(Ed note: First published December 2017): At the start of December we asked 13 contributing Fund Managers for their ‘number one call for 2018’, for our new Livewire ‘Christmas Cracker’ series which you may have seen in recent weeks. In case you missed any of them, we have wrapped them up in a box for you to provide stock ideas, and big picture insights, for the year ahead. Read on to find out why the bull market may just be getting going, why next year could be volatile, and to access nine stock ideas from our experts, including the small-cap Charlie Aitken expects to double. 

Stock ideas 

Next year will be electric

Romano Sala Tenna , Katana Asset Management 

The move to Electric vehicles reached tipping point in 2017, with most of the major manufacturers setting dates for target EV production levels. This has far reaching implications for all parts of the supply-chain, not least niche commodity, cobalt, a critical part of the EV battery. Here Romano looks at two small-cap cobalt plays that could benefit. 

Tipping Westfield before the deal

Jason Teh , Vertium Asset Management 

Two weeks before the Westfield deal, Jason Teh at Vertium highlighted Westfield as a value opportunity that had been unfairly depressed by the Amazon narrative: “The market forgot it took five decades to create one of Australia’s largest property portfolios. To trade at such a discount, the market was implying the development book was free and the balance sheet was under stress”. 

A small company with all the attributes of stellar growth

Graeme Carson, Cyan IM 

Despite already gaining 55% since listing 12 months ago, and paying a dividend, this company looks to still be in the early stages of its growth lifecycle phase. Here Graeme outlines four reasons the future looks stellar for this stock. 

Two high conviction names best placed for 2018

Andrew Tang, Morgans 

Andrew’s monthly ‘ten stocks’ report is consistently popular. In this exclusive for Christmas Crackers he has drilled down to two specific High Conviction names best positioned for strong growth in 2018.

Playing the data storage thematic

Dawn Kanelleas, First Sentier Investors  

More data has been created in past 2 years than in the entire previous history of the human race. It all needs to be stored somewhere… Here Dawn gives three reasons why she likes Australia’s largest national independent operator of carrier-neutral, energy efficient data centres. 

A micro-cap biotech we like for 2018

Simon Shields, Monash Investors Limited  

An advantage of having access to pre-IPO deals, other than the spectacular returns it can generate, is the ability to do a really deep dive into the company. In this wire, Simon Shields discusses a biotech that he got comfortable with at this pre-IPO stage, and is now listed and with revenues potentially a few years off. 

This lithium stock could double again

Charlie Aitken: Aitken Investment Management 

Also looking to the powerful tailwinds from EV dynamic, Charlie Aitken expects lithium to double every five years. In this wire he provides an overview of an ASX lithium developer that has partnered with a NYSE-listed global major. The share price has been climbing aggressively, but it seems there is plenty more to come.  

BIG PICTURE

Follow the money

Nick Griffin, Munro Partners 

Following a tax cut in the US, the potential cash windfall for corporates is significant. Nick argues it makes sense to ‘follow the money’ to find where additional capital will be allocated, and invest in the likely corporate beneficiaries, three of which he outlines here. 

Keep your head when others are losing theirs

Steve Johnson, Forager Funds 

Not since the 2000 tech bubble has Steve Johnson seen so many people talking about and speculating in something they know absolutely nothing about: Bitcoin. But it is becoming increasingly prevalent in the stock market too. Here Steve cites an emerging market darling that makes no sense to him and could simply be an indicator that the market has lost its head. 

A hot theme for 2018

Harley Grosser, Founder of Capital H Management 

Wealth management and accounting have been converging for a while, but Harley Grosser argues that now is a good time to be looking for the winners from this industry trend, and outlines the four criteria that help identify who these winners could be. 

2018: when the porridge turns cold?

Vimal Gor, BT Investment Management 

In this exclusive, Vimal Gor, Head of Income & Fixed Interest a BT argues that its has been China, not Trump, that has been behind 2017 being a Goldilocks year for risk assets. So as China pivots its growth policy, is next year the year the porridge goes cold?  

Is this bull market just getting started?

Daryl Wilson, Affluence Funds Management 

Bull markets die for a number of reasons, but ‘old-age’ is not one of them. In this cracker, Daryl Wilson questions whether this bull market is almost done, and proves some reasons why it could be just getting started.    

Get ready for volatility in 2018

Chris Manuell, Jamieson Coote Bonds           

Volatility has been eerily absent from the market again this year, despite any number of reasons it should be picking up. JCB argue here that next year could be when it reappears, as the central banks withdraw liquidity, just as the credit market peaks. Buckle up. 

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