Australian residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) provide a source of highly rated assets with consistent income generation. Two questions immediately come to mind when looking at them: how risky are they and how they should be priced? As will be discussed, RMBS are often maligned as being riskier than facts would... Show More
Mandatory retirement savings in Australia are worth $2.7 trillion and growing. Equity markets are arguably looking fully priced, particularly as the rhetoric of a trade war between the US and China ramps up again. To top it off, bank deposits and bond yields are offering circa 2% yields at best.... Show More
Commercial real estate is an income-generating asset class that covers a broad range of property types, including office buildings, shopping centres, warehouses and other specialist properties such as hotels, childcare centres and data centres. As an alternative investment to equities and bonds, investments in commercial real estate assets offer the... Show More
I was playing golf over Easter with a few retirees. "I love the smell of retirees in the morning...it smells like...Victory" Not their fault - when your handicap is set on the often rock hard and slick sandbelt courses of Melbourne, clubs like Royal Canberra, Pambula Merimbula and Eden... Show More
It’s obvious. Retirees need income. With cash and fixed interest offering low yields, equities are a good place to look for income. On the surface, it may seem easy creating an income portfolio from shares – just select stocks from a list of high dividend yielders. However, setting up an... Show More
For the income-focussed equity investor, there are few things that strike fear into the heart more than a dividend cut. The capital losses alone can destroy years of income, and that’s before you even consider the reduced dividend stream. Telstra has fallen nearly 30% since announcing its dividend cut in... Show More
The argument usually comes down to Connery or Craig. Both highly popular James Bonds brought different styles to the big screen. The “best” 007 actor, though, maybe more a case of which one best suited the social environment of the time. For investors, the best bond, similarly, largely depends on... Show More
There’s a misperception that equity income investing is as easy as ranking the market’s highest-yielding stocks and building a portfolio from that basis. While on the surface stocks that yield in excess of 7% might look attractive, it may be a complete illusion if one looks closely at the market’s... Show More
The world is in a period of low growth and political uncertainty (Brexit, Hung Parliaments, Donald Trump et al.) Property as an investment class has performed well in this environment and is expected to continue to do so with lower interest rates and the largesse of central banks continuing to... Show More
Brexit means uncertainty. Uncertainty on its impact on the UK economy and uncertainty on whether it sets a precedent for others in the EU. And investment markets do not respond well to spikes in uncertainty. But what does it mean for Australian corporate credit risk? Next to nothing. Earnings and... Show More