The 5th Annual PortfolioConstruction Conference featured a core, independent 13-hour plenary program over the two days, designed by the PortfolioConstruction Forum's specialist, experienced and independent team. As always, we selected our plenary speakers based solely on their portfolio expertise (not the size of their wallets! None of our plenary speakers paid to speak)...

Since the start of the Aussie stock market fall of recent weeks, the question being promoted in the popular media is whether or not this represents a signal to sell stocks. It's refreshing then to see yesterday's report from broker Bell Potter that analyses the latest market downturn in the context of the last 25 years and concludes that this fall is typical of those that follow US Fed Reserve interest rate hikes and that, given the surrounding signs of economic strength, now may even be a time to buy Aussie stocks!

Continuing his spate of speeches on important subjects, US Fed Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke has delivered one of the most influential statements about US housing – and the US economy - in recent times...

The yield spreads on corporate debt relative to government debt around the world have been narrowing mostly over the past two years. Several factors have driven this...