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Steve Johnson

If I get kicked out of the value investors’ club, so be it

When a value investor holds a large proportion of companies with good growth potential, does that mean a style has changed? With customer acquisition costs now expensed upfront, economic reality is understated.

Is the market’s recession conviction warranted?

Investors are convinced that Australia is going to have a recession, and that it’s going to be a humdinger. Several cyclical companies are trading at valuation levels reflecting the certainty of an uncertain recession.

Four big ideas in the small cap space

Most small cap managers outperformed their benchmark in 2021, with more choice and diversity of companies than the big end of town. Small caps are often overlooked and operate in niches with less competition.

Being an obvious idiot is the worst part of value investing

Value and contrarian investors often buy shares in companies rejected by the market, which makes it the hardest way to invest. It looks great when it works but idiotic when the market continues to disagree.

Latest Updates

Superannuation

Here's what should replace the $3 million super tax

With Div. 296 looming, is there a smarter way to tax superannuation? This proposes a fairer, income-linked alternative that respects compounding, ensures predictability, and avoids taxing unrealised capital gains. 

Superannuation

Less than 1% of wealthy families will struggle to pay super tax: study

An ANU study has found that families with at least one super balance over $3 million have average wealth exceeding $19 million - suggesting most are well placed to absorb taxes on unrealised capital gains.   

Superannuation

Are SMSFs getting too much of a free ride?

SMSFs have managed to match, or even outperform, larger super funds despite adopting more conservative investment strategies. This looks at how they've done it - and the potential policy implications.  

Property

A developer's take on Australia's housing issues

Stockland’s development chief discusses supply constraints, government initiatives and the impact of Japanese-owned homebuilders on the industry. He also talks of green shoots in a troubled property market.

Economy

Lessons from 100 years of growing US debt

As the US debt ceiling looms, the usual warnings about a potential crash in bond and equity markets have started to appear. Investors can take confidence from history but should keep an eye on two main indicators.

Investment strategies

Investors might be paying too much for familiarity

US mega-cap tech stocks have dominated recent returns - but is familiarity distorting judgement? Like the Monty Hall problem, investing success often comes from switching when it feels hardest to do so.

Latest from Morningstar

A winning investment strategy sitting right under your nose

How does a strategy built around systematically buying-and-holding a basket of the market's biggest losers perform? It turns out pretty well, so why don't more investors do it?

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