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11 March 2025
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While much of the investment industry recommends selling the banks, many were saying the same thing 12 months ago. The reporting season shows why bank shareholders should be rewarded for ignoring the current market noise.
After a stellar run for banks, investors are wondering whether they can continue their outperformance or if a rotation into miners is imminent. There’s a good case that a switch is coming, and it may last decades, not just years.
Jamie Dimon of JP Morgan is the most powerful commercial banker in the world, and his just-released letter to shareholders warns that while the current economy looks fine, the storm clouds ahead differ from the past.
This banking crisis in the US and Europe is very different to the one which caused the 2008 Global Financial Crisis. If right, it provides an opportunity to find undervalued stocks unfairly pulled down with the bank carnage.
The Big Four banks look similar but they are at fundamentally different stages as they move to simpler business models. Amid challenges from operating systems, loan growth and neobank threats, one factor stands tall.
Commissioner Hayne struggles to define 'culture' but it's important because it will guide behaviour long after the Final Report is gathering dust.
A year of editorials is collected into a summary of the Royal Commission hearings. No need to rush out and buy one of the books that will hit the stores in the next few months.
The Royal Commission has done great work, but most bank activities remain untouched, including the crucial issue of how banks price their products. Kenneth Hayne asks if banks are capable of the change required.
There is popular and political support for a bank royal commission, but what can it really achieve? Two years of bank bashing for doubtful results in an already heavily-regulated and monitored industry.
The cultural shortcomings of banking are being obscured by the more prominent scandals in wealth management. Without a legal fiduciary obligation to customers, are banks fulfilling the social role expected of them?
The Big 4 banks make up nearly 30% of the ASX, and Australian shares make up a significant proportion of most multi-asset portfolios. Even if you can't resist the bank dividends, you should review your level of exposure.
Other sharemarket opportunities than banks are likely to be more resilient in the event of a market correction. Banks have large exposures to residential property which is doubling up on risk for many Australians.
This time last year, I highlighted 16 ASX stocks that investors could own indefinitely. One year on, I look at whether there should be any changes to the list of stocks as well as which companies are worth buying now.
The CIO of Australia’s fourth largest super fund by assets, John Pearce, suggests the odds favour a flat year for markets, with the possibility of a correction of 10% or more. However, he’ll use any dip as a buying opportunity.
While encouraging people to draw down on their accumulated wealth in retirement might be good public policy, several million retirees disagree because they are purposefully conserving that capital. It’s time for a different approach.
With the arrival of the new year, the first members of ‘Generation X’ turned 60, marking the start of the MTV generation’s collective journey towards retirement. Are Gen Xers and our retirement system ready for the transition?
The capital gains tax main residence exemption is no longer 'fit for purpose', due to its inequities, inefficiency, and complexity. Here are several suggestions for adapting or curtailing the concession.
A Grattan Institute report suggests lifetime annuities as a solution to people not spending their super balances. The issue is whether underspending is the real problem or a sign of more fundamental failings in our retirement system.