The World Container Index (WCI) has hit record highs, tripling in price in the last 12 months. Why should you care? The acceleration of the Delta-variant COVID-19 via outbreaks in several counties has slowed global container turnaround rates, delayed parcel deliveries and sent spot prices through the roof. What that all translates to is higher…
With Australian interest rates near zero, combined with a central bank that is in no rush to raise rates anytime soon, there really are very few alternatives to equities as a source of yield. Australian investors enjoy high payout ratios, which, allied to the dividend imputation system, creates an additional income stream that can be…
Suncorp (ASX:SUN) – The insurance heavyweight delivered a strong profit result, above expectations, helping its share price rise by 6.58% in early trade. Group cash earnings came in at $1.064 billion, up 42.1%, and NPAT was $1.033 billion, up 13.1%, and well above the expected $920.5 million. Suncorp said “the result demonstrates the program of…
This will be the first of a regular, weekly column in The Inside Investor that seeks to both educate and highlight the fast-evolving world of cryptocurrency and digital assets. A new movement taking the crypto world by storm is DeFi, or decentralised finance. Unlike traditional banking platforms that allow customers to deposit and lend money,…
Economics here and abroad… Australia The S&P/ASX 200 Index closed the week up 23 points to 7,526 points. Results season enters its second week, while economists worry that lockdowns the country’s two largest cities may diffuse supply chains and put the Australia back into recession. The market is toppy and in bubble territory, but company…
We are in a lithium boom with miners across the world trying to secure new lithium supply, as the world starts its mooted move away from fossil fuels and to renewable-energy batteries – of which lithium is a necessary component. Australia’s two biggest miners, Orocobre (ASX: ORE) and Galaxy Resources (ASX: GXY) are in the throes of…
The market has become a little obsessed with a relatively new phenomenon called “meme” stocks. They are companies whose share prices have risen exponentially on the back of bulletin type board social forums like Reddit and Twitter. Not by any fundamental means. By spruiking the company’s story and letting its users know that the story…
“‘Green Super’ could halve Australia’s entire household carbon footprint,” is the message Australian Ethical (ASX:AEF) and federal MP Zali Steggall OAM are trying to push across to Australians. New calculations conducted by the fund manager contend that Australians have an “unprecedented opportunity to address climate change” through their super savings. For example, the average Australian…
The emergence of Covid-19 and the toll it took on the global economy forced investors to pivot their portfolios in ways that they believed were likely to benefit from the pandemic. Roger Montgomery, chief investment officer of Montgomery Investment Management, recently published an article that discusses how his team will look to position portfolios in…
Afterpay (ASX:APT) – It’s the end of an era for the popular buy-now, pay-later (BNPL) platform that took the world by storm and kicked off a tech sensation. This week, Afterpay agreed to a $39 billion all-stock takeover by US payment giant Square Inc. (NYSE: SQ), bringing together two of the most advanced global fintechs…
