AMP

The theme for this year’s Chant West Awards is ‘resilience’. With the big challenges largely thrust upon them – regulatory changes, political sniping and the COVID crisis – the last year has probably been the toughest ever for super funds. A casual observer of the industry, getting most of his or her information on changes…

Market down as Brisbane locks down, AGL to split, USD rallies  The ASX200 (ASX:XJO) finished 0.9% lower after the Queensland Government announced a lockdown amid surging virus cases in Brisbane and surrounding areas. The retail sector was hit hard, falling 1.4%, as the likes of Flight Centre (ASX:FLT), -1.8% and Webjet (ASX:WEB), -2.0%, were hit with cancellations of Easter travel plans. The…

Brisbane lockdown hits ASX, Afterpay (ASX:APT) falls to three month low, travel stocks struggle The ASX200 (ASX:XJO) gave up a strong opening on US stimulus, ultimately finishing 0.1% lower after the Queensland Government announced a three-day lockdown of the city after community transmission of the UK COVID-19 variant was confirmed. The retail sector fell on the news, with Webjet (ASX:WEB)…

While tactical asset allocation strategies have had a long history in Australia, their newish incarnation, as global macro funds, have tended to go in and out of fashion in step with market jitters. The current volatility is good news. Starting with separately managed accounts in 2017 and launching a fund in April 2019, boutique manager…

Market falls flat, Telstra (ASX:TLS) affirms dividend, AMP (ASX:AMP) offer pulled The ASX200 (ASX:XJO) fell 0.1% on Thursday as reporting stepped up another level. The IT sector fell 2.1% giving up recent gains, whilst Woolworths (ASX:WOW) fell 0.9% sending the consumer staples sector lower as the rotation into more cyclical sectors continued. AMP (ASX:AMP) was a major detractor, falling 11.0%,…

Governance is the pillar of environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles that investors have been actively considering for the longest period of time. This is not surprising, as in some ways, it could be said that governance is probably the most important aspect of ESG. An organisation’s board’s role is to appoint the CEO and…

The ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) overcame a weak lead from overseas markets to finish 0.3% higher, behind another rally in Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX:WES), up 1.5%.

Finally, some positive action at AMP AMP Ltd (ASX:AMP): Management at AMP finally bowed to public pressure with Chairman David Murray, Director John Fraser and recently appointed CEO of AMP Capital Boe Pahari all stepping down over the weekend. Importantly, Debra Hazelton who is also a board member of the Treasury Corporation of Victoria will…

Strongly divided views about the wisdom of using the early release from superannuation have prompted large numbers of fund members to seek the advice of financial planners. Losing insurance cover, reducing retirement benefits and crystallising losses are the main issues commentators have highlighted. According to AMP’s technical adviser support team, early release of super was…