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Home / Author: Ashley Owen

Ashley Owen

Would you invest in this emerging market?

Emerging markets, with their explosive growth and vibrant opportunities, can offer great returns if you're comfortable with the inherent risks. What happens as they mature and where are the new markets today?

My personal perspective on 10 years of the mining boom

Great speculative mining booms occur about once every 30 years or so in Australia. This year marks the conclusion of my decade-long plunge into mining stocks. I will probably be very old or gone before the next price surge.

1979 US Government defaults: what happened next?

The deep financial, economic and political crises came to a head at the end of the 1970s when the US Government defaulted on its debt. It became the dawn of a brand new era of growth and prosperity for Americans.

US Government has previously defaulted, it’s not risk-free

The US Treasury defaulted three times on its treasury bills in 1979, but the problem is primarily one of politics, not insolvency. Another default may be enough of a shock to get the parties together to work on real solutions.

US Government shut-down – been there, done that

The current US budget crisis will not be the first time its government has run out of money. Scary as this may sound to investors, the impact on markets of recent government shutdowns was different to what many expected.

Hold the champagne, that’s not a recovery yet

Many people are claiming that after six years, the market has recovered its GFC losses, but it's worse than that. In fact, the All Ordinaries index today is barely above its 1968 peak in real terms after inflation, some 45 years later.

Latest Updates

Property

Australian house prices close in on world record

Sydney is set to become the world’s most expensive city for housing over the next 12 months, a new report shows. Our other major cities aren’t far behind unless there are major changes to improve housing affordability.

Strategy

CBA, AUSTRAC and our Orwellian privacy laws

Imagine waking up to an email from your bank demanding to know if you keep cash at home - and threatening to freeze your accounts if you don't respond in seven days. This happened to me and it raises some disturbing questions. 

SMSF strategies

The ultimate superannuation EOFY checklist 2025

Here is a checklist of 27 important issues you should address with your advisers before June 30 to ensure your SMSF or other fund are in order and that you are making the most of the strategies available.

Shares

Why 'boring' Big Four banks remain attractive

Despite a brief correction last month, Australian bank share prices have continued their impressive runs. Recent results show the banks remain in good shape though some are faring better than others. 

Investment strategies

Ophir on Trump, constant improvement, and Life360

In this interview, Ophir’s Andrew Mitchell outlines how he’s handled recent Trump-fuelled volatility, his three key criteria for picking stocks, and why he thinks Life360 is set for much bigger things.

Investment strategies

Investor warns of danger in Big Super’s pet asset class

Dan Rasmussen says the flood of capital into private assets outstrips the opportunity set and the economic substance of most companies being bought and lent to. When inflows turn to outflows, the impact could be stark.

Economy

Government investment is remarkably effective

A new study challenges the myth that government spending is wasteful - public investment, especially outside the US, can yield major long-term economic gains, often outperforming private investment in driving GDP growth.

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