Best of the Best: Ignore the Noise & Find Great Companies - Arden Jennings | Ausbil

Video Description

Today we’re joined by Arden Jennings, co-head of Emerging Companies at Ausbil and portfolio manager for their small and micro cap funds. Arden explains why he thinks 2026 will be the year for Aussie Small Caps, and what companies might grow into household names over the next couple of years (or decades!). In this episode: • Why small caps are back and where Arden sees the best opportunities • Spotting upgrades and avoiding blow-ups • And how he’s thinking about themes like AI, mining services and Life360 for 2026 For more information about Ausbil and important disclosures, including Ausbil’s disclaimer, please refer here: www.ausbil.com.au/Ausbil/media/Documents/Disclaimers/Ausbil_Disclaimer.pdf Ready to secure your financial future? Viola Private Wealth delivers bespoke strategies designed for high-net-worth individuals and families. Managing significant wealth should not feel overwhelming. For tailored advice and practical, long-term results, visit: www.violaprivatewealth.com.au 00:00 – Why Small Caps Are Australia’s Most Exciting Market 01:04 – Aussie Companies Going Global (and Winning) 02:23 – Meet Arden Jennings: The Small-Cap Specialist 03:41 – The Philosophy Powering 27% Annual Returns 04:33 – What Counts as a Small Cap? Arden’s Playbook 05:27 – Launching a Fund in Chaos: Inside 2020’s Rollercoaster 07:18 – Arden’s True Edge: Process Over Emotion 08:53 – Inside His 4-Stage Stock Selection System 10:07 – Life360: The Small-Cap Case Study Everyone Talks About 14:08 – When Macro Matters (And When It Doesn’t) 17:00 – Red Flags That Make Arden Sell Immediately 23:06 – Hype Stocks, Benchmarks & Staying Disciplined 27:03 – 2025 Recap & Why Small Caps Are Back 28:22 – Are We in an AI Bubble? Arden’s Surprising Take 31:25 – How AI Supercharges Small Caps (Not Just Tech Giants) 32:33 – Arden’s Bold 2026 Prediction: US Growth Shocks Everyone 37:19 – The One Stock Arden Is Most Excited About for 2026 39:13 – The Structural Trend He’d Back for 10 Years 40:03 – Advice to His Younger Self (And Every Young Investor) 40:47 – Rapid Fire: Skills, Myths & Market Wisdom 42:04 – Final Thoughts: Why Great Investors Stay Unemotional ——— Looking for some of our favourite research tools? • Download our free 4-step stock checklist (https://x40s1z0ymjt.typeform.com/4-StepChecklist) • Find company information on TIKR (https://www.tikr.com/?ref=equitymates) • Screen the market with GuruFocus (https://www.gurufocus.com/pricing?pmc=KRTPWMVXHJNQ425B&affid=f3dc7b49528d8c16479a604fa777b185) • Research reports from Good Research (https://goodresearch.com.au/ref/equitymates/) • Track your portfolio with Sharesight (https://www.sharesight.com/au/equitymates/) ——— Want to get involved? - Join our daily mailing list to stay up to date on all things in business and markets: https://equitymates.beehiiv.com/subscribe?ref=FKJsJ4smw9 - If you prefer to listen to the daily headlines you now can: (https://open.spotify.com/show/0LpEJNu2RPyPS7vwuAztip) | (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/headlines-by-equity-mates/id1793486918) - Have a question? Record a voice note (https://www.speakpipe.com/EquityMates) or send us a message on our website (https://equitymates.com/get-in-touch/) - Join the conversation in the Facebook Discussion Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/equitymates - Looking for professional financial advice? https://equitymates.com/advice/ - Check out our 2 bestselling books: https://equitymates.com/books/ - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/equitymates/ - X: https://twitter.com/EquityMates - TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@equitymates - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/equity-mates/ ——— Equity Mates Investing is a product of Equity Mates Media. This podcast is intended for education and entertainment purposes. Any advice is general advice only, and has not taken into account your personal financial circumstances, needs or objectives. Before acting on general advice, you should consider if it is relevant to your needs and read the relevant Product Disclosure Statement. And if you are unsure, please speak to a financial professional. Equity Mates Media operates under Australian Financial Services Licence 540697.