Daily Market Reports | Feb 20 2020
This story features CLEANAWAY WASTE MANAGEMENT LIMITED, and other companies. For more info SHARE ANALYSIS: CWY
World Overnight | |||
SPI Overnight (Mar) | 7103.00 | + 15.00 | 0.25% |
S&P ASX 200 | 7144.60 | + 30.90 | 0.43% |
S&P500 | 3386.15 | + 15.86 | 0.47% |
Nasdaq Comp | 9817.18 | + 84.44 | 0.87% |
DJIA | 29348.03 | + 115.84 | 0.40% |
S&P500 VIX | 14.38 | – 0.45 | – 3.03% |
US 10-year yield | 1.57 | + 0.01 | 0.90% |
USD Index | 99.62 | + 0.16 | 0.16% |
FTSE100 | 7457.02 | + 75.01 | 1.02% |
DAX30 | 13789.00 | + 107.81 | 0.79% |
By Greg Peel
Tis the season to be jolly
Up until yesterday, about a third of the way through this result season by number of stocks, FNArena’s Corporate Result Monitor was showing a ratio of 31% beats to 24% misses which is about the long-run average. If yesterday’s slew of result-related share price moves is anything to go by, that ratio should swing firmly more positive.
The virus is clearly having an impact, more specifically in forward guidance rather than past earnings, but companies with little or no exposure are surging ahead. Yesterday the ASX200 hit a new all-time closing high – a point ahead of the prior high in late January. The closing high was also the intra-day high.
In terms of index component winners, earnings reporters took four of the top five spots on a board yesterday that required a substantial move to even qualify. Cleanaway Waste Management ((CWY)) rose 16.7%, Webjet ((WEB)) 10.8%, Domino’s Pizza ((DMP)) 9.6% (noting that stock is heavily shorted) and Seven Group Holdings 9.0%.
Cochlear ((COH)) took the silver with 11.0%, despite a disappointing result the day before, because a competitor has been forced to recall its device.
Unable to make the top five were Vocus Group ((VOC)) with 8.4% and, much further down, Wesfarmers ((WES)) with 2.9%.
It is important to note the 30 point gain on the day for the index was net of Commonwealth Bank ((CBA)) going ex-dividend, which was worth a -13 point handicap from the open.
It wasn’t all beer and skittles nonetheless.
Train wreck of the day was software company WiseTech Global ((WTC)), which missed on earnings but more significantly downgraded guidance due to virus impact, copping a -27.3% trashing. EML Payments ((EML)) appeared to fall short of very lofty expectations and dropped -13.5%.
Other disappointers were Tabcorp ((TAH)), down -5.7% and Vicinity Centres ((VCX)) down -5.6%.
In terms of sector moves, it was all about the above. Healthcare won the day with 2.9% (Cochlear), followed by consumer discretionary on 1.8% (Webjet, Domino’s), industrials on 1.3% (Cleanaway, Seven Group) and telcos on 1.0% (Vocus).
Given a -0.7% fall for the banks was all about CBA going ex, the only losing sectors were staples, down -0.2% as Wesfarmers sold down more of its Coles ((COL)) stake, and IT, down -3.1% (WiseTech).
Was it just a lucky day in reporting season terms? As noted, the season is only a third through so it’s not yet time to count the chickens. But maybe the doom and gloom that took us into Christmas from a national economy perspective was overwrought. Mind you, it will be the next season in which the true impact of bushfires, floods and the virus, along with the ongoing drought, will be tallied.
Correction Ahead?
Beijing has announced the pace of new virus cases is slowing. WHO has urged caution.
It’s not the first time Beijing has made such a declaration. A couple of weeks ago the story was the same until case numbers spiked substantially the following day on a change in counting methodology.
Beijing has also announced assistance for Chinese businesses struggling from supply chain disruptions.
In the minutes of its last meeting, released last night, the Fed expressed concern over the potential impact of the virus, along with tensions in the Middle East. Wall Street took this to imply another rate cut is a distinct possibility, if necessary.
That said, last night’s data showed the US headline producer price index up 0.5% in January to mark its biggest rise in 15 months. Economists had forecast 0.2%. This took the annual rate to 2.1% from 1.3% in December, albeit still well below the 3.4% of 18 months ago.
The more relevant core PPI rose 0.4%, which is significant given the big plunge in oil prices in the month, however the annual rate remains stuck at 1.5%.
So these numbers shouldn’t give the Fed pause for thought.
All of the above had Wall Street spinning around last night from the previous night’s session, in which Apple’s virus warning set off a scare, and returning to new all-time highs for the S&P and Nasdaq, with the Dow just shy.
This despite Goldman Sachs issuing a report last night suggesting:
“We believe the greater risk is that the impact of the coronavirus on earnings may well be underestimated in current stock prices. While a sustained bear market does not look likely, a near-term correction is looking much more probable.”
So the virus remains the swing factor, and there’s not enough to go on one way or the other at this time.
Commodities
Spot Metals,Minerals & Energy Futures | |||
Gold (oz) | 1608.90 | + 7.30 | 0.46% |
Silver (oz) | 18.33 | + 0.15 | 0.83% |
Copper (lb) | 2.58 | – 0.01 | – 0.51% |
Aluminium (lb) | 0.78 | – 0.00 | – 0.06% |
Lead (lb) | 0.87 | – 0.01 | – 0.60% |
Nickel (lb) | 5.75 | – 0.06 | – 1.08% |
Zinc (lb) | 0.96 | – 0.01 | – 0.55% |
West Texas Crude | 53.36 | + 1.25 | 2.40% |
Brent Crude | 59.17 | + 1.42 | 2.46% |
Iron Ore (t) futures | 89.15 | 0.00 | 0.00% |
Beijing’s slowing-pace declaration did nothing to inspire base metals.
The gold price is not reflecting any easing in fears.
The White House last night placed sanctions on Russian oil giant Rosneft, accusing it of aiding Venezuela’s already heavily sanctioned government. Supply implications pushed up oil prices.
The Aussie is slightly lower at US$0.6676 as the greenback marches relentlessly north.
Today
The SPI Overnight closed up 15 points or 0.3%.
The RBA will be on the edge of its seat this morning as the local jobs numbers for January are released.
It’s another big day for the earnings season.
Aristocrat Leisure ((ALL)) holds its AGM.
For a full list of earnings results due today please refer to the FNArena Corporate Results Monitor (https://www.fnarena.com/index.php/reporting_season/).
The Australian share market over the past thirty days…
BROKER RECOMMENDATION CHANGES PAST THREE TRADING DAYS | |||
ALU | ALTIUM | Downgrade to Lighten from Hold | Ord Minnett |
ANN | ANSELL | Downgrade to Neutral from Buy | Citi |
Downgrade to Lighten from Hold | Ord Minnett | ||
BPT | BEACH ENERGY | Upgrade to Outperform from Neutral | Credit Suisse |
Upgrade to Add from Hold | Morgans | ||
BXB | BRAMBLES | Downgrade to Underperform from Neutral | Credit Suisse |
CL1 | CLASS | Upgrade to Add from Hold | Morgans |
COH | COCHLEAR | Upgrade to Outperform from Underperform | Macquarie |
Upgrade to Overweight from Equal-weight | Morgan Stanley | ||
CSL | CSL | Downgrade to Equal-weight from Overweight | Morgan Stanley |
CTD | CORPORATE TRAVEL | Downgrade to Hold from Add | Morgans |
GWA | GWA GROUP | Downgrade to Neutral from Outperform | Macquarie |
IGO | IGO | Upgrade to Hold from Lighten | Ord Minnett |
NWL | NETWEALTH GROUP | Upgrade to Neutral from Underperform | Credit Suisse |
Upgrade to Buy from Hold | Ord Minnett | ||
OZL | OZ MINERALS | Downgrade to Hold from Add | Morgans |
PPE | PEOPLE INFRASTRUCTURE | Downgrade to Hold from Add | Morgans |
Downgrade to Accumulate from Buy | Ord Minnett | ||
QBE | QBE INSURANCE | Upgrade to Add from Hold | Morgans |
RMD | RESMED | Downgrade to Equal-weight from Overweight | Morgan Stanley |
RRL | REGIS RESOURCES | Downgrade to Lighten from Hold | Ord Minnett |
SGF | SG FLEET | Upgrade to Outperform from Neutral | Macquarie |
SGM | SIMS METAL MANAGEMENT | Upgrade to Neutral from Sell | UBS |
SM1 | SYNLAIT MILK | Upgrade to Buy from Neutral | UBS |
WOR | WORLEY LTD | Downgrade to Neutral from Outperform | Credit Suisse |
WSA | WESTERN AREAS | Upgrade to Buy from Hold | Ord Minnett |
For more detail go to FNArena's Australian Broker Call Report, which is updated each morning, Mon-Fri.
All overnight and intraday prices, average prices, currency conversions and charts for stock indices, currencies, commodities, bonds, VIX and more available on the FNArena website. Click here. (Subscribers can access prices on the website.)
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CHARTS
For more info SHARE ANALYSIS: ALL - ARISTOCRAT LEISURE LIMITED
For more info SHARE ANALYSIS: CBA - COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA
For more info SHARE ANALYSIS: COH - COCHLEAR LIMITED
For more info SHARE ANALYSIS: COL - COLES GROUP LIMITED
For more info SHARE ANALYSIS: CWY - CLEANAWAY WASTE MANAGEMENT LIMITED
For more info SHARE ANALYSIS: DMP - DOMINO'S PIZZA ENTERPRISES LIMITED
For more info SHARE ANALYSIS: EML - EML PAYMENTS LIMITED
For more info SHARE ANALYSIS: TAH - TABCORP HOLDINGS LIMITED
For more info SHARE ANALYSIS: VCX - VICINITY CENTRES
For more info SHARE ANALYSIS: WEB - WEBJET LIMITED
For more info SHARE ANALYSIS: WES - WESFARMERS LIMITED
For more info SHARE ANALYSIS: WTC - WISETECH GLOBAL LIMITED