Handle the market with care: ASIC

Original article by Eli Greenblat
The Australian – Page: 13 & 20 : 7-May-20

The Australian Securities & Investments Commission has expressed concern about a rise in day-trading activity among so-called ‘mum and dad’ investors during the coronavirus lockdown. ASIC notes that even market professionals often find it hard to time the market during volatile trading conditions, and it warns that retail investors risk incurring significant losses at a time when many cannot afford to do so. ASIC also notes that more retail investors are trading in complex investment products such as contracts for difference.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION

Crisis spurs a rush to raise capital

Original article by Ben Wilmot, Glenda Korporaal, Perry Williams
The Australian – Page: 13 & 17 : 28-Apr-20

National Australia Bank, Charter Hall Retail REIT and Monash IVF are among the latest companies to undertake capital raisings. Australian-listed companies have now raised more than $15bn from investors during the coronavirus pandemic, and Simon Ranson of JP Morgan expects this trend to continue. However, some companies have attracted criticism for giving preference to certain investors in the allocation of new shares.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, CHARTER HALL RETAIL REIT – ASX CQR, MONASH IVF GROUP LIMITED – ASX MVF, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Hopes of V-shaped recovery likely to be dashed

Original article by David Rogers
The Australian – Page: 20 : 24-Apr-20

The global sharemarket has recovered about 50 per cent of the losses incurred in the sell-off during February and March. However, a further V-shaped recovery for equities is likely to be dependent on the global economy being restarted quickly. A V-shaped economic recovery is also unlikely, according to economists. Josh Williamson of Citigroup expects Australia’s economic growth to fall by 5.8 per cent in 2019-20, before rebounding by 6.1 per cent in 2020-21. However, he does not expect the economy to return to pre-virus growth levels until late 2021.

CORPORATES
CITIGROUP PTY LTD

Earnings haven’t been revised low enough

Original article by William McInnes
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 31 : 8-Apr-20

Earnings per share forecasts for S&P/ASX 200 companies have been reduced by seven per cent since February, due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Macquarie argues that this downgrade is too small, given that Australia’s GDP growth is expected to contract in 2020; the broker adds that the financial market appears to have priced in a much higher decline. Macquarie notes that forecasts are difficult at present as many listed companies have withdrawn their earnings guidance in response to the pandemic.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG

Bankers ready for GFC-style raising spree

Original article by Anthony Macdonald, Sarah Thompson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 & 20 : 6-Apr-20

Australian companies are looking to equity funding to assist them through the COVID-19 pandemic, and private equity firms are eager to participate in possible transactions. The ASX has temporarily amended its listing rules to allow companies to raise more funds via non-renounceable rights issues and share placements, while coronavirus-impacted companies that are tipped to undertake equity raisings include Virgin Australia, Sydney Airport and Tabcorp.

CORPORATES
ASX LIMITED – ASX ASX, VIRGIN AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX VAH, SYDNEY AIRPORT – ASX SYD, TABCORP HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TAH, WEBJET LIMITED – ASX WEB, FLIGHT CENTRE TRAVEL GROUP LIMITED – ASX FLT, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, CORPORATE TRAVEL MANAGEMENT LIMITED – ASX CTD, BORAL LIMITED – ASX BLD, JAMES HARDIE INDUSTRIES PLC – ASX JHX, KATHMANDU HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX KMD, NEXTDC LIMITED – ASX NXT, COCHLEAR LIMITED – ASX COH

Businesses buffeted in sea of uncertainty

Original article by Eli Greenblat
The Australian – Page: 17 & 20 : 17-Mar-20

A growing number of Australian-listed companies are abandoning their recently-issued earnings guidance in response to the coronavirus. They include Cochlear, which has warned that hearing implants will be a low priority for the healthcare sector in terms of elective surgery when the virus is eventually contained. Challenger Limited, Auckland International Airport and oOh!Media are among the other companies that have withdrawn their earnings guidance. In contrast, The Reject Shop has advised that its sales have risen strongly year-on-year amid panic buying by consumers.

CORPORATES
COCHLEAR LIMITED – ASX COH, CHALLENGER LIMITED – ASX CGF, AUCKLAND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT LIMITED – ASX AIA, OOH!MEDIA LIMITED – ASX OML, THE REJECT SHOP LIMITED – ASX TRS

Bull to bear in three weeks with market down 20pc as Trump leaves the world waiting

Original article by David Rogers
The Australian – Page: 17 & 27 : 12-Mar-20

The Australian sharemarket is now officially in bear market territory, having shed 20 per cent since reaching a record high of 7,162.5 points just three weeks ago. Some $13bn worth of shares changed hands on 11 March, which is the fifth-highest daily total on record. Richard Coppleson of Bell Potter expects market volatility to persist for at least another month or so. Meanwhile, Josh Williamson of Citigroup now expects Australia to record minus 0.25 per cent GDP growth in the March quarter and zero growth in the June quarter.

CORPORATES
BELL POTTER SECURITIES LIMITED, CITIGROUP PTY LTD

World hunkers down for fight against virus

Original article by David Rogers
The Australian – Page: 29 : 6-Mar-20

Investors have responded positively to the announcement of economic stimulus measures in Australia and the US in response to the coronavirus. Wall Street and sharemarkets across the Asia-Pacific region rallied on 5 March, while the yield on 10-year Australian government bonds rose six basis points to 0.78 per cent. Meanwhile, financial markets expect further official interest rate cuts in both Australia and the US in coming months.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, STANDARD AND POOR’S 500 INDEX, SHANGHAI COMPOSITE INDEX, NIKKEI 225 INDEX, HANG SENG INDEX, KOSPI INDEX, TAIEX INDEX

More capital raisings on the cards: Goldman

Original article by Melissa Yeo
The Australian – Page: 27 : 6-Mar-20

Matthew Ross of Goldman Sachs says the coronavirus outbreak is likely to prompt more listed companies to undertake capital raisings in coming months, particularly ones that are close to breaching their debt covenants. Ross notes that the supply chains of many companies will be impacted by the virus, given the high level of dependence on imports from China, especially in the consumer goods sector.

CORPORATES
GOLDMAN SACHS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Investors rush to safe havens as stocks slide, dollar dives in coronavirus rout

Original article by David Rogers
The Australian – Page: 17 & 26 : 28-Feb-20

The Australian sharemarket has fallen by seven per cent since reaching a record high of 7,197.2 points on 20 February, slashing its capitalisation by $150bn. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 reached an intra-day low of 6,630.5 points on 27 February, its lowest level in three months, while the Australian dollar tested an 11-year low. Mikhail Sprogis of Goldman Sachs has forecast that the gold price will top $US1,800 an ounce in the next 12 months, amid a flight to safe-haven investments.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, THE GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP INCORPORATED