Investment Articles & Insights

For a growing number of investors, what they own in their portfolios is as important as the returns they generate. Or, at least it’s a much more important consideration for them than it used to be. As a result, the various forms of responsible and value-driven investment have been transitioning from niche to mainstream for some time now. The Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA) estimates that Australian responsible investment assets reached $1.6 trillion in 2023, and accounted for 41% of total managed funds assets.

For many investors, the closest they get to a complete and diversified investment portfolio is their superannuation. While there’s nothing wrong with that – it’s a good thing to have a nest egg for retirement – making sure the investments you hold outside of superannuation are diversified and suit your goals can go a long way towards generating better financial outcomes.

With the market trading near record highs, driven largely by big tech, valuations in parts of the market look expensive. Retail investors are still pouring into the technology sector, while some consultancies, like Mckinsey, are warning of the elevated costs required to fuel the sector’s continued growth. Some industry experts, including the Bank of England, are suggesting caution is warranted, while others, like Scion Asset Management’s Michael Burry, are pulling their money completely from the market.

It’s hardly a secret that the countries who win the technology war will dominate the global economy. The US economy is living proof that technology leadership is the route toward economic dominance. But they are not the only superpower with the ambition of technology-led global domination. China is also aiming for technology leadership in the same market segments, such as artificial intelligence, robotics, electric vehicles, and semiconductors.