Opinion

With climate change front and centre of every investor’s mind, most people think of renewable energy or clean energy production as being primarily solar panels or wind turbines. Often many of the more effective and efficient renewable energy production processes are left out, such as hydro-electricity. Nuclear power is almost always omitted from the “clean…

The Federal Budget unveiled this week was clearly intended to be an election-winning budget prepared to win over the public with many of its generous promises. Budget time doesn’t usually move markets, but with inflation on the rise, the market is on edge. In the 2022-23 budget, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg delivered a long list of…

Speaking at the Inside Network’s Equities and Growth Assets Symposium, the only conference dedicated to this important asset class, co-portfolio manager of the Franklin Global Growth Fund, Francyne Mu said the time was right for investors to start “flipping the script and look beyond the usual suspects” in resetting their equity allocations.   No surprise…

Following-on from the COP26 meeting last November, there has been a tectonic shift towards “green” asset investments to ensure that the (voluntary) national goals of the Paris Agreement are met, and there is a rapid reduction of carbon-dioxide emissions to ‘net zero’ levels. The Australian Financial Review said that as of September 30, “sustainable funds…

Funds under management (FUM) in managed accounts jumped in the second half of 2021, with continued growth expected in 2022 through more volatile asset markets, according to new data from the Institute of Managed Account Professionals (IMAP). As at 31 December 2021, FUM in managed accounts stood at $131.65 billion, an increase of $21.06 billion…

Venture capital has been one of the most popular and profitable sectors in which to operate and invest in the last few years. Traditionally, and ultimately still, the primary domain of the ultra-wealthy, pension funds and statutory investors, the sector has delivered returns exceeding 20 per cent a year for many years now. Private equity…

While global sharemarkets have recovered much of the ground lost due to the Ukraine crisis, US Federal Reserve moves and surging energy costs, there is a general feeling that equities remain on the precipice of a bear market, or at the very least, an extended correction. Whether it is our inherent pessimism towards markets, or…

Inflation has been garnering headlines throughout the world in 2022. Economists, journalists, and investors across the entire asset-class spectrum are all seeking to understand the implications of an inflation rate that has reached multi-decade highs. Yet despite all the headlines, the concept, trends and issues remain poorly understood, that is, according to a recent white…

As the world emerges from the pandemic, economies around the world have re-opened, albeit with record levels of fiscal and monetary stimulus, higher production costs and a global supply chain that has been pushed to its limits. It’s no surprise that inflation expectations are the highest in almost a decade. Inflation should build steadily over…

The US central bank announced a quarter percentage point increase in its benchmark rate overnight, which was widely expected. For the first time in three years has it increased rates and it expected to keep this going until they reach between 1.75 percent and  2 percent by the years end. Sonal Desai, CIO of Global…

Inflation is set to rise on the back of higher oil and commodity prices, driven by supply concerns due to the conflict in Ukraine and the recent floods. This has caused pundits to shift their stance to become overly aggressive on rate expectations. However, portfolio manager Anthony Kirkham of Western Asset, a global active fixed-income…

As expectations for public market returns sour, much attention is being focused on the yield to be found in private equity. It’s still fairly inaccessible for the average investor. But investing in listed private equity – the managers themselves – can provide private equity returns with public market liquidity. To Barwon Investment Partners, private equity…