6 Travel Stocks on the Go
Wotif.com introduced many of us to the convenience and cost benefits of online travel arrangements back in 2000, with the company going public in 2006. Online Travel Agencies have multiplied in recent years, with US based Expedia.com and Priceline.com increasing competition in Australia. Wotif.com (WTF) shareholders welcomed the news that the ACCC (Australian Competition and…
How banks allegedly rigged the US$5.3 trillion foreign exchange market
By Carol Osler, Brandeis University Suppose you’re in the supermarket shopping for groceries. While you’re strolling the aisle with your cart, a shadowy figure looms over your shoulder and changes the prices on the items you want to buy before you get a chance to pick them up. As you reach for some vine tomatoes,…
6 ASX Stocks leveraged to US economy
On the morning of 23 October, global growth bellwether stock, Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT), not only exceeded earnings expectations, but also raised its forward outlook for 2015. US markets took off, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) rising over 250 points within hours, and closing the day up 216. Throughout the recent volatility there has been…
The 10 Biggest Energy Company Bankruptcies
Running a multi-billion dollar energy company isn’t easy. Just ask the executives in the corner suites of some of the energy companies that have gone bust over the years. Some, like Enron, were brought down because of insider malfeasance. A few, like ATP, blamed damaging government policies, while others went off the rails due to…
Losing ourselves to technology
Millie’s vision became blurred and then she lost consciousness. Stressed and overworked, she took two weeks off, booked herself into a retreat, and slowly regained a sense of what she thought she’d lost. She’d been nothing more than an information processor for ten years. Canadian philosopher Marshall McLuhan realised 30 years before the emergence of…
The Banks: Time to Buy, Sell, or Stay Away?
In the last few months bank stocks have joined resources in dragging down the ASX. All four big banks plus the two major regionals have stumbled some 7% over the past month. Claims that the Big Four banks are overvalued has been repeatedly voiced since late 2012. During this time bad news stories have abounded…
There’s more to personality than a test score
By Luke Smillie, University of Melbourne Have you ever completed a personality test and felt dissatisfied with your scores? Maybe you’ve quibbled with the low score you received on extroversion – a personality trait reflecting outgoing and gregarious behaviour. Well, fine, you’re not a party animal, but when you are out with your friends you…
How to spot a winning IPO, we backtest some stocks
Retail investors looking to cash in on the burgeoning Australian IPO market are constantly warned of the dangers of jumping on board without reading the Investment Prospectus of a company they are considering. Professional analysts have the time and are paid to wade through a weighty prospectus as part of their jobs. Consequently far too…
What is and isn’t a ‘sovereign risk’
By Margaret McKenzie, Deakin University The use of the term “sovereign risk” by Trade Minister Andrew Robb to describe the federal budget stalling in the senate shows just how fast and loosely the term has come to be used. But to whom is the risk? Who would bear the cost of the downside? What caused…
Social media and the loss of ideals
Sum yourself up in a couple of words. Users of social media do it to introduce themselves online. “Surfer, father, writer, film director.” “Yogi, vego, humanitarian.” “Banker, golfer, traveller.” You’re unlikely to see someone list their personal ideals, the goals to which they strive, or the principles that govern their behaviour – “Integrity, Love of…
