Reporting season, when listed companies release their latest results, can be a useful guide as to which locally listed shares to invest in, a prominent equities analyst has said.

Australian companies could soon be at a point of scaling back the dividends they are declaring for shareholders in favour of greater reinvestment of profits, a senior portfolio manager has said.

Investment managers are reducing their return expectations across a broad range of asset classes as cash rates globally reach or approach historic lows, according to a Zenith Investment Partners sector review.

Fixed interest sovereign bonds cannot provide the best investment solution for SMSF members looking for capital preservation while generating a reasonable yield, according to a global fixed income manager.

Active small-cap funds continued to experience a strong year compared to the index despite dropping significantly from double-digit growth in previous years, research house Zenith Investment Partners’ sector review showed.

SMSF trustees need to look beyond the domestic equity market to seize investment opportunities arising from worldwide trends, an international fund manager has said.

Defensive asset classes have been marked as the segment to watch, with more flows and demand expected from SMSF trustees in the next 12 months following continued market volatility.

BlackRock believes SMSF trustees will see the appeal of its new proposition, iShares Core, which comprises two new exchange-traded funds (ETF).

A recent review of the real estate market performed by listed property fund manager Folkestone has shown Australian real estate investment trusts (AREIT) to be the best-performing investment vehicle over the past five years.