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Wednesday, 29 September 2021
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Bonus options issued by Listed Investment Companies (LICs) deliver many advantages but there is a potential dilutionary impact if options are exercised well below the share price. This must be factored in.
The Listed Investment Company structure is under siege, but for the right type of asset and manager, it still carries strong appeal. Every LIC should review whether it has a genuine reason to exist in this form.
Until 2018, LICs and LITs dominated ETFs, much like the Star Wars franchise was the most lucrative in the world until Marvel came along. Now ETFs are double their rivals, just as Marvel conquered Star Wars.
The boards and managers of six high-profile LICs, frustrated by their shares trading at large discounts to asset value, have embarked on radical strategies to fix the problems. Will they work?
Running a fund should not become a gravy train for boards and investment managers. It is time to address the persistent discounts to NTA on LICs, and there is one especially exciting new structure.
Why invest in an unlisted fund by a well-known, experienced fund manager when the equivalent listed fund is offered at a substantial discount? Maybe there's a structural problem to fix here.
Retail investors in fixed interest LITs now realise some structures were not the defensive portfolios they expected, but have prices reached value? Plus it's time to act on stamping fees.
The arguments on whether advisers can accept selling fees on LICs and LITs is heating up as lobbyists work both sides of the fence. Your input to our survey will give Treasury some useful data.
The LIC/LIT stamping fee issue is hotting up, as the Federal Treasurer sets up a snap 'public consultation' to help him. Take our survey and we will present the conclusions to Josh Frydenberg.
Advisers accepting selling fees to push LICs and LITs (and hybrids) has become an industry flashpoint. The heated debate is overlooking crucial points which must be addressed in any final resolution.
Internal emails from the regulator released under an FOI request reveal warnings about advice conflict when selling fees are paid on LICs. Investors need to understand the consequences of the debate.
The RBA Governor says rising house prices are due to "the design of our taxation and social security systems". The OECD says "the prolonged boom in house prices has inflated the wealth of many pensioners without impacting their pension eligibility." What's your view?
It's a remarkable statistic. In any year since 1875, if you had invested in the Australian stock index, turned away and come back eight years later, your average return would be 120% with no negative periods.
Never stand between Australian households and an uncapped government programme with $3 billion in ‘free money’ to build or renovate their homes. But excess supply is coming with an absence of net migration.
Picking macro trends is difficult. What may seem logical and compelling one minute may completely change a few months later. There are better rewards from focussing on identifying the best companies at good prices.
The survey drew a fantastic 2,000 responses with over 1,000 comments and polar opposite views on what is good policy. Do most people believe the home should be in the age pension asset test, and what do they say?
Critics of franking credits are missing the main point. The taxable income of shareholders/taxpayers must also include the company tax previously paid to the ATO before the dividend was distributed. It is fair.