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3 April 2026
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For investors seeking a combination of future earnings potential and favorable valuations, the Franklin Templeton Institute suggests looking toward emerging markets. While US stocks have historically dominated in performance and earnings growth, the landscape could be shifting.
For investors, demographics are a driver of country risk, and they can impact productivity, economic growth, sovereign financials and debt ratings. Demographics are not destiny, but they do set parameters.
The US economy shows strength, with a tight job market and solid wage growth, while the European economy remains stagnant, and both central banks are looking for continued evidence of lower inflation before starting their easing cycle.
Reflections from Franklin Templeton’s latest Industry Advisory Services Annual Survey, which aims to help investors understand how the wealth and investment management industry is changing and better prepare them for the future.
Trees are an appropriate metaphor for investing. When nurtured, they grow gradually but inexorably. Upon maturity they yield their bounty—shade, nuts and sweet fruit. Yet some trees withstand adversity better than others.
Arguably, humanity’s greatest current challenge is the need to shift to low and net-zero carbon in a little less than 30 years. These challenges create investment opportunities as investors have a critical role given the capital required to fund this transition.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.