ASB Investment Podcast host Nigel Grant is joined by ASB Senior Economist Kim Mundy to unpack New Zealand's Q1 2025 GDP result, a stronger-than-expected print that signals a broadening economic recovery, with business investment lifting and domestic demand sectors starting to stir. But with Q2 already shaping up to contract, how fragile is that momentum? Kim breaks down what the numbers mean for households, businesses, and the RBNZ, and why the Strait of Hormuz may matter more to your mortgage than the GDP headline itself.

Frank & Nigel unpack the life and legacy of Alan Greenspan, the Federal Reserve chair who presided over 18 years of markets, coined the "Greenspan put," and left behind one of the most complicated legacies in modern economic history. They explore why Fed policy still moves markets more than almost anything else, what Greenspan got right and where his laissez-faire instincts led markets astray, and what the arrival of new Fed chair Kevin Warsh could mean for investors navigating the months ahead.

Host Nigel Grant is joined by Lee Marshall, Managing Partner at Hunter Campbell and founder of the Mood of the CFO report, and Scott Maud, CFO of Halter, to unpack the headline findings from the 2026 edition of New Zealand's most comprehensive survey of finance leaders. They explore why NZ businesses are outperforming expectations despite a darkening global outlook, how CFOs are balancing cost discipline with genuine investment in growth and AI, and what the data says about succession planning as a persistent blind spot. Scott also shares what it looks like to scale AI in practice inside a fast-growing tech business, and why the CFOs thriving right now are the ones who've made peace with uncertainty rather than waiting for it to clear.

Halfway through the year, Nigel Grant and ASB Chief Investment Officer Frank Jasper unpack global investment firm, KKR's mid-year outlook and the big themes shaping markets right now, geopolitical fragmentation and supply chain "choke points," the AI-driven productivity boom that could be underestimated, and what KKR calls a "higher resting heart rate" for inflation.

Host Nigel Grant is joined by Jessica Palalagi, Director of The Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi and Amehl Smith, ASB's Head of Private Banking and lead for the bank's new partnership with the Foundation, to explore another type of investing that extends far beyond markets and portfolios - the investment in art, creativity, and people. They explore why ASB chose to back the Foundation, what makes investing in artists different to funding a specific project, and the surprising parallels between building an art collection and building a portfolio. Jessica also shares practical ways anyone can start supporting the arts, no matter their budget, and why simply showing up might be the most powerful investment of all.

It's Friday, and Nigel Grant is joined by ASB Chief Investment Officer Frank Jasper to make sense of a turbulent week in markets, particularly in the AI and semiconductor space.

Frank breaks down the four factors behind the selloff, explores where long-term value in the AI economy could actually land (and why it may not be where most people expect), and explains how ASB's portfolios are currently navigating the noise, staying invested in the theme, but looking beyond the most overheated corners of the market.

Host Nigel Grant is joined by author and gender equity specialist Angela Meyer, co-founder of Hi Money and co-author of best selling book Money, Money, Money - to unpack why women consistently retire with less than men and what's really behind it. They explore the emotional and psychological side of money, the systemic barriers that compound over a lifetime, and what financial institutions could be doing better. Angela also shares practical first steps for women at any stage of their financial journey, and why talking about money openly might be the most important thing you can do.

Frank and Nigel dig into the three biggest IPOs on everyone's radar right now — SpaceX, Anthropic and OpenAI. Frank shares the framework he uses to evaluate any company coming to market: quality, growth and value. They cover why IPOs have historically been a tricky proposition for investors, what makes this particular crop of floats unlike anything seen before, and how the major indices could become forced buyers of these stocks, pushing prices in ways that may have little to do with the underlying fundamentals. Plus, Frank's simple but powerful habit that could sharpen your thinking on any investment decision.

Host Nigel Grant is joined by ASB Senior Economist Chris Tennent-Brown to make sense of a week that gave Kiwi plenty to digest. They cover the RBNZ's split committee vote that may signal rate hikes are closer than many expected and turn to the 2026 Budget, which Chris describes as "prudent and boring" (and why that might actually be good news). They also explore what rising short-term interest rates could mean for borrowers and savers, and why sticking to a long-term strategy still matters more than trying to pick the top or bottom.

In this edition of Fridays with Frank, Frank and Nigel dig into the SpaceX IPO, why it could be an AI and data centre story in disguise and what history tells us about IPO performance. Plus, the RBNZ rate decision and the knife edge the Reserve Bank now has to walk between inflation and a struggling domestic economy. Also, why the gap between NZ companies thriving offshore and those fighting the domestic headwinds is widening and what it could mean for your portfolio.