Global

Big name Chinese equities including Tencent, Alibaba and JD.com dominated global equity strategies until late 2020. Almost every well-known fund manager in the country had significant weightings to the region on the basis that it had continued to grow strongly during the pandemic and had a strong economic backdrop in the years to come. Naturally,…

March stands out as being one of the most difficult periods for investors in a generation. On the one hand, bond markets send fixed income to its worst return in more decades, and on the other, equity markets were sold off broadly on valuation concerns as bond yields ended a forty-year downward trend. It is…

For investors looking to build positions in quality technology firms, the US computer chip giants are trading at attractive price levels, with many brokers now rating them as a buy, according to data from the Wall Street Journal. The prices of semiconductor companies have dropped sharply this year amidst a broader sell-off in technology stocks…

In the US, corporate earnings season is in full swing, and it couldn’t come at a worse time. Investors are fleeing away from risk and to safety putting the market in a bearish unforgiving mood. Companies that have missed expectations have been absolutely smashed. According to FactSet, 70 per cent of S&P500 companies that have…

Last week I met with Monochrome Asset Management’s chief operating officer and head of digital markets, Jeff Leal, to chat about all things Bitcoin and crypto. The asset manager is one of the few daring enough to launch its own Monochrome Bitcoin Fund, which is a capital-growth fund offering a regulated and familiar investment vehicle…

If there was an award for the exchange-traded fund (ETF) with the best ticker code, it would unanimously be awarded to ETF Securities’ Battery Tech & Lithium ETF (ASX: ACDC). Named after Australia’s most high-voltage rock band, ACDC provides Australian investors with diversified exposure to the renewable energy megatrend; specifically, companies involved in building battery technology and…

The March quarter is well and truly over. Unfortunately, the war in Ukraine is not. Chart 1: World equity market returns – March Quarter 2022 Looking at the world chart above, equity markets tumbled across the board in the quarter, except for some small pockets in Singapore and Australia. According to Ausbil, much of it…

The world is largely open for travel. As vaccination rates peak, governments across the globe are managing to contain COVID-19 and relax border restrictions. Travel in China, however, is heavily compromised by COVID restrictions. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), “North American and European international traffic rebounded to -42% of their 2019 peaks…

I believe there are a few ASX blue-chip shares that have better futures than the market is giving credit. Every business on the ASX (and other global stock exchanges) has a share price. That share price has expectations built into it – the future profit margins, how much revenue could grow, market share, potential dividends,…

Elon Musk, the world’s richest man has declared publicly his intention to take private Twitter Inc (NYSE: TWTR). Last week Musk sent a $43.4 billion ($54.20 per share) offer to the Twitter Board to buy the remaining 91% of the business he doesn’t already own. The Board is yet to officially respond. Instead, it has since…

The Magellan Financial Group Ltd (ASX: MFG) share price just jumped 12% in early trading despite funds under management (FUM) outflows in March. Magellan share price rises The funds management business just announced that between 11 March 2022 to 31 March 2022, it experienced net outflows of approximately $1.1 billion. This comprised net retail outflows of $0.5…

According to index and data provider FTSE Russell, the global thematic investment market tripled in size in the three years to June 2021, hitting a record of US$660 billion ($892 billion). “Investors are becoming less satisfied with broad-based investments,” said the release, with most “looking for investment vehicles that cater to a narrower, more focused…