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Bernd Struben

Bernd Struben earned his BA in economics from the University of Michigan in 1991, with post-graduate studies in environmental economics at the University of Connecticut. Over the years he’s written about and analysed the tourism industry in the Caribbean; Europe’s commercial real estate markets; and, since moving to Australia in 2010, global and Aussie share markets. Bernd studies geopolitical and macroeconomic trends, alongside sector and company specific data, to gauge what he believes could be tomorrow's best investments. In his free time, you might find Bernd at the beach with his family or working on his next science fiction novel.

Recent Articles

a close up of a woman's face looks skywards as she is showered in a sea of graphic symbols of gold and silver coins bearing the bitcoin logo.
Cryptocurrencies

The Bitcoin price may be decoupling from US stocks. Is this why?

| Bernd Struben

The Nasdaq Composite has been a particularly reliable barometer of how Bitcoin has moved in 2022.

Read more »

a board room with members sitting around a long table with one person standing and a large floor length window in the background showing a light-drenched cityscape view.
Bank Shares

Own CBA shares? Here's why the bank wants to shake up the RBA board

| Bernd Struben

Whether you’re filling up your car, buying groceries or planning a vacation, you’ll have noticed the bigger hit to your…

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A man sitting at his dining table looks at his laptop and ponders the CSL balance sheet and the value of CSL shares today
Materials Shares

The BHP share price went backwards in October. Time to pounce?

| Bernd Struben

Much of the headwinds the miner faced over the past month came from a sliding iron ore price.

Read more »

A coal miner wearing a red hard hat holds a piece of coal up and gives the thumbs up sign in his other hand
Energy Shares

Why the Whitehaven Coal share price could outperform this government forecast

| Bernd Struben

This year saw Whitehaven Coal resume its dividend payments for the first time in two years.

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Female worker sitting desk with head in hand and looking fed up
Resources Shares

Why is the BHP share price getting hammered on Friday?

| Bernd Struben

BHP generates approximately half its revenue from iron ore.

Read more »

A woman wearing yellow smiles and drinks coffee while on laptop.
Bank Shares

Here's what's putting CBA shares in the headlines this week

| Bernd Struben

With interest rates ratcheting higher for the first time in over a decade, a number of analysts believe CommBank is…

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A group of people in suits and hard hats celebrate the rising share price with champagne.
Energy Shares

If CBA is right, ASX 200 coal shares should keep the good times rolling

| Bernd Struben

Thermal coal prices, in particular, have been spurred far higher by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as European and other nations…

Read more »

a man wearing a gold shirt smiles widely as he is engulfed in a shower of gold confetti falling from the sky. representing a new gold discovery by ASX mining share OzAurum Resources
Gold

Why are ASX 200 gold shares smashing the benchmark returns today?

| Bernd Struben

As gold pays no yield, the gold price and gold miners have been under pressure as central banks the world…

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A young female investor sits in her home office looking at her ipad and smiling as she sees the QBE share price rising
Resources Shares

Why CBA is much more upbeat on Rio Tinto shares than the government

| Bernd Struben

The Rio Tinto share price hit all-time highs in mid-2021 when iron ore was fetching more than US$216 per tonne.

Read more »

Happy miner with his had in the air.
Earnings Results

Fortescue share price lifts on record first quarter operating performance

| Bernd Struben

The ASX 200 miner plans to invest US$6.2 billion by 2030 to eliminate fossil fuel risks.

Read more »

a man weraing a suit sits nervously at his laptop computer biting into his clenched hand with nerves, and perhaps fear.
Resources Shares

If the government has this right, the BHP share price could come under some serious pressure

| Bernd Struben

Not everyone agrees with the bearish assessment for iron ore spelled out in the Federal budget.

Read more »

Three satisfied miners with their arms crossed looking at the camera proudly
Resources Shares

Why Pilbara Minerals shares are in the spotlight post-budget

| Bernd Struben

The ASX 200 lithium stock owns one of the largest hard-rock lithium-tantalum deposits in the world.

Read more »

three children wearing superhero costumes, complete with masks, pose with hands on hips wearing capes and sneakers on a running track.
Ask a Fund Manager

3 ASX 200 shares to weather a bear market: fund manager

| Bernd Struben

Whenever you go through an economic recession or serious slowdown, the one subclass that always does poorly is zero earnings…

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A woman looks questioning as she puts a coin into a piggy bank.
Bank Shares

Here's how ASX 200 banks stand to benefit from the budget

| Bernd Struben

The budget that Treasurer Jim Chalmers unveiled to parliament will aid some sectors more than others.

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A Chinese investor sits in front of his laptop looking pensive and concerned about pandemic lockdowns which may impact ASX 200 iron ore share prices
Economy

ASX 200 heads downhill following latest inflation data

| Bernd Struben

In early morning trade the benchmark index reached six-week highs.

Read more »

Concept image of a businessman riding a bull on an upwards arrow.
Cryptocurrencies

The Bitcoin price just popped back above US$20,000. Is the crypto bull run back on?

| Bernd Struben

The last time the world’s top crypto breached the psychologically important US$20,000 level was on 7 October.

Read more »

a man in a hoodie grins slyly as he sits with his hands poised on a keyboard. He is superimposed with a graphic image of a computer screen asking for a password, suggesting he is a hacker.
Technology Shares

How are ASX cybersecurity shares faring amid all these hacks?

| Bernd Struben

Recent major hacks of telecom provider Optus and private health insurer Medibank has the government scrambling for solutions.

Read more »

Female miner smiling in front of a mining vehicle.
Earnings Results

Mineral Resources share price lifts as FY23 lithium guidance reaffirmed

| Bernd Struben

The miner recently announced joint venture Onslow Iron Project is designed to have a 30 year plus mine life.

Read more »

A large brown grizzly bear follows a male hiker who walks along a path littered with leaves in the woodest forest.
Ask a Fund Manager

What to consider when shorting ASX shares in a bear market: fund manager

| Bernd Struben

In bear markets, the ability to take short positions can help protect capital and reduce volatility.

Read more »

Kardinia Capital's portfolio manager Kristiaan Rehder
Ask a Fund Manager

Why these 2 ASX 200 dividend shares are 'of particular interest': fund manager

| Bernd Struben

The Australian marketplace is a very high yielding market compared to other markets around the world.

Read more »

A woman looks nonplussed as she holds up a handful of Australian $50 notes.
Dividend Investing

ASX dividend shares or distribution shares? Is there even a difference?

| Bernd Struben

With inflation running high, ASX stocks paying healthy yields are finding stronger support.

Read more »

Two large bulls fight against each other in the dust.
Cryptocurrencies

Could the next bull run be coming for the Bitcoin price?

| Bernd Struben

Retail investors have become skittish following the sell-off in cryptos, but institutional investor interest remains more robust.

Read more »

Gold bars on top of gold coins.
Gold

Can ASX 200 gold shares bank on a higher gold price in 2023?

| Bernd Struben

On 8 March, the gold price topped US$2,050 per troy ounce as investors sought out haven assets in the wake…

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A woman in jeans and a casual jumper leans on her car and looks seriously at her mobile phone while her vehicle is charged at an electic vehicle recharging station.
Materials Shares

Is the Core Lithium share price at risk following Tesla's disappointing earnings?

| Bernd Struben

The Tesla share price closed down 6.7% yesterday after the company’s quarterly revenues came in shy of consensus expectations.

Read more »

Group of thoughtful business people with eyeglasses reading documents in the office.
Materials Shares

Up 22% in a week, will Tesla's results slow the Liontown share price surge

| Bernd Struben

Global EV giant Tesla’s quarterly results came in slightly below consensus expectations.

Read more »

A man sits in deep thought with a pen held to his lips as he ponders his computer screen with a laptop open next to him on his desk in a home office environment.
Earnings Results

Northern Star share price dips as quarterly performance 'slightly below plan'

| Bernd Struben

The ASX 200 gold share expects the delayed production over the past quarter to be recovered in the upcoming quarters.

Read more »

a woman ponders products on a supermarket shelf while holding a tin in one hand and holding her chin with the other.
Retail Shares

Better buy: Woolworths or Coles shares?

| Bernd Struben

When comparing Coles to Woolworths, investors should run their slide rule over the ASX 200 retail giants’ dividend payouts as…

Read more »

Oil miner holding a laptop and mobile phone looks at his phone and sees the falling oil price and falling Woodside share price
Energy Shares

Why is the Santos share price getting left behind the ASX 200 today?

| Bernd Struben

It’s not just Santos shares that are lagging the benchmark index today.

Read more »

Man sitting at a desk facing his computer screen and holding a coin representing discussion by the RBA Governor about cryptocurrency and digital tokens
Cryptocurrencies

How has the Bitcoin price responded to the network's latest hiccup?

| Bernd Struben

On most days Bitcoin transactions can get verified in around 10 minutes.

Read more »

A businessman stacks building blocks.
BNPL shares

Here's why the Block share price just rocketed 8%

| Bernd Struben

ASX buy now, pay later shares are having a particularly strong run today.

Read more »

Young woman dressed in suit sitting at cafe staring at laptop screen with hands to her forehead looking tense
Share Market News

Bank or bust: What on earth is going on with the US stock market?

| Bernd Struben

Volatility has been the name of the game over the past three trading days in US and Aussie markets.

Read more »

A woman is excited as she reads the latest rumour on her phone.
Share Market News

Why are ASX 200 shares going gangbusters on Tuesday?

| Bernd Struben

The benchmark index has been unusually volatile over the past three trading days.

Read more »

A woman ponders a question as she puts money into a piggy bank with a model plane and suitcase nearby.
Travel Shares

Has the Qantas share price finally left COVID in its contrail?

| Bernd Struben

Qantas released an upbeat market update last week, leading a number of brokers to re-evaluate their outlook for the stock.

Read more »

woman getting the Covid 19 vaccine
Healthcare Shares

Could CSL shares capitalise on the next pandemic?

| Bernd Struben

While CSL didn’t see its share price explode like some vaccine makers, the company was hard at work to combat…

Read more »

A girl wearing yellow headphones pulls a grimace, that was not a good result.
Gold

Here's how ASX 200 gold shares are reacting as gold price hits 2-week low

| Bernd Struben

Bullion prices are under pressure amid expectations of further interest rate hikes from the US Fed and other leading central…

Read more »

A woman looks quizzical as she looks at a graph of the share market.
Share Market News

Expert forecast: Here's where UBS says the ASX 200 will finish the year

| Bernd Struben

UBS does not expect the Australian economy to slip into a recession.

Read more »

A businessman keeps calm in the face of inflation
Economy

Stock markets are starting to reflect that 'inflation is now under control': economist

| Bernd Struben

US and Aussie markets are rallying despite some high inflation data coming out of the US yesterday.

Read more »

a small child and a pug dog sit in a go cart wearing old fashioned drivers headress and goggles as the drive along a country road with the boy holding his arm in the air and shouting as if celebrating their performance behind the wheel.
Energy Shares

Why is the Woodside share price smashing it on Friday?

| Bernd Struben

The United States government has been tapping into the nation’s strategic petroleum reserves amid supply tightness.

Read more »

An executive in a suit smooths his hair and laughs as he looks at his laptop feeling surprised and delighted.
Share Market News

US inflation data came in hot. So why is the ASX 200 leaping higher today?

| Bernd Struben

The ASX 200's rally follows an extraordinary turnaround in US equity markets.

Read more »

two women looking intently at computer screen
BNPL shares

After a horror year, what's next for ASX BNPL shares in the new quarter?

| Bernd Struben

Buy now, pay later stocks have had a year to forget, so far.

Read more »