Reading time: 4 minutes
Electric vehicles have been transforming the automotive industry for over a century. But one of the major changes influencing the cars of tomorrow is the creation of driverless vehicles, or those that are fully autonomous.
We’ve covered how fast the world is charging down the electric avenue with the production and utilisation of electric vehicles,
5 ETFs for rising interest rates and inflation
Reading time: 4 minutes
Global inflationary pressures and interest rates have lifted notably so far this year thanks to strong demand and supply bottlenecks. Inflation appears likely to remain high and more central banks are looking to raise interest rates. This note considers five potentially attractive ETF investment ideas for a rising rate environment.
Can the Asian tigers roar back?
Reading time: 4 minutes
Volatility is nothing new for Asian markets, particularly after a period of prolonged uncertainty throughout the Asian tech sector.
However, recent commentary from the Chinese government has led to renewed optimism, and China’s underlying economic environment could prove to be accommodative for growth stocks across the continent over the coming year.
Why it pays to buy quality Australian companies
Reading time: 4 minutes
Globally, evidence has long suggested that so-called ‘quality’ companies i.e. those able to maintain a consistently high return on equity, without undue leverage, tend to be able to produce good shareholder returns over time.
Indeed, none other than the famed investor Warren Buffett has identified these as key metrics he considers when picking stocks.
The green lining: Europe’s march to clean energy
Reading time: 2 minutes
Putin’s war, aside from creating one of the largest humanitarian crises in recent decades, has highlighted the need for Europe to wean itself off Russian oil and gas and accelerate the continent’s transition to renewable energies.
In this article I’ll explore Europe’s dependence on Russian fossil fuels,
When the Fed starts hiking, look to quality
Reading time: 3 minutes
Financial theory suggests that rising interest rates hurt stock valuations due to a rise in the equity risk premium, and therefore an increase in the discount rate used to assess future cash flows.
With the U.S. Federal Reserve indicating a period of rising rates to assist in curbing inflation,
The crude reality: the implications of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for oil prices
Reading time: 5 minutes
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has resulted in condemnation by Western leaders.
The war, taken together with inflationary pressures and the threat of rising interest rates, has seen market volatility rise. On 7 March 2022, the S&P 500 Index saw its most drastic one-day drop since May 20201,
Commodities: Does the Russia/Ukraine conflict reinforce the bull case?
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.
Market Trends: March 2022
Key global market moves – war and rates hurt sentiment
Global equity prices weakened a further 1.1% in February after a sharp 6.2% decline in January, as persistent global interest rate and inflation worries were joined by a new risk factor – Russia’s assault on Ukraine – that further undermined investor sentiment.
Russia/Ukraine: Rising geopolitical risks and portfolio implications
Reading time: 5 minutes
Given the enormity of Russia’s decision to invade Ukraine, this note provides a short update on the potential market implications.
Keeping in mind that the situation remains very fluid and uncertain, as at the time of writing – Tuesday morning, 1 March, Sydney time –