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21 January 2025
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Political turmoil and new regulations have left Europe-listed small caps unloved and under-covered. Taking a 'friendly activist' approach to investing in those with global growth opportunities can reap dividends.
The big 4 banks have pulled back from lending to SMEs and private credit funds have stepped in to fill the breach. Here's what investors need to know about the benefits and risks of including these funds in their portfolios.
Some high-quality companies have emerged even stronger since the onset of COVID and are well placed for outperformance. We call these the ‘COVID Opportunists’ as they are now dominating their specific sectors.
Many investors focus primarily on the big listed companies but the smaller end in tech, mining and healthcare outperforms through innovation. Many Australian companies are world-leaders in their speciality.
Over the last 20 years, smaller Australian listed companies have outperformed larger companies but with greater volatility. Following a strong run in the last six months, the smaller end is looking expensive.
Global equity markets have experienced huge volatility during 2020. Investors are now looking at stretched large cap valuations but there are good opportunities in less well-known, smaller companies.
Many companies have strengthened their balance sheets but their soundness can be directly correlated to the duration of the pandemic. What lessons has 2020 revealed coming into reporting season?
Australian investors have a domestic bias, but around the world, a swag of small to medium cap companies offer better value than the mega-cap names that have driven markets in recent years.
In some parts of the market, the case for active management over passive is strong. The less-researched small companies space shows a focus on strong capital, proven management and a clear strategy pays off.
As heads turn to the hottest tech or niche stock, some companies in traditional business sectors get left behind because they are boring. But overlooked means not overcooked.
Non-banks are claiming market share from banks in many forms of private debt, and it's changing the nature of funding for many small to medium businesses.
The share prices of smaller companies are traditionally more volatile than large, but the market is changing and the roles seem to be reversing. Is it possible to change our bias against small caps?
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.
This examines the performance of key asset classes and sub-sectors in 2024 and over longer timeframes, and the lessons that can be drawn for constructing an investment portfolio for the next decade.
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.