This lecture instructs IMAC candidates on the fundamentals of client discovery and formulating an Investment Policy Statement in the investment consulting context.

Many Australians view the rise of western "populism" as irrational. But former Australian politician and immediate past Ambassador to the US, Arthur Sinodinos, thinks differently.

This lecture instructs IMAC candidates on the use of returns-based multi-factor analysis to better understand the underlying drivers of a managed fund's return and risk over its life.

With Australian insolvencies at a 25-year high and corporate debt defaults rising globally, many investors are hoping that central banks will significantly reduce interest rates. But Coolabah Capital's Chris Joye thinks differently.

This lecture instructs IMAC candidates on the characteristics and use of alternative assets in multi-asset portfolios.

Equity investors should set aside their fears of a second Trump presidency and focus instead on the structural opportunities presented by decarbonisation.

The Investment Management Analyst Certificate (IMAC) advances investment management analyst knowledge, skill and expertise in a definitive set of competencies necessary for building and/or advising on quality multi-manager portfolios. It is both a structured post-graduate certificate course in its own right, and the Australian-based Registered Education Program for the global Certified Investment Management Analyst® (CIMA®) program.

Our Markets Summit program kicks off with a video retrospective of the key events of the prior year...

There's much to learn from history, but every time is different when it comes to markets. The backdrop for investing will require investors to identify how the outlook today intersects with our experiences of the past and where it differs.

This economic cycle will mean revert to a traditional business cycle - a cycle that may not exactly repeat but will rhyme with prior inflation cycles. Opportunities exist in global bonds in 2024 and 2025 no matter hard or soft landing outcomes.

Second term presidents tend to be more ideologically aggressive, since they are freed from the need to face voters again. Investors globally need to think through the implications of a second term for either candidate.

While investors need to be mindful of the potential risks posed by different stress events, they should largely ignore macro and geopolitical predictions when it comes to selecting companies to invest in. The discussion covered a range of investment topics, from inflation predictions to niche equity opportunities in mid-cap and emerging markets

Equity valuations are at attractive levels for most emerging markets but the lack of interest in emerging markets in general has led to extraordinarily attractive valuations.

Despite outpacing traditional fixed income and even exceeding long-run equity returns, some commentators argue that Private Credit represents emerging systemic risk. That is a fundamental misunderstanding.

Investors should explore opportunities beyond the ASX20, focusing instead on the Ex-20 index which provides exposure to Australia's future rather than its past.

Three investment experts offer and debate their high conviction thesis on a long-term, deep rooted structural change impacting markets over a decade or more.

There's no such thing as "normal" for supply chains. The challenges for 2024 and 2025 that echo the past include logistics network disruptions, geopolitical risks and the cash costs of environmental policies - which make investing in supply chain security more important than ever.

Global REITs have been overwhelmed by the rapid rise in interest rates, headlines about the demise of the office, and concerns over bank lending to commercial real estate. However, history is not repeating. The industry is in strong shape.

Market cycles show there is a clear anomaly in the Senior Secured Loans space with record setting yields and compelling risk-adjusted returns.

History shows investors should always expect the unexpected – which simply underscores the benefits of adding private debt to a portfolio.

For the last two decades, private equity has consistently outperformed the public market, through market cycles and with less volatility. In 2023, private equity continued to show superior returns in the mid-market. Looking forward, the outlook for is stronger.

Australia's residential vacancy rate is at a record low and net overseas migration at a record high. But, the banks can no longer participate in the market like they used to, providing greater opportunity for real estate private credit.

Higher than desired inflation is now structurally embedded in the global economy. The boom-bust inflation cycle of the 1970s gives a useful historical parallel, providing investors insight into the coming decade.

The technology sector has now eclipsed its all-time high relative to the S&P 500, exceeding its dot.com bubble highs. So this begs the question – is this a bubble and what is the risk of another tech wreck?

With heightened global geopolitical risks, reduced fiscal support from governments, a deflating Chinese property bubble, and an ongoing US commercial real estate crisis, 2024 is a year for investors to be nimble and tactical.

Our diverse panel of experts debated the high conviction propositions they heard during Markets Summit 2024 and the portfolio construction implications.

We are in an investment environment like that of the pre-GFC period. Bonds will offer higher levels of both income and diversification, within a multi-asset portfolio.

Much of current economic and markets thinking is rooted in the post-GFC era. Practitioners need to let go of that history and embrace the fact that four trends are fundamentally changing the long-term outlook for markets.

Contrary to wide opinion, globalisation is not "history" but is being reinvented. For investors, a less interconnected world has significant implications for corporate capital expenditure and country allocation.

What a difference a year makes. In February 2023, investors were preoccupied by the risks of rising inflation, monetary tightening and recession. This year, the focus is on disinflation, monetary easing and economic growth.