Goldman sees value as ASX faces worst month since 2012

Original article by
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 22 : 21-Aug-15

Goldman Sachs equity strategist Matthew Ross believes Australian stocks are now cheap by historical standards. The banks are particularly attractive as they are now trading on a forward price-earnings (PE) ratio of 12.5 times, compared with the industrial PE of 17.5 times earnings. Technical analysis of the Australian stock market suggests that the S&P/ASX 200 index can rise as much as 28 per cent from its current level.

CORPORATES
GOLDMAN SACHS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX

ASX bounces back as buyers return to banks

Original article by Vanessa Desloires
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 30 : 11-Aug-15

The Australian sharemarket closed higher on 10 August 2015. The S&P/ASX 200 index climbed 0.6 per cent to 5,509.2 points, while the All Ordinaries gained 0.6 per cent to 5,504.9. The big four banks regained some of their recent losses, with shares in the ANZ Bank rising 1.5 per cent to $A30.60 and Commonwealth Bank closing up one per cent at $A82.14.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX ALL ORDINARIES INDEX, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, CITI AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, IG MARKETS LIMITED, ST GEORGE BANK LIMITED, SHANGHAI COMPOSITE INDEX, JB HI-FI LIMITED – ASX JBH, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP

Large caps shine in under-loved index

Original article by Vanessa Desloires
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 23 : 24-Jul-15

Analysis by Morningstar shows that the Australian sharemarket is currently trading at a price/earnings ratio of 15.5. The market’s earnings yield is 6.5 per cent, while the yield on 10-year bonds is around three per cent. Morningstar believes that the local sharemarket still offers value, and it favours large-capitalisation stocks such as National Australia Bank, BHP Billiton, Veda Group, Santos and Goodman Group.

CORPORATES
MORNINGSTAR PTY LTD, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, VEDA GROUP LIMITED – ASX VED, PLATINUM ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED – ASX PTM, GOODMAN GROUP – ASX GMG, SANTOS LIMITED – ASX STO, AWE LIMITED – ASX AWE, ALUMINA LIMITED – ASX AWC, ATLAS IRON LIMITED – ASX AGO, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, ARRIUM LIMITED – ASX ARI, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, AMP CAPITAL INVESTORS LIMITED, UNITED STATES. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD

Upbeat run-in to reporting season puts 6000 target back on radar

Original article by Rose Powell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 21 : 22-Jul-15

Just 16 Australian-listed companies have issued earnings downgrades in the lead-up to the August 2015 profit-reporting season. Nader Naeimi of AMP says there is potential for the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index to reach the 6,000-point level during the reporting season, although he doubts that it will rise much further. Meanwhile, Credit Suisse has scaled back its end-of-year forecast for the S&P/ASX 200 from 6,500 to 6,000 points.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, CLSA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, METCASH LIMITED – ASX MTS, AFFINITY EDUCATION GROUP LIMITED – ASX AFJ, FLIGHT CENTRE TRAVEL GROUP LIMITED – ASX FLT, SEEK LIMITED – ASX SEK, ARRIUM LIMITED – ASX ARI, UNITED STATES. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD, PRIMARY HEALTH CARE LIMITED – ASX PRY, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, SANTOS LIMITED – ASX STO, QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN

ASX back on track after a scorching quarter

Original article by Vanessa Desloires
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 25 : 7-Jul-15

Australia’s benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index shed 5.5 per cent in June 2015, which Chris Caton of BT Financial Group attributes to the debt crisis in Greece. Meanwhile, Deutsche Bank estimates that the Australian sharemarket is trading at around fair value again, with the price-earnings ratio now at 15.25 times. The market had peaked at 16.5 times earlier in 2015.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, BT FINANCIAL GROUP PTY LTD, DEUTSCHE BANK AG, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, SEEK LIMITED – ASX SEK, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC

All eyes on Greece as markets await result

Original article by Rose Powell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 22 : 6-Jul-15

Australia’s benchmark S&P/ASX200 Index shed 0.14 per cent in the week ended 3 July 2015. The debt crisis in Greece and the country’s referendum referendum are likely to be the key issue for investors when trading resumes on 6 July. Meanwhile, Stephen Walters of JP Morgan expects the Reserve Bank to leave the cash rate unchanged on 7 July, while Rob Rennie of Westpac forecasts that the Australian dollar will fall below $US0.75 in the near-term.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, UBS GLOBAL ASSET MANAGEMENT (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, UNITED STATES. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD

Late rally ends dismal three months for ASX

Original article by Vanessa Desloires
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 28 : 1-Jul-15

The Australian sharemarket posted solid gains on 30 June 2015, with the S&P/ASX 200 adding 36 points to close at 5,459. Newcrest Mining was down 0.8 per cent at $A13.02 and Slater & Gordon was five per cent lower. However, the Commonwealth Bank advanced 0.5 per cent to end the session at $A85.15 and Kathmandu Holdings rose by 25.6 per cent to finish at $A1.57 in response to a takeover bid. The S&P/ASX 200 fell by 4.8 per cent in June and 7.3 per cent during the fourth quarter of 2014-15.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, NEWCREST MINING LIMITED – ASX NCM, SLATER AND GORDON LIMITED – ASX SGH, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, KATHMANDU HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX KMD, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, EVOLUTION MINING LIMITED – ASX EVN, NORTHERN STAR RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX NST, CMC MARKETS PTY LTD, ST GEORGE BANK LIMITED, CAPITAL ECONOMICS LIMITED, BRISCOE GROUP LIMITED, INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX ALL ORDINARIES INDEX, SHANGHAI COMPOSITE INDEX, NIKKEI 225 INDEX

Grexit fears wipe $38b from ASX

Original article by Vesna Poljak, Lisa Murray
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 8 : 30-Jun-15

The Australian dollar and the domestic sharemarket were sold down on 29 June 2015, as Greece’s debt crisis deepened and Chinese shares fell. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 was down 123 points or 2.2 per cent at 5,422.5, while the dollar fell to $US0.7643. Kapstream Capital’s Kumar Palghat says investors can expect more volatility in financial markets, while federal Treasurer Joe Hockey says there will be minimal impact on Australia if Greece leaves the eurozone.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, KAPSTREAM CAPITAL PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, GREECE. OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND, ASIAN INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT BANK, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, PEOPLE’S BANK OF CHINA, SHANGHAI COMPOSITE INDEX, CHINEXT COMPOSITE INDEX, UNITED STATES. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD, PM CAPITAL LIMITED, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, UNITED STATES. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK, AQUASIA PTY LTD

The year that ‘defied the doomsayers’

Original article by Vanessa Desloires
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 23-Jun-15

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 Index has gained 3.7 per cent so far in 2014-15, with one week left of the financial year. The broader All Ordinaries Index has risen by 3.9 per cent, while the total return for stocks in the All Ordinaries Accumulation Index has risen by 8.2 per cent. CommSec’s Craig James says the fiscal year has been "good" but not "great" for investors.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX ALL ORDINARIES INDEX, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX ALL ORDINARIES ACCUMULATION INDEX, COMMONWEALTH SECURITIES LIMITED, UNITED STATES. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD

Tough times present high-quality opportunities, says Clime

Original article by Vanessa Desloires
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 20 : 12-Jun-15

Australia’s benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index rebounded to 5,557 points on 11 June 2015, having fallen below the 5,500-point level earlier in the week. Clime Asset Management’s Clime John Abernethy notes that the local market is now at its level of mid-2014, and says some stocks now offer value. Abernethy favours National Australia Bank, Telstra, Woolworths, Wesfarmers and CSL. He cites factors such as healthy earnings, strong dividends and expectations of a double-digit rate of return for each of these stocks in the next year.

CORPORATES
CLIME ASSET MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, CSL LIMITED – ASX CSL, MASTERS HOME IMPROVEMENT AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, EVIDENTE, MONEY MATTERS FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS PTY LTD