Independent Thought

• A targeted approach to Australian equities

  John Guadagnuolo (Antares Equities), Melinda White (Longwave Capital), and Martin Crabb (Shaw and Partners) share their thoughts on Australian equities in a sticky inflationary environment.

   

• Alternatives: A portfolio diversifier

  Frederick Pollock (GCM Grosvenor), Alexander Chambers (Wellington Management), and Kieran Canavan (Centric) believe there’s a lot to like about alternatives, particularly in multi-strategy portfolios.

   

• ASIC action plans and better client outcomes

  Alan Kirkland (ASIC) & Toby Potter (IMAP) discuss ASIC’s 2025-26 Corporate Plan in relation to managed accounts, including conflicts of interest, a governance framework, and assessing consumer outcomes

   

• Australian equities: Is the market too optimistic?

  The outlook for Australian equities is looking positive. David Wanis (Longwave Capital), Peter Bell (Bellmont Securities), Hamish Tadgell (SG Hiscock), & Andrew Garrett (Perpetual) provide their thoughts on the key themes and opportunities at the 2023 IMAP Independent Thought Conference

• BlackRock - Back to a volatile future - IMAP Independent Thought

  Katie Petering - Director & Head of Investment Strategyexplains the BlackRock Investment Institute’s latest views on tactical asset allocation, including the three key investment themes it expects will play out over the next six months.

   

• Bonds are now an option for Portfolios - From IMAP Independent Thought

  With the global economy slowing and recessionary pressures growing, how should advisers and portfolio managers respond to their fixed income settings? Adam Bowe (PIMCO), Dr Isaac Poole (Oreana Portfolio Advisory), Lukasz de Pourbaix (Lonsec), and Michael Karagianis (JANA Investment Advisers) discuss the role of fixed income in portfolios.

   

• Do alternatives still have a key role in portfolios?

  Is there value in private markets and how do you incorporate them into portfolios? Jonathan Ramsay (InvestSense), Steven Tang (Zenith Investment Partners), and Jason Horn (BlackRock) provide their perspectives on the role of alternatives in portfolios

• Eyeing off the opportunities in property

  Real assets are making a comeback, fuelled by Australia’s surging population growth. Chris Davitt (Dexus) and Jennifer Cowan (JANA Investment Advisers) discuss the outlook for property moving forward

   

• Fixed income in a period of uncertainty

  Michael Frearson (Real Asset Management) and Dale Pereira (Pendal) discuss how advisers and portfolio managers should manage the fixed income component of their portfolios  in an environment where inflation is uncertain

   

• Fixed interest: Are bonds the key to portfolios again?

  Chris West (Context Capital), Michael Frearson (Real Asset Management), Chris Lioutas (Insight Investment Consultants), and Tim Hext (Pendal Group) provide their outlook for fixed interest over the next 12 months.

• Getting the benefits of real assets for retail investors - IMAP Independent Thought

  How necessary are real assets and private equity as a component of portfolios for retail investors, and how can they access these assets? This was one of the questions considered by Dale Holmes (Spire Capital), Robert Talevski (Activus Investment Advisors), and Tom Schubert (Drummond Capital Partners)

   

• Has inflation peaked? - IMAP Independent Thought

  Inflation underpins every asset class. But have we seen the peak of inflation? Jay Sivapalan (Janus Henderson), Hugh Dive (Atlas Funds Management), Kieran Rooney (Evergreen Consultants), and Chamath De Silva (BetaShares) discuss the implications of inflation on portfolio construction and asset allocation.t.

   

• Have we seen the end of globalisation? - IMAP Independent Thought

  A war in Ukraine, rising tensions over China, and political events worldwide have caused a sharp jump in risk levels for financial markets. Jonathon Costello (Western Asset), Chris Carrodus (Evidentia), David Berthon-Jones (Aequitas), Matthew Swieconek (Findex), and Brett Sanders (Philo Capital Advisers) discuss these rising risks when constructing portfolios.

   

• How to deal with increasingly volatile markets - IMAP Independent Thought

  When talking about risk, it’s generally referred to in relation to volatility and the potential for capital loss. Raf Choudhury (abrdn), William Higgins (DFS Portfolio Solutions), Glen Foster (Atrium), and Victor Huang (Milliman) discuss their approach to risk and how they deal with portfolio construction in an increasingly volatile environment.

   

• Illiquid assets: Selection and strategies

  What are the benefits of illiquid assets and how do you access them? discussed by Daniel Choo (Russell Investments), Matthew Swieconek (Findex), and Ryan Synnot (Arrow Private Wealth) at the 2023 IMAP Independent Thought Conference

• IMAP's Independent Thought - Podcast Series for Advisers about Managed Accounts, Investments, practical applications.
• Improving client relationships with philanthropy - From IMAP Independent Thought

  Caitriona Fay - Managing Partner, Community & Social Investment explains Perpetual Private’s approach to improving client relations with philanthropy and explains the 3 primary philanthropic structures that can be used in Australia

   

• Infrastructure: The risk/reward pay off

  Nick Schoenmaker (Drummond Capital Partners), Rob da Silva (da Silva Consulting), Rafio Khan (Innova Asset Management), and Nick Langley (ClearBridge Investments) discuss the opportunities available to investors with infrastructure

• International equities: Do they remain a key driver of returns?

  Can global equities continue to outperform, & which countries and sectors provide attractive opportunities for investors? Monik Kotecha (Insync Funds Management), Rob Makdissi (Akambo), Ashley Owen (Owen Analytics), and Dominic McCormick (Investment Consultant) take a deep dive into this asset class.

• Navigating the headwinds of global equities

  Tim Richardson (Pengana), Hugh MacNally (Private Portfolio Managers), and James Harwood (Russell Investments) discuss opportunities & risks when allocating to global equities for access to sectors/ regions.