How high can government debt-to-GDP ratios soar?
Somewhere a ceiling exists. Trouble is brewing, especially in the eurozone and emerging countries. The ‘IMF crisis’ is judged the worst event to have hit South Korea since the civil war of 1950-53. The rest of the world knows this financial upheaval as the ‘Asia crisis’ of 1997. The mismatch is because South Koreans, perhaps…
Shake it off: Recovery expected, but risks remain
Against a backdrop of the ongoing pandemic, tighter regulation in China, and the prospect of reduced policy support from global central banks, 2021 has not been without its risks. However, as we look to the new year, we see opportunities for careful, bottom-up stock pickers in a wide range of industries across Asia. Fidelity’s Matthew…
2021 IPO Winners and Losers
The search for rewarding things to do during COVID 19 lockdowns led a flood of newcomers to share market investing. Younger investors entering the world of stock trading was a trend already underway, but the pandemic fueled that trend. A 12 May article appearing in the US financial website CNBC reported that major US online…
Outlook 2022: Sustainable investment
ESG (environment, social governance) investing has entered the mainstream. According to analysis by Bloomberg, ESG assets soared to an unprecedented $37.8 trillion by the end of 2021 and are predicted to grow to $53 trillion by 2025, which would be a third of all global assets under management. This rise is mirrored by a growing…
Assets to consider trimming in the year ahead
While we have a positive outlook on 2022, investors may want to revisit exposure to these three areas. Markets in a minute Powell keeps his options open. This week, the Federal Reserve officially made its pivot from maximum support for the economy to increased flexibility to fight inflation. There are three takeaways that illustrate this…
Recovery expected, but risks remain
Against a backdrop of the ongoing pandemic, tighter regulation in China, and the prospect of reduced policy support from global central banks, 2021 has not been without its risks. However, as we look to the new year, we see opportunities for careful, bottom-up stock pickers in a wide range of industries across Asia. Fidelity’s Matthew…
Challenges for Australian listed companies
Rising prices, largely driven by the increasingly inflationary environment, are creating challenges for a range of Australian companies. Combined with the transition underway in the energy market, it adds up to a market that benefits from careful stock picking. Changes to the banking status quo The big four may need to be renamed. For so long,…
Buy Now Pay Later Providers Under a Microscope
Although the US market trails much of the world – especially Australia – in consumer adoption of what some believe to be a new and revolutionary approach to buying goods, the origins of the current Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) mania can actually traced back to installment plans in the US as early as the…
Green hydrogen is central to plans to achieve net zero
A cost disadvantage needs to be overcome first. The US has launched a ‘hydrogen shot’ known as ‘111’ for one dollar for one kilo in one decade. The UK intends to be the “Qatar of hydrogen”. Japan wants to be a “hydrogen society”. China, with 53 projects underway, is a “potential hydrogen giant” in a…
Residential Community Village Property Stocks Recovering
Property stocks were hit hard at the onset of the COVID 19 Pandemic but recovered quickly with most still rising. Stocks in the sector that offer lifestyle residential communities and holiday parks have outperformed all but one of the top five ASX listed property groups that specialise in commercial and retail properties with one also…
