Quality At Value - Value Investing In Shares

In this Christmas edition of QAV Australia, Cameron is joined by QAV member Scott Meehan for a wide-ranging, candid conversation about what it’s really like to start investing from scratch. Scott shares his journey from complete beginner to disciplined system-based investor, explains why QAV appealed to him amid the noise and hype of financial media, and reflects on the emotional shift from constant portfolio-watching to calm, rules-driven decision-making. The episode explores patience, timing versus luck, the psychology of drawdowns, the temptation of “10-bagger” narratives, and why boring, repeatable processes tend to win over time. It’s a grounded, human look at investing as lived experience rather than theory, with insights into portfolio management, profit-taking dilemmas, and why ignoring stories and focusing on numbers is harder — and more valuable — than it sounds. 

In this episode, Cameron and Tony survey a market that’s losing some momentum in iron ore while rapidly pivoting toward copper as the next structural commodity story. They unpack Fortescue’s move into Peruvian copper, the implications of slowing Chinese infrastructure investment, and why AI data centres are turbo-charging copper demand globally. The discussion ranges from takeover battles in West African gold, Buffett succession intrigue at Berkshire Hathaway, and a sharp critique of Australia’s compensation schemes for failed investment products. The episode closes with a deep “pulled pork” analysis of Aeris Resources, exploring why copper-gold producers are back on the QAV buy list despite capital-raising risks.

This week Tony and I wander through a very QAV-ish mix of market weirdness, portfolio updates, almond conspiracies, and Bond-level misogyny. COG and ERD get the chop, AMA consolidates, several new stocks rotate in, and the dummy and Light portfolios continue to absolutely embarrass the index. Tony reveals his own monster year, we unpack strange board moves at Aeris Resources, applaud EarlyPay’s buyback, and then TK delivers a beautifully nerdy pulled pork on Select Harvest (SHV)— complete with bee-logistics, frost-blowers, and almond geopolitics. We finish with digressions into Alien Earth, baccarat, TikTok nutrition fear-mongering, and Tony’s racehorse winning at 26-to-1. A normal episode, in other words.

Tony and Cam roll into the final month of 2025 with a wide-ranging episode that swings from the ASX’s latest technology breakdown to fund-manager outperformance, commodity whiplash, and a fresh pulled-pork on Metro Mining. Along the way they dig into Tower’s results, the ongoing Eroad saga, Fleetwood’s abrupt CEO exit, Finbar’s exposure to escalating WA construction costs, and the sudden return of copper, platinum, zinc, and steel to the buy list. Tony breaks down why boehmite and bauxite are shaping up as the next big strategic commodity story with a pulled pork on MMI (Metro Mining), while Cam wraps with a reflection on longevity, friendship, and a centenarian’s hard-won life lessons.

Michael Goldberg from Collins Street Asset Management returns to the show after three years. We dive deep into how value investing has fared through the turbulence of recent years — from post-COVID struggles to the renewed upswing of 2025. Michael discusses his firm’s 14%+ annual returns, the long-term patience required for undervalued stocks, and the surprising persistence of “cheap” companies that stayed cheap for years. We explore Astron Limited (ATR) and its rare earths project in Victoria, delve into mineral sands, gold funds, and the lifecycle of commodities, and tackle the hot topic of AI’s economic impact, from efficiency gains to workforce disruption. They finish with thoughts on Seven West Media’s merger, the AI-driven hype around the Magnificent Seven in the US, and how value investors can navigate an overheated tech market without losing their cool.

In this episode, Cameron and Tony sit down with activist investor Gabriel Radzyminski, founder of Sandon Capital, to dissect the art of activist value investing in Australia. Gabriel explains how he identifies mispriced assets, why value investing isn’t dead, and how activism can unlock value when management misalignment or agency conflicts keep companies from realising their potential. The discussion zeroes in on the brewing storm around Southern Cross Media (ASX:SXL) and its proposed merger with Seven West Media (ASX:SWM) — a deal Gabriel argues is a “nil-premium reverse takeover” that disenfranchises shareholders. The conversation dives deep into governance, board behaviour, passive investing, and the moral hazards of Australia’s listing rules. Expect sharp insights on capital allocation, corporate incentives, and the eternal tension between shareholders and boards.

In this episode, Tony and Cameron sit down with John Abernethy, veteran investor and founder of Clime Investment Management, for an in-depth conversation about value investing, funds management, and the evolution of Australia’s financial industry. John shares stories from his early days at NRMA in the 1980s, the influence of Warren Buffett’s philosophy, and the creative use of convertible notes to bridge value gaps. He explains how Clime evolved into a $1.6 billion multi-asset manager, why self-funding companies like Nick Scali are rare gems, and the challenges of today’s funds management environment. The discussion also covers the rise of managed investment accounts, the importance of dividends, macroeconomic forces, and Clime’s current offerings on the ASX.

In Episode AU 827 of the QAV Investing Podcast, Cameron and Tony kick off with Trump’s latest tariff threats, predict (incorrectly) the RBA’s interest rate decision, and analyse the ASX’s reaction to overnight Wall Street moves. They discuss the impact of criminal allegations on G8 Education (GEM) staff, the 30% surge in Motorcycle Holdings (MTO), and acquisition news about Silk Logistics (SLH). Tony delivers a comprehensive pulled pork on Plenti Group (PLT), a fintech P2P lender with strong metrics and a high QAV score. The show closes with riffs on Black Sabbath, AC/DC concerts, and French philosophy, including Montaigne and The Little Prince.

In this episode of QAV, Cameron and Tony kick off the new financial year with tributes to Lalo Schiffrin and Bill Moyers before diving into end-of-year portfolio roundups. They compare the dummy portfolio’s 19.87% gain against the STW’s 13.61%, dissect U.S. portfolio returns versus the S&P 500, and unpack Tony’s concentrated seven-stock strategy. Listener Trent shares his 21% return confession, there's a debate on ditching the Altman Z-score in favour of the Piotroski F-score. They then explore commodity dynamics and deep-dive into GR Engineering Services (GNG) as their Pulled Pork pick, before wrapping up with culture picks—from Nick Cage flops to Nina Simone grooves.

It’s cold, the markets are weird, and the boys are back. Cameron and Tony kick things off with oil-patch whiplash, Iran–Israel theatre, and Trump’s “Mission Accomplished 2.0” tweet-storms. Portfolio numbers, confession-season land-mines, and sudden 30 % face-plants (looking at you, **AMI**) follow. Tony spotlights surprise winners (**OML**, **SHA**, **SRG**, **GNG**) and takeover bait (**STO**, **THL**), while ASX cops an ASIC probe for dropping the tech ball. Virgin’s second-shot IPO, Karoon’s Brazilian land-grab, and a pulled-pork deep dive on **COG** round out the finance. After hours: jazz-piano Goldblum, Kelly’s Heroes, and Peter Ellyard’s octogenarian optimism.

In this special QAV episode, Cameron and Tony are joined by Navarre Trousselot, founder and CEO of Navexa, Australia’s homegrown portfolio tracking and tax-reporting platform. The episode kicks off with a charming tale of how Navarre’s first entrepreneurial venture was Pokémon card arbitrage as a 10-year-old, laying the groundwork for his investing instincts. The trio then explores the serious end-of-financial-year business: tax-loss harvesting, the nuances of capital gains strategies, and how Navexa’s AI-powered tax tools are evolving. Navarre shares exclusive insights from aggregated Navexa user data—what the top-performing portfolios look like, what they’re holding (spoiler: lots of Bitcoin), and how often they trade. The conversation wraps with some existential musing on crypto, AI, and investor psychology.

In this episode of QAV, Cameron and Tony kick off with a discussion on the political tension in the U.S. and what Trump’s moves with the National Guard might foreshadow, then slide into serious investing updates. There’s news on Perenti (PRN), NRW (NWH), and Findi (FND), with a nod to confusing results and sovereign risks. Judo (JDO), BOQ, and QBE get coverage too, as does the SOL–Brickworks merger and what it means for index fund flows. Cameron ponders the shocking long-term flatline of Telstra (TLS), while Qantas (QAN) and Perseus (PRU) get some love for outperforming. Tony wraps up with a pulled pork on Fleetwood (FWD), highlighting modular housing, mining village profits, and capital risk. There’s also a review of the film _Ballerina_ and some off-topic Doctor Who and Shakespearean riffing.

In this week’s QAV episode, we sit down with the ever-dashing Tobias Carlisle, founder of The Acquirer’s Fund (ZIG, DEEP), author of The Acquirer’s Multiple, and deep value maverick, to dissect the state of value investing in the era of AI-driven hype. We cover the brutal cycles of deep value, AI vs. human decision-making in funds, the madness of quantum computing valuations, and how Toby’s trip to China left him unconvinced by the West’s collapse narrative. We also drill into oil, Ford ($F), and the implications of passive investing’s stranglehold on market direction. Plus, Buffett worship, civil war exit strategies, and why Americans don’t get Aussie piss-taking.

In episode 821 of the QAV Podcast, Cameron and Tony kick things off with tales of gas outages and cold showers before diving into the markets. They review the portfolio performance, explain the HLS sell-off, and unpack the latest antics of Donald Trump’s tariff diplomacy. Stocks under the spotlight include VVA (Viva Leisure) with their eyebrow-raising stake in Gorilla X Labs, NRW’s legal wrangle over the Whyalla port, and a deep-dive pulled pork on ANZ. The ANZ segment touches everything from executive turnover, the bloated One Platform app, substance abuse allegations, and the Suncorp acquisition, to Cameron’s prediction that the whole thing will be scrapped in favour of an AI-driven rebuild. Sprinkle in some talk about robot security Roombas, the legacy of Damien Broderick, Sparks’ new album, and Japanese punk, and you’ve got another vintage QAV session.

In this episode, Cameron and Tony tackle the political earthquake caused by the breakup of Australia’s Federal Coalition, dig into the implications of the RBA’s latest rate cut, and explore how the U.S. credit downgrade might ripple through markets. We hit hot topics from taxing unrealized gains to a lesson in value investing resilience through the lens of a Tobias Carlisle interview with Rich Pzena. We close with a deep pulled pork on Cettire Ltd (CTT), the controversial drop-shipping retailer that’s either misunderstood genius or speculative flameout. Plus: the ASX plays dumb, and Helen Mirren gets name-dropped twice.

In this episode of QAV Australia, Cam and Tony navigate a turbulent market buoyed by a temporary rollback in US-China tariffs and a curious rally in Bitcoin. They break down the movements in gold stocks like Perseus (PRU), Ramelius (RMS), and West African Resources (WAF), unpack ANZ’s (ANZ) CEO handover and the impact of its Suncorp acquisition, and look into Super Retail Group’s (SUL) Q3 results. The episode also features deep dives into the governance concerns at Macquarie (MQG), a bizarrely massive dividend from Healius (HLS), a skeptical look at luxury drop shipper Cettire (CTT), and a pulled pork segment on outdoor advertising player oOh!media (OML). Cam also shares a personal health win, and the duo wraps up with some recommendations, banter, and a little Van Halen nostalgia.

In this episode of QAV Club, recorded on 6 May 2025, Cameron and Tony unpack the Australian federal election result with the kind of sharp political analysis and irreverent banter you expect. They explore the collapse of support for the Liberal Party, the implications for Peter Dutton, and the broader shifts in Australian voter demographics. Then, they pivot to Warren Buffett’s final Berkshire Hathaway AGM, reflecting on his legacy, investing philosophy, and the future of the company post-Buffett. The episode also includes due diligence on NRW Holdings (NWH), QPM Energy (QPM), and a deep dive pulled pork segment on Motorcycle Holdings (MTO). Plus, there’s a listener question on Healius (HLS), and Cameron fields the perennial paradox of being a Marxist value investor. Oh, and there are motorcycles, AI, and some pointed shots at Donald Trump. Classic QAV.

This week we deep-dive into BIS (Bisalloy Steel Group), questioning whether it’s truly a steel commodity play given its rising price amid a falling steel market. Tony delivers a pulled pork on BIS, exploring their niche in quenched and tempered steel, its use in defence industries, and the company’s recent inclusion in the All Ords. W also tackle discrepancies in price-to-operating-cashflow (Pr/OpCaf) numbers between Stockopedia and manual calculations, and reflect on the sale of Stock Doctor. There’s a reader question on operating cashflow calculations and plenty of banter about sobriety, diet, and what they’ve been watching lately—from _Landman_ to _Face/Off_.

In this post-Easter episode, Cam and Tony chew through the week’s market moves, exploring why the All Ords is up despite a gloomy global outlook. They rip into Trump’s latest Fed-firing fantasies, dissect the economics of tariffs, and wonder if AI will treat us like Yellowstone squirrels. There’s a deep dive on Bank of Queensland’s latest results, plus a pulled pork on gold miner Tribune Resources (ASX: TBR). They close with some existential musings on economic stagnation, robot-run suburbs, and whether humans are about to be the squirrels of tomorrow.

In this episode, Cameron and TK dive into the tumultuous week in the markets, heavily influenced by the Trump administration's tariff announcements and subsequent pause. They discuss the impact on US Treasury bonds, China's long-term economic strategy, and the potential breakdown of global trust in the US economy. They briefly cover portfolio updates, Ray Dalio's perspective on the breakdown of the global order, and company-specific news including Accent Group (AX1), Findi (FND), Comms Group (CCG), Perenti (PRN), Telstra (TLS), and TK's new board appointment at Clime Investment Wealth (CIW). TK also provides a detailed "Pulled Pork" analysis on Cedar Woods Properties (CWP). The episode concludes with after hours.