News Corp: Approaching an inflection point
News Corp, the global diversified media and digital real estate services company, today reported financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended 30 June 2018. We've pulled out the key highlights here, and share our view of the stock. Show More
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3 defensive stocks for volatile times
Markets have for some time been buoyant on a combination of benign economic conditions, corporate earnings growth and the presumption that Central Banks remain supportive. However, investors should remain alert to the prospect of more hazardous conditions emerging this financial year, and here we outline three stocks that would be... Show More
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The opportunity (and challenge) of online grocery for Coles and Woolworths
The online grocery sector is inherently more complex than other forms of online retail. It is evident that the online grocery sector has not exhibited the same level of frenetic cadence or disruption that other forms of online retail have experienced. Show More
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Two beneficiaries of the $24bn infrastructure pipeline
Public infrastructure spending in Australia has a positive outlook for the medium-long term, with government announcements and global trends indicating that large public infrastructure companies will have a multitude of projects in the pipeline. Two of these beneficiaries are ASX-listed companies Boral (BLD) and Adelaide Brighton Cement (ABC). Show More
There may well be a perennial discount attached to the Murdoch dynasty and its voting structure. Nevertheless, on a broader level there remains appealing elements in family backed companies with net cash balance sheets. Rupert Murdoch has undoubtedly shown extraordinary longevity in his passion for publishing and his tenacity to nurture assets through difficult times. NWS’s stable of assets in its News and Publishing business is testament of the advantages of taking a longer term approach. Too often, the dispersed shareholding model naturally aligns itself to short term performance indicators. The idiosyncratic nature of Murdoch’s jurisdictional preference for a US holding company is well celebrated and admittedly does dilute the value of Australian franking credits. Yet, my sense of having visited News Corp’s Head Office in New York and also its London office is that proximity to vibrant and large competitive markets does bring advantages.