In this episode of Lead-Lag Live, I sit down with Kaitlyn Walsh, Wealth Advisor and Equity Analyst, to break down what employees actually own when they receive stock options and why misunderstanding equity compensation can lead to costly mistakes.

From incentive stock options and vesting schedules to fair market value, AMT exposure, and record-keeping errors, Walsh explains the decisions that matter most before, during, and after an equity grant and why timing, taxes, and planning can make or break outcomes.

In this episode:
– Why stock options are not the same as owning shares
– How strike price and fair market value really work
– The biggest vesting and exercise mistakes employees make
– When stock options can trigger unexpected tax bills
– Why poor record keeping can cost real money years later

Lead-Lag Live brings you inside conversations with the financial thinkers who shape markets. Subscribe for interviews that go deeper than the noise.

#StockOptions #Equity #PersonalFinance #WealthPlanning #TaxPlanning #FinancialEducation #Investing #Money

Start your adventure with TableTalk Friday: A D&D Podcast at the link below or wherever you get your podcasts!
Youtube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgB6B-mAeWlPM9KzGJ2O4cU0-m5lO0lkr&si=W_-jLsiREjyAIgEs
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/75YJ921WGQqUtwxRT71UQB?si=4R6kaAYOTtO2V

Artificial intelligence is driving one of the largest capital spending cycles in market history, yet most AI investment strategies focus on surface level exposure rather than true innovation. In this Lead-Lag Deep Dive, Melanie Schaeffer sits down with Aram Babikian of Xtrackers to examine how AI investing is evolving and why research intensity and patent activity may matter more than headlines.

The discussion breaks down the structure behind XAIX, an AI focused ETF designed around companies that are actively building, protecting, and monetizing innovation. Babikian explains how patent filings and R and D spending act as forward looking signals, why unexpected companies like major banks appear in AI portfolios, and how this approach differs from more crowded thematic strategies.

They also explore how XAIX fits alongside broader technology exposure, the tradeoffs between concentration and diversification, and how advisors think about incorporating AI into portfolios amid volatility, regulation, and rapid technological change.

In this episode:
Why AI investing is not the same as buying tech stocks
How patent activity and R and D spending identify true innovators
Why non tech companies can be major AI beneficiaries
How XAIX differs from broader thematic AI exposure
How investors think about sizing AI allocations responsibly

Lead-Lag Deep Dive is a weekly series that breaks down the forces reshaping global markets. Each episode goes beneath the surface of one critical theme, examining how strategies are built, where risks hide, and what matters most for investors across cycles and asset sizes. Subscribe for research-driven insight beyond the noise.

#AI #ArtificialIntelligence #ThematicInvesting #ETFS #PortfolioStrategy #Finance #MacroTrends

Start your adventure with TableTalk Friday: A D&D Podcast at the link below or wherever you get your podcasts!
Youtube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgB6B-mAeWlPM9KzGJ2O4cU0-m5lO0lkr&si=W_-jLsiREjyAIgEs
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/75YJ921WGQqUtwxRT71UQB?si=4R6kaAYOTtO2V

In this episode of Lead-Lag Live, I sit down with Hervé Van Caloen**, Owner and Portfolio Manager at **Mercator Investment Management, to break down why global markets outside the United States are entering a powerful new phase of leadership.

From Japan’s aggressive stimulus and corporate reform push to structural dominance in semiconductors, defense technology, space, and energy infrastructure, Van Caloen explains how capital is rotating toward regions and industries aligned with long-term geopolitical and economic realities.

In this episode:
– Why Japan’s stock market continues to hit record highs
– How semiconductors have become global oligopolies with pricing power
– Why defense and space spending are entering a multi-year upcycle
– How infrastructure and electricity demand are driven by AI growth
– Why global diversification may matter more as U.S. valuations stretch

Lead-Lag Live brings you inside conversations with the financial thinkers who shape markets. Subscribe for interviews that go deeper than the noise.

Start your adventure with TableTalk Friday: A D&D Podcast at the link below or wherever you get your podcasts!
Youtube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgB6B-mAeWlPM9KzGJ2O4cU0-m5lO0lkr&si=W_-jLsiREjyAIgEs
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/75YJ921WGQqUtwxRT71UQB?si=4R6kaAYOTtO2V