Popular Articles

Based on the 2026–27 Federal Budget, the Australian Government expects its comprehensive tax reform package – anchored by changes to Capital Gains Tax (CGT) and negative gearing – to raise just over $40 billion over 10 years. On an annual basis, this averages approximately $4 billion, though revenue will increase from a lower base over time due to the grandfathering and transitional rules built into the legislation.

As an aside, it has triggered widespread condemnation because, despite the changes being so significant, they weren’t taken to an election. Continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Economics, Market commentary.

• save this article
• POSTED IN Economics, Market commentary.

SpaceX has some real businesses, but if I am completely lucid, I’d say there’s no business that would support its US$2 trillion valuation.

While the headlines are made by rockets and SpaceX’s reusable Falcon 9, which has radically changed the economics of sending cargo into orbit, slashing launch costs by 85 per cent to roughly US$2,700 per kilogram, it is Starlink that generated US$11 billion of last year’s US$18 billion in revenue. 

In fact, sending rockets into space doesn’t do a lot for the company’s finances. Indeed, SpaceX generates more revenue from renting out its NVIDIA chips to Anthropic than it does from rockets. Continue…

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

• 4 Comments
• save this article
• 4
• POSTED IN Companies, Market commentary, Market Valuation, Technology & Telecommunications.

I joined Jess Maguire on ABC Statewide Drive to discuss why oil prices may be giving investors a false sense of calm. While markets expect Middle East tensions to ease, the release of oil from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve and the need to eventually replenish those supplies could create the conditions for a sharp spike in oil prices, with implications for inflation, interest rates and share markets.

Tune in from 1:45:16: ABC Statewide Drive Continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Economics, Energy / Resources, Market commentary, Radio.

• save this article
• POSTED IN Economics, Energy / Resources, Market commentary, Radio.

I joined Juliette Saly on Ausbiz today to discuss the 2026 Federal Budget and whether changes to Capital Gains Tax (CGT) and negative gearing could ultimately create unintended consequences for younger Australians. While the reforms are aimed at improving housing affordability, I explained why reduced incentives for investors and forecasts for fewer homes to be built could place further pressure on supply and long-term wealth creation. Continue…

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

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

A layman’s guide to CrossBorder Capital’s latest financial outlook.

The core problem: A tsunami of government debt

Macroeconomic research house CrossBorder Capital’s Michael Howell recently summarised the dilemma confronting the U.S. Federal Reserve under newly appointed Chair Kevin Warsh.

For most, the use of proprietary indicators and the esoteric interpretations is likely to be skimmed over, but sometimes a bit of additional attention pays dividends. Right now might be one of those junctures.

The U.S. government funds its budget shortfalls by issuing bonds – essentially IOUs to investors. To keep this system running smoothly, two things are required: balance-sheet capacity (the financial ability of large institutions to buy and hold these bonds) and market liquidity (the amount of readily available cash circulating to trade them). Continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Economics, Editor's Pick, Insightful Insights, Investing Education.

• save this article
• POSTED IN Economics, Editor's Pick, Insightful Insights, Investing Education.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers stepped up to the dispatch box in May 2026 to announce a sweeping overhaul of negative gearing and capital gains tax (CGT).

By stripping negative gearing from established properties purchased after May 12 and swapping the 50 per cent CGT discount for an inflation-indexed method and a 30 per cent minimum tax floor from July 2027, the Albanese Labor Government claimed to be setting out to achieve a progressive holy grail. Putting aside that this was nothing more than another tax grab to plug a budget hole born of profligate spending, fiscal waste and mismanagement, they claimed to be tilting the playing field away from wealthy property hoarders and toward aspiring young first-home buyers.

Two months later, the early data is in. And while the reforms have successfully detonated a bomb under housing market activity, the fallout has been completely twisted. Instead of ushering young Australians into their dream homes, Labor’s housing policy has locked them out faster than ever. Continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Economics, Market commentary.

• save this article
• POSTED IN Economics, Market commentary.

I joined Paul Turton today on ABC Newcastle Mornings to discuss the growing use of personalised or “surveillance” pricing, where companies use data like your browsing history, location or even behaviour in-store to charge different prices for the same product, often without consumers realising. I explained how this is already happening in areas like airline bookings and online shopping, and warned it could soon extend to essentials like groceries, with algorithms identifying what individuals are willing to pay and adjusting prices accordingly. While legal in many cases, I argued this practice erodes transparency, removes consumers’ ability to compare prices, and ultimately risks everyday Australians paying more, highlighting the need for stronger regulation to balance profit motives with fairness. Continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Radio, Technology & Telecommunications.

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

While it may not inform your investing decisions, it’s undeniably enjoyable to look at what bulls were saying during a previous bubble and comparing those comments to what is being said today.

In this post, I compare the statements from the latest post of stock market bull Ed Yardeni, and the statements made in the April 1999 Merrill Lynch report entitled ‘e-Commerce: Virtually Here’.  

Published on 8 April, 1999, the section beginning on Page 13 and titled The Epicenter, was authored by Henry Blodget. According to The Guardian, “As the dotcom bubble was rapidly expanding in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Blodget was arguably the world’s most famous financial analyst, named Institutional Investor’s “all-star” analyst three years running and taking home a salary of US$12m from Merrill Lynch.” Continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Economics, Market commentary.

• save this article
• POSTED IN Economics, Market commentary.

I joined Juliette Saly on Ausbiz to discuss why Australia may be heading down the same path as Canada and New Zealand. Net overseas migration has nearly doubled from an average of 220,000 people per annum between 2007 and 2022 to around 423,000 per annum since May 2022, yet real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita has been positive in only 4 of the past 15 quarters. We also discussed Australia’s weak productivity growth and whether population growth has been masking a slowing economy.

Continue…

by David Buckland Posted in Economics, Insightful Insights, Market commentary, TV Appearances.

• save this article
• POSTED IN Economics, Insightful Insights, Market commentary, TV Appearances.

Are housing prices on the way down, and what does war in the Middle East mean for markets, investors and their superannuation?

I joined Phil Clark on ABC Nightlife to unpack these issues, explaining why forecasts of sharp housing declines are unlikely given the strong incentives supporting prices, from migration to government policy and bank balance sheets. We also discussed how rising oil prices and geopolitical tensions could delay rate cuts, the potential for recent market gains to fade, and how the “SaaSpocalypse” (Software as a Service apocalypse) and artificial intelligence (AI) are impacting companies and investors.

Tune in to hear the segment: ABC Nightlife. Continue…

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

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