Chanticleer

This week, Chanticleer columnists James Thomson and Anthony Macdonald look at how the Firmus fallout has spread around the globe and given the AI trade the wobbles, they ask why Australia is telling itself a big lie about the energy transition, and examine whether the property market can find a bottom.  This podcast is sponsored by Stripe To ask a question, email chanticleer@afr.com Further reading: Housing just can’t find a bottom. And one market is crashing Property veteran Louis Christopher is looking for two signs that the property market is bottoming. Neither is emerging, and on the Gold Coast, things are really getting ugly. The pain that killed Firmus’ float is spreading. Here’s a new victim AirTrunk’s decision to delay its Singaporean property IPO is another sign that the rising cost of capital is starting to foster doubts in the global artificial intelligence trade. Australia is in an energy cold war, like it or not Forget the climate wars. Energy security has become national security, and Australia’s policy paralysis is leaving us behind.

This week, Chanticleer columnist James Thomson and companies editor Anne Hyland examine how the $44 billion float of Firmus went bad, they look at how the removal of those debit and credit surcharges turned into a farce and they put on their berets for a look at France’s bond market bonfire. This podcast is sponsored by Stripe To ask a question, email chanticleer@afr.com  Further reading: Firmus farce is a tale of hubris and arrogance Team Firmus seemed sure its true believers would make its IPO a walk in the park. Turns out it was the sceptics who really mattered. France just set the bond market on fire again Fears that the country’s debt crisis could spread across global markets are getting more real. And there are no easy solutions. AI sudden debt wobbles arrive at wrong time for Firmus As the data centre operator scrambles to shut the books on its IPO, investors have again been reminded of the sheer scale of debt that is fuelling the AI boom.

This week, Chanticleer columnists James Thomson and Anthony Macdonald explain why the RBA’s latest rate hike is even scarier that it looks, they ask whether Australia’s private credit sector is in such a mess, and reveal why the debate around Australia’s $50 billion float prospect Firmus is only getting hotter..  This podcast is sponsored by Stripe To ask a question, email chanticleer@afr.com Further reading: Two pension giants just put Australia on notice. That’s scary Our buy-and-hold-forever dreams are shattered – and it’s time to wake up to what’s really going on. The gulf between Firmus believers and naysayers keeps getting bigger The neocloud is rapidly heading towards the Australian sharemarket, and outsiders want to know which insiders are locked in – and which are free to sell. The market’s betting AI will outrun bond yields, Fed rate hikes We’re in a dangerous twilight zone where the cost of money doesn’t matter.

This week, Chanticleer columnists James Thomson and Anthony Macdonald look at why the next 40 years could be tougher for investors, businesses and policymakers, they take you inside this week’s special chook lunch to learn the secrets of an AI pioneer and they extract the big lessons from Australia’s great AI hack. This podcast is sponsored by Stripe To ask a question, email chanticleer@afr.com. Further reading: Australia’s OpenAI hack just exposed a threat to the AI bubble We all think the AI bubble will be popped by debt, overcapacity or a lack of demand. The Aussie hack is a reminder the AI giants have another problem. Want to really fix Australia? Here are five big ideas Escaping Australia’s growth trap starts with a simple idea that we just can’t seem to nail.

This week, Chanticleer columnists James Thomson and Anthony Macdonald try and sort out whether AI is actually going to kill us all, they take you in what might be the biggest ASX float in Australian history, and try to figure out what a $1-a-day dose of Ozempic might mean for the economy.  This podcast is sponsored by Stripe To ask a question, email chanticleer@afr.com. Further reading: One way or another, AI’s gods have hit trouble. Firmus isn’t immune Concerns about AI are as surreal as the numbers on the neocloud’s float. And those are the two threats to the story: either it doesn’t work, or it works too damn well. Bigger than BHP: Firmus will be Australia’s most capital-hungry beast The party’s only just getting started for the capital arrangers, who have a new favourite client. Migration mess comes back to the economy, stupid The government’s migration changes reflect the business-like approach that the corporate sector has been calling for. But don’t expect the heat in this debate to fade. Inside the eye-watering numbers Firmus is finally revealing to fundies The neocloud hopeful is talking a huge game, but it takes a dive into the prospectus to get the full picture of its long-term ambitions and profit projections. How $1-a-day Ozempic could unleash a $12b boom The combination of GLP-1 drugs in pill form and expanded access via the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme could turbocharge adoption in Australia.

This week, Chanticleer columnists James Thomson and Anthony Macdonald examine the growing sense of panic inside Australia’s property industry, explain why your next iPhone is going to cost a lot more and they look ahead to the next big test for markets.  This podcast is sponsored by Stripe To ask a question, email chanticleer@afr.com. Further reading: Fore! Why the death of LIV Golf is a warning sign f or markets Saudi Arabia has emerged as key funder of the AI boom, the US government and even global M&A deals. But the Iran war is forcing it to make tough choices. Why investors are letting JB Hi-Fi’s golden goose burn JB Hi-Fi is proving itself to be the pin-up of the “softening Australia” sell-off. It’s a lesson all blue-chips should heed. Bond vigilantes will rage at Trump’s bribe. Cracks in ASX could widen After markets taught US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent a lesson about who really controls bond yields, Donald Trump unveiled the sort of electoral bribe that vigilantes will hate. Housing won’t go back to ‘normal’ in a world on fire. Maybe that’s OK Bond markets keep screaming that higher borrowing costs are coming. That’s bad news for hopes of a quick turnaround in Australia’s property correction.

This week, Chanticleer columnists James Thomson and Anthony Macdonald unveil the surprising purchase propping up Australia’s economic growth, they unpack a truly eventful week in financial markets and ask what is sending one of the world’s best known car makers broke. This podcast is sponsored by Stripe To ask a question, email chanticleer@afr.com. Further reading: Bathla and bonds just a preview of what’s coming for timid Australia Rising yields, plunging house prices and the prospect of a deep economic slowdown: in the past week, the challenges for the country have become very clear. Housing’s Mr 18.6pc is pure fiction but is still scaring markets The phantom number refuses to go away and is haunting Australia’s economy, investors, boardrooms and government. Private credit is the reason we don’t have a Bathla rescue deal yet Private credit firms tell us it’s how they deal with moments of distress that sorts the wheat from the chaff. The situation at Bathla will put that to the test.

This week, Chanticleer columnists James Thomson and Anthony Macdonald  look at why the collapse of a home builder might create a very big drama for the top end of town, they nominate their best and worst results from four weeks of earnings season and take a fierce question from the West about GST proceeds.  This podcast is sponsored by Workday. To ask a question, email chanticleer@afr.com.  Further reading: The $19trn reason this housing slump will run longer than you think Households’ strong balance sheets are supporting strong spending growth. That’s bad news for the central bank, which is not coming to save the property market. Liberman’s CVS Lane suspends fund redemption after Bathla collapse CVS Lane, the private credit firm run by the wealthy Liberman family, has suspended redemptions across two of its funds, citing the collapse of Bathla, the failed Sydney developer to which it had lent significant sums. What we learnt: Ozempic in a pill could change Australia (no, really) Chemist Warehouse rides the Ozempic wave, Wesfarmers leans into a cost of living crisis and Qantas flies through the Iran war.

This week, Chanticleer columnists James Thomson and Anthony Macdonald take you inside the mysterious world of bond markets, and explain what’s got the world’s most important investors rather grumpy. They ask why many of the country's biggest companies don’t seem that keen on investing in Australia and whether there’s something a bit sick about your health insurance.  This podcast is sponsored by Workday. To ask a question, email chanticleer@afr.com. Further reading: Scott Bessent just panicked. Your savings may be at risk The White House’s stunning intervention in bond markets on Wednesday night will have big ramifications for investors around the world, including in Australia. Economists say wage growth is fine. CEOs see a margin squeeze Economists may be celebrating wage growth as “in line with expectations”, but corporate Australia is quietly pressing the panic button.

This week Chanticleer columnists James Thomson and Anthony Macdonald unpick an eventful afternoon at the Reserve Bank of Australia and pull out our most surprising tidbits from reporting season’s first big week.  This podcast is sponsored by Workday To ask a question, email chanticleer@afr.com Further reading: KPMG is radioactive. But probe also exposes clubby corporate Australia Matt Comyn just turned the housing crash story on its head Think house price falls are bad? The next shock could be far worse Cleanaway board throws out the $9.4b baby with the bin water

This week Chanticleer columnists James Thomson and Anthony Macdonald explain what job cuts and Jetstar cabin baggage fees tell us about the great Australian squeeze, they look at how the ASX hit a record high – and ask why no one seems to be celebrating, and they unpick America’s strange mission to save the land of the rising sun. This podcast is sponsored by Workday To ask a question, email chanticleer@afr.com. Further reading: Why boards are playing it safe and buying high instead of investing Glencore bets that Australia’s woke anti-coal era is over, for now House prices will decide where the ASX goes next This hasn’t happened in markets in 28 years. It could mark a new era

This week senior Chanticleer columnist James Thomson and Australian Financial Review editor in chief James Chessell unpack the national implications from the coup that brought down the Victorian premier, they examine the RBA’s big interest rate dilemma between sticky inflation and falling house prices and try and unpick a week where it all got a bit strange in the AI boom.  This podcast is sponsored by Workday To ask a question, email chanticleer@afr.com.

This week Chanticleer columnists James Thomson and Anthony Macdonald say farewell to one of the leading lights of corporate Australia, ask why good news on jobs may ultimately be bad news for the economy, and explain why China just sent a shot across the bows of America’s tech giants.  This podcast is sponsored by Elston To ask a question, email chanticleer@afr.com.

How I Made It is back with host Lauren Sams.  Don’t miss season six as we uncover how Australia’s top entrepreneurs built their fortunes and what they learnt along the way.

This week senior Chanticleer columnist James Thomson and Australian Financial Review editor in chief James Chessell decode Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s landmark speech on artificial intelligence, they examine why the next big era for Australia’s mighty superannuation sector is upon us and they ask – what’s a CEO really worth? This podcast is sponsored by Elston To ask a question, email chanticleer@afr.com.

This week Chanticleer columnist Anthony Macdonald and Australian Financial Review editor Cosima Marriner discuss Telstra's real problem at the end of a bad week, go over the big AI decision Australia needs to make and unpack the Prime Minister's podcast fail. This podcast is sponsored by Elston To ask a question, email chanticleer@afr.com.

This week Chanticleer columnists James Thomson and Anthony Macdonald look at how your super fund fared through the drama of the 2026 financial year, they explain why the end of what’s been dubbed 'Australia’s housing ponzi scheme' matters to more than just house prices, and get excited about the celebrity wedding of the year.  This podcast is sponsored by Elston To ask a question, email chanticleer@afr.com.

This week, James and Anthony discuss what all the bad economic news means for the second half of the year, ask whether KPMG can stem the bleeding by changing its board and delve into Nine’s ousting of the Today show host. To ask a question, email chanticleer@afr.com. This podcast is sponsored by ANZ.

This week, James and Anthony examine the government’s budget backdown, explain why Australia and the US’ Central Banks are talking about more rate rises and take a question on whether AI could change the way your super fund has to invest.  To ask a question, emailchanticleer@afr.com. This podcast is sponsored by ANZ.

This week, Chanticleer columnists James Thomson and Anthony Macdonald examine judgment day for Elon Musk as his AI hot air balloon, SpaceX, takes flight on the sharemarket. They also kick around the business of the World Cup and look at the household name eyeing off a big deal in Britain.  To ask a question, emailchanticleer@afr.com. This podcast is sponsored by ANZ.

This week Chanticleer columnists James Thomson and Anthony Macdonald go deep into the world of AI and debate whether there’s enough trust to make the AI flywheel really spin. They look at how accounting firm KPMG has recently blown up a lot of trust, they take a question on the budget's impact on small business and commit to, one day, make the podcast on Mars. To ask a question, emailchanticleer@afr.com This podcast is sponsored by ANZ

This week Chanticleer columnists James Thomson and Anthony Macdonald ask whether the next big mining boom might pass Australia by, they examine what the global wine glut means for Dan Murphys and look at whether there’s any good news on inflation. Oh, and James sits in a giant truck. To ask a question, emailchanticleer@afr.com This podcast is sponsored by ANZ

This week Chanticleer columnists James Thomson and Anthony Macdonald ask whether Elon Musk can pull off the biggest sharemarket float in the history of the planet with his SpaceX venture, they examine how the budget aftershocks are hitting the housing market, and they answer your questions on the government’s controversial budget tax changes.  To ask a question, emailchanticleer@afr.com. This podcast is sponsored by ANZ.

This week, Chanticleer columnists James Thomson and Anthony Macdonald are all about the federal budget – the big messages, the big numbers, the big risks and the hidden stories. In this bumper episode, they'll discuss whether this budget really was aspirational or just a cheap attempt to win votes.  To ask a question, emailchanticleer@afr.com. This podcast is sponsored by ANZ.

This week Chanticleer columnists James Thomson and Anthony Macdonald unpack another rate rise including what Michele Bullock said about the next six months, theye take you inside the room at the biggest meeting of Australian companies and investors, and they preview the federal budget out next week To ask a question, emailchanticleer@afr.com This podcast is sponsored by ANZ

This week Chanticleer columnists James Thomson and Anthony Macdonald explain why the AI train is now an unstoppable force, they take a look at what’s wrong with the poor old ASX and preview the RBA governor Michele Bullock’s big interest rates call.  To ask a question, emailchanticleer@afr.com This podcast is sponsored by ANZ

This week Chanticleer columnists James Thomson and Anthony Macdonald take you inside the circus surrounding the biggest ASX float in a generation, they examine the disastrous blow-ups at two companies that were once considered market darlings, and try to answer your question on what it’s really going to take to end the war in Iran. To ask a question, emailchanticleer@afr.com This podcast is sponsored by Aussie Broadband

This week Chanticleer columnists James Thomson and Anthony Macdonald discuss the first solid signs Australia’s economy is rolling over, they pick over the billionaire family battle for the Pilbara’s riches and consider how this year’s oil shock is different to the ones before it.  To ask a question, emailchanticleer@afr.com This podcast is sponsored by Aussie Broadband

This week on the Chanticleer podcast, Anthony Macdonald and The Australian Financial Review's editor-in-chief, James Chessell, discuss the Iran ceasefire, reveal the AFR’s wish list for this year’s budget – now only one month away – and take a question on AI job cuts.  To ask a question, email chanticleer@afr.com. This podcast is sponsored by Aussie Broadband.

This week Chanticleer columnists James Thomson and Anthony Macdonald zoom out to pull together the threads behind an incredible first quarter of the year, they predict the big headlines you’ll be reading in the coming months, and explain why Australia’s healthcare sector looks sick.  To ask a question, email chanticleer@afr.com This podcast is sponsored by Aussie Broadband  

This week Chanticleer columnists James Thomson and Anthony Macdonald delve into the energy crisis price shocks rippling around the word, they spot a few more cockroaches in private credit’s kitchen and they take a question on oil companies and their super profits.  To ask a question, email chanticleer@afr.com This podcast is sponsored by Vanta

This week Chanticleer columnists James Thomson and Anthony Macdonald look at how the Iran oil shock will actually hit the economy, they examine the RBAs big call on interest rates this week and reveal why the generation scrambling from the rate hike isn't necessarily the one you think. To ask a question, email chanticleer@afr.com This podcast is sponsored by Vanta

This week James Thomson and Anthony Macdonald look at the oil shock that’s spreading through the real economy and financial markets, they examine the AI job losses at the original Aussie tech icon and take you inside the sharemarket float of an Aussie company that’s helped change the retail game. To ask a question, email chanticleer@afr.com This podcast is sponsored by Vanta Further reading: 4 factors that make you most susceptible to the white-collar ‘wipeout’ An education used to be seen as insulation from workforce disruption, now it might be the thing that proves your undoing.

This week James Thomson and Anthony Macdonald recap the biggest week of the year to date. They discuss the war in the Middle East, the war on jobs thanks to AI and the new opposition leader Angus Taylor's war on debt and deficit. To ask a question, email chanticleer@afr.com This podcast is sponsored by Vanta  

Live from the Financial Review's 2026 Business Summit, James & Anthony wax lyrical with the AFR Business Person of the Year 2025, Mike Dorrell.  Recorded over breakfast, Wednesday, March 4th. 

This week James Thomson and Anthony Macdonald look at AI’s melting moment on Wall Street, they give you their best and worst of corporate Australia’s profit season and they look ahead to the AFR’s premier event, the Business Summit.  To ask a question, email chanticleer@afr.com  This podcast is sponsored by Aussie Broadband

This week James Thomson and Anthony Macdonald ask whether we’ve hit 'peak Australia', they share their most interesting observations from earnings season and take a burning question on the housing market.  To ask a question, email chanticleer@afr.com This podcast is sponsored by Aussie Broadband

This week James Thomson and Anthony Macdonald look at the new war that’s broken out in the banking sector, ask why three CEOs left blue chip companies in three days, and tackle the tricky problem of taming inflation without hiking interest rates.  To ask a question, email chanticleer@afr.com This podcast is sponsored by Aussie Broadband

This week James Thomson and Anthony Macdonald discuss the two big moves in markets this week: interest rates and tech stocks. They take a question on who should oversee government spending and get excited for the busiest time of the corporate year, reporting season.  To ask a question, email chanticleer@afr.com This podcast is sponsored by Aussie Broadband

James and Anthony had a phone catch-up over the weekend and are looking forward to coming back strong on Friday, Feb 6th. 

This week we James Thomson and Anthony Macdonald wrap up the year with their annual Chook awards, look forward to a huge year on markets with one of Australia’s top fund managers, and take a quick peek at how the nation’s financial engine is ticking over.  To ask a question, email chanticleer@afr.com This podcast is sponsored by Acenda

This week Anthony Macdonald and James Thomson look at why the RBA is stuck between a rock and a hard place, examine the takeover battle that could change how you watch Netflix, and take the pulse of Australia’s top business leaders through the Chanticleer CEO poll. To ask a question, email chanticleer@afr.com This podcast is sponsored by Acenda

This week Anthony Macdonald and James Thomson explain how Australia's data centre boom has changed, give you the inside scoop on the AFR's Business People of the Year awards, and ask the big question: is Australia a giant Ponzi scheme? To ask a question, email chanticleer@afr.com This podcast is sponsored by Acenda 

This week Anthony Macdonald and James Thomson ask whether Australia’s economy has hit its speed limit, we look at the sneaky-big week for corporate deals and preview one of the AFR’s big nights of the year.  To ask a question, email chanticleer@afr.com This podcast is sponsored by Acenda 

This week Anthony Macdonald and James Thomson examine Nvidia’s monster profit result and what it says about the AI bubble, they travel to Singapore to explain how the nation’s top CEOs are selling Australia, and they take a question on big profits and your super returns.  To ask a question, email chanticleer@afr.com This podcast is sponsored by PGIM

This week James Thomson chats to Anthony Macdonald as he reports live from the Sydney Opera House for the biggest markets conference of the year. They share the stock tips from the Sohn Hearts & Minds conference, round out bank profit season and take a great question on investors in the housing market.  To ask a question, email chanticleer@afr.com This podcast is sponsored by PGIM

This week James Thomson & Anthony Macdonald examine the big four’s big problem, explain why the RBA is stuck and ask what the stunning win of Zohran Mamdani in the New York Mayoral race tells investors and CEOs. To ask a question, email chanticleer@afr.com This podcast is sponsored by PGIM

This week James Thomson & Anthony Macdonald explain how the battle lines are being drawn up in the new superannuation wars, they try to make sense of the brutal slap down investors handed out to two of our biggest companies, and, he’s back – yep, Richard White is in trouble again at WiseTech. To ask a question, email chanticleer@afr.com This podcast is sponsored by PGIM  

This week James Thomson & Anthony Macdonald look at Anthony Albanese's big visit to Trump land, take you inside the AFR’s energy conference, and look ahead to a big moment for global markets. To ask a question, email chanticleer@afr.com This podcast is sponsored by PGIM

This week James Thomson & Anthony Macdonald look at how the extraordinary boom in boomer wealth is changing the economy, they discuss the next Australian AI heavyweight, and they answer your question about private credit cockroaches. To ask a question, email chanticleer@afr.com This podcast is sponsored by PGIM