Video of the week

Preview of the Portfolio Construction Forum Strategy Summit 2024 with Jonathan Ramsay & Jonathan Tolub

August 7, 2024
Join Us at the Portfolio Construction Forum’s Strategy Summit in Sydney

We are all painfully aware that the financial advice industry is on the cusp of significant change as it grapples with increased regulation, the industrialisation of advice delivery, and rapidly shifting market dynamics. Against this backdrop, the Portfolio Construction Forum’s upcoming Strategy Summit (August 21st/22nd) has leaned into the change to build an agenda that reflects where the industry is at and how to move forward. 

In this week's video, Director’s JT and JR share a preview of the conference and explore how the theme 'The whole is worth more than the sum of the parts' aptly describes our approach: blending our process with our clients' needs to create a comprehensive, collaborative solution for investors.

Summit Agenda Preview:

The conference structure mirrors the investment decision-making cycle, broken down into the following ‘content blocks’:

1.    Macro Scene Setting: Setting the economic context.

2.    Strategies: Beyond products, focusing on thematic implementations of macro strategies.

3.    Public vs Private assets with some interesting sessions like ‘In Defense of Public Markets’ as well as the prospect of ‘Passive in Private’ 

4.     Portfolio Design – asset allocation principles, portfolio optimisation form a range of people like us (asset consultants but also including an interesting speaker from the US that runs an outsourced CIO business)

5.    Human factors – behavioural finance including one from Tassos Stassopolus of Trinetra called “ A change of perspective is worth 80 IQ points” which has piqued our interest (sounds like a good deal to us!)

6.     Investment Committee Hypothetical – Economic and Asset Class Outlook / Asset Allocation including 1 session run by InvestSense involving Economist Andrew Hunt which turns all of these ideas into ‘a’ portfolio with panel and audience participation.

7.    An optional Implementation Workshop on the 2nd afternoon where InvestSense will facilitate a discussion with and amongst advisers about how some of these ideas might make it into their practices and their clients’ portfolios (in person only).

"We're trying to make the sum of all the parts – of us, of the managers we bring into portfolios, of all the other contributors – more valuable as a whole when they end up in clients’ hands." In an era of profound change, this holistic, systems-based approach could be exactly what advisers need to energise their practices. 

Come along and join us on August 21st & 22nd.

Register here to access the live stream: Portfolio Construction Forum Strategies Summit 2024 Live Stream

We also have a limited number of tickets available for the in-person event in Sydney, please get in touch with the team (it’s quite a production and great fun). 

Interest rate sensitivity persists into the new year

August 2, 2024
During the last few weeks, the prospect of rising interest rate expectations continued to grip markets, as the soft landing/rapid disinflation thesis was tested.
Read More

Strong start to the year continues despite recession concerns

August 2, 2024
As the world’s elite gathered in a snowless Davos, markets focused on much more immediate concerns, starting with the continuing wave of layoffs in corporate America. Amazon, Microsoft, Alphabet (Google’s parent company), Salesforce and Goldman Sachs, among others, took turns to announce staff cuts. It would appear boardrooms and CEOs are lending some credence to the possibility of a recession in 2023.
Read More

The year of moderation

August 2, 2024
Markets ended up a few percent last week, but only after a mid-week earnings scare triggered by a flat result and weak guidance from Microsoft. This week markets have been a little volatile but flat overall, leaving most markets up 5-10% for January.
Read More

Better World Case Study - Brambles

August 2, 2024
Brambles are a world leader in waste management and circular economy. Brambles use sophisticated processes to reduce and reuse waste in their business and have won many awards as a result.
Read More

Markets think we're there - but are we?

August 2, 2024
Markets think ‘we’re there’ in the global fight against inflation – but are we? Last week the RBA also proclaimed confidently that local inflation had peaked, so you might think it’s all downhill from here...
Read More

Interest rate nerves as RBA walks a tightrope

August 2, 2024
Markets were again on the back foot last week. However, despite a fair amount of volatility, most markets were flat or only down by 1% or so. There seems to be an ongoing battle of wills between markets and the various central banks who are keen to talk down markets, lest the wealth effects of a buoyant market detract from the ongoing fight against inflation.
Read More

Global Economic Sentiment Shifts as US Data Strengthens whilst Eurozone Data Weakens

August 2, 2024
Global economic sentiment shifted in the week as US data strengthened, and Eurozone data weakened. Weaker global economic data raised concerns about central bank hawkishness, leading to a stronger US dollar and weaker currencies. Crude oil prices remained resilient amid supply concerns, while tech stocks led US markets lower as Apple took a hit.
Read More

US Markets Closed Flat, China Stabilizes, and the End of Monetary Tightening in Europe?

August 2, 2024
Despite higher-than-expected US CPI data, bond and equity markets remained calm initially. The jump in inflation was attributed to a temporary rise in energy prices and air travel. However, volatility set in due to the IPO of British chip maker ARM, pushing markets up by around 2%. Fears of a further rate hike set in causing US markets to close flat. Conversely, European, Australian, and UK markets ended the week positively, driven by the performance companies reliant on Chinese exports.
Read More

Markets Slammed By Hawkish Rhetoric Despite Pause From The Fed

August 2, 2024
Equity markets around the world fell more or less in unison last week by about 3-4%, before bouncing slightly on Friday. The UK was really the only market to buck the trend, as the Bank of England unexpectedly kept rates on hold after inflation fell by more than forecast.
Read More

Sticky Inflation Concerns Put Markets on the Back Foot

August 2, 2024
Last week markets were down again, reflecting the trends that took root in September - long-term yields pushing higher with markets on the back foot.
Read More

Riding the Market Rollercoaster

August 2, 2024
If we had written this commentary early in the week as intended, we would have said that markets were still on the back foot, as they were down another few percent. However, having got to the end of this week things have improved quite a bit and most markets are now actually up a few percent, with China leading the way.
Read More

Rising Rates Rattle Stocks as Geopolitical Risks Emerge

August 2, 2024
This week rates have headed resolutely upwards, and stocks have not liked it much with most markets heading steadily downwards throughout the week.
Read More

Markets slid again last week, with a concentrated sell off in US tech

August 2, 2024
Markets slid again last week but the selling was concentrated in US tech, most of which is down 10% or so this year. Much of last week’s selling occurred in the last 2 sessions of the week.
Read More

Recession fears build, yet equity markets end the week higher

August 2, 2024
Fears of a US recession later this year gathered pace last week and the US equity market jumped by almost 7% and the Nasdaq was up some 9%.
Read More

Inflation - Flash Update

August 2, 2024
In light of the recent inflation data coming out of the US, we dive in to why the market is so upset about a 0.1% increase in prices, and what this means from an Australian investor's perspective.
Read More

Interest rate sensitivity persists into the new year

August 2, 2024
During the last few weeks, the prospect of rising interest rate expectations continued to grip markets, as the soft landing/rapid disinflation thesis was tested.
Read More

Strong start to the year continues despite recession concerns

August 2, 2024
As the world’s elite gathered in a snowless Davos, markets focused on much more immediate concerns, starting with the continuing wave of layoffs in corporate America. Amazon, Microsoft, Alphabet (Google’s parent company), Salesforce and Goldman Sachs, among others, took turns to announce staff cuts. It would appear boardrooms and CEOs are lending some credence to the possibility of a recession in 2023.
Read More

Equities turbulent but resilient as interest rates rise

August 2, 2024
Last week the S&P 500 traded in a 3% range, having done a 2% round trip on Thursday, followed by a 3% fall on Friday after the inflation data release and then another almost 2% round trip yesterday. Emerging markets were the worst performing, down 4% for the week. Taking a step back though, most equity markets haven’t given back that much of their gains from January, while Europe and the Nasdaq remain up 10% for the year.
Read More

Helping your clients assess the climate impact of their Portfolio

August 2, 2024
Nathan Fradley explains how the ethosesg technology can help you assess and design an ethical portfolio that aligns to an investor’s personal values.
Read More

Carbon credits and investing – is it the outcome we expect?

August 2, 2024
ETFs that invest in carbon credits are now available. Why should we assume that their price will go up over time? And does buying a carbon credit ETF actually contribute positively to emissions reduction? Will it actually generate the outcome investors are expecting? This article explores the issues around investing in carbon credits.
Read More

Better World makes a difference with investment in renewables

August 2, 2024
There are many direct assets and funds that contribute positively to climate action within the InvestSense Better World Portfolios. Meridian Energy is one of the stand-out direct assets in the portfolio with a climate energy focus.
Read More

Bad news equals good news

August 2, 2024
In recent years professional investors have got increasingly used to the fact that good news is bad news for markets because higher interest rates are likely to be necessary, and of course vice-versa. However, last week the effect was stronger than ever and stocks rallied mid-week amidst reports of widespread lay-offs and expectations of a weak US jobs report.
Read More

‘Buy the dip’ opportunism start surfacing

August 2, 2024
The US market finally market caught a bid last week. Early in the week the market was down few percent after an earnings miss by ad dependent social media platform Snap (of Snapchat fame) combined with weak guidance raised more doubts about the economy and economic resilience of tech companies.
Read More

US momentarily dips into official bear market territory

August 2, 2024
The seventh negative week in a row for the US sent it briefly into official bear market territory before it recovered slightly late on Friday. The world’s largest stocks (Apple, Microsoft Amazon and Google) are all down 25%.
Read More

How Mark Lewin saved 13 hours a week with Managed Accounts

August 2, 2024
Mark Lewin was a financial planner, but is now the Director of Back Office Heros. In his planning business he gained significant efficiencies by recommending and implementing managed accounts for his clients. He tells us how...
Read More
Icon of a letter

InvestSense insights, delivered straight to your inbox.

Icon of a letter

Get the latest industry news

Icon of a letter

Get the latest industry news

Icon of a letter

Get the latest industry news