Here’s what you need to know today

• Warren Buffett turned 95 on Saturday, the final birthday that history’s greatest investor will have at the helm of Berkshire Hathaway. Since taking over the failing textile mill in 1965, the company’s share price is up more than 5,500,000%. In the past 5 years, it is up more than 130%. 
  

• With Australia’s reporting season almost over, many of Australia’s largest companies are licking their wounds. CSL fell 17%, James Hardie was down 28%, its worst day since 1973, and supermarket giant Woolworths was down 15%, its worst day since 1994. (Capital Brief)
  

• Despite these falls in these big names, Australia’s overall stock market hit record highs. The ASX 200 broke 9,000 for the first time last week, and is up 9.4% so far for 2025. 
  

• 14 of the 15 members of the UN Security Council have issued a joint statement condemning “the use of starvation as a weapon of war" in Gaza. The US was the only member not to sign the statement. (ABC News)
  

• ANZ’s new CEO is scrambling after accidentally sacking more than 100 senior bankers by automated email. The ANZ employees received an automated email asking them to hand in their laptop before they had been told they were losing their jobs. ANZ has apologised for the mistake. (AFR)
  

• The Australian government is scrapping ‘nuisance tariffs’ on 500 products. These are tariffs that the government has judged are becoming a burden to enforce and a costly inconvenience for business and consumers. (SBS News)
  

• The battle between US President Donald Trump and ousted Federal Reserve board member Lisa Cook is escalating. After Cook was removed from her position over allegations of mortgage fraud, she has now initiated proceedings against the US President. (CNN)
  

• Uber and Lyft have struck a deal with the government of California to allow ride-sharing drivers to unionise. The agreement is momentous after the ride-sharing companies spent years fighting any attempt for drivers to organise. (Politico)
  

• India’s GDP grew by 7.8% in the past year, cementing its status as the world’s fastest growing large economy. The world’s most populous country now faces 50% tariffs on exports to America, which economists believe will cut 20 - 90 basis points off future growth. (CNBC)
  

• Indonesia has seen protests across the country, with molotov cocktails and firecrackers thrown at the police headquarters in the capital Jakarta. The original protests were over a $3,000 a month housing allowance for members of Parliament, and escalated after a motorbike driver was killed by a police vehicle. (ABC News)

What the…?

Kpop Demon Hunters has officially become Netflix’s most-watched movie ever, pulling in over 236m views since its June release.

The Sony Pictures animated musical about a K-pop girl group fighting demons has become a surprise global sensation, with viral buzz also sending its track Golden to number one on the Billboard Hot 100.

After a quiet premiere at Netflix’s Tudum theatre in Los Angeles, the film gained momentum through word of mouth and viral clips. Last weekend, Netflix released a sing-along edition in cinemas across the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand, which delivered its first-ever number one film at the US box office. (BBC)

Investing is a lifelong journey

Here’s what you can learn today.

The power of trade-off conversations

This is an excerpt from a recent Ask an Adviser episode on Equity Mates Investing with Glen Hare. (Apple | Spotify | YouTube)

Do you often have to adjust couples' financial goals because they're unrealistic or unachievable?

Glen: Yep, all the time. And I do feel like that is a huge part of what we do.

When I started as an advisor seven years ago, I used to shy away from these conversations. I’d get nervous about telling a couple, ‘What you’ve shared with me just isn’t possible.’ Now, I see it as my role to be open, honest, and transparent about what is achievable and what’s not.

More often than not, it’s less about something being impossible and more about trade-offs. For example, I met with a young couple this morning. They want the flexibility of renting and investing in the stock market, but they also want to buy a home in the next few years. On top of that, they have two young kids and family obligations in Europe, meaning a bigger annual travel bill. So our conversation became about trade-offs: maybe scaling back the dream home budget so they can still afford those regular trips overseas.

It’s not about saying ‘you can’t do it,’ it’s about creating clarity on what’s achievable and where compromises may need to be made.

Interested in speaking to a financial adviser? Fill out the form on our website and we’ll match you with one of our hand-picked advisers.

A message from Ausbil

From 8 September 2025, the Ausbil Active Dividend Income strategy will be made available as an active ETF,  giving investors and advisers dual access to its Active Dividend Income strategy.

ASX: DIVI, an actively managed ETF, holds between 25 and 50 listed companies, which Ausbil believes support consistent franking credits for investors that grow with inflation over time. It provides regular monthly income drawn from dividends of Australian companies, whilst aiming to protect investors’ capital against inflation.

Disclaimer: Offer is subject to disclaimer on registration page. Ausbil Investment Management Limited ABN 26 076 316 743 AFSL 229722.

Want more Equity Mates?