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4 September 2026
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In 2002, the share price of the company that became Sydney Airport (SYD) hit 80 cents from the $2 IPO price. After 20 years of astute investment driving revenue increases, it sold to private hands for $8.75 in 2022.
As market uncertainty continues, it is more important than ever to have a sound investment process. To help with a long-term focus, it may be useful to have some guidelines to fall back on when the market noise gets too loud.
Howard Marks updates his views on markets and whether we are in a bubble, but his comments on fund managers in public markets, liquidity premiums in private markets and the role of SPACs were most original.
The quality of the content and editorial attracted us to Cuffelinks and now Firstlinks. Personally, I am an avid reader of the weekly newsletter, as an industry professional and as an investor.
My thanks to our community of readers, writers and sponsors, as we join a global business committed to education for investors and advisers. Morningstar will grow our reach and services and Firstlinks will remain free.
Companies always boast the synergies and growth prospects of acquisitions, but dig a little deeper with these questions and you might see why most of these deals fail to add value when finally bedded down.
The Royal Commission heard how the sale of OnePath by ANZ to IOOF is at risk of being stranded in a minefield of internal and external conflicts, and commissions to financial advisers were again in the spotlight.
Watching the commitment to buying shares by senior executives and board members can be a powerful pointer to company prospects, but investors need to read the right signs.
Well-executed mergers and acquisitions can add material shareholder value, but there are plenty of examples where they destroy value, and in the worst cases, jeopardise the entire company.
In 2013, M&A market confidence returned and we are already seeing an increase in deal activity this year. However, investors should watch closely to ensure that over-confidence doesn't get in the way of value creation.
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.
For the last few years there has been much talk of a 'cost-of-living' crisis in Australia and of 'falling living standards'. Lately this has flared up again with the pickup in inflation resulting in a renewed fall in real wages.
Fear of running out has become a defining retirement anxiety. Why do some retirees die with substantial wealth while others deplete their nest egg? Evidence suggests the answer is more complicated than we think.
What if Australia’s golden age of dividends is ending? Rather than overhaul your portfolio, it may be worth considering where new capital can work harder. I discuss four income strategies and the trade-offs behind each.
Tax rules have changed, but many investors are still using yesterday’s strategies. Insurance bonds may offer advantages for those seeking greater control, tax efficiency and certainty about their wealth.
What begins as appetite, grows into excess and ultimately ends in spectacle. Millions of investors just discovered this the hard way.
Treasury’s latest CGT reform draft delivers a win for testamentary trusts and deceased estates, exempting estate-derived gains from the 30% floor. However, questions on death and divorce rollovers remain unresolved.