Economics

How much do the artificial intelligence (AI) hyperscalers’ businesses need to make from selling their AI tools in order to generate a decent return?

The debate surrounding the Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) for big tech’s massive AI infrastructure expansion revolves around a core question: How much end-user revenue is required to cover hardware depreciation, energy costs, and capital costs?

With hyperscaler capital expenditure (capex) on track to surpass US$600 billion- $800 billion annually, several prominent analysts, venture capital firms, and investment banks have published frameworks and scenarios to quantify the revenue needed for a reasonable return.

Here are a handful. You can decide whether the targets are likely to be met. continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Economics, Investing Education, Manufacturing, Market commentary, Market Valuation, Technology & Telecommunications.

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The S&P 500 has once again notched fresh record highs, surging more than 13 per cent year-to-date (YTD) and comfortably outpacing its historical average annual return. Driving the rally is a combination of robust earnings, apparently stabilising geopolitical friction, and the relentless build-out of artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure. continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Economics, Editor's Pick, Insightful Insights, Market commentary, Market Valuation, Technology & Telecommunications.

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Since Labor’s 2026 federal budget changes were handed down, Australia’s property market – particularly suburbs across Sydney and Melbourne – has experienced sharp price corrections.

While property commentators spent early 2026 tracking a largely flat, sideways trend in capital city housing (hovering around the $1.81M to $1.83M median mark in Sydney), the post-budget landscape has delivered a rude shock.

For homeowners who, for years, sacrificed and scrimped to save a 10 to 20 per cent deposit and then purchased or refinanced during 2025 or early 2026, these price falls are no longer just abstract paper losses – they represent a devastating hit to their wealth and equity. Indeed, all they’ve saved has been wiped out in a matter of months. continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Economics, Editor's Pick, Investing Education, Market commentary.

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If the S&P 500 is the dog that wags the global stock markets’ collective tail, then the U.S. central bank – The Federal Reserve – is the brain controlling that dog. What happens at the Fed matters to almost every investor around the world.

And those investors have grown accustomed to dancing with a Federal Reserve that provided reams of forward guidance, as well as a dependable feedback loop. When the Fed spoke, markets adjusted, and increasingly innovative monetary policy smoothed over any volatility. continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Economics, Editor's Pick, Global markets, Insightful Insights, Market commentary.

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I joined Jess Maguire on ABC Statewide Drive to discuss the Big Mac Index and how it uses the concept of purchasing power parity to assess whether currencies appear overvalued or undervalued. We also explored why the index has limitations as a measure of fair value, what it suggests about the Australian dollar, and the important differences between market pullbacks, corrections and crashes, highlighting why short-term volatility is a normal part of investing.

Listen in from 1:47:03: ABC Statewide Drive

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Economics, Radio.

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I joined Juliette Saly on Ausbiz to discuss the next phase of the artificial intelligence (AI) investment cycle and the growing divergence between the companies building AI infrastructure and the hyperscalers funding it. We explored the risks posed by mounting AI capital expenditure (capex), weakening cash flows, the emergence of lower-cost Chinese AI models and what could happen if hyperscalers begin slowing investment. We also discussed why investors may benefit from looking beyond momentum-driven technology stocks towards high-quality, value-oriented businesses and other defensive assets.

Watch the full episode on Ausbiz here: Who really wins from the AI boom? continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Economics, Global markets, Investing Education, Manufacturing, Market commentary, Market Valuation, Technology & Telecommunications, TV Appearances.

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For some time now, I have been writing about the fundamental structural shift occurring in global asset allocation, and specifically, the figurative death of the traditional 60/40 portfolio.

For many years, the typical approach to wealth management and balanced portfolios was to allocate 60 per cent to growth equities for potential capital gains and 40 per cent to public bonds to provide stability and income. 

When a recession struck and equity markets ran into headwinds, central banks cut interest rates, driving bond prices higher and shielding portfolio returns by offsetting stock market losses. continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Aura Group, Economics, Insightful Insights, Investing Education, Market commentary, Market Valuation.

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In this week’s Video Insight, I explain why market volatility is a normal part of investing. While market pullbacks can feel unsettling, history shows they’ve often been temporary and have regularly occurred even in years that finished with strong returns. The key is staying disciplined and keeping your focus on the long term. continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Economics, Editor's Pick, Insightful Insights, Intrinsic Value, Investing Education, Market commentary, Market Valuation, Video Insights.

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I joined Kylie Morris on ABC Newcastle Mornings to discuss the recent increase in market volatility and the shift underway beneath the surface of equity markets. We explored how years of momentum-driven investing and record inflows into index funds have fuelled the outperformance of a handful of large technology stocks, and why that trend may now be reversing. We also discussed the next phase of the artificial intelligence (AI) investment cycle, where investors are becoming more selective about which businesses are likely to benefit, as well as the sharp correction in South Korea’s technology sector as a reminder of the risks that can emerge when markets become concentrated.

Tune in from 33:30 here: ABC Newcastle Mornings continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Economics, Insightful Insights, Market commentary, Market Valuation, Radio.

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Every time the stock market stumbles a percentage point or two, headlines invariably scream the same ominous question: Is the big market crash finally here?

It’s easy to sympathise with investor nervousness, despite the S&P500 being less than three per cent from all-time highs. Tensions overseas are triggering spikes in energy prices as strategic reserves are depleted, inflation persists at rates well above central bank preferences, interest rates remain unpredictable, and tech valuations and AI-related spending seem perpetually stretched.

But look beneath the surface of recent market pullbacks, and a different picture emerges.

It helps to understand the mechanics of market volatility, which isn’t about predicting the exact day a dip will happen, but rather recognising the difference between run-of-the-mill turbulence and structural damage. continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Economics, Editor's Pick, Global markets, Insightful Insights, Investing Education, Market commentary, Market Valuation.

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