Where to find value in the real estate market

13 December 2017 Where to find value in the real estate market The so called ‘yield trade’, which has pushed valuations in the Australian real estate market across the various segments right up to their long term averages, will continue in 2018. Even though this ‘search for yield’ phenomenon has been playing out for some years – while interest rates remain low and investors to be pushed into riskier assets in search of income – …

Investors found the “sweet spot” in 2017

13 December 2017 Investors found the “sweet spot” in 2017 It was a good year for share market investors in 2017, particularly for those who overcame the fear of a potential market correction and maintained exposure to global listed markets. Looking back on share market and asset price performance generally, the combination of solid global growth and profits and yet low inflation and benign central banks created a “sweet spot” for investors in 2017. Investment …

Debunking 3 myths around global listed infrastructure

13 December 2017 Debunking 3 myths around global listed infrastructure Did you know it takes 957 gallons of water to create a single Big Mac? Some 550 million Big Macs are consumed each year in the US alone. That’s a lot of water. But we simply wouldn’t have Big Macs without the infrastructure to filter and transport water to each part of the Big Mac production process. It’s easy to forget that infrastructure is a …

How the yield trade is shaping our view of the world

13 December 2017 How the yield trade is shaping our view of the world The so called yield trade – which has pushed investors out along the risk curve into more risky assets seeking income – has trained individuals to think more critically about their assets they include in their investment portfolios, reckons Dr Shane Oliver, AMP Capital’s Head of Investment Strategy and Chief Economist. Since central banks have dropped interest rates to record low …

One in three Aussies travel without protection

One in three Aussies travel without protection It’s that time of the year when our thoughts turn to summer holidays, but amid the excitement of choosing a destination, don’t forget to arrange travel cover. In the last three years, one in three Australians have headed off internationally without the protection of travel insurance. If you run into trouble overseas it can be far more than just inconvenient. Lost baggage, stolen smartphones and delayed flights can …

Volatility could present buying opportunities in 2018

13 December 2017 Volatility could present buying opportunities in 2018 Volatility and the first meaningful lift in inflation coming from the United States will likely be the main differentiating features in global financial markets in 2018 compared to this year, according to Dr Shane Oliver, AMP Capital’s Head of Investment Strategy and Chief Economist. The dips in share markets experts anticipated in 2017 are more likely to materialise in the new year, Oliver notes. But …

What a banking Royal Commission means for investors and superannuants

13 December 2017 What a banking Royal Commission means for investors and superannuants A dip in the value of listed financial stocks including Australia’s Big Four banks the day the federal government announced a Royal Commission into the banking, superannuation and financial services industry, could be a sign of things to come for shareholders in the country’s most widely held institutions. The long heralded Royal Commission into the banking industry could have the effect of …

Digital payment options could see you spend more this Christmas

Digital payment options could see you spend more this Christmas With the festive season just weeks away, Australians are gearing up for the annual peak spending period, and the growth of digital payment options could be widening the gap between what we regard as our spending limit and the balance of our bank account. The disconnect between cards and cash Credit cards make spending (and overspending) very easy, and a new breed of “digital wallets” …

Plenty of value at the Hotel California

Plenty of value at the Hotel California Disruption is the buzz word of the modern era and San Francisco as the home of Uber, Twitter and Salesforce.com should know a thing or two about it. To that point, disruption of a very different kind has literally been tearing up the San Francisco skyline, but this is a very different real estate disruption and one that is only short term in nature, with opportunity knocking on …

How to invest here and now in the driverless car future

How to invest here and now in the driverless car future Investors might be looking in the wrong place for exposure to the revolution in driverless cars if they’re pouring over previews of the A$110,000 Tesla Model X. But the trend has prompted other compelling investment opportunities. Investors might be looking in the wrong place for exposure to the revolution in driverless and electric vehicles if they’re pouring over previews of the A$110,000 Tesla Model …