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The value vs. growth debate has been played out in numerous ways for close to a decade. The results today are clear. Those who remained steadfastly invested in value stocks have significantly underperformed the benchmark and may well have left investors with less capital than the same time ten years ago. Traditional value stocks remain…

RBA holds rates, property lending boom, Seek upgrades guidance, retail recovery on track It was another green day on the market with the ASX200 (ASX:XJO) adding 0.5% on the back of the materials sector, with the gold price jumping significantly. Silverlake Resources (ASX:SLR) and Northern Star (ASX:NST) were among the biggest beneficiaries adding 7.9% and 4.0% respectively. The…

Bank rally not enough, Westpac hike dividend, job ads continue to surprise The ASX200 (ASX:XJO) rose just three points to begin the week, with a powerful day from the financials sector (+1.4%) which represents some 30% of the index not enough to overcome broader weakness. Energy and materials continue to detract amid signs that inflation is being…

The first quarter of 2021 saw renewed confidence in global equity markets, supported by positive developments in the fight against coronavirus together with better-than-expected economic data. Fiscal stimulus and vaccine rollout have far exceeded expectations, causing equity markets to overcome bouts of volatility. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 indices hit new all-time…

With bank reporting season underway, it’s important to know what to look for when assessing the big banks. The days of looking solely at dividend payout ratio and price/earnings ratio are long gone. We live in a global world, with cross-border comparisons more important than ever. The first cab off the rank every year is…

Seventh consecutive monthly gain, Beach Energy smashed, ANZ takes $817m profit hit The ASX200 (ASX:XJO) finished Friday on a weaker note, down 0.8% and 0.5% for the week, however was able to deliver a seventh consecutive monthly gain, finishing 3.5% higher for the month of April. The news of the day was the capitulation in Beach Energy’s (ASX:BPT) share…

Mixed day but higher finish, new highs for stalwarts, Woolworths disappoints The ASX200 (ASX:XJO) managed another small gain, adding 0.3%, powered ahead by the technology sector; Afterpay (ASX”APT) and Zip Co (ASX:Z1P) adding 3.5% and 2.5% respectively. With half the sectors down, it was the consumer businesses that were the biggest detractors, Woolworths (ASX:WOW) falling 3.9% after delivering lackluster third quarter sales figures….

Markets rally on weak inflation data, Link deal pulled, JB Hi-Fi CEO stepping down  The ASX200 (ASX:XJO) managed to deliver another 0.4% gain with the materials sector the only detractor falling 1.0%. The fall came despite the iron ore price hitting a record of US$193, marking a long recovery from the US$50 lows of 2015. JB HiFi (ASX:JBH) was among…

It’s quarterly earnings season for a small handful of ASX-listed companies, but some might say the most important in the index. While most companies listed on the ASX report half-yearly with a June year-end, the second month after the financial period, being July and February tends to the busiest each year. However, a small group…

Lesson #1. Gold does well in crises, acting like portfolio insurance Every investor wants an asset that offers downside protection, or insurance of a sort. And preferably one that is not suspiciously complicated or synthetic. Perhaps the major lesson from the coronavirus is that gold can provide this type of insurance, as the yellow metal…

ASX stagnates at 7,000, Tabcorp receives another bid, Bingo deal approved  The ASX200 (ASX:XJO) remains stubbornly anchored to the 7,000 point level, falling 0.2% on Tuesday as most sectors were once again hit by the threat of increasing inflation. The materials sector was the biggest positive contributor, with the likes of BHP Group (ASX:BHP), Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO), and Fortescue Metals (ASX:FMG) all adding 1%…

Similar to the Australian Investor’s Association in Australia, the AAII or American Association of Individual Investors, is a significant source of information for self-directed investors of all types. Running a series of events and with a huge following the association is well positioned to measure the pulse of the industry. According to their latest Asset…