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Key Points Despite a big rise in GDP per person, surveyed measures of happiness have been flat to falling in the US and Australia. Younger people in the US, Canada, Australia and NZ are the least happy age group. This is a major change from...
Key Points After strong gains, shares are vulnerable to a pull back or more volatile/constrained returns than seen so far this year. The key threats at present are Iran’s attack on Israel which risks escalating the war in the Middle East, threatening oil supplies, and...
Key Points The Australian housing market remains far more complicated than optimists and doomsters portray it to be. Australian housing is expensive and highly indebted; but it’s very diverse; mortgage arrears remain low; interest rates still matter; but it’s been chronically undersupplied for years; forecasting...
Key Points Seven key lasting impacts from the Coronavirus pandemic are: “bigger” government; tighter labour markets; reduced globalisation and increased geopolitical tensions; higher inflation; worse housing affordability; working from home; and a faster embrace of technology. On balance these make for a more fragmented and...
Key Points Bitcoin has made it to new record highs, helped recently by the advent of ETFs that invest directly into it. While blockchain technology has promise, the use case for Bitcoin is hard to determine making it impossible to value. Bitcoin could have lots...
Investing can be scary and confusing at times. But the basic principles of successful investing are timeless and quotes from experts help illuminate these. This note revisits a series on insightful quotes on investing Shane Oliver first started a decade ago. To read the full article...
Key Points: Shares have made it to record highs this year but after strong gains are a bit vulnerable to a near term pull back. However, we remain upbeat on a 12-month view as falling inflation allows rate cuts and hopefully recession is avoided. Seven...
Key Points: Rate hikes have worked in helping slow inflation and rate cuts are likely this year. Expect a bumpy ride though. The risk of recession remains high at around 40% in the US and Australia. Geopolitical risk including around the US election remains high...
Key Points: The Australian Government’s changes to the Stage 3 tax cuts have refocused attention on the need for tax reform. The Australian tax system has five key problems: it’s heavily reliant on income tax; it’s complicated by numerous tax concessions; it’s highly progressive; it...
Key Points: Inflation is in retreat thanks to improved supply and cooling demand. A further fall is likely this year. Australian inflation remains relatively high – but this mainly reflects lags rather than a more inflation prone economy. Profit gouging or wages were not the...