The future of the S&P/ASX benchmark may well have been on show this week when Standard & Poor’s delivered the latest update to their key indices. There was little change at the top of the market, with neither the ASX20 or 50 seeing any new inclusions. That said, there are a number of major events…
The beginning of November welcomed a new identification regime from the Australian Tax Office (ATO). With most of us accustomed to the QR code and check-in apps that have come with the pandemic, the Director Identification Number (DIN) is likely just another hoop to jump through. Launched by the ATO on the 1st of November,…
Estate planning is among the least talked-about parts of any financial plan yet given the growing level of wealth in Australia it is likely to be one of the most important. This is particularly so in an age where blended families are more common than ever, and we are about to see the biggest redistribution…
Alibaba (NYSE:BABA) is typically described as China’s Amazon, but it is so much more. Anyone undertaking a true analysis of the business would likely need to include Alphabet, PayPal, Microsoft and potentially even Intel in their comparison to US technology giants. The company and its distinguished founder, Jack Ma, have been somewhat of a lightning…
40/60, 60/40 or 30/70. The term is among the most spoken about by financial advisers and other industry experts. At present, the focus of the discussion is on why the 40/60 portfolio is “broken,” yet we rarely take a step back and think about it in its own right. The term refers to the “construction”…
Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRK) continued its busy year, with management clearly “cleaning-up” its expanding portfolio of investments. As readers will know, the Warren Buffett-led group doesn’t always ‘do what it says,’ with Berkshire focused on active management and in many cases taking full ownership of businesses ranging from railroads to insurance companies. The September quarter saw…
According to specialist equity manager Redpoint Investment Management, the current annual general meeting (AGM) season for ASX-listed companies is “arguably more important today than it has been over the past few years.” After at least 18 months of refusing to offer anything in the way of guidance to shareholders, outlook statements will once again be…
“We haven’t seen a secular bear market for nearly 40 years,” said Johnathan Ruffer, chairman of multi-asset manager Ruffer in his third quarter update. The outspoken contrarian delivered somewhat of a warning for the cohort of ‘clever’ economists, political journalists and hedge fund managers who think they can understand what is going on in the…
‘Inflation risk is real’. ‘Federal Reserve turns hawkish’. ‘Tapering to begin in November’. These were the headlines that followed Federal Open Market Committee member Randal Quarles’ speech at a conference this week. Yet the headlines once again highlight the risk of confirmation bias that afflicts even the most objective, professional investors. While the headlines were…
There is no shortage of investment ideas available to self-directed investors, nor any lack of ‘fool-proof’ money-making strategies. The level of certainty with which most investment ideas are delivered to the masses belies the inherent complexity of markets. In this environment, the more tools that any investor has at their disposal the better. The role…
