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5 March 2026
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Retail investors have the worst trading record, according to a study of trading performance. Institutional investors weren't at the top either. Here are 6 ways to improve your odds.
Social media, app and trading platforms that drive retail participation also open doors for greater volatility. Ironically, easy money is contributing to market risks, with shorting hit by spiking to the upside.
Members of the Reddit army who believed they were inside the tent sharing views with fellow rebels cannot know who is on the other side of their trades - or even who they are talking to in their group.
John Pearce's Unisuper funds were among the top performers over most time periods to end 2019. He reveals he has suspended stock lending due to coronavirus and issued a video update to his members.
A fund manager that can short sell stocks with weak investment characteristics while reinvesting the proceeds in long positions in preferred stocks has a high degree of flexibility.
The rapid price fall of Blue Sky following a poor report from a foreign seller makes it look as if short selling is easy, but there are many risks and details to consider along the way.
Shorting has implications not only for those looking to sell to profit from price falls. It can create both opportunities and challenges and all investors should watch the short volume.
Although the amount of shorting on the ASX has fallen, there are many opportunities among the different types of shorts to enhance performance while managing the risks.
Disruption across many industries often makes it easier to pick the losers than the winners. Short-selling can play an important and legitimate role in an investment portfolio, although it continues to attract criticism.
In this update of the 'winners versus losers' investment hypothesis, momentum is the winner - again. It's only a 'paper' portfolio but it suggests consistent behavioural biases among investors.
Hedge funds have been short selling Australian banks for a while now, mainly due to perceptions about the property market. However, it is not house prices but unemployment that matters most for bank prosperity.
At a time when technology and society are forcing fundamental change on businesses, there is logic in adding 'shorting' to portfolio management. But it's not simply the opposite of going 'long'.
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.
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.
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.
A more rational taxation system that supports home ownership but discourages asset speculation could provide greater financial support to first home buyers.
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.
Most commentary on gold's recent record highs focus on it being the product of fear or speculative momentum. That's ignoring the deeper structural drivers at play.