The Ideas Exchange

Why are so many Australians still sitting on the sidelines when it comes to investing? In this episode of Ideas Exchange, Jan-Carl Plagge, Head of Investment Strategy Group,APAC, at Vanguard, unpacks new research into what’s holding people back — from confidence and knowledge gaps to common misconceptions about how much money you actually need to get started. We also explore the role of financial literacy, advice and access in boosting participation, and why these shifts matter for long-term financial outcomes. Link to Sitting on the Sidelines research: https://digital-assets.vanguard.com/intl/australia/shared/documents/resources/Vanguard-Sitting-On-The-Sidelines-Report.pdf Visit our blog: ⁠⁠https://www.asx.com.au/blog⁠⁠ Follow us on: X - ⁠⁠https://twitter.com/ASX⁠⁠ LinkedIn - ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/asx/⁠⁠ YouTube - ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/user/ASXLtd⁠⁠ Instagram - ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/asx__official/⁠⁠ Facebook - ⁠https://www.facebook.com/OfficialASX⁠ Explore our useful investment tools and resources ⁠⁠https://www.asx.com.au/investors/investment-tools-and-resources/personal-investor⁠

In this episode of ASX Ideas Exchange, James Rodda, Portfolio Manager and Co-founder of Antipodes shares expert insights on the forces shaping today’s investment landscape within the global small and mid-cap space . From shifting macro conditions to evolving market dynamics, James unpacks how investors can navigate uncertainty, stay disciplined, and position for long-term opportunities in an increasingly complex world. Visit our blog: ⁠⁠https://www.asx.com.au/blog⁠⁠ Follow us on: X - ⁠⁠https://twitter.com/ASX⁠⁠ LinkedIn - ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/asx/⁠⁠ YouTube - ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/user/ASXLtd⁠⁠ Instagram - ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/asx__official/⁠⁠ Facebook - ⁠https://www.facebook.com/OfficialASX⁠ Explore our useful investment tools and resources ⁠⁠https://www.asx.com.au/investors/investment-tools-and-resources/personal-investor⁠

In the latest episode of Ideas Exchange, Mark Freeman, Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Foundation Investment Company (AFIC) joins us for a wide-ranging discussion on state of the markets, dividends and long term investing. Mark reflects on market activity over the summer break, shares his outlook for the Australian market in the year ahead and explains how AFIC strives to deliver stable and growing dividends through the listed investment company structure. We wrap up with Mark’s thoughts on a few Australian stocks he’s optimistic about as we move into 2026. Visit our blog: ⁠⁠https://www.asx.com.au/blog⁠⁠ Follow us on: X - ⁠⁠https://twitter.com/ASX⁠⁠ LinkedIn - ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/asx/⁠⁠ YouTube - ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/user/ASXLtd⁠⁠ Instagram - ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/asx__official/⁠⁠ Facebook - ⁠https://www.facebook.com/OfficialASX⁠ Explore our useful investment tools and resources ⁠⁠https://www.asx.com.au/investors/investment-tools-and-resources/personal-investor⁠

For our final episode of the year, we’re taking a moment to reflect on the conversations that shaped the seasons. This special edition brings together the most thought-provoking ideas, themes, and guests that sparked meaningful discussions throughout the year. From simplifying investing and understanding market performance to exploring global infrastructure and disruptive innovation, we revisit the insights that stood out. Visit our blog: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.asx.com.au/blog⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on: X - ⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/ASX⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn - ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/asx/⁠⁠⁠ YouTube - ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/user/ASXLtd⁠⁠⁠ Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/asx__official/⁠⁠⁠ Facebook - ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/OfficialASX⁠⁠ Explore our useful investment tools and resources ⁠⁠⁠https://www.asx.com.au/investors/investment-tools-and-resources/personal-investor⁠⁠

With five large banks and two major mining companies making up 40% of the ASX-100, many Australian equity investors risk overexposure to these sectors. In this episode, Robert Miller, Portfolio Manager at NAOS, explains their investment philosophy which focuses on companies outside the ASX50, with a high conviction, concentrated portfolio approach, aiming for long-term growth and value. Tune in to find out more about NAOS core values, how their high conviction model defines their investment style, how they manage volatility in Australian and global equities and what this means for investors. Check out our blog: ⁠⁠https://www.asx.com.au/blog⁠⁠ Follow us on: X - ⁠⁠https://twitter.com/ASX⁠⁠ LinkedIn - ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/asx/⁠⁠ YouTube - ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/user/ASXLtd⁠⁠ Instagram - ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/asx__official/⁠⁠ Facebook - ⁠https://www.facebook.com/OfficialASX⁠ Explore our useful investment tools and resources ⁠⁠https://www.asx.com.au/investors/investment-tools-and-resources/personal-investor⁠

In this episode of ASX Ideas Exchange, we dive into Bell Direct's research on how Australian market sectors have performed over the past decade. Join Grady Wulff, Senior Market Analyst at Bell Direct as she unpacks standout performers like financials, tech, healthcare and consumer discretionary and takes a closer look at those that lagged behind like materials and energy. Plus, find out how understanding sector trends can help sharpen your investment decisions. Visit our blog: ⁠https://www.asx.com.au/blog⁠ Follow us on: X - ⁠https://twitter.com/ASX⁠ LinkedIn - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/asx/⁠ YouTube - ⁠https://www.youtube.com/user/ASXLtd⁠ Instagram - ⁠https://www.instagram.com/asx__official/⁠ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/OfficialASX Explore our useful investment tools and resources ⁠https://www.asx.com.au/investors/investment-tools-and-resources/personal-investor⁠

In a world that continues to digitise, investing in companies or technologies that have the potential to fundamentally change existing industries, markets or ways of doing business has become the focus of fund manager Loftus Peak. In this episode, Alex Pollak, Chief Investment Officer and Co-Founder of Loftus Peak, explains what disruption is and how it differs from innovation. Emphasising the importance of AI as a main driver of change, Alex also highlights the role of cyber security and how Loftus Peak harvests return from global sharemarkets by focusing on understanding those changes. Check out the ASX blog for more insights: https://www.asx.com.au/blog

Join us with Firetrail’s Portfolio Managers, Eleanor Swanson and James Millar, as we turn our attention to understanding markets for the third episode in our series, A beginner’s guide to investing. Eleanor and James share their stories of how they became interested in investing which ultimately led them to forging a career in investing as Portfolio Managers. We discuss how markets have been performing overall through January and February before breaking down ways to analyse stocks usings methods such as fundamental and technical analysis. In our second series this year, we’ll visit different investment themes starting with Infrastructure. Our special guests from Resolution Capital will discuss what infrastructure assets are and how they can fit into a diversified investment portfolio.

With a new year comes a clean slate to set goals, intentions and plan for the year ahead. This is especially true on your investing journey. To help new investors getting started, we are running a three part podcast series laying the groundwork with a list of things to consider when beginning to invest on ASX. In the first episode of the series, Jacinta King, ASX, asks Laura Besarati, Market Analyst at CommSec, some questions to cover the basics of investing including the difference between stocks and ETFs, how to buy and sell, what are dividends and distributions, and the characteristics of active and passive investing. Laura also provides a great review of sector performance for 2024 and how she sees they are positioned as the year begins. Stay tuned for episode two Did you know that investing is not just about being financially savvy and learning how to put a portfolio of stocks together. There is a bit of psychology behind it and being conscious of human biases is part of the journey in understanding what kind of investor you are. Join ASX and our next guest, Global X as they discuss this before they delve into some time-tested ways of investing. https://www.asx.com.au/

How do investors digest and make sense of geopolitics and the role big players like the US, China and other super-powers have in markets? How wary should we be of the current world politics and their effect on markets? In this episode James Holt, Head Investment Specialist at Perpetual, shares his views on these topics and discusses sectors that are doing well at the moment. Join James and Jacinta as they review the US election, global equities, interest rates and Perpetual's investment thesis.

The role of ETFs in a portfolio has traditionally been synonymous with passive investing, however, more than half of all ETFs that were listed on the ASX last year were active ETFs. The investment landscape is changing rapidly due to an increased demand for institutional quality portfolio building blocks designed to offer an enhanced outcome for investors at a more cost-effective price. In this Ideas Exchange episode, Blair Hannon, ETF Investment Strategist at Macquarie, joins Jacinta King to delve into active ETFs and how Macquarie's systematic approach to investing combines the history and experience of the institutional world to offer everyday investors access to quantitative strategies with an attractive fee structure.

ASX investor research and ETF reports have shown an uptick in investor interest of ETFs over the past few years. According to the latest Australian Investor Study, there has been an increase of 1.2 million investors since 2019 and ETFs are more likely to be the first investment made rather than holding shares directly. To fill this demand, there are now over 300 investment products listed on the ASX across all asset classes. In this episode, Jacinta is joined by Tamara Haban-Beer Stats, Director, ETF and Index Investment Specialist, BlackRock and Gemma Dale, Director, SMSF and Investor Behaviour, nabtrade. They discuss how investors can put together an entire portfolio using ETFs and the difference between core and satellite ETFs as well as the benefits of indices.

After a boom during the Covid-19 pandemic, the tech sector has seen a significant slowdown due to high inflation, elevated interest rates and global economic uncertainty resulting in reduced consumer spending, job cuts and tech spending. However, 2024 is shaping up to be the year of AI, with it proving to be one of the hottest trends driving global markets. In this episode Jacinta King and Elfreda Jonker, Client Portfolio Manager and Investment Specialist at Alphinity, discuss Generative AI and what it means for the beneficiaries of this technology. They unpack the investment opportunities that are arising from the key players in the AI ecosystem as well as the AI infused opportunities beyond tech, plus they review the risks investors need to consider as part of their exposure to this trend.