Markets

The simplest trade may well have been the most profitable since the pandemic began. Backing big tech, the FANGs, or even the S&P500 in which they are more dominant than ever, has been a sure-fire way to deliver the strongest returns in decades to investors in balanced portfolios. But just how important have they been,…

Leading thematic manager, Capital Group, is confident that the market downturn of 2020 was short-lived and entirely related to the COVID-19 outbreak, according to vice-chairman and president, Rob Lovelace.   Expanding on this point, he says that the “the powerful upswing in equity prices since then is simply a continuation of the bull market we’ve…

The US sharemarket has compounded returns exceeding 18 per cent per year since the depths of the Global Financial Crisis. Despite the all-too-consistent prognostications in nearly every year since, that the market has become over-valued, investors have clearly been rewarded for taking risk. Has this performance been driven solely by central bank policy, as many…

After a hellish close to 2021 that saw the departure of one of Magellan’s largest institutional clients, the pressure will be on for Hamish Douglass to do what he says he won’t: prioritise the short-term. The closing months of 2021 were likely the harshest of Douglass’ public career. Criticisms of Magellan’s underperformance since the 2020…

One of the most powerful, and potentially long-standing, impacts of the pandemic was the so-called democratisation of investing. With over a billion people stuck at home, many of whom were in secure work, or alternatively the beneficiaries of the largest stimulus package in history, a large portion turned to investing to fill the time. At…

2022 was a pivotal year for managed discretionary accounts (MDAs). Funds under management surpassed the magical $100 billion mark for the first time, as the uptake among financial advisers was boosted by Covid-19. According to the Institute of Managed Account Professionals (IMAP), estimates are for funds under management to cruise past the $200 billion mark…

The second half of 2021 has produced a mixed bag of results for global growth equity funds. A mass rotation away from China and high bond rates impacting valuations saw global growth funds skewed towards Asia and US tech, underperform. Those tilted towards the US more generally outperformed. Looking at the Hyperion Global Growth Fund,…

On the whole, value funds underperformed growth despite some volatility in October. Global equities managed to resume their upward trajectory in October and remained in positive territory year to date. Key sources of positive return came from managed funds which selected stocks in the US, were able to take advantage of short position in China,…

From being a ‘crypto critic’, Australia has quickly transformed itself to soon be a ‘crypto leader’ by proposing a framework for managing cryptocurrencies and crypto companies, in the biggest shakeup in the country’s payment systems in 25 years. Covid-19 showed us how quickly society digitised its payments systems with the onset of Afterpay and its…

The suggestion that investing in a more responsible or sustainable manner detracts, rather than adds to returns has now been debunked, with research proving the gap no longer exists. This message is central to Damian Cottier, Portfolio Manager of the Perennial Better Future Trust, and his mission to deliver strong returns whilst contributing to a…

Global small caps have typically been an avoid for investors during a market downturn or volatile times. Usually this asset class does well during an economic recovery. And the past few months are a good example the small caps sector bouncing back strongly earnings recovered. The question now, is whether this bounce is likely to…

The easiest way to understand why personalisation matters so significantly to clients is to think of your own experience as a consumer. When you’re purchasing an item or experiencing a service, do you appreciate receiving personalised communications and suggestions? How about receiving tailored content and benefits that are specific to your needs? Like most clients,…