The Masterclass speaker series is back by popular demand, aiming to help students get the real truth behind different careers in finance.

To mark the occasion I hosted an incredible guest, Alfonso Peccatiello.

Alf is the author of The Macro Compass and was previously the Head of Investment Portfolio for the Treasury department of ING Germany. There, he was in charge of the active management of a $20bn multi-asset portfolio.

In the session, Alf talks about how he first got interested in finance, how what he learned at university was useful in shaping his view on markets, and the realities of working as a portfolio manager in a large financial institution.

More than this, Alf gives a personal and honest account of his greatest strengths and weaknesses and offers practical advice on how to communicate better, remain humble, and always strive to move forward by being passionate about what you do.

- Introduction (00:00).

- Alfonso's background and how he got interested in finance (2:03).

- Experience at University and lessons learned (5:41).

- How I got my job at ING and journey to managing a portfolio (9:39).

- Why enjoying what you do is the most important thing (13:06).

- The day in the life of a portfolio manager (15:47).

- Learning to be diplomatic (18:16).

- Manging a $20bln portfolio and why I decided to leave (21:09).

- Where to find useful information & how to manage your time (27:30).

- How to manage your expectations (30:26).

- Common traits of the most successful people (35:14).

-  How I found my area of specialism (37:16).

- Thoughts on web 3.0 and crypto in portfolios (38:47).

- Why having a mentor is really important (43:31).

- Top 5 books you MUST read (46:46).


Amplify Trading is a Limited company registered in England and Wales. Registered number 6798566. Registered address: 50 Bank Street, 3rd Floor, Canary Wharf, London, E24 5NS. Information or opinions provided by us should not be used for investment advice and do not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or financial instruments or any advice or recommendation with respect to such securities or other financial instruments. When making a decision about your investments, you should seek the advice of a professional financial adviser.

Editors’ Picks

EUR/USD treads water just above 1.0400 post-US data

EUR/USD treads water just above 1.0400 post-US data

Another sign of the good health of the US economy came in response to firm flash US Manufacturing and Services PMIs, which in turn reinforced further the already strong performance of the US Dollar, relegating EUR/USD to the 1.0400 neighbourhood on Friday.

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GBP/USD remains depressed near 1.2520 on stronger Dollar

GBP/USD remains depressed near 1.2520 on stronger Dollar

Poor results from the UK docket kept the British pound on the back foot on Thursday, hovering around the low-1.2500s in a context of generalized weakness in the risk-linked galaxy vs. another outstanding day in the Greenback.

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Japanese Yen drops to fresh daily low; USD/JPY approaches 155.00 ahead of US PMIs

Japanese Yen drops to fresh daily low; USD/JPY approaches 155.00 ahead of US PMIs

The Japanese Yen struggles to capitalize on stronger domestic inflation-inspired intraday uptick. The BoJ rate-hike uncertainty, the upbeat market mood and elevated US bond yields cap the JPY. The USD climbs to a fresh year-to-date high and offers additional support to the USD/JPY pair. 

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Editors’ Picks

EUR/USD treads water just above 1.0400 post-US data

EUR/USD treads water just above 1.0400 post-US data

Another sign of the good health of the US economy came in response to firm flash US Manufacturing and Services PMIs, which in turn reinforced further the already strong performance of the US Dollar, relegating EUR/USD to the 1.0400 neighbourhood on Friday.

EUR/USD News
GBP/USD remains depressed near 1.2520 on stronger Dollar

GBP/USD remains depressed near 1.2520 on stronger Dollar

Poor results from the UK docket kept the British pound on the back foot on Thursday, hovering around the low-1.2500s in a context of generalized weakness in the risk-linked galaxy vs. another outstanding day in the Greenback.

GBP/USD News
Gold keeps the bid bias unchanged near $2,700

Gold keeps the bid bias unchanged near $2,700

Persistent safe haven demand continues to prop up the march north in Gold prices so far on Friday, hitting new two-week tops past the key $2,700 mark per troy ounce despite extra strength in the Greenback and mixed US yields.

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Geopolitics back on the radar

Geopolitics back on the radar

Rising tensions between Russia and Ukraine caused renewed unease in the markets this week. Putin signed an amendment to Russian nuclear doctrine, which allows Russia to use nuclear weapons for retaliating against strikes carried out with conventional weapons.

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Eurozone PMI sounds the alarm about growth once more

Eurozone PMI sounds the alarm about growth once more

The composite PMI dropped from 50 to 48.1, once more stressing growth concerns for the eurozone. Hard data has actually come in better than expected recently – so ahead of the December meeting, the ECB has to figure out whether this is the PMI crying wolf or whether it should take this signal seriously. We think it’s the latter.

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