Buy Hold Sell, by Livewire Markets

As anyone paying even cursory attention to markets would know, the ASX tech sector has had a rough trot over the past year, down 37% as AI upheaval and rising rates took their toll.

But not every stock in the sector has been dragged down with it, and the upcoming August reporting season is shaping up as a key test of who's actually benefiting from AI versus who's being eaten by it.

In this episode of Buy Hold Sell, Elise McKay of Pendal and Shaun Weick of Wilson Asset Management join Livewire's Tom Stelzer to analyse three of the biggest ASX tech names that each sit on different branches of the AI tree.

One is a standout performer up more than 70% year-to-date, one is a software name some have already declared dead as an AI casualty, and one is a data centre name smack bang in the middle of the infrastructure boom.

They also each nominate a tech stock they're backing, including one that could be the next big Australian medtech success story.

This episode was filmed Wednesday 15th July 2026.

It's a tough time for many consumers as the forces of rising rates, stubborn inflation and other macro complications have seen Australia's cost-of-living crisis rumble on.

It's a good thing then that there's still plenty of consumer discretionary stocks showing strength, even if the outlook for the sector remains more uncertain.

In this episode of Buy Hold Sell, Livewire's Tom Stelzer is joined by Elise McKay from Pendal and Shaun Weick from Wilson Asset Management to make the call on three ASX consumer stocks that could still be potential buys despite the challenges.  

They've also brought two very different choices as their picks for a consumer stock to watch right now.

There's no two ways about it. If you weren't holding materials stocks over the past 12 months, you missed a trick.

The sector surged more than 45%, blitzing its nearest competitor (consumer staples up ~11%) and outperforming every other positive sector... combined.

The sector was powered by insatiable demand for commodities from the AI infrastructure build-out.

Gold, silver, copper, platinum and palladium all enjoyed significant price increases, whilst iron ore - still the backbone of the Australian mining sector - didn't suffer the price falls many were expecting. But the stellar performance begs the natural question - can the rally keep going?

To explore that question, run the ruler over some of the winners, and each pitch a stock they're backing for the year ahead, Livewire Tom Stelzer is joined by Stephane Andre from Alphinity and Dougal Maple-Brown from Maple-Brown Abbott.

Please note this episode was filmed on 1 July 2026.

The energy sector has been front and centre for much of the last 12 months, as AI demand and the war in Iran have seen demand surge and prices jump around. 

That's been good news for many of local names, with the ASX Energy sector up 11% this year, but is there any charge left in the battery?

In this episode of Buy Hold Sell, Livewire's Tom Stelzer is joined by Dougal Maple-Brown from Maple-Brown Abbott and Stephane Andre from Alphinity Investment Management to see if they're positive or negative on some interesting ASX energy names. 

In a rare turn of events, we've also got a double fundie stock pick. Find out which stock has got the joint tick of approval and why by watching the episode below.

Just weeks ago, markets were pricing in the risk of a prolonged conflict in the Middle East, with oil surging as investors feared disruptions to global supply. Today, much of that geopolitical risk premium has unwound. Brent crude has retreated to around its pre-war levels following a US-Iran peace agreement, even as fresh flare-ups serve as a reminder that the situation remains far from settled.

Whether the recent pullback in oil proves temporary or not, investors are already asking the next question: who stands to benefit? The obvious winners are businesses with large fuel bills. But lower oil prices can ripple through the economy in unexpected ways, easing input costs and lifting consumer spending. 

Joining Livewire’s Anna Dadic are Henry Jennings from Marcus Today and Michael Wayne from Medallion Financial, to debate four stocks that could be lesser-known beneficiaries of the recent retreat in oil prices, examining whether they offer compelling exposure to cheaper energy, or whether the market has already priced in the upside. 

We also asked each guest to nominate a stock they see as an unexpected winner from the fall in oil prices.

This episode was filmed Wednesday 24th June, 2026.