News

September begins with a loss, GDP surprises again, Metcash sales weaken After delivering an eleventh straight month of gains by finishing 1.9% higher in August, the ASX200 (ASX: XJO) fell 0.1% to begin September. Given the busy month that was August market volatility will likely recede as investors turn to the outlook for vaccination rates and border…

Shares in online retailer Temple & Webster Group Ltd (ASX: TPW) reached an all-time high of $15 yesterday, just two days after the company released an FY22 trading update. TPW share price For a full breakdown of TPW’s recent update, click here to read my colleague, Jaz Harrison’s article: Temple & Webster (ASX:TPW) share price surges on strong FY22…

And that’s a wrap. As reporting season 2021 draws to an end, the consensus appears to be that this reporting season would have to be one of the best for corporate earnings in decades; but that the next half-year will be fraught with volatility, due to the Delta variant. In total there were 293 companies…

The easiest call to make in 2021 is that the market is overvalued, or for those preferring hyperbole, suggest that everything is in a ‘bubble’. Whilst there is no doubt some assets and stocks that are trading well above their fair value, to suggest that everything is overvalued may well be a stretch. It’s an…

Our long-term portfolio holding in the Datt Capital Australian Equities Absolute Return fund, Adriatic Metals (ASX: ADT), recently delivered their Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) over the flagship Vares Project which is the final study before a Final Investment Decision (FID) is made. The DFS demonstrated the following key project metrics: a 10 year mine life…

As part of the Government’s ‘Your Future, Your Super’ (YFYS) reforms, all APRA regulated super funds will be submitted to a performance test on a yearly basis. The test has been derided by the industry but ultimately forces every fund to measure itself against the index or ‘average’ fund. Where is persistently underperforms it will…

ETF Securities recently launched a Semiconductor ETF (ASX Code: SEMI) which offers investors exposure to the hottest sector of the moment, the global semiconductor market. The semiconductor market is largely controlled by the US and Taiwan, with the majority of its manufacturing centred in Taiwan. Semiconductors or chips are a vital component in most modern-day…

What happens when you take old-fashioned Lay-by, add a touch of instant gratification (FOMO) with a promise of free credit with no checks? Answer you have Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) the magic pudding financial product challenging banks “hole in wallet” consumer strategies as a key plank for bank’s shareholder returns. BNPL is a relatively…

ASX powers into close, quality rotation, commodities weaken The ASX200 (ASX: XJO) strengthened throughout the day to ultimately finish 0.4% higher following a positive lead from Wall Street. Quality remains the key as bond rates continue to fall with industrials and tech leading the market higher, up 1.2 and 1.9% with energy and utilities continuing to weaken as…

Mining sector buoys ASX, InvoCare, Altium slump The ASX200 (ASX: XJO) was once again buoyed by the materials sector with Fortescue’s (ASX: FMG) strong earnings result sending the stock 6.6% higher and the sector up 2.7%. Both financials and consumer discretionary remain under pressure, down 0.7 and 1.0% as reporting season comes to an end. It was all about FMG today, with the company…

As Australia rolls up its sleeves for a Covid-19 jab, the number of people who have received at least one vaccination in Australia pushes past 54.4% (11.2m). The number of people fully vaccinated has quietly climbed past 31.6%. This takes Australia’s total vaccination progress to 24.29%, placing us just below Sri Lanka, which has a…

According to the Janus Henderson Global Dividend Index, dividends rose by 26.3% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2021 on a headline basis. This number recovered to A$628.3 billion, which was 6.8% below the second quarter of 2019. What does this all mean? Dividend payouts look set to return to pre-pandemic highs in the next…