Fear & Greed Q+A

Geopolitical tensions, market concentration, and the dominance of mega-cap tech stocks are forcing big institutional investors to rethink how they allocate capital. But rather than making big calls, many of the world’s largest pension and sovereign wealth funds are doing the opposite — sticking to their strategy. Gerard O’Reilly is Co-CEO of Dimensional Fund Advisors, working wit...

This week it's all about household spending - and after consumer confidence hit a 53 year low last week, there could be some tough times ahead. And the big question: are we heading for a recession? Michael Thompson is joined by economist  Stephen Koukoulas . Join our  free daily newsletter here . Find out more: https://fearandgreed.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informat...

Michael asks Sean and Adam five questions - with no notice at all - about a digital detox. Could they handle a week without the internet? Could they do their jobs, navigate and communicate, or would life fall apart? Find out more: https://fearandgreed.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Brent Smart, chief marketing officer at Telstra, announced he was stepping down from the telco after four years in the job. During that time Telstra’s campaigns have won a number of awards… with Telstra now recognised as one of the strongest brands in Australia, and one of the top telco brands globally. In April 2023 Brent Smart joined Sean Aylmer to talk about what it was l...

Executive pay is one of those topics that always sparks debate, whether it’s CEO bonuses, shareholder backlash, or whether pay really reflects performance. And increasingly, it’s not just about how much executives are paid, but how those decisions are made, justified, and explained. Al Jurangpathy, principal at Korn Ferry specialising in executive pay and governance, talks to Sean Aylm...

Markets are volatile, unpredictable, and increasingly driven by headlines, making it very hard for investors to pick a direction. In that kind of environment, some are turning back to so-called “boring” stocks - companies with steady earnings, strong cash flow, and reliable dividends. Sean Aylmer talks to Josh Gilbert, market analyst at eToro, about why names like Coca-Cola and McDonal...

The war in the Middle East has triggered a major oil shock — with supply through the Strait of Hormuz effectively shut and millions of barrels removed from the global market. Nik Burns, Head of Energy Research at Jarden, says this isn’t just another short-term spike — it could mark a structural shift in global energy markets. He talks to Sean Aylmer about why prices may stay elev...

This week we get the minutes from the RBA board meeting, where four members voted against an interest rate hike. As the oil price shock worsens, hitting many aspects of the economy - could those four members have had the right idea? Michael Thompson is joined by economist  Stephen Koukoulas  to discuss, and also look at the rest of the week for the economy: building approvals, house pric...

Michael hits Sean and Adam with five questions — no notice, no prep — about customer service. Good experiences, bad experiences, and whether the customer is always right. Find out more: https://fearandgreed.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Maritime recovery sounds like something out of a movie — treasure chests, shipwrecks, and billions in gold sitting on the ocean floor. Even more so after recent headlines about a $20 billion wreck off the coast of Colombia. But as Stefan von Imhof, co-founder and CEO of Alts.co explains, it’s evolving into something far more structured, and potentially investable. He explains to Michae...

Healthcare is a multi-trillion dollar industry, but it’s largely designed for when things go wrong. Mark Britt, founder and CEO of preventative health company  TMRW , says the current system leaves a major gap - people who aren’t sick, but aren’t thriving either. He talks to Sean Aylmer about why healthcare is moving towards continuous, personalised care, how AI is already i...

With public markets increasingly concentrated — and dominated by a handful of mega-cap names — investors are looking elsewhere for diversification, growth, and access to the real economy. According to Hamilton Lane co-CEO Juan Delgado-Moreira, that shift has been building for years — but is now accelerating, particularly among younger investors. Juan speaks to Sean Aylmer about w...

Software stocks have been hammered in 2026. The rise of AI coding tools — from Claude to other large language models — has sparked fears that barriers to entry are collapsing. But according to ECP Asset Management’s Damon Callaghan, the market has overreacted. Speaking to Sean Aylmer, he argues the sell-off has been indiscriminate, and that while some software businesses will str...

This week, the monthly inflation figures for February are published... but what value do they have, when the Middle East conflict is raging and oil is soaring? Michael Thompson is joined by economist  Stephen Koukoulas  to look at what inflation, the RBA's interest rates decision, and what to make of last week's jump in the unemployment rate. Find out more: https://fearandgreed.com.au/ S...

It's Sean's turn this week to hit Michael and Adam with five questions — no notice, no prep. This week, it's all about AI, fake news, and just how easy it is to get sucked in by stories on social media. Find out more: https://fearandgreed.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australian businesses are under pressure — rising costs, tighter margins and the push to adopt AI. But many companies may be trying to solve the wrong problem - Instead of focusing on roles, they should be focusing on tasks, because much of the work being done today is unnecessary, duplicated, or simply too expensive.   Jarra Borman is the Director of Strategy at consultancy Outrun Glob...

Yesterday the Reserve Bank increased the official cash rate by 25 basis points to 4.1 per cent. It’s the second rate hike in a row - but while last time the decision was unanimous, this time it was much closer, with the board split 5-4. Diana Mousina, Deputy Chief Economist at AMP, explains what that split means for the next RBA meeting in May, and the key factors that contributed to yesterd...

AI promises huge productivity gains for businesses, but many Australian organisations are still stuck in pilot mode. The challenge isn’t the technology though - it’s knowing where to start, getting the people aligned, and proving the first use case. Kevin Doyle, Regional VP for Agentforce and Data Cloud at Salesforce, speaks to Sean Aylmer about why 95% of AI pilots fail, why governanc...

The Reserve Bank board meets today and tomorrow, with all four big banks tipping an interest rate hike. Michael Thompson is joined by economist  Stephen Koukoulas  to look at what the RBA might do, the impact of the Middle East conflict, and what to expect from this week's labour force figures too. Join our  free daily newsletter here . Find out more: https://fearandgreed.com.au/ Se...

Michael hits Sean and Adam with five questions — no notice, no prep — all their use of cash. Who still carries it, when did they last receive it, and would they miss it if cash disappeared tomorrow? Find out more: https://fearandgreed.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Artificial intelligence is quickly becoming one of the biggest strategic investments for major companies. Sean Aylmer speaks with Telstra CFO Michael Ackland, fresh from winning the Investor Engagement Excellence Award at the CFO Awards, about how the telco is using AI to improve customer service, increase productivity and train its workforce, while avoiding the risk of over-investing in a rapidly...

Long queues outside the ABC Bullion store in Sydney became a familiar sight over the last six months as the price of gold surged and investors rushed to buy the precious metal. Sean Aylmer speaks with Jordan Eliseo, General Manager of ABC Bullion, about the demand for gold and silver, why self-managed super funds are allocating more to precious metals, and how he's seeing investors using gold to d...

Agentic AI promises productivity gains - but what does it actually look like inside a real business? Sean Aylmer speaks with Anouk Darling, CEO of student accommodation provider Scape, about how the company is using agentic AI to manage tens of thousands of student queries, automate parts of the student journey, and free up staff to focus on the human side of the business. Fear & Greed is prou...

The local share market tumbled almost 3% as tensions in the Middle East pushed oil prices sharply higher, and investors started worrying about the impact on global growth. Sean Aylmer speaks with AMP’s Chief Economist and Head of Investment Strategy, Dr Shane Oliver, about why oil shocks still matter for markets, how long this volatility might last, and whether investors should be worried ab...

Are we too negative about the economy? After last week's strong GDP figure - and some welcome news about productivity - Michael Thompson talks to economist Stephen Koukoulas about whether we're too quick to talk down the economy... and whether the green shoots can last. Find out more: https://fearandgreed.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.