“Learning to live with COVID will be the major theme of 2022,” according to Ken Leech, chief investment officer of leading fixed income manager Western Asset. But not necessarily in the way we think. As the Omicron variant ravages Australia and other parts of the developed world, Leech highlights continuing travel restrictions and lower vaccination…
If we are truly honest about the state of the Australian investment industry when it comes to alternatives, we were very much a backwater for many years. That is, at least, at the mass market, retail, or wholesale level. For many years, the best alternative assets advisers could access were the so-called “black boxes” of…
Australian investors ploughed as much as three times more money into equity-focused managed funds in 2021 than they did in 2020. Being the preferred source of investment vehicle for the majority of financial advisory groups and investment platforms, it provides a unique indicator into the sentiment within the advisory market. According to global funds researcher…
The S&P/ASX 200 suffered its worst week since 2020, finishing Friday 2.3% lower and losing 2.9% over the last five days. On Friday, every single sector on the market was lower, in fact just 12 companies in the top 200 managed a positive return, Boral Ltd (ASX: BLD) being one of them, gaining 2.1%. Whilst the threat of higher interest rates…
The S&P/ASX200 (ASX: XJO) managed a small gain, finishing 0.1 per cent higher despite 7 out of the eleven sectors finishing underwater today. The highlight of the session was the materials sector, which gained 3.1 per cent behind a massive surge in gold miners. The biggest detractor was the communications sector with the likes of Seek (ASX: SEK) and TPG Telecom (ASX: TPG) falling by more than…
Leading investment consultancy bFinance this week released its Insurer Investment Survey, which seeks to understand the investment intentions of the holders of about US$5 trillion ($6.9 trillion) in global capital. With insurance statutory funds among the most powerful investors in the world, the survey provided unique insights into their intentions and strategy. Running a profitable…
On Wednesday, Dixon Advisory & Superannuation Services, the division of ASX-listed E&P Financial Group (ASX:EP1) that was focused on delivering financial advice to high-net-worth clients for several decades, filed for voluntary administration. This marks the beginning of the end for what initially appeared to be an Australian success story. According to the ASX announcement, administrators…
It shouldn’t take one of the most successful self-made hedge fund billionaires to remind us, but the warning may well be timely. In Howard Marks’ latest missive, titled ‘Selling Out’, the author highlights the biggest mistake or ‘cardinal sin’ of investing. That being to ‘sell out’ of otherwise quality assets on little more than a…
The S&P/ASX200 couldn’t overcome another negative lead from the US, with bond rates and reporting season driving the market again. Only two of the markets 11 sectors posted a positive result, with technology continuing its selloff falling 2.6% and the healthcare sector, down 1.6% also underperforming. Once again, energy remains the highlight as oil moved towards multi-year highs with the likes of Origin (ASX: ORG) benefitting…
The S&P/ASX200 finished 0.1% lower as consumer confidence dropped over 7% to the lowest point since the vaccination announcement in November 2020. The market remains mixed with cyclical sectors including energy and materials, up 0.2 and 0.6% respectively, whilst the more defensive healthcare sector underperformed, falling 1.2%. All eyes were on the retail sector, however, with JB HiFi (ASX: JBH) jumping 6.9% and overcoming…
