Popular Articles

Recently, the BBC interviewed Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Alphabet, Google’s parent. With all the claims the artificial intelligence (AI) boom is a bubble – something I have noted cannot be known until after the event – I wonder whether the BBC was motivated to go to the source. 

Describing the surge in AI funding as a remarkable period, yet one marked by certain unrealistic expectations, Pichai warned viewers of BBC News that no business would escape unscathed if the AI boom collapses. Continue…

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

• save this article
• POSTED IN Global markets, Market commentary, Technology & Telecommunications.

In my latest article for Nabtrade, I explore why investors are rarely able to identify a bubble until after it has burst, and why the signals today suggest it may be prudent to prepare for a shift in 2026. Diversification and rebalancing is becoming increasingly important as market conditions become more turbulent. 

You can read the full article here: Bubbles create a shadow – time to move out from the shade. Continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in On the Internet.

• READ ONLINE
• save this article
• POSTED IN On the Internet.

From South Sea to AI: Artificial Intelligence (AI) companies seem to be asking investors the question: Just how long can growth be built on the question of future returns – and a productivity revolution – that are by no means guaranteed?

The South Sea Bubble of 1720 remains the archetype of a financial mania driven by exotic new ‘tech’, the promise of monopoly returns, and limitless public imagination.

At first, the idea of comparing the South Sea bubble to an AI boom 305 years later seemed far-fetched. AI is not, for example, a Ponzi scheme being promoted by those who fail or refuse to publish financials or forecasts of how profits will be made. Continue…

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

• save this article
• POSTED IN Investing Education, Market commentary, Technology & Telecommunications.

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.

• 2 Comments
• save this article
• 2
• POSTED IN Market commentary, Market Valuation, Technology & Telecommunications, Video Insights.

As investors, if we’re intellectually honest, we’re bound to be wrong a few times more than we would like. And the longer the investment career, the higher the accumulated mistakes pile up. So how do successful investors survive them and continue to build on their success?

In holiday mode, I was re-reading some vintage Graham and Dodd, and what struck me was how minimal the damage from their mistakes would be, thanks to the safeguards built into their approach. Continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Market commentary.

• save this article
• POSTED IN Market commentary.

This Christmas, perhaps more than any other in recent years, it might be time to spare a thought for Ernest Hemingway’s short story The Capital of the World. Continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Market commentary.

• save this article
• POSTED IN Market commentary.

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.

• save this article
• POSTED IN Economics, Insightful Insights, Investing Education, Market commentary.

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, Financial Services, Market commentary, Market Valuation, Stocks We Like.

• save this article
• POSTED IN Companies, Financial Services, Market commentary, Market Valuation, Stocks We Like.

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.

• save this article
• POSTED IN Market commentary, Radio, Technology & Telecommunications.

I joined Sean Aylmer for Fear and Greed’s Summer Series to discuss whether the powerful rally driven by artificial intelligence (AI) may now be approaching it’s peak. Drawing on lessons from past technology booms, I explained that although investors can correctly predict that a technology (in this case, AI) will change the course of humanity – it doesn’t automatically translate to great investment returns. The issue becomes apparent when a theme is perceived as structural, when in fact it is cyclical. We can see this in AI stocks where valuations have been inflated to a point that cannot be sustained. 

While no one can call the exact timing of an unwind, signs suggest the best part of the run for many AI-linked stocks may be behind us. For investors, perhaps they should consider rebalancing their portfolios after strong equity gains and spread capital more evenly across opportunities beyond the AI theme.

Continue…

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

• save this article
• POSTED IN Insightful Insights, Investing Education, Market commentary, Podcast Channel.