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3 March 2026
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Charlie Munger is famous for applying different 'mental models' to get an edge in markets. In this vain, here's a look at how ecological niches can be applied to stock markets and may help you become a better investor.
Investing in Asia is challenging but with younger populations, many countries face less wage and inflation pressures than the West. Buying the index rarely pays off as it's more about finding the winning companies.
When investors focus on the EV revolution, not enough think about the investment opportunities with the 'E'. The charging infrastructure underpins the whole sector and will undergo its own revolution.
In the last decade, ETFs have become a mainstay of many portfolios, with broad market access to most asset types, as well as a wide array of sectors and themes. Is there a favourite of a CEO who oversees 30 funds?
COVID was a paradigm shift for thematic ETFs, satisfying investor sentiment toward disruptive trends and sustainable investing while covering almost any theme investors desire. Where do they sit in a portfolio?
We can profit from trends that have the potential to change the world, and it's also possible to make a positive impact with thematic investing in the catastrophe and opportunity of climate change.
It's not official, but Australian ETFs are clicking over $100 billion right now. It's a remarkable rise, leaving the traditional rivals, the Listed Investment Companies, in their dust. Why are they so popular?
COVID-19 is delivering winners and losers, and buying a well-positioned company while shorting one with worse prospects can provide returns while managing the downside of an overall market correction.
Thematic trend investors relies more on recognising how the world is changing over the long term, and finding sectors that will benefit, rather than the more cyclical approach of picking short-term winners.
Many of the world’s most serious challenges relate to secular forces such as population growth and productivity, and amid the problems will arise a wide range of investment opportunities.
* Towers Watson has identified six global mega themes worth considering in all investment decisions.
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.
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.