Markets

ASX 200 falls 2.3%, oil price tanking on second wave concerns, utilities profits hit, US posts a positive finish The ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) finished Wednesday 2.3% lower taking the loss to 4.0% for the month; the first negative result since March and down -1.4% for the quarter. The energy sector led the losses, down 4.2%, as a combination…

ASX finishes flat, BOQ loan impairments increase, weak overseas lead market to open lower The ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) ultimately finished flat, after trading as much as 0.8% higher during the session. Industrials and tech companies offered support, adding 0.7% and 2.4% behind Sydney Airport (ASX:SYD) and Afterpay Ltd (ASX:APT). SYD reacted positively to news that the…

Many investors may be wondering whether there is any value left in domestic fixed-income markets. While outright yields may look tight on a historical basis, we contend that spread sectors still provide attractive risk-adjusted returns relative to cash and government bonds. Indeed, there still exist a number of compelling risk/return opportunities for active managers to…

ASX opens weaker, travel rallies on Tasman bubble, strong open ahead The ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) finished 0.2% lower to open the week, increasing the likelihood of the first negative month since March. The real estate of A-REIT sector was among the few positives, with Scentre Group (ASX:SCG) and GPT Group (ASX:GPT) finished over 2% higher…

With the end of the month comes another round of investment manager portfolio updates. This week we move our attention to tech company valuations, with the Nasdaq 100 down close to 7% in the last month. The August updates from Hyperion Asset Management, one of the top-performing global equity strategies over the last 12 months,…

The S&P 500 Index reached a historic high on February 19th of this year, only to break that record less than six months later. On its face this sounds reasonable, however when considering the unprecedented nature of the events that transpired in-between, this is downright shocking. Over this six-month period the S&P 500 realised its…

Loosening the reins, ASX 200 higher, banks rally, US recovers on stimulus hopes The ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) staged a stunning recover, finishing the day 1.5% higher leading to a 1.7% improvement for the week. The financial sector, up 3.7%, contributed over half the recovery on its own, ANZ Banking Group Ltd (ASX:ANZ) and National Australia Bank…

Volatility settles in, ASX falls, Westpac (ASX:WBC) whacked, positive start ahead The market looks to be ending the week on a negative note, the ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) falling 0.8% on Thursday, following a weak global lead. This was well above the lows of the session, at one point hitting -1.7%, with no sector spared. Westpac Banking…

There are probably few things more certain to glaze the eyes of investors than discussing risk-adjusted returns or efficient frontiers, never mind Sharpe ratios and the like. To be transparent, how many within the industry really focus on these statistics when creating a portfolio? As the momentum shifts away from 60/40 portfolios, the traditional volatility…

Strongest day in three months, Service Stream (ASX:SSM) leads on NBN expansion, US sell of continues, ASX to open lower The ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) recovered strongly on Wednesday, bouncing 2.4% higher with just seventeen stocks finishing lower. The industrial sector lead the market higher, 4%, boosted by 4% behind a strong recovery in Transurban Group (ASX:TCL)…

Financials, miners hit as the second wave hits Europe, RBA guidance, strong open ahead The ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) fell to a three month low on Tuesday, down 0.7%. The sustained sell off has been driven by signs of a second wave engulfing Europe and the potential for another round of economic restrictions. Materials (-0.2%) was…

ASX nears three month low, Magellan (ASX:MFG) takes a swing, US markets head lower The selling pressure continued on Monday, the ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) falling another 0.7%, now nearing the low points of June.  The selling was widespread, National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX:NAB) and BHP Group Ltd (ASX:BHP) down 1.4% and 1.2% respectively.  The biggest…