bonds

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…

ASX on the cusp of five months of gains, Seek (ASX:SEK) sold off on split, energy sector boom The ASX200 (ASX:XJO) rallied 0.9% on Tuesday, overcoming a weak start with the energy and oil sector powering the market higher. Woodside Petroleum (ASX:WPL) and Origin Energy (ASX:ORG) added 5.7% and 3.6% respectively after the oil price gained 4% overnight on signs…

PIMCO Australia last night (February 22) warned advisers nationally that its name had been used in bond scams which ASIC uncovered in January. They are “raising millions of dollars”, ASIC said. The scam, targeting Australian investors, involves an offer of unrealistically high returns on the supposed investment in bonds, which the big manager says are…

ASX down 0.5%, reporting season peaks, Coles (ASX:COL), Woolworths (ASX:WOW) sold off The ASX200 (ASX:XJO) fell 0.5% on what was one of the busiest days of reporting season, with 20 companies releasing either half-year or quarterly updates. The consumer staples sector was the biggest detractor, falling 3.5% on fears that recent trends will slow, with the property sector…

ASX hits 11-month high, BHP (ASX:BHP) delivers record dividend, Ansell (ASX:ANN) riding the COVID wave  The ASX200 (ASX:XJO) reached an 11-month high and is now nearing 7,000 points once again, with the energy and materials sectors powering the recovery. Zip Co. (ASX:Z1P) continued its stellar 2021 run, adding 10.0% and taking the year-to-date gain to 160%. The company…

Strongest week since November, News Corp (NWS) shows the evolution of media, more record highs The ASX200 (ASX:XJO) finished the week the same way it started, moving 1.1% higher, with a broad-based recovery sending the index to its highest level in 11 months. Mining services provider Worley (ASX:WOR) was the main laggard, falling 8.1% after flagging a significant fall…

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…

ASX flat as value rotation continues, Premier (ASX:PMV) hits record  The ASX200 (ASX:XJO) eked out a 0.1% gain for the day, with the ‘value’ rotation in full swing. The strengthening oil price combined with a weaker USD sent the sector 4.2% higher, Origin Energy (ASX:ORG) and OilSearch Ltd (ASX:OSH) were the key beneficiaries, up 3.0% and 6.0% respectively. ORG has been further…

By now, people know what impact investing is and according to RIAA, impact assets under management in Australia have grown to about $19B at the start of 2020; up 250% in the past 24 months. Those are decent numbers, but there’s every indication we’ve barely scratched the surface of impact investing’s potential. The growth is…

There is a US$550 billion ($764 billion) market that is rarely considered by Australian investors. Convertible bonds (CBs) are barely used locally, while in the US and Europe these are a key component of a growing company’s capital and pension fund portfolios. To appreciate this market, we must consider why CBs make sense for an…