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Chris Stott

Capital management techniques in LICs

Many capital management techniques are used by LICs in an attempt to narrow or eliminate the discount at which the price trades relative to net tangible assets – all with varying success.

Why LICs trade at premiums or discounts

The surge in popularity of listed investment companies has seen the erosion of the average price discount relative to net assets. Whether a LIC is likely to trade at a discount or a premium should inform your decision to invest.

Why have small cap stocks underperformed?

Over the last two years, small caps have underperformed their large cap rivals in Australia, which goes against the global historical trend. Where has our small cap additional performance gone and will it return?

Top 10 tips to find great small companies

Small cap companies outperform their large cap peers over the long term and are a great way of adding diversification. But there are hundreds of small companies to choose from, and it's important to find the quality.

The evolution of Listed Investment Companies

Listed Investment Companies compete with managed funds and ETFs for pooled investments, and a couple of legislative changes in recent years have improved their outlook.

If the small cap fits, wear it

There are reasons why small cap stocks have a history of long term outperformance, although recently, the preference for defensive large cap yields has dominated.

Latest Updates

Superannuation

Indexation implications – key changes to 2026/27 super thresholds

Stay on top of the latest changes to superannuation rates and thresholds for 2026, including increases to transfer balance cap, concessional contributions cap, and non-concessional contributions cap.

Economy

Central banks need higher inflation targets

In a shift away from solely targeting low inflation, central banks are considering raising inflation targets to combat economic challenges, but face potential drawbacks and conflicts in policy implementation.

Exchange traded products

The missing 30%: how LIC returns are understated, and why it matters

The perceived underperformance of LICs compared to ETFs is due to existing comparison data excluding crucial information, highlighting the need for proper assessment and transparent reporting.

Latest from Morningstar

Alpha isn’t dead. You’ve just been measuring it wrong

New research shows smarter portfolio construction—not new factors—is the real edge in the hunt for alpha. However, finding it requires a fundamentally different mindset.

Investment strategies

The diversification illusion: why 'balanced' portfolios may be exposed

Many 'diversified' portfolios are increasingly driven by the same narrow set of forces. As concentration builds beneath the surface, understanding how portfolios behave - not just how they’re constructed - is critical for investors.

Investment strategies

The case for staying the course in credit

Rising oil prices and inflation pushed Australian yields higher. Markets expect further tightening, but weaker growth may reverse rates. Locking income and maintaining duration is a sound strategy for widening credit spreads.

Investment strategies

One risk after another

Investors often focus on front-of-mind risks, reacting to each headline event without considering long-term impacts. Cass Sunstein and Timur Kuran define this as an "availability cascade," affecting financial decision-making.

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