September 2017
September 2017 Worley Parsons' FY17 profit result confirmed a stabilisation in revenues, improved cash flows – including the collection of outstanding payments from various sovereign clients – and solid EBIT margins. This confirmed Worley has been successful in adjusting its cost base in the face of a downturn in its core hydrocarbons market. The outlook…
September 2017
September 2017 “Turn off the light!” Who remembers this from their childhood? Such recollections are now haunting the boardrooms of Australia’s corporates as our energy-rich nation adds soaring power bills as another plank to its uncompetitive international cost position. Australia’s rising cost of living has been a concern to Ralton for some time. In the last…
September 2017
The S&P/ASX 300 Accumulation Index made a small gain in August, finishing 0.75% higher for the month. Strength in Energy and Consumer Staples added value to the benchmark, with Telecommunications the key negative sector. Reporting season Reporting season was the key driver for many of our portfolio holdings in August. Listed companies report their financial…
September 2017
September 2017 There is no question financial advisers are increasingly turning to separately managed accounts (SMAs) as an investment vehicle of choice. As a specialist SMA provider, Ralton has been in the game for nearly a decade and we can attest to the current surge in demand. A report from NAB and Investment Trends last…
September 2017
September 2017 Shares in retail real estate investment trust (REIT), Vicinity Centres (ASX:VCX), rallied in July, supported by an upward revaluation of its property portfolio and the announcement of a share buy-back. Taking these in turn, the revaluations are part of the typical balance date assessment for REITs, with Vicinty Centres revaluing 34 of its core 74 directly owned…
August 2017
IMAP WEBINAR 12.30pm Wednesday 13 September 2017 Join Roger Walling, Portfolio Manager at Ralton, as he discusses the fundamental differences between the way an SMA should be designed and managed compared to a managed fund and what dealer researchers and financial advisers should be looking for when choosing SMAs. By using a product designed and…
August 2017
August 2017 Recent dry weather conditions in the United States have weighed on global agricultural stocks, providing us with an opportunity to add a small position in agricultural specialist Nufarm Ltd (ASX:NUF) as the share price weakened. Seasonal variances are part and parcel of investing in the agricultural sector, however our focus with Nufarm relates…
August 2017
August 2017 Shares in gaming machine manufacturer, Ainsworth Game Technology, continued their rally during July, reflecting investors' conviction the turnaround is gaining traction. Industry feedback continues to suggest Ainsworth's latest game offerings are gaining share in the key US market. In Australia, Ainsworth's market share has likely bottomed and if the increase in current research…
August 2017
August 2017 When investing your money in a public company, you are trusting company management to do the right thing by you. So, assessing a company’s governance should be and is a critical component of our investment decision process. What do we mean by governance? Governance is an evolving concept, but today it would include:…
August 2017
It was a flat month for the S&P/ASX 300 Accumulation returning 0.01% in July, as most companies were in blackout in the lead-up to reporting season in August. Strength in Materials and Financials added value, while Health Care and Utilities detracted from the benchmark. Ralton's Australian Shares and High Yield Australian Shares portfolios both outperformed…