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Home / Author: Ashley Owen

Ashley Owen

A few big companies drive market results

While hot stocks generate media coverage and attention from investors, for the overall health of the market, they are irrelevant. A few big companies drive the Australian market.

The end of six wonderful years for investing

There are enough negative factors in play to suggest great caution with asset allocation in portfolios, as a wonderful run of results for investors came to an end in 2018. Here are four common factors in market collapses.

The sorry tale of our big banks

The history of the Big Four banks is littered with bad strategies by overpaid executives, taxpayer-funded rescues and a lack of competition. As the banks clean up the Royal Commission mess, Macquarie has overall done better.

Aussie shares: 50 years and we’re finally ahead

It's too easy to look at a long-term chart of rising share prices and be reassured about performance. But adjusted for inflation, many of our largest companies have gone nowhere in half a century.

Why dividend yields in Australia are so high

Australian companies have a long and frustrating history of wasting billions of dollars of capital on overseas dreams, and institutional investors should be taking a harder line to protect their capital.

Winners and losers in sharemarkets, 2017/18

The Australian market again delivered strong returns in 2017-2018 with big sector differences, but there were large variations in global performance depending on the currency hedging strategy.

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Economy

Has Australia wasted the last 30 years?

The 20 years after Peter Costello left Treasury have been deemed wasted...by Peter Costello. The missed opportunities for Australia began long before.  

Retirement

Navigating the next stage of life in retirement

Retirement planning is more than just saving enough money. Long-term care needs, housing choices, and social networks are just as critical for a happy and enjoyable life.

Strategy

Showcasing your value in the age of AI shortcuts

Knowledge is becoming commoditized in the age of artificial intelligence but experience, taste, and judgement are still at a premium.

Planning

Financial advice as the pathway to economic security

Financial advice can lead to improved financial literacy, a healthier super balance and a higher standard of living in retirement. Is now the time to give yourself the gift of financial advice?

Economy

The overlooked driver of energy inflation

The impact of energy policy on inflation in Australia is often overlooked. Transitioning to renewable energy can lead to inflated costs that affect the entire economy and productivity growth.

Economy

A 2026 rotation story: Europe’s undervalued small caps

In 2026, Europe is poised for a 'Goldilocks' scenario with cooling inflation and lower rates, driven by fiscal stimulus. Small caps offer an attractive entry point before capital rotation.

Investment strategies

What we do when things go up (a lot)

Recent price spikes, particularly gold's surge, trigger behavioral responses like availability bias, storytelling, extrapolation, and FOMO, which create self-reinforcing feedback loops influencing investor sentiment and market trends.

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