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24 December 2024

Home / Whitepaper

Whitepapers: First Sentier Investors

1-34 out of 34 results.

A deep dive into profitability

This report examines the characteristics and trend of a well-known measure of quality - Profitability. It discusses the reasons why it is a useful measure and why it might be persistent through time.

Infrastructure: Has Net Zero gone nuclear?

Over the last decade the electricity sector has been at the forefront of decarbonisation, ahead of transport, industry and agriculture. We estimate that the rollout of renewable energy has enabled ~80% of the net zero pathway for utilities to be understood and in progress.

Infrastructure positioned to outperform in 2024

Infrastructure assets are expected to see earnings growth in 2024 and beyond, aided by structural growth drivers, especially utilities which are benefiting from energy transition.

Investors can assess nature now

Investors need well-functioning economies and societies to create stable markets. Given our economies are dependent on nature and we cannot get to net zero without nature, it is in investors’ interests to limit nature loss and protect the ecosystems.

Our take on AI (American Infrastructure)

First Sentier's global infrastructure team recently spent a couple of weeks in the US and Canada, meeting with management teams from the railroads, utilities and energy midstream sectors, as well as with regulators. This paper details their findings.

Price effects during dividend periods: alpha, cash flow and tax

An investigation into the pervasive but misunderstood price effects of stocks in the period surrounding their dividend payments, observing a positive excess return from tilting towards dividend paying stocks in the month (or slightly longer) prior to the ex-dividend date.

Beyond lip service: tracking the impact of the gender diversity gap

The 'glass ceiling' carries negative social impacts and raises issues for equity investors. If a large part of the talent pool goes untapped, and ‘groupthink’ reigns among decision makers, could it limit companies from achieving their full potential?

An emerging property niche to watch: Ghost kitchens

Digital transformation, cost cutting through operational efficiency, scalability and Covid safety are impacting almost every industry. The hospitality sector is facing disruption from a new consumer trend – an insurgency of ‘ghost kitchens’ – which has implications for property investors.

Credit investments can boost conventional ‘barbell’ portfolios

Investors are using corporate bonds to boost returns within their fixed income portfolios, creating tailwinds for the asset class. This Global Credit Outlook 2021 explains why corporate bonds are an attractive option.

Asset allocation challenges: 5 questions for 2021

A static investment approach is unlikely to deliver on long-term return objectives in the current conditions. The Multi-Asset Solutions team explore five key questions on asset allocation.

Navigating investment in a post-Covid world

2020 was a year like no other, with COVID-19 reshaping the way we live, work and invest. As the year began, we were forced to reassess how we interact with each other, how complex systems work together and how nature has more power over us than we normally like to admit.

'China tech' and concentration risk in emerging markets

Like tech in the US, a few Chinese internet behemoths have become increasingly dominant in the emerging market cap-weighted index, Realindex Investments reports.

The growing problem of zombie companies

The existence of 'zombie' firms is a dangerous and growing problem in the global economy. These are companies that would normally have gone bankrupt or been restructured but have been kept alive by sympathetic credit policy and artificially low interest rates.

How to fly guilt-free

Numerous studies point to travel by plane as one of the most emissions-intensive modes of travel. Given this is unlikely to change anytime soon, what is the best way to fly guilt-free?

Analysis of Labor’s dividend imputation proposal

On 13 March 2018, the Australian Labor Party (ALP) announced that if it wins the next election it will amend the imputation system to make excess imputation credits non-refundable from 1 July 2019.

Physical impacts of climate change

  • 6 December 2018

Climate change is causing a wide range of physical impacts with serious implications for investors and businesses. While weather variability and extremes have always existed, satellite and other observations show that temperatures are increasing which is causing extreme weather events to become more frequent and intense.

2018 Responsible Investment Report

  • 7 November 2018

Over the past five years, CFSGAM’s approach to responsible investment has focused on its investment processes and long-term risk adjusted financial returns. Pablo Berrutti, Head of Responsible Investment Asia Pacific, says, “We believe climate breakdown has diverse, urgent and complex implications for investors and the companies we invest in.

American infrastructure exceptionalism

  • 25 July 2018

The listed infrastructure sector in North America contains many world-leading assets operated by world class companies. Over US$50 billion in assets are being added to the asset class in the booming North American oil and gas fields.

Volatility and how we review asset allocations

  • 28 June 2018

In the first half of 2018, we saw volatility return to markets, a breach of the much anticipated 3% yield for 10-year US Treasuries, and an agreed summit between North and South Korea.

A tale of two styles: value and growth

  • 29 March 2018

Value investors have generally done well recently while many growth stocks have languished. In this paper, we look at some of the drivers behind recent market moves, including the effect of rising interest rates, earnings disappointments and the subsequent de-rating of growth stocks.

Make America Great Again: listed infrastructure has a plan

  • 22 February 2018

Infrastructure in the US today feels like the opening line of Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”. Many segments of the US infrastructure market are working well while other segments suffer from chronic underinvestment.

Why sustainability matters for listed infrastructure

The essential service nature and large environmental footprints of infrastructure assets make sustainability considerations a vital part of doing business.

Robots, Artificial Intelligence and the future of jobs

Macquarie University, as part of its Lighthouse Lecture Series, recently hosted a discussion by world renowned labour economist, Professor Richard Freeman from Harvard University on “Employment and Income in the Age of Robots”.

Global listed infrastructure securities: Past, present, future

The past decade has witnessed the birth of a new asset class: Global Listed Infrastructure Securities (GLIS). GLIS is now widely acknowledged as a standalone asset class by asset consultants, investors and the funds management industry.

2017 Responsible Investment and Stewardship Report

CFSGAM’s approach to responsible investment (RI) and stewardship is detailed in this 10th anniversary report, covering the 2016 calendar year.

Travel Diary: Made in Japan

  • 19 April 2017

Japan is starting to deliver some volume expansion. Port volumes turned positive for the first time in two years. Rail and airport volumes are robust and will receive a boost from the 2019 Rugby World Cup and 2020 Olympics. Sentiment is lifting and domestic companies are expanding their operations

Non-concessional cap: Update on proposed changes

The Government has announced it won’t proceed with the lifetime non-concessional contributions cap proposed in the 2016–17 Federal Budget, which would have applied from Budget night and included eligible contributions made since 1 July 2007.

The continuing search for growth

This paper explores the increasing preference for global equities that has occurred since mid-2013, when the Australian dollar fell below parity against the US dollar.

Infrastructure and the tangible value of time

This travel diary explores the tangible value of time through three case studies of good infrastructure, from toll roads in Melbourne to airports in Tijuana to mobile towers in Dallas. Investors need to watch for potential change, but the demand for good infrastructure will continue to increase.

Responsible Investment and Stewardship

  • 18 May 2016

CFSGAM’s Responsible Investment and Stewardship Report illustrates the execution of RI commitments across a global investment business.

First Insights April 2016

Continuing the trend of late-2015, the first quarter of 2016 was once again dominated by market volatility. After the first interest rate hike by the US Federal Reserve in December 2015, markets began 2016 weaker, fuelled by global growth concerns, particularly in emerging markets and China and the effectiveness of central bank policy to deal with this.

First Insights January 2016

In this edition of First Insights, Colonial First State Global Asset Management (CFSGAM) discusses key themes for the year ahead and reflect on the year that was.

The Yield Report 2015

Colonial First State Global Asset Management’s yield report explores the potential implications of interest rate increases for seven asset classes across its portfolio of investment capabilities.

Searching for growth outside of Australian equities

The June 2015 Colonial First State Global Asset Management (CFSGAM) Investor Insights report has found Australian investors are taking on more risk in their search for growth, and increasing their exposure to investment property and global equities in lieu of Australian equities.

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Vale Graham Hand

It’s with heavy hearts that we announce Firstlinks’ co-founder and former Managing Editor, Graham Hand, has died aged 66. Graham was a legendary figure in the finance industry and here are three tributes to him.

Australian stocks will crush housing over the next decade, one year on

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.

Avoiding wealth transfer pitfalls

Australia is in the early throes of an intergenerational wealth transfer worth an estimated $3.5 trillion. Here's a case study highlighting some of the challenges with transferring wealth between generations.

Taxpayers betrayed by Future Fund debacle

The Future Fund's original purpose was to meet the unfunded liabilities of Commonwealth defined benefit schemes. These liabilities have ballooned to an estimated $290 billion and taxpayers continue to be treated like fools.

Australia’s shameful super gap

ASFA provides a key guide for how much you will need to live on in retirement. Unfortunately it has many deficiencies, and the averages don't tell the full story of the growing gender superannuation gap.

Looking beyond banks for dividend income

The Big Four banks have had an extraordinary run and it’s left income investors with a conundrum: to stick with them even though they now offer relatively low dividend yields and limited growth prospects or to look elsewhere.

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