People

The Melbourne-based cryptocurrency exchange Cointree is one of Australia’s first and longest running crypto exchanges having launched in 2013. We were recently able to spend some time with the CEO of Cointree, Shane Stevenson to discuss recent events in the cryptocurrency and digital asset markets along with understanding where Cointree sees the future of the…

The Clearbridge RARE Infrastructure Income fund was last week awarded Money Management’s Fund Manager of the Year award for the Infrastructure Securities category. This comes after a strong recovery to April and an impressive long-term track record. According to Money Management, it was Clearbridge’s ability to “focus on the best ideas and staying index-unaware” that…

Legendary investor Jeremy Grantham says that while markets are in what he’s called “one of the great bubbles of financial history,” there’s “no traditional pin” to pop it. Speaking to Morningstar CEO Kunal Kapoor, Grantham – who famously dodged the Japanese asset price bubble in the 1980s, as well as the Tech Wreck and the…

Fixed income allocations have experienced a difficult 12 months, with both performance and sentiment turning against the sector. The threat of higher interest rates has seen volatility in Government bond markets reach levels not seen in decades. With many experts now suggesting that the duration “tailwind” is over, being the capital gains offered by bonds…

Money Management held its fund manager of the year awards last week. Presented by TV personality Andrew Daddo, the awards recognise stellar fund manager performance at a time when markets underwent bouts of extreme volatility. There were numerous awards in various categories, but ultimately the Fund Manager of the Year Award for 2021 was taken…

With records still being set by both equities and bond markets, investor uncertainty abounds. It would seem that these times are made for both active management and experience. Among bond markets, the possibility of higher inflation, especially in the US, is prompting fears of rising interest rates, and therefore falling prices, with investors looking further…

Stewart Investors is among the world’s leading ESG or responsible investment firms, yet a series of name and ownership changes have somewhat hidden this specialist investment firm. Originally part of the Colonial First State Global Asset Management (CFSGAM) stable, Stewart is now owned by First Sentier Investors, which itself is a subsidiary of Japanese investment…

Global small-caps consistently outperform their large-cap brethren – and do it with a better risk-adjusted return – but few investors are paying attention, according to Ausbil portfolio manager Tobias Bucks. “Global small-caps outperform global mid-and large caps. Like all maths, it’s boring but it’s true,”Mr Bucks told the Inside Network’s Equities and Growth Symposium on…

In a nutshell, value investing is buying ‘quality’ companies at share prices well below intrinsic value. Quality is defined using four characteristics: A high-quality business that sells high-quality products, usually market leaders. Low debt – tend to handle downturns better. Sound management. Recurring earnings – start-ups are not preferred. Warren Buffett’s famous saying “Finding an…

This week we caught up with Luke Spiller, a partner at Melbourne-based Scholten Collins McKissock Wealth Management. Luke is an up-and-coming leader in the financial advice industry, a ‘lifer,’ so to speak, who points to the evolution of investment markets as a key reason why he is as excited as ever to be in the…

The chief executive-elect of AMP Limited, once a financial services giant in size and stature – boasting for a time the advertising slogan: ‘We will always be there’ – faces the biggest task of her career. Her track record could not be better. The advertising slogan sounded good, if overly ambitious, for its post-IPO times. The sector’s predilection for…

It’s commonly stated that career risk is among the biggest factors that drives the perceived under-performance of most active managers. The evidence suggests that as successful managers attract more capital and their remuneration increases, they tend to regress back to the benchmark. But why is this so? With success comes more assets under management and…