Why now is the sweet spot for active bond management
The global bond market is in flux. Yield curves are steepening, volatility remains elevated, and policy decisions are moving markets in ways that upend some of the more reliable patterns of the last decade. In this environment, active management and selective risk positioning across the curve isn’t just preferable – it’s essential.
Back to base pyramid, looking for the real needs
The world is increasingly focused on resilience, security, and strategic self-sufficiency. Capital is progressively flowing back to foundational needs such as critical energy infrastructure and defence.
Fixed-interest ETFs supplanting bank hybrids in retail portfolios: AUSIEX
APRA’s decision to draw the curtain on this controversial investment that blends debt and equity might be seven years away, but investors are increasingly looking elsewhere to get this asset fix, with some of the more adventuresome venturing offshore.
Biodiversity fund to target high-net-worth investors, family offices
The Kunming-Montreal Global Diversity Framework is to biodiversity what the Paris agreement is to climate change, and local investment firm Skjander aims to ride its growing investment appeal across the globe.
Revolution, not evolution: the crypto dilemma
New asset class; important portfolio diversifier — it's the same old drama, when it comes to the crypto world. Too many people retain their first impression of crypto, and ignore the ecosystem's impressive progress, writes Sandy Kaul of Franklin Templeton.
Dexus on path to redefine opportunistic real estate investing
Opportunistic real estate investing is no longer about simply buying cheap and hoping for a rebound. Instead, it is about pairing scale with executional depth, and capital with operational capability.
Digging into the defensive toolkit
A well-articulated investment philosophy is the cornerstone of prudent financial advice. It defines not only how capital should be deployed, but more importantly, why.
Exposure compression: Why institutional portfolios move in sync, when they shouldn’t
Despite aiming to deliver “diversified” results, most balanced portfolios pivot around the same risk levers and dominant names. It means exposure compression, benchmark design and regulatory benchmarking concentrate risk into predictable choke points – the MAG-8, Australian banks and US dollar – which passive investing reinforces.
The overlooked gem that’s not in Australian portfolios
The broadening menu of yield-bearing investments available to Australian investors in recent years has given much broader scope for diversified allocations. But there is one segment that is noticeable by its absence.
Navigating uncertainty, finding opportunity
As we move into the second half of 2025, volatility remains elevated but so too does opportunity. The view from the investment coalface can be gleaned from the underlying managers of the Third Link Growth Fund, which are navigating a highly dynamic environment.
Credit specialist posits “all-weather” alternative to private credit
Australian investors love the story of private credit; transfixed by its potential for reliable, steady income that is a step-change higher than returns from traditional fixed-income investments; its protection against inflation, and diversification away from public markets. But maybe, private credit is something itself from which investors should be looking to diversify.
Stop me if you think you’ve heard this one before
A full three months since President Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariff announcements sparked panic in financial markets, macro developments have been benign. The passage of the "Big Beautiful Bill" has brought clarity on the fiscal outlook, but uncertainty on trade negotiations remains. Franklin Templeton Fixed Income CIO Sonal Desai explains what this means for investors going forward.
From vacancy to value
With financial markets inching toward a fragile new equilibrium and commercial real estate (CRE) valuations stabilising after several quarters of volatility, John Taylor, head of private capital at Dexus, believes the moment is right for wholesale investors to reconsider their posture on property, particularly those willing to embrace opportunistic strategies that capitalise on dislocated pricing and sectoral asymmetries.
Assessing risk/return in a falling rate environment
With a rate-cutting cycle underway, it can be tempting to search for higher-yielding investments. However, it’s important to also consider risk in a volatile and uncertain environment.
Commodity contrarian sees a sector on the cusp of a climb
Adam Rozencwajg has been to Australia many times, looking for under-valued mining and oil and gas stocks for his portfolio: and there’s nothing he loves more than getting out among the red soil, the ore trucks, the pits, shafts and processing plants, and the high-vis clothing. But this time, he was looking for investors.
How the wealthy are rewriting private capital investing rules
A major transition is underway from "broken" buyout models towards growth capital with lower deal sizes and longer terms.
Different paths to equity income: A comparative manager lens
As investor demand for stable equity-derived income rises – particularly among retirees and defensive portfolios – fund managers have taken diverging paths to meet the same goal. But not all equity income strategies are created equal.
Escala doubles-down on alternatives
Escala Partners, one of Australia’s leading private wealth investment and advisory groups, is strengthening its commitment to alternative investments.
The art of investing: Why fundamentals, not fashion, will win the next cycle
Paul Moore, chief investment officer of PM Capital, has never been shy about challenging market orthodoxy; and at a recent lunch hosted by The Inside Network, he was in iconoclastic form.
Global, growing, and undervalued: Is healthcare the opportunity of the cycle?
Healthcare, according to Perennial’s Victor Windeyer, is in the eye of the perfect storm— but in the best possible sense. Speaking at The Inside Network’s recent Equities & Growth Symposium, Windeyer laid out a compelling argument for the sector’s enduring strength.
