The ASX 200 (ASX: XJO) is set to edge lower when the market opens on Monday according to the latest SPI futures. Here’s what ASX investors need to know as we head into a new week.
ASX gains on travel boost, tech sell-off continues
The S&P/ASX 200 finished the week strongly, adding 0.8% on Friday, which was enough to deliver the second straight week of gains.
Stimulus was at the top of the agenda during the week, with a combination of comments by the Reserve Bank of Australia and the Federal Government setting the direction of markets.
Early in the week, loose monetary policy and QE3 was all but confirmed as the central bank keeps a laser-like focus on wage growth rather than other economic measures.
Similarly, the $1.2 billion subsidised flight scheme sent the consumer discretionary sector 4.1% higher on hopes of a tourism recovery.
Corporate Travel Management Ltd (ASX: CTD) was the biggest beneficiary, jumping 14.0% for the week with hopes a pickup in flight bookings will feed into business and leisure spending once again.
Australia’s leading BNPL players were caught up in the tech sell off, even as bond rates flattened, with Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P) dropping 10.2% on valuation concerns.
Despite the fall, the smaller companies sector, both in Australia and overseas, continues to deliver, offering greater levels of diversification compared to highly concentrated indices.
ASX 200 rebalances, US markets finish higher
With the end of the month approaching, the inevitable index rebalancing was released on Friday, offering an interesting insight into the evolution of the ASX.
Among those added to the ASX 200 were data analytical firm Nuix Ltd (ASX: NXL), lithium producer Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) and platform provider Hub24 Ltd (ASX: HUB), with the more old-fashioned Service Stream Ltd (ASX: SSM) and Smartgroup Corporation Ltd (ASX: SIQ) making room.
Gold miner Silver Lake Resources Limited (ASX: SLR) was among the leaders over the week, adding 11.3% after offsetting a falling gold price with stronger production.
Dividend darling Southern Cross Media Group Ltd (ASX: SXL) may well be another ‘yield trap’, with the company losing its agreement with Nine Entertainment Co Holdings Ltd (ASX: NEC) to the WIN Network from 1 July. Southern across shares fell 10.4% on the news.
Over in the US, the risk on, value- focused rally finished the week on a high note, the Dow Jones adding 0.9% taking the weekly gain to 4.1%. The unique share price weighted index, rather than size weighted, is seen as a better measure of more cyclical, economically exposed companies compared to the tech heavy Nasdaq and S&P 500.
Both indices finished higher for the week, the Nasdaq up 3.1% and the S&P 500 2.6% despite what has become an increasingly volatile environment.
DocuSign Inc (NASDAQ: DOCU) was the latest company to be hit, with the share price down 6.6% on Friday despite the secure document delivery service reporting a 57% increase in quarterly revenue and a 59% increase in ongoing subscription revenue.
Meanwhile, the Chinese regulator ramped up its pressure on the country’s tech billionaires, announcing 12 significant fines against the likes of Tencent, Baidu, Didi, Soft Bank and Alibaba as they attempt to reel in growing market power.
My 3 key investor takeaways from the week
Is inflation real?
The threat of inflation has been making headlines in recent weeks, with a particular focus on the impacts on bond rates and equity market valuations.
Yet there are two clear camps emerging. On the one hand, there are those certain that inflation is set to spike due to a decade of money printing and stimulus; and those suggesting the same deflationary forces pre the pandemic, such as the ageing population, technology and casualisation, will keep prices down.
US inflation offered little insight, with both headline and core inflation, which excludes volatility inputs like energy and food, well below the targeted 2 to 3% this week.
Reshaping the energy sector
The energy transition stepped up another gear with the early closure of Victoria’s Yallourn coal-fired power station set for 2028. The station delivers some 20% of our state’s power and hence will have a significant impact on prices in the coming years.
The question is how to replace it, with fossil fuel projects unable to obtain finance and many renewable suffering a difficult period during the pandemic impacting on their investment returns.
Looking beyond fundamentals
Finally, with reports that Australia has 1.25 million active share traders, it is a word of caution: there are no simple rules to winning in the share market.
Research, planning and risk management are all equally important.