Markets

“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…

The team at Loomis Sayles has released a research note advising investors to prepare for the transition from pandemic to endemic. Every time a new Covid variant is born, the market is hit with fear and uncertainty as investors brace for the potential economic impact. Loomis Sayles says, “it’s important to pay attention to new…

While all eyes remain focused squarely on whether inflation is “transitory” or not, “persistent” is the adjective that value manager Allan Gray uses to describe the position of the equity market. Speaking in its monthly update, the firm’s Australian managing director and chief investment officer Simon Mawhinney flagged the “exuberance for some stocks and disdain…

Financial professionals are the critical link between the clients’ world and the vast financial system. What often distinguishes financial advisers during troubled times is the ability to communicate between these two worlds effectively. Invesco Global Consulting’s mission is to help financial professionals do exactly that. As we speak to financial professionals during times of market…

Perennial Partners’ sustainable small cap equities fund, the Perennial Better Future Trust, was up 2.4% net of fees in December, beating the S&P/ASX Small Ordinaries Accumulation Index’s return of 1.4%. The trust has been in operation for almost four years, since inception in February 2018, and has grown to exceed $100 million in assets. The…

“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…

Morningstar has released its “top-performing global equity fund managers in 2021” report. This year, the funds that performed the best contained a well-disciplined approach to investing, together with an experienced team capable of producing high-performance numbers. The research report found that the top three global fund managers also had outstanding longer-term performance numbers. What this…

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…

While the government’s Your Future, Your Super (YFYS) reform package, which took effect last July, has been widely derided by the industry, it is the first step in a move to requiring the industry to improve its efficiency, transparency and accountability. One of the unexpected consequences of the YFYS changes is the fact that it…

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…

Praemium (ASX:PPS) shares are up almost 4% at the time of writing following the announcement of strong growth during the second quarter. The platform recorded funds under administration of $49bn with net inflows up 12% on the same quarter last year and has closed the gap with Netwealth’s $50bn. Key results for the second quarter…