The FinSec View

1st July 2022 It is a brand new month, quarter and fiscal year, and we will just have to wait and see if (for markets and the economy) it is indeed a new beginning or much of the same. Today also marks the 30th anniversary of the introduction of compulsory super and the Superannuation Guarantee (SG). Initially set at 3%, the SG rises to 10.5% today on its way to 12% by 2025. For all its complexity and shortcomings, [...]

17th June 2022 As no doubt you will be aware, there have been significant declines on the US share markets over the last week and again last night, leading to substantial declines on the ASX. The US market index (S&P500) is now down -23.5% so far this year, and the NASDAQ is down more than 30%, meaning they are now in a bear market, customarily defined as a drop of 20% or more. At the time of writing, the [...]

3rd June 2022 Those tasked with running the world's economies right now are having quite a time of it. Inflation, interest rates, property markets, unemployment, war, and lockdowns are indeed quite a line-up! Gaining clarity and a sage perspective on the topic(s) is not always easy to come by, which is why we jumped at a recent invitation to sit in on Westpac Chief Economist Bill Evans's latest economic update. Whilst there is not the time to distil his [...]

20th May 2022 It's election eve, and this week the coalition found a new policy to give their campaign some last-minute momentum. It is, of course, Mr Morrison's 'it's your money' scheme which would allow first home buyers to withdraw 40 per cent of their super up to a maximum of $50,000 to put towards the purchase of their first home. With much of the policy detail yet to be released, the merits of the proposal remain to be [...]

6th May 2022 'Tis the season to be voting', and we are often asked which side of politics has been better for investors - left or right? In the words of any good economist, the answer is - it depends. In Australia, global trends tend to dominate the direction of local capital markets and economic conditions. Still, the impact of these trends is much dependent on the actions of our government. We have been lucky in that, over the [...]

22nd April 2022 This year’s Anzac Day will mark the first unrestricted marches, dawn services and reunions since the start of the pandemic. Together (and in-person), old, young and new Australians will remember the price we pay for living in a free and peaceful society. On this day, we remember the servicemen and women who risk and, at times, sacrifice their lives for us when our individual and sovereign democratic rights are threatened. This year, it seems to have [...]

8th April 2022 A quarter of 2022 has passed us by in the blink of an eye, bringing a Federal Budget with it. An event usually left for mid-year it was brought forward by a government looking to lay out its vision before a pivotal May vote. The headline grabber was cost-of-living relief in a budget centred around more spending but lower deficits thanks to a windfall from faster growth and a resources boom. It’s hard to think of [...]

25th March 2022 The undeniable theme for equity markets at present is 'energy and then all the rest'! Energy is one of two S&P 500 sectors showing a gain for 2022, up 37%—the benchmark as a whole is down around 5%—and home to more than half of the index's 25 best performers. As for 'the rest', equities remain weak in both Australia and offshore, with unprofitable tech and growth stocks hit particularly hard amidst concerns of how they will [...]

11th March 2022 The coverage of the war in Ukraine reminds us how lucky we are to live in Australia - 'Freedom and democracy'! Our political processes are far from ideal, but our democratic institutions and practices are praised for their robustness, functionality, and resilience. One of the very reasons Vladimir Putin wants to take over Ukraine is to remove the threat of an emerging democracy as a neighbour. After all, a nearby functioning democracy could undermine his power [...]

25th February 2022 The Russia-Ukraine issue is dominating every newsfeed, with the disturbing escalation of events over the last 24 hours. As you will be all too aware yesterday, Russian President Vladimir Putin ended weeks of speculation declaring war on Ukraine, claiming Russian self-defence as he sought to demilitarise and replace its leaders. As disturbing as these events are, they are not entirely unexpected. It was widely speculated that Putin would see the backdrop of the Winter Olympics as [...]