The stock market is constantly evolving but, every decade, a few megatrends reshape entire industries - creating huge opportunities for investors who spot them early. 

Today, AI is revolutionising everything from automation to chip design, with the global AI market projected to grow from US$207 billion in 2023 to over US$1.8 trillion by 2030, according to Grand View Research. Meanwhile, the clean energy transition, shifting demographics, and deglobalisation are rewriting economic playbooks.

Getting these megatrends right isn’t just important, it can be the difference between market-beating returns and falling behind. Just look at how Amazon capitalised on e-commerce or how Nvidia surged over 3,000% in the past decade thanks to AI-driven demand.

In this episode of Buy Hold Sell, we’ll break down the biggest megatrends shaping the future, explore why they matter, and discuss how investors can position themselves to ride the wave. We'll also unpack a couple that could be on the decline. 

To do that, Livewire’s James Marlay was joined by Vihari Ross from Antipodes and James Tsinidis from Munro Partners. For good measure, they each share a stock idea set to benefit from their favourite megatrend. 

Note: This episode was recorded on Wednesday, 26 February 2025.

Whether you're a fund manager overseeing billions or a Livewire reader investing your hard-earned money, there is no better time than the end of reporting season.

Firstly, because it’s bloody exhausting, and secondly, because it’s the clearest picture you will ever get of the health of corporate Australia and the shape of your own portfolio.

Right now is the moment where there is the least noise, the least speculation, and the least fluff. This moment allows investors to make some intelligent decisions, with the fullest information possible, about which opportunities they want to pursue, and forgo, over the coming six months.

So, what were the key themes from the season? And, more importantly, which stocks crushed it - and which got crushed?

To help answer those questions, Livewire’s James Marlay sat down with James Gerrish from Market Matters and Jun Bei Liu from Tencap for this special February 2025 reporting season wrap-up of Buy Hold Sell.

Note: This episode was recorded on Thursday, 26 February 2025.

Tech companies have carved out a special place in the zeitgeist. Like Sting and Madonna, they often go by singular names and, in many cases, those names have become verbs.

We don’t search online, we Google. We don’t request a ride, we Uber. Often, when companies reach such a status, there is a coalescence between their use in parlance, our use of their products in everyday life, and a sky-high share price.

The question we, as investors, must seek to ask and answer, however, only concerns the latter. Is the business priced appropriately for the expected future return? That’s not so easy to do when the whole world is in love with a company, and its products are so widely used.

But that’s what fund managers signed up for, and so that’s the question, amongst others, that we’re exploring in this episode of Buy, Hold, Sell, where Livewire’s James Marlay was joined by Vihari Ross from Antipodes, and James Tsinidis from Munro Partners. 

For good measure, Ross and Tsinidis each share a tech stock they think is so compelling you can't ignore it. 

Note: This episode was recorded on Wednesday, 26 February 2025.

If property investing is all about location, location, location, then equity yield is all about consistency, consistency, consistency. 

Yes, investors want a suitable level of yield but the smart ones are willing to relinquish some of that level for a higher degree of consistency. 

Not convinced? 

Well, Livewire's Carl Capolingua wrote a wire last year titled "The most consistent dividend paying stocks in the ASX top 50". It was read almost 50,000 times, had 170 likes, and was one of the most popular wires of 2024. 

So, with dividend consistency the name of the game, in this episode of Buy Hold Sell, Michael O'Neill from IML and Ben Clark from TMS Private Wealth run the ruler over three stocks that have maintained dividend consistency over an extended period.

They also each highlight a stock where the level or consistency of yield could come under pressure. 

Note: This episode was recorded on Wednesday, 12 February 2025.

Traditionally, investors who have wanted yield have needed only to look at what a company has paid in the past and the consistency with which they have paid it in order to construct a fairly high-yielding and robust portfolio.

But with share prices surging and earnings not growing as fast, it's not so simple anymore. Take the poster child for the movement, Commonwealth Bank (ASX: CBA), as an example. When it was first listed, its yield was north of 7%. Today, it hovers around 3%. 

Many would point to the fact that the CBA share price has risen circa 50% in the past 12 months as adequate compensation for the lower yield, but for many investors, there is not even an inkling of selling to crystallise those gains. 

"Been in CBA since 2014. I'm not going anywhere", was the comment from Tom, a Livewire reader, on a recent wire about CBA's valuation. Imagine if you bought in the IPO in 1991 - "they'll have to pry them out of my cold, dead hands" was the comment from another reader. 

Some investors rely on suitable yields to fund their retirements, and a sub 4% average yield on the ASX All Ordinaries doesn't cut it. So, how are the professionals hunting for yield in the current environment? Are they sticking to the tried and tested methods, believing this is just another part of the cycle, or have they changed tack?

To answer those questions, Livewire's Sara Allen is joined by Michael O'Neill from IML and Ben Clark from TMS Private Wealth. For good measure, our guests each bring along their top income stock for the year ahead. 

Note: This episode was recorded on Wednesday, 12 February 2025. 

With the stock market surging to all-time highs and the rally being driven by a narrow slice of the market, one of the unwelcome outcomes has been a falling average yield on the ASX. 

It currently sits well below 4% for the All Ordinaries - about the long-term average - as seen on the chart below. 

As most of you would know, every year we conduct a survey as part of our Outlook Series, where we ask a host of questions, including “What is your favourite income stock?”

Nearly 5000 of you shared your thoughts with us across the Livewire and Market Index platforms, and in this episode of Buy Hold Sell, you’re in for a real treat. 

We’re going to run the ruler over five of your most-tipped income stocks - but there is one small caveat: the stocks must have a higher-than-market average yield. To do that, Livewire's Sara Allen is joined by Michael O'Neill from IML and Ben Clark from TMS Private Wealth.

For good measure, our guests each bring along a stock they think should have made the list, as their top income stock for 2025. 

Note: This episode was recorded on Wednesday, 12 February 2025. 

Sales growth is one of the most important metrics when evaluating growth stocks. Let's face it: it's hard to be a growth company if you're not constantly selling more products and services to consumers.  

Companies with strong sales growth demonstrate market demand, expansion potential, and the ability to capture a larger share of the industry, and investors often rightly look at sales growth to identify companies that are scaling rapidly and gaining traction in their respective markets.

That said, sales growth alone is no panacea. If viewed in isolation, it can even be misleading. High sales growth does not necessarily equate to financial health or long-term profitability. 

Some companies may aggressively grow sales but struggle with rising costs, poor margins, or excessive debt. Without strong profitability and cash flow management, even a high-growth company can face financial instability.

With all that in mind, this episode sees our guests running the ruler over a handful of stocks that have exhibited strong sales growth. Are they all they are cracked up to be, or have investors been wrong-footed as share prices have departed from reality? 

To answer those questions, Livewire's Hans Lee was joined by David Wilson from First Sentier Investors and Joe McCarthy from Elston Asset Management. For good measure, they each share a stock with strong sales growth which also ticks all the other boxes. 

Note: This episode was recorded on Wednesday, 30 January 2024. 

Whether you’re an experienced investor or just starting out, identifying stocks with the potential for significant long-term growth is both an art and a science.

Growth stocks have historically been some of the biggest wealth creators in the market, but finding the right ones requires careful analysis, patience, and let's face it, a bit of intuition. 

Whilst most growth stocks will have strong metrics, like revenue and earnings growth and improving earnings per share, a host of less tangible factors help separate the great from the good. 

How strong is the company's competitive advantage, for example? How good is the management team? And how innovative or disruptive is the company - and does it even need to be?

In this episode of Buy Hold Sell, David Wilson from First Sentier Investors and Joe McCarthy from Elston Asset Management join Livewire's Hans Lee to share their process for identifying growth stocks, the key metrics they focus on, and the red flags that would see them steer away from opportunities.

Not content with just theorising however, they each share their top ASX growth stock for 2025.  

Note: This episode was recorded on Wednesday 30 January 2024.

Last year saw markets rally strongly, powered primarily by growth stocks. Aside from some volatility earlier this week, that bullish trend has continued this year, with growth stocks again leading the way. 

As most of you would know, every year we conduct a survey as part of our Outlook Series, where we ask a host of questions, including “What is your favourite growth stock?” 

This year, nearly 5000 of you shared your thoughts with us across the Livewire and Market Index platforms, and in this first episode of Buy Hold Sell for the new season, you’re in for a real treat. 

We’re going to run the ruler over five of your most-tipped growth stocks. To do that, Livewire's Hans Lee is joined by Joe McCarthy from Elston and David Wilson from First Sentier Investors.

For good measure, our guests each bring along a stock they think has great growth prospects in 2025, despite not ranking in the top five of your most-tipped stocks. 

Note: This episode was recorded on Wednesday 30 January 2024. 

Legendary investor Warren Buffett once quipped:

By the Oracle of Omaha’s standards, most of us are a bit ignorant, and gladly so, relishing the “free lunch” that diversification provides.

But what if you didn’t have that option? What if you were limited to holding just one stock for an entire year? That’s the challenge we put to 10 leading fund managers as part of our 2025 Outlook Series.

These include businesses riding key megatrends, supplying critical medicines, or executing strategies that position them to dominate key market segments.

To find out what the stocks are, watch the video, listen to the podcast, or read our edited transcript at this website.