Searching for a Signal? Alphinity’s Stuart Welch Says Earnings Upgrades Matter Most
Stuart Welch, portfolio manager at Alfinity Investment Management, explained that the firm’s core thesis revolves around earnings upgrades. He argued that earnings revisions are the primary catalyst for share‑price movements, especially in resource‑heavy Australian stocks that have outperformed the U.S. after a robust February reporting season. Welch highlighted two beliefs: earnings drive prices and positive earnings revisions tend to be serially correlated. By modeling macro linkages—foreign‑exchange, interest rates, and consumer demand—Alfinity continuously updates forecasts, staying defensive amid the Iran‑war‑driven fuel price shock and the Reserve Bank of Australia’s rate hikes. The firm also sees the recent tech sell‑off as a valuation‑driven rotation rather than a fundamental earnings collapse. He cited concrete portfolio actions: trimming commodity exposure after a strong run, reducing bank holdings despite historically strong earnings upgrades, and adding positions in supermarkets, insurers and telecoms that exhibit idiosyncratic upgrade potential. A proprietary chart shows that, over the past decade, focusing on earnings‑upgrade stories expands the investable universe to roughly 65% of stocks, delivering more consistent returns than pure style bets. The takeaway for investors is clear: in an environment of geopolitical uncertainty and elevated valuations, targeting companies with ahead‑of‑expectation earnings and serial upgrade potential offers a defensible, style‑agnostic path to outperformance, while remaining vigilant to macro‑driven sector shifts.
The ASX Small-Cap Gems Spheria Is Backing - and the Metric that Matters Most
In a recent interview, Spheria co‑founder Marcus Burns emphasized free cash flow as the single most reliable metric for generating real returns in today’s volatile market. He highlighted a handful of ASX small‑cap stocks that consistently deliver strong cash‑flow generation,...
Adam Dawes’ Masterclass on Investing for a Wealthy Retirement
In a Livewire Markets retirement series, senior advisor Adam Dawes of Shaw & Partners explains how high‑net‑worth Australians should structure their portfolios as they transition into and through retirement. Dawes recommends a sliding asset‑allocation mix that starts around 70 % growth and 30 % defensive...
Stay the Course: Blackstone’s Joan Solotar on Compounding in Private Markets
In a candid conversation with Livewire Markets, Blackstone’s Global Head of Private Wealth, Joan Solotar, outlined how the firm is democratizing private‑market investing for affluent individuals. Blackstone, with $1.3 trillion AUM overall and $300 billion in Private Wealth, is extending its institutional‑grade platforms—private...
The 4,000 Stock Universe Most Fund Managers Can't Fully Cover - and How Goldman Sachs Does
The interview spotlights Goldman Sachs Asset Management’s Yarra Global Small Companies Fund, which leverages artificial intelligence and massive alternative data sets to monitor a universe of roughly 4,000 global small‑cap equities. By ingesting thousands of unstructured data sources—regulatory filings, patents,...
Buy Hold Sell: 4 ASX Miners to Watch as the Gold Price Reboots
The Livewire episode examines the gold market’s resurgence and highlights four ASX miners worth watching as gold prices rebound. Host Chris Conway, joined by analysts Emanuel Datt and Rick Squire, frames the discussion around a two‑year bull market, noting that...
David Elms on How Market Mayhem Is Again Making the Case for Multi-Strategy
David Elms of Janus Henderson explained why the current market turbulence—driven by geopolitical tension, equity sell‑offs and rising bond yields—creates a fertile environment for multi‑strategy funds that can offer neutral, low‑correlation exposure. He highlighted the Global Multi‑Strategy Fund’s design, emphasizing...
"You Don’t Grow at 1,000% Near the End of Your Life" - Griffin on a Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity
The Livewise Listed Series interview spotlights Monroe Partners’ concentrated global growth ETF (ticker MCG), with portfolio manager Nick Griffin explaining how the fund seeks to capture structural megatrends, especially artificial intelligence, for investors seeking outsized returns through 2026 and beyond. Griffin...
RAPID FIRE: Debt vs Equity in Property - Where’s the Real Opportunity?
The video examines the relative merits of debt and equity investments in real‑estate, highlighting common investor misconceptions about capital‑structure positioning. The speaker stresses that many investors underestimate the protective covenants inherent in private debt deals, while emphasizing cash flow as...
What Really Happens Before an ETF Hits the Market
The video walks viewers through the end‑to‑end journey of launching an exchange‑traded fund, featuring David Tuckwell, CIO of ETF Shares. He explains that the recent explosion of ETFs in Australia is less about novel ideas and more about duplicating existing...
The Listed Fund Giving Investors Access to Sydney's Apartment Boom
The Metrics Real Estate Multist Strategy Fund (ticker MRE) is a listed vehicle that gives investors exposure to Australia’s booming high‑density residential market, particularly Sydney’s apartment surge, while also offering a diversified real‑estate equity component. Managed by Andrew Locker...
EQT Capital Are Backing Fundamentals to Find Tomorrow's Real Winners
EQT Capital’s Bert Yansen explained the firm’s end‑to‑end private‑capital platform and its thematic focus on four long‑term sectors – healthcare, technology, services and industrial‑tech – as it seeks the next generation of market winners. The firm stresses that investment theses now...
This $4.5 Trillion Buildout Could Reshape the Next Decade
The interview with 4D Infrastructure CIO Sarah Shaw highlights a $4.5 trillion global infrastructure build‑out projected over the next ten years. Demand is accelerating, powered by the energy transition, artificial‑intelligence‑enabled construction, and rapid population growth. Shaw argues that the greatest threat...
"What if We're Wrong?" - The Investor Mindset that Matters
The video centers on the investor mindset required for credit markets, highlighting a strategic shift from private‑market dominance toward greater exposure to public credit as risk‑off sentiment rises. The speaker notes that while private credit has been overweight, emerging cracks—rated a...
PIMCO’s New ETF: A Step Beyond Cash
PIMCO has introduced the short‑term active yield ETF, ticker EARN, on the Australian Securities Exchange. The product is positioned between traditional cash holdings and longer‑duration fixed‑income strategies, offering investors a liquid, listed vehicle that delivers institutional‑grade risk‑adjusted returns. The fund targets a...