Robert Armstrong
@robarmstrong.bsky.social
US Financial Commentator, Financial Times. Opinions mine, unfortunately. The pursuit of pleasure is hard work.
Happy veteran's day. Too small to see in the picture below: my dad, who was aboard, and safe thanks to his follow sailors. Thanks vets!
November 11, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Happy veteran's day. Too small to see in the picture below: my dad, who was aboard, and safe thanks to his follow sailors. Thanks vets!
Reposted by Robert Armstrong
I enjoy the @katie0martin.ft.com and @robarmstrong.bsky.social double act. But maybe Katie's husband could be a guest on the show so he can tell us all about cooking-up dish washer tablets
November 7, 2025 at 10:34 PM
I enjoy the @katie0martin.ft.com and @robarmstrong.bsky.social double act. But maybe Katie's husband could be a guest on the show so he can tell us all about cooking-up dish washer tablets
Reposted by Robert Armstrong
👂🏼 POD TIME 👂🏼
Me and @robarmstrong.bsky.social on:
-DIY data
-DIY dishwasher tablets?
-being mean to Rob
-flying taxis
-people saying stupid stuff about the UK
open.spotify.com/episode/1fR4...
Me and @robarmstrong.bsky.social on:
-DIY data
-DIY dishwasher tablets?
-being mean to Rob
-flying taxis
-people saying stupid stuff about the UK
open.spotify.com/episode/1fR4...
DIY data
open.spotify.com
November 7, 2025 at 9:46 AM
👂🏼 POD TIME 👂🏼
Me and @robarmstrong.bsky.social on:
-DIY data
-DIY dishwasher tablets?
-being mean to Rob
-flying taxis
-people saying stupid stuff about the UK
open.spotify.com/episode/1fR4...
Me and @robarmstrong.bsky.social on:
-DIY data
-DIY dishwasher tablets?
-being mean to Rob
-flying taxis
-people saying stupid stuff about the UK
open.spotify.com/episode/1fR4...
Forty-year average cpi food inflation is 3%; the level in September was 3.1%. That's not the salient point, though: food inflation has been steadily accelerating since Trump took office. In September 2024, it was at 2.3%. Food inflation is lower than under Biden, but it trending the wrong way.
Q: Food prices are still going up. Grocery prices are still going up. How do you respond?
MIKE JOHNSON: All of the economist have shown that food prices always go up. There's an inflationary level that's built in to grocery prices.
MIKE JOHNSON: All of the economist have shown that food prices always go up. There's an inflationary level that's built in to grocery prices.
November 6, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Forty-year average cpi food inflation is 3%; the level in September was 3.1%. That's not the salient point, though: food inflation has been steadily accelerating since Trump took office. In September 2024, it was at 2.3%. Food inflation is lower than under Biden, but it trending the wrong way.
If the aministration's strategy on the econopmy is to lie about it, American's are going notice and get pissed off. People see food prices. Try something else.
November 6, 2025 at 4:24 PM
If the aministration's strategy on the econopmy is to lie about it, American's are going notice and get pissed off. People see food prices. Try something else.
Reposted by Robert Armstrong
I was worried the MY deal looked pretty onerous, but they seem confident they can..
November 6, 2025 at 3:35 PM
I was worried the MY deal looked pretty onerous, but they seem confident they can..
Reposted by Robert Armstrong
This 30 min podcast on the economics of populism with Martin Wolf and @robarmstrong.bsky.social is seriously smart and worth a listen
open.spotify.com/episode/679f...
open.spotify.com/episode/679f...
Martin Wolf on the economics of populism
open.spotify.com
November 6, 2025 at 8:26 AM
This 30 min podcast on the economics of populism with Martin Wolf and @robarmstrong.bsky.social is seriously smart and worth a listen
open.spotify.com/episode/679f...
open.spotify.com/episode/679f...
Reposted by Robert Armstrong
Trump’s trade war has unfolded as a series of threats, announcements, pauses, starts and deals, and the coining by the FT’s own @robarmstrong.bsky.social of the term “Taco” — Trump always chickens out. Even with all the changes, the de facto tariff rate is at its highest level in nearly a century.
November 5, 2025 at 1:12 PM
Trump’s trade war has unfolded as a series of threats, announcements, pauses, starts and deals, and the coining by the FT’s own @robarmstrong.bsky.social of the term “Taco” — Trump always chickens out. Even with all the changes, the de facto tariff rate is at its highest level in nearly a century.
Great stuff from The City
Explore How Different New Yorkers Voted for Mayor www.thecity.nyc/2025/11/04/e...
Explore How Different New Yorkers Voted for Mayor www.thecity.nyc/2025/11/04/e...
Explore How Different New Yorkers Voted for Mayor
See how voters turned out for Zohran Mamdani, Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa in every neighborhood in the city — and by income, housing and transit preference.
www.thecity.nyc
November 5, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Great stuff from The City
Explore How Different New Yorkers Voted for Mayor www.thecity.nyc/2025/11/04/e...
Explore How Different New Yorkers Voted for Mayor www.thecity.nyc/2025/11/04/e...
Reposted by Robert Armstrong
👂 💰 POD TIME 💰 👂
Me, @robarmstrong.bsky.social and Hull's finest, @johnsfoley.bsky.social on BIG TECH spending BIG MONEY, like really LOADSA MONEY, featuring
- Meta shares no likey, does it give a Zuck?
- BIG bonds
- FREE buses
- Cleanfluencers
www.ft.com/content/82e3...
Me, @robarmstrong.bsky.social and Hull's finest, @johnsfoley.bsky.social on BIG TECH spending BIG MONEY, like really LOADSA MONEY, featuring
- Meta shares no likey, does it give a Zuck?
- BIG bonds
- FREE buses
- Cleanfluencers
www.ft.com/content/82e3...
Is Big Tech spending too much money?
Tech stocks are spending billions of dollars. What are they getting?
www.ft.com
November 5, 2025 at 11:37 AM
👂 💰 POD TIME 💰 👂
Me, @robarmstrong.bsky.social and Hull's finest, @johnsfoley.bsky.social on BIG TECH spending BIG MONEY, like really LOADSA MONEY, featuring
- Meta shares no likey, does it give a Zuck?
- BIG bonds
- FREE buses
- Cleanfluencers
www.ft.com/content/82e3...
Me, @robarmstrong.bsky.social and Hull's finest, @johnsfoley.bsky.social on BIG TECH spending BIG MONEY, like really LOADSA MONEY, featuring
- Meta shares no likey, does it give a Zuck?
- BIG bonds
- FREE buses
- Cleanfluencers
www.ft.com/content/82e3...
Reposted by Robert Armstrong
East River https://www.artic.edu/artworks/57211/
November 4, 2025 at 7:17 PM
East River https://www.artic.edu/artworks/57211/
Reposted by Robert Armstrong
I guess what I’m most excited about is having my book illegally used to train a large language model so my work can appear in website slop and undergraduate essays. www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/634502...
The Almighty Dollar by Brendan Greeley: 9780593138885 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books
In this ambitious and groundbreaking history of the dollar, financial journalist and economic scholar Brendan Greeley makes a new argument about the origins of our money—and the people and nations...
www.penguinrandomhouse.com
November 4, 2025 at 7:23 PM
I guess what I’m most excited about is having my book illegally used to train a large language model so my work can appear in website slop and undergraduate essays. www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/634502...
REAGAN PROVED DEFICITS DONT MATTER
November 4, 2025 at 1:57 PM
REAGAN PROVED DEFICITS DONT MATTER
10/10
October 30, 2025 at 6:13 PM
10/10
In these polarized times, this is a landslide:
October 30, 2025 at 3:11 PM
In these polarized times, this is a landslide:
🪳🪳🪳🪳🪳🪳🪳🪳🪳🪳🪳🪳
👀
BlackRock the latest lender to report losses based on fraud. The alleged scheme used fabricated accounts receivables as collateral for $500mm in loans. Smells a lot like First Brands, Tricolor, and the frauds flagged by WAL and ZION.
October 30, 2025 at 2:50 PM
🪳🪳🪳🪳🪳🪳🪳🪳🪳🪳🪳🪳
Reposted by Robert Armstrong
Funnily enough, we asked our readers the same question in today's #FTEdit poll ... so far, they're veering towards "no" but we're all for it! 🗳️ ft.trib.al/KTTRf7y
October 30, 2025 at 12:47 PM
Funnily enough, we asked our readers the same question in today's #FTEdit poll ... so far, they're veering towards "no" but we're all for it! 🗳️ ft.trib.al/KTTRf7y
October 30, 2025 at 12:32 PM
Hawkish meeting!
Powell said very explicit last night that he thinks the fed funds rate is vey near the neutral rate right now. Rest of the commitee a ?
as.ft.com/r/9c15ae0e-c...
Powell said very explicit last night that he thinks the fed funds rate is vey near the neutral rate right now. Rest of the commitee a ?
as.ft.com/r/9c15ae0e-c...
Jay Powell thinks rates don’t have far to fall
[FREE TO READ] Nearly neutral
as.ft.com
October 30, 2025 at 12:29 PM
Hawkish meeting!
Powell said very explicit last night that he thinks the fed funds rate is vey near the neutral rate right now. Rest of the commitee a ?
as.ft.com/r/9c15ae0e-c...
Powell said very explicit last night that he thinks the fed funds rate is vey near the neutral rate right now. Rest of the commitee a ?
as.ft.com/r/9c15ae0e-c...
Reposted by Robert Armstrong
Even the companies can't know or say for sure how many of the layoffs are due to AI.
We're just in a mode where corporate managers are going after past over-hiring, padding margins, navigating big tech-spending commitments and conveying to investors they are forward-thinking and efficiency-minded.
We're just in a mode where corporate managers are going after past over-hiring, padding margins, navigating big tech-spending commitments and conveying to investors they are forward-thinking and efficiency-minded.
From Amazon to Target, the country’s largest employers are retrenching, laying off tens of thousands of office workers.
Tens of Thousands of White-Collar Jobs Are Disappearing as AI Starts to Bite
Companies ranging from Amazon to Target are sending workers into an unwelcoming market.
on.wsj.com
October 29, 2025 at 1:36 PM
Even the companies can't know or say for sure how many of the layoffs are due to AI.
We're just in a mode where corporate managers are going after past over-hiring, padding margins, navigating big tech-spending commitments and conveying to investors they are forward-thinking and efficiency-minded.
We're just in a mode where corporate managers are going after past over-hiring, padding margins, navigating big tech-spending commitments and conveying to investors they are forward-thinking and efficiency-minded.
Reposted by Robert Armstrong
👂POD TIME👂
In which @robarmstrong.bsky.social goes all fanboy about Scott Bessent
Featuring possibly the greatest potential famous last words of all time, from SB: "Where the hell is the market risk?"
www.ft.com/content/e36c...
In which @robarmstrong.bsky.social goes all fanboy about Scott Bessent
Featuring possibly the greatest potential famous last words of all time, from SB: "Where the hell is the market risk?"
www.ft.com/content/e36c...
The vigorous nods of Bessent
How the US Treasury secretary manages up
www.ft.com
October 29, 2025 at 11:02 AM
👂POD TIME👂
In which @robarmstrong.bsky.social goes all fanboy about Scott Bessent
Featuring possibly the greatest potential famous last words of all time, from SB: "Where the hell is the market risk?"
www.ft.com/content/e36c...
In which @robarmstrong.bsky.social goes all fanboy about Scott Bessent
Featuring possibly the greatest potential famous last words of all time, from SB: "Where the hell is the market risk?"
www.ft.com/content/e36c...
Reposted by Robert Armstrong
Ah, so we're at the stage of the PE cycle where the lawyers are getting etiquette training on.ft.com/4qCfjQ4
Kirkland & Ellis trains lawyers on communication style after investor tensions
Firm moves to repair relations with backers of private equity funds after claims of uncooperative behaviour in negotiations
on.ft.com
October 28, 2025 at 5:20 PM
Ah, so we're at the stage of the PE cycle where the lawyers are getting etiquette training on.ft.com/4qCfjQ4
Unhedged chart of the week: Gooooold
Sign up for COTW here: www.ft.com/newsletter-s...
@hakyungkim.bsky.social
Sign up for COTW here: www.ft.com/newsletter-s...
@hakyungkim.bsky.social
October 25, 2025 at 5:23 PM
Unhedged chart of the week: Gooooold
Sign up for COTW here: www.ft.com/newsletter-s...
@hakyungkim.bsky.social
Sign up for COTW here: www.ft.com/newsletter-s...
@hakyungkim.bsky.social
Reposted by Robert Armstrong
🇦🇷👂🏼 POD TIME 👂🏼 🇦🇷
Me, @robarmstrong.bsky.social and the FT's man on LatAm, Michael Stott on:
-Make Argentina Great Again
-y tho?
-What if this all goes pear shaped?
-how is this going down in Argentina but also in the US?
-Whinging farmers
open.spotify.com/episode/4PV5...
Me, @robarmstrong.bsky.social and the FT's man on LatAm, Michael Stott on:
-Make Argentina Great Again
-y tho?
-What if this all goes pear shaped?
-how is this going down in Argentina but also in the US?
-Whinging farmers
open.spotify.com/episode/4PV5...
Will the US bail out Argentina?
open.spotify.com
October 24, 2025 at 7:29 AM
🇦🇷👂🏼 POD TIME 👂🏼 🇦🇷
Me, @robarmstrong.bsky.social and the FT's man on LatAm, Michael Stott on:
-Make Argentina Great Again
-y tho?
-What if this all goes pear shaped?
-how is this going down in Argentina but also in the US?
-Whinging farmers
open.spotify.com/episode/4PV5...
Me, @robarmstrong.bsky.social and the FT's man on LatAm, Michael Stott on:
-Make Argentina Great Again
-y tho?
-What if this all goes pear shaped?
-how is this going down in Argentina but also in the US?
-Whinging farmers
open.spotify.com/episode/4PV5...
Listen in!
You might be living with lead poisoning and not know it: the toxin is often invisible to the eye, but wreaks havoc on our bodies once we're exposed.
@laurahughesft.bsky.social uncovers a lead poisoning epidemic in Toxic Legacy, a new season of our Untold podcast: on.ft.com/3WU8YS8
@laurahughesft.bsky.social uncovers a lead poisoning epidemic in Toxic Legacy, a new season of our Untold podcast: on.ft.com/3WU8YS8
October 22, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Listen in!