It was another strong day for the S&P/ASX200, overcoming negative sentiment around valuations and inflation to deliver another 1.2% gain. Almost every sector finished higher, with utilities the primary underperformer after Origin Energy (ASX: ORG) dropped 2.6%. The standout was energy once again, gaining 2.8% and materials, which finished 2.0% higher as investors flocked to both construction material providers, Boral (ASX: BLD)…
 It was another positive day for the market, with the S&P/ASX200 gaining 0.5% after the Reserve Bank confirmed it would be taking no action on rates once again. Concerns about a slowdown in global growth have seen a recovery in the more rate-sensitive sectors of the market with technology and utilities leading the way again, gaining 2.6 and 2.4% respectively. Materials were…
 The S&P/ASX200 wasn’t able to capitalise on the strong finish in the US on Friday, continuing to underperform the world’s largest market falling 0.2%. Financials were the biggest detractor falling 1.8% with the likes of Commonwealth Bank (ASX: CBA) and Macquarie (ASX: MQG) falling 2% each. The rally was squarely in the beaten-down technology and retailing sector, up 3.7 and 1.3% with Zip Co (ASX:…
The Compensation Scheme of Last Resort, or CSLR, has become something of a lightning rod for the finance industry in 2022; and yet we are less than a month into the year. While almost every impacted party agrees on the importance of the new scheme, few can agree on who should pay for it, and…
Anyone shopping for basic goods or reading the papers in recent months has likely had more than enough of the “supply chain issues” that many businesses are facing. While many of these are self-inflicted, whether due to our closed borders, the running-down of inventory or a plethora of other issues, they are indeed real. Unfortunately,…
Well-known for its market leading, retiree-focused, franking-credit-driven Australian equity income funds, asset manager Plato Investment Management has gone green. Powered by the same detailed quantitative analysis that has driven tits portfolios since inception, the group this week announced the launch of the Plato Global Net Zero Hedge Fund. The fund will be “managed with a…
Australian investors had some respite on Friday, as volatility disappeared and the S&P/ASX200 gained 2.2% to finish the week. There was little news driving the rebound, aside from perhaps the realisation that whilst rates may rise sooner than expected, they remain fixed near zero. CSL (ASX: CSL) was a major contributor, gaining 3.2% after a difficult week, but it was…
 It was an eventful day in global markets, with the US indices initially trading higher after learning that the Federal Reserve were considering increasing the cash rate for the first time in many years in March this year. The market turned quickly, with the selloff in technology accelerating once again. Australia was not immune, with the market…
The last two years have been a near-perfect storm of activity for many financial advisers. The onset of the pandemic placed significant pressure on advisers to respond to client queries at a time of immense stress; many advisers were trying to deal with a flood of new clients as industry numbers dwindled and the big…
“Optimism and opportunity” are the best way to describe the outlook for the Australian equity market in 2022 according to Reece Birtles, of Martin Currie. In his role as chief investment oficer, reading the broader themes is as important as assessing the underlying portfolio companies. As the headlines in the financial press remain fixated on…
