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In this regular quarterly analysis, we assess the key economic events of the March quarter and seek to identify key opportunities or drivers for the years ahead. Australia Government bond rates were the story of the quarter, with the Australian 10-year yield, an important input into property and other asset valuations, reaching a multi-year high…

May is shaping up to be one of the most important months for dividend-focused Australian investors, with bank reporting season beginning on May 3, with Westpac’s interim result. The unexpected strength of the sector was brought to light this week after two of the three main ratings agencies upgraded their views on the sector, on…

Nasdaq rally, NZ travel bubble, merger activity sends market higher The ASX200 (ASX:XJO) followed a strong US lead on Tuesday, adding 0.8% with the industrials and IT sectors the key drivers. The risk-on mood boosted Afterpay Ltd (ASX:APT) by 10% and competitor Zip Co (ASX:Z1P) by 9.1% after what has been a difficult few months for the BNPL companies. By far the…

ASX sinks to first loss in a month, retailers powering ahead, materials weaker The ASX200 (ASX:XJO) finished the week on a negative note, falling 0.6%, delivering the first weekly loss in over a month, down 0.9%. It seems the number of divergent outcomes for 2021 is increasing by the day, with talk of an inflation spike, countered…

Records fell last week with both the Dow Jones and S&P 500 reaching all-time highs amid a furious rotation into ‘value’ stocks. The record week came on the back of the successful passing of the US Government’s US$1.9 trillion stimulus bill supporting all range of beneficiaries from airlines to state governments and individuals in the…

GDP smashes expectations, ASX rises, economic activity expands  The ASX200 (ASX:XJO) continued its winning ways gaining 0.8% on Wednesday following the release of Australian economic growth results this morning. GDP growth for the December quarter smashed all expectations hitting 3.1% and making Australia one of the fastest growing developed nations in the world. Economists and other experts…

ASX to open higher, strong US lead, Commonwealth Bank (ASXLCBA) hit with ASIC investigation The ASX200 (ASX:XJO) finished 1.7% higher to start the week, rebounding quickly from Friday’s so-called ‘bloodbath’. Once again, market volatility was met with reassuring language from central banks and positive news around the vaccine rollout. The Reserve Bank of Australia confirmed that they would be…

It was an unfortunate end to earnings season if you were a technology or fast-growing company in Australia. A spike in bond rates, which could be considered both an expected and unexpected event by investors depending on your position, sending global markets into a tailspin; for a day at least. On the face of it,…

“Am I worried about asset prices rising too quickly? At the moment, I don’t see anything that’s unsustainable”. That was RBA Governor Philip Lowe earlier this month, responding to a Parliamentary Committee’s intense questioning. The questions came after the RBA decided to double the QE (quantitative easing) program that just 18 months ago it suggested…

ASX rallies on the back of QE pump priming, healthcare falls, Tabcorp (ASX:TAH) confirms bid The ASX200 (ASX:XJO) continued its strong start to the week, finishing 1.5% higher after news that the Reserve Bank of Australia would be keeping rates on hold. Every sector barring healthcare finished higher, with IT once again leading the way with low rates used…