Markets

In the US, corporate earnings season is in full swing, and it couldn’t come at a worse time. Investors are fleeing away from risk and to safety putting the market in a bearish unforgiving mood. Companies that have missed expectations have been absolutely smashed. According to FactSet, 70 per cent of S&P500 companies that have…

After months of central banks kicking the can down the road, inflation is beginning to entrench itself. Businesses are reporting rising input prices. Households are being hit with bigger bills. And markets continue to swing wildly. Here are five ASX shares to protect your portfolio from inflation. Supermarkets don’t exactly scream sexy, exciting, or invest…

Stockbroker and wealth manager Morgans has released its “best ideas” paper, which outlines the broker’s best ideas offering the highest risk-adjusted returns over a 12-month timeframe supported by a higher-than-average level of confidence. They are also the broker’s most preferred sector exposures. Here are six of its best picks: Wesfarmers (ASX:WES) – Large-cap idea –…

One of the more interesting and powerful implications of the pandemic, relating to investment markets at least, is the velocity at which every new piece of news or data is priced-into markets. We only need to look back at the events of March and April 2020 to be reminded that we experienced both the fastest…

The first quarter of 2022 was likely the most difficult period in most financial professional’s career. With the majority of investors and asset allocators having only seen market corrections recover quickly, the events of February 2022 resulted in the worst period for both bond markets and the traditional ‘balanced’ portfolio in history. Outside of Ukraine,…

With slowly moving into the distance, a myriad of negative pressures have created an inflationary outlook shaped by historically high levels of Government stimulus spending, rising interest rates and supply chain disruptions. The ongoing war in Ukraine has only exacerbated existing headwinds. The rapid onset of inflation has caught many advisers off-guard. It means that…

Elon Musk Tweeted this morning that his company, Tesla, may have to start mining due to the skyrocketing lithium prices it is paying in order to produce lithium batteries. Electric vehicle (EV) giant Tesla may look to mine its own supply after the lithium price rose from US$17,000 per tonne in 2021 to more than…

While markets have so far shrugged off the inevitable rate rises, there’s plenty more to come – and the global outlook keeps getting gloomier. The Federal Reserve’s decision to unleash massive monetary stimulus in the early days of Covid-19 (and in nearly every economic crisis before it) ushered in a brief golden age for markets….

The Sage of Omaha, Warren Buffett, recently highlighted a growing issue within financial markets in his annual letter to shareholders, the idea of earnings versus profit. He drew attention to the fact that Berkshire Hathaway relies on ‘old-fashioned’ profits, not modern measures of ‘earnings’ that can be easily manipulated by boards and accountants. Earnings, profits…

With the world stepping-up its efforts to decarbonise sooner rather than later, parts of the economy have been pushed into rapid transformation to become sustainable. The knock-on effect of Covid-19 and the Ukraine crisis has brought about supply chain disruptions and skyrocketing demand in the metals primarily used in electric vehicle batteries. And for those…

Hong Kong stocks are on a tear, rising some 7 per cent in the past week at the time of writing, boosted by the tech sector. It’s all to do with the US regulators wanting to delist Chinese stocks. China’s Securities Regulatory Commission is considering allowing US officials to inspect documents on firms that don’t…

It could be a smart move to consider ASX blue chip shares during this period of intense volatility since the start of the year. Blue chips are typically ones that have strong positions in the market and can offer more reliability in times of economic difficulties. I’d only want to go for opportunities that are showing…