Sim’s monthly insights for June

June began rather calmly. It appeared like the market volatility storm had passed - or rather lulled.

Despite recently complacency, we now end the month on an uncertain note with ongoing geopolitical tension as well as investors awaiting the expiration of Trump’s 90-day tariff pause.

Below are my favourite articles from this month:

Beginners often find themselves overwhelmed, caught between a flurry of content from financial institutions, super funds and finfluencers – it’s difficult to know who to trust and what to believe. But what can you do if you don’t have the time to DIY a portfolio and access to formal financial advice is too expensive?

In comes Robo advice – an automated wealth management service that invests in a portfolio based on your risk preferences and goals. In this article I explore the product and whether the value proposition justifies the fee.

The best global ETF

Most of us are invested in the domestic market—whether that be through capital markets or simply your labour capital. However, the Australian equity market only accounts for about 3% of the global market, meaning an exclusively domestic investing approach can result in concentration risk. In this article I explored the best global ETF for exposure to international developed markets.

The one ETF portfolio

Industry consensus is that a well-diversified portfolio typically consists of between 15 and 25 companies. There are currently more ‘new generation’ investors than ever, however not everyone has the time or interest to build a traditional equity portfolio.

In the spirit of exploring products that make investing easier, this edition of my column will look at an ‘all-in-one’ ETF – a retail offering designed to provide investors with a diversified portfolio in one trade.

Are we too obsessed with ETFs?

ETFs have gained mass investor popularity over the last five years. Its safe to say Aussie investors are a little obsessed with the product. And why not? With instant diversification at relatively low cost fees, no one can argue they aren’t an attractive product to build wealth. But is there anything we might be missing with this one-track fixation?

Other insights

Should you sell an underperforming ETF?

Lagging investments happen to the best of us, and may be worth revisiting as the tax year end approaches. Using the example of a high profile ETF, I explored how to evaluate whether an investment is underperforming and the tax opportunities for those who wish to exit or trim their position.

Aussies sour on this ETF

It’s no secret that ETFs have been a front running investment product over the last few years. Within an overall positive environment, there are always clear winners and losers – and the results might be surprising. I looked at the ETF with the largest outflows over the past 12 months.

3 ASX players with exposure to data centres

Last year’s $24 billion sale of data centre mammoth Airtrunk to US private equity giant Blackstone marked the largest acquisition in Australia in 2024. It is also the largest data centre transaction globally. However, sentiment for the sector has dimmed after DC operators surged last year in response to the transaction. I discussed three ASX players that would provide some of the best exposure at the right price.