COVID-19

Markets have moved sharply to reprice Chinese assets upwards after the world’s second-largest economy signalled its reopening. However, some doubt the sustainability of the current bull market, saying key ingredients for a lasting recovery are missing.

ASX fights back, COVID winners back as lockdowns extended, oil at three-year high The ASX 200 (ASX: XJO) overcame a negative lead to finished broadly flat on Monday. COVID-19 outbreaks in almost every state barring Victoria have sent the market back into the realm of 2020’s top trades. On the one hand, travel and tourism-facing stocks suffered,…

Markets continue to fall, travel stocks hit as Sydney faces lockdown, Costa enters trading halt The ASX 200 (ASX: XJO) finished 0.6% lower on Wednesday despite a strong overseas lead, with news of the extended Sydney travel restrictions impacting travel and consumer stocks. Qantas Airways Limited (ASX: QAN) fell 0.3%, Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd (ASX: FLT) by 3.4%, and Corporate Travel…

COVID-19 has caused the deepest liquidity squeeze since 2006, an unexpected economic shock causing an immediate deterioration in conditions.

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…

ASX200 0.4% higher, quiet day of news, Fortescue (ASX:FMG), Zip Co (ASX:Z1P) among the strongest The ASX200 (ASX:XJO) finished 0.4% higher on very light volume with most participants clearly opting for a long weekend. The consumer and IT sectors continued to outperform behind the likes of Zip Co (ASX:Z1P) and Kogan (ASX:KGN), which finished 2.6% and 3.8% higher respectively. Despite the…

ASX struggles under COVID-19 weight, banks fall, retail sales recover The ASX200 (ASX:XJO) struggled today, falling 1.1%, as concern around the NSW COVID-19 outbreak weighed on sentiment at the same time that volumes fall ahead of the Christmas break. Every sector finished lower apart from healthcare, IT, and real estate, the latter benefitting from better than expected retail sales figures….

Assets in alternative investments are expected to grow by 9.8 per cent a year over the next five years, to hit US$17 trillion (A$23.4 trillion) by 2025, according to the latest research by Preqin, the global alternatives research and data provider. Private equity will double to US$9.1 trillion and Asia will be a “huge driver.”…

The Banking Royal Commission was a watershed moment for the financial advising industry, and almost two years on, has there been change? In one word, yes. Too much change. So much change, that Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) and the Morrison government, along with a long list of industry leaders are all  saying  that…

This year’s Sohn Hearts & Minds Conference, an annual one-day event that brings the finance and investment community together, saw a select group of fund managers share their best stock ideas for the year ahead. The recurring theme without a doubt was COVID-19. But grief and tragedy aside, COVID-19 has forced us to go digital….