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30 June 2022
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The concept of 'activity-based working', where several people occupy one seat on a particular day, is gone. Businesses will need more space for the same number of people as an offset to the decline in demand.
Many listed property stocks were hard hit by COVID, especially in retail, but foot traffic outside Victoria has held up relatively well. Some sectors are now good value for the recovery and less working from home.
Retail assets, particularly those focused on discretionary shopping, will continue to underperform and industrial and logistics assets will be the winners for the foreseeable future.
The investment opportunity in listed ‘real assets’ in Australia is almost $250 billion. Offices, roads, warehouses, airports, pipelines and shops are the foundation of economic growth.
The listed property market, or A-REITs, is far from homogeneous, with low rates and industry trends producing winners and losers. There's more to investing here than chasing property yields.
With cash and term deposit rates at all-time lows, and fixed interest bonds not much better, investors are looking for ‘bond proxies’ to deliver more income. But is ‘proxy’ a misnomer, and what are they anyway?
Listed Australian Real Estate Investment Trusts (A-REITS) had an excellent FY19, but performance was dominated by a few sectors, and the question is whether they can deliver again in FY20.
With a vast array of property choices across retail, industrial, office and commercial, where does the head of one of Australia's largest property managers see the best opportunities, and where are the warnings?
As interest rates remain low and foreign buyers come looking for assets, listed property has performed well, but asset allocators can move in and out of the sector based on other factors.
There is more to listed property than the top eight in the A-REIT Index with many strong performing smaller trusts outside the top 80% of the index, and other A-REITs not even included in the index.
A-REITs have been particularly hard hit by bond rate increases, but most are in much better shape than they were during the GFC. Investors should assess the improved value, but not all listed property trusts are equal in quality.
Given the strong returns from most real estate markets in recent years, investors are asking whether there is more upside potential in this cycle, and what is likely to do well.
With 62% of Australians aged 65 and over relying at least partially on the age pension, are they better off owning their home or renting? There is an extra pension asset allowance for those not owning a home.
With 700 Australians retiring every day, retirement income solutions are more important than ever. Why do millions of retirees eligible for a more tax-efficient pension account hold money in accumulation?
A fund manager argues it is immoral to deny poor countries access to relatively cheap energy from fossil fuels. Wealthy countries must recognise the transition is a multi-decade challenge and continue to invest.
Equity investing comes with volatility that makes many retirees uncomfortable. A focus on income which is less volatile than share prices, and quality companies delivering robust earnings, offers more reassurance.
At around 10.30pm on Saturday night, Scott Morrison called Anthony Albanese to concede defeat in the 2022 election. As voting continued the next day, it became likely that Labor would reach the magic number of 76 seats to form a majority government.
Using the nine dimensions of well-being used by the OECD, and dividing Australians into Baby Boomers, Generation Xers or Millennials, it is surprisingly easy to identify the winners and losers for most dimensions.