Equity Mates Investing Podcast

Australia’s small-cap index might have looked calm in FY26, but beneath the surface it was anything but. Ophir Founder and Senior Portfolio Manager Andrew Mitchell joins us to unpack record sector dispersion, why reporting season exposed cracks in the earnings outlook, and how AI & data centre spending are reshaping opportunities for investors. Andrew also takes us inside Ophir’s bottom-up stock-picking process and explains why Codan remains one of the portfolio’s highest-conviction ideas.

In this episode:
00:00 Small caps: calm on the surface, chaos underneath
05:45 What reporting season revealed about Australian earnings
09:45 AI, data centres & the changing CapEx trade
14:33 Southern Cross Electrical & Australia’s data centre boom
17:57 Why reporting season volatility is getting harder to navigate
21:56 Inside Ophir’s small-cap investment process
28:44 Why Ophir avoids commodity-driven sectors
33:09 The Codan thesis: gold detectors, drones & defence spending

Stocks & ETFs Mentioned: BHP (ASX: BHP), Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO), REA Group (ASX: REA), SEEK (ASX: SEK), JB Hi-Fi (ASX: JBH), Cleanaway Waste Management (ASX: CWY), Integral Diagnostics (ASX: IDX), Monash IVF Group (ASX: MVF), Southern Cross Electrical Engineering (ASX: SXE), SKS Technologies (ASX: SKS), NRW Holdings (ASX: NWH), GenusPlus Group (ASX: GNP), Codan (ASX: CDA), DroneShield (ASX: DRO), TPG Telecom (ASX: TPG), Afterpay, Quanta Services (NYSE: PWR), MasTec (NYSE: MTZ), Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), Motorola Solutions (NYSE: MSI)

Ophir publishes a free monthly newsletter covering their view on Australian and global markets, as well as the companies they are buying and selling. To sign up and learn more about their funds head to - https://www.ophiram.com.au/subscribe-equity-mates/

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Want to get involved in the podcast? Record a voice note or send us a message

And come and join the conversation in the Equity Mates Facebook Discussion Group.

———

Want more Equity Mates? Across books, podcasts, video and email, however you want to learn about investing – we’ve got you covered.
Keep up with the news moving markets with our daily newsletter and podcast (Apple | Spotify)
We’re particularly excited to share our latest show: Basis Points
Listen to the podcast (Apple | Spotify)
Watch on YouTube
Read the monthly email

———

Looking for some of our favourite research tools?
Download our free Basics of ETF handbook
Or our free 4-step stock checklist
Find company information on TIKR
Research reports from Good Research
Track your portfolio with Sharesight

———

This podcast is intended for education and entertainment purposes only. Any advice is general advice and has not taken into account your personal financial circumstances. Before acting on general advice, you should consider if it is relevant to your needs. If unsure, speak to a financial professional. The host of this podcast and their guests may have positions in the companies mentioned. Equity Mates Media is part of the Betashares Group but maintains editorial independence and operates under Australian Financial Services licence 540697.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

AI leaders are calling for the industry to slow down, oil is pushing back towards US$110 a barrel, and Australian growth stocks have had a rough year. Bryce & Ren unpack what the latest AI safety debate could mean for markets, why Saudi Arabia has become central to the oil story, and the ASX growth names worth putting on the watchlist. Plus, Super September continues with a practical look at what actually happens to your super when you die.

In this episode:
00:00 Could AI really kill us all?
02:36 AI safety, regulation & the prisoner’s dilemma
08:12 Oil heads back towards US$110 a barrel
13:08 Community question: Where are Australia’s growth stocks?
19:52 ASX growth stocks on the watchlist
23:35 Is ATEC the easiest way to own Australian tech?
25:31 Super September: Where does your super go when you die?
32:17 How to make a binding death benefit nomination

Stocks & ETFs Mentioned: EQ Resources (ASX: EQR), Sunrise Energy Metals (ASX: SRL), Minerals 260 (ASX: MI6), Metals X (ASX: MLX), New Hope Corporation (ASX: NHC), Codan (ASX: CDA), Woolworths Group (ASX: WOW), CSL (ASX: CSL), BHP Group (ASX: BHP), Life360 (ASX: 360), HUB24 (ASX: HUB), Guzman y Gomez (ASX: GYG), Pro Medicus (ASX: PME), 4DMedical (ASX: 4DX), Netwealth (ASX: NWL), TechnologyOne (ASX: TNE), Catapult Group International (ASX: CAT), Goodman Group (ASX: GMG), SiteMinder (ASX: SDR), WiseTech Global (ASX: WTC), Xero, Audinate Group (ASX: AD8), REA Group (ASX: REA), CAR Group (ASX: CAR), SEEK (ASX: SEK), Betashares Australian Technology ETF (ASX: ATEC), Lovisa (ASX: LOV), Temple & Webster (ASX: TPW), Commonwealth Bank (ASX: CBA), Wesfarmers (ASX: WES), Westpac (ASX: WBC), Telstra (ASX: TLS), Transurban Group (ASX: TCL), Northern Star Resources (ASX: NST), Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO), Zip Co (ASX: ZIP)

Share your thoughts via this link and help shape Betashares Super. You’ll go in the draw for your chance to win 1 of 4 $250 Prezzee gift cards. T&Cs apply. The form is open until midnight AEDT, 30 September 2026. Betashares Holdings Pty Ltd is conducting this competition. Please read the relevant PDS and TMD before deciding whether to invest in the new Betashares Super or Betashares Pension products https://betashares.typeform.com/to/e7hyKA2R

———

Want to get involved in the podcast? Record a voice note or send us a message

And come and join the conversation in the Equity Mates Facebook Discussion Group.

———

Want more Equity Mates? Across books, podcasts, video and email, however you want to learn about investing – we’ve got you covered.
Keep up with the news moving markets with our daily newsletter and podcast (Apple | Spotify)
We’re particularly excited to share our latest show: Basis Points
Listen to the podcast (Apple | Spotify)
Watch on YouTube
Read the monthly email

———

Looking for some of our favourite research tools?
Download our free Basics of ETF handbook
Or our free 4-step stock checklist
Find company information on TIKR
Research reports from Good Research
Track your portfolio with Sharesight

———

This podcast is intended for education and entertainment purposes only. Any advice is general advice and has not taken into account your personal financial circumstances. Before acting on general advice, you should consider if it is relevant to your needs. If unsure, speak to a financial professional. The host of this podcast and their guests may have positions in the companies mentioned. Equity Mates Media is part of the Betashares Group but maintains editorial independence and operates under Australian Financial Services licence 540697.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does investing look like when you never have to sell? Soul Patts has been listed since 1903, giving CEO Todd Barlow a rare advantage: permanent capital and the freedom to invest wherever he sees the best opportunity. Todd joins Bryce and Alec to explain why Soul Patts is sitting on almost $3 billion in cash, where he sees risks building in private credit, why energy is his preferred ‘no regrets’ AI trade and why Bitcoin still isn’t making the portfolio.

In this episode:
00:00 123 years of investing
02:14 Meet Soul Patts CEO Todd Barlow
03:34 The investment philosophy behind Soul Patts
07:01 The power of permanent capital
10:18 Inside the private markets portfolio
13:12 Is private credit getting risky?
17:09 Where Todd sees opportunities today
18:24 Why Soul Patts is sitting on almost $3 billion in cash
22:57 The big themes across the Soul Patts portfolio
23:59 Why Soul Patts sold $1.9 billion of industrial property
26:06 How Todd is investing in the AI boom
30:54 Where Soul Patts goes next

ETFs & Stocks mentioned: Washington H. Soul Pattinson (ASX: SOL), New Hope Corporation (ASX: NHC), TPG Telecom (ASX: TPG), Brickworks (formerly ASX: BKW), Goodman Group (ASX: GMG)

———

Want to get involved in the podcast? Record a voice note or send us a message

And come and join the conversation in the Equity Mates Facebook Discussion Group.

———

Want more Equity Mates? Across books, podcasts, video and email, however you want to learn about investing – we’ve got you covered.
Keep up with the news moving markets with our daily newsletter and podcast (Apple | Spotify)
We’re particularly excited to share our latest show: Basis Points
Listen to the podcast (Apple | Spotify)
Watch on YouTube
Read the monthly email

———

Looking for some of our favourite research tools?
Download our free Basics of ETF handbook
Or our free 4-step stock checklist
Find company information on TIKR
Research reports from Good Research
Track your portfolio with Sharesight

———

This podcast is intended for education and entertainment purposes only. Any advice is general advice and has not taken into account your personal financial circumstances. Before acting on general advice, you should consider if it is relevant to your needs. If unsure, speak to a financial professional. The host of this podcast and their guests may have positions in the companies mentioned. Equity Mates Media is part of the Betashares Group but maintains editorial independence and operates under Australian Financial Services licence 540697.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apple has finally entered the foldable phone race with the $3,499 iPhone Duo, but is it enough to kick-start the John Ternus era? Bryce and Alec also unpack a remarkable AI breakthrough before Henry Jennings returns to Pimp My Portfolio, where one community member’s love of ETFs has left him doubling down on tech and leverage. Plus, Super September asks whether small extra contributions really matter, and the maths gets big surprisingly quickly.

Grab your FinFest tickets today here.

And share your thoughts via this link and help shape Betashares Super.

You’ll go in the draw for your chance to win 1 of 4 $250 Prezzee gift cards. T&Cs apply. The form is open until midnight AEDT, 30 September 2026. Betashares Holdings Pty Ltd is conducting this competition. Please read the relevant PDS and TMD before deciding whether to invest in the new Betashares Super or Betashares Pension products.

In this episode:
00:00 Introduction
02:44 Apple’s $3,500 Foldable iPhone
06:42 AI Gets Smarter, Humans Don’t
11:48 Pimp My Portfolio with Henry Jennings
19:38 Riding the AI Rollercoaster
23:37 The Superannuation Debate
25:54 Small Contributions, Big Returns
29:33 Super’s Powerful Tax Advantage
31:52 Government Boosts Your Super

ETFs & Stocks Mentioned: Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (ASX: VAS), Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS), Betashares Nasdaq 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ), Betashares Wealth Builder Nasdaq Geared Complex ETF (ASX: GNDQ), Betashares Asia Technology Tigers ETF (ASX: ASIA), Catapult Sports (ASX: CAT), REA Group (ASX: REA), WiseTech Global (ASX: WTC).

———

Want to get involved in the podcast? Record a voice note or send us a message

And come and join the conversation in the Equity Mates Facebook Discussion Group.

———

Want more Equity Mates? Across books, podcasts, video and email, however you want to learn about investing – we’ve got you covered.
Keep up with the news moving markets with our daily newsletter and podcast (Apple | Spotify)
We’re particularly excited to share our latest show: Basis Points
Listen to the podcast (Apple | Spotify)
Watch on YouTube
Read the monthly email

———

Looking for some of our favourite research tools?
Download our free Basics of ETF handbook
Or our free 4-step stock checklist
Find company information on TIKR
Research reports from Good Research
Track your portfolio with Sharesight

———

This podcast is intended for education and entertainment purposes only. Any advice is general advice and has not taken into account your personal financial circumstances. Before acting on general advice, you should consider if it is relevant to your needs. If unsure, speak to a financial professional. The host of this podcast and their guests may have positions in the companies mentioned. Equity Mates Media is part of the Betashares Group but maintains editorial independence and operates under Australian Financial Services licence 540697.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tesla’s steering wheel-free Cybercab has hit the road, but the global robotaxi race is getting a lot more crowded, and increasingly, a lot more Chinese. Bryce and Alec unpack who’s actually leading autonomous driving, debate a proposal to let Australians divert part of their Super into their pay packets, and continue Super September by asking whether leaving your retirement savings in the default investment option could be costing you over the long run.

Grab your FinFest tickets today here.

Share your thoughts via this link and help shape Betashares Super.

You’ll go in the draw for your chance to win 1 of 4 $250 Prezzee gift cards. T&Cs apply. The form is open until midnight AEDT, 30 September 2026. Betashares Holdings Pty Ltd is conducting this competition. Please read the relevant PDS and TMD before deciding whether to invest in the new Betashares Super or Betashares Pension products.

In this episode:
00:00:00 Who Is Winning The Robotaxi Race?
00:02:42 Tesla Launches A Car With No Controls
00:06:19 China Takes The Lead In Robotaxis
00:10:20 Should You Be Able To Access Your Super?
00:12:18 The Hidden Cost Of Taking Super Early
00:16:43 Is Your Default Super Option Good Enough?
00:19:18 How One Change Could Add $750000
00:22:20 Why High Growth Can Make Sense When Young
00:24:24 The Super Decision That Matters Most

ETFs and Stocks Mentioned: Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA), Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL), Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), Baidu (NASDAQ: BIDU), Pony AI (NASDAQ: PONY), WeRide (NASDAQ: WRD), Uber Technologies (NYSE: UBER), Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F)

———

Want to get involved in the podcast? Record a voice note or send us a message
And come and join the conversation in the Equity Mates Facebook Discussion Group.

———

Want more Equity Mates? Across books, podcasts, video and email, however you want to learn about investing – we’ve got you covered.
Keep up with the news moving markets with our daily newsletter and podcast (Apple | Spotify)
We’re particularly excited to share our latest show: Basis Points
Listen to the podcast (Apple | Spotify)
Watch on YouTube
Read the monthly email

———

Looking for some of our favourite research tools?
Download our free Basics of ETF handbook
Or our free 4-step stock checklist
Find company information on TIKR
Research reports from Good Research
Track your portfolio with Sharesight

———

This podcast is intended for education and entertainment purposes only. Any advice is general advice and has not taken into account your personal financial circumstances. Before acting on general advice, you should consider if it is relevant to your needs. If unsure, speak to a financial professional. The host of this podcast and their guests may have positions in the companies mentioned. Equity Mates Media is part of the Betashares Group but maintains editorial independence and operates under Australian Financial Services licence 540697.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.