Investing 101

The deepening war crisis in Ukraine is showing no sign of abating any time soon, with inflation hitting historical highs as war effects compound inflation triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic. BlackRock has released a research note covering its macro and geo-political view. The global asset manager says, “The war in Ukraine has already caused a…

And that’s a wrap. Another positive earnings season, with 47 per cent of the S&P/ASX 200 Index beating on revenue estimates and 44 per cent beating on EPS (earnings per share) estimates. Ausbil Investment Management has released its reporting season wrap and outlook for earnings going forward. Here are the highlights: HY22 was another positive…

Thematic ETFs have been the ‘in’ thing for several years now, but particularly in 2022. You can do just about anything with them. Looking for robotics exposure? Sure, buy the ROBO ETF. What about oil? No worries, the crude oil ETF, OOO. Get tactical on defence, invest in the latest tech or even profit when…

Bond yields have become one of the biggest and most important talking points within investment markets in 2022. At their most simple, bonds and the interest or yields they offer, represents the so-called risk-free rate off which every other asset class in the world is priced. The purpose of this article isn’t to discuss the…

The ASX 200 has fallen 5.5% in 2022 as inflation fears spook investors. Inflation reached 7.9% in the United States. It’s not nearly as bad in Australia, but 3.5% is still well above what economists prefer. Here are three ASX 200 shares to buttress your portfolio against inflation. 1. Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) Woolworths is…

The pandemic combined with the invasion of Ukraine has sent global commodity markets into flux. Commodities ranging from grain to crude oil are surging to near-record levels with 2020’s demand weakness offset by 2022’s significant supply-chain issues. In an environment of growing volatility and inflation, investors are naturally seeking hedges for their portfolios with gold…

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…

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…

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…

With climate change front and centre of every investor’s mind, most people think of renewable energy or clean energy production as being primarily solar panels or wind turbines. Often many of the more effective and efficient renewable energy production processes are left out, such as “green” hydrogen (produced using renewable energy) or hydroelectricity. Nuclear power…