We at ShareCafe understand you are busy and may not have been left with enough time to keep up with the quality content we’ve been bringing you throughout the week. To make it easier to do so, here it all is in one handy location. Just click on the headline and you’ll be taken straight to the story.
Monday 31st May, 2021
In his weekly Bites column, David Bassanese from BetaShares gives us a rundown of what’s happening in markets, both local and global.
China’s Dual Circulation Plan for a Hostile World
Domestic production gets priority in a strategy that seeks to boost China’s ‘soft power’, writes Magellan Asset Management Investment Specialist Michael Collins.
Tuesday 1st June, 2021
Protest Upheld Against BetMakers
Shares in BetMakers shed more than 13% on Monday as investors gave the thumbs down to its audacious $4 billion cash-and-scrip bid for Tabcorp’s wagering division.
Market Pooh-Poohs Link PEXA Listing
Link Administration shareholders do not like the idea of a float for online conveyancing group PEXA that only nets around $50 million in cash for its dominant stake in the company.
Where to from Here for AREITs?
Pete Morrissey, Fund Manager of the APN AREIT Fund, dissects the Australian Real Estate Investment Trusts (AREITs) sector by looking at its recent past, present, and future.
REA Group Continues Asian Retreat
News Corp’s 61% owned property listing business REA Group is continuing to withdraw from involvement in Asian markets that once were seen as key to its future growth outside Australia.
After some years in the doldrums, the major Australian banks are now poised for a period of strong performance, which bodes well for investors in the sector, according to Perennial’s Stephen Bruce.
Dexus has lifted its full-year guidance and now expects a 3% growth in distributions per security for the year to June instead of the previous guidance for flat outcome.
The ASX-200 ended May 1.9% higher for its 12th straight monthly gain, and for that, investors can thank the big four banks.
Iron ore prices ended May on a high with the 62% benchmark fines product from Australian producers back near $US200 a tonne, but still off sharply from the all time highs reached on May 12.
Wednesday 2nd June, 2021
Commodities, Wages Biggest Threats to Steady Rates
No rate change from the Reserve Bank yesterday, with the official cash rate remaining at 0.1%. But continued strength in commodity prices and wage pressures are looming concerns.
Why Copper Prices Are at All-Time Highs
Tal Lomnitzer, Senior Investment Manager in the Global Natural Resources team at Janus Henderson, explains why copper has been hitting all-time highs and discusses its implications and outlook.
WA Govt Set to Reap Rewards from Ore Boom
The West Australian government is making sure that the booming iron ore sector pays its share of royalties and taxes, which means the likes of Fortescue and BHP will be forking out more in coming years.
No Signs of a Letup in Housing Strength
The great housing boom continues – prices surged in May and building approvals for owner-occupied again rose in April, although there was a sharp drop in approvals for units and apartments.
China’s EV Industry Set for Even Faster Growth
Sherry Qin, a research analyst based in Fidelity’s Shanghai office, runs through China’s EV industry, which she believes could grow even faster than current estimations predict.
Strong ABS Data Nudges GDP Forecasts Higher
Following encouraging data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics yesterday, economists have revised up their estimates for March quarter GDP in today’s national accounts.
Oil at Two-Year High on OPEC Production Cap Pushback
World oil prices rose to two-year highs on Tuesday after OPEC and a group of allies resisted pressure to accelerate the pace of the reduction in the size of its production cap.
Tough Times Turning for TerraCom
Corporate Connect research analyst Lawrence Grech has today released an updated report on Australian thermal coal miner TerraCom, valuing the stock at $0.24 per share.
Thursday 3rd June, 2021
Vocus Falls Foul of the ACCC, Fined $2.5m
Vocus Group suffered the embarrassment yesterday of two of its main brands – Dodo and IPrimus – being fined a total of $2.5 million in the Federal Court after an ACCC investigation.
Iffy Start for Macquarie’s Keypath IPO
No quick flip for participants in the listing yesterday on the ASX of US-based Keypath Education, with shares closing at $3.55, down 4% on its first day of trading on the ASX.
Where Is the Money Going? (May 2021 Update)
Michael Brown from BetaShares revisits his article from last year that looked at some interesting data for total ASX ETF net flows across asset classes and updates it for 2021.
Court Spanks Naughty Forex CT to the Tune of $20m
The Federal Court has ordered Forex Capital Trading Pty Ltd (Forex CT) pay a $20 million penalty and banned the company’s Director from managing corporations for eight years.
Is China’s Commodities Speculation Counterintuitive?
Fidelity’s Tom Stevenson is back with his regular column to look at what’s happening with China’s recent clampdown on alleged speculation, fake news and hoarding in the commodities markets.
GDP Outstrips Even the Most Bullish Expectations
Government incentives to business and home builders helped GDP rise a stronger than forecast 1.8% in the three months to March, as did the very relaxed monetary policy from the RBA.
Chinese Whispers Send Ore Prices Skyrocketing
Reports that authorities in Tangshan are talking about relaxing tough rules brought in last April to cut pollution and smog emissions have sent iron ore prices soaring for a second day.
Friday 4th June, 2021
New vehicle sales in Australia jumped again in May to reach the highest monthly number so far this year, driven by pent-up demand from last year and cheap finance and lease rates.
A soft update from Wesfarmers is another sign that conditions are getting tougher as the boost from the lockdowns – especially for online selling – fades and normality returns.
Peanut Butter Wars End with Smooth Win for Bega
Bega Cheese and Kraft Heinz have finally finished their stoush over peanut butter with the Australian company getting a payout of $9.5 million to cover its costs of the litigation.
Retail, Trade Figures Keep the Good News Coming
The good economic news rolls on in the wake of the upbeat GDP and national accounts data on Wednesday, with strong data for both retail sales and the balance of trade.
Balancing ESG Exposure and Valuations
While investors typically focus on ESG screens as the criteria for investment selection, VanEck Investments believe it is more important than ever to also consider valuations and sector exposure.
TRS Being Rejected at the Register
The one-off is slowly becoming a trend in retailing as more chains report weaker sales growth or even falls compared to the boom-like conditions of a year ago.
