Insights

Through 2013-14 it seemed the Australian economy was starting to transition away from a reliance on mining investment to more broad based growth. Unfortunately this transition has wavered a bit recently and growth has remained below trend.

Three experts spell out exactly where they have invested their pension. In the new world of flexible pensions - where savers have free choice over whether they withdraw their cash or leave it invested - there is more than ever a need for ideas and information about how to invest and what to invest in.

Our guess is that the smart money is selling to the dumb money. That is, the people who take the trouble to figure out what something is really worth are unloading. People who just think they should be "in the stock market" are buying.

Forecasts for China to surpass the U.S. as the world's main economic power are misplaced. So says an observer who foresaw Japan's eventual demise a year before its land-price bubble began to burst. "The vulnerabilities in China today are very similar to the vulnerabilities in Japan," said Roy Smith, 76, who was a Goldman Sachs Group Inc. partner when he wrote a column saying Japan's rise as a financial hegemon was done...

Get ready for an L-shaped oil recovery. A growing consensus is emerging from the likes of BP Plc, the International Energy Agency, shale wildcatters and even the Saudis that a near-term recovery to $100-a-barrel crude isn't in the cards. Instead, expect a range of $50 to $60 for at least the next few years.

Portfolio Manager of the Platinum Japan Fund and Analyst for the Resources/Industrial Services sector, Scott Gilchrist, explains where he sees the oil price moving in this video interview.

After a local close at post GFC highs, global markets added to the momentum with new all-time highs for the German DAX and US S&P 500, and a fifteen year high for the tech heavy Nasdaq.

We review our recommendations for the three stocks following their interim results.

Eureka stocks Qube Logistics, Vita Group and AMA Group have reported exceptional interim results. Together, they have now provided an average return of 74% since our first "buy" recommendations.

We examine the performance of our calls so far in 2015 and discuss possible opportunities in the aerospace and defence industry.

This week we look at Oil Search, AWE, M2 Group, Lend Lease and Caltex.

Investors should focus on improving conditions for retailers, the effects of cost-cutting programs and the capital management initiatives announced.

The clothing retailer's latest acquisition continues to weigh on earnings, with no indications of a turnaround.

Most share markets rose over the last week helped by a combination of good news on Greece, benign comments from Fed Chair Yellen and okay economic data and profit results. US shares lost 0.3%, but Eurozone shares rose 2.7%, Japanese shares rose 2.5%, Chinese shares gained 2% and Australian shares rose 0.8%. This capped off a strong month.

News of China' rate cut should help buyer mood this morning, compensating for a weak lead from the US market. However, while news of lower borrowing costs will help support equity valuations and be seen as a positive for commodity demand, market response may be limited.

The Australian stock market has finally broken out of its recent trading range to move within 20 points of the key 6000 level.