For much of the past year, investors have been focused on growth stocks and AI winners. But some of the strongest returns have come from stocks the market had largely written off. James Hawkins, Head of L1 Capital’s Catalyst Fund, is building a reputation for finding value where others aren’t looking, combining deep research with an activist mindset to unlock it. That strategy has helped drive a strong year for the fund, with contrarian positions in companies like BlueScope Steel and Mineral Resources fuelling 30% gains. In this episode of the Rules of Investing, Hawkins explains L1’s affinity for hard assets, the catalysts for unlocking value and the unloved stocks capturing the markets attention.

Private lending has expanded rapidly over the past decade as banks pulled back from parts of the corporate market. The result has been a surge of capital chasing income, but the speed of that growth is also raising questions about how the sector will perform when the cycle eventually turns.

In this episode of the Rules of Investing podcast, Privity Credit Managing Partner Ryan Donnar explains why lending outside the banking system is far from a one-dimensional asset class. He also outlines where crowding is emerging, why structure matters more than yield, and the key questions investors should ask before allocating capital.

Please note, this interview was recorded Tuesday, 24 February 2026

Equity markets are in the middle of what Greg Dean calls “the world’s most uncomfortable rotation." In this episode, the founder of Langdon Equity Partners explains why AI may not be the real story, why high-margin businesses can be more vulnerable than they appear, and how he’s positioning his portfolio, including a 7.6% stake in L1 Group and a decision to reinvest in Johns Lyng after its take-private.

More than 70 companies reported this week and while the ASX 200 continues to push record highs, stock reactions remain ruthless.

In this episode, Ben Clark argues it’s been one of the strongest reporting seasons in years, with banks, miners and consumer names broadly beating expectations.

He explains why Woolworths’ resurgence caught the market off guard, why WiseTech’s AI defence matters more than its job cuts, and why Monadelphous and Ramsay may be turning points.

Clark also highlights heavy insider buying across tech, suggesting recent weakness may be overdone. Despite volatility, he sees momentum building into the second half.

With reporting season taking a positive turn, Chris Conway speaks with James Gerrish of Market Partners to get his hot take on a big week of reporting season, the key beats and misses, and what he's keeping an eye on for the rest of the season.

The first big week of reporting season was full of fireworks with some wild swings in some of the biggest companies on the ASX. Livewire's Chris Conway spoke with Henry Jennings from Marcus Today to discuss some of the important results and how investors reacted.

Inflation is back at the centre of investor concerns. In this episode of The Rules of Investing, James Marlay is joined by outgoing Schroders CEO and CIO Simon Doyle to discuss why inflation has been so persistent, the assets he trusts most to protect real returns and the lessons from a long career in markets.

Markets delivered another strong year in 2025, extending an exceptional run for equities. The S&P 500 returned around 22.8% per annum over the past three years, roughly double the long-term average, while the ASX 200 delivered closer to 9.7% excluding dividends.

After a run like this, the key issue isn’t just where markets go next, but how investors set expectations. In this episode, James Marlay speaks Ben Clark from TMS Private Wealth and Charlie Viola from Viola Private Wealth to discuss realistic return expectations, the factors shaping asset allocation for 2026, and where they’re directing new capital.