The age-old investing wisdom was always to maintain a portfolio consisting of 60% equities and 40% bonds (commonly referred to as the “60/40 portfolio”). Bonds have been out of favour since the Global Financial Crisis though, as TINA (“there is no alternative”) took...
One of the advantages of investing in smaller companies is that their share prices typically move less in line with the overall share market (i.e. they are less correlated). Instead, their performance is more driven by the individual company’s operations. Smaller...
While the S&P/ASX 200 is only around 3.5% shy of its all-time high back in August 2021, the last 18 months have been a bumpy ride for most investors. The effects of tighter monetary policy (including a 10th consecutive interest rate rise by the RBA), waning of the...
While the past year has seen stock price corrections across the electric vehicle (EV) sector, 2023 looks to be a transition year for the underlying businesses themselves. EVs are going mainstream as manufacturers across the globe are ramping up production. For the...
Australia’s big four banks recently released their financial results for the first half of the 2023 financial year (second half of the 2022 calendar year). While the share prices of ANZ, NAB and Westpac are largely unchanged from a few years ago (and CBA has shown a...
Australian small-cap shares aren’t normally household names and don’t get the same media attention as the big banks and miners that dominate the ASX 200. However, keen investors can find opportunities in these smaller companies for better returns than blue-chip...
We continue sticking to the insurance thematic this week by looking at the other giant in the Australian market: IAG. We will continue using the same template as last week in assessing this business and its reports. The simple/straightforward equation: Profit = Earned...
Global equity markets began the year with a wave of optimism. The MSCI World Index added 7.1% during the month, while the S&P/500 added 6.3%. Inflation appears to be abating, allowing central banks to taper interest rate hikes soon. China’s emergence from a...
With the RBA lifting rates another 25 bps this week, we look to a business that has steadily benefitted from the current rate environment. Suncorp. A company that seems to be in the midst of a long-awaited turnaround. Before we proceed further, let's set the...
For most investors, 2022 was a tough year. For CY2022, the Australian Small Ords was down -18.40%, the S&P500 was down -19.40%, and the Nasdaq was down -33.10%. Our Australian All Caps fund did not fare better as we, in particular, experienced tough stock-specific...
We have been attracted to Japanese equities for some time due to their robust balance sheets and notable improvements in governance. More recently, Japanese companies have weathered the economic headwinds to outperform global peers significantly. This is despite the...
Today we will be sharing three companies that have one common trait which is that they are ‘old’ businesses, with the youngest incorporated 96 years ago. Age alone doesn’t indicate a sound investment, but it does demonstrate that the company has been able to weather...
