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9 January 2025
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Apparently, Listed Investment Companies trading at a discount to NTA are both the best and worst of worlds. They are either exciting opportunities or not in the best interests of investors. Which is right?
Most of us try a version of tactical asset allocation. The good news is the range of investments available has improved significantly, and anyone can become a version of the Future Fund or Jerome Powell.
Investors hold non-government bonds for both their income and defensive characteristics, but there must be sufficient diversification and liquidity in quality names to manage the risk.
Around $4 billion of listed bonds funds have filled a market that did not exist a couple of years ago, and more are coming. They are each buying different assets and promising varying returns.
The recent rise in the prices of bank hybrids fails to recognise the risks involved, and they now look expensive compared to alternatives available to both retail and institutional investors.
In seeking additional income, some type of market risk must be taken to earn above the 2% on term deposits. The listed market now offers a vast array of alternatives not available even a couple of years ago.
It was a big year for Listed Investment Companies (LICs) and Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), both finishing 2018 with about $40 billion on issue and vying for top spot on the ASX. Here are some 2019 expectations.
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.
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.
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.
What is the X-factor - the largely unexpected influence that wasn’t thought about when the year began but came from left field to have powerful effects on investment returns - for 2024? It's time to select the winner.