Education

Below are all our articles under the above category.

custodian trades

Custodian trades: Here’s why it wasn’t really JP Morgan, HSBC or CBA that risked their money on your stock

Custodian trades are trades that make it appear like a major bank has bought or sold your company, but it…

confession season

It is Confession Season: Here is why investors need to be particularly alert in FY23

It is Confession Season in the Australian share market. Companies will commonly provide guidance towards their annual results and it…

signs to buy a stock

Pay attention to these 5 signs to buy a stock

What are the most important signs to buy a stock? In this article, we recap what we think are the 5…

should you buy qantas shares?

Should you buy Qantas shares? Here are 5 reasons why the company thinks you should

Should you buy Qantas shares? On one hand, there’s the common mantra that investors should never buy airlines, not to mention…

cooking the books

Cooking the Books: Here are 4 manipulative ways for your stocks to be manipulated

Have you heard of the term cooking the books? Cooking the books is a term used to describe the illegal act…

auditor

What does your company’s auditor do and why is it so likely to be a Big 4 firm?

Each and every ASX company will have auditor. But what do they do? And why is it almost always one…

will crypto recover

Will crypto recover in 2023? And if so, is now the right time for investors to get in?

Will crypto recover? Investors have asked this question for several months. Some have been wanting to get in, but have been…

non-binding MOU

So your company announced a non-binding MOU: Is it a genuine deal or desperate puffery?

When you’re invested in a microcap stock, you might hear it has signed a ‘non-binding MOU’ (short for Memorandum of…

stock market indices

How are stock market indices like the ASX 200 determined?

Stock market indices like the ASX 200 and S&P 500 are used as barometers for the performance and overall health…

currency hedging

Currency hedging: Here’s how it works and why it’s so important to so many companies and investors

You’ll commonly hear the term ‘currency hedging’. It is undertaken by many companies as part of the ordinary course of…

trade international stocks

So you want to trade international stocks? Here’s 4 things to consider

Modern technology allows Australian investors to trade international stocks just like local shares. Stocks Down Under Concierge, recognising this, has…

expensive share price

Is $100 or more an expensive share price? Here’s why it’s not

With few ASX companies with share prices over $100, you’d be forgiven for thinking it is an expensive share price. Overseas,…

share buybacks

Share buybacks: Are they a good sign or a waste of company money in 2023?

Share buybacks are a controversial topic amongst investors. Some Concierge subscribers may be aware that Cyclopharm (ASX:CYC) unveiled one last week…

build a stock portfolio

How can you build a stock portfolio that delivers good returns? Here are 4 necessary steps

How can you build a stock portfolio that generates good returns and grows your wealth? It’s not easy but it…

carbon neutral investing

Carbon neutral investing: Here’s what curious investors need to know and which stocks they might easily consider

As the world seeks to reduce carbon emissions, Carbon neutral investing might be a strategy for investors to consider. But…

Relative Strength Index

Relative Strength Index (RSI): How can it be used and how useful is it?

One of the simplest technical indicators that investors can employ is the Relative Strength Index (RSI). How does it work…

orphan drug designation

Orphan Drug Designation: What is it and why is it a big deal for biotech stocks?

While most small cap health stocks dream of commercialisation, companies at an early stage get excited about achieving Orphan Drug…

ESG Investing

ESG Investing in 2023: How can I tell if a stock or fund is ethical or ESG compliant?

ESG investing is becoming increasingly popular with investors. But as this happens, it begs the question as to just how you…

worst ASX IPOs

5 of the worst ASX IPOs in the last decade!

Earlier this week, we wrote about the best ASX IPOs and now we’re writing about the worst ASX IPOs in…

profit margin

What is a company’s profit margin and why is it crucial in 2023’s high-inflation environment?

In the high inflationary environment we’re in, investors will hear companies talk about margins. What are companies talking about? Why are…

Investing in ASX international companies  

Is investing in ASX international companies more challenging than domestic companies in 2023?

Investing in ASX international companies  is eerily similar to investing in domestic companies. After all, you buy and sell shares…

income investing

Income Investing: It’s a good strategy but here are 4 factors you should consider

Income investing in relation to stocks involves generating returns from stocks via dividends, rather than share price appreciation. Dividends are…

How to make money in the stock market

How to make money in the stock market? Here are the 2 most reliable ways

How to make money in the stock market? Simply put, it is to buy a stock and sell it at a…

moat

Your stock needs a moat! Here’s why it is so important

What is a moat? A 20th century dictionary would tell you it is a river surrounding a castle that provided…

sell in May

Should you really ‘Sell in May and go away’? Here’s why we think that theory is nonsense

Have you ever heard of the saying ‘sell in May and go away’? It is probably better if you haven’t.…

find undervalued stocks

How to find undervalued stocks? Here are 3 useful tools to help start your search

How can investors find undervalued stocks? It is a fine art, but it’s not impossible. In this article, we recap…

VIX

What is the VIX and what are the factors that cause it to violently surge and go into tailspins?

You may hear the occasional passing comment that the market is volatile, but the VIX Index is one way to…

consensus estimates

Consensus estimates: Why is it a big deal if companies miss them?

If you’ve read some of our articles before, you might hear us talk a lot about consensus estimates. You may…

measure a company's performance

Here are 5 useful ways other than NPAT to measure a company’s performance

How can you judge measure a company’s performance other than through NPAT? NPAT (Net Profit After Tax) is a useful guide…

director trades

Director Trades: Are they a good or bad sign? Here’s what investors should read into them

Director trades – either purchases or sales – are taken by investors as a sign of confidence (or a lack…

ROIC

ROIC: How useful is this metric and which 3 sectors generate the highest returns?

ROIC, or Return on Invested Capital, is a financial metric used to measure a company’s efficiency in generating profits using…

free brokerage

Is free brokerage too good to be true? Here’s how stock brokers make money off you

Free brokerage is one of the key promises used by brokers to attract new clients. As one of the biggest…

Baltic Dry Index

The Baltic Dry Index: What does it track and why has it dropped >30% in 12 months?

The Baltic Dry Index (BDI) is an index you may not have heard of, but you should have. In this article,…

best books about share trading

Here are the 5 best books about share trading

Books about share trading are a great way for beginners to get started and for more experienced investors to gain…

when to sell a stock

How can you tell when to sell a stock? Here are 4 useful ways to tell

How can you tell when to sell a stock? If you don’t sell a stock, you can make significant losses,…

best asx shares for dividend investing

What are the best ASX shares for dividend investing? They all belong to these 4 sectors

What are the best ASX shares for dividend investing? It is difficult to pick individual stocks because dividends can fluctuate…

blue-chip stocks

Blue-chip stocks: What are they and what are the best examples on the ASX?

Blue-chip stocks are amongst the most desired stocks on the market. But what are they and what are the best…

statutory results

Underlying v Statutory results? There’s a big difference between the 2 – here’s how to tell

When companies report results, you’ll hear underlying and statutory results. What is the difference between the two and how big…

R&D

R&D: Which companies spend the most on it and how do they set their budgets right?

R&D (Research and Development) is an important activity undertaken by companies.  But how do companies decided how much to spend…

most successful investors

Who are the most successful investors of all time? Here is our top 4

Who are the most successful investors of all time? This is a question up for debate although here are our…

Aussie dollar

Why has the Aussie dollar been weak in 2023 and is this good or bad for shares?

Just over a decade ago, the Aussie dollar was on parity with the US dollar, meaning you could buy a…

sell a bad investment

When to sell a bad investment? Here’s how to tell when it’s the right time to take your losses

When should you sell a bad investment? On one hand, if you fail to get out of a bad investment,…

how to invest your super

How to invest your super in 2023

How to invest your super (short for superannuation) is a question that all Australians will need to answer. Everyone will…

ESG investing in Australia

ESG Investing in Australia: Here are the 3 best options for intrigued investors

ESG investing in Australia is not just a fad, it is a fast growing trend that is here to stay.…

NZX

Investing in NZX shares: Should Aussie investors say ‘sweet as’ to this >A$150bn market?

Have you ever considered investing in the NZX (New Zealand Exchange)? As the nearest overseas market to Australia (at least…

CFO

What does a CFO (Chief Financial Officer) do and how important are they?

Every ASX company has a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) in their C-suite. They are among the most important people in…

short sellers

Here’s how short sellers can bring down a company that may appear to be perfect

Short sellers are one of the most mysterious but most powerful actors in the markets. They have been known to…

buy the dip

Is it really time to ‘buy the dip’ or are you risking catching a falling knife? Here’s a unique framework that investors can use

‘Buy the dip’ – have you ever heard that term? It implies that when a company’s share price ‘dips’ or…

like for like sales

Like for like sales: What does it mean and why do retailers use that creative term?

ASX retailers often use ‘like for like’ sales in addition to total sales. It is most common for companies that…

Annual Recurring Revenue

Annual Recurring Revenue: Is it a useful metric or lipstick on a pig?

Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR), sometimes called Annualised Recurring Revenue, is a metric you’ll hear some ASX small caps use. What…

gearing

Gearing: What is it and how can companies exploit it to their advantage?

You may hear a company talk about its gearing. What is gearing, why are companies either under geared or over…

PEG ratio

Here’s how to use the PEG ratio to tell if a stock is overvalued relative to its growth

The PEG ratio (Price/Earnings to Growth) ratio is a useful way to tell if a stock is overvalued compared to…

stop loss

Here’s how to use stop losses to help you minimise investment losses and protect your gains

A stop loss is one of the best ways for investors to minimise losses on any investment. It is a pre-determined…

founder-led companies

Here’s why founder-led companies can be good investments and why sometimes they can be strange

Some companies on stock exchanges are founder-led companies. For several reasons, a company being founder-led can be a sign of…

monitoring a portfolio

Here are 4 factors that determine how much time spent monitoring a portfolio is ideal to generate top returns

Monitoring a portfolio is an important task for any investor, but just how much time is appropriate? Certainly, whatever your…

SMSF

Self-Managed Super Funds (SMSFs): Here’s how to set one up and manage it to grow your wealth

Setting up an Australian self-managed super fund (SMSF) requires a significant amount of research, planning and financial commitment. Depending on…

underperforming board

Does your company have an underperforming board? Here’s how to get rid of them: A s.249D notice!

Has your company got an underperforming board running your company and want to replace them? It’s possible and easy in…

West Texas Intermediate

The 4 key differences between West Texas Intermediate and Brent oil

Brent and West Texas Intermediate are two of the world’s most popular benchmarks for crude oil pricing. But what are…

EBITDA

EBITDA can be a powerful metric if you use it wisely. Here’s 2 key things you need to know about it

ASX investors will frequently hear companies talk about EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortisation) as well as its…

valuing stocks

Valuing stocks: Here are the 4 best methods used by investors

Valuing stocks can be an intimidating prospect for many investors, especially those just starting out. However, there are several well-established methods…

investment strategies

Here are 6 investment strategies. Which one is right for you?

Investment strategies are important for any investor, regardless of the size of their portfolio. But what are some of the…

Self Managed Super Fund

Are you ready for a Self Managed Super Fund in 2023?

Are you ready for a Self Managed Super Fund?   Take Control of Your Financial Future   Are you ready…

Cash ETFs

Why buying Australian Cash ETFs makes sense for investors

What are Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs)? ETFs are funds that track the performance of specific indexes or assets and seek…

best performing ASX shares

Technical Analysis 101 with Stocks Down Under: Momentum Indicators

Momentum indicators in technical analysis are used to measure the direction and magnitude of price movements. Steeper and longer price…

Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis 101 with Stocks Down Under: Candlestick charts and price action

Technical analysis with Stocks Down Under This is our second tutorial on Technical Analysis. You can find our first one…

Investment books

The Top-5 books on investing you should read to boost your returns in 2021

1 January 2021   Some months ago the team at Stocks Down Under were looking for a Staff Writer for…

Contrarian investing

How to be a good contrarian investor

Tuesday 22 December 2020   Yesterday we looked at the recent track record of the team at Stocks Down Under…

Directors buying

Directors’ share trades – a great indicator for the rest of us

Thursday 17 December 2020   Listed companies these days are complicated things. The technology, the products, the markets and even…

Women are better investors than men

Men are from BHP, Women are from Afterpay

16 December 2020   There’s an interesting story near the end of Rocket Boys, Homer Hickam’s 1998 memoir of his…

Investing during the Corona crisis 73

Investing during the Corona crisis

24 March 2020 We don’t have to tell you that for most people right now the world seems to be…

Market trouble spots to avoid in 2020

15 January 2020 Everyone likes a good bull market, and in Australia you could say that for over a decade…

Investing in the Year of the Rat

Investing in the Year of the Rat

12 January 2020 The new Lunar Year 2020 is the Year of the Rat. In this article we look at…

Stocks Down Under: 2020, the Golden Year

2020, the Golden Year

12 January 2020 As we all know, when there’s trouble in the world, the price of gold naturally spikes. So,…