The Rules of Investing

Hedley Widdup from Lion Selection Group joins The Rules of Investing to discuss why the resources cycle may still be in its early stages, the outlook for gold and copper, and where he is finding opportunities among Australian micro-cap miners. In this episode: Why the mining cycle may still be early What the Lion Clock says about the current resources market Why gold remains attractive beyond the...

Samantha Wong was employee #1 at Blackbird Ventures, the largest shareholder in design software giant Canva and one of Australia’s most influential venture capital firms. When Sam joined Blackbird in 2015, the Australian VC ecosystem was in its infancy - a cottage industry with just a few hundred participants. The landscape has changed dramatically over the past decade as companies like Atlassian,...

While the market obsesses over volatile AI software and tech start-ups, global private equity giant EQT says the real money is being made in the physical layer. In this episode of The Rules of Investing, Ken Wong, Partner and Head of Asia Pacific Infrastructure at EQT Partners, breaks down why the massive, structural build-out of data centres and renewable energy grid connectivity is the market’s...

While the market's gaze is fixed on the horizon, the ground beneath quality stocks has shifted, delivering the toughest period of performance since the lead-up to the GFC. But as the saying goes, “it’s always darkest before dawn.” In this episode of The Rules of Investing, James Abela explains why it is critical to have a process for navigating challenging markets, and highlights the bright spots,...

Chris Watling from Longview Economics joins The Rules of Investing to discuss the global macro outlook, including AI-driven market concentration, inflation, oil, interest rates, Australian housing, and the hidden fragility beneath parts of the US economy and equity market. In this episode: Why the AI theme may be carrying more of the global economy than investors realise Oil, Iran and the Strait o...

After four years away, Patrick Poke is returning to The Rules of Investing. In this short relaunch episode, Patrick and James Marlay reflect on the podcast’s evolution, the return of video episodes, and what listeners can expect next.

While rate hikes, inflation, and budget uncertainty have dampened the spirits of many equity investors, one corner of the market is quietly thriving. The S&P Emerging Companies Index (XEC) has surged 35% over the past 12 months, proving that there is "always a bull market somewhere" if you know where to look. In this episode, Joel Fleming, Portfolio Manager of the UBS Micro Cap Fund, reveals w...

The GFC exposed a harsh reality: for investors in or near retirement, large drawdowns aren’t just uncomfortable — they can be permanent. Aaron Binsted from Lazard Asset Management saw this firsthand. It shaped the thinking behind a strategy designed to deliver equity returns with lower volatility and a focus on growing income. In this episode, we cover how markets are navigating today’s macro back...

Markets are wobbling, sentiment is turning, and investors are starting to question what comes next. In this episode, Munro Partners CIO Nick Griffin explains why he still believes we’re in a bull market, how the war in Iran is impacting markets, and why AI is forcing a major rethink on tech investing.

Gold has re-entered the spotlight, but L1 Capital believes investors may be looking in the wrong place. After years of investing in commodities, the firm formalised its view with a dedicated gold strategy in March 2025, now set to list as the L1 Gold Fund Limited (ASX: LGF, subject to approval). Co-Chief Investment Officer Raphael Lamm sees the real opportunity not in bullion, but in overlooked go...

Periods of intense uncertainty test even the most seasoned investors. Today, markets face several competing forces: artificial intelligence reshaping industries, geopolitical tensions fuelling energy volatility, and elevated valuations alongside concentration in parts of the Australian equity market. For Yarra Capital Management’s Dion Hershan, these environments demand discipline rather than pani...

For much of the past year, investors have been focused on growth stocks and AI winners. But some of the strongest returns have come from stocks the market had largely written off. James Hawkins, Head of L1 Capital’s Catalyst Fund, is building a reputation for finding value where others aren’t looking, combining deep research with an activist mindset to unlock it. That strategy has helped drive a s...

Private lending has expanded rapidly over the past decade as banks pulled back from parts of the corporate market. The result has been a surge of capital chasing income, but the speed of that growth is also raising questions about how the sector will perform when the cycle eventually turns. In this episode of the Rules of Investing podcast, Privity Credit Managing Partner Ryan Donnar explains why...

Equity markets are in the middle of what Greg Dean calls “the world’s most uncomfortable rotation." In this episode, the founder of Langdon Equity Partners explains why AI may not be the real story, why high-margin businesses can be more vulnerable than they appear, and how he’s positioning his portfolio, including a 7.6% stake in L1 Group and a decision to reinvest in Johns Lyng after its take-pr...

More than 70 companies reported this week and while the ASX 200 continues to push record highs, stock reactions remain ruthless. In this episode, Ben Clark argues it’s been one of the strongest reporting seasons in years, with banks, miners and consumer names broadly beating expectations. He explains why Woolworths’ resurgence caught the market off guard, why WiseTech’s AI defence matters more tha...

With reporting season taking a positive turn, Chris Conway speaks with James Gerrish of Market Partners to get his hot take on a big week of reporting season, the key beats and misses, and what he's keeping an eye on for the rest of the season.

The first big week of reporting season was full of fireworks with some wild swings in some of the biggest companies on the ASX. Livewire's Chris Conway spoke with Henry Jennings from Marcus Today to discuss some of the important results and how investors reacted. 

Inflation is back at the centre of investor concerns. In this episode of The Rules of Investing, James Marlay is joined by outgoing Schroders CEO and CIO Simon Doyle to discuss why inflation has been so persistent, the assets he trusts most to protect real returns and the lessons from a long career in markets.

Markets delivered another strong year in 2025, extending an exceptional run for equities. The S&P 500 returned around 22.8% per annum over the past three years, roughly double the long-term average, while the ASX 200 delivered closer to 9.7% excluding dividends. After a run like this, the key issue isn’t just where markets go next, but how investors set expectations. In this episode, James Mar...

Vishal Teckchandani asked two of Australia's leading ETF providers to put together a starting lineup of 11 ETFs built to win next year.   Our two team captains were VanEck's Jamie Hannah and Global X ETFs' Marc Jocum, who each brought some of their big hitters (and more cricket metaphors than you can shake a stump at). 

Property experts Nerida Conisbee and Kiril Ruvinsky unpack what is driving the market and share their bold predictions for 2026.  

The Rules of Investing has wrapped for 2025. Thanks for tuning in; we’ve loved bringing you the conversations and insights that shaped markets this year. We have a few bonus episodes coming out over the next couple of weeks and we’ll return to regular programming in 2026. Enjoy the holiday break and all the best for the year ahead.

The ASX’s headline yield has slipped, but dividend income is still on offer if investors know where to look. In this episode of The Rules of Investing, IML’s Dr Michael O’Neill explains the dividend outlook, shares five ASX income picks, and outlines the mistake investors are making on rates and valuation risk. *Correction - in the podcast Michael mistakenly said the yield on CSL is 4% when it is...

Dr David Allen from Plato Investment Management joins the show to unpack the systematic engine behind his fund’s 25 percent annual returns, how red flags reveal stocks set to fall, and the global themes he believes will drive markets over the next decade.

QVG Capital’s Chris Prunty joins the Rules of Investing to unpack what makes the great companies great. He shares the three traits found in Australia’s “Hall of Fame” stocks, reveals four small caps he believes could follow in their footsteps, and explains why QVG is backing Hub24 over Netwealth in the battle of the investment platforms.