17 May 2018

Quality focus delivers outperformance

by Arian Neiron , Managing Director

February’s market blip has heightened investor worries about the return of volatility. The go-to strategy for astute investors during volatile times has been investing in profitable companies with strong balance sheets and stable earnings growth.  These characteristics have helped smart investors separate those companies that may be insulated against downturns from those that may fail.

17 May 2018

Looking under the ESG bonnet

by Russell Grigg , General Counsel and Head of Compliance

The recently listed VanEck Vectors MSCI International Sustainable Equity ETF (ESGI) sets a high standard on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) ratings. The ETF ranks #1 on ESG ratings from MSCI compared to its ASX ETF international sustainable equities peer group.

14 May 2018

Focusing on gold’s resilient base

by Joe Foster , Portfolio Manager and Strategist

Gold’s price floor continues its rise, staying steady amid concerns over geopolitical risks, trade tensions, and inflation.

04 May 2018

Hush Puppies and the Hayne Royal Commission

by Arian Neiron , Managing Director

The Tipping Point, according to Malcolm Gladwell is "the moment of critical mass, the threshold, the boiling point". Among the examples he cites: there was a Tipping Point for the re-emergence of Hush Puppies as a fashion trend, there was a Tipping Point in the decline of violent crime rates in New York and there was a Tipping Point that made Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood a best seller. In The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference, Gladwell explains how ideas, products, messages and behaviours spread just like viruses culminating in a change that happens not gradually, but at one dramatic moment. It is this moment that is the Tipping Point.

We believe that the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry will be the precursor to a Tipping Point.

01 May 2018

Don’t bank on the Royal Commission

by Arian Neiron , Managing Director

The headlines in April from the Hayne Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry have been nothing short of sensational.  One thing is clear, change within financial services is very likely to occur following Hayne’s findings.  While it is unclear what form these changes will take, the big banks face further challenges to their reputations and profitability. 

30 April 2018

Where does gold come from? The stars!

Scientists recently discovered that gold is created in the collision of two neutron stars.