Higher rates are helping deflate stretched valuations for a number of high-profile Australian growth stocks. Pockets of value are emerging, but patience is key.

Conditions are challenging for most ASX-listed smaller miners. Cost pressures, project execution risk and geopolitics warrant a proven, consistent approach to stock selection.

We believe social factors are important indicators of management quality and long-term performance, with social themes such as safety and employee engagement flowing directly through to employee wellbeing, productivity and profitability.

‘Green’ hydrogen is currently viewed as a versatile energy carrier in a low-carbon future and a promising solution to displace the role of fossil fuels. With a focus on Europe, the team dissects the opportunities for – and limitations of – large-scale green hydrogen usage.

With the value investment approach, there is a constant danger of investing in ‘value traps’ and we spend substantial time considering this issue. In this article we take a look at the factors that indicate heightened risk of a stock being a value trap.

Hansen Technologies is a global provider of operating software and services to the energy, water and communications industries. We take a closer look at why HSN is a key overweight position in the Maple-Brown Abbott Australian Small Companies Fund.

Winning stocks within the Australian bourse have to date largely been those appearing to offer a more ‘certain’ outcome. However, it is clear to us that investors are ‘hiding’ in a select group of what are perceived to be safe or defensive stocks. Valuation is no more than a secondary consideration.

Quite suddenly, companies are seeing the non-adoption of AI as a commercial risk not evident a mere matter of months ago. As AI-related opportunities arise, we are aware of the need for boards to respect the potential risks inherent in evolving AI technologies and for governance frameworks to commensurately evolve.

From the continuing roll-out of spectrum and 5G to use cases for generative artificial intelligence (AI), investors are feeling energised about the growing need for digital infrastructure in the years ahead. Our team recently spoke with leading digital infrastructure providers and telcos about investment prospects in the dawn of the AI revolution.