At the start of last year I did not update my Australian stock market trends simply because I thought the market was basically going nowhere. This year however I feel it is worth looking at some interesting sectors again in an attempt to pick out some areas where investors might be able to find bargains and position themselves for the next bull market.
Entries Categorised as 'technology'
The economy, the Chinese property market & Jim Chanos.
December 16th, 2011 · 27 Comments
As we approach the end of another year we should not be surprised by the economic turmoil in Europe, the ailing U.S. economy or the rumblings of a major slowdown in the Chinese property market. The signs that all was not well with the global economy have been raised on this humble site going back more than a year. Simply put, borrowing vast sums of money and splashing it around did not fix the global economic imbalances highlighted by the market meltdown in 2008.
It’s the stupid Australian economy, stupid.
August 24th, 2011 · 19 Comments
Over the last few months media commentary regarding the Australian economy has turned decidedly gloomy. The wonders of the mining boom are now being questioned, the U.S. and European economies matter again and people are starting to wake up to the reality that an economic strategy that basically relies on China dragging Australia along for the ride might not be that clever.
Debating the Optimistic versus Pessimistic Views of China
January 18th, 2011 · 4 Comments
First a few personal facts. My involvement with China goes back to the early sixties as a diplomat in Hongkong where I was learning Mandarin. For a while I served as China desk officer in Canberra’s foreign affairs ministry. Then during Cultural Revolution days I finally got to China, by organizing an Australian pingpong team (over Canberra’s opposition).
ASX All Ordinaries drifts sideways, the NBN and political turmoil
November 25th, 2010 · 4 Comments
Over the last few months it has become increasingly difficult to write about the Australian stock market simply because not much has been happening. During the last 12 months the market has basically moved sideways with just the occasional dip or rally to break up the boredom.
43 ways to spend the National Broadband Network’s $43 billion
November 2nd, 2010 · 14 Comments
I have been a vocal critic of the National Broadband Network for a long time and was talking about what a mess it would be way before the mainstream media woke up. So to further illustrate my point I have put together a list of areas or ways where I believe the taxpayers $43 billion could be better spent and deliver better outcomes for the Australian people.
The great Australian election hangover.
September 16th, 2010 · 36 Comments
Well after a few weeks of uncertainty following the federal election in Australia, the Australian Labor Party (ALP) has managed to pull together a ragged alliance and hold onto power. Some people say that a minority government will be a refreshing change and can work well, but I believe that the coalition that Julia Gillard has put together will result in few tough decisions being made and could end up damaging the Australian economy.
A federal election, selfish voters and the media circus.
August 17th, 2010 · 32 Comments
Thankfully one of the least productive uses of resources on a national scale, a federal election, will soon be over. As usual the government of the day amazingly comes up with a whole range of great ideas that it failed to come up with during the previous 3 years and the crowd trying to gain power, attempt to convince us that they could do better.
The two speed economy, debt and the fantasyland federal budget.
May 17th, 2010 · 39 Comments
Now that the major stock markets around the world are falling the Australian media have become obsessed with the concept of a “two speed economy”. I am not sure who first started using this term, maybe it was the gurus at the Treasury or the Reserve Bank, but in my view there is no such thing as a two speed economy. The situation we have now is that the economy has simply been mismanaged.
The tax review, health reform and Rudd fatigue.
May 7th, 2010 · 74 Comments
Well the Government’s response to the Henry Tax Review has been released and even Ruddites like David Koch from Kev07′s public relations program “Sunrise”, seem annoyed by the way the report is basically being shelved. Suddenly the business media has woken up to the fact that Rudd and Swan are economic dills, but as reader’s of this blog will be aware I have been warning about what these two would do to the economy for years.
The Japanese economy: trying to get a balanced view.
March 1st, 2010 · 12 Comments
Toyota’s current recall woes have generated a range of articles about the Japanese economy as journalists rush to get some Japan flavoured content served up to their masters. But often these articles simply rehash the same tired cliches about Japan and it’s economy and don’t provide people outside Japan with a balanced view of what is really happening.
Pink batts, a revived Federal Opposition and an election year.
February 17th, 2010 · 21 Comments
I have not focused on the Australian political landscape for a few months but the recent tragic deaths of 4 people installing home insulation as part of the Rudd Governments spend-a-thon, has reminded me of the dangers of a government obsessed with poll numbers and popularity.
ASX stocks, the Baltic Dry Index & the Copenhagen Circus.
December 17th, 2009 · 5 Comments
Both the ASX All Ordinaries and S&P/ASX 200 have been basically moving sideways now since September and although the market may seem to be drifting, it is actually reflecting fairly accurately the state of the Australian economy. For despite what some finance journalists seem to believe, the Australian economy will not be able to surge ahead simply because the Chinese are stimulating their domestic economy.
The madness of King Malcolm and the Emissions Trading Scheme.
November 27th, 2009 · 16 Comments
From the moment the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) concept was floated I had an uneasy feeling about it and unlike a lot of recent anti-ETS converts, I have voiced my opposition to this legislation for many, many months. Simply put, I don’t see the logic in trying to help the planet with a tax.
Stockwatch: Servcorp Ltd (SRV)
September 29th, 2009 · 8 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.
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