Monday 10th August – Australian Market Report | Beeks Downunder-Because not all financial news is boring!

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The ASX 200 rampages higher by 105 points to 6110 (1.8%) as optimism grows on CV and US stimulus hopes. The Dow futures are up 111 points. Almost green everywhere on the screen. Banks were firm together with other financials as CBA result beckons. The Big Bank Basket ran to $126.93 with MQG up 1.4% and MFG up 2.8%. CBA rose 3.4% and WBC up 3.3%. Big miners back in the green although RIO still suffering from fall out over Heritage sites and copper falls. BHP up 1.4% and FMG up 2.0% although gold miners were less enthusiastic on bullion falls in whatever currency. NCM up 0.5% and NST were doing ok but not great, up 1.5%. Energy stocks were also slightly muted, WPL down 0.3% and STO up 1.4%. Industrials though in demand, TCL up 2.5%, WES up 2.1%, WOW rose 2.8% and TLS in demand ahead of figures up 0.6%. Healthcare too was a strong sector led by CSL up 1.9% and SHL up 2.3%. Tech stocks were feeling a tad left out as APT rose 2.6% and the All Tech Index rose 1.3% with XRO up 0.4%. Incorporate news, KGN rose yet another 9.8% after a business update, TAH denies stories that it was set to raise money with its results and fell 1.4%, and ADH up 11.3% after its own business update. Nothing on the economic front, the 10-year bond yield up slightly to 0.86% helping banks. The AUD steady at lower levels of 71.62c. Asian market better with China up 0.4% on PPI numbers and Japan closed for yet another public holiday.

Today’s Highlights

ASX 200 up 105 to 6010.
High 6125 Low 6008. Above average volume.
Big Bank Basket rallies hard to $126.93
All Tech Index up 1.27%
60 trading days until the US election.
Dow Futures up 111.
Gold steady at $2,833.
10-year bond yields rise to 0.85%.
AUD steady at 71.62c.
Bitcoin soars to $12020.
Asian markets mixed with HK down 0.1% and China up 0.4%. Tokyo closed again for yet another holiday.

STOCKS

GPT +0.52% more pain ahead.
REA +1.09% cut to neutral by JP Morgan.
APT +2.60% Lone Pine sells stake.
OML -4.29% cuts digital ad rates.
CSL +1.94% Macquarie says donor visits down 25% on average levels.
AMP -1.41% Catherine Brenner gets all clear.
MSB +10.68% important dates looming.
KGN +9.84% business update.
CCP +6.68% change of director’s interest.
LOV +13.06% media speculation on results.
EOS -2.57% appendix 2A and selling as XTE raise money.
BGL -4.27% gold stocks under pressure.
NCK -4.36% profit taking.
AIA -1.20% AGM and nominations.
SVL -1.82% gold and silver fall.
OML -4.29% cuts billboard rates.
TNT +23.40% rerating on security concerns.
AT1 +16.18% TGA Approval for CV19 antibody test.
3DP +25.00% magic continues.
ADH +11.31% solid business update.
ASM +12.97% successful production of Ti metal from pilot plant.
Speculative Stock of the Day: Emerald Clinics (EMD) +39.53% has signed a real-world evidence contract with Canopy Growth a UK behemoth in medicinal cannabis.
Biggest Rises: LOV, MSB, KGN, CCP, NWS, PPH, NEA and SM1.
Biggest Falls: NCK, BGL, AGG, AQG, CLW, ELO, RBL and AEF.

TODAY

Tabcorp (TAH) -1.41% Confirms the Board has not made any decision to undertake a capital raising.
Aurizon (AZJ) +2.20% Full-year underlying NPAT up 12% to $531m vs consensus $536.8m. Revenue up 5% to $3.07bn vs consensus $3.01bn. Underlying EBIT up 10% to $909m vs consensus $894.1m. Final dividend up 10% to 13.7c/share (70% franked). Announces a new 12 month buy-back for up to $300m. In FY21, expects underlying EBIT$830-880m vs consensus $908.5m.
Adairs (ADH) +11.31% Full-year NPAT up 19% to $35.3m vs consensus $33.9m. Revenue up 12.9% to $388.9m vs consensus $388.3m. Underlying EBIT $60.7m vs consensus $51.1m. Final dividend 11.0cps vs year-ago 11cps. For the first 5 weeks of FY21 sales have remained well ahead of the prior year. Online sales were +103.2%, Mocka +46.8%, while like-for-like store sales were +15.8%. Based on the previous store closure period and experience to date, ADH expects to see a significant increase in online sales in the Greater Melbourne area, reducing the impact of store closures in the area.
Newcrest Mining (NCM) +0.47% says that operations have not been impacted by a COVID-19 case at Lihir. Confirms that it is managing a COVID-19 case in its isolation and treatment facility at Lihir Island.
The GPT Group (GPT) +0.52% First half funds from operations (FFO) $244.5m vs year-ago $295.9m. Statutory NPAT -$519.1m vs year-ago $352.6m. H1 distribution of 9.3 cps representing 99.6% of free cashflow, -29.1% vs year ago.
Kogan.com (KGN) +9.84% July gross sales up 110% vs year ago. Gross profit grew more than 160% vs year ago. Adjusted EBITDA was more than $10m. Active customers 2.3m at the end of July, up 126K in the month.
Spark Infrastructure Group (SKI) +3.59% Receives approvals from both AEMO and TransGrid for full commercial operations at Bomen Solar Farm.
Sigma Healthcare (SIG) +2.26% Sells two distribution centres to LOGOS for $172m. As part of the sale and leaseback agreement, SIG has entered into a 15-year lease agreement with two five-year options to extend, with first year lease cost around $8m. Proceeds from the sale will reduce net debt to below $100m.
Qantas (QAN) +3.31% Completes non-underwritten SPP raising $71.7m. Participation rate of ~5%. The SPP was initially described as being for up to $500m.
CIMIC Group (CIM) +0.22% CIM’s UGL secures $200m in maintenance contracts in the mining sector.

ECONOMIC NEWS

Early super withdrawals have now hit $30bn.

COVID-19 NEWS

Coronavirus infections among U.S. children grew 40% in the last half of July.
Vietnam confirmed two more novel coronavirus infection deaths.
The U.K. may not bring back its official daily Covid-19 death count following a review into how the figure is arrived at.
Brazil reported 23,010 new cases on Sunday, the day after passing 3 million confirmed cases and 100,000 deaths.
Greece reported 203 new coronavirus cases Sunday, the biggest one-day number since the beginning of the pandemic
The U.K. reported more than 1,000 new infections for the first time since June 26, bringing the total to 310,825.
Bill Gates has criticised US testing procedures as to slow and lacking fair access. “Very wealthy people have access to these quick-turnaround tests,” he said.

BONDS

ASIAN NEWS

Tencent now renamed as Ninecent after heavy falls Friday and today as US looks to rein in the WeChat business in the US.

The Chinese consumer price index rose 2.7% last month from a year earlier, following a 2.5% gain in June, the National Bureau of Statistics said Monday. The median forecast was for a 2.6% increase.
The Chinese producer price index registered a 2.4% decline on year, compared to a projected 2.5% decrease and the 3% drop in June

Core inflation, which removes the more volatile food and energy prices, was 0.5% year-on-year, compared with 0.9% in June. That’s the weakest reading since 2010.
Pork prices, a key element in the country’s CPI basket, rose 85.7% on year, 10.3% on month.
A Hong Kong media tycoon arrested.
China’s military are already getting a inoculation, CanSino, against CV19.

EUROPEAN NEWS