June Market Commentary

Monthly Economic & Investment Market Commentary June 2012 We are now five years on from the announcement by investment bank Bear Stearns that redemptions on two of its hedge funds were frozen, and that there was “very little value”(1) remaining for investors. Shares in Bear Stearns fell...

May Market Commentary

Monthly Economic & Investment Market Commentary May 2012 British philosopher Bertrand Russell passed away more than four decades ago, yet the following quote of his can readily be applied to so many of the problems that the global economy and investment markets currently face, and also to...

Federal Budget Update 2012

8 May 2012 The 2012 Federal Budget only contained a few surprises as many of the measures had already been legislated or pre-announced. The main winners were lower income earners, families and the elderly. Summary The key new announcements include: tax may increase on certain employment termination...

April Market Commentary

Monthly Economic & Investment Market Commentary

April 2012

On one side of the current debate we have those that say governments can and should seek to smooth the economic cycle by running surpluses when times are good. By taxing more than they spend, governments can pay down debt, and / or invest in vehicles such as sovereign wealth funds. Then when hard economic times hit, as the business cycle says they will, there is a greater capacity to support a struggling economy, including by running budget deficits to fund stimulatory programs. Opposing that view are those that see only a much more limited role for government, influenced by their belief that governments have a poor track record at best of intervening at the right time and in the right manner; a view for which there is much support, particular given recent experiences.

March Market Commentary

Monthly Economic & Investment Market Commentary March 2012 Last month’s report focused on the United States and Europe, and as promised our discussion this month will focus on China, India and the Emerging Markets, and then finish with an update on the Australian economy. There have been...

February Market Commentary

Monthly Economic & Investment Market Commentary February 2012 A research paper(1) that was written more than a decade ago about the state of the Japanese economy provides an interesting framework for assessing current financial problems in Europe and the United States. The author analysed the Japanese economy...