Media pressure continues to grow on Hamish Douglass and the $100 billion Magellan Financial Group. After years of outperformance the flagship fund has been caught off guard by what Douglass himself described as “the best month in 26 years” that was November 2020. As markets continue to move forward, Douglass and Magellan remained steadfast deciding…
Emerging markets, including China and India, have been among the most popular destinations for investors in recent months, with many attracted to their diversification benefits. There remains a common misconception that these countries are still the “manufacturer for the world,” but the companies that now inhabit these countries, in many cases, have surpassed their developed…
Superannuation research house Chant West, part of the Zenith Investment Consulting group, this week published their quarterly performance update on the industry fund sector. Despite the volatility experienced in March, which spanned both bond and equity markets, returns continue to surprise on the upside in March. Chant West’s research seeks to differentiate between the, at…
May is shaping up to be one of the most important months for dividend-focused Australian investors, with bank reporting season beginning on May 3, with Westpac’s interim result. The unexpected strength of the sector was brought to light this week after two of the three main ratings agencies upgraded their views on the sector, on…
Similar to the Australian Investor’s Association in Australia, the AAII or American Association of Individual Investors, is a significant source of information for self-directed investors of all types. Running a series of events and with a huge following, the association is well positioned to measure the pulse of the industry. According to their latest Asset…
“Am I worried about asset prices rising too quickly? At the moment, I don’t see anything that’s unsustainable”. “I recognise that low interest rates are one of the factors contributing to higher housing prices and that high and rising housing prices raise concerns for many people.” “There are various tools, other than higher interest rates,…
A key plank of the highly touted Your Future Your Super legislation is the ‘performance test’ that will apply to industry super funds and other My Super products. The sector had been somewhat immune from targeted regulation for several years, outside of aggressive questioning from Parliamentary committees and sailed through the Royal Commission ultimately unscathed….
Despite hope that the vaccines would see a return to normal life in 2021, it appears we will live through at least another 12 months of uncertainty. Few people, outside of the obvious, have felt the emotional and operational brunt of the pandemic more than financial advisers. Most advisers I speak to were inundated with…
It was surprising to hear that one of the Platinum Asset Management’s top performing managers, Joseph Lai, Portfolio Manager of the Platinum Asia Fund, had left the firm over Christmas. The fund had performed exceptionally well in 2020 and was a highlight of an otherwise difficult year for the ‘value’ shop which saw the trend…
ASX flat as value rotation continues, Premier (ASX:PMV) hits record The ASX200 (ASX:XJO) eked out a 0.1% gain for the day, with the ‘value’ rotation in full swing. The strengthening oil price combined with a weaker USD sent the sector 4.2% higher, Origin Energy (ASX:ORG) and OilSearch Ltd (ASX:OSH) were the key beneficiaries, up 3.0% and 6.0% respectively. ORG has been further…
