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29 March 2024
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Investor disgust, consolidation, de-listings, price discounts, activist investors entering - it’s what typically happens at business cycle troughs, and it’s happening to LICs now. That may present a potential opportunity.
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The ATO has released all the superannuation rates and thresholds that will apply from 1 July 2024. Here's what’s changing and what’s not, and some key considerations and opportunities in the lead up to 30 June and beyond.
Valuations for the Magnificent Seven stocks are baking in extraordinary growth over the next decade. History shows that delivering on high growth expectations is difficult, but will this time prove different?
Borrowing to invest provides greater exposure to the share market and its potential gains or losses, as well as more associated franking credits. However, there are additional risks and costs to consider.
US bank balance sheets are expanding again, driving increasing money supply that is finding its way into markets. It means inflation is likely to remain high, and inflation hedges like Bitcoin and gold may continue to do well.
Investors often express their views on markets by tilting their portfolios towards certain sectors, in the hope of generating excess returns. Factor investing is a more sophisticated tool that can help to achieve better results.
ESG investing has come under criticism for performance and so-called greenwashing. Is the criticism overblown, and if so, what potential benefits can it deliver to investors' portfolios in the long term?
Welcome to Firstlinks Edition 553 1
As global ETF assets smash records, fund manager equity allocations reach two-year highs, 4x leveraged stock products take off, and loss-making Reddit pops 48% upon IPO’ing, markets are starting to feel like 2021.Read More.
The holy grail of investing is to find a stock that can generate life-changing returns. Here are four ways to improve your chances of unearthing the next Nvidia or Pro Medicus, and the challenges you may face along the way.
New data shows the number of advised SMSFs is increasing at the expense of self-directed SMSFs. It also suggests more SMSFs are turning to international markets and ETFs to diversify their investment portfolios.
An 'unofficial' recommendation from the Aged Care Taskforce will see higher aged care accommodation costs for all, and there is still much uncertainty around means-testing, and government subsidies.
While capitalism has its downsides, no system allocates resources better, and the result is a complex, adaptive economy. But indexation has amplified the disconnect between valuations and fundamentals, with worrying implications.
Following on from the strong performance of global investment grade credit in 2023, the Australian credit market is emerging as a great diversifier and alternative to investing in other ‘safe haven’ asset classes.
For those in their 20s and 30s, it’s tempting to give super the bare minimum of attention. If you have family members in this stage, there are two quirky super benefits worth telling them about which could be surprisingly valuable.
Market consensus is that the US Federal Reserve will cut interest rates well ahead of the RBA. The latest data has cast doubt on this, raising the prospect of an earlier RBA cut to prop up a faltering economy.
The Chinese economic model needs an overhaul and a currency devaluation is one way for the country to restructure. If a devaluation happens, it will have significant ramifications for Australia and the world.
The consumer price index is supposed to reflect the cost of living but no longer does. The ABS publishes other estimates that provide a more accurate picture of our living expenses, and how much they've recently risen.
On December 9, 1983, the Hawke Labor Government made the momentous decision to float the Australian dollar. This looks back at the history behind the decision and how it's served the country well since.
China’s economic slowdown and the resilience of the US dollar have dimmed the lustre of many Asian economies’ strong growth momentum in the past year. But heading into 2024, Asia's growth story should reignite.
Former RBA Governor Ian Macfarlane says our economy has held up well given the sharp spike in interest rates. He thinks that economic strength plus high inflation mean rates are more likely to go higher than lower in 2024.
2023 saw global dividends rise to a record US$1.66 trillion, up by 5% on an underlying basis. The year also ended on a positive note, though Australian dividends lagged other countries, largely thanks to the miners.
For one Commonwealth Bank worth ~$200 billion, you can buy three of Europe's leading banks with much larger addressable markets. This is just one example of the extreme valuation divergences across global stock markets.
While other car giants committed early to an electric vehicle future, Toyota said that hybrids offered the most practical pathway to lower emissions. That decision looks prescient, and points to a bright outlook for the company.
Since the rise of ETFs, there has been a focus on fees. Yet, investors should also understand the different indices that funds are benchmarked against and the ETF managers because these too can impact investment outcomes.
What are the best stocks to own that can pay regular dividends and beat indices on a total return basis in the long-term? Here is our list of 11 ASX-listed companies that could help investors achieve these goals.
The IT, consumer discretionary and real estate sectors were the winners from the recent reporting season, but there were disappointing earnings from miners, and the likes of Corporate Travel Management and Harvey Norman.
A new report suggests that Australians are ill prepared for the largest intergenerational wealth handover in history. It's estimated $3.5 trillion in assets will be transferred from Baby Boomers to their children by 2050.
In less than five years, all Baby Boomers will be eligible for retirement and the Baby Boomer bubble will have all but deflated. What happens next, and what are the implications for the wealth management industry?
There are a lot of vague statements about the costs of financial advice in Australia. This insider's knowledge shows the actual costs are skyrocketing but demand for financial advice remains strong.
Should you give your children their inheritance before you die? It's a thorny question asked more often as Baby Boomers in Australia grow older and die richer. Do they leave larger bequests or help buy the kids a home?
Most people do not spend enough time thinking about achieving the best outcomes from their estate or gifts and loans before they die. Consider a trust to look after the needs of all your descendants, forever.
An actuary warns of the frustrations he experienced as executor of his brother's will, a role he expected to be straightforward. He knew super does not automatically form part of an estate but there are traps for all to learn.
In a recent interview, Morningstar CEO Kunal Kapoor explains why low-cost investing wins, how artificial intelligence and ESG will bring lots of opportunities, and why distractions are an investor's worst enemy.
The distortions in our tax system have been ignored for too long, and we're now paying the price. It's time Australia got real and addressed the problems to prevent an even greater intergenerational tragedy.
We interviewed Sir Michael Hintze while his credit-focused hedge fund CQS was at the height of its powers. Since then, he's changed the firm's investment strategy and found a buyer in Canadian giant, Manulife.
The dream of many investors is to be able to live off the dividend income from their shares. There is a relatively simple way to do this though it requires a mental fortitude that may not be for everyone.
Traditionally, equity income funds buy high-dividend companies but earnings growth should be a key component of an investment strategy. Receiving income from selling call options compensates for the lower dividends.
Harry Markowitz died last week at the age of 95. He was the 1990 Nobel Laureate and the father of Modern Portfolio Theory. He explained to me the magic moment when he realised how risk-return in portfolios works.
Being rich is having a high-paying job and accumulating fancy houses and cars, while being wealthy is owning assets that provide passive income, as well as freedom and flexibility. Knowing the difference can reframe your life.
Commonwealth Bank has recently reached record highs, and is now arguably the most expensive major retail bank in the developed world. Does it deserve the premium price, or do the risks outweigh the potential rewards?
While markets boom, with even Japan reaching dizzying heights, the global economic picture appears gloomy, as more countries fall into recession. Are markets predicting better times ahead, or are they just not reading the room?
The latest scientific research has surprising conclusions about ageing: yes, our cognitive abilities and health decline, but we’re much happier. How can this be, and what are the implications for things such as our financial wellbeing?
The work from home debate rages on as businesses increasingly look to lure people back to the office. Three new academic studies investigate the effectiveness of back-to-office mandates, and they reach some surprising conclusions.
The latest data from APRA and the ATO shows SMSFs continue to grow. Almost 612,000 SMSFs hold $885 billion in assets, with most of the money in listed shares, cash and term deposits, as well as unlisted trusts.
With the Treasury Department's review of superannuation in retirement, decumulation is firmly on the agenda, yet advisors have been grappling with this issue for years. So, what could super funds learn from advisers?
Stocks always outperform bonds in the long-term, right? New research challenges that assumption, raising questions about historical financial data, and forecasts for future performance from the two largest asset classes.
Key takeaways from this year include economic outlooks have limited usefulness in positioning portfolios, and there’s a difference between falling prices and cheap assets, and that difference matters a great deal.
UniSuper and AustralianSuper are large, complex investment businesses, and it's worth taking a look under the hood before making an investment decision. This looks at the growing trend of bringing investment management in-house.
It's impossible to predict when the next recession will happen. That said, looking at which types of investments have historically fared best during economic downturns can help you limit some of the damage.
It's carnage in bond markets now with bonds potentially heading for a third straight year of losses, something that hasn't happened over the past 100 years. Is this the beginning of a decades-long bond bear market?
Phil Ruthven is the founder and director of IBISWorld, Australia's best-known business information, forecasting and strategic services corporation
Paul John Keating is a former Australian politician who served as the 24th Prime Minister of Australia, in office from 1991 to 1996 as leader of the Labor Party.
reduces the management fee for its Vanguard Australian Government Bond Index ETF.
announces appointment of Mathew McCrum as Head of Fixed Interest.
names Alison O'Neill as CIO of MFS.
Australians don't need dodgy schemes in Caribbean islands to hide their wealth. There are plenty of legal ways to avoid paying tax but they will leave personal income tax carrying a heavy burden for future generations.
People love new things, and investors are no different. But there's something to be said for older businesses that have a proven formula for success, and here are nine ASX-listed stocks that fit the bill.
While the ATO has many ways to watch taxpayer transactions and ensure tax is collected, for some unknown reason, it is legal to select from four different cost base treatments for capital gains tax. It's costing billions.
Returns from the major banks haven't been great over the past ten years, though that could change with higher rates, less competition and cost savings opportunities. Some banks look better value than others.