K64 Auxiliary Finance and Insurance Services

Cohn exit triggers shockwaves

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Original article by David Rogers
The Australian – Page: 17 & 27 : 8-Mar-18

Sharemarkets in the Asia-Pacific region fell on 7 March in response to the resignation of President Donald Trump’s chief economic adviser, Gary Cohn, and futures pricing suggests further bearishness on Wall Street. Cohn was an advocate of free trade, and analysts say his resignation will heighten concerns about the potential for a trade war. Reserve Bank of Australia governor Philip Lowe says there could be major ramifications for the global economy if Trump were to broaden his tariff policy beyond steel and aluminium.

CORPORATES
UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, IG MARKETS LIMITED, UNITED STATES. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD, UNITED STATES. DEPT OF COMMERCE, SAXO BANK A/S, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, VISY INDUSTRIES AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE INDEX, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, BLUESCOPE STEEL LIMITED – ASX BSL, NIKKEI 225 INDEX, SHANGHAI COMPOSITE INDEX, HANG SENG INDEX, KOSPI INDEX, LONDON METAL EXCHANGE LIMITED

Higher volatility is going to be a fact of life again

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Original article by Bill Bovingdon, Chris Dickman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 23 : 26-Feb-18

Further volatility can be expected across all asset classes as central banks wind back quantitative easing programs and interest rates rise from historic lows. The European Central Bank has begun to scale back its asset purchasing program, although inflation is not yet sufficiently high for it to begin adjusting monetary policy. Meanwhile, Australia’s cash rate is likely to remain steady amid a continuing low level of inflation. The active management strategy is likely to deliver better returns than passive investing in the current environment,

CORPORATES
EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK, PEOPLE’S BANK OF CHINA, ALTIUS ASSET MANAGEMENT PTY LTD

Bullish Neilson takes stock

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Original article by Cliona O’Dowd
The Australian – Page: 17 & 21 : 23-Feb-18

Platinum Asset Management has posted a 2017-18 interim profit of $A102.2m, which is seven per cent higher than previously, while revenue was up 15 per cent at $A185.9m. Meanwhile, Platinum’s co-founder and chief investment officer Andrew Clifford will succeed CEO Kerr Neilson in mid-2018. Neilson has downplayed his decision to step down, adding that he will still be actively involved in the company. He says retail investors should be cautious about investing in exchange-traded funds. He also suggests that while China’s economic growth is likely to slow, the nation’s economy will remain strong.

CORPORATES
PLATINUM ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED – ASX PTM

Burgeoning ETF industry brings active funds management to the masses

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Original article by David Rogers
The Australian – Page: 27 : 22-Feb-18

Exchange-traded funds are becoming increasingly popular with Australian investors. There has been strong growth in the number of listed active ETFs in particular since 2015, with 16 such funds now listed on the local sharemarket. BetaShares has launched two new active ETFs in a co-branding arrangement with Legg Mason, and BetaShares MD Alex Vynokur says this trend is likely to continue. He adds that institutional investors as well as retail investors are driving the demand for active ETFs.

CORPORATES
BETASHARES CAPITAL LIMITED, BETASHARES LEGG MASON EQUITY INCOME FUND (MANAGED FUND) – ASX EIN, BETASHARES LEGG MASON REAL INCOME FUND (MANAGED FUND) – ASX RIN, LEGG MASON ASSET MANAGEMENT AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AMP CAPITAL INVESTORS LIMITED

Brace for more volatility, warns ASX chief

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Original article by Glenda Korporaal
The Australian – Page: 21 : 16-Feb-18

Stock market operator ASX Limited has posted a 2018-17 interim net profit of $A230.5m, which is 5.1 per cent higher than previously. The half-year was characterised by a low level of market volatility, and ASX CEO Dominic Stevens says the volatility experienced so far in 2018 is likely to persist for 3-4 months. He adds that a certain amount of volatility can boost the earnings of stock exchange and futures market operators like the ASX, although he cautions that too much volatility can affect the IPO market.

CORPORATES
ASX LIMITED – ASX ASX

Share indexes tipped to test recent lows

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Original article by David Rogers
The Australian – Page: 27 : 15-Feb-18

Bank of America Merrill Lynch’s Bull & Bear Indicator suggests that global equities face a further pullback and could fall to around the level seen during the recent sharemarket rout. Meanwhile, BAML’s latest survey of fund managers shows that respondents’ average cash balance has risen by 0.3 per cent to 4.7 per cent, while equity allocation has fallen by 12 per cent and bond allocation has fallen to the lowest level in two decades.

CORPORATES
BANK OF AMERICA NA, MERRILL LYNCH AND COMPANY INCORPORATED, MSCI ALL COUNTRY WORLD INDEX, UNITED STATES. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC

Bargain hunters happy to take the risks

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Original article by David Rogers
The Australian – Page: 30 : 9-Feb-18

Australian investors returned to the sharemarket on 8 February, seeking buying opportunities among stocks that had been heavily sold down in the recent sharemarket rout. Blue-chip stocks in particular attracted buying activity. However, investors should be mindful that financial market volatility can persist for some time, and the pace at which the US Federal Reserve tightens monetary policy will be a key factor in the outlook for equities.

CORPORATES
UNITED STATES. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, CHICAGO BOARD OPTIONS EXCHANGE VOLATILITY INDEX, CREDIT SUISSE AG, STANDARD AND POOR’S 500 INDEX, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, LPL FINANCIAL LLC

Shaky markets signal more share pain on way

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Original article by David Rogers
The Australian – Page: 17 & 27 : 8-Feb-18

Futures pricing suggests that the US sharemarket will experience further volatility, despite a rebound on 7 February. The bearish investor sentiment of recent days has prompted renewed support for "safe-haven" assets, including US government bonds and currencies such as the yen. Meanwhile, the Chicago Board Options Exchange’s Volatility Index briefly rose above 50 per cent on 7 February, compared with just 11.5 per cent a week earlier. However, Jeremy Lawson of Aberdeen Standard Investments does not expect global sharemarket volatility to be sustained.

CORPORATES
CHICAGO BOARD OPTIONS EXCHANGE VOLATILITY INDEX, ABERDEEN STANDARD INVESTMENTS, CREDIT SUISSE AG, BELL ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED – ASX BLM, STANDARD AND POOR’S 500 INDEX, DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE INDEX, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, FTSE 100 INDEX, NIKKEI 225 INDEX, SHANGHAI COMPOSITE INDEX, HANG SENG INDEX

$30bn shares wipeout prompts fears bull run at an end

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Original article by David Rogers
The Australian – Page: 1 : 6-Feb-18

Richard Coppleson of Bell Potter says the global equities market sell-off will create excellent buying opportunities when it has run its course. Futures pricing suggests that Wall Street will shed a further 0.6 per cent when trading resumes, after the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 2.5 per cent on 2 February. The Australian bourse is likely to follow its lead, after shedding 1.6 per cent on 5 February.

CORPORATES
BELL POTTER SECURITIES LIMITED, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE INDEX, CSI 300 INDEX, BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATION, MERRILL LYNCH AND COMPANY INCORPORATED, STANDARD AND POOR’S 500 INDEX, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, TARGET AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, PENGANA CAPITAL GROUP LIMITED – ASX PCG, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

Investors follow Future Fund to lift share exposure

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Original article by James Kirby
The Australian – Page: 32 : 2-Feb-18

A report from Investment Trends shows that in early 2017 the average investor expected a return of just 1-5 per cent from Australian equities for the calendar year, but the ASX achieved a full-year return of 11.8 per cent. Investment Trends’ King Loong Choi says the firm’s annual survey shows that the proportion of investors whose main goal is to maximise capital growth has risen from 18 per cent to 25 per cent in 2018. Choi adds that retail investors who increase their exposure to equities in 2018 may choose to do so via investment vehicles such as exchange-traded funds rather than directly buying shares.

CORPORATES
INVESTMENT TRENDS PTY LTD, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. FUTURE FUND MANAGEMENT AGENCY