Points of Note
Enthusiasm for AI not ending.
Trump gets shirty with Federal Reserve again.
Strong gains again across all markets.
Recent News Regarding Macquarie Bank
The Gold Rush
Trouble Spending It
Will We Be Replaced by AI?
If you haven’t heard, many industries and professions are said to be under serious threat by the rise of artificial intelligence or AI. How long do you think it will be before AI replaces your Financial Advisor? Here we look at an experiment where three publicly available AI tools were given very precise instructions to retrieve and sort data on a list of investment funds.
Money as a Measure
Psychology professor, Tim Kasser, consistently finds that individuals who overweight materialistic outcomes will usually experience lower levels of well-being, happiness, life satisfaction, and self-esteem. Worse, he finds these people have increased anxiety, depression, and interpersonal difficulties…
Superannuation: Inertia & Urgency
Partly due to constant media focus on short-term performance, more people these days are concerned about their superannuation. There is a sense of urgency for some investors, who, feeling the need to "catch up" later in life, have sought out better returns. Unfortunately, this has very sadly led some people into risky investments, and they have been caught in the recent failures of funds like First Guardian and Shield Master Fund.
2025 Q2 June Quarter Review
Tariffs hit hard initially, but stockmarkets bounce hard.
Tariffs create some distortion as US business pulls forward orders.
Euro and UK economies still sluggish, but increased defense spending on the way.
A political backlash in the UK, with both major parties on the nose.
Australian government keeps its foot on housing demand, while missing supply targets.
Commonwealth Bank hits record highs during Q2.
The $3 Million Question
2025 Q1 March Quarter Review
Early tariff concerns prompt a stock rotation from the US to Europe.
The Magnificent Seven come off the boil as Chinese AI emerges as a threat.
Increased defence spending coming in Germany and Japan?
The UK stuck in a low growth environment.
Australian stocks down, with few green sectors.
Australian real estate up slightly to hit record highs.