In an uncertain world, should investors have a strategy that looks beyond current trends and accommodates a range of different possible futures? In recent years growth stocks have had a winning streak, is now a good time to consider shifting the balance of your holdings towards companies that can demonstrate the ability to generate profits today.

In the current environment of ultra-low interest rates, generating enough income for retirement can be challenging. Instead of being able to add to their nest egg, many retirees find themselves needing to withdraw capital to make up a shortfall between their lifestyle requirements and their income.

Some years ago, we put together a notional “High-minus-low quality” portfolio, which holds long positions in ASX-listed companies that we consider to be high-quality, and short positions in companies that we consider to be lower-quality. The absolute return from this portfolio provides an indication of whether the higher quality companies are outperforming the lower-quality companies.

Equity markets have been very kind to investors in recent years, with stock indices setting new records in Australia and overseas. Notwithstanding some episodes of turbulence along the way, these good results continue a decade-long run of mainly positive returns following the depths of the GFC in early 2009.