• Episode 85 | Geopolitics, AI, and Where the Market Goes Next
    Mar 26 2026

    In Episode 85 of “Market News with Rodney Lake,” Professor Lake, Director of the GW Investment Institute, delivers a broad market update, discussing how geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, interest rate expectations, and mixed jobs data are contributing to market volatility while major indexes remain roughly flat year-to-date. He also explores how AI is reshaping hiring, corporate strategy, and competition among major technology companies and discusses the long-term growth potential of companies like Nvidia. Likewise, Lake argues that future economic growth may be driven by energy expansion, AI, and the space industry, which could allow leading technology companies to become significantly larger over time despite current market uncertainty.

    Send us your feedback

    Support the show

    More from the “Market News with Rodney Lake” Podcast:
    Website: https://investment.business.gwu.edu/market-news-rodney-lake
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/market-news-with-rodney-lake/
    Newsletter: https://app.e2ma.net/app2/audience/signup/2015754/1915550/

    Follow the GW Investment Institute:
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gwinvestmentinstitute/
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/school/gwinvestmentinstitute/
    X: https://x.com/gw_investment
    TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gwinvestmentinstitute
    Blog: https://blogs.gwu.edu/gwsb-invest/

    Note: This podcast is not investment advice, and is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. Do your own research and make independent decisions when considering any financial transactions.

    Show more Show less
    21 mins
  • Episode 84 | A Conversation with Michael Lipitz on the Changing Business of College Athletics
    Mar 19 2026

    In Episode 84 of “Market News with Rodney Lake,” Professor Lake, Director of the GW Investment Institute, speaks with Michael Lipitz, Associate Vice President and Director of Athletics at George Washington University, about the evolving business model of college athletics and how strategic investment in sports can advance a university’s broader mission. Lipitz discusses how NIL policies, the transfer portal, and emerging revenue-sharing models are reshaping college athletics into a more investment-driven framework that requires careful resource allocation and measurable outcomes. He outlines his master plan, including a proposed sports performance center to expand use of the Charles E. Smith Center, as well as fundraising efforts, corporate partnerships such as Vanda Pharmaceuticals, and new revenue opportunities. Lipitz also explains GW’s strategy to invest deeply in men’s and women’s basketball within the Atlantic 10 Conference, emphasizing media exposure, ticket sales, alumni engagement, leadership development, and strong academic outcomes for student-athletes as key drivers of national visibility, community building, and long-term growth for George Washington University.

    Send us your feedback

    Support the show

    More from the “Market News with Rodney Lake” Podcast:
    Website: https://investment.business.gwu.edu/market-news-rodney-lake
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/market-news-with-rodney-lake/
    Newsletter: https://app.e2ma.net/app2/audience/signup/2015754/1915550/

    Follow the GW Investment Institute:
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gwinvestmentinstitute/
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/school/gwinvestmentinstitute/
    X: https://x.com/gw_investment
    TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gwinvestmentinstitute
    Blog: https://blogs.gwu.edu/gwsb-invest/

    Note: This podcast is not investment advice, and is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. Do your own research and make independent decisions when considering any financial transactions.

    Show more Show less
    31 mins
  • Episode 83 | CrowdStrike Sells Off. Where Does Cybersecurity Fit in the AI Era?
    Mar 12 2026

    In Episode 83 of “Market News with Rodney Lake,” Professor Lake, director of the GW Investment Institute, provides a deep-dive analysis of CrowdStrike following a recent sell-off in cybersecurity. Lake highlights CrowdStrike’s strong fundamentals, including revenue growth above 20%, elite gross margins around 74%, and rising free cash flow. He also praises the company’s clean balance sheet, significant net cash, and founder-led management under George Kurtz. The episode examines potential risks, including the company’s high forward PE at 95x and the possibility that emerging AI platforms could require greater capital expenditure. Overall, Lake concludes that despite these uncertainties, CrowdStrike remains a high-quality business with strong long-term positioning as cybersecurity remains essential to modern technology.

    Send us your feedback

    Support the show

    More from the “Market News with Rodney Lake” Podcast:
    Website: https://investment.business.gwu.edu/market-news-rodney-lake
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/market-news-with-rodney-lake/
    Newsletter: https://app.e2ma.net/app2/audience/signup/2015754/1915550/

    Follow the GW Investment Institute:
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gwinvestmentinstitute/
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/school/gwinvestmentinstitute/
    X: https://x.com/gw_investment
    TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gwinvestmentinstitute
    Blog: https://blogs.gwu.edu/gwsb-invest/

    Note: This podcast is not investment advice, and is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. Do your own research and make independent decisions when considering any financial transactions.

    Show more Show less
    23 mins
  • Episode 82 | Big Questions for Big Tech Amidst Market Uncertainty
    Mar 5 2026

    In Episode 82 of “Market News with Rodney Lake,” Professor Lake, director of the GW Investment Institute, examines year-to-date performance across major indexes, the role of AI in driving volatility and price discovery, and current headlines that are defining the market. He discusses long-term strategic questions facing big tech companies, including Amazon’s significant AI capital expenditures and AMD’s multi-year deal with Meta. In macro news, Lake reviews moderating inflation, tariff uncertainty following the recent Supreme Court decision, and persistently high Treasury yields affecting mortgage affordability. The episode reinforces the GW Investment Institute’s BMPB Investment Framework as investors navigate rapid technological change and ongoing market uncertainty.

    Send us your feedback

    Support the show

    More from the “Market News with Rodney Lake” Podcast:
    Website: https://investment.business.gwu.edu/market-news-rodney-lake
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/market-news-with-rodney-lake/
    Newsletter: https://app.e2ma.net/app2/audience/signup/2015754/1915550/

    Follow the GW Investment Institute:
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gwinvestmentinstitute/
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/school/gwinvestmentinstitute/
    X: https://x.com/gw_investment
    TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gwinvestmentinstitute
    Blog: https://blogs.gwu.edu/gwsb-invest/

    Note: This podcast is not investment advice, and is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. Do your own research and make independent decisions when considering any financial transactions.

    Show more Show less
    22 mins
  • Episode 81 | Microsoft’s Investment Value Beneath Recent Sell-Off
    Feb 26 2026

    In Episode 81 of “Market News with Rodney Lake,” Professor Lake, director of the GW Investment Institute, assesses Microsoft, as current news highlights the company’s position in the AI race, with a market cap of over $3 trillion, and a recent decline in year-to-date return. With $305 billion in trailing twelve-month revenue growing around 16%, strong free cash flow, and a fortress balance sheet, Lake gives high marks to both the business and management. He credits Satya Nadella for repositioning Microsoft toward cloud and AI, and for reframing AI CapEx as a necessary “play-to-win” strategy. Alongside peers like Amazon, Google, Nvidia, and Tesla, Microsoft is deliberately deploying capital to capture long-term, non-linear productivity gains over the next three to five years.

    Send us your feedback

    Support the show

    More from the “Market News with Rodney Lake” Podcast:
    Website: https://investment.business.gwu.edu/market-news-rodney-lake
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/market-news-with-rodney-lake/
    Newsletter: https://app.e2ma.net/app2/audience/signup/2015754/1915550/

    Follow the GW Investment Institute:
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gwinvestmentinstitute/
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/school/gwinvestmentinstitute/
    X: https://x.com/gw_investment
    TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gwinvestmentinstitute
    Blog: https://blogs.gwu.edu/gwsb-invest/

    Note: This podcast is not investment advice, and is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. Do your own research and make independent decisions when considering any financial transactions.

    Show more Show less
    22 mins
  • Episode 80 | Inside the Mag 7: Who is Really Spending to Win?
    Feb 19 2026

    In Episode 80 of “Market News with Rodney Lake,” Professor Lake, director of the GW Investment Institute, delivers an analysis of the Magnificent Seven as massive AI-driven capital expenditures reshape the competitive landscape. He explains why outsized CapEx commitments, particularly from Amazon, Alphabet, and Microsoft, reflect a deliberate strategy to “play to win,” even amid short-term market pressure. Lake examines the growing infrastructure demands of AI, including power, water, and data center constraints, and explores the potential for space-based data centers as a solution by Tesla and Amazon. The episode contrasts differing approaches across major tech firms, from Apple’s platform-centric strategy to Tesla’s real-world AI ambitions and Meta’s push into wearables and advertising. Lake concludes by highlighting Nvidia as the purest AI technology play, emphasizing its central role in the global compute buildout and the enduring importance of rising demand for computing power across the AI ecosystem.

    Send us your feedback

    Support the show

    More from the “Market News with Rodney Lake” Podcast:
    Website: https://investment.business.gwu.edu/market-news-rodney-lake
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/market-news-with-rodney-lake/
    Newsletter: https://app.e2ma.net/app2/audience/signup/2015754/1915550/

    Follow the GW Investment Institute:
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gwinvestmentinstitute/
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/school/gwinvestmentinstitute/
    X: https://x.com/gw_investment
    TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gwinvestmentinstitute
    Blog: https://blogs.gwu.edu/gwsb-invest/

    Note: This podcast is not investment advice, and is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. Do your own research and make independent decisions when considering any financial transactions.

    Show more Show less
    22 mins
  • Episode 79 | Professor Lake’s Hot Takes for AI Investment Tools
    Feb 12 2026

    In Episode 79 of “Market News with Rodney Lake,” Professor Lake, director of the GW Investment Institute, shares his “hot takes” on AI’s role in the markets, the use of tools in investment analysis, and how AI serves as a productivity multiplier for the GW Investment Institute. The episode features in-depth analysis of major technology companies including Alphabet, Apple, and Nvidia. He highlights Google’s AI ecosystem and TPUs, Apple’s iPhone 17 upgrade alongside its AI partnership strategy, and Nvidia’s position in chip manufacturing and global competition. Lake emphasizes the need to understand AI’s technological evolution and ecosystem dynamics to make informed investment decisions and prepare for the future of markets and business.

    Send us your feedback

    Support the show

    More from the “Market News with Rodney Lake” Podcast:
    Website: https://investment.business.gwu.edu/market-news-rodney-lake
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/market-news-with-rodney-lake/
    Newsletter: https://app.e2ma.net/app2/audience/signup/2015754/1915550/

    Follow the GW Investment Institute:
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gwinvestmentinstitute/
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/school/gwinvestmentinstitute/
    X: https://x.com/gw_investment
    TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gwinvestmentinstitute
    Blog: https://blogs.gwu.edu/gwsb-invest/

    Note: This podcast is not investment advice, and is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. Do your own research and make independent decisions when considering any financial transactions.

    Show more Show less
    22 mins
  • Episode 78 | From the Fed to Big Tech: Navigating Markets in Early 2026
    Feb 5 2026

    In Episode 78 of “Market News with Rodney Lake,” Professor Lake, director of the GW Investment Institute, delivers a comprehensive market update, reviewing year-to-date numbers from the S&P 500 and Nasdaq, current news at the Federal Reserve, and the performance of major holdings in the new year. The discussion explores key market themes including valuation concerns, inflation, and AI-driven developments. Professor Lake highlights Google’s Gemini 3.0 in contrast with AI strategies and competitive positioning across other companies. He also discusses Berkshire Hathaway’s post-Buffett transition as a contra investment to the AI trade. The episode ties in the Institute’s student-managed funds and experiential learning, reinforcing a measured approach to markets and key portfolio holdings.

    Send us your feedback

    Support the show

    More from the “Market News with Rodney Lake” Podcast:
    Website: https://investment.business.gwu.edu/market-news-rodney-lake
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/market-news-with-rodney-lake/
    Newsletter: https://app.e2ma.net/app2/audience/signup/2015754/1915550/

    Follow the GW Investment Institute:
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gwinvestmentinstitute/
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/school/gwinvestmentinstitute/
    X: https://x.com/gw_investment
    TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gwinvestmentinstitute
    Blog: https://blogs.gwu.edu/gwsb-invest/

    Note: This podcast is not investment advice, and is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. Do your own research and make independent decisions when considering any financial transactions.

    Show more Show less
    22 mins