The Ideas Exchange

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/

For the first 2025 episode we invited David Bassanese, Chief Economist at Betashares who goes through some 2024 market performance highlights to set the scene for what, in his view, is to come in 2025. Join us to hear his thoughts about unemployment, inflation, rate cuts and how we compare to other countries; what data is showing about a possible cooling in the housing market and 2024 best performing sectors. Looking ahead he discusses the impact of a second Trump's presidency, US Federal debt and their role in global markets

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.

Geopolitical tensions are creating uncertainty in markets globally. In this episode of Ideas Exchange Catriona Burns, Lead Portfolio Manager at WAM Global, presents an outlook for global equities and explains how external pressures are affecting different regions or sectors, the investment themes that are evolving, and the opportunities she sees for growth in today’s economic context.

Join Catriona and Rory as they review the current state of market, US elections, interest rates, geopolitics and the impact those have on WAM Global's key investment themes. Through successful case studies they illustrate how trends such as digital enterprise, electronic marketplaces, innovative health, and critical assets have become dominant forces in the global economy.

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.

Following other initiatives around the world, VanEck recently launched a bitcoin ETF on ASX, providing investors seeking exposure to bitcoin with convenient access via ETFs. In this episode of ASX Ideas Exchange, Jamie Hannah, Deputy Head of Investments & Capital Markets at VanEck, joins Rory Cunningham to discuss why people invest in bitcoin and the risks involved.

 Show notes:

The Fund (VBTC) aims to give investors exposure to the price of Bitcoin. It does this by investing in the VanEck Bitcoin ETF (HODL). HODL is an ETF that is regulated by the SEC and listed in the United States. References to VanEck buying Bitcoin, refers to the management of HODL. It is important that investors read the PDS and TMD.

 Investors seeking to learn more about the VanEck Bitcoin ETF (VBTC) can visit www.vaneck.com.au

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.

When most people think about their investment portfolio, rarely do they consider the impact their investments can have beyond financial returns. But how many investment companies can confidently say they are making a meaningful difference in the lives of Australians on a daily basis?

In this episode, Rory Cunningham from ASX sits down with Caroline Gurney, CEO of Future Generation, to discuss the intersection of philanthropy and investing. They delve into how Future Generation selects charities to support and how this philanthropic approach integrates with their broader investment strategy.

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.

Listen to a ASX’s monthly Market Wrap podcast, in which we look back at the month that was. We review the key events that have impacted markets, top performing stocks and sectors, as well as key market movements. 

This short podcast is hosted by ASX’s Graham O’Brien, a leader in the finance industry with 20 years’ experience in equity derivatives an expert on how the Australian market works.

Produced by Piccolo Podcasts:

https://piccolopodcasts.com.au/