Market commentary

The father of a field of mathematics known as fractal geometry, Benoit Mandelbrot, in his fantastic book, The (Mis)behaviour of Markets, observed that market price movements, unlike the smooth curves assumed in traditional financial models, are jagged and irregular, meaning that large price swings are more frequent than expected, and periods of high volatility can be followed by more high volatility. His work provides a more realistic framework for understanding and modeling risk, noting also that volatility in markets tends to cluster.

In my experience, I’ve observed those volatility clusters often mark turning points in markets. To be clear, not all periods of heightened volatility are turning points, but almost all turning points are accompanied by greater volatility. continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Economics, Market commentary, Market Valuation.

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U.S. Senator from Vermont, Bernie Sanders, and Professor Geoffrey Hinton – considered the ‘Godfather of AI’ – pointed out last week at Georgetown University that artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics aren’t inherently bad, but the people pushing this technology revolution are the richest people in the world. They suggest that Musk and Bezos, for example, aren’t staying up at night worrying about ordinary people. They aren’t worrying about working people. They’re not spending hundreds of billions of dollars to extend life expectancy, address global warming, shorten the workweek, and guarantee high-quality health care. They simply want more wealth and more power. continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Market commentary, Technology & Telecommunications.

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I joined Angus Randall and Julia Bergin from ABC The world to discuss why, despite artificial intelligence’s (AI’s) enormous long-term promise, early investors often face the highest risks. History shows that major technology advancements usually go through a boom–bust cycle, which is why caution – not blind optimism – is essential right now.

Catch the segment here: Calls to boost Australian investment in AI. continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Market commentary, Radio, Technology & Telecommunications.

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In this final part of my two-part series on General Purpose Technology (GPT) booms, I explain how these cycles typically end. History shows that even world-changing technologies – from cars to commercial flight –  delivered poor outcomes for most early investors. This is because technology trends eventually run into the reality that customers don’t spend money in a straight line (their demand rises and falls), and also the concept of “creative destruction” (wherein new technology leads to the obsolescence of outdated products). These cycles are exactly why it’s important to diversify and regularly rebalance your portfolio. continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Market commentary, Market Valuation, Technology & Telecommunications, Video Insights.

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Wall Street on Thursday experienced a stunning reversal in sentiment. Impressive results from the company spearheading the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution, Nvidia (NVDA), and a strong September jobs report initially drove the Nasdaq up more than two per cent.

On Wednesday, Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang had described demand for its Blackwell chips as “off the charts”, and dismissed fears of an AI bubble on the company’s earnings call.

Meanwhile, the U.S. economy added 119,000 jobs in September, meaning the labour market was in better shape than previously thought. continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Companies, Global markets, Investing Education, Market commentary, Market Valuation.

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I joined Phil Clark on Nightlife to explain why the market’s sharp fall may reflect growing doubts about the artificial intelligence (AI) boom. I argued that while AI is a powerful General Purpose Technology (GPT) that may change the world (like cars or the internet), it might not be as lucrative as investors hope. Today we’re seeing super-charged share prices, huge data-centre spending, complex vendor-financing deals and big losses at firms like OpenAI. Whether this proves a correction or a bust is unknowable, so my message to investors was simple: regularly rebalance and diversify beyond the AI winners.

Tune into the full episode from 4:49 here: ABC Nightlife Finance 

continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Market commentary, Market Valuation, Radio, Technology & Telecommunications.

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November 19, 2025, marks Nvidia’s fiscal third-quarter earnings release for 2025 (Q325), and investors are holding their breath. The chipmaker, long the poster child for the artificial intelligence revolution, finds itself at a crossroads. With shares having pulled back almost 13 per cent in recent weeks amid heightened scrutiny, Q325 report could either reaffirm the explosive growth narrative driving technology valuations or fuel fresh doubts about an overheated artificial intelligence (AI) sector. continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Companies, Market commentary.

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On Monday the S&P/ASX 200 tumbled two per cent, led by a sell-off in tech stocks. It’s now down about seven per cent over the past month. Concerns about the end of the interest rate cycle in Australia, a lack of information on Wall Street and the forever present geopolitical fears seem to be weighing on investors.

On Fear & Greed, with Sean Aylmer, I explained that stretched valuations and a cooling of artificial intelligence (AI) optimism are prompting a shift in sentiment – but this isn’t a time to panic. It’s a reminder to rebalance, trim what’s run hard, and look to genuinely diversified, uncorrelated opportunities.

Tune in to the episode here: Q+A: What’s next after yesterday’s market tumble? continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Economics, Market commentary, Podcast Channel.

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For every equity that trades, there is a buyer and seller. Often there are functional reasons for selling, such as paying down a loan, paying tax, distributing an inheritance, or meeting retirement spending needs. Putting those aside, another reason for selling is the harbouring of a negative outlook on the share market in general or the sector or individual stock. But there is also a buyer on the side, who may hold the polar opposite view and outlook.

And if we assume both investors have access to the same information, the difference in outlook can only be attributed to a difference in perception.

Take for example the spending by artificial intelligence (AI) hyperscalers on their infrastructure buildout, estimated to be US$3 trillion by 2029. continue…

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

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In this blog post, I (finally) take the focus off the artificial intelligence (AI) boom/bubble. Instead, I want to look at whether there are other factors investors should be considering when it comes to time to rebalance portfolios, and as 2025 concludes and 2026 commences.

First – and granted this one’s a bit of fun – the Santa Claus rally. Is there any evidence that such a thing exists? continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Global markets, Market commentary, Market Valuation.

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