PODCAST: Investing amid virus volatility and low rates

Westpac Wire

As investors face into an environment characterised by record low interest rates and high equity valuations, plus the double whammy of unprecedented bushfires in Australia and the global COVID-19 scare, many are pondering what this all means for their investments. To unearth how some of the country’s large fund managers are thinking about these trends and developments, BT Panorama hosted a panel discussion on February 27 as part of a series for investors, shared here as a Westpac Wire podcast. On the panel, which was facilitated by BT's national manager of SMSF, Super and Investments, Paul Stark, were: - Portfolio manager for Magellan Global Infrastructure Fund Gerald Stack; - Portfolio manager at Pendal Property Securities Julia Forrest; and - Senior vice president at global bond giant PIMCO John Valtwies. It came at a topical time, with the Australian stockmarket last week experiencing one of its worst weeks in recent memory as investors reacted to the spread of COVID-19 outside China and fears it will be declared a global pandemic. This recording is of an event which was hosted by BT Financial Group Pty Ltd ABN 38 087 480 331 which is subsidiary of Westpac Banking Corporation ABN 33 007 451 141 (Westpac). Material in this presentation is current as at 27 February 2020. Material in this presentation does not take into account your personal objectives, financial situation or needs and so you should consider its appropriateness, having regard to these factors before acting on it. Material in this presentation may contain material provided by third parties derived from sources believed to be accurate at its issue date. While such material is presented with necessary permission, Westpac accepts no responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of, nor does it endorse any such third party material. To the maximum extent permitted by law, we intend by this notice to exclude liability for this third party material. These projections are predictive in character. Whilst we have used every effort to ensure that the assumptions on which the projections are based are reasonable, the projections may be affected by inaccurate assumptions or may not take into account known or unknown risks and uncertainties. The results actually achieved may differ materially from these projections. Any tax considerations outlined and are general statements, based on an interpretation of the current tax law, and do not constitute tax advice. Your individual situation may differ and you should seek independent professional tax advice and consider obtaining personalised advice from a financial adviser. This presentation provides an overview or summary only and it should not be considered a comprehensive statement on any matter or relied upon as such.