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The market was down 4.3% in Q1 2026 and the headlines were bleak. But look under the hood and the story is completely different. In this episode of The Purposeful Investor, David Andrew and Aden Wilkins speak with Apollo Lupescu from Dimensional Fund Advisors to break down exactly what happened in financial markets in the first quarter of 2026, why the headlines don't tell the full story, and what smart investors should actually be doing about it.

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Follow Apollo Lupescu:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/apollo-lupescu-78a3b87a

Follow David Andrew:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidandrewfamilywealthadviser/
Capital Partners: https://capital-partners.com.au/team-members/david-andrew/

Follow Aden Wilkins:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aden-wilkins-40b006105/
Capital Partners: https://capital-partners.com.au/team-members/aden-wilkins/

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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapitalPartnersPWA/
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/capitalpartnersprivatewealth/

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Chapters:
(0:00) Introduction & Episode Preview
(1:00) Apollo Lupescu Joins from California
(1:50) Win of the Week
(4:35) Q1 2026 Market Recap and What Actually Happened
(8:30) The Magnificent Seven Dragged the Market Down
(16:45) Factor Investing Explained: Value, Small Cap & Profitability
(19:00) The Small Cap Value Case
(24:00) The Odds Game. Value vs Growth Over Time
(26:30) Australian Market Returns
(30:45) The Media's Role in Catastrophising Markets
(38:45) Why Fear Is Hardwired Into Us and Kills Returns
(41:00) IPO FOMO: SpaceX, Anthropic, Open AI and Why You Should Wait

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Recorded and produced by Podwave Studios

The Purposeful Investor Podcast is a public service provided for Australian investors wanting to make smart decisions with their money, avoid costly mistakes, look after the people they care about, and, have a great life!

We draw on over 30 years of experience from David Andrew and the Capital Partners team.

For more information on Capital Partners' award winning team, visit capital-partners.com.au.

Have a question? Email us ask@capital-partners.com.au.

This episode provides general advice only. We do not consider your personal circumstances when we share this information. Always refer to your financial adviser for advice about your personal circumstances.

Capital Partners Consulting Pty Ltd AFSL 227148 trading as Capital Partners Private Wealth Advisers ABN 27 086 670 788.