Today’s Headlines

• ASX 200 up 11 to 6119 rally fades again.
• High 6145 Low 6115.
• Banks mixed as resources and energy lead the way.
• AMP strike One.
• TLS slips on US sanctions against XTE.
• Bond proxy infrastructure weakens.
• AUD lower at 74.57c
• Bitcoin firmer at US$9308
• US futures up 44
• Asian markets better with Japan up 0.40% and China CSI 300 up 0.10%

STOCK STUFF

Movers and Shakers

• AMP -2.94% AGM woes and trading update. Strike one. Directors out.
• WPL +5.10% oil price winner.
• QAN -2.37% oil price loser.
• JHG +2.61% positive FUM.
• PDL +6.41% record profit result.
• LNK -8.35% Budget changes
• LYC -4.59% Malaysian elections.
• CLQ +3.21% positive media article.
• GXL -6.94% a dog. Broker downgrades.
• JMS -5.41% CEO illness.
• CWY +0.29% court approves the scheme of arrangement.
• AAC -3.86% rallies sours.
• WTC +3.93% broker upgrade.
• BLA +18.33% short covering.
• BBN +10.71% positive broker upgrade.
• MQG +0.99% keeps on trucking.
• TWE -2.39% broker upgrade looks a bridge too far.
• Speculative stock of the day: Mitula Group (MUA) +64.44% after a takeover approach from Japanese LIFULL worth 85c a share. Board has grasped the deal with both hands.  Cash and share deal.
• Biggest risers –PDL, SXY, WPL, OSH and BKL.
• Biggest fallers –LNK, GXL, JMS, GSC, BGA and LYC.

TODAY

• AMP (AMP) –2.94% Has been served with two class actions, one in the Supreme Court and NSW and one in the Federal Court of Australia for shareholders who bought in between 10/5/2012-15/4/2018 and 6/5/2013-13/4/2018 respectively over Royal Commission matters. The company also provided a 1Q trading update. AWM assets under management down 2% QoQ due to weaker investment markets, AWM net cash outflow unchanged YoY due to super non-concessional cash contribution changes in 2017. AMP Capital total loan book up 2% to $19.8m QoQ. Further customer remediation costs expected following the Royal Commission findings.
• Telstra (TLS) –2.46% has appointed experienced US telecom executive Roy H. Chestnutt to the board as a non-executive director. Roy used to be an executive director at Verizon Communications and will contribute a perspective on US and global markets and international best practice.
• Xero (XRO) –3.37% FY18 results. NLAT improved 60% YoY to -NZ$27.9m, the company posted it’s first positive EBITDA of NZ$26m vs -NZ$28.6m pcp and first positive cash flows of NZ$41.2m vs -NZ$4.4m in FY17. Operating revenue was up 37% to NZ$406.6m and net subscribers grew by 351,000 in FY 18 to 1.386m total. Management has flagged that cash outflow for FY19 is to be reduced from FY18.
• Downer EDI (DOW) –0.71% At its investor day reaffirmed FY18 guidance for underlying NPATA of $295m.
• Carnarvon Petroleum (CVN) an oil and gas junior is seeking to raise up to $16m. The company’s shares went into a trading halt on Thursday morning as its broker, Euroz Securities started seeking support for an equity raising.
• Lynas (LYC) – 4.59%The company announced an option exercise of 3.8m shares at 50c bringing the company nearly $2m in cash. Malaysian election results add to some uncertainty.
• Pendal(PDL) +6.41% The artist formerly known as BT Investment-  Group cash NPAT up 30% to a record of $114.5m. Management fee revenue up 18% to $247.9m led by a 14.1% increase in FUM.
• JanusHenderson (JHG) +2.61% 1Q results. Strong investment performance across all time periods, with 79%, 68% and 84% of assets under management (“AUM”) outperforming benchmarks on a 1, 3 and 5 year basis, respectively, as at 31 March 2018; net outflows of US$2.7bn compared to US$2.9bn in the fourth quarter 2017; AUM increased to US$371.9bn, supported by positive market performance and favourable foreign exchange moves; achieved US$96m of run rate net cost synergies, exceeding target, ahead of schedule; quarterly dividend increased 13% to US$0.36 per share.
• Iluka (ILU) +1.91% Class Action Update. An update on proceeding related to alleged breaches of Iluka’s continuous disclosure obligations and misleading and deceptive conduct in relation to disclosures between April to July 2012. On 9 May 2018 Iluka was informed that the shareholder class action has received funding from the applicant’s third-party litigation funder, Harbour Fund II LP. Iluka denies liability in respect of the allegations and will defend the proceedings.
• Boral (BLD) +2.31% Has reached an agreement to sell its US Concrete & Quarries business for US$127m which represents an 8-9x multiple of the assets (EBITDA of the last 12 months). Boral expects to realise a pre-tax profit of US$45m to be reported in FY18.
• Cleanaway (CWY) +0.29% The Federal Court has approved the acquisition of Toxfree Solutions (TOX).

ECONOMIC NEWS

• Citigroup has pushed out the timing of its forecast for the Reserve Bank of Australia’s first rate rise this cycle to the first-quarter of 2019 from the fourth-quarter of 2018.
• ASIC takes $30m budget hit.
• RBNZ keeps rates on hold at 1.75% but is aiming for 2.0% by 1Q 2020 as economic growth remains robust and global growth supports NZ exports.

BOND MARKET UPDATE

 

ASIAN MARKETS NEWS

• Malaysian elections in focus as Mahathir wins shock election and demands to form a government. He is the 92-year old comeback kid with big plans for the country.
• Japan’s current account surplus widened by 4.7% YoY to JPY 3.12 trillion last month. This beat expectation of 3.00 trillion and continues the rapid uptrend in current account surplus since it bottomed at the start of this year. Exports grew 3.7% YoY and imports decreased 0.9% YoY.
• China’s CPI eased from +2.1% the previous month to the latest reading of +1.8% for April, below forecasts of 1.9% YoY. PPI also come in below forecasts, +3.4% vs +3.5% expected, however, showed a strong increase in last month’s +3.1%.

• Economic growth remained on a solid footing in the Philippines during the first quarter, with gross domestic product rising 6.8% from last year.
• Fitch has issued a warning over the increasing integration of Hong Kong’s banking environment with China’s financial system.

EUROPE AND US MORNING HEADLINES

• The Royal Bank of Scotland has agreed a $4.9bn settlement with the US Department of Justice that clears the way for the British government to sell more shares in the bank.
• House prices have been falling at their fastest rate since February 2009 in London, amid expectations that the rest of the UK housing market will hold steady in the next year, an industry survey has found. 69% of respondents to its UK Residential Market Survey reported that houses with a price tag of more than £1m were being sold for less than hoped.

• Chelsea draw with Huddersfield and will miss Champions League next year.

And finally……………

There is a new ETF coming called WANK

Wisetech (WTC) Afterpay (APT) Nextdc (NXT) and Kogan (KGN)

THE ANSWERS ARE AT THE BOTTOM.

1. A murderer is condemned to death. He has to choose between three rooms. The first is full of raging fires. The second is full of assassins with loaded guns. The third is full of lions that haven’t eaten in 3 years. Which room is safest for him?

2. A woman shoots her husband. Then she holds him under water for over 5 minutes. Finally, she hangs him. But five minutes later they both go out together and enjoy a wonderful dinner together. How can this be?

3. What is black when you buy it, red when you use it, and grey when you throw it away?

4. Can you name three consecutive days without using the words Wednesday, Friday, or Sunday?

5. This is an unusual paragraph. I’m curious as to just how quickly you can find out what is so unusual about it. It looks so ordinary and plain that you would think nothing was wrong with it. In fact, nothing is wrong with it! It is highly unusual though. Study it and think about it, but you still may not find anything odd…. But if you work at it a bit, you might find out. Try to do so without any coaching!

THE ANSWERS TO ALL FIVE THE RIDDLES ARE BELOW….

Answers:

1. The third room. Lions that haven’t eaten in three years are dead. That one was easy, right?

2. The woman was a photographer. She shot a picture of her husband, developed it, and hung it up to dry (shot; held under water; and hung).

3. Charcoal, as it is used in barbecuing.

4. Of course you can name three consecutive days, yesterday, today, and tomorrow!

5. The letter e, which is the most common letter used in the English language, does not appear even once in the paragraph.

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Clarence

XXX