Investor Insights

  In this week’s video insight, I discuss the Montgomery Small Companies Fund (the Fund), managed by Gary Rollo and Dominic Rose. The Fund achieved a remarkable return of 21. 4 per cent in fiscal 2024, outperforming its index by 12 per cent on an after-expense basis.

Leading toll road operator, Transurban (ASX:TCL), has released robust financial results, reflecting steady growth and promising prospects. The company’s operational performance, strategic investments, and upcoming projects, such as the Westgate Tunnel and 495 North, position it for further expansion.

In the June 2024 quarter, the Polen Capital Global Growth Fund purchased new positions in Zoetis (ASX:ZTS) and Shopify (NYSE:SHOP) and eliminated our position in Autodesk (NASDAQ:ADSK). We also trimmed our positions in Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), ServiceNow (NYSE:NOW), Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN), and LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE (EPA:MC) and added to our existing position in MSCI (NYSE:MSCI).

ResMed (ASX:RMD) reported its June quarter and full year results after the U. S. market closed on Friday morning. The company met consensus expectations for both revenue and earnings.     ResMed’s revenue rose nine per cent to US$1. 2 billion ($1. 85 billion) in the last quarter of fiscal 2024, taking quarterly dividends to US$0.

My prediction, for what it is worth, remains that small-caps should outperform their large-cap brethren, and conditions appear supportive for the share prices of innovative companies with pricing power and growth until the beginning of 2026.

The Aura Private Credit Income Fund (previously known as the Aura High Yield SME Fund) is celebrating its 7th anniversary today, 1 August 2024. We are delighted by the Fund’s performance since its inception.

Today Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO) delivered its first half calendar year 2024 results (1HCY24). The results were largely in line, with an underlying net profit after tax (NPAT) of US$5. 75 billion within one per cent of consensus estimates and driven predominantly by Rio Tinto’s copper and aluminium divisions.

In the June 2024 quarter, artificial intelligence (AI) remained the dominant narrative in markets. Companies perceived to be AI beneficiaries have seen their share prices markedly outperform those where the benefit appears less clear in the immediate term.

Patience is a virtue in the investment world. It can take two to three years, or even longer, for sentiment to shift the full 180 degrees from bearish to unbridled optimism. This is because scepticism, an uneven distribution of information, and inertia ensure the path to enthusiasm is not instant but takes time.

The Australian Eagle Asset Management investment team has had a long history with Treasury Wine Estates (ASX:TWE). The most recent holding was for several years prior to the pandemic with positive performance supported by growing profit and margins generated by the success of Penfolds in China.

The ScotPac SME Growth Index (1) has been a closely watched piece of annual research by the Aura Private Credit investment team, which tracks the adoption of non-bank lenders in the Australian small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) market. The 2024 report has recently been released which marks the 10th anniversary of the annual research.

Australian governments at all levels are not known for thinking beyond the electoral cycle. Take the fact that Australia took on 540,000 immigrants last year, whilst births exceeded deaths by 110,000. Hence an additional 650,000 Australians, or 2. 5 per cent of our population, at a time when our country is going through an unprecedented housing crisis.