At its meeting today, the Board decided to leave the cash rate unchanged at 0.75 per cent. The outlook for the global economy remains reasonable. While the risks are still tilted to the downside, some of these risks have lessened recently. The US–China trade and technology disputes continue to affect international trade Read more…
For a long time, we have been bearish on the Australian dollar, seeing a fall into the high $US0.60s and revising this to around $US0.65 in May. In early October it fell to a low of $US0.6671. While negatives remain significant for the $A there is good reason to believe Read more…
You’re trying so hard to eat a clean diet, right? Yet, you simply can’t resist the smell of fried food. Going for a jog every day should be easy, but something else always ranks higher on the priority list. This constant back and forth is often the very thing that Read more…
Introduction After sharp share market falls when headlines scream about the billions wiped off the market the usual questions are: what caused the fall? what’s the outlook? and what does it mean for superannuation? The correct answer to the latter should be something like “nothing really, as super is a Read more…
In today's environment of low interest rates, many investors are chasing income by moving into lower-quality high-yield bonds, but are they ignoring the downside risks? While an overweight to high-yield credit may be an efficient way to boost a portfolio’s yield, investors need to be mindful of the additional risks Read more…
There are mechanisms to maximise returns in this lower-for-longer environment, and a green alpha strategy in real estate investment is one option on the table. Against a global backdrop of lower interest rates, falling government bond yields and bank term deposit returns at or below 2 per cent, achieving higher, Read more…
Investors may be surprised to learn about the patterns which have formed in the small caps market since the Global Financial Crisis. Here, we take a closer look at recent data, and what is driving earnings and valuations. Overview Australian small cap stocks have failed to live up to their Read more…
Bad meme There is always someone telling us that there is some sort of economic/financial disaster coming our way. However, there does seem to be a higher level of hand wringing now about the global economic outlook than normal. These concerns basically go something like this: Global debt – Read more…
In a rural Spanish town, wolves outnumber children. In the United States, carmakers are testing automated vehicles not in Silicon Valley, but in a Florida retirement community. Closer to home, in Castlemaine, Victoria, a gym is encouraging people to lift weights to maintain muscle mass and prevent infirmity in later life. These seemingly different Read more…
As most of us would be aware, Australia is prone to experiencing bushfires. And as BIG4 has parks dotted all over the country, it’s a given that we have a presence in regions where bushfires can hit. Whether you’re travelling to, from, or within your holiday destination, we want you Read more…