Podcast 145 episodes
Comedian v Economist
The podcast that demystifies the world of money, and helps you get a handle on the bigger picture. Join two brothers, Adam and Thomas, as they bring you an entertaining run down on the macroeconomic landscape every week, without the need of a calculator or dictionary. Adam, the comedian, asks Thomas, our resident economist, all those money questions you've pondered but never knew who to ask... From interest rates to GDP, trade wars to house prices, Comedian V Economist will help you find out what it is, why it matters, and arm you with the knowledge to become a better investor.
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Why is El Salvador Hodling Bitcoin?
Could vax passports pass muster in Australia? How did El Salvador go with their Bitcoin experiment? Why is Ampol talking about carbon-neutral fossil fuels, and can you build a city for $400bn. All this and more on this week's CVE.
15 September -
Why Are Builders Going Bust into the Boom?
The construction industry is booming, so why are builders going bust? June quarter GDP got a lift out of a bunch of vaccines nobody wanted. Are emerging market really 'stuffed'? And why is Spain paying people not to work.8 September -
What Does the Doherty Report Actually Say?
What is the Doherty Institute and are they really giving us a roadmap out of lockdown? Which company say an 80% increase in revenue on the back of Zoom Face, what are the Truckies actually striking about, and how did Crowdstrike strike it lucky?1 September -
Has lockdown rocked Business Confidence?
Lockdown has rocked confidence, but will markets looked through it? Buyback season rolls on in an epic way, and some bloke reckons China is now "uninvestable". All this and more on this week's Comedian v Economist.24 August -
General
Robinhood - the best and worst IPO in history
Adam and Thomas talk census, The Robinhood IPO, MacroPrudential in NZ, and whether we should pay to vax?10 August -
Super Is Not A Joke | The Big Picture
In a very special episode, Adam and Thomas get together (on a Saturday, of all things) to talk about superannuation. On Comedian V Economist, we're all about giving you the bigger picture, so on this episode, they'll talk about super, what it is, why it's important and why it just might be - the sleeping giant of your investing portfolio6 AugustSponsored by Superhero
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The Afterpay payday and and three theories on what it means...
Afterpay become the biggest buyout in Australian history this week, but there's three possible explanations for what's going on here. Inflation data printed high, but Thomas reckons the RBA will be chill, and we look at whether mandatory vaccinations could be coming to Australia with a special guest3 August -
There was only one profitable Olympics, ever...
Brisbane won its bid to host the Olympics in 2032... why do we bother? Is the ANZ share buy back a taste of things to come? Has rorting hamstrung the potential for a Jobkeeper 2.0, and what is the Right to Repair movment on about?27 July -
Vinyl market spins out of control. Should central bankers be worried?
The unemployment rate dropped down into the critical 4-point somethings, but what impact will lockdown have? How on earth are houses cheaper to buy than rent in 3411 suburbs? Why is Henry broke, and what are the jolts in the vinyl market really telling us?20 July -
Why is the RBA printing more money than you think?
Could you beat a house cat in a fight? 26% of American men think they can't. The M&A boom rolls on, the RBA is printing slightly less money than before, China is cracking down on Chinese companies listed in the US market, and Iceland has experimented with a 4-day work week.13 July -
Why did Sydney Airport take off? ... and much more...
Sydney Airport's share price jumped 30% on talk of a takeover, but is this just the tip of the iceberg? Insider Trading allegations at Nuix were all over the papers last week, but look who's got egg on their face. The global tax floor got agreement but there's still some challenges ahead, and how did Australia end up dead last on climate action?6 July -
Could the Port of Darwin be Seized? And more...
The relationship with China has "turned to custard" and the Port of Darwin is caught in the middle. Why have Australia and the US gone opposite ways on wages growth? Could blockchain be one of the building blocks of building better buildings? And how did Australia become the wealthiest nation on earth?29 June -
The Awkward Secret Hiding in the Jobs Data
The jobs data looks amaaaazing, but is it really all that? The minimum wage got topped up last week, but the boys' Dad says the impact will be bigger than we think. Ronaldo trolled Coke and won, and Thomas discovers that giving non-alcoholic beer to kids is apparently a no-no. This, and many more revelations like it, on this week's Comedian v. Economist.23 June -
How on earth did Australia hang on to its AAA? … and much more.
Australia held on to its AAA credit rating, but the numbers seem a little fishy. Retail sales are four years ahead of schedule, but CBD movements are down everywhere but party-town Radelaide. Trump fires a broad-side at Bitcoin, and is CBA expensive or front-running the market?16 June -
Why did Markets Reject the Reject Shop?
Adam and Thomas discuss The Reject Shop and why the market isn't taking notice at the moment... plus much more9 June -
Biden Buries Trickle Down Economics
Biden has come out gunning for big business and the uber-wealthy, and says “Trickle-down economics has never worked.” What actually is trickle-down economics, and has it ever worked? And what’s this weird puzzle in the rental market that Thomas has uncovered. Adam will give it his best crack to come up with an answer.2 June -
How Kogan's Covid Trade Went Pear-shaped
Is Kogan’s recent share price crash about Covid, Kogan, or something else entirely? Is this the end of Bitcoin, and is Thomas (finally) vindicated? Why does Facebook et al pay so little tax in Australia, and why did Pauline Hanson harpoon changes to the responsible lending regulations? And what’s actually in Adam’s “bag-o-breakfast”?26 May -
Budget: Pulled Pork or Paradigm Shift?
Thomas digs a bit deeper into the budget, and uncovers something that is either a total paradigm shift in the way Conservatives think about deficits, or is it just some old fashioned pork? What is budget repair, what is an Austerity Budget, and where did the Future Fund get all its money?19 May -
Does a Budget Lockup beat a Covid Lockdown?
All eyes are on the budget this week, but Adam still finds it hard to care. Markets moved on big undershoots on US employment and Australian inflation, the nation's 9th largest lending is under-investing in marketing, and oil prices spiked on market-focused cyber terrorism.12 May -
Dr Doom Says Buy Commodities
Is Dr Doom a real person, and what’s his take on the macro-economic policy settings when he’s not producing phat beats. How does stag-flation differ from vanilla inflation, are rents rising in Australia right now, and what is carbon leakage?5 May -
Can The Most Powerful Woman in the World Save Capitalism?
Who actually is the most powerful woman in the world (Hint: it’s not Beyonce), and what’s she going to do with that power? What was the anger that brought Trump into power, and how are the economic levers being used to ward off another Trump? And if this war gets out of hand, what the outlook for share prices?28 April -
The View from Money-Town
The CEOs of the big four banks fronted the House of Reps Economics Committee in Canberra last week, giving us a privileged insight into their outlook for the economy. They also took time to throw some shade at state governments for letting the housing boom get out of control.21 April -
The Weaponisation of Freedom
A year on from Covid, what have we learnt? Why has America - the bastion of democracy and free-market capitalism - had one of the worst Covid experiences? Can our commitment to freedom be weaponised against us? Is Russian sh!t-posting a serious attempt to undermine democracy, or is it just for the lols?14 April -
Commodity Supercycle or SuperHype?
Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan are talking up a new commodity supercycle. It is true that commodity prices are through the roof, but are they going to stay there? Are we on the cusp of another 12-year boom, or is it just going to fade away the way the last mining boom did, along with ‘The Chinese Century’? And how doe we get rich on the back of it?7 April -
How one boat stopped the economy
A massive container ship, The Ever Given, got sideways last week and plugged up the Suez Canal, one of the most important shipping routes in the world. Is the global economy really that easy to knock off its axis? What does it mean for inflation, and why is China watching this one nervously?31 March
Meet your hosts
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![Adam]()
Adam
Adam is the funniest and most successful comedian in his family. He broke onto the comedy scene as a RAW comedy national finalist before selling out solo shows at two Adelaide Fringe festivals. He’s performed stand-up to crowds all over Australia as well as enjoying stints on radio with SAFM and most recently as a host of the Ice Bath on Triple M. Father of two and owner of pets, he may finally be an adult… almost. -
![Thomas]()
Thomas
Thomas, the economist, is the brains of the outfit. He studied economics and game-theory at the University of Queensland and cut his teeth as an economist at the Reserve Bank of Australia. He now runs his own economics consultancy, with a particular focus on the property market. He lives with his wife and two kids in the hills outside Byron Bay.
