Spooked investors see local bond yields drop to record lows

Original article by Mark Mulligan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 11 & 24 : 8-Jan-15

The yield on 10-year Australian government bonds reached a record low of 2.65 per cent on 7 January 2015. Bond yields in Europe and the US have also fallen sharply amid a growing trend for investors to shun equities in favour of assets that offer lower risk. Charlie Jamieson of Jamieson Coote Bonds notes that Australian bonds remain appealing to global investors due to a relatively high yield and their "AAA" credit rating

CORPORATES
JAMIESONCOOTEBONDS PTY LTD, EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK, ARDEA INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, FIDELITY WORLDWIDE INVESTMENT, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, UNITED STATES. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD, CREDIT SUISSE AG

BlackRock sees a wild ride for shares in 2015

Original article by Sally Rose
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 22 : 12-Dec-14

BlackRock expects cyclical stocks in the US to perform better than defensive stocks in 2015, while the US economy and currency are also tipped to improve. Meanwhile, the firm anticipates increased volatility in global financial markets in the new year. It also says the downturn in the crude oil price should have a positive impact on global economic growth in the longer-term

CORPORATES
BLACKROCK INCORPORATED, BLACKROCK INVESTMENT INSTITUTE, BLACKROCK INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, BANK OF JAPAN, NIKKEI 225 INDEX

Fundies move to cash as risks increase

Original article by Bianca Hartge-Hazelman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 23 : 15-Aug-14

A survey of 224 fund managers by Bank of America Merrill Lynch shows that 27 per cent have an overweight position on cash investments, compared with 12 per cent in July. Factors such as geopolitical tensions and renewed volatility in equity markets has prompted many fund managers to rebalance their portfolios in favour of cash rather than shares. There has also been a sharp fall in the number of investors who are overweight on equities

CORPORATES
BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATION, MERRILL LYNCH AND COMPANY INCORPORATED, BT INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT LIMITED – ASX BTT, STANDARD AND POOR’S 500 INDEX, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, AQUASIA PTY LTD