Monthly Business Survey – May 2014
Business confidence survived the government’s ‘tough budget’ intact, but business conditions eased again (reflecting sales). Employment and profits were steady at soft levels. Conditions are mixed...
View ArticleMonthly Financial Markets Update – June 2014
In the United States, the S&P 500 finished May at a record high. Investors shrugged off global risk points, including tensions in Eastern Europe and China, to focus on an improving US economy....
View ArticleYour asset allocation guide – June 2014
The synchronised movement in bond and equity prices has many strategists wondering what is going on; both the bond market and equity market cannot be right about future growth. Following changes to our...
View ArticleEnd of Financial Year tax strategies
The lead up to End of Financial Year (EOFY) provides a good opportunity to review your wealth creation plans. At this time, you may also be thinking about strategies to reduce your tax liability,...
View ArticleInvestment strategy: where is your real global equities exposure?
Global equities exposure is not always what it seems as classifications and labels may not reflect the full picture concerning where revenue and profits of companies are actually generated. Some...
View ArticleChina Economic Update – 16 June 2014
Partial economic indicators suggest that China’s economy has stabilised in recent months. These trends remain in line with our expectations, meaning that our forecasts for economic growth remain...
View ArticleInvestment Strategy: Rebalance your global equities exposure
It’s time to revisit your global equity exposure. With global equities having topped the asset allocation performance tables for the second financial year in a row, investors may find their portfolio...
View ArticleMonthly Financial Markets Update – July 2014
The US equity market posted fresh highs in June, but improvements in the US economy are set to flow through to corporate earnings which should continue to support strong equity prices. The global...
View ArticleInvestment Strategy: Understanding equity income funds
You may have heard of equity income funds, but what exactly are they? The term is widely used both in Australia and internationally to describe a range of funds that share one common feature: they aim...
View ArticleYour asset allocation guide – August 2014
After last month’s commentary about stretched valuations in equities and the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index in the United States hitting a fresh record high in late July, we’ve decided to trim our...
View ArticleMonthly Financial Markets Update – July 2014
Global equities finally capitulated to some stretched valuations and geo-political events and fell heavily on the closing two trading days of July. Fear and volatility engulfed nervous investors. The...
View ArticleYour asset allocation guide – September 2014
Our asset allocation recommendations contain suggested exposures to property. However, investors have many options when they consider an allocation to property in their portfolio. They can buy...
View ArticleInvestment Strategy: Objective based investment strategies
Why do people invest money? In simple terms, it’s so they have more money in the future than they have today. When we sit down with our clients and work with them to understand exactly what they’re...
View ArticleMonthly Financial Markets Update – September 2014
Global equities (as represented by the MSCI World Index) shrugged off geo-political concerns to post a strong month. The index rose 2.7% in local currency terms in August and is up 20.9% for the past...
View ArticleSmart structuring for philanthropic giving
There are many ways people help charitable causes in Australia – ranging from involvement as volunteers through to direct financial support. Since 2000, there have been several changes to how...
View ArticleYour asset allocation guide – October 2014
With the large fall in the Australian Dollar over the past month, due to declining commodity prices, a stronger US Dollar and rising equity market volatility, we’re reminded that currencies are good...
View ArticleInvestment Strategy: How to choose a managed fund
For many investors, managed funds offer an attractive way to obtain exposure to a particular asset class that would be very difficult to access directly or to obtain in a diversified form. Commercial...
View ArticleMonthly Financial Markets Update – October 2014
Global equities, as represented by the MSCI World Equity Index, closed marginally lower in local currency terms (-1%) in September. Geopolitical tensions with Russia continued and several Western...
View ArticleMonthly Financial Markets Update – November, 2014
Following a recent sharp decline , global equity markets staged a major comeback in late October. Developed market shares rose 1.2%, with the US market 2.4% higher. The strong upward move was a result...
View ArticleYour asset allocation guide – November 2014
Equity valuation measures, such as Professor Robert Shiller’s Cyclically-Adjusted Price Earnings (CAPE) ratio, currently imply US shares are about 60% overvalued versus long-term averages. However, if...
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