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16 January 2025
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After being shunned by most investors up to early 2016, most commodity prices have experienced stellar growth in the last two years, putting resource companies back in the frame for many portfolios.
What to expect in 2018, Howard Marks, the future of ETFs and LICs, managing diversification and volatility, the Lucky Country and (yes) Bitcoin.
Howard Marks explains that he has never told investors 'it's time to get out', and while he does not see bubble conditions, future returns are likely to be subdued based on current high prices.
The phrase 'Lucky Country' was coined to be pejorative, but Australia has managed to acquire wealth and income equality well beyond expectations bestowed on it by chance.
Investors shouldn't automatically assume the inclusion of bonds in a portfolio provides diversity against their equity exposure, as correlations can change in volatile markets.
Volatility continues to hit record lows despite political upheaval and the start of interest rate normalisation. But, as inflation continues to take root, can active strategies help investors protect their portfolios from downside risk?
ETFs are seeing the growth in popularity in Australia that overseas markets have experienced for many years, and they could reach $50 billion by the end of 2018. What will drive it?
2017 was a watershed year for LICs, not only because of the increase in issues, but the new features that address previous shortcomings.
Price is what you pay when you buy an asset, and value is what you get. Market price and the intrinsic value of a good or a company share are two different qualities.
Last year, I wrote an article suggesting returns from ASX stocks would trample those from housing over the next decade. One year later, this is an update on how that forecast is going and what's changed since.
The housing market was subdued in 2024, and pessimism abounds as we start the new year. 2025 is likely to be a tale of two halves, with interest rate cuts fuelling a resurgence in buyer demand in the second half of the year.
The renowned investor has penned his first investor letter for 2025 and it’s a ripper. He runs through what bubbles are, which ones he’s experienced, and whether today’s markets qualify as the third major bubble of this century.
Key lessons include expensive stocks can always get more expensive, Bitcoin is our tulip mania, follow the smart money, the young are coming with pitchforks on housing, and the importance of staying invested.
Check out the most-read Firstlinks articles from 2024. From '16 ASX stocks to buy and hold forever', to 'The best strategy to build income for life', and 'Where baby boomer wealth will end up', there's something for all.
2024 was a banner year for equities, with a run-up in US tech stocks broadening into a global market rally, and the big question now is whether the good times can continue? History suggests optimism is warranted.