One of the best investments an Australian investor could have made over the last 10 years would have been to buy a large chunk of BHP Billiton (ASX: BHP) stocks. This is simply because BHP shares have outperformed gold, listed or unlisted property and most ASX listed blue chip stocks I can think of. But have BHP shares now rallied too far and what does it’s share price tell us about the demand for commodities?
Entries Categorised as 'Stockwatch'
Stockwatch: Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd (HVN)
November 16th, 2009 · 3 Comments
Harvey Norman is a retailer of household electrical appliances, personal computers and furniture & fittings with stores in Australia, New
Zealand, Slovenia, Ireland, Singapore and Malaysia. The company started with the opening of a single store in 1982 and was listed on the Australian stock exchange in 1987.
Stockwatch: Servcorp Ltd (SRV)
September 29th, 2009 · 7 Comments
As the global economy slowly recovers then perhaps investing in a stock that should benefit from this growth is worth looking at. One such stock is Servcorp, which offers investors exposure to the serviced and virtual office market not only in Australia, but also in number of major cities across the world.
Stockwatch: Australian Worldwide Exploration (AWE)
August 21st, 2009 · 7 Comments
Australian Worldwide Exploration Limited (AWE) is an Australian based oil and gas explorer/producer that over the past few years that has ramped up production and profits. Over the last year however the fall in energy prices has caused a drop in earnings and it’s share price, but if you believe that oil and gas prices will move higher over the next few years then AWE may be a good stock to watch.
Stockwatch: ASX Limited (ASX)
August 2nd, 2009 · 2 Comments
Now that the worst of the stock market rout appears behind us perhaps it is a good time to think about investing in a stock that should rise along with any bull market rally. ASX Limited is one stock that may allow investors to do just that, while at the same time providing income via franked dividends.
Stockwatch: Melbourne IT (MLB)
June 16th, 2009 · 23 Comments
Established back in 1996, Melbourne IT (ASX:MLB) has grown from a company focused on registering Australian domain names to being listed on the ASX in 1999 and is now a provider of a range of web based services. From 2003 the company expanded rapidly via a number of strategic acquisitions and now must not only deal with the global economic downturn, but also face intense competition in a number of it’s key product areas.
Stockwatch: BHP Billition Limited (BHP)
May 31st, 2009 · 6 Comments
BHP Billiton (ASX:BHP) is one of the most widely held stocks in Australia and is often a core holding in many stock portfolios. Over the last few years the stock have reflected the fortunes of the commodities boom and as a result the BHP stock price saw a peak last year of over $45 only to come tumbling down to less than $25 a few months later. But maybe at current prices BHP is once again a stock worth looking at?
For the record: May 2009
May 9th, 2009 · 2 Comments
Well it is time to reflect once again on some of the stock positions I have taken over the last 6 months or so. Although this is often a painful experience, I would suggest to anyone who invests in shares to regularly reflect on how their portfolio is tracking and revisit the reasons why they purchased (or sold) a particular stock. Often we can learn a little about our own investing style if we have a brutal look at our past investments and this may help us make better investment decisions in the future.
Stockwatch: Prime Ag Australia Limited (PAG)
April 26th, 2009 · No Comments
The current economic downturn has taken a lot of the focus off soft commodities, but if you believe that over the long term that prices for wheat, cotton and beef etc. will rise again than investing in quality farmland may be good investment option. One way investors can do this is via a recently listed company: Prime Ag Australia Limited.
Stockwatch: Global Mining Investments (GMI)
March 24th, 2009 · 5 Comments
The problem with picking which mining stock to invest in is that you really need to know something about mining or you need to be getting advice from someone that does. Unfortunately most of the analysts out there covering companies like BHP and RIO do not have any qualifications in disciplines such as mining engineering or geology, and for me that is like having a stock broker tick-off the pre-flight checklist on an aircraft I am just about to fly in. He might be a smart guy, but personally I would prefer someone who knows about aeroplanes up in the cockpit thanks.
Stockwatch: Listed Investment Companies.
January 19th, 2009 · 4 Comments
As many investors would already know, Listed Investment Companies (LIC’s) can be a relatively straight forward way to diversify a shares or investment portfolio. There are many different types of LIC’s trading on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) and these can give an investors exposure to a diversified range of assets.
Stockwatch: QBE Insurance Group Limited (QBE)
January 3rd, 2009 · 1 Comment
QBE Insurance Group (ASX.QBE) is an Australian general insurer that over the long term, has been good to investors. However the stock price has not been immune from the recent stock market rout and the share price was clipped from a 52 week high of over $33 in late 2007 to under $20 in March 2008.
Stockwatch: Amcor Limited (AMC)
December 1st, 2008 · No Comments
There are few major Australian companies that have had their shares subjected to as many sell ratings over the years as Amcor (AMC). Over the last 2 or 3 years when the stock market was booming almost nobody rated AMC as a buy, and more often than not it was marked as a sell. (and seldom a hold) But there just might be some life left in the company yet.
Defensive stocks for tough times.
October 3rd, 2008 · No Comments
In bear markets we often hear a lot about so called defensive stocks, but what exactly are defensive stocks and are the traditional defensive stocks still a good option in this particular bear market?
For the record: July 2008
July 24th, 2008 · No Comments
One thing that really annoys me about many financial journalists and market commentators is they often imply that that they have some unique insight into the market, yet they rarely disclose how they took advantage of their wisdom.
