The Week that Was – August 16-20, 2021

By Staff Writers | More Articles by Staff Writers

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 is in one handy location. Just click on the headline and you’ll be taken straight to the story.

 

Monday 16th August, 2021

Woodies Sniffing Around BHP Petroleum

The shape of the Australian oil and gas sector could be changed this week with confirmation that Woodside is in talks to buy BHP’s petroleum division in a deal valued at around $20 billion.

Argo Down but Naught Out

Adelaide-based LIC Argo Investments has cut its dividend payout to shareholders after reporting a 12% plus slide in earnings for the year to June.

Sydney Airport Knocks Back Increased Bid

Sydney Airport has again rejected overtures from a group of local and offshore superannuation investors, despite their having raised the non-binding bid from $8.25 to $8.45 a share.

 

Tuesday 17th August, 2021

Straying from the Pack

The big four Australian banks have been a perennial favourite with investors, but there may be better opportunities in the sector if you are willing to dig a little deeper, as Allan Gray Australia Analyst Yi-Chan Lee explains.

Chinese Conundrum Continues

Conclusive evidence on Monday that China’s economy is slowing more rapidly at the same time as the government orders to its steel industry to cut production to reduce carbon emissions.

Nothing Blue and Plenty of Scope for More

BlueScope Steel saw a surge in earnings in the year to June which enabled the country’s biggest steelmaker to more than triple its final dividend, announce a special payout, and reveal a $500m buyback.

JB Hi-Fi Delivers Record, but Challenges Abound

2020-21 was a record year for JB Hi-Fi – record sales, record earnings and yesterday we saw a record final and dividend for the year that some banks would envy – but where to from here?

Profit Briefs: BEN, SWM, CAR, LLC

With peak reporting season upon us, here are snippets from the results announced yesterday by Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, Seven West Media, Carsales.com, and Lendlease.

Start Your Batteries: the impact of EVs on ESG

With sustainability becoming ever more crucial, Alex Cook from BetaShares explores the development and use of EVs, the outlook for the industry and its importance to the global ESG effort.

 

Wednesday 18th August, 2021

Profit Briefs: SCP, DHG, MFG

With peak reporting season upon us, here are snippets from the results announced yesterday by Shopping Centres Australasia, Domain Holdings, and Magellan Financial Group.

Global Technology Outlook: Prioritising Company Fundamentals

Janus Henderson’s Denny Fish sees the current tech rally being guided by earnings results and the strong positions of leading tech companies aligned with a number of other themes.

Green Pivot a Reality for BHP: Oil Out, Potash In

News that BHP was exiting carbon and becoming ‘greener’ via its Jansen potash project in Canada was overshadowed by the 2020-21 result, huge dividends and the Woodside Petroleum deal.

Big Australian, Big Spoonful of Sugar

A series of announcements from BHP on Tuesday with a lot of naughts and a historic, company-changing restructure that will see a long-term boost to the value of the company’s share price.

Horses v Courses for Sims, Breville

A successful 2020-21 for two Australian multinationals saw Sims Metal and Breville take different approaches to rewarding shareholders on Tuesday: one upped its dividend, the other slashed theirs.

Management Teams that Passed the Covid Test

One of Perpetual’s key filters when assessing businesses to invest in is the quality of their management teams. This was further amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, as Anthony Aboud explains.

Survey Says: Market Getting Nervous

Big global investors are getting worried and defensive and the current June 30 reporting season with big profit rises, higher dividends and lots of capital management moves is not working its magic.

Fletcher Building Confirms Turnaround

Fletcher Building, one of Australasia’s biggest construction and building products groups, has confirmed a solid turnaround in the year to June, announcing a $NZ305 million profit.

Delta Flare-Up Puts NZ Rate Rise on Hold for Now

The sudden outbreak of Covid Delta in the Auckland area and snap lockdown has forced the Reserve Bank of NZ to hold off lifting its key cash rate.

 

Thursday 19th August, 2021

Looking Past the Peak

As Australia transitions from policy-driven growth to organic growth, elevated volatility presents opportunities for investors who are flexible, liquid and patient. PIMCO’s Robert Mead and Adam Bowe with more.

Profit Briefs: COL, SUL, BAP, VCX

Profit Briefs: CSL, AMC

Profit Briefs: OZL, WPL

With peak reporting season upon us, here are snippets from the results announced yesterday.

Schroders on Value – Part Three (video)

Part Three of Six in a video series with Schroders Australia Fund Manager Simon Adler, in which he analyses how value investing performs over the long term.

REITs and Inflation – Where Is the Sweet Spot?

Quay Global Investors believe that real estate (listed and direct) tends to outperform equities during periods of high inflation and outline the reasons why in this piece.

ANZ Takes the Conservative Route for the Moment

No trading update nor buyback for now from ANZ, but plenty of guidance on their loan books and capital position, both of which look strong enough for now.

Index Highs Don’t Translate to Earnings for ASX

The ASX may be at or around all-time highs and risen to those levels during the year to June, but that hasn’t translated to higher earnings or a higher dividend for shareholders.

 

Friday 20th August, 2021

Profit Briefs: BLX, TRS

Profit Briefs: TWE, SGR

Profit Briefs: NCM, S32, EVN, ORG

With peak reporting season upon us, here are snippets from the results announced yesterday.

Is the SPAC Party Over?

Is the SPAC (special purpose acquisition companies) market dead? Should investors flee the space or is it a good time to buy in? Cameron McVie from Russell Investments gives us his thoughts.

Emerging Markets: Waiting for a Breakthrough

Despite rising rates and regulatory interference, GAM Investments’ Julian Howard suggests the medium-term outlook for Emerging Markets is better than it seems, while the long-term outlook is assured.

Jobs Data Lagging the Cold, Hard, Real World

Data from the ABS that showed the nation’s jobless rate fell to a 13-year low is not a real reflection of the labour market as it was before the full impact of the current series of lockdowns hit.

Carnage in the Iron Ore Market

Billions of dollars have been wiped off revenues of mining giants and from Australia’s trade account after the rout in global iron ore market accelerated on Thursday with prices seeing their largest ever one-day fall.

Chip Shortage Forces Toyota to Cut Production by 40%

Toyota has revealed a 40% cut in planned vehicle production for September as the Covid-driven global shortage of computer chips caught up with the world’s biggest carmaker.