Cliona O'Dowd

3 weeks ago | stockhead.com.au | Cliona O'Dowd

Australians have waited years for affordable financial advice but much-needed reforms could be delayed even further as the new financial services minister pores over his portfolio looking for some easy wins. Two years after federal Labor released its road map for reforming financial advice and we’re at a standstill, with the meatiest of the changes – the arrival of big super into the advice space – still in question.

1 month ago | stockhead.com.au | Cliona O'Dowd

One of the nation’s largest super funds has issued a stark warning on Labor’s planned super tax grab, saying it will extend far beyond the wealthy as ordinary Australians lose faith in the system and shun super top-ups, leading to worse retirement outcomes. Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers plans to tax super balances above $3m, including unrealised capital gains, or paper profits, as the government looks to raise billions of dollars in revenue.

1 month ago | stockhead.com.au | Cliona O'Dowd

Australia is the second-hottest data centre market in the world but not everyone believes the hype. NextDC in particular has been targeted by short sellers unconvinced about its valuation and prospects in a competitive, fast-moving market. A run-up in its share price in the past month – the stock has gained 36 per cent since the April low – has some fund managers questioning their short position, but others are holding firm. “We continue to have a negative view on NextDC.

1 month ago | stockhead.com.au | Cliona O'Dowd

Investors are ripping record amounts of money from sustainable funds overseas, but in Australia investors appear to be defying the ESG backlash, for now at least. Investors added $US300m to Australian and New Zealand sustainable funds in the three months to the end of March, according to Morningstar. That’s a small decline on the prior quarter but still in positive territory.

1 month ago | stockhead.com.au | Cliona O'Dowd

SMSFs are on track for a bumper year as big super lurches from one crisis to another. An estimated 40,000 new self-managed funds will be opened this financial year, according to the ATO, as the sector stretches to beat its 2007 record, when 45,000 new funds were established. It comes as we see another downside of big super: mergers touted as delivering benefits of scale have instead delivered sluggish funds that are too hefty to move quickly in times of turmoil.