You do not need me to tell you that financial markets are experiencing ‘interesting times’. From what appeared as a full-on recovery in the economy and positive outcomes for investors late last year and early into the calendar year, we are hearing talk of bear markets and even a possible recession. And of course, those…
June 17, 2022
Australian Persistence Scorecard – Can Active Funds Persistently Outperform?
Content provided by S&P Dow Jones Indices While comparing active funds against their respective benchmark indices is a typical practice to evaluate their performance, persistence is an additional test that can reveal fund managers’ skills in different market environments. We measure the performance persistence of active funds that outperformed their peers and benchmarks over consecutive…
June 7, 2022
There’s still life in retail
Content provided by Thinktank Written by Per Amundsen, Head of Research, Thinktank It was December 2021, after nearly two years of lockdown, that the Thinktank Monthly Report struck a slightly more optimistic note about the retail property sector. To quote: “Retail continues to be showing initial signs of recovery and indications of a turnaround as…
May 31, 2022
1 July 2022 and superannuation contribution changes
Several key super changes which may impact your ability to contribute to your SMSF, are set to take effect from 1 July 2022. These changes create opportunities for all SMSF members, young and old, to grow their retirement savings. What are the changes? Originally announced in the 2021 Federal Budget, the following changes apply from 1…
May 31, 2022
Investing during extreme uncertainty
Written by Paul Miron, Managing Director, Msquared Capital As we return to work after a Federal Election and the appointment of a new government, there still seems to be no end in sight regarding the war in Ukraine…not to mention an energy crisis, world food shortages, supply chain issues…COVID-19…and rising costs of living, with persistent high…
May 27, 2022
Issue 33: Rising interest rates – one coin, two sides
‘Following the RBA’s decision to raise interest rates yesterday, we will be applying the full increase to all of our deposit and savings accounts immediately’, said no bank ever! And it probably will be sometime, if not decades before this becomes a true statement. Much, if not most of the commentary following the first rise…
May 19, 2022
How gold ETFs keep fees and costs low
Content provided by The Perth Mint As with all managed funds, gold ETFs incur costs and fees charged to their investors to cover the expenses of operating the product on a regulated exchange. Unlike most other ETF products, which tend to have some cash in them as part of the portfolio of assets owned on…
May 13, 2022
Bringing ESG Considerations to Australian Strategies
Content provided by S&P Dow Jones Indices This paper will demonstrate the potential improvements in environmental, social and governance (ESG) characteristics that are reflected in ESG benchmarks versus traditional market-capitalization-weighted benchmarks in a hypothetical group of Australian equities. We explore how various sustainability-focused indices might provide improved ESG characteristics, while maintaining comparable sectoral and country…
May 6, 2022
International Investing Webinar – Why beaten- up sectors are an interesting playground
Content provided by Forager Funds In the May International Shares Fund webinar, Forager’s Steve Johnson, Chloe Stokes and Harvey Migotti discuss a range of topics, including: The latest developments in global share markets; Fund performance and what’s new for the portfolio; and What beaten up sectors and stocks we’ve been keeping an eye on. Content…
April 28, 2022
Issue 32: The value of advice and a trusted adviser – Part 2
This article was initially planned with a working title of “What came from the Federal Budget?’ and while there may have been a collective ‘Phew, nothing unexpected’, for advisers and SMSF industry specialists the reason for the relief may have been different from that of investors and trustees. For investors and SMSF trustees, true, there…