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Hugh Dive

What goes on during reporting season?

Reporting season is hard work for equity analysts, especially when a company's results differ from the expected. It's also a time for a company to outline its strategy and gauge the reaction of its owners, the fund managers.

Beware of investment bankers bearing gifts

Investors face a barrage of glowing research from investment banks trumpeting the blue sky potential of new companies seeking to be listed on the ASX. It’s crucial to ignore the spin and focus on the business itself.

Investing in biotech and pharma

Biotech and pharma are seductive and exciting sectors to invest in. When products are developed and successfully adopted, it can be very profitable, but most projects do not succeed, and it’s good to know what you’re doing.

Searching for yield to pay the bills

Whilst the latest cut in the target cash rate to 2.25% is a positive move for equity investors, it's a negative for savers, especially retirees living off the income generated by their term deposits.

Currency winners and losers

The Australian dollar has finally fallen against the currencies of most trading partners, and there will be companies that benefit or struggle at the new levels. If you think it will fall further, how do you take advantage?

What makes a company attractive?

While fund managers are reluctant to reveal their newly-found 'top picks' to the public, there is an underlying process which can be used to identify an attractive company to invest in.

Latest Updates

Fixed interest

Higher yields are creating opportunities in global bonds

Bond markets are adjusting to a new reality, but not in the ways investors expect. With markets repricing and capital competing for attention, investors may need to rethink where resilience and opportunity lie. 

Economy

Are we in a recession?

What if the warning signs are already everywhere? From supermarket aisles to company failures, investors are being bombarded with recession signals. But most face a different risk that can be just as dangerous for portfolios. 

SMSF strategies

Meg on SMSFs - Division 296 actuarial certificates

The tax bill might be yours, but the event that caused it may not be. A key Division 296 calculation can sometimes attribute earnings in ways that many SMSF trustees won't instinctively expect or fully appreciate.

Property

The first impact of negative gearing reform is not the tax bill

Negative gearing changes formally begin in 2027, but the first consequences may already be here. A subtle shift is quietly influencing who can borrow, how much they can access and which property strategies still stack up.

Economy

The oil market is running out of easy answers

The biggest threat to markets may not be what investors are watching. The numbers have stopped adding up and supply is harder to measure, with forecasts becoming simple guesses. A more fragile reality is being masked.

Investment strategies

The state of investor knowledge in Australia

Australians are investing more than ever, yet a surprising divide is emerging between those building wealth effectively and those making costly mistakes. Surprisingly, the gap has little to do with income, age or starting capital.

Taxation

Complexity and capital gains

A case study shows that the ‘30% minimum CGT’ is a poorly conceived tax that adds significant complexity to an already over-complex system. A less complicated model would create a much fairer progressive tax scale.

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