To rework a quote from the less than formidable, albeit funnier, source — Rodney Rude — I hate it, I hate it when doomsday merchants and short-sellers are given a chance to talk their own book. The latest is the so-called legendary hedge fund manager and short-seller Jim Chanos of Kynikos Associates who calls China […]

A regular reader of our website cornered me at a recent Christmas party and asked, “But what are the best 10 stocks I should be in?” Of course, the answer is impossible to throw out to anyone with a glass of champagne in his hand overlooking Sydney Harbour. And anyway, as a financial planner, it’s […]

As someone who spearheaded the “we might avoid a technical recession” and that “stock markets usually bounce 26 per cent on average after a crash” points of view months before the March rebound of share prices, I just love it when I find those who share my 2010 optimism. Of course, there are a hell […]

This has to be the most outrageous business story of the year and it’s up against a lot of stiff competition. And let me say, until now I didn’t think there was much of a problem with executive pay, but I now think I was wrong, especially when it comes to financial institutions. When it […]

Every time I see the market use some bad economic or market news to sell off, my reaction is to think of the legendary Star Wars character, Obi-Wan Kenobi, who might have shared the wisdom with long-term investors to: “Buy the dips, long-term investor. Buy the dips.” Sure, there is bad news around, but you […]

Out of good taste let me sanitise an old saying that has relevance to my view on experts and what they think about the stock market in 2010 — opinions are like rear ends, every one has got one! That’s why I like to listen to lots of opinions but especially from those with good […]

What follows are the top 10 economic predictions for 2010 from Nariman Behravesh, the chief economist at IHS Global Insight. I thought these are worth looking at as we get prepared for our 2010 investment strategy and attitude. (My comments are in italics.) Here they are:  1. The US recovery will start slowly. The forecaster […]

The Yanks and President Obama got some great news on the jobless front last Friday while our Prime Minister Kevin Rudd will be hoping he comes home from Copenhagen with a Christmas climate change gift. This might be easier said than done with Tony Abbott looming as a festive season Grinch. The old cliché There’s […]

When I think about what the US has to do to cement this stock market recovery, it gets down to — read my words, to rework a Clinton quote, “it’s jobs, stupid!” Tomorrow the USA gets the critical unemployment number when the latest monthly jobs report is released. This revelation could have a big bearing […]

Today the Yanks got, just in time for Christmas, the most exciting, boring sounding book of all time. It is called the Beige Book and you would have to think that only a group of accountants, economists and public servants could come up with a name like this. Beige is one of the most unemotional […]

Gail Kelly has gone to the top of the class making her the favourite to win the greediest banker of the year award. The action by Westpac to raise home loan interest rates by 0.45 per cent when the Reserve Bank raised the cash rate of interest by 0.25 per cent is unnecessary and greedy. […]

The local stock market shrugged off the Dubai doubts with the ASX 200 up 129 points to end at 4,701. Fortunately we woke this morning to comforting headlines, which read: “Abu Dhabi soothes Dubai fears”. The UAE To those not up with the seven Emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi is […]