Shareswatch Australia

An extended stock market market downturn such as the one we are experiencing now provides long term investors with an opportunity to gauge how well companies have been able to deal with harsh economic conditions.  So today let’s have a look at four consumer spending related Australian listed companies and see how they have fared over the last five years.

In the midst this stock market turmoil there may be some battered down stocks which present the opportunity for investors to buy shares in quality companies at bargain prices. Three Australian companies that might fall into that category are Qantas Airways, Telstra Corporation and Onesteel Limited.

Fosters Group Limited (ASX:FGL) is a blue-chip ASX-listed Australian beverage company with a wide range of brands covering beer, wine, spirits and ciders.  Over the last few years the company has faced a number of challenges and is now in the process of trying to improve it’s underlying business and deliver better value for shareholders.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.