Markets

With slowly moving into the distance, a myriad of negative pressures have created an inflationary outlook shaped by historically high levels of Government stimulus spending, rising interest rates and supply chain disruptions. The ongoing war in Ukraine has only exacerbated existing headwinds. The rapid onset of inflation has caught many advisers off-guard. It means that…

Elon Musk Tweeted this morning that his company, Tesla, may have to start mining due to the skyrocketing lithium prices it is paying in order to produce lithium batteries. Electric vehicle (EV) giant Tesla may look to mine its own supply after the lithium price rose from US$17,000 per tonne in 2021 to more than…

While markets have so far shrugged off the inevitable rate rises, there’s plenty more to come – and the global outlook keeps getting gloomier. The Federal Reserve’s decision to unleash massive monetary stimulus in the early days of Covid-19 (and in nearly every economic crisis before it) ushered in a brief golden age for markets….

The Sage of Omaha, Warren Buffett, recently highlighted a growing issue within financial markets in his annual letter to shareholders, the idea of earnings versus profit. He drew attention to the fact that Berkshire Hathaway relies on ‘old-fashioned’ profits, not modern measures of ‘earnings’ that can be easily manipulated by boards and accountants. Earnings, profits…

With the world stepping-up its efforts to decarbonise sooner rather than later, parts of the economy have been pushed into rapid transformation to become sustainable. The knock-on effect of Covid-19 and the Ukraine crisis has brought about supply chain disruptions and skyrocketing demand in the metals primarily used in electric vehicle batteries. And for those…

Hong Kong stocks are on a tear, rising some 7 per cent in the past week at the time of writing, boosted by the tech sector. It’s all to do with the US regulators wanting to delist Chinese stocks. China’s Securities Regulatory Commission is considering allowing US officials to inspect documents on firms that don’t…

It could be a smart move to consider ASX blue chip shares during this period of intense volatility since the start of the year. Blue chips are typically ones that have strong positions in the market and can offer more reliability in times of economic difficulties. I’d only want to go for opportunities that are showing…

The pandemic combined with the invasion of Ukraine has sent global commodity markets into flux. Commodities ranging from grain to crude oil are surging to near-record levels with 2020’s demand weakness offset by 2022’s significant supply-chain issues. In an environment of growing volatility and inflation, investors are naturally seeking hedges for their portfolios with gold…

The price of nickel is going nuts, soaring past US$100,000 a tonne. The London Metal Exchange (LME) canceled nickel trading on Tuesday after an unprecedented 250% price rise was triggered by Western sanctions against Russia. The price surged to hit US$101,365 a tonne, the highest point ever seen on the LME. So, what’s going on?…

Investors are piling into the safe-haven asset following the crisis in Ukraine. Dubbed the “currency of last resort,” gold is often seen as a safe-haven asset in times of market turmoil, because it retains its value during a time of crisis. Going back in history, gold has been considered a store of value for quite…

Low-cost or ‘passive’ investing has been touted as the biggest innovation in finance for the last several decades. The idea is simple, mastered by the likes of BlackRock and Vanguard, which is to replicate a major index, like the S&P500 or S&P/ASX200, and offer this vehicle to investors at the lowest cost possible. This has…

ME Bank recently released the 21st edition of its Household Financial Comfort report, which seeks to measure how confident and comfortable Australians of many different backgrounds are with their financial position. Created more than two decades ago, the report provides a powerful insight into the trends and more importantly concerns facing Australian households at a…