SI396: Markets Look Calm… But Are They? ft. Rob Carver

SI396: Markets Look Calm… But Are They? ft. Rob Carver

From Top Traders Unplugged by Niels Kaastrup-Larsen

April 18, 2026 · 1h 21m

About this episode

Rob Carver discusses the fragility of seemingly calm markets and insights on portfolio construction.

Today, Rob Carver joins us to reflect on a market environment that appears calm on the surface but feels increasingly fragile underneath. From oil market distortions and muted reactions to geopolitical risk to the steady resilience of equities, the conversation questions whether price action is telling the full story. Rob shares insights from his own performance, including why slower trend signals have recently dominated and why he is running lower risk despite positive returns. The discussion moves into portfolio construction, return stacking, and the growing role of ETFs, alongside a candid look at where complexity adds value in systematic investing and where it does not. ----- 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&nbsp…

People in this episode

Host: Niels Kaastrup-Larsen

Guest: Rob Carver

Topics covered

  • market analysis
  • portfolio construction
  • trend following
  • geopolitical risk
  • ETFs

Keywords

  • market environment
  • oil market distortions
  • geopolitical risk
  • systematic investing
  • trend signals

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Top Traders Unplugged

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