Property

Time to go for growth

Barbara Drury Behavioural finance teaches us that people tend to prefer a small, certain reward today over a larger, uncertain one in the future. That pretty much sums up current sharemarket behaviour.

Quirky Investments

Red-hot 'roo stamps

Quirky Investments Any outbreaks of spontaneous joy you may have witnessed this month could have been coming from stamp collectors, known as philatelists, celebrating the centenary of Australia's Kangaroo and Map...

Hot stock: IOOF

Hot Stock What's new One of the largest independent financial service companies in Australia, IOOF, has bulked up in recent years and we view it as offering both sides of the merger-and-acquisition (M&A) story.

China treasure hunt

Quirky Investments It was 18 months ago that the boom in sales of oriental antiques on the secondary market was covered in this column.

Trust still missing from mortgages

John Kavanagh A former must-have investment for seekers of increased yield has become a pariah since the global financial crisis.

Big four to the fore

John Collett In a difficult economic environment, the banks have held up well.

Investment plan requires yearly review

John Kavanagh Trustees of self-managed superannuation funds must review their investment strategies regularly, following a recent change to super regulations.

Rally digs in to last

John Collett We've heard all about sustainable stockmarket rebounds but this time the signs are more promising.

Hot Stock

Hot stock: Crown

Greg Fraser Crown has been refining its strategy of building integrated resorts for many years and its stock is finding some momentum.

Where Aussies will invest next

Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon Research shows Australians are feeling distinctly positive about their finances.

Areas of affordability

The properties may be in need of some loving care and some way from the centre of town, but there are houses and units in Sydney and Melbourne where it is cheaper to buy than to rent.

Net yourself the right deal

Home buyers who chase a better deal on their home loans can save tens of thousands of dollars in repayments.

Spanner in the works

Annette Sampson Successful investment rests on learning from your mistakes, not avoiding mistakes altogether.

Hot stock: David Jones

Greg Fraser Someone ought to tell David Jones and Myer that the internet became a commercially viable tool in the 1980s.

Insight: investing in banks

Clancy Yeates It can be hard to avoid the big banks if you're a sharemarket investor.

Word on the street

Quirky Investments 'Forget the word 'street','' says collector Andrew King. ''It's simply contemporary art. If Sidney Nolan was in his prime today, I bet he'd be painting on the streets.''

Despite gloom, bright spots appear

With the mining boom coming off the boil and the profit growth of the banks peaking, what is left for investors on the Australian sharemarket? Where is the next lot of corporate earnings growth going...

Bushranger booty

Quirky Investments There must be something in the air. Last night, Sotheby's Australia auctioned one of Sidney Nolan's celebrated Ned Kelly paintings, hoping to fetch more than $1 million (a full report on this sale...

Finger on the future

Today, Apple releases its iPhone 5, which is bound to cause ripples of excitement around the globe and reinforce Apple's stature as the world's biggest company based on sharemarket value.