We’ve reviewed readership of our AXIS content over the year to bring you a collection of the themes which have most interested you to put a volatile and often challenging year into context.

Have any suggestions for content in 2023? We'd love to hear from you. Simply email us here.

How inflation affects retail stocks

Investors and advisers were keen to learn which sectors and types of stocks tend to do well during inflation. Non-discretionary retailers like supermarkets tend to have better leverage to rising inflation, though this time the major chains became highly priced early on. By contrast, discretionary retailers such as JB Hi-Fi and Harvey Norman did not run as high early..

How to diversify client investment with listed alternatives

Private equity is playing an increasingly important role for investors as they look for diversification in a challenging landscape for yield and risk – and investors are seeking to learn more about this unlisted asset class.

There’s more to ETF investing than selecting funds: Don’t forget about the execution strategy

In a rapidly expanding ETF market, the quoted management fee isn’t the only price you can pay. In this article, with special thanks to leading ETF market maker Flow Trader, we examine some of the key considerations for maximizing returns and efficiency from ETF trades.

Inflation, rate rises and the rotation to value: Where are we now?

Until early 2022, equity markets were resilient in the face of rate hikes, but they are now coming around to a view in the bond markets that tighter monetary policy to tame inflation will be here longer, helping mark our position in the latest value rotation. Are we where you think we might be?

Smarter strategies needed to invest in the energy crisis challenge

The Federal government has released its first offshore petroleum exploration permits, ensuring growth in the oil and gas sector at a time when it is seeking to boost its climate change credentials. The government’s approach is symptomatic of a dilemma facing investors in the energy market – which way to play the energy crisis?

Tough times call for quality stocks but finding them is harder than it looks

The sell off in equity markets this year has many investors naturally looking for a defensive strategy. One such option is to shift into quality companies to ride out the turmoil. It sounds simple, but quality is in the eye of the beholder.

How long can electric vehicle transition keep driving ASX lithium stocks?

Despite an already rapid rise, lithium prices and stock values look set to continue to strengthen in the face of worries about a weaker economic outlook, due largely but the sharp growth expected in electric vehicle demand.

Looking ahead to 2023

In 2023 we expect the current tightening of monetary policy to have its full effect on developed markets, though continuing low unemployment and rising energy and food prices will help slow inflation more than rate rises do. China is the wild-card and could provide external support – or otherwise.

Overall, many analysts expect the economic slowdown will continue into the new year and ultimately bring inflation back under control and lead to a return to better economic times – though the timing of this turnaround is up for debate.  See our recent piece on the 2023 outlook here.