The S&P/ASX 200 suffered its worst week since 2020, finishing Friday 2.3% lower and losing 2.9% over the last five days. On Friday, every single sector on the market was lower, in fact just 12 companies in the top 200 managed a positive return, Boral Ltd (ASX: BLD) being one of them, gaining 2.1%. Whilst the threat of higher interest rates…
 The S&P/ASX200 (ASX: XJO) managed a small gain, finishing 0.1 per cent higher despite 7 out of the eleven sectors finishing underwater today. The highlight of the session was the materials sector, which gained 3.1 per cent behind a massive surge in gold miners. The biggest detractor was the communications sector with the likes of Seek (ASX: SEK) and TPG Telecom (ASX: TPG) falling by more than…
Leading investment consultancy bFinance this week released its Insurer Investment Survey, which seeks to understand the investment intentions of the holders of about US$5 trillion ($6.9 trillion) in global capital. With insurance statutory funds among the most powerful investors in the world, the survey provided unique insights into their intentions and strategy. Running a profitable…
On Wednesday, Dixon Advisory & Superannuation Services, the division of ASX-listed E&P Financial Group (ASX:EP1) that was focused on delivering financial advice to high-net-worth clients for several decades, filed for voluntary administration. This marks the beginning of the end for what initially appeared to be an Australian success story. According to the ASX announcement, administrators…
It shouldn’t take one of the most successful self-made hedge fund billionaires to remind us, but the warning may well be timely. In Howard Marks’ latest missive, titled ‘Selling Out’, the author highlights the biggest mistake or ‘cardinal sin’ of investing. That being to ‘sell out’ of otherwise quality assets on little more than a…
The S&P/ASX200 couldn’t overcome another negative lead from the US, with bond rates and reporting season driving the market again. Only two of the markets 11 sectors posted a positive result, with technology continuing its selloff falling 2.6% and the healthcare sector, down 1.6% also underperforming. Once again, energy remains the highlight as oil moved towards multi-year highs with the likes of Origin (ASX: ORG) benefitting…
The S&P/ASX200 finished 0.1% lower as consumer confidence dropped over 7% to the lowest point since the vaccination announcement in November 2020. The market remains mixed with cyclical sectors including energy and materials, up 0.2 and 0.6% respectively, whilst the more defensive healthcare sector underperformed, falling 1.2%. All eyes were on the retail sector, however, with JB HiFi (ASX: JBH) jumping 6.9% and overcoming…
Energy, retailers push market higher, good news for AdBri, Wesfarmers trading update The S&P/ASX200 managed to start the week on a relatively strong footing with corporates awakening from their slumber to deliver some first half updates. The energy and retailing sectors were the highlights on Monday, gaining 1.4 and 2.2% respectively. The biggest influence on the market was Wesfarmers (ASX: WES)…
The simplest trade may well have been the most profitable since the pandemic began. Backing big tech, the FANGs, or even the S&P500 in which they are more dominant than ever, has been a sure-fire way to deliver the strongest returns in decades to investors in balanced portfolios. But just how important have they been,…
The US sharemarket has compounded returns exceeding 18 per cent per year since the depths of the Global Financial Crisis. Despite the all-too-consistent prognostications in nearly every year since, that the market has become over-valued, investors have clearly been rewarded for taking risk. Has this performance been driven solely by central bank policy, as many…
