Although Australian fixed income may have shared a similar start as the previous year in 2026, Janus Henderson's head of Australian fixed interest, Jay Sivapalan, explains some opportunities investors can capitalise on. He believes it will be difficult for the asset class, which is traditionally used as a defensive asset in a portfolio, to produce negative returns. However, inflation can remain sticky, in turn delaying the RBA's interest rate cut decisions, which can impact performance.

Principal Asset Management head of alternative credit Tim Warrick says central banks around the world are providing a more “accommodated” policy, leading to a promising year ahead for private credit. In turn, he warns that investors should be cautious with the pricing component and increased accessibility, as improved liquidity can unintentionally flip the sector into a more ‘public-like’ market.

Despite the challenges financial advisers faced in recent years, as we head into 2026, there is much to be excited about. Rasiah Private Wealth Management founder and principal adviser Thabojan Rasiah shares how the profession has evolved, where opportunities lie and why the future is bright.

While some investors are winning big by investing in companies enabling the use of artificial intelligence, like data centres, others are using this booming technology to analyse companies and those who run them.

Robeco head of next gen research Mike Chen joins the Financial Standard podcast to discuss opportunities in AI that are off the beaten track.

Despite ongoing market volatility, private credit returns remained “compelling”, as Peter Szekely, managing partner at Tanarra Credit Partners, shares his thoughts on the current landscape for the asset class.

From various regulatory updates to surging crypto prices, 2025 seemed to have it all. Speaking with Vakul Talwar, Crypto.com general Manager for Australia, he explained some of the most interesting developments of the sector over the past 12 months and how investors are reacting to these trends.

In this episode, ECP Asset Management portfolio manager Andrew Dale explains the current dynamics in Australian equities and how the asset class has performed since the beginning of the year. Investor sentiment has been mixed; there have been some pleasant surprises, while some traditional players have underperformed. Despite a bullish ETF market, Dale believes active managers can still provide value heading into 2026.

Alternatives in the form of private equity, private credit and hedge funds are undergoing as seismic shift in demand here and overseas. To delve into why they are having their moment in the sun, Navigator Global Investments chief investment officer Ross Zachary joins us.