Trending On Livewire: Weekend Edition - Saturday 9th August

Good morning,

It has been an interesting week in markets, that’s for sure, featuring episodes from the sublime to the ridiculous.

The sublime? Fresh all-time highs for the S&P/ASX 200 on Tuesday and Wednesday – the bulls keep on coming. Gold stocks had a bit to do with the market strength, with the All Ords gold index finishing higher every day this week – up around 12% in total.

REA Group lodged a cracking set of results, with another period of strong double-digit growth. NPAT up 23% and full-year dividend up 31%, which saw shares rally 7% on results day. Nick Scali yesterday was also impressive, with the stock up 10% and powering to a new all-time high on its latest numbers.

Offshore, Apple rallied 8.5% over two sessions mid-week after the company committed US$600 million in investments for domestic manufacturing. This was enough to exempt the company from Trump tariffs. The ridiculous part? Apple's total capex over the last four years totalled ~US$43 billion.

What was even more ridiculous, I’m sorry to say, was the ASX accidentally placing TPG Telecom in a trading halt, suggesting the telco was buying a software developer that was actually being acquired by TPG Capital Asia. The mistake wiped more than $400 million from the telco and was blasted by many investors – including Soul Patts chairman Robert Millner.

Never a dull moment in markets. Have a great weekend.

Chris Conway, Managing Editor, Livewire Markets

Meet Oliver: The one-year-old with a $10,000 portfolio

Fifteen-month-old Oliver Sun might be our youngest 'Meet the Investor' guest yet, and he’s kicking off life with a $10,000 portfolio and the ultimate advantage: decades of compounding ahead. With his dad (and my colleague) Kerry Sun investing on his behalf, this profile explores one of Livewire’s most-read topics – how parents and grandparents can set kids up for the future. From school fees to first cars, Kerry’s approach is all about patience, quality and letting time do the heavy lifting. Interviewing a toddler had its challenges, but luckily Kerry was on hand to translate. Find out which five stocks make up Oliver’s portfolio.

FIND OUT MORE

Simon Conn’s guide to surviving the small cap 'torture chamber'

What does it take to survive, and thrive, through 27 years, 50 reporting seasons, and the rise and fall of countless market fads? In this episode of Success and More Interesting Stuff, Simon Conn from IML reflects on a career spent navigating the tough end of town, small caps. From dotcom mania to COVID and now AI, Conn has seen it all and adapted with quiet consistency. As he steps back from day-to-day investing, he shares the lessons that stood the test of time and the disciplines that helped him deliver 12% returns for more than two decades.

LISTEN | READ

Top 3 Wires this Week

Here are the weeks top viewed or liked wires by our subscribers:

Fixed Income

How to invest $100,000 for income: 3 experts go head-to-head

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Equities

Global titans: 3 fundies share their top stock picks for 2025

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Equities

Rudi: It’s not a bubble, AI’s next winners, and what investors are overlooking

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Some of the best wires from our Contributors this week:

Equities

How active dividend investing can boost yield and achieve growth

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To pay out or not to pay out: special dividends unpacked

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Unveiling tomorrow's titans: A case study on Arista Networks

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Chart of the Week: The Buffett Indicator signals trouble

Vishal Teckchandani, Senior Editor, Livewire Markets

Weekly Poll

With the Buffett Indicator now above dotcom and COVID-era highs, history suggests this could be “playing with fire.” Where do you stand?

a) Yes - I’m actively selling equities and moving to cash
b) Yes - but I’m managing it by rotating into value/defensive stocks
c) Somewhat concerned - watching closely but staying invested
d) Not concerned - this time is different

VOTE NOW

LAST WEEKS POLL RESULTS

The poll shows 43% said keep buying as usual and stick to the plan, 33% said wait for the dip, 14% said reduce regular investment, 8% said shift to cash or defensive assets, and 2% said invest more.

SEE RESULTS BREAKDOWN

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