Pope-approved stocks, a pitch for the Community Portfolio & currency hedging explained

The Vatican is launching its own equity indexes (and the top holdings might not be what you expect). In the second installment of the Equity Mates Community Portfolio Scott pitches Playside Studios. Bryce and Ren also unpack the biggest earnings season themes, from AI CapEx to tariffs, before finishing with a practical breakdown of currency risk and hedging for ETF investors.In this episode:0:00 Disclaimer + intro0:52 The Vatican Bank launches Catholic equity indexes4:28 US earnings season: equal-weight beating Big Tech5:56 AI CapEx explodes + tariffs squeeze margins8:17 Australia reporting season: CSL shock, CBA surge, Macquarie threat10:29 Community Stock Pitch: Playside Studios 17:59 Currency risk explained: why hedging matters26:57 Hedged vs unhedged ETF returns + the fee trade-offStocks & ETFs mentioned: Meta (NASDAQ:META), Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA), Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL), Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN), Ford (NYSE:F), Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT), Newell Brands (NASDAQ:NWL), Harley-Davidson (NYSE:HOG), Ralph Lauren (NYSE:RL), LVMH (EPA:MC), Dollar General (NYSE:DG), Target (NYSE:TGT), Walmart (NYSE:WMT), Kroger (NYSE:KR), CSL (ASX:CSL), Commonwealth Bank (ASX:CBA), Macquarie Group (ASX:MQG), Xero (ASX:XRO), Playside Studios (ASX:PLY), iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (ASX:IVV), iShares S&P 500 AUD Hedged ETF (ASX:IHVV), Betashares NASDAQ 100 ETF (ASX:NDQ), Betashares NASDAQ 100 Currency Hedged ETF (ASX:HNDQ)Want to get involved in the podcast? Record a voice note or send us a message And 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)———Looking for some of our favourite research tools?Download our free Basics of ETF handbookOr our free 4-step stock checklistFind company information on TIKRScreen the market with GuruFocusTrack your portfolio with Sharesight———In the spirit of reconciliation, Equity Mates Media and the hosts of Equity Mates Investing acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people today. ———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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.