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I joined Juliette Saly on Ausbiz to discuss why Australian consumer confidence has fallen to its lowest level in more than five decades, despite relatively low unemployment (around 4.3 per cent compared to over 11 per cent in the 1990s) and interest rates (around 4.1 per cent compared to 17.5 per cent in the 1990s), with the key drivers being a sharp rise in household debt (now about 180 per cent of disposable income versus roughly 45 per cent four to five decades ago) and an intense cost-of-living squeeze across housing, childcare (around $180 per day), education (something that used to be free), and everyday expenses. I also highlighted how this pressure is contributing to a hollowing out of the middle class and increasing postcode-driven inequality, while noting that periods of extremely weak sentiment can sometimes create opportunities for long-term investors as fear drives short-term market dislocations.
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by David Buckland Posted in Global markets, Insightful Insights, Market commentary, TV Appearances.

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I realise the war in the Middle East and fuel prices are dominating headlines and investors’ current concerns, however, there will come a time when markets and conversation will return to those topics that made headlines before Trump triggered the latest conflict in the Middle East. 

One of those topics is the disruption to employment expected to be wrought by Artificial Intelligence (AI), especially now that AI has itself moved from prompting Large Language Models (LLMs) to deploying Agentic AI. The question on my mind is whether, assuming a large shift in employment roles, that shift will be smooth or unstable. Continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Market commentary.

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I joined ABC News to discuss the market reaction to the escalating conflict in the Middle East. Surging oil prices and concerns about supply disruptions have rattled global markets, prompting investors to reassess risks and reduce exposure to equities.

Watch here: ABC The Business. Continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Economics, Energy / Resources, Global markets, Manufacturing, Market commentary, TV Appearances.

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This week I join Nicola and Di for the first 2026 episode of Over The Money Fence. This series aims to help you take control of your finances with clarity and confidence.

In this episode, we take a look at the changes that are currently happening in the world, and how that could impact our finances. I explain how the tailwinds that have benefited the stock markets in the past, and have benefited the Baby Boomers and Gen X are shifting, and why that means investors may need to consider other investments. Continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Aura Group, Digital Asset Funds Management, Investing Education, Market commentary, Podcast Channel.

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I joined Philip Clark on ABC Nightlife to discuss the shift toward a more volatile market environment in 2026. With inflation likely rising again, growth slowing and oil prices climbing, the key conditions that supported recent equity gains are fading. We also explored potential war scenarios involving Iran and how they could impact markets, inflation and interest rates.

Given this backdrop, I highlighted the need to rethink portfolio construction, with private credit emerging as a potential alternative offering attractive income with lower volatility. We also touched on rising fuel costs, price pressures on consumers, and broader structural challenges in Australia’s economy. Continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Aura Group, Global markets, Insightful Insights, Investing Education, Market commentary, Market Valuation, Radio.

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Yesterday afternoon I joined Jess Maguire on ABC Statewide Drive to discuss how the conflict in the Middle East is affecting global markets. While headlines have focused on oil and petrol prices, we also discussed the potential impact on industries such as airlines, tourism and energy-intensive manufacturing. Continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Radio.

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I joined Andrew Geoghegan on Ausbiz to discuss why geopolitical shocks often coincide with resilient equity markets. History shows that while wars and major conflicts can trigger sharp initial sell-offs, markets have often recovered quickly and, in some cases, delivered strong returns during those periods. During World War I, for example, U.S. equities initially fell by around 30 per cent before going on to generate average annual gains of close to 7 per cent between 1915 and 1918, including a particularly strong rebound in 1915. World War II also aligned with solid Dow Jones returns, depending on the start and end dates used. And according to data from LPL Financial on 22 major non-financial shocks since Pearl Harbor, markets have typically fallen by around 5 per cent before recovering fully within about six weeks. Continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Global markets, Insightful Insights, Market commentary, Market Valuation, TV Appearances.

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April 9, last year, Donald Trump postponed his Liberation Day tariffs, fuelling a stock market rally led by artificial intelligence (AI) optimism. That optimism turned to fear this year as joy towards AI’s productivity enhancements morphed into panic about how many businesses it would destroy.

That panic reached an even higher level of urgency last week, when James van Geelen, a thematic investor and former entrepreneur who founded a healthcare company before moving into investment research on Substack, hypothesised that AI would lay waste to the entire global consumer economy, leaving generations of white-collar workers redundant. Continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Market commentary, Market Valuation, Technology & Telecommunications.

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I joined Jess Maguire on ABC Statewide Drive last week to unpack what a recession really means and whether Australia is already experiencing one on a per-capita basis. I highlighted how rising interest rates, energy costs and government policy pressures are squeezing households, while strong migration is masking weaker individual economic conditions, and warned that without structural reform Australia risks drifting into stagflation, where growth slows but inflation remains elevated. Continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Market commentary, Radio.

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I joined Paul Turton today on ABC Newcastle Mornings to discuss the growing use of personalised or “surveillance” pricing, where companies use data like your browsing history, location or even behaviour in-store to charge different prices for the same product, often without consumers realising. I explained how this is already happening in areas like airline bookings and online shopping, and warned it could soon extend to essentials like groceries, with algorithms identifying what individuals are willing to pay and adjusting prices accordingly. While legal in many cases, I argued this practice erodes transparency, removes consumers’ ability to compare prices, and ultimately risks everyday Australians paying more, highlighting the need for stronger regulation to balance profit motives with fairness. Continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Radio, Technology & Telecommunications.

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