Christmas has come early for the bank’s shareholders with the decision to slightly increase the 2024 dividend – despite a single-digit decline in the net profit and cash earnings.
Beating the market benchmark is never easy, with 72 per cent of Australian actively managed global equity general funds trailing the S&P World Index in the six months to June 30, 2024. Domestic equity funds performed slightly better, albeit against a significantly lower bar set by the S&P/ASX 200 Index.
ASX closes 1% higher as energy continues rise
Rally continues despite dividend drag, Premier profit doubles
The S&P/ASX200 (ASX: XJO) continued its strong recovery adding another 1% on Thursday after the Federal Reserve committed to continue bond purchases until at least the end of the year.
The strength was broad-based with every sector finishing higher, tech, energy and utilities were the highlights with each jumping over 2% during the session.
The strength came despite a string of major companies paying out large dividends including Rio Tinto, Telstra, Resmed and Magellan.
News Corp (ASX: NWS) led the market higher, jumping over 8% after announcing they would double their share buyback to US$1 billion.
Solomon Lew’s Premier Investments (ASX: PMV) added 3.1% after reporting a doubling of profits in the year to July.
The company saw revenue hit $1.46 billion despite mass store closures and profit hitting $271 million, 97% higher than the previous year.
Online sales from the likes of Peter Alexander continue to drive performance, representing 20% of total sales and supported a 14% increase in the dividend.
Transurban capital raise, Soul Patts rallies but Brickworks hit by lockdowns
Transurban (ASX: TCL) fell 1.3% after confirmed they had raised $2.9 of the $4 billion in new capital, they need for the acquisition of WestConnex.
The expansion comes as private sector activity fell for a third consecutive month, according to PMI indicators, which remains at 46 points, well below the 50 seen as expansionary.
Brickworks (ASX: BKW) saw profit fall 20% to $239 million citing costs related with their investment in Washington H Soul Pattinson (ASX: SOL).
The company continues to benefit from its growing property portfolio, with $150 million in positive revaluations contributing to a strong underlying earnings result.
However, management reported that the two-week construction halt in Melbourne had seen sales fall by 80% almost immediately.
On the contrary, SOL reported a 71% fall in statutory profit to $328 million, primarily due to a $1.05 billion accounting gain on their investment in TPG realised in the prior year.
AGL Energy (ASX: AGL) rallied 6.1% despite a difficult AGM, whilst plumbing supplier Reliance Worldwide (ASX: RWC) was 2.6% lower as the USD rallied.
Relief rally continues, nothing new is good news, Salesforce upgraded
US markets continued their relief rally on Thursday with all three benchmarks finishing over 1% higher on the back of a consistent message from the Fed.
The Dow Jones led the way, adding 1.5%, with the S&P 500 up 1.2 and the Nasdaq up 1% on the back of a strong rally in Salesforce.com (NASDAQ: CRM).
The strength came after Federal Reserve Chair all but confirmed tapering would commence in November and a rate hike potentially in 2022. That said nothing is set in stone and it will depend on how the economy progresses.
Despite suggestions that higher interest rates would be the trigger of a collapse in the sharemarket, a spike in bond yields overnight did nothing to dampen the gains.
Jobless claims in the US rose again whilst the Composite PMI continues to fall suggesting the economic recovery has taken a hit from Delta.
Concerns about China Evergrande (HKG: 3333) appear to be fading with shares in the company jumping 17% on hopes that they will make their payment on USD debt this week.
Salesforce.com jumped 7% after management flagged an improved earnings outlook as sales continue to grow.
