This is the Fear & Greed [https://fearandgreed.com.au/] Afternoon Report - everything you need to know about what happened in the markets, economy and world of business today, in just a few minutes.

 1. ASX hits record

 2. Profit results: Light & Wonder, Argo

 3. No corruption findings in Vic govt inquiry

 4. TikTok, Alibaba consider local data centres

 5. Rocket to hit moon

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Afternoon Report | ASX hits record; rocket hits moon

Wednesday 5 August 2026

Qantas joins the growing number of companies offshoring work as it embraces AI. 

 * Household spending picks up, keeping an interest rate hike on the table
 * National Australia Bank forecasts house prices to drop ten per cent
 * A surge in tech stocks on Wall Street helps the local market get to within one per cent of an all-time high
 * Some of Europe’s biggest rivers start drying up, disrupting trade and tourism

 

Hit follow on the podcast so you don’t miss the latest news, and join our free daily newsletter here [https://fearandgreed.com.au/newsletter-signup]. 

 

And don’t miss the latest episode of How Do They Afford That? [https://fearandgreed.com.au/how-do-they-afford-that-sugar-mamma-canna-campbell/], answering a listener question: what happens when the market hits my goal before I do? Get the episode from Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/how-do-they-afford-that/id1644255235], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/1EW5WRlRh7MovSBNkk6dG8?si=b2203ec2fa934a14] or anywhere you listen to podcasts.

Find out more: https://fearandgreed.com.au/ [https://fearandgreed.com.au/]

See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Qantas to offshore work; house prices to fall 10pc; European rivers dry up

Migration has become one of Australia's biggest political issues. But behind the headlines lies a much more complicated story.

Sean Aylmer speaks with Melinda Cilento, CEO of the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA), about how migration has changed since the pandemic. They discuss why skilled migration remains critical to the economy, whether migrants are really driving the housing crisis, and why Australia needs a more nuanced conversation about immigration.

Find out more: https://fearandgreed.com.au/ [https://fearandgreed.com.au/]

See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Q+A: Is Australia getting immigration all wrong?

This is the Fear & Greed [https://fearandgreed.com.au/] Afternoon Report - everything you need to know about what happened in the markets, economy and world of business today, in just a few minutes.

 1. ASX surges 1.4pc

 2. NDIS delays costing $11.5m a day

 3. BHP fails to stop strike

 4. Canva cuts revenue expectations

 5. Diamond industry shaken up

Join our free daily newsletter here [https://fearandgreed.com.au/newsletter-signup].

Find out more: https://fearandgreed.com.au/ [https://fearandgreed.com.au/]

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Afternoon Report | ASX surges 1.4pc

Tuesday 4 August 2026

Gaming companies including Tabcorp and Sportsbet accused of offering drugs and escorts to gamblers.

 * The sale of electric and hybrid vehicles reaches just under 50 per cent
 * A private equity consortium set to buy insurance broker Steadfast in a $7 billion deal
 * Australia’s two biggest fleet management companies to merge
 * A new study says being poor can do long-term damage to your brain

 

Hit follow on the podcast so you don’t miss the latest news, and join our free daily newsletter here [https://fearandgreed.com.au/newsletter-signup]. 

 

And don’t miss the latest episode of How Do They Afford That? [https://fearandgreed.com.au/how-do-they-afford-that-sugar-mamma-canna-campbell/], exploring the ten things wealthy people don’t waste money on. Get the episode from Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/how-do-they-afford-that/id1644255235], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/1EW5WRlRh7MovSBNkk6dG8?si=b2203ec2fa934a14] or anywhere you listen to podcasts.

Find out more: https://fearandgreed.com.au/ [https://fearandgreed.com.au/]

See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Drugs, escorts and gambling; EVs and hybrids hit 50pc; being poor can damage your brain

Crypto has come a long way from its early days. Regulation is tightening, institutions are becoming more involved, and the technology behind digital assets is increasingly finding real-world applications.

In the first of a new monthly series, Sean Aylmer speaks with John O'Loghlen, Managing Director APAC at Coinbase, about how Australia's crypto industry has matured. They discuss why regulation is strengthening investor confidence, where Bitcoin fits in today's financial system, and why tokenisation and stablecoins could be the next major step in modern finance.

This is general information only. Seek professional advice tailored to your circumstances before making investment decisions.

Find out more: https://fearandgreed.com.au/ [https://fearandgreed.com.au/]

See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Q+A: Crypto enters the financial mainstream

This is the Fear & Greed [https://fearandgreed.com.au/] Afternoon Report - everything you need to know about what happened in the markets, economy and world of business today, in just a few minutes.

 1. ASX up 0.5pc

 2. One Nation ahead in polls

 3. Bird flu mass deaths

 4. Transurban caps weekly tolls

 5. Oil falls after Trump cancels strikes

Join our free daily newsletter here [https://fearandgreed.com.au/newsletter-signup].

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Afternoon Report | ASX jumps as oil slides

Monday 3 August 2026

Earnings season kicks off with dividends set to dominate as a result of CGT changes.

 * The housing downturn in Sydney and Melbourne has spread to the rest of the country
 * Investors warm again, for now, to the Magnificent 7 tech stocks on Wall Street
 * Telstra switches on satellite access to users in the bush
 * Local wine exports fall to their lowest level in more than 20 years

 

Hit follow on the podcast so you don’t miss the latest news, and join our free daily newsletter here [https://fearandgreed.com.au/newsletter-signup]. 

 

And don’t miss the latest episode of How Do They Afford That? [https://fearandgreed.com.au/how-do-they-afford-that-sugar-mamma-canna-campbell/], exploring the ten things wealthy people don’t waste money on. Get the episode from Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/how-do-they-afford-that/id1644255235], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/1EW5WRlRh7MovSBNkk6dG8?si=b2203ec2fa934a14] or anywhere you listen to podcasts.

Find out more: https://fearandgreed.com.au/ [https://fearandgreed.com.au/]

See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Dividends to dominate earnings; house price slump; Mag 7 tech stocks find friends

This week:

 * Is a rate hike now off the cards after last week's inflation figures?
 * Household spending data
 * International trade, and why it's the sleeper story of the economy

Michael Thompson is joined by economist Stephen Koukoulas [https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.marketeconomics.com.au/stephen-koukoulas&sa=D&source=calendar&ust=1786103291873162&usg=AOvVaw2UsUe398lRPRUfhn8wEwVk] to look at what to expect.

Join our free daily newsletter here [https://www.google.com/url?q=https://fearandgreed.com.au/newsletter-signup&sa=D&source=calendar&ust=1786103291873162&usg=AOvVaw3EdZpm7UPGQorU-fymNMOC].

Find out more: https://fearandgreed.com.au/ [https://fearandgreed.com.au/]

See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Q+A: The Week Ahead | 3 August 2026

Uber now accepts cash. ATM withdrawals are rising. So is Australia's cashless future on hold? Michael and Sean unpack the surprising resurgence of cash, who's using it, and whether physical money is here to stay.

Got a topic you'd like to see explored one Sunday? Get in touch here [https://www.google.com/url?q=https://fearandgreed.com.au/contact&sa=D&source=calendar&ust=1785927290717489&usg=AOvVaw2c0qKtMKjFyolJbFJPQuss].

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See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Q+A: Is cash making a comeback?

Fear and Greed is Australia's most popular business podcast. All the business news you need to know, every day, with business journalist Sean Aylmer and Michael Thompson.

 