Australian Investors Podcast

In this week’s 2 Sense episode of the Australian Investors Podcast, Owen Rask and Drew Meredith unpack the messy collision of budget politics, company results and AI hype shaping markets right now. They look at the latest tax chatter, the debate over whether Australia is getting better at redistributing wealth than creating it, and why policy headlines can shift investor behaviour long before the real-world outcomes are clear.

They also run through a broad batch of company updates, including Temple & Webster, Brambles, Commonwealth Bank and BHP, asking what actually matters and what is just noise during another busy stretch of reporting season. Along the way, they test the limits of tools like Claude and ChatGPT, debate whether AI can genuinely help investors think better, and explore where these tools still risk encouraging lazy decision-making or false confidence.

The episode finishes with practical listener questions on investment bonds, how to invest in your 20s versus your 60s, and how to balance growth, income and simplicity when markets feel messy. If you want a grounded Australian take on the budget, ASX results, AI and the real questions investors are asking in 2026, this is a strong episode to queue next, especially if you want a clearer framework for handling uncertainty.

Episode resources

– Speak with the Rask Advice team

– Ask a question (select the Investors podcast)

Show partner resources

– ETF investor? Go beyond ordinary with Global X: View all funds

– Visit TermPlus to learn more

– Have the chance to win a 5k travel voucher. Take the TermPlus survey here (last entry 31st of May)

Rask Resources

– All services

– Financial Planning

– Invest with us

– Access Show Notes

– Ask a question

– We love feedback!

Follow us on social media

– Instagram: @rask.invest

– TikTok: @rask.invest

DISCLAIMER: This podcast contains general financial information only. That means the information does not take into account your objectives, financial situation, or needs. Because of that, you should consider if the information is appropriate to you and your needs, before acting on it. If you’re confused about what that means or what your needs are, you should always consult a licensed and trusted financial planner. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information in this podcast, including any financial, taxation, and/or legal information. Remember, past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. The Rask Group is NOT a qualified tax accountant, financial (tax) adviser, or financial adviser. Access The Rask Group's Financial Services Guide (FSG): https://www.rask.com.au/fsg
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AI can now generate prototypes, content and product ideas at speed — but Figma’s Andrew Hogan says the real edge is still human judgment.

In this episode, Owen Rask chats with Andrew about what AI is changing inside teams, why design is becoming more valuable, and how leaders are using better tools to communicate ideas with more clarity. They explore why senior designers may be worth more than ever, how non-designers are increasingly doing design work, and why businesses are taking on bigger projects because AI expands what feels possible.

If you want to understand where AI is creating value, how creativity is changing, and what this means for product teams, founders and investors, this is a sharp and practical conversation.

Resources for this episode

⁠Buy Gemma’s book “The Money Reset”⁠

⁠Speak with the Rask Advice team⁠

⁠Ask a question (select the Finance podcast)⁠

Show partner resources

⁠Join Pearler using code “RASK” for $15 of Pearler Credit⁠

⁠Get 50% off your first two months using PocketSmith⁠

⁠View Betashares range of funds⁠

Rask resources

– ⁠All services⁠

– ⁠Financial Planning⁠

– ⁠Invest with us⁠

⁠Access Show Notes⁠

⁠Ask a question⁠

⁠We love feedback!⁠

Follow us on social media:

Instagram: ⁠@rask.invest⁠

TikTok: ⁠@rask.invest⁠

DISCLAIMER: This podcast contains general financial information only. That means the information does not take into account your objectives, financial situation, or needs. Because of that, you should consider if the information is appropriate to you and your needs, before acting on it. If you’re confused about what that means or what your needs are, you should always consult a licensed and trusted financial planner. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information in this podcast, including any financial, taxation, and/or legal information. Remember, past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. The Rask Group is NOT a qualified tax accountant, financial (tax) adviser, or financial adviser. Access The Rask Group's Financial Services Guide (FSG): ⁠https://www.rask.com.au/fsg

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In this week’s 2 Sense, Owen and Drew tackle a bigger question than one stock or one budget line item: is Australia getting worse at creating wealth?

Rask Wealth Checker: https://rask.au/wealth-checker

That opens a sharp conversation about tax chatter, policy drift and why uncertainty can make it harder for founders, investors and workers to build long-term value. The episode also revisits CSL, touches on private credit noise, and asks what matters when headlines get louder than fundamentals.

It is a useful reminder that great businesses can still be overhyped, and that policy settings can shape how willing people are to build, invest and take risk.

The listener question is a beauty: how do you value a private business? Owen and Drew explain why valuation is part maths, part judgement. They unpack EBITDA multiples, growth, repeatability, owner dependence and why what a business is worth to you can differ from what a buyer will pay.

If you want practical market commentary with a founder’s lens, this one delivers.

Episode resources

Speak with the Rask Advice team

Ask a question (select the Investors podcast)

Show partner resources

ETF investor? Go beyond ordinary with Global X: View all funds

Visit TermPlus to learn more

Have the chance to win a 5k travel voucher. Take the TermPlus survey here (last entry 31st of May)

Rask Resources

All services

Financial Planning

Invest with us

Access Show Notes

Ask a question

We love feedback!

Follow us on social media

Instagram: @rask.invest

TikTok: @rask.invest

DISCLAIMER: This podcast contains general financial information only. That means the information does not take into account your objectives, financial situation, or needs. Because of that, you should consider if the information is appropriate to you and your needs, before acting on it. If you’re confused about what that means or what your needs are, you should always consult a licensed and trusted financial planner. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information in this podcast, including any financial, taxation, and/or legal information. Remember, past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. The Rask Group is NOT a qualified tax accountant, financial (tax) adviser, or financial adviser. Access The Rask Group's Financial Services Guide (FSG): https://www.rask.com.au/fsg
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In this Australian Investors Podcast episode, Mitch sits down with Nick Sladen for a deep dive into Cogstate and why it may be one of the more compelling ASX healthcare names right now.

Alzheimer's and broader central nervous system diseases are becoming more important as populations age, and Nick explains why that matters for Cogstate. The company plays a small but critical role in clinical trials, helping large pharmaceutical groups run cognitive testing with higher accuracy, cleaner data and stronger regulatory confidence. With more than 20 years of accumulated testing data, Cogstate has built an edge that is hard to replicate quickly.

Mitch and Nick also unpack the numbers behind the bull case. They discuss strong margins, net cash, a share buyback, dividend flexibility and why AI could improve throughput rather than undermine the business model. The conversation also goes beyond Alzheimer's into rare disease, depression, schizophrenia and sleep trials, plus the role partnerships like Medidata could play in widening the opportunity set.

They finish by testing the risks, including pharma spending cycles, execution, competition and the possibility that AI changes parts of the workflow over time. If you want a practical breakdown of a high-quality small-cap healthcare business with structural tailwinds, this episode is well worth your time.

Episode resources

Speak with the Rask Advice team

Ask a question (select the Investors podcast)

Show partner resources

ETF investor? Go beyond ordinary with Global X: View all funds

Visit TermPlus to learn more

Have the chance to win a 5k travel voucher. Take the TermPlus survey here (last entry 31st of May)

Rask Resources

All services

Financial Planning

Invest with us

Access Show Notes

Ask a question

We love feedback!

Follow us on social media:

Instagram: @rask.invest

TikTok: @rask.invest

DISCLAIMER: This podcast contains general financial information only. That means the information does not take into account your objectives, financial situation, or needs. Because of that, you should consider if the information is appropriate to you and your needs, before acting on it. If you’re confused about what that means or what your needs are, you should always consult a licensed and trusted financial planner. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information in this podcast, including any financial, taxation, and/or legal information. Remember, past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. The Rask Group is NOT a qualified tax accountant, financial (tax) adviser, or financial adviser. Access The Rask Group's Financial Services Guide (FSG): https://www.rask.com.au/fsg
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In this episode of 2-Sense, Owen and Drew ask a big question: is Warren Buffett falling behind in 2026, or is Berkshire Hathaway just investing on a different timetable to everyone else? They unpack Buffett’s huge Apple exposure, Berkshire’s growing cash pile and the broader debate around whether AI is changing the investing playbook or simply changing what investors are paying attention to right now.

The conversation then swings back to Australia, with a close look at Magellan’s decision to outsource management of its global equities funds. Owen and Drew explore what the move says about the business, why it matters when a once-dominant fund manager changes course, and what investors should watch from here. They also dive into the May budget chatter, from capital gains tax and negative gearing to new housing incentives and the knock-on effects policy changes can have on wealth creation.

There’s more on Bluey’s blockbuster economics, company news from Coles, ANZ and NAB, thoughts on Alphabet, Amazon, Meta and Microsoft, plus a practical buy, hold or sell-style discussion to round things out.

Episode resources

Speak with the Rask Advice team

Ask a question (select the Investors podcast)

Show partner resources

ETF investor? Go beyond ordinary with Global X: View all funds

Visit TermPlus to learn more

Have the chance to win a 5k travel voucher. Take the TermPlus survey here (last entry 31st of May)

Rask Resources

All services

Financial Planning

Invest with us

Access Show Notes

Ask a question

We love feedback!

Follow us on social media:

Instagram: @rask.invest

TikTok: @rask.invest

DISCLAIMER: This podcast contains general financial information only. That means the information does not take into account your objectives, financial situation, or needs. Because of that, you should consider if the information is appropriate to you and your needs, before acting on it. If you’re confused about what that means or what your needs are, you should always consult a licensed and trusted financial planner. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information in this podcast, including any financial, taxation, and/or legal information. Remember, past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. The Rask Group is NOT a qualified tax accountant, financial (tax) adviser, or financial adviser. Access The Rask Group's Financial Services Guide (FSG): https://www.rask.com.au/fsg
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