Equity Mates Investing Podcast

Welcome to the inaugural Equity Mates Book Club! As we speak to more and more expert investors, we keep hearing the same thing - the importance of reading. So we've started our own Equity Mates Book Club so you can join us in reading and discussing some of the best investing books around. Hopefully it makes the task of learning about investing just that little more enjoyable. First up, we have Liar's Poker by Michael Lewis. Lewis is the best-selling author of Moneyball and The Big Short. This is his first book, about his time at Salomon Brothers - a bond trading firm in the 1980's. Salomon was a high-flying firm that lived up to a lot of stereotypes of Wall Street in the 1980's until it all came crashing down. To keep up with the Book Club, see past and future month's reads and to buy any of the books we discuss - check out our Book Club link below. https://equitymates.com/bookclub Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's that time again. The last episode of every month we answer your questions. This time we've selected 6 questions that range from what we studied, to managing your emergency fund, to how an ETF is priced. As always if you want to submit a question, hit us up on social media or email, reply to the Thought Starters email or comment on our website. We'll get back to you or we'll save your question and answer it on the final episode of every month. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're now getting towards the pointy-end of the ASX Sharemarket game, so it's time we check-in to see how our portfolios are going. After a couple of rough weeks on the markets, and with a number of stocks that we have exposure too, heavily punished, things aren't looking great for us to be in profit. We also spend some time talking about Afterpay, just like everyone else. We started looking at Afterpay over 12 months ago, and have watched it run crazy. However over the last couple of months haven't been so great for it, so we look at why, and what it means going forward. In this episode you will learn: • Who is winning the ASX competition between Bryce and Alec, and who is in profit, and who is making a loss • Which stocks have been star performers in the game portfolios • Which stocks have been star losers in the game portfolios • What the major lessons have been over the last couple of months • Why Afterpay is looking at a bumpy few months to come • If Alec's opinion on Afterpay has changed Stocks and resources discussed: • Costa Group Holdings (ASX: CGC) • Afterpay Touch Group Ltd (ASX: APT) • A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX: A2M) • CSL Limited (ASX: CSL) Some housekeeping: Follow us on Instagram - It's not just memes, we're actually using it as a platform to provide you with some inspiration and new concepts - each week we do a Pardon the Jargon (key terms you need to know as an investor), Company in the Spotlight (an introduction to a new Australian company), News and Thought Starters Essential Learnings - we've collated all of our Basics 101 episodes into a series, so you can refer back to them, or use them as a starting point. They're all essential episodes to learn to invest. Ask Us Anything - if you want to ask us a question, head over to our forum, and ask us! If we can't answer, we'll get one of our Experts to. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How often do you come across someone who graduated from university and was given the job of managing the money of UBS (one of the biggest investment banks in the world), then went on to become Vice President at Morgan Stanely, Managing Director of Derivatives at The Galleon Group and then president of the $400 million hedge fund, Cramer Berkowitz? Oh, and if that wasn't enough, our guest then started Minyanville Media, an Emmy Award winning financial media company and now is founding partner and Chief Investment Officer of CB1 Capital - an investment manager that specialises in the supply chain of cannabinoid-based wellness solutions and products. He's the King of Pot on Wall St. It's not often you meet someone with a resume so impressive, so it was with great excitement that we sat down to speak with Todd Harrison. Todd has appeared on FOX, CNBC, CNN and he is published in the Wall Street Journal, Business Week and Fortune. In this episode you will learn: • Why Todd thinks Australia is the service station to the Southern Hemisphere when it comes to this industry • What will happen when big pharmaceuticals become buyers • Which market Todd thinks is really about to take root • What place biotech has in the marijuana industry • Some of the stocks on Todd's watchlist • That large institutions can't buy pot stocks Stocks and resources discussed: • Elixinol Global Ltd (AXX: EXL) • Charlottes Web Holdings Inc (CWEB:CN Canadian) • Canopy Growth Corporation (CGC) • Tilray Inc (TLRY) • Cronos Group Inc (CRON) • Man Search For Meaning - Viktor E Frankl • The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy - Jon Gordon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"The best advice is boring.." - this is episode is anything but boring, AND is full of great advice. Today we're excited to bring you an interview with Chris Brykci. Chris is the CEO of StockSpot - Australia's first ever digital investment adviser. Chris has over 21 years of investment experience and spent most of his career as a Portfolio Manager at UBS. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting/Finance Co-op Scholarship) from the UNSW and is a member of the ASIC Digital Advisory Committee. Chris is a pioneer in the investment advice and personal finance space. He started Stockspot when he was 28 when he realised consumers were being taken advantage of by unfair fees and biased advice when they invest. He saw the opportunity to use technology to help more Australians access honest advice and low fee investing. He now sits on two ASIC financial advice and technology committees. He's also famous for winning the ASX high school share trading game three times as a teenager. In this episode we discuss a variety of investment topics, from investing 101 and creating a great portfolio to why it might not be the best idea for Bryce to be sitting in cash! We learnt a lot from Chris, so we hope you do as well. In this episode you will learn: • How Chris chose his first stock, at 10 years old • Why losing money is the best way to learn to invest • The strategies used to win 3 ASX School Sharemarket Games • The concept of 'buying straw hats in winter' and how you can apply it today • That 'the best advice is boring' • What separates StockSpot from every other robo-adviser • The defensive strategies StockSpot use to protect investors money Stocks and resources discussed: • Reminiscences of a Stock Operator - Edwin Lefèvre • Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth, and Happiness - Richard Thaler • Thinking, Fast and Slow - Daniel Kahneman Some housekeeping: Follow us on Instagram - It's not just memes, we're actually using it as a platform to provide you with some inspiration and new concepts - each week we do a Pardon the Jargon (key terms you need to know as an investor), Company in the Spotlight (an introduction to a new Australian company), News and Thought Starters Essential Learnings - we've collated all of our Basics 101 episodes into a series, so you can refer back to them, or use them as a starting point. They're all essential episodes to learn to invest. Ask Us Anything - if you want to ask us a question, head over to our forum, and ask us! If we can't answer, we'll get one of our Experts to. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kerr Neilson is one of Australia's greatest investors. He is someone a lot of our listeners won't be familiar with, but hopefully after this episode you will be. In a new series - Meet the Investor - we have picked out some clips from Kerr's interviews that we'll play and discuss. The purpose of this episode, and episodes like it, is to introduce some of Australia's greatest investors to our listeners. For while everyone knows Warren Buffett, other great investors aren't too well known, especially those from outside America. We think that is a shame - as there is a lot of knowledge and experience we can all learn from if we know where to look. So we hope you enjoy the first of our Meet the Investor series. Please let us know if there is a particular investor you want us to profile in the future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Millennial investing - Cypto, Snapchat, Tesla and pot stocks. While at Equity Mates we are strongly against this portfolio construction, it has been an interesting few weeks for the millennial portfolio. In particular, Tesla and Elon Musk have had a tough couple of weeks while Pot Stocks have had a cracking few months. In this episode we break down some of these key developments for the millennial portfolio In this episode you will learn: • Why Elon Musk and Tesla was sued by the SEC • What the settlement with the SEC entails • Why some Marijuana stocks have more than doubled in price in the past couple of months • The companies that have recently been investing heavily into the Marijuana industry • The three ways Alec's thinks about investing in the Marijuana boom • One big call about a company that Alec thinks will be investing in the marijuana industry Stocks and Resources Discussed: • Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) • Canopy Growth (TSE: WEED) • Aurora Cannabis (TSE: ACB) • Cronos Group (TSE: CRON) • Tilray (NASDAQ: TLRY) • Aleafia (CVE: ALEF) • MMJ Phytotech Ltd (ASX: MMJ) • Constellation Brands (NYSE: STZ) • Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) • Philip Morris (NYSE: PM) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

'Ask Us Anything' is a new segment we're kicking off this week. On the last episode of each month, we are going to answer all the questions that come in from our listeners via the 'Ask Us Anything' forum on our website. We start this week with some crackers. Michael, Sasha, Brendon, Jayson and Jeremy all wrote in asking us questions ranging from the current state of the crypto market through to choosing ETFs based on the current stage of the business cycle. In this episode you will learn (heaps!): • How we feel about the current state of the crypto market • If crypto is the future of currency • The phases of technology adoption • About the Australian Derivatives market and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange • How to access derivatives if you want to dabble in that type of investing • How ETFs pay dividends - why some do, and some don't • The four stages of the business cycle and the impact each have on the stock market • Which sectors of the market perform the best in each stage of the business cycle • Where we currently are in the business cycle and what that means for investors • Why developing an investing thesis is important in helping you choose your next ETF Stocks and resources discussed: • Technology Revolutions and Financial Capital Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As promised in our last episode, episode 75 is titled Bryce Surprises Ren. In this episode we each have something to discuss we think will surprise the other. For Ren, it is to do with a new investing idea he's been thinking about. For Bryce, it is a test of investing instincts. Hopefully this episode can surprise (and maybe help) a few listeners as well. In this episode you will learn: • Who the boys are backing in the AFL Grand Final • How Alec is thinking about investing late in the business cycle • The difference between active management and passive investing • The different ways you can invest in active managers • A quiz to test your 'investing instincts' • Some of the new investing ideas Bryce is looking at Stocks and Resources discussed: • Hedgefun Managers website • 10 question 'investing instincts' quiz • List of Vanguard investment products Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Right back at the start of 2018 we sat down and made a few bold predictions about what we thought might happen during the year. One of those predictions was very bold indeed. Very specific. Very pessimistic. Bryce bet that on September 15th 2018, 10 years on from the Global Financial Crisis, we would experience a drop in the US market of greater than 20%. Silly, we know. Or was it... Fortunately (well, depending which side of the bet you were on), this wasn't the case, and the world continued as normal. This week we look back on the bet, and the 10 year anniversary of the GFC, as well as give an update on the progress of our portfolios in the ASX Sharemarket game. In this episode you will learn: • Why Bryce's prediction technically could never have happened • If Bryce doubled down on his prediction • Equity Mates' outlook, going forward • Who is up and who is down in the ASX Sharemarket game • Which stocks have been star performers for the boys • And which have been their biggest losers • Bryce is a poet • Alec has a surprise lined up To keep up to date with everything Equity Mates are looking at each week, and what's catching their attention, make sure you sign up to their weekly Thoughts Starters email. Every Monday you'll get the latest in news, thought-provoking articles and some secret investing ideas. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With our live shows done, we wanted to discuss a theme that came up over and over again in our listener Q&A and conversations afterwards. It's a question both of us had when we started investing and it is one that can lead a lot of people to put investing in the 'too hard' basket. That question is - how do I pick the perfect stock? It's a question that professional investors struggle to answer - even Warren Buffett had his IBM moment. Importantly, it is one that can get new investors lost in a sea of jargon, ratios and charts. So in this episode we explain why new investors should forget stock picking and explain how achieving market average returns over a long time period is all you need. In this episode you will learn: • Why stock picking is the wrong focus for new investors • The three things that investors should focus on instead - reducing the costs you can control, diversifying and asset allocation • How both of us think about stock picking v market average returns Stocks and Resources Discussed: • The Economist - Fund managers rarely outperform the market for long • Slater and Gordon (ASX: SGH) • A2 Milk (ASX: A2M) • Bellamy's (ASX: BAL) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of the reasons we started Equity Mates Investing Podcast was to track our journey of learning the ins-and-outs of investing, and more importantly, to get others on the journey with us! As more and more Equity Mates have joined the journey with us, we've been receiving a wide range of questions, which we love. In this episode we've chosen a few of them to answer. In this episode you will learn: • What happens to companies like Spaceship and Raiz, and the underlying assets, when the market tanks • What we think of Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P), the 'little brother' of Afterpay • Some of our favourite, and highly recommended, finance documentaries and movies • The best way to listen to this podcast If you want to contact us you can do so through our social media - Facebook, Instagram or Twitter - or email us at [email protected]. We've got a new Equity Mates forum on our website, called 'Ask Us Anything' - so do it, and ask us anything! Stocks and resources discussed: • Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P) • Dirty Money • I.O.U.S.A • Betting On Zero • Inside Job • Smartest Guys In The Room • Wall Street Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Previously on the show (Ep #39) we've discussed IPO, or Initial Public Offerings. You might otherwise know them as a 'float'. IPOs are when a private company lists on a stock exchange to raise funds by selling shares to investors, including members of the public. Companies use IPOs to raise money that can then be reinvested to help grow the business.IPOs give investors an opportunity to buy shares at a determined price before it opens on the stock market, with the hope that over time the share price will go up. This week, we review a list of upcoming IPOs on the Australian Stock Exchange. Most of them are standard mining companies, but one really stood out to us as being quite different. In this episode you will learn: • What an IPO is and why companies do them • Which company stood out as a rather unusual offer • The trend that's taking place in venture capital • Why the big billion dollar companies of the world are staying private Stocks and resources discussed: • Uber • Lift • NiceVend (ASX: NVD) • ASX List of Upcoming Floats and Listings Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Australia has a new Prime Minister. That fact was inescapable last week as the two Liberal Party leadership spills were plastered across news headlines. We aren't interested in adding to the political commentary, but instead are interested in the effect these leadership changes have on the Australian market. So that is the question we set out to answer in this episode and accompanying blog post (link below). In this episode you will learn: • How Scott Morrison's victory affected markets. • The different reasons why leadership change may affect markets • How leadership changes of years gone by (Gillard, Rudd, Abbott, Turnbull etc.) have affected the Australian market • What has happened to the Australian market over this period of 6 Prime Ministers • How you should think about news and politics affecting markets more generally Stocks and Resources Discussed: • Equity Mates Blog Post - Do Leadership Spills Move Markets? • Ben Carlson - Why Doesn't the Stock Market care about news? (includes Bank of America chart discussed in episode) • Melbourne Live Show - Wednesday 5 September • Sydney Live Show - Thursday 13 September Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There are so many great investing and business books out there that sometimes it's hard to know where to start, and often, finding the time to finish them is equally as challenging. This episode we review some of the books we've finished reading over the last month or so, to give you some of the great lessons learned. In this episode you will learn: • The biggest risk is not investing • Why young people must start investing early and buck the conventional market wisdom • Why picking 'the hottest' stocks may lead to meager returns • Why you should not judge investing books by their shocking covers • How the founder of Nike is inspiring Equity Mates • (if Alec's tip for the Swans to beat Hawthorn by 30 points came off) Stocks and resources discussed: • Millennial Money: How Young Investors Can Build A Fortune (Patrick O'Shaughnessy) • The Outsiders: Eight Unconventional CEOs and Their Radically Rational Blueprint for Success (Harvard Business Review Press) • The Black Swan: The Impact Of the Highly Improbable (Nassim Nicholas Taleb) • Trade Like A Stock Market Wizard: How to Achieve Super Performance in Stocks in Any Market (Mark Minervini) • Shoe Dog (Phil Knight) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The competition is really heating up. Over the last two weeks, we have revealed the strategies that we hope will take us to the top of the leaderboard of the ASX Sharemarket Game. The game gives players $50,000 in play money, and 4 months to invest in stocks in the ASX200. The game emulates the ASX in real time. This week we give an update on how the first two weeks have gone for us. Who is in profit? Has anyone had a disastrous start? In this episode you will learn: • The biggest lesson we've learnt from using stop losses • Who is and who isn't making a profit • Which companies have been the most successful for us over the last two weeks • How to utilise the reporting season to get some quick wins Stocks and resources discussed: • The A2 Milk Company (ASX: A2M) • Wesfarmers Limited (ASX: WES) • NexTDC Limited (ASX: NXT) • WorleyParsons Limited (ASX: WOR) • Kogan.com Limited (ASX: KGN) • Afterpay Touch Group (ASX: APT) • ASX Limited (ASX: ASX) • WiseTech Global Limited (ASX: WTC) • Australian Foundation Investment Company (ASX: AFI) • CSL Limited (ASX: CSL) • Commsec Reporting Calendar Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Investing jargon. We hate it. Nothing makes it harder for new investors to get started than overcoming the wave of acronyms and terminology that comes with investing. We both found it challenging when we started, and we're hoping episodes like this make it a bit easier for those just starting out. We've chosen 5 key investing terms - some because they particularly annoy us, others because they're quite topical - and we break them down so you can understand them. For more experienced investors that may be familiar with these terms, we discuss the utility of some of these terms and Alec quizzes Bryce throughout. So even if you're familiar with the terms, you'll at least get some decent trivia questions out of this episode! In this episode you will learn: • 5 key investing terms, the way they're used and what they mean. • What the terms Alpha and Beta mean for investors. • Why risk and volatility are not the same thing. • What Blue Chip stocks are, and where the name came from. • Understanding what an Index is, and how Alec thinks about them. • How the first index came about and what was included in it. • Why it is important to look beyond share price and look at a company's market capitalisation. • The first company to be worth $1 trillion. Stocks and Resources Discussed: • Equity Mates Pardon the Jargon #2 blog post. • How to make money in bull and bear markets - Stan Weinstein Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It is a decision every investor faces before they make their first trade, and for a lot of people it can be overwhelming. With so many options and so little experience, it is difficult to make the correct choice. No - we're not talking about choosing your first share - we're talking about choosing your brokerage platform. A brokerage platform is simply the place (usually website these days) where you buy and sell shares. There are so many options these days from the more traditional, like the Big 4 Banks, to the disruptive, think phone-based, no cost platforms. In this Basics 101 episode, we break down the options available and what the important considerations are. So if you're trying to make the choice, or think you made the wrong choice, this episode should help you choose the brokerage platform that is right for you. In this episode you will learn: • The three main categories of brokerage platforms available today • What the Big 4 Banks and Macquarie offer • What some of the online-only newcomers are offering in this space • The different prices you'll pay for brokerage • Other important considerations for choosing your brokerage • Which brokerage platforms the boys use and why Stocks and Resources Discussed: • Equity Mates brokerage platforms blog post. • We discussed a number of different share trading platforms in this episode. Rather than linking them all below, use these Finder.com.au resources to do your own comparison and decide what is right for you: • Factors to consider when choosing your brokerage platform (towards bottom of article) • Comparison of different brokerage options in Australia (confusingly, there are two sets of comparison tables in this article, scroll down to the second it is more comprehensive). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As we started discussing last week, the ASX Sharemarket game has kicked-off. The rules are simple: $50,000 in play money, and 4 months to invest as best you can, competing against all other entrants across the country. The game emulates the Australian Stock Exchange in real-time each day. Alec and Bryce have decided to compete and to record their trades and learnings as they go. Last week Bryce revealed what his initial strategies were for picking his first investments, and this episode it's Alec's turn to reveal how he chose his investments for the next 4 months. In this episode you will learn: • What 'bottom left to top right means' and how it helps to pick a stock • Which company Alec thinks is one of the best capital allocators out there • Which stock both Bryce and Alec have chosen in their portfolio • How Alec has distributed his $50,000 Stocks and resources discussed: • Wesfarmers Limted (ASX: WES) • Cleanaway Wast Management Limited (ASX: CWY) • WorleyParsons Limited (ASX: WOR) • NextDC Limited (ASX: NXT) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who doesn't like the opportunity to put their investing strategies to the test without having the fear of losing your hard earned money in the process? Well thanks to the Australian Stock Exchange, you can do just that! Twice a year they run the ASX Sharemarket Game, where you are given $50,000 in pretend money, and you compete against all other entrants over a 3 month period. It's awesome. Everything is as if you're investing in real stocks - same prices, same brokerage, and the game mirrors the ASX in real time - but it's not real money. You can't lose. It's a fantastic way to try before you buy! This episode Bryce reveals some of the strategies he'll be using over the next three months as he competes with Alec, so see who is the top Equity Mate! Alec was a slow-starter, and yet to put any trades in, whereas Bryce $30,000 deep already. In this episode you will learn: • How using a Reporting Calendar can be helpful to identify investing opportunities • Which three stocks Bryce has chosen to kick-start his competition • What Ex-dividend date means • What the best and worst performing sectors were for FY18 and how this plays into Bryce's strategy Stocks and resources discussed: • Kogan.com Ltd (ASX: KGN) • Wisetech Global Limited (ASX: WTC) • Afterpay Touch Group (ASX: APT) • Australian Foundation Investment Company (ASX: AFI) • Cleanaway Waste Management Limited (ASX: CWY) • The ASX Sharemarket Game • 2018 Reporting Calendar Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ali Hamed is a name you may not be familiar with yet, but we're betting you will be. At just 26 years old, Ali is not only a co-founder of CoVenture - a firm that invests pre-seed venture capital, provides unconventional debt financing and manages a cryptocurrency index - but is also one of the clearest thinkers we've come across in our time at Equity Mates. We heard a couple of interviews Ali had done and were taken by the way he thought and his ability to express his insights clearly. From why the 2 hour movie is dead, to the practical utility of crypto, we think you'll enjoy this one. In this episode you will learn: • Why Ali thinks the 2 hour movie is the modern day Shakespearean sonnet. • Ali's personal journey; from baseball scholarship, to sleeping on a park bench, to co-founding CoVenture. • One thing all company founders should remember when pitching to investors. • Any companies that Ali regrets passing on. • Why CoVenture looks for unpriced assets rather than mispriced assets. • The story of the creation of fiat currency (government-backed currency) and how that helps us think about cryptocurrency. • Why Ali is more bullish on bitcoin than the blockchain. • Some companies that may benefit from embracing crypto. • How Ali would value a digital account - like Instagram, AirBnB etc. • Why you should only consume media you pay for. • What keeps Ali up at night Stocks and Resources discussed: • CoVenture website • Books (click the title for more information): • Lords of Finance • The Fountainhead • The Power of One • East of Eden • The Unbanking of America • Ali's Twitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Australia loves investors. You need to understand the tax advantages of a lot of your investments to make the most of it. But trying to understand it all can be confusing, especially if it's your first time doing a tax return, or it's been your first year investing in stocks. Have no fear though, because in this episode we go through everything you need to know when it comes to your stocks and your tax return. In this episode you will learn: • What we mean when we say Australia loves investors • The basics - dividend income, capital gains, total assessable income • Wen yu need to fill out a tax return • The tax advantages of capital gains and capital losses • About capital gains discount • About tax loss selling • About the beauty that are franking credits • How margin loans can be advantageous if done right Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Since our first interview with George Lucas a lot has changed. When we last interviewed him, he was the head of Acorns Australia. Now, less than 6 months later, he is the CEO of the publicly traded Raiz. We've been getting a lot of listener questions about the rebrand of Acorns Australia and what it means, so we thought who better to answer those questions than George Lucas himself. In this episode we get the back story and inside details of Acorns Australia's decision to rebrand as Raiz and to list on the ASX. This is also an exciting first for us, our first interview with an ASX-listed CEO. In this episode you will learn: • How Raiz, previously Acorns, helps you 'save in the background of life' • Why Acorns Australia rebranded as Raiz. • How George and his team came up with the name Raiz. • The reasons why Raiz went public. • The IPO process including the investor roadshow and how George felt on opening day. • How the company has performed since going public. • Growth in the FinTech market that is making it easier for non-professionals to invest. • Raiz's plans to get into Superannuation • The Raiz Rewards program, and how you can get companies to put money towards your investing goals Stocks and Resources Discussed: • Raiz Invest Limited (ASX: RZI) • Link to Raiz website Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"This is not mission impossible!" - Matt Leibowitz, CEO of Stake This episode is a cracker. As many of you are aware, we were invited to participate in a trading competition, hosted by Stake, to beta test their new trading app. The rules were simple. We were given $500 (USD$370) to trade through Stake, in American stocks. We had two weeks to make as much money as possible, and we had to trade at least three different companies. Mission accepted! However, for Equity Mates, this was going to be a massive challenge, because our view on investing is much, much longer-term than two weeks. We had to radically change our mindset. We sat down with Matt for what was going to be a short wrap-up of the competition, and reveal of the results. However, as we got started we couldn't help picking Matt's brain further and further with questions about his trading during the competition and his views on technical analysis. We had a very open conversation with him about the tricks and habits of being a successful trader. In this episode you will learn: • How much money we won or lost in the competition, and where we placed • What our biggest learnings were from the two weeks • The stocks we picked, and why we picked them • The stocks Matt picked, and why he picked them • About the importance of using a stop loss, and how to best manage them • The basics of volatility, and how Matt used it to his advantage • How to "be a lion in the jungle, and wait for your prey to appear" • Why money drives markets and not the news cycle • Why everyone has the ability to manage their own money • Why investing is not about being right, it's about making money • The best books for technical analysis Stocks and resources discussed: • Avalara (AVLR) • Netflix (NFLX) • ProShares UltraPro QQQ ETF 3x Leveraged (TQQQ) • VIX Short-term futures ProShares (VIXY) • Frontline (FRO) • Fortinet (FTNT) • ProShares Ultra VIX Short-term Futures ETF (UVXY) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is a little different to most. When the rumours first broke about football superstar Christiano Ronaldo going to Juventus, the Juventus share price jumped 8%. We didn't realise Juventus was publicly traded and started doing some researching. This episode is the result of that investigation - an exploration of some of the strangest and most surprising companies out on the market. In this episode you will learn: • About sports teams that are publicly traded, including one from Australia • How you can invest in stadiums • If owning a sporting league is better than owning a sports team • About a company that searches for lost treasure • Some of the strangest futures markets that have been banned by the US Government Stocks and Resources Discussed: • Juventus (Italy: JUVE) • Machester United (NYSE: MANU) • Brisbane Broncos (ASX: BBL) • Madison Square Garden (NYSE: MSG) • Churchill Downs (NASDAQ: CHDN) • World Wrestling Entertainment (NYSE: WWE) • Formula One (NYSE: FWONA) • Odyssey Marine Exploration (NASDAQ: OMEX) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Following on from the last episode, where we discussed three important elements for building an investment portfolio, we deep dive into our own portfolios to compare our strategies and see if they align with our investing goals. We both have similar long-term goals, yet the way we approach constructing our investment portfolios are quite different, based on our risk appetite, asset classes and our short-term view of the market. One of us is heavy in cash, expecting the market to turn, and wanting to be in a position to pounce. The other is well diversified across direct stock picks, hybrids and gold. We look at what the strategies are behind our portfolios and what our next moves are. In this episode you will learn: • How we have approached our portfolio construction over the past few years • How our portfolio reflects our long-term investing goals • What a hybrid is, and why Alec has invested in them Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How to build a great investment portfolio? - it's easier than you think! There is no real hidden secret that only the professionals know about when it comes to building a successful investment portfolio. A portfolio is the total collection of assets that you invest in to create wealth. Now, it doesn't have to always be shares. Many portfolios of the best investors around the world are made up of different asset classes, from cash, to bonds and property. This episode we debunk the myth that you need to be an expert to start building a great portfolio. The truth is, it's simple, as long as you're dedicated, do your own research and are prepared to have some fun. We discuss the three building blocks that we think are fundamental to building a portfolio and that are achievable for the beginner. In this episode you will learn: • What the three components are that make the foundations for a strong investment portfolio • What Bryce and Alec's investing goals are, and if their portfolios are set up to achieve them • The difference between Growth, Income and Protection portfolios • Some of the most common asset classes that make up many investor's portfolios Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stock buybacks are all the rage these days. Fuelled by tax cuts, low cost of capital and not a lot of growth opportunities on the horizon, companies have been buying back their shares by the bucketload. In fact, since 2010 there has been $3.5 trillion in shares bought back in the US alone. Buybacks are great for shareholders in theory - one day you owned 5% of the company, the next day you owned 7% without lifting a finger. How good! However, in reality buybacks haven't always been great for investors or for the companies buying back the shares. In this episode you will learn: • What a buyback is and how it is done • The theory behind buybacks • Notable examples of recent buybacks - Apple, Boeing, Cisco, ANZ just to name a few • Why Australia doesn't see as many buybacks as other markets • The downside of buybacks, including some notable examples of buybacks gone wrong Stocks and Resources discussed in this episode: • Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) • Boeing (NYSE: BA) • Cisco Systems Inc (NASDAQ: CSCO) • ANZ (ASX:ANZ) • General Electric Company (NYSE: GE) • The Economist article on Buybacks (2014) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is an exciting episode for us! We've been invited to join in a trading competition, hosted by our friends at Stake (if you haven't already, you must sign-up - you can trade stocks in the US without paying brokerage, and they'll swing you $25 to start you on your way, just head to www.equitymates.com/stake), and we're up against some of the best financial journalists in Australia. The rules are simple. We've been given a small amount of money to trade through the Stake platform, and can only buy sticks from the US. We have 2 weeks to make as much money as we can (all money going to charity, chosen by the winner). We must make a trade everyday, or be able to justify why we have decided not to trade, and we must trade at least 3 stocks over the two weeks. We know nothing about technical analysis trading. We invest with a long-term approach so we've never had to think about how to make trades that will get us a return in 2 weeks! It's going to be so fun! We're going to record the whole two weeks. Each conversation we have together about what to do, our strategy, which stocks to buy, we are going to record, and by the end we'll have an awesome package to share with you guys about an intro into technical analysis. So stay tuned! In this episode you will learn: • How we came to choose our first stock for the trading competition we are in • How competent we feel with technical analysis • Where the 'ticker' originated from • About the capitalist of all capitalists - JP Morgan • About the history of one of the most famous finacial streets in the world - Wall Street Stocks and resources discussed: • Avalara Inc • Stake Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Rule number 1: Never lose money. Rule number 2: Never forget rule number 1" - Warren Buffett Managing risk is critical to long term investing success. To fully enjoy the effects of compounding it is critical you don't lose your money in the first place. Similarly, concerns around losing money are what stops a lot of people from ever investing in the first place. This episode will help you protect your downside, and manage your risk. We discuss strategies both of protecting your downside in individual trades and also across your portfolio as a whole. What you will learn: • Where Bryce has been and what he was doing. • What we mean when we say 'protecting your downside'. • Key ways to protect your downside in individual trades • Stop losses • Trailing stops • Key ways to protect your downside across your portfolio • Shorting or inverse ETF's • Counter-cyclical assets • Holding cash Stocks and Resources Discussed: • Inverse ASX 200 ETF (ASX: BEAR) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Something we wanted to understand through this podcast is how expert investors find, evaluate and make decisions on stocks. End-to-end, what is their process? Andrew Brown, Executive Director of East 72 Holdings and first repeat podcast guest, agreed to spend some time walking through his process for a company he recently invested in. If you want to understand how expert investors think and understand what they look for, then this episode is for you. [If you haven't listened to Part 1 of our interview with Andrew Brown (episode 52 here), we'd suggest checking that out first] In this episode you will learn: • How Andrew identified Cabcharge as a potential investment. • Andrew's research process to study the company. • Why Andrew drove Uber for 3 months, and what he discovered. • How Andrew identified and valued 'non-core' assets the business owned. • The questions Andrew took to the Cabcharge auditor at their Annual General Meeting. • How Andrew then looked at Cabcharge's balance sheet and valued the business. • What happened with Cabcharge between our first interview and now. • Andrew's approach to managing his investments and staying on top of information once he's made a trade. Stocks and Resources Discussed: • Cabcharge (ASX: CAB) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode marks a first for Equity Mates. Our first repeat guest! Who better to have back on than Andrew Brown, the Executive Director of East 72 Holdings. Andrew is one of the most insightful investors we've met in our time doing Equity Mates, and is a true contrarian. Do you think the internet has made old media a bad investment? Not Andrew, who since our first interview last year has done extremely well investing in legacy media companies like News Corp, Fairfax and Channel 9. Or do you think Uber's rise means we should avoid investing in the taxi industry? Not Andrew, who has been investing in Cabcharge (he takes us through his logic behind the Cabcharge investment in great detail in part 2 of this interview, to be released Thursday). So we hope you all enjoy listening to Andrew as much as we enjoyed talking to him. In this episode you will learn: • Who Andrew is and how he invests at East 72 Holdings. • How Andrew's stock tips from our last interview are going. • Andrew's thoughts on McGrath Real Estate's struggles. • Why Andrew's old-school media picks have done so well over the last year. • Why Andrew isn't backing down from his Apple short (Even after Warren Buffett has invested in the American tech giant). • Good ways to manage investing information. • The information sources Andrew doesn't consider valuable. • Where you can find client letters from some of the world's best hedge funds. • How Alec managed to overload his inbox trying to keep up with information. • How Twitter helped build the case against Blue Sky Stocks and Resources Discussed: • PM Capital Global Opportunities Fund (ASX: PGF) • McGrath Real Estate (ASX: MEA) • Kogan (ASX: KGN) • News Corp (ASX: NSW) • Nine entertainment group (ASX: NEC) • Fairfax (ASX: FXJ) • Domain (ASX: DHG) • Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL) • Subreddit 'Security Analysis' • The three hedge fund letters Andrew mentioned: • Horizon Kinetics • Greenhaven Road • Greenwood Investments • Blue Sky Alternative Investments (ASX: BLA) [We know the audio isn't perfect in this interview (especially with the background noise between 30min - 33min). Trust us, it's worth persevering. Every time we speak to Andrew we leave as better investors and we're confident listening to him will have the same impact on you.] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Can you believe that a casino got hacked via a digital thermometer in one of it's fish tanks? Our final episode in our three part series on exchange traded funds (ETFs) with BetaShares is a cracker! We sit down with Adam who is Manager of Distribution and Capital Markets to discuss Investing In Tomorrow - Technology, Hackers and Sustainability. The beauty of ETFs is that you don't have to choose one company, or stress or about picking the right one. If you have identified a theme in society, a trend that you think is going to do well, then it's more than likely an ETF will exist that will give you the opportunity to invest in that trend. We discuss three big themes with Adam that we believe are themes of the future, and have companies that are, and will be, the biggest in the world going forward. Technology - we look at how technology is shaping our world, and which companies are right there in the middle of it. Cybersecurity - this was the most exciting part of the conversation as it opened our eyes to the huge possibilities that exist in investing in cybersecurity. This industry is already huge, but it's going to get drastically bigger, and fast. We look at the best ways to get access to this industry and some of the companies leading the charge. Sustainability - investing in companies that are engaged in sustainable activities is becoming increasingly important to many investors. Some don't want to invest in businesses who use fossil fuels, or fund mining companies for controversial projects. We dive into investing sustainably and look at the surprising success of this theme. In this episode you will learn: • How you can access the NASDAQ via an ETF, and get access to the top 100 tech stocks • How big tech companies are evolving and changing the world • What impact privacy regulations may have on the likes of Facebook and Google • How and why cybersecurity is growing very quickly • Some of the more elaborate ways that companies have been hacked • What sustainable investing is, and why it's important • How companies are screened for the sustainable funds • The returns for the sustainable funds are quite surprising Stocks and resources discussed: • Australian 200 ETF (ASX: A200) • NASDAQ 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ) • Global Sustainability Leaders ETF (ASX: ETHI) • Australian Sustainability Leaders ETF (ASX: FAIR) • Global Cybersecurity ETF (ASX: HACK) • Gold Bullion ETF - Currency Hedged (ASX: QAU) • Facebook (NASDAQ: FB) • Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) • Symantec Corporation (NASDAQ: SYMC)Head over to our Basics ETF 101 page for more information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ultimate Guide To ETFs Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) have been one of the buzz words in the investing world for a number of years. They're changing the way that people invest their money, and in some ways, making it a lot easier for beginner investors to enter the market. But the question we always hear is WTF is an ETF? We sat down with Ilan, the co-founder of BetaShares which is the largest Australian provider of ETFs, to discuss the fundamentals. ETFs are a fantastic way for you to get access to a huge variety of different companies and 'themes' on the stock market, both domestic and international. They also give you the opportunity to invest in commodities, such as gold and silver, or to bet against the market and profit if it goes down. ETFs can be a little confusing as there are so many out there, and sometimes it's hard to know what to buy. Ilan takes us through them, step by step, so by the end of this episode you'll know everything you need to get investing! In this episode you will learn: • What an ETF actually is • The different types of ETFs - active ETFs, passive ETFs, different asset classes than can be accessed via an ETF • The difference between and ETF and an Index Fund and an Listed Investment Company (LIC) • The 3 main benefits ETFs provide you • Why ETFs have shaped the investing landscape since the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) • The risks associated with investing in ETFs • How to use ETFs in your portfolio Stocks and resources discussed: • Australian 200 ETF (ASX: A200) • NASDAQ 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ) • Global Sustainability Leaders ETF (ASX: ETHI) • Australian Sustainability Leaders ETF (ASX: FAIR) • Global Cybersecurity ETF (ASX: HACK) • US Equities Strong Bear Hedge Fund - Currency Hedge (ASX : BBUS) • Australian Equities Bear Hedge Fund (ASX: BEAR) • Gold Bullion ETF - Currency Hedged (ASX: QAU) Head over to our ETF Basics 101 page for more informartion Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

True or false? There is an exchange traded fund called 'Global Millennials ETF (Code: MILN)' that holds companies that service millenials. True or false? There is an exchange traded fund called 'Tobacco Companies ETF (Code: SMK)' that holds the world's largest tobacco companies. Exchange Traded Funds give you the ability to access many different markets and invest in a large range of companies without the need to spend time investing in individual companies. This week we kick off our 3 part series on ETFs with Betashares, and sit down with Ilan Israelstam. Ilan is Head of Strategy and Marketing at Betashares and has vast experience in financial services and investing. After spending time in private equity and venture capital, Ilan worked for the world's leading strategy consulting firm The Boston Consulting Group, before spending 18 months of careful planning to launch Betashares. Betashares is the largest Australian provider of ETFs. This episode we discuss the history of Betashares, Ilan's incredibly interesting background and then put his knowledge to the test with a game of exotic ETFs. Head over to our ETF 101 page for stacks of information on the ETFs Betashares have on offer, as well as how to get started! In this episode you will learn: • How Ilan went from starting his first business in university to running Betashares • What Betashares is • Why it's important that Betashares is Australian • How Betashares combatted some of the world's biggest ETF companies Stocks and resources discussed: • Australian 200 ETF (ASX: A200) • NASDAQ 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ) • Global Sustainability Leaders ETF (ASX: ETHI) • Australian Sustainability Leaders ETF (ASX: FAIR) • Global Cybersecurity ETF (ASX: HACK) To keep up to date with the latest in the world of investing, and get tailored articles for the Basics 101 of investing, sign-up to our weekly Thought Starters email. Knowledge is power! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we wrap up our 3-part series 'Thinking like Warren Buffett'. We've pulled out a 9-question checklist from Buffettology, a book by Warren's daughter-in-law Mary Buffett. We've each chosen a stock and are running through the checklist and seeing if our chosen stocks pass the Buffettology test. In this episode we answer questions 7, 8 & 9. For Questions 1-4, check out episode 46. For Questions 5-6, check out episode 47. In this episode you will learn: • Why retained earnings are so important. • What good capital allocation looks like for businesses. • About share buybacks. • Why Warren prefers buybacks to dividend payments. • The importance of finding businesses that can adjust prices for inflation. • Whether the boys chosen companies passed the 9-part checklist. Stocks and Resources Discussed: • ResMed (ASX & NYSE: RMD) • Boral (ASX: BLD) • Buffettology by Mary Buffett • Equity Mates Recommended Reading Page[This episode is brought to you by Stake - The Australian investing platform offering access and free brokerage to US markets. For more information & to sign up check out: equitymates.com/stake] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We continue on our quest to try and think like the worlds greatest investor, Warren Buffett. If you missed the previous episode, it is a must listen before you continue with this one, as we begin answering 9 questions the master investor himself tries to answer when he's looking to buy a company. Mary Buffett, his daughter-in-law, has written a book called Buffettology, where she uncovers some of the practical techniques Warren uses to invest. We have both chosen a company each and we're seeing how it stacks up against the 9 key questions. Last week we looked at the power of the brand name of each of the companies, and how strong consistent the earnings were. This week we delve into what the companies do with their earnings. In this episode you will learn: • do the businesses get to retain their earnings, and what that actually means • how much the businesses spend on maintaining their current operations and why that is very important to know • what 'goodwill' means and how to watch out for it Stocks and resources discussed: • Buffettology - Mary Buffett • Resmed (ASX: RMD) • Boral (ASX: BLD)To keep up to date with the latest in the world of investing, and get tailored articles for the Basics 101 of investing, sign-up to our weekly Thought Starters email. Knowledge is power! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Warren Buffett is one of the worlds most successful investors, amassing a fortune of over $84 billion dollars! Wouldn't it be nice to be able to think like Warren Buffett? Well now you can! Warren's daughter-in-law, Mary Buffett wrote a book called 'Buffettology', which delves into the thinking of Buffett. It's a fantastic book - a must read. Towards the start of the book Mary talks through 9 key questions that Buffett will always ask when he's determining if a stock is worth buying. These are questions that anyone can answer. You don't need a degree or much knowledge in investing to have a crack at answering these yourself. This episode we each choose a company and answer the first 4 questions ourselves, to see if we've chosen a company that Buffett himself would invest in. In this episode you will learn: • If our businesses have an identifiable consumer monopoly • If the earnings of our companies are strong, and showing upward trend • If our companies are conservatively financed • If the companies of choice consistently earn high rate of return on shareholders' equity Stocks and resources discussed: • Buffettology - Mary Buffett • Resmed (ASX: RMD) • Boral (ASX: BLD)To keep up to date with the latest in the world of investing, and get tailored articles for the Basics 101 of investing, sign-up to our weekly Thought Starters email. Knowledge is power! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An investor walked onto the trading floor and asked "What's the difference between $300k and $4.3 million?"... "Fees!" yelled a savvy investor. "Haha what a joke, the answer is my boat!" yelled a fund manager. Both are right, but warning this is NOT a joke. Last week Bryce found a tweet that sparked conversation with Alec. We both know that avoiding fees is one of the golden rules to successful investing but when we saw the HUGE difference it can make. Here is the tweet: Fees stop your money from growing, and as a beginner, the better understanding you have of the impact of fees, the better. Over a lifetime, fees can be the difference between early retirement and a struggling portfolio. This episode we discuss investing fees - what they are and how to avoid them. In this episode you will learn: • What to look for in investment fees • Transaction fees • Expense ratio • Investment management fees • Ways to avoid paying fees Stocks and resources discussed: • ASX Exchange Traded Fund tracking the US Top 500 Companies: IVV • ASX Exchange Traded Fund tracking the US Top 500 Companies: SPY • Cheapest ETF tracking the ASX Top 200 companies: A200 • Free brokerage platform to trade stocks in the US: StakeCheck out our Thought Starters email for all the news articles Ren spoke about. Until next week! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Graham Cooke is the Insights Manager at comparison website Finder.com.au. We spoke to him to gain the benefit of his work at Finder and to better understand how we can maximise our savings and capitalise on the new wave of investing apps and platforms that are coming to Australia. In this episode you will learn: • Why understanding the RBA cash rate is critical to achieving your savings goals • Where you can find the best interest rate for your savings • About Peer-to-Peer (P2P) lending and why it offers a higher interest rate than traditional banks • The generational divide in market participation • Why only 25% of Australians have invested outside of superannuation • The different services offering brokerage free transactions in Australia • Services available to people who don't think they have the money to invest • A platform designed to open up the property market to Australians Stocks & Resources Discussed: • Finder.com.au homepage • Finder.com.au's bitcoin mining article • ME Bank • Rate Setter • Robin Hood • Whaley • Stake - Equity Mates landing page • Raiz Invest (formerly Acorns Australia) • Brick X • Business Insider's article on Brick X Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With so much going on in the financial world, we couldn't fit all of our catch-up into one episode. So for this episode we bring you part two of our catch up. In this episode you will learn: • Some of the major findings coming out of the Banking Royal Commission • Why Tesla has halted production of their mass-market car, the Model 3 • About China's recent tariff on Sorghum (and how we predicted this in our Trade War episode) • Why the major tech companies are looking to build their own microchips • The books the boys have read recently Stocks and Resources Discussed: • Banking Royal Commission • $200 million paid by customers for services they didn't receive • AMP mislead the regulator • CBA continued giving credit to a known gambling addict • HSBC money laundering story • Tesla • Halted production of Model 3 • Sorghum & The Trade War • China impose 179% tariff on US sorghum • $216m fleet of sorghum heading towards China diverted • Wondering why this little known crop was the target of Chinese tariffs? • Microchips • Amazon is following Google & Apple into making their own chips • Facebook looking to build team to design own chips • Books we're reading • Buffettology - Mary Buffett • One up on Wall Street - Peter Lynch • Secrets for profiting in bull and bear markets - Stan Weinstein • Trade like a stock market wizard - Mark Minervini • Lords of Finance: The bankers who broke the world - Liaquat Ahamed Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With a lot going on and things moving very quickly we took the opportunity to sit down and catch-up on a few things that have piqued our interest over the last couple of weeks. In this episode you will learn: • About the battle for Flipkart in India, between Walmart and Amazon • Why Alec would buy Walmart, but Bryce would buy Amazon • How the markets have performed since December - are we up, down or flat? We've teamed up with Stake, who offer the easiest way to trade stocks in the US. They offer free brokerage, and now if you sign-up and fund an account they'll top up your account with $25! Free brokerage and $25 to get your trading journey in the US started. Sign up here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's a new player in town and they're offering free brokerage if you want to buy stocks in the United States! And I mean, who doesn't? With some of the world's biggest companies, largest markets and exciting new technologies, the States offers a fantastic opportunity for Australian investors. But how do you get into the markets in the US, I hear you ask? Gone are the days of paying hefty brokerage fees through your local broker for international shares, because now you can buy through STAKE - a fantastic new Australian company offering all Australians the ability to buy stocks on the markets in America, with no brokerage! And there's no catch! Stake was the brain child of CEO Matt Leibowitz, an energetic, and incredibly experienced, trader. Matt is one with the markets. He lives and breathes them. Having spent time trading with Optiver over in the States, Matt realised that Australians were missing out, so on returning home, he set about creating Stake. In our interview with Matt discuss everything from his early days as a lawyer, and the transition to trader, through to his current views on volatility, and his hot buy/hold/sells. In this episode you will learn: • What Stake is, and why it's shaking up the industry in Australia • The best time to use a stop loss • Strategies for protecting your portfolio in a downturn • How Matt has gone from trader to businessman • Matt's biggest learning after trading through the GFC • Matt's 'must reads' to become a better investor The best part? Stake is offering to help start your journey. If you create and fund a trading account (it takes 2 minutes), they'll put $20 bucks in. Considering you can buy partial shares with them, that's 1.6% of an Amazon share, for free! Click here to redeem How it works: Set up a funded Stake account and they'll top up your account in USD. You'll get an email when the $20 top-up has arrived! If you don't receive the the top-up within a week of sign-up, then shoot them an email. It's that easy! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

'Shorting' is an investing technique to make money if the price of a stock/asset/commodity goes down. For those familiar with the movie The Big Short - that is how investors made money betting on the collapse of the US Housing Market. We thought it was a good time to do an episode on short selling because we've just seen a not-so-big short grab headlines in Australia. Blue Sky Alternative Investments has been targeted by American short sellers, and we're taking the opportunity to discuss this case. In this episode you will learn: • What short selling is, and the two main ways it is done • The rise of activist short sellers and some of their tactics • Why American investors are targeting the Australian company Blue Sky • What the response from Blue Sky was and how the market reacted Stocks and Resources Discussed: • Blue Sky Alternative Investments (ASX: BLA) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever wanted to invest in a company but later found out they're not public? They're privately held, by family members or early stage investors and venture capital funds. Companies like Mars, Aldi and Lego are still privately held, so members of the public, like you and me, are rarely able to invest! However sometimes these companies do become public, and this is called an Initial Public Offering, or IPO. An IPO is the process of a company opening up to the markets for both retail (you and me) and institutional (the big investment banks) investors to get a piece of the pie. There are various reasons for an IPO, such as the the company needing to raise money or the early investors wanting a return on their initial investment. Whatever the reason, IPOs present a great opportunity to get into a company when they first hit the market. In this episode you will learn: > What an Initial Public Offering is > How you can become involved in an IPO > The risks of IPOs for investors and companies > Some of the biggest IPOs in the last 20 years Stocks and resources discussed: > Spotify > Dropbox Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tesla, the electric car company started by Elon Musk, has had a tough few weeks. A number of issues have come to a head and the share price has fallen from a recent high of $357 to $252 at the time of recording. In this episode we have a look at the four major reasons for this fall and unpack our main take-aways. In this episode you will learn: • About the recent crash of a Tesla driving on auto-pilot • The size of Tesla's debt problem • Why 123,000 Tesla Model S cars have been recalled • How ongoing production delays are raising questions • The boys main take-aways from Tesla's troubles • Also what happened with interest rates this week Resources Discussed: • Bloomberg's Tesla Production Tracker Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's a lot happening in the news at the moment so we're using this episode to break down two of the biggest stories. Firstly, we look at Wesfarmers' recently announced Coles demerger, and break down what it means for Australia's second biggest supermarket. We then discuss the brewing 'trade war' and question whether its something we need to worry about. In this episode you will learn: • Why Wesfarmers is demerging from Coles • What the boys think about Amazon or Wal-mart purchasing Coles • The history that has led up to this potential trade war • How Trump's tariffs came at an opportune time for US-Canada trade negotiations • Why the EU are targeting Bourbon, Blue Jeans and Harley Davidsons for their tariffs • What Sorghum is, and why it is relevant to the trade war Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bulls and bears, they're everywhere! No, we are not talking about a circus, we're talking about the markets! You may often hear the terms 'bull market' or bear market', or 'investors are feeling quite bullish at the moment'. In this episode we explore the terms 'bull' and 'bear'. Bull markets and bear markets are terms used to describe the overall sentiment of the market. A bull market being one that is in an upward trend, with investors feeling very confident about the future, and a bear market one in which the overall trend is down, and investors feeling rather pessimistic about the future. More importantly, we discuss what you can do in each market to ensure you maximising the returns on your money. In this episode you will learn: • The definition and charactersitics of a bull and bear market • Where the terms originated - it's not what you think! • The two most important tactics you can impliment in each market • What the Equity Mates boys are currently doing in this bull market Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Don't panic, it's just a correction!.. is what the wise man once said to his son who almost sold everything he owned because he panicked when the market dropped a little. In February 2018 we the Dow Jones in the USA, experienced a number of days of heavy losses, that subsequently lead to an official correction being called, and this resulted in most other markets in the world going into a correction as well. But what is a correction? In this episode you will learn: • The definition of a correction and the market conditions required for it to official • How many corrections we have had over the past 40 years • What we did in the most recent correction with our money - did we panic and sell? • How to navigate your way through a correction and prepare yourself for the next one Stocks and resources discussed • A brief explanation of what occurred Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The rules were simple: pick one stock each and the winner is the one whose stock gained the most, in percentage terms, by the end of the year. Alec chose insurance comparison website iSelect, and Bryce chose pharmaceutical company Mayne Pharma. This episode we review where our picks are at and who is winning! In this episode you will learn: • How NOT to pick a stock • How these two companies performed over the last half • The highlights and lowlights from the reporting season for each company • Who is winning! Stocks and resources discussed: • Mayne Pharma ASX:MYX • iSelect ASX:ISU Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.