Larry McDonald is a noted economist, political risk expert, bestselling author and creator of The Bear Traps Report, an independent investment research publication focusing on global political and systemic risk. He also serves as Managing Director and Global Head of Macro Strategy at ACG Analytics, and a contributor at CNBC, focused on political and economic risks and opportunities. Recognized as one of today’s leading political policy risk consultants and strategists, his "Bear Traps" letter is one of the most highly regarded on Wall Street. Larry’s Lehman risk indicators help investors get in front of painful risk-off trades in the global markets. His proprietary risk indicators and risk management lessons are designed for any investment group working to avoid the dangerous pitfalls in the post-Lehman financial market. Earlier in his career, Larry was Managing Director and Head US Macro Strategy at Societe Generale, and Vice President at Lehman Brothers, where he ran a $500 million proprietary trading book. He also ran an extremely successful joint venture between Lehman Brothers’ fixed income and equity divisions.
At Lehman Brothers, Larry led his team into betting against the subprime mortgage market, profiting the firm over $2 billion before its demise.
At the height of the 2008 financial crisis, he wrote a book on the fall of Lehman Brothers, “A Colossal Failure of Common Sense.”
He was considered one of the firm's most profitable traders, and made over $75M betting against the subprime mortgage crisis.
He also implemented the firm's first, highly successful cross-divisional JV between high-yield, distressed, and convertible securities.
MEDIA & PUBLICATIONS
Larry is a regular contributor on Bloomberg TV and Radio, Forbes, CNBC, and Fox Business, focuse, focuse, focuse, focuse, focuse, focuse, focuse, focuse, focuse, focuse, focused on political and economic risks and opportunities.
He has delivered over 160 keynote speeches in 20 countries, detailing various complexities of numerous political policy implications.
He has hosted interviews on Real Vision.
As a keynote speaker, he provides rare insight into topics such as:
Trump Presidency – Political Risk in 2017: An analysis of the Market Impact.
Global Systemic Risk: A perspective on Trade a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a and NAFTA Renegotiations
U.S. Global Economic Outlook: Market Impact of Tax Reform from Washington D.C.
The Rise and Fall of Emerging Market Economies
Investment Risk Management
Quantitative Easing, Federal Reserve Policy, and their side-effects
He has participated in four major financial crisis documentaries:
BBC’s The Love of Money
CBC’s House of Cards
National Geographic’s Decade of the 2000s
Sony Pictures’ Academy Award-winning documentary Inside Job