April was a volatile month indeed – or so you would think if you have been following the news. While sensationalised reporting generates readership, a comprehensive assessment of the data often doesn’t support the narrative. Show More
The assumption that Amazon would sweep away all retailers that stand before it resulted in many US retailers being sold down. This hysteria created some interesting opportunities in the retail segment, one of which is Dollar General. Show More
Much has been made of the increased popularity of passive investing, and rightfully so. Markets have generated excellent returns over the long term, and index tracking Funds or ETF’s provide very low-cost exposure to highly diversified portfolios. However, in this wire, we explain what it has in common with investing... Show More
Fundamental analysts spend an inordinate amount of time with Microsoft Excel software trying to gauge the magnitude and direction of the future cash flow evolution of a company with detailed projections around revenue, margin and earnings trajectory. Yet over time, the lesson one learns is that, more often than not,... Show More
The emergence of a US-China trade war (via the threat of tit-for-tat tariffs) has, not surprisingly, spooked investors and led to heightened volatility in global markets in recent weeks. The feud began in March when Trump announced a plan to tax steel and aluminium from China and other countries. Since... Show More
One important thing for investors to think about is how to ensure that the portfolios can be meaningfully protected through inevitable periods of downturn and ensure you remain well positioned to participate in the resultant recovery. In this wire, we discuss five key ways to achieve this. Show More
A very ‘Xīnnián hǎo’ to you, as this month’s Chinese new year zodiac moves from the Rooster to the Year of the Dog. The 12-year repeating nature of Chinese astrology interests us here on The Value Perspective, as this is just the sort of time horizon that should be in... Show More
In our most recent webinar, Steve Johnson, Gareth Brown and Alex Shevelev discuss avoiding speculative madness, the importance of staying invested and at the same time, holding cash when necessary. You can listen to the full webinar at the bottom of this article or fast forward to the relevant area... Show More
When we go into periods of big volatility like this, it is the amount of liquidity in the US wholesale system that decides how long that period of volatility will last. I think this period will last weeks rather than days. I think by the time we get to the... Show More
CommSec's Tom Piotrowski speaks with BKI Investment Company (BKI) Portfolio Manager, Tom Millner about the company’s first half results, its low fee structure and investment opportunities in the infrastructure, financial & healthcare sectors. Show More
Isn’t it time we changed the dialogue around millennials and money? Moved away from berating them for their supposed avocado-eating, latte-sipping, globe-trotting habits and offered some pragmatic strategies for building a sustainable financial future? We certainly think so. It’s why we’ve broken down 5 investing tips for millennials looking for... Show More
There are lots of reasons why investors get excited about small cap stocks, particularly in Australia: the significantly larger opportunity set outside of the top 100 companies, the higher growth rates that small companies can achieve, and the myriad of successful individual stock stories that abound. Global academic research has... Show More
There was an article on the Livewire website this week quoting a recent Kerr Neilson presentation, the billionaire fund manager at Platinum Asset Management. There were lots of good takeaways but the comment that interested me was this quote: Show More
Macro analysis often gets a bad rap these days. Fund managers often prefer to associate themselves with value investors like Warren Buffett, who famously deride the use of macro analysis. However, we can’t all be Warren Buffett, so macro analysis can form an important part of many investment processes. Show More
Every month, we provide a snapshot of the Affluence Investment Fund portfolio to our investors. We always include the two following charts to help people understand how we have positioned the portfolio: Show More
These days the challenge in writing an outlook piece for the stockmarket is to try and avoid rehashing the same supportive comments for global equities. I guess a bull case is a bull case even if valuation yardsticks aren’t quite as appealing this quarter as they were in the last. Show More
In a world where information is disseminated almost instantly, markets have become quick to price in new information. However, Andrew Martin from Alphinity Investment Management says that they generally fail to appreciate the long-term implications of a change in outlook. Show More
Through LICs you can access many different managers, asset classes, geographies and investment strategies. One of our funds invests only in LICs, so we spend a lot of time looking for investment opportunities in the sector. Here are ten things you need to consider before making any LIC investment. Show More
Straw hats are cheaper to buy in winter, and the best time to repair a leaking roof is when it's not raining. In a similar vein, when market volatility is low and inexpensive, it's often a good time to buy some protection for equity portfolios to guard against "X-factor" downside... Show More
The old saying ‘Sell in May and Go Away’ is starting to be whispered around the market. There are many reasons behind this seasonal period for the ASX, including the following: Show More