Investment Articles & Insights

It’s a popular pastime for professional and individual investors to bemoan the impacts the rise of passive funds is having on markets. However, recent Goldman Sachs research questions the validity of this argument. We use that research as we embark on a myth-debunking journey.

With the S&P 500 rallying an historic 40% over the past twelve months, you’d be forgiven for thinking all is well with the US Government’s finances. After all, the state of the world’s largest economy is inextricably connected with the US Treasury’s financial health. Sorry to shatter that illusion, but the truth is very different. Do not read what follows if you prefer to believe in the US fairy tale…

With global equity markets partying like its 1999 despite some major risks lurking in the background like the potential unwinding of the yen carry trade and the US Treasury’s precarious financial position, now may well be a good time to hold some cash.

Megatrends are long-term structural changes that affect the world we live in. Importantly, they shape communities, but they also create investment opportunities and risks. What Magellan has learned from historical megatrends is: 1) they often solve a problem through innovation; 2) the scope of the megatrend can initially be underestimated; and 3) the duration of a megatrend is typically longer than anticipated. There are numerous megatrends likely to influence markets that investors should consider: the shift to the cloud and generative AI, the ageing population, rising geopolitical tensions and so on. Today we highlight just some of the megatrends we are monitoring at Magellan.

With interest rates at a decade-high and the RBA signalling potential rate cuts sometime next year, the current yields on mortgage funds present an attractive opportunity. Mortgage funds have gained traction as higher interest rates have made lending to the commercial real estate sector increasingly attractive. This shift has occurred while traditional property investments such as real estate investment trusts are facing significant valuation challenges. According to a recent report by investment firm Zagga, more investors are gravitating toward private real estate debt for property exposure in order to avoid the volatility typically associated with property markets. This trend is fuelled b

More than a few fund managers have highlighted that fixed income investing these days is a world away from what it used to be. They’d be right. The very structure of global fixed income markets has changed since the Global Financial Crisis. As with all structural shifts, it pays to revisit the here and now on occasion to ensure your current strategy is fit for purpose. The reality is the strategies necessary to generate alpha in fixed income markets are different from the past.

With the Fed initiating a rate cutting cycle in September, investors are increasingly focusing on asset classes positioned to outperform in a falling rate environment. Enter smaller companies. Historically, small-cap stocks have outperformed their larger counterparts during periods of declining interest rates — and this trend seems to be taking hold as both global and domestic small-cap benchmarks have shown improved performance in recent months.

With ‘brain drain’ increasingly being the name of the game in the publicly listed markets, not to mention the ever present pull of the US market for innovative emerging Australian businesses in the need of capital, it’s hard to ignore the growing role of private equity and direct start-up investing in most investors’ portfolios. It’s also hard to ignore the fact that start-up investing entails its own unique risks. Many investors have been wrong-footed by the marked differences of start-up investing versus investing in publicly listed companies. The good news is with the right strategy it’s possible to invest in a portfolio of start-ups without losing your shirt.