Shareswatch Australia

The interest rate cut yesterday by the Reserve Bank of Australia suggests that finally the RBA understands that the Chinese economy will not keep expanding at a rapid rate while its major trading partners are struggling. But even if the Chinese economy slows more than most economists expect this is unlikely to send the global economy back into a GFC-like slump.

Over the last few weeks the tragic events in Japan and the political unrest in the Middle East have shown just how fragile the Australian stock market is. Investors appear ready to move quickly out of shares and shift funds to less riskier assets when they sense trouble. This suggests to me, that people don’t quite believe that the Australian economy is as robust as many market commentators would have us believe.

Welcome to the Shareswatch Australia – one of Australia’s premier stock market and investment blogs plus a free source of independent stock market investing views and analysis.

Quite clearly the debate regarding the Resources Super Profits Tax (RSPT) in Australia and abroad has not died down. Despite what the Government would like people to believe, it is not just the foreign mining companies that are opposed to this new tax, but also small Australian mining companies, business owners and the public in general.

Over the last few weeks I have found it difficult to write much about the Australian economy or stock market simply because events have pretty much unfolded as I guessed they would some months ago. Despite the hype from the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) and some sections of the business media the fact is that the Australian stock market is still trading around 30% below the highs of 2007.

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.

The one sure thing about a bear market is that it provides fertile ground for the rise of investment myths and for people talking up certain assets classes by feeding on the fear of investors. But before you leap into some new investment it is probably a good idea to be aware of some of the common shares related investment traps, tricks and myths that exist.

Since the beginning of May the Australian stock market has basically moved sideways and at present there is no clear trend in place.  Eventually a trend will emerge so the question is:  will the Australian share market rally or move down over the next six months or so.

After enduring over a year of falling stock prices we are finally seeing some tentative signs that the stock market is coming back to life. The lows of March 2009 now seem almost a distant memory and as the world’s markets continue to rally more bullish commentators come out of the closet and a few bearish ones crawl into one. But does the current stock market rally have legs?

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.

One question that investors need to consider amongst all this market turmoil is; has the dream run of the Australian stock market come to end? Perhaps for example the days of the Australian market (ASX) outperforming the Dow Jones Index are over and we need to be prepared for less glamorous returns? We might even have to put aside our patriotic feelings and look offshore for better returns in the future?

Here are some easy to understand investment tips that may help you put together an investment strategy. These tips or guidelines are by no means the only factors you should consider when making investment decisions, but they may help you avoid costly mistakes.