There are hard questions investors need to ask about their portfolio every now and again, because anyone telling you there's such a thing as a 'set and forget' investment is wrong. Markets evolve, company fundamentals shift, and macro conditions change, yet many portfolios are left largely unchecked. The most rational approach is to periodically interrogate…
Energy Stocks
Australia has not had petrol rationing since 1979. The last time it did, the mechanism was simple: a ration book, enough fuel for approximately 32km of driving per week, and a queue. Nearly five decades later, the mechanism has been updated, but the underlying problem, namely our structural dependence on imported refined fuel, has not.
The…
Silex gains on nuclear demand, but risks remain
Silex Systems (ASX: SLX) surged 13.5% to A$5.55 earlier this week as escalating tensions in the Middle East pushed investors towards nuclear energy and fuel security stocks. The Iran conflict reminded markets just how vulnerable the West remains when it comes to uranium enrichment supply, and Silex…
ASX Surges on Iran Hopes: What Investors Do Now
Wednesday's 1.85% rally already feels like a distant memory as the market grapples with a harsh reality check. The ASX surged after US President Donald Trump announced a five-day pause on military strikes against Iranian energy infrastructure, raising hopes the four-week-old Middle East war could be…
Rio Tinto Boyne Deal: 2 ASX Stocks to Watch
Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO) has struck a landmark deal with the Queensland and Commonwealth governments to secure the long-term future of the Boyne aluminium smelter in Gladstone. The Queensland and Commonwealth governments will each chip in A$1 billion over ten years, while Rio Tinto will underwrite…
Amplitude Energy (ASX: AEL) crashed over 40% this morning after a second consecutive drilling failure on Wednesday, confirming that its Isabella prospect in the offshore Otway Basin will not be commercially developed after flow testing revealed the reservoir cannot sustain production at viable rates. The plunge erased roughly A$500m in shareholder value in roughly an…
It is easy to think the Impact of The Iran War is simply businesses in the oil space or that use oil in their operations (for instance freight businesses). Or by extension, companies in the 'consumer discretionary' space that find due to higher energy prices (and interest rates), that their goods are more discretionary than…
Oil Crashes 11%: Sell Woodside and Santos Now?
Oil plunged 11% overnight after Donald Trump posted on Truth Social, claiming "productive talks" with Iran and announcing a 5-day pause on energy infrastructure strikes. Brent crude fell from US$113 to US$100 in minutes. On the ASX yesterday, Santos (ASX: STO) dropped 2.7%, and Karoon Energy (ASX:…
Investors looking for somewhere, anywhere, to hide during the Iran war may think Ampol shares are a safe haven. After all, it's a petrol provider for crying out loud, isn't it making hay while the sun doesn't shine for everyone else?! Investors think so given it is up nearly 20% in less than a month.
It…
Ampol got a boost, but the stock may already be priced in
Ampol (ASX: ALD) closed Friday at A$33.11, up 0.42% on the day, after two pieces of good news landed together. The government lifted its Fuel Security Services Payment collar from 6.4 to 10.0 cents per litre, and Ampol's Lytton refinery in Queensland had…
