Buy Hold Sell, by Livewire Markets

Are you finding equity income investing harder than it used to be? Well, you're not imagining it.

For years, income investors could build a portfolio of quality ASX dividend stocks and generate an attractive income stream without taking excessive risk. Today, that task has become far more challenging - but not impossible. 

The ASX's yield has fallen well below historical averages, bank share prices have rallied hard, and many of the market's traditional income favourites simply do not offer the yields they once did. At the same time, higher bond yields and attractive cash rates have given investors more alternatives than they've had in years.

So where can investors still find reliable income on the ASX? And which stocks continue to offer attractive yields without taking on undue risk?

In this special Income Series edition of Buy Hold Sell, Livewire's Tom Stelzer is joined by two ASX equity income gurus, in Peter Gardner from Plato Asset Management and Michael O'Neill from IML.

The pair run the ruler over eight ASX income stocks drawn Carl Capolignua's list of the market's most consistent dividend payers (last year's edition below. Carl will update again this series).

At any given point in the market cycle, there are certain sectors and themes where investors go hunting for growth. Sometimes it’s driven by disruption. Sometimes it’s recovery. And sometimes it’s simply because the market has become too pessimistic about quality businesses with long runways ahead of them.

Right now, a few pockets of the ASX are attracting attention. Fintech and financial infrastructure businesses are trying to prove they can scale profitably. Software and SaaS names are attempting to emerge from one of the sharpest valuation resets in recent memory. And in healthcare and medtech, investors are once again searching for companies capable of delivering structural growth in an uncertain economic environment.

In this episode Livewire’s Chris Conway is joined by Oscar Oberg from Wilson Asset Management and Alex Shevelev from Forager Funds Management to run the ruler over some of the stocks and sectors they believe could be poised for growth.

From beaten-up software names to healthcare innovators and financial infrastructure plays, this episode is packed with ideas for investors.

This episode was filmed on Wednesday, 20th May 2026.

In the wake of the budget and the proposed CGT changes, there has been plenty of spirited debate about the future of growth investing in our great country. And rightly so. 

But let's get real. Whatever we might think about the changes, Aussies will still create and invest in great growth businesses. It's in our blood. 

No tax change is going to completely crush home-grown innovation - the very innovation which brought us the Coolgardie cooler, the Hills Hoist, the Cochlear implant, and WiFi. Oh, and Tim Tams... mustn't forget the Tim Tams. 

Typically, these great growth stories are born from the small-cap end of the market, so in this episode, Livewire's Chris Conway is joined by Oscar Oberg from Wilson Asset Management and Alex Shevelev from Forager Funds Management, who each bring three stocks they believe have big potential. 

That’s right, it’s going to be wall-to-wall buys for this episode so strap in, and let's go!

This episode was filmed on Wednesday, 20th May 2026.

While much of the market has been nursing its wounds in 2026, the financial sector has been quietly holding up. But nothing stays comfortable forever. 

With a fresh rate hike hitting the market and bank valuations looking increasingly stretched, one of our guests this week puts it best - the banks are running on Wile E. Coyote physics. Off the cliff, still running - just haven't looked down yet.

So where does the smart money go from here? Because if the bank trade is getting crowded, the case for rotating into other parts of the sector, insurance in particular, is building fast. Higher rates, a more benign catastrophe environment, and valuations that haven't re-rated yet. It's a combination that's hard to ignore.

To work through it all, I'm joined by Julia Weng from Paradice Investment Management and Hamish FitzSimons from AllianceBernstein. Between them, they'll be analysing five stocks in the sector and sharing one high conviction pick each for where they see the real value.

Inflation, shifting rates, and volatile oil prices have served up a "vicious cocktail" for investors. While many of 2025’s high-flyers have come back to earth, the dynamic small and mid-cap market remains a breeding ground for opportunity.

In this episode of Buy Hold Sell, Chris Prunty (QVG Capital) and Chris Stott (1851 Capital) go head-to-head on five stocks from the growth engine of the ASX. 

They run the ruler over three "fallen angels" ripe for a rebound, two names testing 52-week highs, and reveal the "steady compounders" they’re backing for the year ahead.

Plus, we break down the must-know takeaways from the Macquarie Conference.