To cut or not cut? That is the question facing the National Australia Bank (NAB) Board. Just over a week ago, NAB announced another customer remediation provision, this time a whopping $749 million before tax for 1H19. Unsurprisingly, NAB announced a review of its dividend settings. We wrote about the... Show More
Investors can be drawn to small-caps because the segment often houses companies with unappreciated growth prospects. The challenge of course is to avoid the numerous failures and investment speculation from creeping into portfolios. Show More
Investment markets are currently being challenged by low global economic growth and distorted by monetary policy targeting historically low and (increasingly) negative interest rates. This has led to a reversal of expected norms, as investors have turned to stocks for income, while bonds have been a significant source of capital... Show More
The Reserve Bank of Australia has cut the official cash rate to an unprecedented 1.5% to maintain downward pressure on the currency and spur sluggish inflation and business investment. As was forecast by most analysts, the board lowered the cash rate by 0.25 of a percentage point from 1.75% on... Show More
A well-received investor briefing in May, together with a currency tailwind from the falling Australian dollar, drove QBE Insurance Group (ASX:QBE) shares higher in May. After several years of restructuring, QBE is now better positioned to produce reliable profit growth despite the soft premium environment and low interest rates. The... Show More