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Specialist in Asia Pacific, Japan, China, India and South East Asia and Global Emerging Market equities.

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formerly Realindex Investments

Leader in active quantitative equities across Australian equities, global equities, emerging markets and global small companies.

Backed by a unique blend of research, portfolio construction and risk management, focused on uncovering original insights and translating them into investment strategies that are active and systematic, aiming to generate alpha.

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At Stewart Investors, we believe in putting people first. Our investment world-view is of a series of partnerships – with each other, with our clients, with the companies we invest in, the people who buy their goods and services, and with the wider society in which we all live and work.

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How can equities help you navigate the income maze?

In a low-rate world, generating income is more difficult than ever. With bond markets changing daily and cash rates close to zero, cash and fixed income can no longer do the heavy lifting for income-focused investors. 

Against this backdrop, how can investors use equities to generate income and reduce volatility?

First Sentier Investors’ Equity Income Fund is designed to address income investors’ three key needs: higher income, lower volatility and long-term total returns.

The Fund aims to provide sustainable income over the long term by focusing on total income, not simply dividend yields. The strategy uses fundamental research to identify stocks that have the potential to generate long-term earnings, while minimising volatility, and uses equity options with the aim of delivering higher income from a portfolio of our best investment ideas.

This equity income approach ignores dividend yields and allows the strategy to target the best opportunities across the market.

The disruption of the last two years has highlighted that the future is hard to predict, so investors need a strategy that cushions the downside, and helps to navigate an uncertain market outlook.

We believe that the strategy is well placed to address a number of emerging themes for the year ahead:

   

Earnings growth remains a key focus

In 2021 companies reported large earnings growth numbers. However, we must remember that this growth was off a low base due to the COVID disruption. Moving into 2022, we expect the focus will be on the sustainability of this earnings growth. The current market valuations suggest that the market expects buoyant earnings growth rates to continue. Hence any shifts in this view will play a huge role in determining the Australian share market return outcome for 2022. 

Inflation will be the risk to watch

Inflation is the most likely trigger for volatility, depending on how the story plays out around the world, the flow-on impact to interest rate expectations and ultimately, equity market valuations. We believe this risk is heightened given the elevated valuation levels the equity market is currently experiencing. Interestingly, this volatility risk may be experienced both in the market as a whole, but also extend into higher volatility between differing investment styles or sectors in the market.

Housing boom offers opportunities

A particular area of interest for us is the building materials sector, with positive expectations for continued improvement in detached housing activity and home renovation activity. The sector stands to benefit from the continuation of the strong housing cycle supported by record savings, fiscal stimulus tailwinds and a record low interest rate environment. Australian investors can access this thematic in both Australia and the US. For example, James Hardie remains an attractive exposure as it continues to drive growth through its expansion into adjacent products and geographies in the US. Meanwhile CSR is a top pick for an exposure to domestic activity where we believe challenges stemming from lockdowns and supply chain issues merely extend the housing cycle. This may prolong elevated earnings as demand is pushed back and building timelines are extended.

Return on capital should be a focus for management

As economic conditions remain solid, we believe this should provide a supportive backdrop for companies willing to invest capital. The best opportunities will be from companies that can demonstrate an ability to invest in their business, in projects that generate high returns on capital. At the same time they will need to navigate the headwinds related to emerging signs of rising labour and input cost. 

Note: References to specific securities are included for the purpose of illustration only and should not be construed as a recommendation to buy or sell the same. Any securities referenced may or may not form part of the holdings of First Sentier Investors' portfolios at a certain point in time, and the holdings may change over time.

Important Information

This article has been prepared by and is issued by First Sentier Investors (Australia) IM Ltd (FSI AIM) (ABN 89 114 194 311, AFSL 289017) which forms part of First Sentier Investors, a global asset management business. First Sentier Investors is ultimately owned by Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc (MUFG), a global financial group.

It is directed at persons who are professional, sophisticated or wholesale clients and has not been prepared for and is not intended for persons who are retail clients and must not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the prior written consent of FSI AIM. A copy of the Financial Services Guide for FSI AIM is available from First Sentier Investors on its website. This material contains general information only. It is not intended to provide you with financial product advice and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision, you should consider whether this information is appropriate in light of your investment needs, objectives and financial situation. Total returns shown for any Fund or Portfolio have been calculated using exit prices after taking into account all ongoing fees and assuming reinvestment of distributions. Past performance is no indication of future performance.

Any opinions expressed in this material are the opinions of the individual author at the time of publication only and are subject to change without notice. Such opinions: (i) are not a recommendation to hold, purchase or sell a particular financial product; (ii) may not include all of the information needed to make an investment decision in relation to such a financial product; and (iii) may substantially differ from other individual authors within First Sentier Investors.

The product disclosure statement (PDS) or Information Memorandum (IM) for the First Sentier Wholesale Equity Income Fund ARSN 129 259 552, the First Sentier Wholesale Target Return Income Fund ARSN 112 736 491 and the First Sentier Equity Income Fund ARSN 168 563 808 (together, the Funds) issued by Colonial First State Investments Limited (ABN 98 002 348 352, AFSL 232468) (CFSIL) or The Trust Company (RE Services) Limited (ABN 45 003 278 831, AFSL 235150) (Perpetual) (as applicable), should be considered before making an investment decision. The PDS or IM are available from First Sentier Investors on its website. The target market determination (TMD) for the Fund is available from First Sentier Investors on its website and should be considered by prospective investors before any investment decision to ensure that investors form part of the target market.

MUFG, FSI AIM, Perpetual, CFSIL and their respective affiliates do not guarantee the performance of the Fund or the repayment of capital by the Funds. Investments in the Funds are not deposits or other liabilities of MUFG, FSI AIM, Perpetual, CFSIL or their respective affiliates, and investment-type products are subject to investment risk including loss of income and capital invested.

To the extent permitted by law, no liability is accepted by MUFG, FSI AIM, Perpetual or CFSIL or their respective affiliates for any loss or damage as a result of any reliance on this information. This information is, or is based upon, information that we believe to be accurate and reliable, however neither MUFG, FSI AIM, Perpetual, CFSIL nor any of their respective affiliates offer any warranty that it contains no factual errors. Any opinions expressed in this material are the opinions of FSI AIM at the time of publication only. Such opinions are subject to change without notice.

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