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[Video] China's economic slowdown: Impact on commodity markets and investment opportunities
Morningstar's John Mills explores how China's economic slowdown is affecting commodity markets and discusses possible investment opportunities in this dynamic landscape.
Read more | 3 min read
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Australia facing a testing period with headwinds possibly strengthening

Given the retreat in goods inflation, getting wages growth under control is now critical in getting inflation back within the longer-term target range.
Read more | 6 min read
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Ukraine-Russia Conflict Update: Compendium of Research
Compilation of published notes of implications across sectors and companies under our coverage regarding the conflict in Ukraine.
Read more | 7 min read
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Magellan Leads Managed Funds in Feeling the Meta Stock Pain
We looked at the funds that had significant exposure to Meta within their portfolios, and those whose positions held the highest market value. Below is a list of actively managed funds where managers have opted to hold a hefty stake in the social-media company.
Read more | 5 min read
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“Dose of reality”: Interest rates tipped to rise as inflation picks up
Australian investors need to brace for higher rates after consumer prices soared past market forecasts to hit their highest level in eight years, ratcheting up pressure on the Reserve Bank to begin winding back its pandemic-era easy-money policies.
Read more | 5 min read
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Steady as she goes despite exit of Magellan CEO
Dr Brett Cairn’s sudden resignation from Magellan Financial Group is expected to have a limited impact on the investment manager's earnings outlook, says Morningstar.
Read more | 5 min read
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Australia Blows Opportunity to Improve Portfolio Holdings Disclosures to Retail Fund Investors
As an otherwise sophisticated market, it is remarkable that Australia has consistently ranked bottom of all major global markets for managed funds disclosures. This has been a consistent finding from Morningstar’s Global Investor Experience studies, which assess the retail investor experience across 26 markets.
Read more | 4 min read
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Grantham interview on the coming day of reckoning
Jeremy Grantham co-founded GMO in 1997 and is a member of its Asset Allocation team, serving as the long-term investment strategist. He was interviewed by Kunal Kapoor, CEO of Morningstar, at the Morningstar Investor Conference Australia on 2 June 2021.
Read more | 7 min read
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Warren Buffett's 2020 Scorecard
In a tough year for most investors, even Warren Buffett had a mixed year by his standards. The share price of his Berkshire Hathaway (BRBK.B) investment company inched forward by just 2.5%, lagging major US benchmarks like the S&P 500. Billionaire investor Warren Buffett had a mixed year by his standards, with some winners such as Apple and Snowflake balanced by banks and energy.
Read more | 5 min read
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Forecast 2021: Vaccines, Vaccinations, Volatility and V-shaped recoveries?
It was a year of trials and tribulations, where patience was tested but those in for the long haul were ultimately relieved and rewarded. Late March provided some rare opportunities for those with cash. 2021 is unlikely to be a repeat. Markets could begin the year with an extension of the current upswing, but as it unfolds several questions will undoubtedly be asked about the progress of the economic recovery and the relationship to risk asset valuations.
Read more | 15 min read
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Can Warren Buffett forecast the stock market?
To answer the headline’s rhetorical question, Mr. Buffett can indeed predict the future of the stock market, just as Glendower can call spirits from the vasty deep. However, Hotspur’s response to Glendower remains salient: “Why, so can I, or so can any man. But will they come when you do call for them?”
Read more | 5 min read
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The creator of the 4% rule and his own retirement
This is an interview with Bill Bengen, who is widely known as the father of the 4% 'safe withdrawal rate' that he put into practice. Bill discusses how he first developed the safe withdrawal rate research, the retirement problem in the early 1990s that he was trying to solve, how Bill integrated his 4% rule into his financial planning business, and why he didn’t actually use the 4% safe withdrawal rate with his clients.
Read more | 13 min read
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18 Aussie Names For Your Watchlist
COVID-19 has produced big winners and losers on the Australian stock exchange, and this month, we focus on Morningstar research to find the opportunities. A Morningstar stock screener reveals a cross-section of companies with competitive advantages that are trading at material discounts. We invite you to explore these stocks to get a fuller picture of Morningstar analysts' take on the pros and cons of each.  
Read more | 7 min read
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The lingering fear of a post-pandemic world
COVID-19 has turned many lives upside down. For some, avoiding the daily commute is a joy, while for others, isolation is a struggle. Are the impacts permanent or will we move on? We ranked a few behavioural changes induced by covid-19 containment measures, finding that working from home, online shopping and exercising from home may be best positioned to persist after the crisis in the form of habits.
Read more | 5 min read
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Keating versus Hume: where willy-nilly meets obscene
Jane Hume and Paul Keating are kicking around a favourite political football, superannuation, but what's the score at half time? Treasury initially estimated that $29 billion would be withdrawn from super when the early release was announced in response to COVID-19. With the scheme now extended until the end of 2020, the estimate has been revised to $42 billion.
Read more | 12 min read
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11 lessons from my lousy $50K profit on Afterpay
Afterpay has taken thousands of retail investors on a ride few will experience again, leaving behind the most astute professional investors in the country. Relatively few fund managers believe in the value and it’s not possible to value this company on normal metrics. Graham Hand says whether it is worth $10 or $100 depends on the market’s ongoing belief in the growth story.
Read more | 10 min read
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Is the stock market rebound overdone?
We’ve heard questions from many clients about why the market is doing so well right now given how bad the economy is, and whether we will see the lows of March 2020 retested. They’re good questions, but there might not be clear-cut answers for those who want certainty. We’ll discuss three points embedded in investors’ questions.
Read more | 6 min read
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Six simple charts on what to expect from shares
In our recent Reader Survey, about 40% of respondents reported portfolio losses of over 20% between January and March 2020, although the market rise since the lows has pared back some of the pain. We opened the Morningstar Direct data base for the Australian All Ordinaries Accumulation Index to measure the total returns (including dividends) over one year, three years and five years since 1983. There are good reasons to take comfort from the charts, and the pictures 'tell a thousand words'. Of course, Covid-19 is a unique threat, and only time will tell whether 'this time is different'.
Read more | 4 min read
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A Behavioral Guide to Market Volatility: How Behavioral Science Can Help Advisers During Market Turmoil
The severe shock brought on by COVID-19 brought unprecedented volatility and repercussions that have reverberated through our daily lives. How can we make sure our clients’ emotions don’t get in the way of their better judgement when making financial decisions?
Read more | 19 min read
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Coronavirus: Impact and Opportunity
From the SARS outbreak in 2003 to the twin strikes of ebola in 2014 and 2016, and a bout of Zika in between, disease has made headlines and jostled markets. In this article, we take a look into the impact and opportunities created by the coronavirus.
Read more | 15 min read
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Financial advice in transformation: a reflection on 2019...
There is widespread optimism around the move to independence and the professionalisation of financial advice, yet the immediate uncertainty and unravelling of the landscape following the Banking Royal Commission, is causing many advisers to rethink their business models and even their careers.
Read more | 5 min read
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Advisers and investors in the dark on LITs and LICs
The Federal Treasurer has announced a public consultation into whether advisers can accept selling fees on LITs and LICs to address potential conflicts and compliance with best interests duties.
Read more | 8 min read
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The Value of Financial Advice: How Morningstar is Leveraging Data and Research to Better Serve Advisers
Advice is evolving at a rapid pace—shifting from a world of product distribution to true client-centric advice. Today, the conversation is focused on the clients’ goals and aspirations. Advisers will spend less time selecting products and building portfolios and more time supporting their clients through the inevitable ups and downs of markets, helping them stay the course to meet their goals.
Read more | 6 min read
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Our Plans to Acquire AdviserLogic, a Leading Australian Financial Planning Software
On 3 November, we announced our plans to acquire AdviserLogic, an Australian financial planning software platform that will broaden our product suite and expand our set of capabilities for independent financial advisers.
Read more | 5 min read
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A Fireside Chat with Magellan's Hamish Douglass
Hamish Douglass looks back on the rocky route to Magellan, his exasperation at trying to predict the Fed’s rate moves, and the regulatory risks assailing the US tech stocks that form a pillar of Magellan’s global equity strategy.  
Read more | 6 min read
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Labor’s election loss a welcome reprieve for health insurers
The shock defeat of the Bill Shorten-led Labor Party has reversed negative sentiment and boosted the share prices at private health insurers NIB Holdings (ASX:NHF) and Medibank Private (ASX:MPL). The Coalition's upset win scuttled several policies that would have likely increased member outflows and slashed margins.
Read more | 4 min read
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What We Believe In: Our Mission
Hear from Jamie Wickham, Morningstar Australasia Managing Director, as he discusses the ever-growing importance of Morningstar’s values and what we stand for.
Read more | 5 min read
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How to Avoid ‘Terminator’ Exchange Traded Funds
Did you know 25 Australian ETFs have been terminated since 2013? That’s a big number and it means about 12% of Australia's ETFs have shuttered in that time. In this article, we examine what a termination really means for investors and how to avoid getting caught by ‘Terminator' ETFs.
Read more | 5 min read
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Bracing for Labor's Franking Credit Overhaul
The federal leadership spill in August has shortened the odds of Labor gaining office next year. And that prospect has sparked concern with Labor's vow to axe cash refunds for excess franking credits. But what action, if any, should you take to prepare for the possible impact to your clients' portfolios?
Read more | 8 min read
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Why We Need to Embrace Full Transparency
At the heart of the challenge facing the industry today is rebuilding trust. Trust is the foundation of every relationship. None more so than between financial adviser and client. And in the wake of  the Royal Commission's Interim Report, Morningstar is playing a key role in helping the industry and advisers regain trust through full transparency.
Read more | 5 min read
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Why Morningstar Believes in Financial Advice
Despite the pressures in the industry right now, we continue to believe in the future of financial planning. This is not just wishful thinking. For five years now, our most senior researchers in the US and Canada have been able to quantify the benefits of good advice - and they are significant.
Read more | 3 min read
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