In this article for the Australian Financial Review, I shared some of my investment milestones throughout my 30-year career. I discussed the Australian Eagle Asset Management team’s strategy of identifying pivotal changes in businesses, highlighting successful investments in Fortescue (ASX:FMG) and Altium (ASX:ALU), as well as lessons learned from early exits like TechnologyOne (ASX:TNE).

I joined Philip Muscatello on the Shares for Beginners podcast to discuss the outlook for 2025, shifting market conditions, and where investors should focus in the year ahead. We explored the impact of disinflation, robust economic growth, and liquidity shifts on global markets, as well as the role of artificial intelligence (AI) and innovative companies.

Wesfarmers (ASX:WES) delivered a solid set of half-year results for financial year 2025, exceeding market estimates at the earnings-before-tax (EBT) level and marginally at the top line. Strong performances by Kmart and WesCEF (chemicals, energy and fertilisers) drove the positive surprise, while Bunnings met expectations. A closer look at the numbers Wesfarmers generated total revenue of $23.

The largest position in The Montgomery Fund portfolio, at almost eight per cent of the portfolio, is the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX:CBA), purchased back when the price was below $78. This week, the company released its December-half profit results, revealing a business reinforcing and extending its competitive advantages in a fiercely competitive market.