Popular Articles

The traditional 60/40 portfolio approach is proving less effective at balancing risk and return in today’s environment, particularly as the historical relationship between equities and bonds has shifted. Where bonds once tended to rise when equities fell, both asset classes have at times moved in the same direction during periods of persistent inflation and policy uncertainty, weakening diversification benefits. At the same time, elevated equity valuations, increased concentration in major indices and higher government debt levels have contributed to a more volatile and policy-sensitive market backdrop. As a result, some investors are reassessing how capital is allocated and how diversification is achieved. Continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Aura Group, Digital Asset Funds Management, Whitepapers.

• 2 Comments
• save this article
• 2
• POSTED IN Aura Group, Digital Asset Funds Management, Whitepapers.

With public markets more volatile there’s a growing focus on investments that can deliver regular income with less reliance on market movements.

Australian private credit stands out because it’s built more conservatively and with a clear focus on protecting investor capital, supported by a robust regulatory framework and the transparency of the Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR), which clearly defines lender priority. Continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Aura Group, Whitepapers.

• save this article
• POSTED IN Aura Group, Whitepapers.

There’s been a conga line of prognosticators who have forecast falling house prices. All of them have faded into history as house prices have grown since the 1970s, first at the rate of inflation, then at the rate of wage growth, then at the rate of Artemis II launch.

Recently, Money.com.au contracted Primara Research to produce a forecast of Aussie house prices for 2030 under a variety of interest rate, supply, and unemployment scenarios. Continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Editor's Pick, Market commentary, Market Valuation, Property.

• save this article
• POSTED IN Editor's Pick, Market commentary, Market Valuation, Property.

The gigawatt IPOs

Ahead of a multi-billion-dollar Australian data centre Initial Public Offering (IPO), many local investors are taking a particular interest in the sector, swatting up on everything they can learn. Of particular interest are the latest developments at Datacentre hopeful Fermi America.

In the age of Agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI), building the world’s largest data centre sounds like a license to print money. But as Fermi America shareholders are currently discovering, even having the former U.S. Secretary of Energy as a co-founder and the Trump name on the door doesn’t make concrete pour any faster. Continue…

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

• save this article
• POSTED IN Energy / Resources, Market commentary, Technology & Telecommunications.

Commonwealth Bank (ASX: CBA), under the guidance of CEO Matt Comyn, has once again proven why it’s considered the best Australian bank. Despite a muddy economic backdrop and fierce competition in the mortgage market, the bank’s half-year FY26 (1H26) results beat analyst expectations (again).

While the headline numbers were strong and will dominate today’s commentary, a more interesting story lies in the shifting dynamics of Australia’s largest lender. Continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Companies, Editor's Pick, Financial Services, Market commentary, Market Valuation, Stocks We Like.

• 2 Comments
• save this article
• 2
• POSTED IN Companies, Editor's Pick, Financial Services, Market commentary, Market Valuation, Stocks We Like.

China has supported a ceasefire in the Middle East and JD Vance made his first pilgrimage to meet with senior Iranian leaders. And while Donald Trump’s exit would inevitably be messy, and riddled with false starts, it seems reasonably safe to assume the process of ending the conflict began last month.

It seems the market received the brief. The ASX 200 is up almost 6 per cent from its March 23 lows, while the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq are up 11 per cent and 17 per cent, respectively, from their lows on March 30.

The remaining question for investors is what happens next.

This article was first published in The Australian on 24 April 2026. Continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in In the Press, Insightful Insights, Market commentary.

• READ
• save this article
• POSTED IN In the Press, Insightful Insights, Market commentary.

In a deal announced today, Magellan Financial Group (ASX: MFG) will buy Barrenjoey Investment Bank. For long-term investors, it could provide the opportunity to invest in another ASX-listed investment bank. Could it be the next Macquarie Bank?

Of course, there is a long way to go from Barrenjoey’s $1.6 billion valuation to Macquarie’s $76.3 billion market capitalisation, so this blog is limited to examining today’s deal without commenting on valuation or predicting share prices. Continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Market commentary.

• save this article
• POSTED IN Market commentary.

The news that an Iranian drone reportedly struck a U.S.-linked commercial oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz has done more than just spike the price of oil; it’s arguably shattered the fragile market equilibrium we’ve seen since the start of the year. And arguably, as intended, it has distracted everyone from the Epstein files.

At the time of writing Brent and WTI crude were up $US15 to $US107 a barrel. The Nikkei plummeted 4.5 per cent, and U.S. futures have cratered by as much as two per cent. So, why has a single drone strike erased billions in equity value across the globe?

This article was first published in The Australian on 09 March 2026. Continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Editor's Pick, Energy / Resources, Global markets, In the Press, Market commentary.

• save this article
• POSTED IN Editor's Pick, Energy / Resources, Global markets, In the Press, Market commentary.

Themes like artificial intelligence (AI) can drive strong investor demand, but they can also blur the finer details. As more AI infrastructure businesses come to market, it’s a reminder to look beyond the excitement and focus on valuation, incentives and structure, because these are often what ultimately shape investor outcomes.

Read the article: ‘Rug pull’ or index inclusion play? Firmus’ IPO lock-up rules in focus as its roadshow rolls on Continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in In the Press, Market commentary, On the Internet.

• READ
• save this article
• POSTED IN In the Press, Market commentary, On the Internet.

The upcoming listing of Firmus on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) is being pitched as a generational opportunity to capitalise on the artificial intelligence boom, yet a closer examination of the company’s artificial intelligence (AI) Factory model reveals a series of architectural and financial cracks that prospective investors should scrutinise. Continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Companies.

• 4 Comments
• save this article
• 4
• POSTED IN Companies.