Intel

Victor Smorgon Group is one of the rare family offices that manage external funds. Doing that required modifying some of the investment principles that it holds dear.

Over half of asset managers in the US offer “business consulting resources” to the growing registered investment adviser cohort. Whether advisers actually want these services is debatable, but the trend seems to be gaining traction.

ETF usage is growing exponentially in the US, aided in no small part by increased adoption by Registered Investment Advisors who are all-in on the model portfolio phenomena.

People stepping up from the $1m-$2.5m bracket to the $2.5m-$5m bracket are the most likely HNW investor to be unadvised, data shows, with a greater allocation to direct shares and property.

After a string of high-profile incidents, the sale of Australia’s largest listed cybersecurity company, Tesserent (ASX:TNT) to French multinational Thales is a reminder of the value in carefully selected small cap stocks.

The meteoric rise of Nvidia (NVDA) parallels generative AI’s own stratospheric journey. Dataset provider Appen provides an interesting local proxy stock, alongside a new wave of AI-themed ETFs.

For the world to meet climate targets, the supply of battery-grade lithium will have to ramp up greatly, prompting expectations that the price will keep rising for years to come. And Australian companies with proven lithium deposits could do well as M&A in the sector stays hot, analysts say.

Active management might be back in a big way but asset managers need to make sure they’re getting what they pay for: skill, not luck. Figuring out manager style and factor biases is key.

Recent research reveals high-net-worth investors have reduced in number this year while accumulating more investable assets, with this cohort taking a “more subdued outlook” for the coming year. Investors’ asset class preference is also evolving to favour defensive investments.

The Russia-Ukraine war has seemingly moved from the headlines in most of the developed world, with most attention now being paid to the challenge of a jump in the cost of living and the impact of higher interest rates on repayments and property prices.

Several economists are now expecting the central bank will raise interest rates next week given a jump in inflation to a 21-year high of 5.1%, which would be the first rise in interest rates during an election campaign since November 2007, and coming ahead of several forecast rate rises in the second half of 2022. …

Following on from the Banking Royal Commission of 2017-18, the growing popularity of boutique independent financial advisers has grown consistently, with clients seeing value in advisers that are building strong personal relationships and providing a consistent high-quality service to their clients. Boutique advisory firms typically have a niche area of expertise where they can differentiate…