Every investor will face a conundrum at some point: what to do when their beliefs don't work. Sometimes it's an assumption that becomes lore. A favoured company paid a dividend for 20 straight years. Of course, it's not going to ever stop paying a dividend… then it stops paying a dividend. A dagger to the heart! An outrage, there were plans for that money!
Beyond 2020 and Elections
On the night of October 17, 2020, I like five million other Kiwis, watched the general election results roll in. Based on pre-election polls there was little doubt that Labour would form the government again. the New Zealand markets were unrattled by the result and looked pretty steady with investors relaxed after the Labour Party secured a historic majority in the general election.
Investing in fashionable technologies
Ever stopped to wonder why you’re using a particular new word or phrase? Or maybe you’re sitting in the back of some strange person’s Toyota, they’re driving you to some strange person’s house where you’re staying the night in their guest bedroom. How did that happen?
A second-wave wobble | COVID-19 special focus
By now, most people are aware that our world – especially the situation with COVID-19 pandemic – is changing and developing lightning fast. A mystery COVID-19 outbreak in Auckland on 11 August has forced the government to postpone the dissolution of parliament as the country’s alert levels changed at noon on 12 August.
Vices and virtues | Covid-19 Special Focus
I often hear stories about how people mistake their knowledge, expertise or success in one area for giving them some insight into investing or investment markets. No one should ever make the mistake of believing their brilliance in one area will equal brilliance elsewhere.
The cost of short-sighted investing | COVID-19 Special Focus
If you are frequently checking the portfolio balance, then you may see a rise in your anxiety and stress levels. Behavioural finance studies confirm that investors tend to be more cautious when they check portfolios regularly, with adverse long-term consequences for their investing goals.
Slashed dividends | Covid-19 Special Focus
Dividend stocks are a staple of every income investor, and they can play an important role in any portfolio, regardless of age and financial circumstances. But it is very much possible that dividend investors can fall into the trap of hindsight bias if they are not careful and sufficiently diversified.
Forward-looking | Covid-19 Special Focus
Do you find it confusing when a bleak economic report emerges from the press, only to be accompanied by a positive surge in the global share market? You're not alone. The last few months have produced many examples of a stark contrast between global market performance and economic indicators.
Investing FOMO | Covid-19 Special Focus
Investing FOMO is when you watch a share price soar to new highs, and you realise you missed out on the opportunity. You might spend the next hours, days, weeks thinking about what could have been the returns. This type of self-talk and do-it-yourself financial planning is damaging to your mental health and retirement goals.
Don't miss the next Super Moon | Covid-19 Special Focus
The largest, brightest Super Moon of 2020 rose in the night sky on 7 April over hushed cities, stilled factories and countries in lockdown due to the COVID-19 outbreak that has affected close to two million people so far.
Dark side with the brightest possibilities | Covid-19 Special Focus
Just like the dark side of the Moon, “everyone is selling” is a technically flawed statement. It’s important to remember that investing is a long-term game and panic selling can do more harm than good to an investment journey.
Navigating the current ‘Infodemic’ | Covid-19 Special Focus
With so much to decipher on a daily basis, between the stock market and the number of new COVID 19 cases confirmed, it is at times like these that our worst behavioural impulses come to pass due to the overload of information.
Market Falls & Recoveries | Covid-19 Special Focus
An important part of our role at Stewart Group is to give our clients the confidence that it is sensible and prudent to remain disciplined when stock markets are volatile. We think this video will hopefully add to that confidence.
Pandemic, the markets, and your money | Covid-19 Special Focus
There is currently a lot going on: coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns, market volatility, interest rate cuts, cancelled meetings, oil supply war and the upcoming US election. In short, COVID-19 presented a new variable, one not on anyone’s radar. So what does this mean for your investments, your business and for the economy?
Pandemics versus market performance | Covid-19 Special Focus
Memories of SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), Avian Flu and the Ebola outbreaks are being rekindled with the spread of coronavirus and global stock markets are reacting. Let us see how two global equity markets; the S&P 500 and the UK equity market performed around these three significant outbreaks.
