Asset Allocation

The M&A boom is set to continue in 2022 according to deals frenzy set to continue into 2022, according to Corrs Chambers Westgarth’s M&A 2022 Outlook report. The Australian M&A market has sprung back to life, with current conditions paving the way for another busy year ahead,   As it stands, Australia is set for its…

Mercer has urged investors to consider a wider range of inflation scenarios in portfolio design plans as price uncertainty ramps up across the world. In a new paper, the global multi-manager and consultancy firm says investors now face more complicated decisions amid confusing inflation signals. “Adding a less predictable inflation environment now increases complexity for…

The COVID-19 pandemic and associated market sell-off became an unexpected testing ground for many of the more recent advancements in financial markets and investing. One growth area that has passed with flying colours, according to its predominantly institutional proponents, is factor investing. Defined as an investment approach that seeks to target specific drivers of returns…

“Follow the money” is among the most popular sayings in markets, with the regular Bank of America Fund Manager Survey one of the few insights available into how some US$1 trillion ($1.4 trillion) is being allocated. As is the case in the age of social media, click bait and meme stocks, those with the loudest…

“To work, or not to work” was the title of Franklin Templeton’s Chief Investment Officer of Fixed Income, Sonal Desai’s latest white paper. The detailed analysis on the US labour market offers insights into the future that lies ahead for Australia but also into the unique and difficult conditions the world is in as we…

As Australia joins the rest of the world and transitions to a post-Covid era, it’s never been more difficult to be an adviser. Investment products are becoming more complex, everything is over-regulated, risks are everywhere, ultra-low bond yields aren’t budging, equities are expensive, and inflation is starting to rear its ugly head. Advisers are facing…

The ETF world has multiplied well beyond expectations. Index-linked ETFs are now a standard-bearer for investment portfolios driven by sticky active fund fees and variable performance. Yet their use versus desired outcome point to ease in choice, rather than a more considered approach. Additionally, advisers are often taking a stab at a regional index to compensate…

Another negative week for the ASX, Trump-Biden debate, Link (ASX:LNK) undervalued The ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) finished 0.1% lower on Friday keeping the index in negative territory for the week, down 0.2%.  The IT sector was the highlight, adding 1.8%, behind strength in Afterpay (ASX:APT), Zip Co (ASX:Z1P) and Link Administration (ASX:LNK).  Management of LNK responded to the $5.20…

Calvert Institute, the Responsible Lending arm of asset management Eaton Vance, this week released an extensive analysis on the real impacts that corporate governance practices are having on financial performance. The sector and connection between the two has until this point been under-researched and likely under-appreciated, particularly on a global scale. In conducting its research,…

It ends at seven, ASX falls 0.3%, Bank of Queensland surprises, US falls offering weaker lead The ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) couldn’t keep its unbeaten run going, falling 0.3% on Wednesday, overcome by a combination of factors.  The materials sector was among the biggest detractors, falling 0.9% after the unexpected announcement overnight that Chinese steel mills were ordered…

Big Australian Wins Battle of the Bulks OK, so you want to own a big global diversified bulk miner, to take advantage of the impending commodities boom – let’s take a look at the contenders, BHP and Rio Tinto. Here’s the tale of the tape. BHP (BHP, $36.35)Market capitalisation: $183.7 billionOne-year total return: +6.9%Three-year total…

Markets have strongest week in months, ASX up 5.4%, S&P 500 up 3.9%, stimulus on again The ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) delivered its strong week since April, finishing 5.4% higher despite finishing flat on Friday. It was a similar story in the US, with the S&P 500 adding 0.9% on Friday and 3.9% for the week. The…