Markets

Australian infrastructure assets such as airports, bridges and ports, known for their reliable income, are becoming the target of cashed-up overseas pension funds and private equity firms. Ausbil Investment Management’s head of global listed infrastructure, Tim Humphreys, and the co-head of global listed infrastructure, Jonathan Reyes, have released a research note on the infrastructure sector…

The 2020s are set to be the years of thematic investing – but so were the early 2000s. And the more things change, the more they stay the same. One of the problems in thematic investing is figuring out what’s a theme and what’s just plain old trendy. But that problem is also a problem…

In the 1950s American economist Harry Markowitz opined that diversification was the only “free lunch” in investing: a reference to the role of the tactic in protecting returns and building wealth for no additional financial outlay. The Nobel Laureate may have changed his mind after witnessing the hedonistic vibe of the 1980s, when business lunches…

There’s a lot of buzz around hydrogen and its potential use as a renewable energy source. Most hydrogen  produced today is “grey” hydrogen, delivered by using natural gas in steam methane reforming. Looking out into the future, “green” hydrogen manufacturing, using electrolysis powered by renewable energy, is under consideration to replace the fossil-fuel-based gas production….

Leading global fixed interest and credit investment manager, Bentham Asset Management, celebrates 18 years of income as it continues to attract investors to its Bentham Global Income Fund, which focuses on capital preservation and income. Bentham Principal, CIO and portfolio manager, Richard Quin, has been with the firm for 18 years since he launched the…

Infrastructure remains among the hottest topics in investment banking and equity circles in 2021. Three blockbuster deals involving AusNet (ASX: AST), Sydney Airport (ASX: SYD) and Spark Infrastructure (ASX: SKI) have once again evidenced that demand from massive private investors like AustralianSuper and the Future Fund isn’t going anywhere. Industry insiders are suggesting the deals…

Emerging markets, but primarily China, have garnered the majority of headlines in recent weeks. Whether it was the implications of Australia’s submarine deal with the US, the impending collapse of Chinese property development giant Evergrande, or the regulatory ‘crackdowns’, sentiment towards investing in the region has rarely been worse. Despite the laundry list of issues,…

BNP Paribas Asset Management has an enviable record of being a sustainable investment leader. Not only has it continued to build on previous commitments to align with the Paris Agreement and improve transparency, but BNP has launched a raft of new commitments aimed at strengthening its fight against climate change and the preservation of the…

Listening to a podcast this week, it was eye-opening to hear an alternate view to the current simplistic views being espoused about markets being ‘overvalued’ or in ‘bubble’ territory. The point made on the popular Animal Spirits podcast was that the paradigm of markets has changed in the last few decades. Those who invested through…

Federation Asset Management recently launched its second alternative investment fund, the Federation Alternative Investment Fund II. The strategy will invest in unlisted private assets, with a dedicated approach towards allocating capital to renewable energy investments, real estate investments and investments in operating companies with strong growth potential. The renewables and sustainability tilt is seeking to…

Gavekal Asia’s research analyst Vincent Tsui released a report titled, ‘The never-ending chip shortage’ which talks about the grim reality that the world’s semiconductor shortage is not going away anytime soon. In a highly competitive industry that takes extreme skill and precision technology to perfect there are only a few players that have mastered chip…

With a current focus on climate and sustainability transformation, other life-changing developments may be battling for similar attention. ETFs have a habit of cottoning-on to popular themes and ‘climate’ or ‘clean’ captures this zeitgeist. Cross-sector thematics, however, can struggle for a sensible screening tool to find the appropriate companies. Some such as automation, cybersecurity or…