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Why there’s buzz about the arrival of bitcoin ETFs

Bitcoin is now much easier to own for Aussie investors thanks to the ASX listing of the first such ETF last week. The move follows the lead of the US market, which opened the door to bitcoin ETFs in January this year. Investors have since poured billions of dollars into cryptocurrency ETFs, with US bitcoin ETFs collectively amassing over $57 billion of inflows within three months of launch, including offerings from BlackRock, Fidelity Investments, and VanEck.

26 June 2024
 · 6 MIN READ

What happens if the Fed cuts rates?

It’s been a wild ride in recent months for Fed rate expectations. Back in January this year, a buoyant US market expected seven Fed rate cuts by the end of 2024. By March, the market had sobered up a little and expectations had fallen to three rate cuts for the year. But now markets are only expecting one Fed rate cut in 2024. Interestingly, despite pricing out a full six rate cuts since the start of the year, the S&P 500 is up 15% year to date.

26 June 2024
 · 6 MIN READ

Get ready for the next leg of the AI-powered data centre real estate boom

Despite the ongoing economic slowdown and persistently high office vacancy rates, there are promising signs that the commercial property market is gearing up for a rebound. The rapid expansion of the data centre sector, fuelled by the exponential growth of generative AI and cloud computing, is driving a noticeable surge in commercial real estate activity, both locally and globally. Major players in the industry, such as Equinix, Digital Realty, Blackstone, and Goodman Group, are ramping up their investments in this fast-growing sector, reflecting their widespread confidence in its potential.

13 June 2024
 · 6 MIN READ

How the rich get rich and stay rich

Ask most wealthy people how they built their wealth, and the answers you’ll receive are likely to be obvious and somewhat unexciting rather than sounding like the secret keys to a kingdom of wealth. But therein lies the truth of wealth-building … it’s about taking small, mundane steps in the right direction over the long term.

12 June 2024
 · 7 MIN READ

Global tech stocks now tick income investors’ boxes

Global tech companies, once focused solely on rapid growth, are now adopting a strategy typical of more traditional value businesses — issuing dividends. Meta's introduction of its maiden dividend earlier this year marked a significant departure from the tech sector's usual emphasis on buybacks. Shortly after, Salesforce, Booking, and Alphabet followed suit, announcing dividends for the first time.

30 May 2024
 · 5 MIN READ

Is your portfolio WWIII-proof?

The war in Ukraine signalled a step-change in global geopolitical risk which was further escalated by events in the Gaza Strip. Whilst the investment world remains hopeful (and possibly correct) that global peace will resume after these events, history is less comforting. The risk of a third world war has rarely been higher, and investors have rarely been less prepared for it. Being ready for the unthinkable may be more prudent than you currently believe.

29 May 2024
 · 8 MIN READ

Diversification vs Deworsification

Most of us have been taught to diversify our investment portfolios to ensure we remain on track to achieve our investment goals, regardless of a few mistakes and bear markets along the way. Intuitively, diversifying makes sense to most people as a concept. Even in the seventeenth century, it was written in Don Quixote: ‘It is the part of a wise man to keep himself today for tomorrow, and not venture all his eggs in one basket.’

23 May 2024
 · 6 MIN READ

The bond bear may not be ready to hibernate

We’re entering unchartered territory with the current global bond bear market both in terms of duration and magnitude. For an asset class which had previously been incorporated into the vast majority of portfolios primarily for its defensive attributes, this bear market has raised serious questions about how investors should view bonds looking forward.

22 May 2024
 · 6 MIN READ

Why Australian economic growth has ground to a halt

Worryingly, Australian economic growth decreased each quarter of 2023 so the economy has been in deceleration mode for some time now. The economy only grew 0.2% in Q4 2023, and 1.5% for 2023. Given the population has been growing faster than that, Australia has been in a per capita recession for some time now. In fact, this is the slowest rate of Australian economic growth since way back in the 1990s (excluding the pandemic and the GST introduction). In case you’re wondering why the Aussie economy is languishing while the global economy continues to grow at a decent clip, we take a look under the hood for a guide as to what’s coming next…

9 May 2024
 · 5 MIN READ