01:03:35 - Will AI make us all unemployed?01:10:13 - Is Libertarianism is a bigger threat to the US than Socialism?01:13:28 - Where are markets heading according to Karsan?01:28:27 - What is up for next week?Copyright © 2025 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved----PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here3. Other Resources that can help youAnd if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click HerePrivacy PolicyDisclaimer