Hong Kong stocks are on a tear, rising some 7 per cent in the past week at the time of writing, boosted by the tech sector. It’s all to do with the US regulators wanting to delist Chinese stocks. China’s Securities Regulatory Commission is considering allowing US officials to inspect documents on firms that don’t…
Reporting season is over. Companies are cashed up following what was a stronger-than-expected interim earnings season despite facing a myriad of uncertainty-ridden events such as the lockdowns, restrictions and border closures, supply chain constraints, rising inflation and the war in Ukraine. While 2021 was generally a positive year, the outlook for 2022 is mired in…
Despite the headwinds caused by Covid-19, its lockdowns and supply chain disruptions, the February 2022 reporting season delivered positive earnings momentum. Blackmore Capital’s Marcus Bogdan says net earnings upgrades to S&P/ASX 200 profits were 0.9% or $1.3bn, the second strongest result since the global financial crisis. Bogdan goes on to say, “Reporting had some pleasant…
Last week, Amazon announced its first stock split, where each shareholder will receive 19 additional shares for every share they already own. This means an investor who has 10 shares will now own 200, but the total value of their holding will remain the same. A stock split is purely cosmetic and doesn’t alter the…
The price of nickel is going nuts, soaring past US$100,000 a tonne. The London Metal Exchange (LME) canceled nickel trading on Tuesday after an unprecedented 250% price rise was triggered by Western sanctions against Russia. The price surged to hit US$101,365 a tonne, the highest point ever seen on the LME. So, what’s going on?…
Inflation expectations are pointing to a decade high of about 5.0 percent by mid-year going by events that are currently unfolding. The war in Ukraine is deepening and the floods in NSW and Queensland have inundated towns and created havoc. These events are increasing the cost-of-living pressures across the country and will lead to a…
Confused about the Metaverse? Well, you’re not the only one. There’s been a lot of talk about the “Metaverse” after Mark Zuckerberg rebranded Facebook and named it Meta Platforms. It all started a few years ago when Zuckerberg bought a virtual reality (VR) company called Oculus, which manufactured VR headsets. With Oculus, you could put on…
Investors are piling into the safe-haven asset following the crisis in Ukraine. Dubbed the “currency of last resort,” gold is often seen as a safe-haven asset in times of market turmoil, because it retains its value during a time of crisis. Going back in history, gold has been considered a store of value for quite…
Last year was a record year for IPOs, with the highest number of new listings hitting the bourse for the first time. According to IPO Watch Australia, a benchmarking-based report compiled by HLB Mann Judd Perth, “there were 191 IPOs listing on the ASX in 2021 which was the highest number of new floats in…
The war in Ukraine has no doubt sent vibrations through the Australian market however there are a handful of companies that may see their profits boosted during a conflict. The rule of thumb is; global equities remain under pressure in the lead up to a conflict as uncertainty and weakening sentiment creep in. Once heightened…