Investing 101

As an ever-more-connected world makes it harder to deliver uncorrelated portfolios, there are still strategies investors can use to add diversification. Industry leaders recently discussed opportunities in equities and fixed income at The Inside Network’s inaugural Investment Leaders Forum in Queenstown, New Zealand.

Analysis of June trading by Selfwealth platform users with portfolios of more than $1 million showed clear patterns in how different generations prefer to invest, with Baby Boomers seeking income and quality while Millennials and Gen X-ers prefer exposure to the clean-energy transition and ETFs.

Multi-asset index funds offer the benefits of passive investment strategies with added diversification, says AMP’s Stephen Flegg, but investors should be aware of how a fund manager’s choices and risk profile may affect performance.

Five per cent on a one-year term deposit will tempt a lot of investors, and with good reason, but equities have proven their worth over the long term. As ever, experts say, personal needs should guide investment selection.

The RBA’s sharp policy shift towards higher rates has put significant wind in the tail of “boring, old” bonds. But do Australians understand the role they play in the fixed income spectrum, and what they can do for portfolios?

After a punishing innings for her flagship ETF, ARK Invest founder Cathie Wood thinks investors need to stop living in the 70s. This time next year the Fed will be “running in the opposite direction” and deflation will dominate the market, she says.

For the right investor, investment bonds can provide a seriously beneficial after-tax return according to Foresters Financial chief executive Emma Sakellaris.

With almost $600 million worth of SMSF assets held in art – up 54 per cent since 2016 – the original alternative investment is seeing a significant resurgence in popularity.

High payout ratios and non-cyclical price falls are some of the red flags investors need to be wary of. A selection of portfolio managers reveal what they look out for, and try to avoid, when hunting for value stocks.

As the economy tilts toward recession, portfolio analysts are turning towards sectors and companies that handle cloudy conditions better than most. Healthcare, energy, consumer staples and utilities come into focus, while cyclical sector companies lose favour.

True to form, US stocks are outperforming Aussie shares on the back of a resurgence in technology-related company valuations. Economists warn against straying from diversification, however, with Aussie miners still offering investors capital returns on top of an underlying hedge against a US downturn.

The ATO’s review of income tax returns show nine in 10 rental property owners are getting their return wrong. Property expense claims, as well as SMSF returns and crypto transactions, are all on the radar this year.