Shareswatch Australia

It’s now been a year since I last reviewed the Shareswatch Random Stocks Portfolio during which time the S&P/ASX 200 has slid  from around 4700 points to where it is today at around 4200 points.  Again it will be interesting to see how the portfolio has fared against the ASX 200 Index and if there are any surprises in terms of how the stocks have performed.

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.

This week was quite a ride for stock market investors with the ASX All Ords and ASX 200 both trading at one stage under 4000 points.  However as the week progressed the markets started to claw their way back up and things are not quite as worrying as they were a few days ago.  What investors will be trying to work out now is if the stock market rout is over, or is it just having a rest before it once again sends stocks falling?

It has been quite some time since I have looked at the Shareswatch Random portfolio of Australian stocks simply because the Australian stock market has been basically going nowhere for a year or more. So it will be interesting now to see how this collection of S&P/ASX stocks has been tracking to determine if it is tracking the performance of the ASX 200 Index.

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.

Well today the stock market correction that I mentioned was coming in February has certainly hit and the ASX All Ordinaries Index has fallen below the 5000 level yet again.  Is this latest share market correction something Australian stock market investors should worry about, or is it simply an over-reaction to global events which will have little long term impact on stocks and shares?

Stock markets around the world have had a very volatile run over the last few weeks with everything from debt levels in Europe to housing statistics in the U.S.  giving scaring investors. But during times of market volatility it is important to try and spot the longer term market trends and not get carried away by sensational headlines or daily market swings.

Back in October 2009 the Shareswatch Random Portfolio had racked up over 25% in unrealised capital gains in just 12 months. But May 2010 was not a good one for the stock market so how is this random selection of stocks holding up after the correction?

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.

One year ago I put together a fictional portfolio of stocks by simply using a random number generator and a list of shares that makes up the S&P/ASX 200 Index. Now 12 months later it is time to look at how these stocks have performed and see if they can tell us anything about the overall state of the Australian stock market.

Back in June the Shareswatch Random Portfolio was down by just over 4% but as I wrote in the update for that month, I felt confident it would be in positive territory within 2009. Thanks to the sustained rally this financial year the portfolio is now well into positive territory and I doubt it will be in the red again for many years, if ever.

Hover over the stock price change to see the stock price graph or click on the name of the stock or index to see more detailed information on the Yahoo Finance website.

The world’s major stock markets have all enjoyed fairly strong rallies over the last week or so and in Australian the ASX All Ordinaries has run up around 30% since March. But there is a sense of unease amongst investors because there are still plenty of economic indicators that suggest the global economy still faces challenges.  That is because we have entered what I call the Economic Twilight Zone!

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.