In episode 28 of Stocks Neat Co-Portfolio Manager Gareth Brown and CIO Steve Johnson discuss the prospect of price gouging in major Australian industries, the role future Competition Policy has to play, and the potential implications for investors.  The topic of competition problems in Australia has garnered increased publicity in recent times, driven by concerns over long-term productivity issues and the more immediate price impact Australian households are experiencing.  In this episode, Gareth and Steve discuss local oligopolies in the supermarket, airline and toll spaces, and w ..read more

In episode 27 of Stocks Neat Co-Portfolio Manager Gareth Brown and CIO Steve Johnson discuss the recent performance of small caps and the psychology of investing.  Understanding the psychology of ourselves and others can go a long way to helping us navigate through life. Markets and investing is no different. Understanding this can enable us to avoid biases and regulate emotions to make rational and effective investment decisions.  In the episode, Gareth and Steve discuss the works of Kahneman and Tversky, and how their own personal experiences of investing have been changed and sh ..read more

In episode 26 of Stocks Neat Co-Portfolio Manager Harvey Migotti, Analyst Nicholas Plessas and CIO Steve Johnson sit down to discuss the year just passed in markets, most notably a strong rally in uranium and the small cap recovery at the end of 2023. The uranium story grew throughout 2023 with the spot price increasing through the year. This was discussed in detail in Stocks Neat episode 22, where Harvey and Steve explored factors leading to a recovery in this market. Since then, the uranium spot price has continued to rise and has now reached over 100 USD/lbs for the first time since 2007 ..read more

For our holiday edition of Stocks Neat, Alex Shevelev, Portfolio Manager of the Forager Australian Shares Fund, is filling in for Steve and Gareth and he’s joined by a special guest, Will Lopes.  Will is the CEO and Managing Director of Catapult (ASX: CAT) which has been an investment of the Australian Shares Fund for a number of years. With origins in the Australian Institute of Sport, CAT has pioneered the sports wearables space and their product is now used by thousands of teams around the world. Despite the impressive growth seen by CAT, Will believes there is significant room to cont ..read more

In the latest episode of Stocks Neat, Steve Johnson and Harvey Migotti discuss what they learned on their recent trip to the US and Japan.  Their trip started in Chicago at an industrials conference, which gave the pair a  temperature check on what is happening in the US economy. Then, Steve and Harvey visited Tokyo to meet with a few companies undergoing transformational changes in the IT space.  Listen to the full episode to get their insights from their recent trip abroad.  ..read more

In episode 23 of Stocks Neat, Co-Portfolio Manager Gareth Brown and CIO Steve Johnson sit down to discuss the opportunities available for investors in the current interest rate environment, following our CIO Letter, "Reasons to welcome the death of TINA”. In October, yields on US Government 10-year bonds hit 4.98%, a level not seen since the mid-2000s. With rising yields has come weakness in equity markets as investors take advantage of risk-free returns. So does the death of TINA mean disaster for equity markets? You might certainly think so. For Steve and the Forager team, however, we feel ..read more

In episode 22 of Stocks Neat, Co-Portfolio Manager Harvey Migotti and CIO Steve Johnson sit down to discuss the growing interest in uranium, with the spot uranium price up almost 10% since the start of August and 27% so far in 2023. It has been a tough period for uranium investors over the last few years, with no new mine supply and rock bottom prices, investment in the sector had fallen to an all-time low. However, due to a number of factors, including the increased acceptance of nuclear energy as a cleaner and safer form of energy, it seems like things are finally starting to go right in th ..read more

In the latest episode of Stocks Neat, Steve and Gareth discuss the recent news surrounding the GLP-1 inhibitor drugs taking the world - and stock markets - by storm. Originally used to treat Type-2 diabetes, clinical trials have shown GLP-1 drugs may be highly effective in causing weight loss. While the most common form of the drug requires regular injections, Steve believes that the forthcoming oral version could be a "game changer" for the future of health.  But are GLP-1's really a magic pill for weight loss? And how do we think about the future of portfolio companies like ResMed or Vi ..read more

In the latest episode of Stocks Neat, Steve and Gareth discuss the recent news surrounding the GLP-1 inhibitor drugs taking the world - and stock markets - by storm. Originally used to treat Type-2 diabetes, clinical trials have shown GLP-1 drugs may be highly effective in causing weight loss. While the most common form of the drug requires regular injections, Steve believes that the forthcoming oral version could be a "game changer" for the future of health.  But are GLP-1's really a magic pill for weight loss? And how do we think about the future of portfolio companies like ResMed or Vi ..read more

In episode 20 of Stocks Neat, Co-Portfolio Manager Gareth Brown and CIO Steve Johnson sit down to explore the global economic outlook, its goldilocks nature, and its implications for investing. Switching from their usual whiskey, Steve and Gareth opt for a coffee as the conversation kicks off with a reflection on the past year's positive investment returns, despite being a year marked by market scepticism and uncertainty. They explore the highlights and lowlights and reiterate an ongoing focus on smaller cap companies, given the potential for these to pay off in a relative sense over the next ..read more