Investment
Market update
| David James
Uncertainties about AMP, Nufarm fertile, brokers put buy on Telstra and recession rerun looms large in US.
Aberdeen fund offers bond access
| anthony sibillin
Diversified fixed income funds such as the Aberdeen one give retail investors a piece of the bond action that only institutions can buy.
Will of iron
| kevin chinnery
China’s ore-importing industries are suffering – but still expected to overcome the economic slowdown.
Legal eagles fly high
| Tony Featherstone
Featherstone | Litigation funding is a highly profitable growth industry. Here are a few tips on how to invest in a sector that is finally getting its day in court.
Governments on prowl for funds
| DAMON FRITH
Frith | Western governments are short of a buck and looking closely at industry making big profits in uncertain times.
Tall order falls short
| anthony Sibillin
Far from a revolution, some think the Cooper review of superannuation will entrench apathy and hurt returns.
Ready and stable
| Tony Featherstone
Featherstone | Buy-and-hold investors need to change tack in volatile, shorter investment cycles and steer for companies with reliable profits and dividend growth.
Market update
| David James
Bulls back bauxite, Fortescue increases shipments and costs, UBS likes Gindalbie, Telecoms go soft and REITs back in favour.
On your coast guard
| Lisa Allen
Whether you’re a sea-changer or just cashed up and ready to move, buying seaside property involves plenty of difficult decisions.
Investment review: Protected loans
| Anthony Sibillin
A bank puts its money on the line so an investor can buy shares. The catch? A high interest rate, high fees and a limited choice of shares.
Make a clean break
| Tony featherstone
Featherstone | Share-price weakness makes some speculative clean-tech stocks a good punt, while innovation in renewable energy and environmental solutions could pay off handsomely.
Bank bias blocks business growth
| Damon Frith
Frith | Banks have a larger pool of capital to lend and make a return on if they skew their lending books towards housing loans.
Travel mates stick together
| John Stensholt and Lisa Allen
Jetset Travelworld is set to merge with Stella Travel Services, a deal seen as sound after recent turbulence.
Market Update
| David James
The Cooper report values IOOF, nickel’s worth a dime, sovereign debt still an issue and Zircon stirs hope.
Coal equities set to heat up
| Dan Hall
The new minerals resource rent tax has sparked expectations of increased merger activity in the mining sector.
Investment Review: Zurich Investments
| aNTHONY SIBILLIN
A concentrated, “value”-style Australian fund of both large and small-cap stocks.
Pull of the China shop
| Damon Frith
Frith | Australia is well placed to take advantage of the China’s return as a global economic power, but there is plenty of competition.
Redback on the rise
| Damon Frith
The floating of China’s currency is a sign of confidence that growth is on track.
Try some alternatives
| Anthony Sibillin
Investors are reducing their holdings of stocks, bonds and cash in favour of other options.
Market update
| David James
Gold set to rise, biotech for the brave, mining tax not a problem, Franklins’s flat while PanAust twinkles.
Investment Review: Aberdeen China Opportunities Fund
| Anthony Sibillin
A “bottom-up” and concentrated China equities fund.
Iron ore producers jostle for rail
| Damon Frith
BHP and Rio Tinto may be forced to share some of their private rail lines.
Picks from the troughs
| Tony Featherstone
Featherstone | A clever tactic during panic selling is buying the highest-quality businesses that are dumped with everything else. Here are 10 mid-caps to consider during a downturn.
In the fast lane
| Damon Frith
Frith | The investment cycle is speeding up as G20 countries try to put a brake on overstretched balance sheets.
Market update
| David James
Brokers rate David Jones despite debacle, UBS says buy on Macquarie Atlas, Emeco Holdings moves mountains, Ardent Leisure expected to bounce, and Gillard appointment boost interest in local mining.
Investment Review: ING Extended Alpha
| Anthony Sibillin
An equities fund that bets on large-cap Australia stocks falling as well as increasing in price.
Behind the numbers
| Tony featherstone
Featherstone | Return on equity can be a better guide to investing in small-cap stocks than the price-earnings ratio as it gives a more accurate indication of company performance.
Gillard faces resources tax options
| Damon Frith
Frith | There’s no easy solution to the proposed resources tax.
Return call for Telstra
| Damon Frith
The announcement of a deal on the national broadband network has taken some of the uncertainty out of the telco’s share price.
Time for technology
| Tony Featherstone
Featherstone | As the economy heads for recovery, investors should find plenty of potential in a diverse sector that includes software providers and IT services.