Reading time: 4 minutes
History tells us that geopolitics rarely matters for markets, except when it does, and then it’s the only thing that matters. Recent announcements from Western officials were significant and historic, and countered the prevailing belief among analysts that the West wouldn’t risk short-term economic pain in order to damage the Russian war effort.
Value or growth? Why not both
Reading time: 4 minutes
In the vast universe of investment approaches, perhaps the largest divide is between growth investors and value investors.
Growth investors are willing to pay a premium for earnings, sales or revenue growth, while value investors target companies, sectors or even regions that they believe are being undervalued by the market based on their fundamental value,
U.S. elections: what does the ‘blue wave’ mean for investors?
Reading time: 1 minute
Prior to November’s Presidential election, we discussed three possible outcomes and some of the potential investment implications of each scenario.
Having won both seats in Georgia’s Senate run-off elections, the Democrats have now gained control of both the White House and Congress (via the vice-presidency tiebreaker) – giving them a stronger platform for the legislative action necessary to implement their agenda for government.
U.S. election: Three possible scenarios, and ways investors could play them
Reading time: 3 minutes
With the U.S. Presidential election now less than a week away, many investors are currently considering how the potential result could impact their portfolios. While, as our Chief Economist David Bassanese noted in his U.S. Presidential election preview, markets ultimately learn to live with whomever the U.S.
Could negative oil be a positive for ‘Big Oil’?
Reading time: 4 minutes
On 20 April, the WTI oil futures price fell below zero for the first time in history – in other words, traders were prepared to pay buyers to take oil off their hands!
A negative oil futures price is primarily due to the mechanics of the oil futures market,
The coronavirus/oil double whammy: reassessing your defence
Reading time: 4 minutes
Fears around the impact of the coronavirus have been compounded by oil’s woes, causing the biggest falls on Wall Street since the GFC. On Monday, the S&P 500 index fell 7.6%, triggering the first automatic halt in trading in more than two decades,
Indian Corporate Tax Cuts: The Spark that Lights the Fire?
Reading time: 2 minutes
Late last month, the Indian Ministry of Finance announced a large reduction in the base corporate tax rate from 30% to 22%, including a preferential tax rate of 15% for new manufacturing investment. The effective tax rate will be cut to ~25% (after surcharges and levies) vs.
No franking worries! Generating income without relying on franking credits
Reading time: 4 minutes
The proposed removal of franking credit rebates that is part of the ALP’s election policy has been an ongoing point of discussion over the last 12 months. Irrespective of debate around the upcoming election or the form any rule changes may ultimately take,
ETF liquidity in action: A real world example
One of the most common questions I get asked on ETFs relates to liquidity, largely driven by the common misconception that ETFs are somehow illiquid due to the fact that ‘on-screen’ liquidity at times appears limited (particularly compared to popular shares). Even though we have dealt with this area a number of times in other posts,
3 New Financial Year Questions for Your Portfolio
The end of the financial year is a time when many investors take the opportunity to review and assess their portfolios. What’s more, many set about attempting to make some positive adjustments for the financial year ahead.
During this period, based upon the interaction we have with investors and their advisers,