28 February 2026

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Ray Dalio on 2025’s real story, Trump, and what’s next Making sense of record high markets as the world catches fire 3 ways to fix Australia’s affordability crisis Is there a better way to reform the CGT discount?How cutting the CGT discount could help rebalance housing market

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Home / Leverage

Leverage

1-12 out of 17 results.

Levered credit: A late cycle ingredient for drawdown pain

Phil Strano
25 February 2026

As credit spreads normalised through 2025, yield‑hungry investors have turned to leverage for high returns, uncomfortably echoing pre‑GFC behaviours. Investors need to be careful to understand the true risk‑return trade‑off.

Leveraged single stock ETFs don't work as advertised

Jeffrey Ptak CFA
3 December 2025

Leveraged ETFs seek to deliver some multiple of an underlying index or reference asset’s return over a day. Yet, they aren’t even delivering the target return on an average day as they’re meant to do.

A contrarian bet on Magellan Financial Group

Andrew Brown
11 January 2023
11

Despite recent woes, Magellan offers deep value at current prices. Almost half of its equity value is investments, including cash, and there's significant potential upside from its investments in Barrenjoey and Finclear.

We need to limit retail investor harm from CFDs

Prof. Kevin Davis
26 January 2022
1

A Contract for Difference (CFD) is a highly-leveraged investment used for speculative and gambling activities by retail investors without the knowledge to take such risks. ASIC is struggling to control the product.

Are bond yields lower forever or is the Big Bang coming?

Jonathan Gregory
26 August 2020
1

The signs are that bond yields could stay low for a long time. This has important implications for future returns, but are we heading for the Big Bang, the Big Crunch or the Steady State?

The role of financial markets when earnings are falling

Robert M. Almeida
19 August 2020
2

Everything is rising in value because there is excess capital chasing too few opportunities. Capital should be allocated more responsibly with a focus on the future cash flow from a company.

Welcome to the Great Australian Deleveraging

Roger Montgomery
20 February 2019
6

The biggest concern that many analysts ignore is that, after house prices begin falling, the savings ratio climbs, reflecting a lack of consumer confidence, leading to a rapid slowdown in the economy.

Will the Royal Commission end our debt obsession?

Tim Carleton
6 August 2018
3

The tightening of credit conditions for home lending driven by the Royal Commission has not fully translated into aggregate statistics, and the slowdown may already be worse than we realise.

Bankers must realise they are fiduciaries

Ashley Owen
28 April 2016
5

The fiduciary duty of banks, while not legislated, is implied by their central role in the economy. Bank deposits are accepted as 'money', and public confidence in banks is fundamental to a functioning economy.

Defaulting into a world without growth

Satyajit Das
29 October 2015
7

Global debt levels have increased significantly over the last decade, but not to fund new businesses or productive assets. When debt funds growth and growth fuels debt, can we continue to push the problem into the future?

Mortgage funds: if only we had a trendier name, like P2P

Lachlan Perks
18 September 2015
1

Mortgage funds still suffer from the poor reputation earned during the GFC, and are not well supported by investors. When the asset is a first registered mortgage over real property, some structures are worth a look.

Financial leverage in real estate: friend or foe?

Adrian Harrington
20 March 2015
2

Financial leverage is already built into many real estate funds and companies, and borrowing even more to invest can produce spectacular results - on both the upside and the downside.

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Most viewed in recent weeks

Ray Dalio on 2025’s real story, Trump, and what’s next

The renowned investor says 2025’s real story wasn’t AI or US stocks but the shift away from American assets and a collapse in the value of money. And he outlines how to best position portfolios for what’s ahead.

James Gruber
21 January 2026

Making sense of record high markets as the world catches fire

The post-World War Two economic system is unravelling, leading to huge shifts in currency, bond and commodity markets, yet stocks seem oblivious to the chaos. This looks to history as a guide for what’s next.

James Gruber
28 January 2026

3 ways to fix Australia’s affordability crisis

Our cost-of-living pressures go beyond the RBA: surging house prices, excessive migration, and expanding government programs, including the NDIS, are fuelling inflation, demanding bold, structural solutions.

James Gruber
4 February 2026

Is there a better way to reform the CGT discount?

The capital gains tax discount is under review, but debate should go beyond its size. Its original purpose, design flaws and distortions suggest Australia could adopt a better, more targeted approach.

Matthew Maltman, Matt Nolan
11 February 2026

How cutting the CGT discount could help rebalance housing market

A more rational taxation system that supports home ownership but discourages asset speculation could provide greater financial support to first home buyers.

Jago Dodson, Liam Davies
18 February 2026

Welcome to Firstlinks Edition 648 with weekend update

This is my last edition as Editor of Firstlinks. I’m moving onto a new role though the newsletter will remain in good hands until my permanent replacement is found.

5 February 2026

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