Our Monthly Portfolio Update - August 2026

Bryce & Ren open up their portfolios for August, breaking down what moved, what didn’t, and why sometimes doing nothing is the best move. They unpack strong months for gold, copper, crypto & growth stocks, dig into Shopify’s rebound from the SaaSpocalypse, and respond to listener concerns about borrowing against the mortgage, geared ETFs and active management fees.In this episode:00:00 Exciting Finfest speaker announcement03:33 August markets: rates, debt, reporting season & crypto05:15 Bryce’s portfolio: gold, copper and Bitcoin deliver10:26 Ren’s portfolio & the case for doing nothing15:12 Shopify, AI fears & a 25% month20:37 Borrowing against the mortgage & geared ETFs25:24 Are active management fees worth paying?Stocks & ETFs Mentioned: Vanguard Diversified High Growth Index ETF (ASX: VDHG), Global X Copper Miners ETF (ASX: WIRE), Bitcoin, TransMedics Group (NASDAQ: TMDX), Pro Medicus (ASX: PME), Axon Enterprise (NASDAQ: AXON), Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL), Betashares Wealth Builder Diversified All Growth Geared Complex ETF (ASX: GHHF), Betashares Emerging Markets Diversified ETF (ASX: BEMG), Betashares Global Shares Currency Hedged ETF (ASX: EXUS), Ethereum (ETH), Shopify (NASDAQ: SHOP), Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.B), Munro Global Growth Small & Mid Cap Fund, DocuSign (NASDAQ: DOCU), Xero (NASDAQ: XRO), Atlassian (NASDAQ: TEAM), Betashares Diversified All Growth ETF (ASX: DHHF), Betashares Wealth Builder Diversified All Growth Geared Complex ETF (ASX: GHHF)Get started with Sharesight and save 4 months on an annual paid plan: https://www.sharesight.com/equitymates———Want to get involved in the podcast? Record a voice note or send us a messageAnd come and join the conversation in the Equity Mates Facebook Discussion Group.———Want more Equity Mates? Across books, podcasts, video and email, however you want to learn about investing – we’ve got you covered.Keep up with the news moving markets with our daily newsletter and podcast (Apple | Spotify)We’re particularly excited to share our latest show: Basis PointsListen to the podcast (Apple | Spotify)Watch on YouTubeRead the monthly email———Looking for some of our favourite research tools?Download our free Basics of ETF handbookOr our free 4-step stock checklistFind company information on TIKRResearch reports from Good ResearchTrack your portfolio with Sharesight———This podcast is intended for education and entertainment purposes only. Any advice is general advice and has not taken into account your personal financial circumstances. Before acting on general advice, you should consider if it is relevant to your needs. If unsure, speak to a financial professional. The host of this podcast and their guests may have positions in the companies mentioned. Equity Mates Media is part of the Betashares Group but maintains editorial independence and operates under Australian Financial Services licence 540697. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.