Market Insights

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Market Forum provides an overview of the main drivers and issues behind market and business trends.

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  • Monthly update – January 2012
     The Australian equity market started the year strongly with a 5.2% total return in January. In local currency, the All Ordinaries (+5.2%) outperformed the US S&P 500 (+4.4%) and the World M more (06 February 2012)
  • Quarterly update – December 2011
    During the last quarter of 2011 we saw relatively low market volumes across all asset classes as well as high market volatility and investor apathy. Investment themes continue to be dominated by the  more (17 January 2012)
  • Instreet Market and Economic Outlook 2012
    Key trends for 2012We believe that market conditions during 2012 will be dominated by a few key trends: The global economy will continue to deleverage leading to less liquidity in the market.Inc more (05 January 2012)
  • Instreet Market and Economic Opinion and Commentary
    Europe announcements not a game changer  In our opinion recent announcements from the European summit are not “game changers”.  We believe that initially there will be a positiv more (12 December 2011)
  • Monthly update – November 2011
      Negative news flow from across the world saw global equity markets finishing November in the red. The main causes of negative returns were European risk as well as China’s slowing g more (04 December 2011)
  • Instreet Market and Economic Opinion and Commentary
    Not a lot of good news out of Europe Anyone expecting a Christmas market rally may be disappointed as the news out of Europe continues worsen. It appears that the liquidity issue affecting Europ more (29 November 2011)
  • Instreet Market and Economic Opinion and Commentary
    News from Europe continues to dominate Over the last month the situation in Europe has deteriorated. Overall the market has not viewed the rescue package kindly. Lending countries like Japan and more (14 November 2011)
  • FOFA may make it hard for planners. But there are ways for advisors to still prosper.
    The Federal Government is convinced – the Future of Financial Advice (FOFA) reforms will make financial advice available to many Australians for the first time. A recent statement by the Assist more (02 November 2011)
  • Instreet Market & Economic Opinion and Commentary
    Europe disappointingLast week Europe came to agreement on a three phases rescue package. In our view the package doesn’t do enough to address bank capitalisation - a better result would se more (31 October 2011)
  • Market and Economic Commentary and Opinion
    Who will win – the bulls or the bears? Since August, the S&P 500 has been range trading between 1,230 and 1,100. At the current S&P 500 level of 1,224, the bears will be shorting the ma more (17 October 2011)
  • Quarterly update – September 2011
      European sovereign debt problems, US sovereign credit downgrade by S&P, bearish comments by the Fed, downward revisions to global economic growth rates and weak economic data dominate more (05 October 2011)
  • Market and Economic Commentary and Opinion
    Financial instability and the banks will be the focus of the market now the quarter is completed. We expect continued volatility in the markets.  The bigger concern in the long term is the slowd more (03 October 2011)
  • FOFA to accelerate industry consolidation
    The decision by the Commonwealth Bank to pay $373 million for the planning group Count Financial is just the latest in a growing line of acquisitions that is seeing the big getting bigger and the sma more (25 September 2011)
  • Market and Economic Commentary and Opinion
    Markets to focus on the US Over the next couple of weeks we expect markets focus to shift from Europe to the US with the following coming up: ·       &n more (19 September 2011)
  • Market & Economic Commentary and Opinion
    Not a lot of good news from the US The employment numbers in the US continue to disappoint with unemployment at 9.1%. Numbers have hovered around 9% since the start of the year. There were zero jobs  more (05 September 2011)
  • Monthly update – August 2011
    Monthly update – August 2011  Earnings uncertainty and the reporting season in Australian combined with global economic conditions resulted in another volatile month for equity markets. Ho more (04 September 2011)
  • Market & Economic Commentary & Opinion
    Is the global economy heading towards recession? During the recent turmoil, the market has been sure about one thing - the global economy, lead by Europe and US, is slowing down.  This warning f more (22 August 2011)
  • Retirees face tough times
    Retirees probably don’t need me to tell them, but life is going to get a lot tougher. The market volatility experienced post the GFC is not a passing phase; inflation is eating into purchasing  more (19 August 2011)
  • Market & Economic Commentary & Opinion
    The US downgradeThe S&P downgrade of the US from AAA to AA+ has caused turmoil in both global and domestic markets. Whilst it may take time for a clear picture to emerge the market will be driven more (08 August 2011)
  • Monthly update – July 2011
    Global markets fell following another difficult month that saw economic and political issues plague the market. The US debt ceiling negotiations took us perilously close to a default by the US govern more (04 August 2011)
  • Quarterly Update June 2011
    Greek sovereign debt issues and a softening in US growth underpinned fading investor appetite for risk during the quarter. After the recent agreements in relation to Greece’s financial woes, th more (05 July 2011)
  • Instreet aiming to take advantage of government policy
    See full Article in the Australian newspaper 29/06/11http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/wealth/instreet-aiming-to-take-advantage-of-government-policy/story-e6frgac6-1226082414049Not everyone sh more (29 June 2011)
  • Why markets and economics don’t always calibrate
    Why did so many economists get it so wrong when it came to predicting the GFC? Well, if you listen to the economists, they didn’t. They argue that it wasn’t a question of getting it wrong more (21 April 2011)
  • Our view on the S&P downgrade of the US
    A Standard & Poor’s spokesperson has said there’s a one-in-three chance that the rating agency “could lower” its long-term view on US debt within two years.  The equi more (20 April 2011)
  • Quarterly Update March 2011
    Quarterly Update March 2011 Risk assets generally performed well in the March quarter, despite natural disasters and political unrest across the Middle East and North Africa. For Australia, this more (05 April 2011)
  • 2011 could prove a boom year for commodity prices
    As senior Australian executives trooped home from Davos, there was a real sense they were returning far more optimistic than when they left for the annual talkfest at this Swiss resort. Quite clearly more (30 March 2011)
  • Why we use averaging to get both in and out of our Link ASX 200 and Link Asia 50 products
    We are often asked why we use averaging to get both in and out of our Link ASX 200 and Link Asia 50 products.  As you would be well aware, and has recently been starkly illustrated by the Japane more (22 March 2011)
  • Two years on – Instreet Link Series I up 54%, Series II up 72% - time to consider rolling into a new
    Rolling InstructionsThe current investment in Instreet Link Series I or II matures in March. Before that time your client needs to make a decision, on what to do when it matures.The Instreet Link inv more (11 February 2011)
  • Sky Business commentary on Markets
    Our Managing Directors market commentary on Sky Business more (10 January 2011)
  • Quarterly Update December 2010
     Quarterly Update December 2010 The last quarter of the year saw investor confidence returning with equity and commodity markets outperforming sovereign debt markets. The commodity rally bo more (05 January 2011)
  • A day in the life of a BDM
    It was almost two months to the day I visited a boutique financial planning firm in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne.  Post the GFC, contact with this firm – it boasts five financial plann more (08 October 2010)
  • Market Commentary on Sky Business
    Our Managing Directors market commentary on Sky Business more (06 September 2010)
  • Article in Journal of Investment Strategies - Structured products
    Executive summary For the retail investor, structured products have not only weathered the GFC storm, but also become increasingly attractive in its aftermath. Their capital protected status (in more (18 August 2010)
  • Quarterly Update June
    Quarterly Update June 2010 In the second quarter of 2010, equity markets delivered a negative performance after four consecutive positive quarterly returns. In Australia, the Resource Super Prof more (09 July 2010)
  • Sky Business commentary on Markets
    Our Managing Directors market commentary on Sky Business more (21 June 2010)
  • Outrunning the Inflation Genie
    Here’s one for readers of economic history: Of these, which decade witnessed the biggest stock-market decline – 1930s; 1970s; or 1980s? It would have to be the 1930s, of course, in t more (16 June 2010)
  • Sky Business commentary on Markets
    Our Managing Directors market commentary on Sky Business more (31 May 2010)
  • Sky Business commentary on Markets
    Our Managing Directors market commentary on Sky Business more (17 May 2010)
  • Structured products
    Executive summary For the retail investor, structured products have not only weathered the GFC storm, but also become increasingly attractive in its aftermath. Their capital protected status (in more (12 May 2010)
  • Tom Morrow on the ARC index
    The recording of Tom Morrow on the ARC index is in three parts - see below: more (12 May 2010)
  • Sky Business commentary on Henry Report
    Our Managing Directors commentary on Sky Business more (04 May 2010)
  • Deconstructing Structured Products
    Every bull market is the same; an investment theory – or theories – emerges to explain why this boom is different, why the market upward spiral will continue apace. Of course, it’s  more (16 April 2010)
  • Quarterly Update March 2010
    In the first quarter of 2010, the S&P/ASX200 struggled to match the returns seen in the initial phase of the current rally, continuing to trade in a 10% range. The index just finished the quarter more (10 April 2010)
  • Sky Business commentary on Markets
    Our Managing Directors commentary on Sky Business  more (01 February 2010)
  • Quarterly Update December 2009
    The S&P/ASX 200 closed meaningfully above of 4800 for the end of year 2009, reaching 4870 on 31 December as investors added more risk to their portfolios.  We forecast further returns of ove more (08 January 2010)
  • You can't regulate against greed
    When the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services handed down its recent report into Financial Products and Services in Australia, it was predictably lamenting how “ more (16 December 2009)
  • Quarterly Update September 2009
    Long term we remain constructive on Australian equities as the cyclical growth story continues into 2011 and 2012. We believe that any pull-back is a buying opportunity.  Markets rarely trade si more (02 October 2009)
  • The hidden cost of banning commissions
    The move to outlaw commission payments to financial planners is gathering pace. Its advocates firmly believe it will usher in a healthier financial planning industry in which advice will totally focu more (10 September 2009)
  • 5 Hot Topics Australia
    The Australian economy has held up far better than most expected despite all the dire predictions at the beginning of the year.  While most of the developed world caught the flu, Australia only  more (24 August 2009)
  • More to advice than meets the eye
    Did you read the recent story about an elderly group of wealthy German pensioners who were charged with kidnapping and torturing a financial adviser who had lost $4 million of their savings?Pensioner more (20 July 2009)
  • 5 Hot Topics Asia
    Asia continues to grow apace. There are many signs that it will recover quicker than the rest of the world from the Global Financial Crisis – and that this growth will be sustainable.For that r more (16 July 2009)
  • Comparing Structured Products - Apples with Apples
    As the end of the financial year approaches, institutions offer structured products as a way to lower tax. Attractive as that sounds, it’s simply not that easy. Often it’s an apples and p more (02 June 2009)
  • Have we hit bottom yet?
    It’s a strange thing. Everyone agrees that it is difficult to market time and there’s no point in trying to pick the bottom of the market. Yet every second conversation in the markets tod more (07 May 2009)
  • US equities: there is a silver lining
    It’s hard to find an economic pundit these days who believes 2009 will usher in any sort of economic recovery; the consensus is 2010 and some even believe it could be 2011 before there is a sus more (14 February 2009)
  • Capital protected products are under the microscope
    Like all investment classes, capital protected products are under the microscope. But for canny investors looking to the long-term they still offer value. No different to any other investment ve more (21 November 2008)
  • Orderly Unwinding of Lehman Derivatives
    This quick note is on the effect that Lehman being in Chapter 11 is having on the Structured Product market in Hong Kong. Lehman’s were far more active in Hong Kong than the Australian mar more (19 September 2008)
  • The credit squeeze – what next for Australia
    It’s safe to say that no one predicted the magnitude of the global credit crunch’s impact on markets. In less than a year, some of more venerable banking names, such UBS, Merrill Lynch, a more (25 August 2008)
  • Today’s oil trouble is changing the rules of investment
    The last global oil crisis in the 1970s had a devastating effect on the world economy, unleashing a bout of stagflation that had central banks, governments, and investment markets scratching their he more (07 July 2008)
  • Commodities Overview
    Commodities look set to continue to perform strongly, in our opinion, driven by a growing hunger for food, energy and raw materials. Strong Asian demand and constrained supply has seen increased pri more (08 April 2008)
  • Emerging Markets overview
    Like all good financial stories the appeal of emerging markets starts with the numbers. Here are some of them: over 35% of the world’s population lives in China and India alone 86% more (28 March 2008)
  • Opportunities in Gold
    As good as gold. If ever there was a time when this saying rang true it is now. The value of gold has been increasing dramatically. Favourable fundamentals point to this continuing. The major factor more (27 March 2008)
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