News

With bank reporting season underway, it’s important to know what to look for when assessing the big banks. The days of looking solely at dividend payout ratio and price/earnings ratio are long gone. We live in a global world, with cross-border comparisons more important than ever. The first cab off the rank every year is…

Seventh consecutive monthly gain, Beach Energy smashed, ANZ takes $817m profit hit The ASX200 (ASX:XJO) finished Friday on a weaker note, down 0.8% and 0.5% for the week, however was able to deliver a seventh consecutive monthly gain, finishing 3.5% higher for the month of April. The news of the day was the capitulation in Beach Energy’s (ASX:BPT) share…

Mixed day but higher finish, new highs for stalwarts, Woolworths disappoints The ASX200 (ASX:XJO) managed another small gain, adding 0.3%, powered ahead by the technology sector; Afterpay (ASX”APT) and Zip Co (ASX:Z1P) adding 3.5% and 2.5% respectively. With half the sectors down, it was the consumer businesses that were the biggest detractors, Woolworths (ASX:WOW) falling 3.9% after delivering lackluster third quarter sales figures….

Markets rally on weak inflation data, Link deal pulled, JB Hi-Fi CEO stepping down  The ASX200 (ASX:XJO) managed to deliver another 0.4% gain with the materials sector the only detractor falling 1.0%. The fall came despite the iron ore price hitting a record of US$193, marking a long recovery from the US$50 lows of 2015. JB HiFi (ASX:JBH) was among…

It’s quarterly earnings season for a small handful of ASX-listed companies, but some might say the most important in the index. While most companies listed on the ASX report half-yearly with a June year-end, the second month after the financial period, being July and February tends to the busiest each year. However, a small group…

Lesson #1. Gold does well in crises, acting like portfolio insurance Every investor wants an asset that offers downside protection, or insurance of a sort. And preferably one that is not suspiciously complicated or synthetic. Perhaps the major lesson from the coronavirus is that gold can provide this type of insurance, as the yellow metal…

ASX stagnates at 7,000, Tabcorp receives another bid, Bingo deal approved  The ASX200 (ASX:XJO) remains stubbornly anchored to the 7,000 point level, falling 0.2% on Tuesday as most sectors were once again hit by the threat of increasing inflation. The materials sector was the biggest positive contributor, with the likes of BHP Group (ASX:BHP), Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO), and Fortescue Metals (ASX:FMG) all adding 1%…

Similar to the Australian Investor’s Association in Australia, the AAII or American Association of Individual Investors, is a significant source of information for self-directed investors of all types. Running a series of events and with a huge following the association is well positioned to measure the pulse of the industry. According to their latest Asset…

Emerging markets including China and India have been among the most popular destinations for investors in recent months, with many attracted to their diversification benefits. There remains a common misconception that these countries are still the ‘manufacturer for the world’, but the companies that now inhabit these countries, in many cases, have surpassed their developed…

Perth in lockdown, ASX flat for the week, retailers smashed  Perth has entered a ‘snap’ three-day lockdown following another hotel quarantine outbreak. Despite this, the market finished slightly ahead on Friday, 0.1%, and finished the week flat. The highlights over the week were Megaport (ASX:MP1) and Monadelphous (ASX:MND), which jumped 10.5% and 8.6% respectively. All attention has been on a number…

AGL CEO had enough, Brambles keeps shipping, markets break losing streak  The ASX200 (ASX:XJO) broke a two-day losing streak, shooting 0.8% higher as business conditions and investment intentions hit their highest level in 27 years. The energy and IT sectors were the main laggards, with energy falling 0.6% as India reported the highest number of new cases…

ASX pares losses, defensives in favour again, Nuix downgrades again  The ASX200 (ASX:XJO) trimmed losses to just 0.3% despite falling as low as 1.6% during the session. The selling pressure was driven primarily by the energy and property sectors as concerns about spiking global COVID-19 cases impacted confidence. The recently listed Nuix Ltd (ASX:NXL), a big data and analytics…