Podcasts about adbri

General Advice Only

General Advice only

General Advice Only

The ASX seesawed throughout the first trading session of the week before closing just 0.07% higher as strong gains in the tech and energy sectors offset losses in the utilities sector.Pilbara Minerals (ASX:PLS) dominated the market gains again after releasing a production update last week including production and revenue coming in ahead of analysts' expectations, which also prompted Morgans to reiterate their add rating on PLS with an improved price target of $5.40, announced today.Australian based, international oil and gas exploration and production company Karoon Energy also soared over 7% today after announcing an updated assessment of reserves and resources at its 100% owned Santos Basin concession, BM-S-40 in Brazil, where the revised assessment has found better-than-expected performance at the existing wells. Proved and Probable reserves also increased 23% compared to 30 June 2022.Food price inflation at Australia's two largest supermarkets rose to an average of 9.2% across the December quarter, from an average of 8.2% in the September quarter according to UBS. The fresh food category had the steepest food inflation, led by the dairy and meat sector.The winning stocks from today's session were led by Karoon Energy (ASX:KAR) rallying over 7.41%, Liontown Resources (ASX:LTR) recovering from last week's sell-off to climb 6.91% and Pilbara Minerals (ASX:PLS) lifted 6.15%.And on the losing end, Fisher and Paykel Healthcare (ASX:FPH) fell 2.84%, Adbri (ASX:ABC) lost 2.72% and Chalice Mining (ASX:CHN) shed 2.52% to start the week.The most traded stocks by Bell Direct clients were Woodside Energy (ASX:WDS), Core Lithium (ASX:CXO) and Allkem (ASX:AKE).On the economic calendar front today, the Bank of Japan's meeting minutes were released giving insight into the policy meeting that resulted in the surprise no change to the country's easy monetary policy.On the commodities front today, oil has dipped 0.4% to US$81.32/barrel due to the Lunar New Year holiday in Asia but outlook is still favourable for strong demand in 2023 as China, the world's largest importer of oil, reopens. Coal is down 3.45% at US$350.95/ton, gold is up slightly at US$1927/ounce, and iron ore is flat at US$124.50/tonne.The Aussie dollar is buying 70 US cents, 90.57 Japanese Yen, 56 British Pence, and 1 New Zealand dollar and 8 cents.

Cockburn Cement has been found guilty of emitting unreasonable emissions from its plant after a long-running campaign by nearby residents who claimed they were confined to their homes due to the strong stench. Greg Hocking, Cockburn Pollution Stoppers told Oliver Peterson on Perth Live that he's been involved in this issue since November/December 2016. "It's been a long time coming for this final decision on prosecuting the company," he told Oly "The situation has not improved since some years ago, the main problem is when the summer sea breeze comes in, you get this strong sulphurous odour come from the factory and that hasn't changed at all, we still having our lifestyles interrupted." The Adbri subsidiary was found guilty on six counts and acquitted of the remaining seven charges, after Magistrate Heidi Watson said she was satisfied the emissions had caused inconvenience and unreasonably interfered with the amenity of residents.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andrew Barrett from Safety on Tap graces our show this week and discusses his professional journey in safety, safety management systems, safety professionals noble intent, new views of safety, learning teams and Safety on Tap. Influencial, intelligent and professional, these are how I see Andrew. Well worth a listen.Andrew (Baz) Barrett is a safety professional by training who has become ‘reformed' in many ways. Andrew recognised the need to create sustainable change in safety and that better individual, team and organisational learning leads to better results. This led to the creation of Safety on Tap - a change leadership company specialising in the development and growth of health and safety leaders, and more broadly, capability and innovation in the health and safety field. Safety on Tap supports large organisations across many industries to improve the safety of work, reduce safety clutter, and improve learning and operational performance. Andrew is the only specialist professional coach for health and safety professionals in Australia.  Andrew's work with health and safety leaders, their teams and exec is trusted by a diverse range of organisations and industries including Hansen Yuncken, Downer, Origin, Abergeldie Complex Infrastructure, the South Australian Government, Major Road Projects Victoria, Endeavour Energy, Brisbane Council, Adbri, Ausnet Services, Signal Energy, and Coca-Cola Amatil.  Andrew is also the host of the Safety on Tap podcast – he sparks thought-provoking conversations with interesting and inspiring people with different ideas, perspectives and stories. Delving into personal effectiveness, business strategy, people leadership, innovation and creativity. Links from this weeks podcast:LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-barrett-learning-coach/Website: http://www.safetyontap.com/Email: andrew@safetyontap.com Thanks for listening. We have some great guests coming up in future pods so get ready to learn. Until next time, enjoy the rest of your week, and stay safe. https://plus.acast.com/s/health-and-safety-conversations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we cover British Prime Minister Liz Truss' resignation, UK CPI data, the US NAHB House Market index, New Zealand CPI data, Santos, Woodside, Adbri, Netflix and Tesla. This market highlight is proudly brought to you by Milford https://milfordasset.com.au/ Join the XY platform: App Store: http://co.xyadviser.com/xyistore Google Play: http://co.xyadviser.com/xygplay Desktop: https://www.xyadviser.com/ General Disclaimer – https://www.xyadviser.com/disclaimer/

The local market jumped 1.72% today amid a rise in US futures after a solid session on Wall Street overnight driven by solid earnings results released including from the Bank of America, which rose 6% after reporting stronger than expected Q3 results. Locally, the tech sector led gains on the key index today adding more than 4%, taking lead from the Nasdaq posting its best session since July overnight. Every sector aside from the energy sector closed higher today. Another pivot out of the UK in the form of new finance minister Jeremy Hunt saying he will reverse nearly all tax-cuts announced and that the energy price guarantee would continue through the winter, boosted markets around the world today.The RBA's meeting minutes for October were also released today, outlining the RBA's shock decision to raise the country's cash rate by 25 basis points in October was “finely balanced” with the risk of a global and domestic economic slowdown, but that further interest rates hikes would likely be required.Today Westpac (ASX:WBC) confirmed its in takeover talks with embattled fintech company Tyro Payments (ASX:TYR) to acquire 100% of the company's issued share capital in a bid to strengthen Westpac's small business proposition particularly in the hospitality and healthcare sectors. Following the announcement, shares in Westpac (ASX:WBC) rose 2.3%, while Tyro Payments (ASX:TYR) shares rallied 1.9%.The winning stocks for today's session were NOVONIX (ASX:NVX) which added 18.99% amid the surge in tech stocks today, Hub24 (ASX:HUB) jumped 14% today after the company released a quarterly update outlining net inflows of $3 billion for the quarter, and Telix Pharmaceuticals (ASX:TLX) added 11% today after the company released promising preliminary data from two investigator-initiated studies in triple negative breast cancer, and non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer.On the losing end of the market today, St Barbara (ASX:SBM) took the biggest hit, tanking more than 21.5% after releasing a first quarter report for the three months to September 30, including a downgrade to the gold miner's guidance for FY23 on the back of a slower than expected ramp up in underground mine equipment availability and utilisation impacting production at its Leonora operation where the company's Gwalia Mine is located. Adbri (ASX:ABC) extended its dive today, falling another 4.5%, and Coronado Global Resources (ASX:CRN) dropped 4.4% today.The most traded stocks today by Bell Direct clients today were Lake Resources (ASX:LKE), the BetaShares Geared Australian Equity Hedge Fund (ASX:GEAR), and the BetaShares Australian Strong Bear Hedge Fund (ASX:BBOZ).US housing starts and building permits data for September will be released tomorrow, with the markets expecting a decline on both metrics from the month of August.The Australian dollar is buying 62.9 US cents, 55.26 British Pence, 94.09 Japanese Yen and 1 dollar and 11 New Zealand cents.

General Advice Only

Taking a look at the markets overnight, in the US it was a choppy session that ended lower across the key indices as investor confidence slumped ahead of the release of the Fed's interest rate decision out on Wednesday US time, Thursday our time – the Dow Jones closed Tuesday's session 1.65% lower, the S&P500 lost 1.62% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq shed almost 1.5%. US housing momentum also fell for a ninth straight month in August as US mortgage rates climbed.The sell-off continued over in the UK and Europe with the FTSE100 losing 0.61% on Tuesday, while Germany's DAX fell more than 1% and the French CAC shed 1.35%.What to watch today: Locally, the RBA's meeting minutes released yesterday boosted investor confidence that the RBA is a global outlier in pushing ahead with a slower rate of interest rate hikes, a move that other central banks are not even considering yet. Investor sentiment was dampened in recent weeks after US inflation data revealed US CPI remains red hot and above market expectations, prompting the fed to likely introduce a 100 basis point or 1% rate hike on Thursday at the conclusion of the FOMC meeting.Energy, materials and utilities stocks led the market rally yesterday, with New Hope Corporation (ASX:NHC) soaring almost 9% after releasing stellar FY22 results including NPAT soaring over 1100%.Onto the commodities front, the price of commodities are down across the board today Trevor with, Crude oil trading 1.5% lower around 84 US dollars a barrel, Brent is trading, around 90 US dollars a barrel so nearly 2% lower, Iron ore is trading, 1.5% lower at 100 US dollars a tonne and Gold continues its slump, trading down 0.75% at 1663 US dollars an ounce.Ahead of the local trading session today, the ASX futures are expecting the market to open sharply lower around 1.45%, again following the global sell-off overnight.Stocks going ex-dividend today include Capitol Health (ASX:CAJ), Countplus (ASX:CUP), ADBRI (ASX:ABC), Cleanaway Waste Management (ASX:CWT) and Cochlear (ASX:COH). If you have been thinking about these stocks it might be worth considering buying in today as stocks going ex-dividend generally trade lower on the ex-dividend date.There is no local economic data news out today however investors will still be awaiting the release of the Fed's interest rate decision which is out at 4am eastern time tomorrow morning.Trading Ideas:Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on Webjet (ASX:WEB) following the formation of a pattern over a 16-day period which is the same amount of time the stock price may rise from the close of $5.43 to the range of $6.15 to $6.35, according to standard principles of technical analysis.Bell Potter has downgraded its price target on Imugene (ASX:IMU) to $0.36 per share from $0.45 and has a speculative buy rating on this stock. The price target downgrade follows Bell Potter identifying the need for the company to raise capital to support its clinical trial programs through the issuing of 400m new shares at $0.20 per share. Bell Potter also notes the company is executing quite a few trials over the next year where investors will be keeping a close eye on the results to determine just how valuable the company's biotechnology operations are.

Theresa Milkota is the Chief Financial Officer at Adbri - formerly Adelaide Brighton Cement - that has been making cement and construction materials in Australia since 1882. Equity Mates is proudly working with the ASX CEO Connect, which brings listed companies and investors together. Throughout this year, Equity Mates will bring you 6 interviews with some of the key CEOs from these events for you to hear more about their business vision, strategy & latest achievements. The ASX CEO Connect Day offers many more of this style of talks, so if you enjoy today's inview and want to hear more from these CSuites, head to the CEO Connect page at the ASX, their next webinar is Tuesday 30th August. Follow our new Instagram for The Dive. The Dive is our new podcast. Who says business news needs to be all business?****FINFEST - Calling all bulls, bears and party animals.Come and trade ideas at Australia's biggest investing festival - Equity Mates' FinFest.With expert speakers and guests, DJs and booze, it's an inspiring event for investors of any level of experience.Save the date - 15th October, 2022 Sydney - Head to equitymates.com/finfest to register your interest.Equity Mates' FinFest, powered by Stake****In the spirit of reconciliation, Equity Mates Media and the hosts of Equity Mates Investing Podcast acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people today. *****Equity Mates Investing Podcast is a product of Equity Mates Media. All information in this podcast is for education and entertainment purposes only. Equity Mates gives listeners access to information and educational content provided by a range of financial services professionals. It is not intended as a substitute for professional finance, legal or tax advice. The hosts of Equity Mates Investing Podcast are not financial professionals and are not aware of your personal financial circumstances. Equity Mates Media does not operate under an Australian financial services licence and relies on the exemption available under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) in respect of any information or advice given.Before making any financial decisions you should read the Product Disclosure Statement and, if necessary, consult a licensed financial professional. Do not take financial advice from a podcast or video. For more information head to the disclaimer page on the Equity Mates website where you can find ASIC resources and find a registered financial professional near you. Equity Mates is part of the Acast Creator Network. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Senior editor Mark Beyer explains why cost blowouts for Adbri and Ore Corp are emblematic of broader pressures weighing on businesses in WA.

The ASX 200 fell by 0.95% on Monday, with all 11 sectors and eight in every 10 companies losing ground. Shares in bedding company Adairs and building products maker Adbri were the two biggest decliners after both handed down declining profits. Commonwealth Securities Limited ABN 60 067 254 399 AFLS 238814 (CommSec) is a wholly but non-guaranteed subsidiary of Commonwealth Bank of Australia ABN 48 12 12 124 AFSL: 234945 (the Bank) and a Market Participant of the ASX Limited and Cboe Australia Pty Limited, a Clearing Participant of ASX Clear Pty Limited and a Settlement Participant of ASX Settlement Pty Limited. Any advice contained in this broadcast is general advice only. As the information in this broadcast has not been prepared with reference to your objectives, financial or taxation situation or needs, you should, before acting on it, consider its appropriateness to your circumstances and seek appropriate professional advice. CommSec, the Bank, and their related entities do not accept any liability arising out of or in relation to reliance on the information in this broadcast. We believe that the information in this broadcast is correct as at the time of its compilation, but no warranty is made as to its accuracy, reliability or completeness. This report is under copyright to CommSec and the Bank and may not be used without their prior consent.

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Our local market came under pressure yesterday, closing 1% lower. It was a sea of red, with all eleven industry sectors declining. Leading the losses was both the consumer discretionary and tech sectors, after a number of company announcements as well as speculation of aggressive US policy tightening to control inflation. The best performing stock was NIB Holdings (ASX:NIB), after the private health insurer released its full year results, which showed a 7.2% increase in revenue, but a decline in its net profit, however the decline was slightly ahead of estimates. Other top performers included EML Payments (ASX:EML), Pilbara Minerals (ASX:PLS) and Telix Pharmaceuticals (ASX:TLX). Meanwhile, Adbri (ASX:ABC) tumbled 17% after wet weather disruptions and rising fuel and energy prices impacted its profits. Some of the most traded stocks by Bell Direct clients yesterday included BHP Group (ASX:BHP), the BetaShares Australian Strong Bear Hedge Fund ETF (ASX:BBOZ) and aerial imagery technology business Nearmap (ASX:NEA). In the US, all three benchmarks started the new trading week in the red after renewed fears of aggressive rate hikes returned to Wall Street. Consumer discretionary, communication services and tech stocks were hit the hardest. So we saw the Dow tumble more than 600 points, experiencing its worst day since June. The S&P500 was down 2.1% and the Nasdaq fell 2.6%.What to watch today:Following the US, the SPI futures are suggesting that our market will follow with a fall of 0.6% at the open. Companies reporting their earnings today include: AMA Group (ASX:AMA), Alumina (ASX:AWC), Boral (ASX:BLD), Breville (ASX:BRG), Estia Health (ASX:EHE), Monadelphous (ASX:MND) and HUB24 (ASX:HUB).In commodities:Oil prices traded flat following the Saudi energy minister stating that OPEC could cut production to confront market challenges. The gold price declined as the US dollar rallied and as the looming interest rate hikes dented bullion's appeal. The spot iron ore price is trading flat at US$104 a tonne.Some stocks going ex-dividend today include: intellectual property services group IPH (ASX:IPH), Domain Holdings (ASX:DHG) and Qualitas (ASX:QAL). If you hold Transurban Group (ASX:TCL) you will receive your dividend payment today.  Testing, inspection and certification business ALS (ASX:ALQ) will be holding its AGM today.  Trading Ideas:Potter have maintained its Buy rating on Accent Group (ASX:AX1) and have increased its price target from $1.90 to $2. At its current share price of $1.71, this implies about 17% share price growth in a year. Trading Central has a bearish signal on Dexus (ASX:DXS) indicating that the stock price may fall from the close of $9.01 to the range of $8.56 - $8.64 in the next 33 days according to standard principals of technical analysis.  

The S&P/ASX 200 slumped 0.95% to 7047, dragged lower by losses across all sectors. The largest declines were seen in consumer discretionary, financials, information technology and real estate which skidded more than 1%. The weakness came ahead of the Jackson Hole Economic Symposium, headlined by a speech from Fed chair Jerome Powell. There was little reaction to China cutting another key interest rate, the latest step in a long string of easing measures. It was not a good day for Adbri and Reliance Worldwide which were poleaxed following their results, tumbling 16.9% and 6.5% respectively. Magellan was another big loser, hit by renewed market turbulence as it traded ex-divided. It slumped 9.3%. Ramelius Resources slid 7.2% after a significant asset write down. As for the winners, results from EML Payments, oOh!media, NIB and Cooper Energy were cheered by investors, helping them to post gains of between 4.5% to 9.3%. Nearmap was also flying high as its board unanimously backed the takeover offer lobbed by Thoma Bravo. Shares in the aerial mapping firm climbed 5.6%.Our top three VODs: ABC of reporting season 'buys'Two 'buys' to start the weekStrength in equities rests on one assumption Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Build editor Anna Hayes talks to Nathan Martyn from Adbri Masonry, about (among other things) the resurgence of the concrete brick, why it's popular with architects, and how it and other Adbri products can find a place in your home renovation this year.

The local market jumped 1% or 70 points higher yesterday to close at 7,182 points. Sectors wise, the majority of the industry sectors were in the green, with the materials and tech  sectors rallying the most. Meanwhile, the consumer staples sector declined 1% and the financial sector experienced a bit of pressure with three of the big banks, CBA, WBC and NAB declining.The best performer was Champion Iron (ASX:CIA) which lifted 5.3% after signing a deal to acquire an iron ore pelletizing facility for $2.7 million. Subject to positive findings, a joint venture may be formed to produce iron ore pellets for sale to third parties, including the feasibility partner. Travel stocks like Corporate Travel Management (ASX:CTD) and Flight Centre (ASX:FLT) performed well, despite no news from either company. What seems to have supported their gains was many international travel stocks taking off, with the rise seemingly spurred by Nasdaq-listed United Airlines Holdings (UAL), who upgraded their guidance. Meanwhile, the worst performers yesterday were PolyNovo (ASX:PNV), Sims (ASX:SGM) and Eagers Automotive (ASX:APE). The most traded stocks by Bell Direct clients included Fortescue Metals (ASX:FMG), Champion Iron (ASX:CIA) and Sims (ASX:SGM).Moving to the US, stocks fell sharply, as earnings from big retailers Target and Walmart renewed fears of rising inflation. Target shares slumped 25% after its first-quarter earnings were much lower than estimated due to higher fuel and compensation costs. And Walmart, who posted earnings on Tuesday also posted earnings that fell short of expectations, citing higher fuel and labour costs. This saw the Dow Jones post its biggest loss since 2020, falling over 1,100 points. The S&P500 dropped over 4%, its worst drop since June 2020 and the tech-heavy Nasdaq index slipped 4.7%.What to watch today:Following the sell-off in the US, the SPI futures are suggesting that our local market is set to open 1.8% lower this morning.Reporting wise, both Aristocrat Leisure (ASX:ALL) and Nufarm (ASX:NUF) will release their half-year results. We'll also hear from Webjet (ASX:WEB). The travel company will share its full-year results. So, keep watch of those three stocks. Economic news wise, all eyes will be on the unemployment rate for April that will be announced at 11:30am AEST. Consensus forecasts suggest the Aussie economy may have added between 25,000-30,000 jobs last month, and if that data comes in as expected, the nation's official unemployment rate could drop to 3.9%, setting a multi-decade low in the process.Moving to commodities:The oil price dropped 2% to US$109 a barrel, after government data showed US refiners had ramped up output, which eased worries of a supply crunch. The gold price lifted slightly, as a slide in US Treasury yields helped offset pressure from a firmer dollar. Other metals like silver, copper and platinum all declined between 1-2%. The spot iron ore price trading about 1.6% lower to US$125 a tonne.Stocks going ex-dividend today include Westpac (ASX:WBC), Pendal Group (ASX:PDL) and Virgin Money UK (ASX:VUK). This often results in the company's share price falling, as investors take their profits.And finally, Adbri (ASX:ABC), Gold Road Resources (ASX:GOR) and Woodside Petroleum (ASX:WPL) are holding their AGMs today. Trading Ideas:Bell Potter have maintained its Buy rating on Eagers Automotive (ASX:APE) albeit with a reduced price target from $17.25 to $15.50. APE released a trading update and provided first-half 2022 guidance, which was in line with Bell Potter's expectations. The company noted that demand for new vehicles continues to materially exceed supply and as a result the new car order book has increased by more than 25% since the end of December last year. A

Shepparton's new multi-million dollar courthouse (pictured) is, along with the rest of the city, at risk of being uninsurable because of risks posed by climate change -  Shepparton proper is on a flood plain and so threatened with flooding. Yes, Shepparton is a benign place, but it is strikingly flat and while for decades that has been a bonus allowing for extensive irrigation, it is now a burden as widespread flooding under a new climate regime could bring major flooding. You can read about this dilemma in the SBS story - "One in 25 Australian properties will be uninsurable by 2030 due to climate change, report warns"; or in the story by Climate Councillor, NIcki Hutley, in a Melbourne Age story "Climate change is making our homes uninsurable"; or a story from The Guardian - "Flood and cyclone-prone areas in eastern Australia may be ‘uninsurable' by 2030, report suggests". The report from the Climate Council - "One in 25 Australian homes uninsurable by 2030: Climate Council launches cutting edge digital climate-risk map". And on the ABC it was: "Climate change means 1 in 25 homes could become uninsurable by 2030, report warns". Other Quick Climate Links for today are: "OUR WARMING PLANET: CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS AND ADAPTATION"; "Climate Impacts: Special IPCC report knowledge share"; "EPA: Investigate increase in toxic pollution!"; "Introducing the Climate Justice Legal Project"; "WOTCH vs VicForests: protecting threatened species after the bushfires"; "The Earth is getting hotter due to human activities that release heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere"; "What Is "Loss and Damage" from Climate Change? 6 Key Questions, Answered"; "ACT2025 Presents: Developing Countries Lay Out Demands Ahead of COP27 Climate Talks"; "Delivering on the Glasgow Climate Pact in a changing world"; "Firm releases guide helping enterprises reduce value chain carbon emissions"; "Labor says power prices are going up. The Coalition says they aren't. Who's right?"; "Policymakers Must Focus on These 6 Areas to Slow Down Climate Change"; "Beyond electric cars: how electrifying trucks, buses, tractors and scooters will help tackle climate change"; "Loy Yang Breakdown Burns AGL Energy"; "Voters believe they're doing their bit on climate but want government to do more"; "Tasmania slowed logging and became one of first carbon-negative places in the world"; "Mangroves killed during Black Summer bushfires near Batemans Bay are not growing back"; "Find out what threatened plants and animals live in your electorate (and what your MP can do about it)"; "Our Warming Planet"; "Introduction to 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy and Hourly Matching: What, Why and How"; "Caesars bets on solar, breaks ground on three projects in Atlantic City"; "Did California actually hit 97% renewables in April? Yes and no"; "Your Kids Can Handle Dangerous Ideas"; "Strong Winds Keep Fueling New Mexico Wildfire"; "Ethiopian drought leading to ‘dramatic' increase in child marriage, Unicef warns"; "Exxon Mobil and Chevron report big jump in profits because of higher oil and gas prices"; "A Black Woman Fought for Her Community, and Her Life, Amidst Polluting Landfills and Vast ‘Borrow Pits' Mined for Sand and Clay"; "Why the Debate Over Russian Uranium Worries U.S. Tribal Nations"; "Why Americans Became More Vulnerable to Oil Price Spikes"; "Climate action is critical for health equity. Community health clinics are key - and need more support."; "Despite COP26 pledges, the world is losing way too many trees"; "Impact of energy-draining ‘vampire devices' overstated, says tech expert"; "Tasmania goes into carbon negative, with researchers saying native forests must be preserved"; "India Swelters Under Intense Heat Wave"; "India, Germany ink $10.5B deal for climate action targets"; "India's power consumption spiked to all-time high of 132.98 billion units in April due to heatwave"; "‘Not a plan': Cannon-Brookes, AGL chief clash over future of Australian energy giant"; "Adbri lays down new targets to tackle cement's carbon problem"; "Voters believe they're doing their bit on climate but want government to do more"; "Mike Cannon-Brookes says large AGL shareholders back his bid to stop energy giant's demerger"; "I've worked in agriculture all my life. Who can I vote for to protect Victoria's food bowl?"; Enjoy "Music for a Warming World". Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/climateconversations

Yesterday, the consumer confidence index fell by 0.9% month-on-month in April, down for the fifth straight month, and this follows inflation rising and prospects of higher interest rates, which has dampened sentiment further. The Aussie share market gained 0.34% with all sectors in the green, except the real estate, tech, and communication services sectors. Looking at the ASX200 leaderboard, AVZ Minerals (ASX:AVZ) topped the list, gaining 11.7% after the company received a positive technical opinion from the Department of Mines. This was the fourth and final requirement for a mining licence, meaning the company may soon be awarded a mining licence for its flagship project. And on the other end, cement and lime producer, Adbri (ASX:ABR) fell 4%. Morgan Stanley hold a pessimistic view on the stock due to adverse weather and higher energy costs. The most traded stocks by Bell Direct clients yesterday included Lake Resources (ASX:LKE), Stockland (ASX:SGP) and Regis Resources (ASX:RRL).Moving to the US, all three benchmarks closed in the green, with the Nasdaq and S&P500 snapping their respective three-day losing streaks. Stocks rallied, despite surging inflation numbers, as corporate earnings season kicked off.What to watch today:Following the positive session in the US, the futures are suggesting that the Aussie market is set to open 0.23% higher this morning.  In commodities, the oil price continues to rise, up over 3% to US$104. This comes as investors become more discouraged about the peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, further fuelling concerns about tight supplies. The gold price hit a one-month high as high inflation boosts its appeal. And the spot iron ore price is trading 2% higher at US$148 a tonne.In economic news, the unemployment rate will be released today at 11:30am AEST. As a reminder, the unemployment rate in February fell to 4%, which was only the third time in history that unemployment has fallen to that level. In the RBA's statement on monetary policy in February, they noted that the unemployment rate is forecast to decline gradually over the forecast period, to 3.75% by the end of 2023. So, consensus is expecting March's reading today to come in at 3.9%. Coal mining company, New Hope Corporation (ASX:NHC) and accounting services company Diverger (ASX:DVR) are set to go ex-dividend today.  Trading Ideas:Bell Potter have maintained its BUY rating on technology hardware and equipment company EROAD (ASX:ERD) however have reduced its price target from $5.95 to $5. ERD's current share price is $2.71, so this implies 85% share price growth in a year. Trading Central has a bullish signal on Bapcor (ASX:BAP), indicating that the stock price may rise from the close of $6.46 to the range of $6.90-$7 in the next 10 days according to standard principals of technical analysis. 

A strong US finish gave local investors confidence to wander back into the market. Yesterday's unloved tech was a buy, especially Block after a profit beat, closing 33% higher and resting comfortably at the top of the ASX200 ladder. Investors took profits on Aussie goldies, while rare earths, lithium etc caught a bid after stellar results from Lynas - boosting that share price by 8%. Reporting season updates saw investors embrace Adbri, but double-digit falls in BWX and Bravura stock prices reflected poor reports. Brambles' supply constraint-riddled update saw its share price close slightly weaker. The bottom of the ladder belonged to Blackmores as brokers downgraded the company after yesterday's update. Magellan's woes continued, closing down nearly 10% as funds continue to desert the group. Kogan's update saw it slammed by 9%. As small caps jumped and the big end of town retreated, the S&P/ASX200 ended the day up a measly 0.1%.Our top three VODs are:Lazard's Australian reopening stock picksWilsons: Ukraine noise is a signal to buy the dipCatalysts for change; why active strategies are required See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Yesterday, the Aussie share market pushed 0.3% higher, supported by both the consumer discretionary and energy sectors. All eyes were on China, as we found out that China's economy grew 4% in the fourth quarter from a year earlier, faster than expected but its weakest expansion in one and a half years. The consumer discretionary sector advanced the most, led by Wesfarmer's gain following its trading update before the market opened. The group's performance for the half was supported by pleasing results in Bunnings and Wesfarmers Chemicals, Energy & Fertilisers, while results in Kmart Group and Officeworks were impacted by COVID-related disruptions and costs. The worst performing sector was the materials sector, and we saw mining giants BHP Group (ASX:BHP) and Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO) come under pressure, down 1.14% and 0.52% respectively.  Looking at the ASX200 stock leaderboard, two of Australia's best-known fund managers were among the day's top performers, Pendal Group (ASX:PDL) and Magellan Financial Group (ASX:MFG). Pendal Group led the way, up 7.8% following a statement that its chairman, James Evans would step down. Remember however, that last Friday Pendal fell 15.8% after a dip in funds under management. The second-best performer was Adbri (ASX:ABC), up 7.2% after announcing an extension of its lime supply contract with Alcoa. Meanwhile, Perseus Mining (ASX:PRU), Paladin Energy (ASX:PDN) and Liontown Resources (ASX:LTR) were down the most.  The most traded stocks by Bell Direct clients yesterday included Liontown Resources (ASX:LTR), Telstra (ASX:TLS) and BrainChip (ASX:BRN). Beach Energy (ASX:BPT) lifted 3.9%, trading at levels not seen since October last year, supported by the oil price surging higher recently. The US market was closed on Monday for the Martin Luther King Junior holiday. In Europe, stocks closed higher on Monday as investors digested a string of corporate news and the latest growth data out of China. Credit Suisse was involved in a scandal whereby its chairman resigned after breaking COVID quarantine rules. Overall, we saw the German DAX close 0.32% higher, the FTSE up 0.91% and the STOXX600 rise 0.7%.For today, in line with the positive session across the sea in Europe, the futures are suggesting the Aussie share market will open 0.30% higher. What to watch today:Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO) has just released its fourth quarter update. Its Chief Executive said despite the operating conditions remaining challenging in 2021, due to COVID-19 disruptions, the business continued to experience strong demand for its products and continued to progress several of its projects. Now Goldman Sachs expected iron ore shipments of 88.9Mt and 133kt of mined copper for the quarter. Rio has announced results that fall short of these expectations. Iron ore shipments of 84.1Mt and 132kt of mined copper. So keep watch of the stock, as it may come under pressure after falling short of these expectations. Other companies releasing their fourth quarter results today include: Galaxy Resources (ASX:GXY) and Orocobre's merger, Allkem (ASX:AKE), and petroleum company, Ampol (ASX:ALD).Oil prices edged higher as investors bet that supply will remain tight despite restrained output by major producers. The WTI crude oil price is currently up 0.54% to US$84.27 a barrel, that's a 7-year high. The gold price held steady at US$1,818 per ounce. And the seaborne iron ore price is trading 1.25% lower, at US$126 a tonne.Trading Ideas: Firstly, Bell Potter have maintained their BUY recommendation on City Chic Collective (ASX:CCX). The retail clothing company recently released its preliminary unaudited first half 2022 results and two of the key highlights included: (1) strong first half 2022 results that were ahead of Bell Potter's expectations, driven by strong growth in the US and robust sales in 

That was a decent session to start the trading week with the ASX ending +0.3%, at 7,417. Better than expected Chinese GDP data and a surprise PBOC rate cut helped improve sentiment through the afternoon, though it still feels very much like a market in 'holiday mode.' On that, US markets are closed for Martin Luther King Jr Day ahead of quarterly earnings this week. BeforePay's share price crashed and burned today; spare a thought for investors sitting on a 42% loss on day one of trade. In better news, Wesfarmers investors shrugged off a warning about Omicron's impact on sales at its stores ex-Bunnings, and Adbri's share price responded favourably to a lime supply deal extension. Tomorrow's looking good already with Lynas and Rio Tinto's quarterly updates due. See you then. Our top three VODs: Stock picks to stay on the right side of the 'shortage economy' tradeSell retail and buy staplesBeforepay bludgeoned on debut See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The rise in mental health problems caused by the lockdowns in Victoria and NSW have already cost $1 billion in lost productivity and those aged 15 to 25 are likely to be the worst affected, according to updated modelling by the University of Sydney's Brain and Mind Centre. The figure builds on earlier modelling by the centre that estimated the productivity cost of the COVID-19 pandemic at more $20 billion a year due to a projected increase in psychological distress, hospitalisations and suicide. The centre's modelling considers the initial and ongoing cost of increased mental health illness to the health system and the wider economy. This includes estimates of the costs of increased suicide; the costs of caring for the increases in people self-harming and having suicidal thoughts; and estimates of the reduction in productive output of those affected by mental illness. Professor Ian Hickie, the former Mental Health Commissioner, warned the growing COVID-19-related mental health crisis, especially for young people, had become a “shadow pandemic”. Business support for mandating Covid vaccinations in workplaces is growing, with a national survey of 700 companies finding a quarter would like compulsory jabs of their employees. An Australian Industry Group survey of business attitudes to mandatory Covid vaccination in workplaces found more than half were in favour of some form of mandating. 24% said they would like to mandate Covid vaccinations for some or all of their employees; and 27% said they would like Covid vaccinations to be mandated only through a health order related to their industry.Almost 7000 COVID-19 jabs have been administered to critical workers in the food and freight sectors from Sydney's hardest-hit local government areas Co-operation between major employers and the federal government's Operation COVID Shield rollout effort has seen staff of supermarket and food giants Coles, Woolworths, Aldi, OzHarvest and Metcash vaccinated across 19 sites. About 1000 doses have been administered to employees at freight firms Linfox and DHL, according to federal government data. Ahead of a major expansion of workplace vaccinations in coming months, about 6000 Commonwealth Bank and Westpac employees in hotspot local government areas are being jabbed in a pilot phase. Rollout boss Lieutenant General John Frewen is working with the retail and university sectors on workplace vaccinations, and sporting bodies in AFL, tennis, soccer and netball are expected to be included.Hutchison Ports and DP World have told wharfies they must get the jab to come to work next week as new rules introduced by the NSW government ratchet up pressure on employers to mandate vaccinations. The stevedores advised hundreds of workers they could not work at their Port Botany terminals, located in one of the hotspot local government areas in south-western Sydney, from August 30 if they have not had their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccination. The directions confirm what employer groups suspect thousands of employers might be forced to do after the introduction of rules requiring authorised workers in 12 Sydney local government areas to be vaccinated if they work outside their LGA, unless their workplace uses rapid antigen testing. Fully vaccinated travellers will be able to claim 1000 Qantas frequent flyer points, 15 status credits to move up the loyalty tiers and a $20 discount on Qantas and Jetstar flights from tomorrow. It is part of a new initiative from the airline to encourage vaccinations. Frequent Flyer members who claim the rewards will automatically enter a prize draw to get free accommodation at Accor hotels and free fuel from BP service stations. Prize winners will also get a free international flight on Qantas or Jetstar when borders re-open, projected for mid next year. There will be 10 winners overall – one selected from each state and territory, with another two winners chosen from a national pool. The Porsche-driving mortgage broker who filmed dying police officers at a horrific multi-vehicle accident last year has been banned by the corporate cop from providing financial services or credit for at least a decade. Richard Pusey, whom a judge dubbed “the most hated man in Australia”, was banned from performing any function relating to carrying on a financial services or credit business earlier this month by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. An investigation found the 43-year-old mortgage broker and insurance salesman had given the regulator as many as seven false statements in licence applications and compliance documents. The regulator declared he “is not a fit and proper person to participate in the financial services and credit industries”. In a statement, ASIC said Mr Pusey “has no regard for the law”, “lacks the attributes of good character, honesty, and judgment” and “cannot be relied upon to comply with directions issued from authorities”. ASIC added Mr Pusey “is likely to contravene credit legislation and financial services legislation”. Mr Pusey is in custody awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to assaulting a woman at his home, and two road rage incidents. Mr Pusey also pleaded guilty to menacing a Westpac bank employee in a series of messages in 2019 following a credit card dispute.Australian electric car charging network JOLT plans to install 5000 free fast chargers across capital cities after Blackrock, the world's largest asset manager, bought a stake in the company and pledged an initial $100 million towards building the network. Drivers using JOLT chargers would receive 7 kWh – equivalent to about 45 kilometres of driving – for free, and be charged for power drawn after that. JOLT would also make money from advertising sold on its charging stations. All the power it sells will be renewable and the installation of the charging points is expected to begin in Sydney in September. JOLT operates charging stations in Adelaide. Charlie Reid, a managing director of BlackRock's Global Renewable Power team, said for the world to reach net zero emissions by 2050, the last internal combustion car engine would need to be sold by 2035. He said this would happen globally and in Australia, whatever government policies were in place, as Australia imported its vehicles.Supermarket giant Woolworths has responded to the push by many shoppers for faster online deliveries, striking a deal with Uber Eats for groceries and fresh fruit and vegetables to be delivered from some of its Woolworths Metro outlets within an hour. Woolworths is starting a trial for Uber Eats drivers to deliver goods ordered from 12 Woolworths Metro stores in Sydney and Melbourne. It aims to roll out the service to about 200 Woolworths outlets by early next year. Woolworths operates 996 large supermarket outlets and 78 Woolworths Metro stores, which have a smaller footprint and are generally positioned in inner-city locations to capture customers and commuters buying smaller amounts of groceries, but more frequently. But the Woolworths Metro format has suffered in the pandemic as more people worked from home and CBDs emptied out. Woolworths in June booked a $50 million write-down on the value of 13 Metro locations located in CBDs or near major train stations, which have borne the brunt of the work-from-home shift.Right-wing extremists are using platforms such as YouTube, PayPal and Buy Me A Coffee to raise money to support their nefarious activities, says the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, which is calling for anti-money-laundering laws to apply to more technology businesses. ASPI analyst Ariel Bogle wants the federal government to develop a centralised hate crime and statistics database to track and understand the financial activities of extremists operating in Australia. She is also calling for regulators to consider whether emerging platforms have obligations under laws such as the Anti-Money-Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act and the Proceeds of Crime Act.About 7000 truckies at Toll Transport will strike across the country on Friday, disrupting parcel and food deliveries at the height of the pandemic. The Transport Workers Union confirmed drivers would stop work for 24 hours after Toll refused to drop bargaining claims in crisis talks on Monday, including that part-time staff work up to 38 hours a week without overtime and new drivers work six to 12 month contracts. The stoppage is the first national strike in road transport in more than a decade and comes as home deliveries have surged following stay-at-home orders for more than 14 million people in NSW and Victoria.And the profit reporting season continues. Kogan's net profit plunged 87% to just $3.5 million in 2021. Takeover target Afterpay has widened its net loss to $159.4 million in financial 2021, versus $22.9 million in the prior year. Australia's biggest smash repair outfit AMA Group reported a $99.1 million statutory loss for the year. Chorus EBITDA rose slightly to $NZ649 million during the year, up only slightly on $NZ648 million in the 2020 financial year. Its net profit after tax fell to $47 million, from $NZ52 million, and operating revenue dipped to $NZ947 million, from $NZ959 million Reliance Worldwide revenue rose 15.3% to $1.16 billion while net profit climbed 110.5% to $188.2 million. oOh!media's revenue for the period was up 23% to $251.6 million, while earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation more than tripled to $33.3 million. The company reported a $9.3 million net loss after tax compared to a loss of $28 million in the prior comparable period. GPI Property Group's net profit fell to $22.96 million, down from $66.74 million a year earlier. NIB's underlying revenue rose 2.9% to $2.6 billion however its net profit rose 84.5% to $160.5 million. Hotels and cinemas operator Event Hospitality and Entertainment has posted a 45.4% fall in financial 2021 revenue to $449.3 million. It narrowed its statutory loss 15.7% to $48 million on EBITDA of $27.2 million. Mining contractor MACA's net profit after tax jumped 219% to $20.7 million following the $17.4 million loss it reported last year. Ampol's EBIT rose to $340 million, from $221 million a year ago. Michael Hill's net profit rose 15-fold to a record $45.3 million in 2021. Charter Hall reported post-tax operating earnings of $284.3 million. Latitude delivered an 81% rise in cash profits, to $121 million. Ansell sales rose 25.6% to $US2.02 billion while EBIT climbed 56% to $US338 million and profit firmed 57.5% to $US246.7 million. Perenti Global's net profit after tax and amortisation in the second half of the 2021 financial year improved by $75.3 million from a first-half statutory loss of $63.8 million to a statutory gain in the second half of $11.5 million. Underlying net profit after tax and amortisation fell from $211.7 million to $170.8 million. HUB24 reported net profit after tax of $15 million, up 53%, and underlying group earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation of $36.2 million which was a 47% increase on FY20. Monadelphous Group's revenue rose 18% to $1.75 billion while profit climbed 29% to $47.1 million. The Westfield Australia real estate trust Scentre Group has reported its operating profit for the half year to June 30 climbed 27.5% to $460.1 million on property revenue up 21.3% to $1.064.8 million. Total revenue fell 1.2% to $1081.4 million. Alumina's net profit dipped 19% to $US73.6 million. Carbon Revolution revenue declined 10% to $34.9 million as the company reported a $32 million loss after tax. Oil Search's revenue climbed 7% to $US667.7 million in the first half of the year while core net profit soared 463% to $139 million. Nanosonics' full year revenue was up 3% to $103.1 million for the period with an operating profit before tax of $11 million, down from $12.4 million in FY20. Voice communication software provider MNF Group's recurring revenue rose 12% to $113.2 million, while EBITDA increased 13% to $43.1 million, sitting at the top end of market guidance. Estia Health's revenue rose 4.4% to $665.4 million while profit after tax rose to $6 million following a $116.9 million loss a year earlier. Austal's net profit after tax came in at $81.1 million, down from $89 million in FY20. Superloop's total revenue rose 2.9% to $110.7 million during the year however it still reported a loss of $31.9 million for the year. Sleep treatment specialist SomnoMed has narrowed its full-year net loss to $1.18 million and lifted revenue 9% to $62.7 million for financial 2021. ReadyTech's underlying net profit after tax and amortisation rose 27% to $10.6 million. Local fund manager VGI Partners delivered a normalised net profit after tax of $42.9 million for the half-year to the end of June. Fertility specialist Monash IVF has hiked its adjusted net profit 61.5% to $23.3 million on revenue up 26.3% to $183.6 million for financial 2021. Statutory net profit climbed 116.9% to $25.5 million, with the adjusted profit number excluding the impact of JobKeeper subsidies. Viva Energy's gross profit firmed 17% to $788.9 million. Mt Gibson's sales revenue dipped to $329.7 million, from $445.2 million a year earlier, while net profit slid 24% to $92.1 million. Wagner Holdings reported net profit after tax of $10 million. Financial software player Bravura Solutions reported 13.8% fall in financial 2021 profit to $34.6 million. Northern Star's net profit climbed 299.7% to $1.03 billion. Medibank Private's net profit advanced 39.8% to $441.2 million. Sky City's reported profit dipped 33.7% to $NZ156.1 million. Seven Group's net profit firmed 447.6% to $631.4 million. Zircon miner Iluka Resources has posted a half-year net profit up 61.7% to $129 million. Orocobre's losses widened 14.7% to $US59.6 million. IDP Education's earnings before interest and tax were $64.1 million, a 41% decrease on FY20. Adbri's net profit firmed 94.5% to $56.6 million. National Storage REIT grew underlying earnings by 28% to $86.5 million for the financial year that ended in June. Nine Entertainment's net profit firmed 76% to $277.5 million. APA Group's profit after tax 98.8% to $3.68 million due to significant one-off items. Engineering Group Worley's net profit fell 50% to $86 million in financial 2021. IVE Group's net profit rose to $29.5 million, improving on the $20.2 million loss from a year earlier. Growthpoint Properties has posted a financial 2021 statutory net profit of $553.2 million, versus $272.1 million in the prior year. McMahon Holdings' Statutory net profit rose 19% to $77.2 million. Ferries and bus operator Sealink reports its underlying net profit climbed 152.6% in financial 2021 to $74.7 million. Aurelia Metals' net profit firmed 46% to $42.9 million. Green whistle painkiller merchant Medical Developments has swung to a net loss of $12.6 million. Clearview Wealth reported a 54% increase in underlying net profit after tax to $22.7 million. Dalrymple Day Infrastructure reported net profit of $113.2 million. Sunland Group's net profit after tax surged from $2.4 million in FY20 to $24.9 million in FY21. Ridley's EBITDA climbed $9.6 million to $69.1 million while total comprehensive income climbed to $29.9 million following a loss of $10.7 million a year earlier. E-commerce business MyDeal has swung to a $5.9 million loss. Zip Co has reported a staggering $652.5 million loss. Pent-up demand for youth fashion helped Universal Store lift net profit by 90% to $24.4 million in 2021.And that's it for this week. And next week, I'll be talking to Cat Long, the CEO of Trace, a company set up to help businesses and individuals reduce and/or offset their carbon footprint. And I'll be talking to economist Nicholas Gruen about ways to manage our superannuation.In the meantime you can catch me on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. And if you want leave a comment. Wishing you all a safe and healthy week. And looking forward to bringing you Talking Business next week Follow my socials on:https://twitter.com/leongettlerhttps://www.instagram.com/leongettler/https://www.linkedin.com/in/leongettler/https://www.facebook.com/talkingbusinesspodcast See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

US stocks gained for the fourth straight day. The Aussie share market will likely follow US stocks higher. The futures suggest a lift of 0.24%, with all eyes on travel, tourism and oil stocks. Stay tuned, later today we will be releasing a full report on Zip (ASX:Z1P)'s results.What to watch today: The iron ore and copper prices both rose 0.4%. The modest gains supported BHP listed in New York, which rose over 1%, while RIO rose almost 3%. Expect Aussie listed BHP, RIO and other iron ore and copper stocks to rise today. The gold price holds above US$1800. Company earnings results today: Afterpay (ASX:APT)'s key performance metric, its transaction margin, came in at 2.1%. This shows APT saw a drop in the money it makes from transactions (compared to last year's net transaction margin of 2.3%). APT's loss after tax deeply worsened, falling 597% to a loss after tax of $159.4 million, while the market expected a loss of just $17 million. Zip (ASX:Z1P) is set to report later today.  Medibank (ASX:MPL)'s annual profit grew 40% to $441.2 million, amid policyholder growth and less payouts. Profit beat the $424.7 million expected. Adbri (ASX:ABC) 1H net profit grew 95% on the year to $56.6m. However, profit fell slightly short of market expectations of $60 million. Clarity Pharmaceuticals (ASX:CU6) is set to list and start trading today, with a market value of nearly $360 million. CU6 is a radiopharmaceutical company with five clinical trials currently underway, to treat various conditions and cancers. Kuniko (ASX:KNI) is also a new listing, whose parent organisation is Vulcan Energy (ASX:VUL). Most traded stocks by Bell Direct clients yesterday include Qantas (ASX:QAN) and Monadelphous (ASX:MND). Trading Ideas: Austal (ASX:ASB) was reiterated as a Citi BUY, however the investment bank dropped ASB's 12 month price target to $3.10 (previously $3.35). ASB has new US opportunities continuing to emerge. Citi recognises ASB trades at a 73% discount to its global ship building peers. Alcidion (ASX:ALC) was reiterated as a Bell Potter BUY, with a $0.45 price target, implying 23% share price growth in a year. Scentre Group (ASX:SCG), Firefinch (ASX:FFX) and CogState (ASX:CGS) are all giving off bullish charting signals, according to Trading Central. 

The S&P/ASX200 posted a new record on Wednesday, gaining 29 points or 0.4% to 7,503 after hitting another intraday high before lunch. Cyclicals took charge on a day where investors held off ahead of the big reports. The energy names did well, as did real estate, although BWP Trust did give back 2.1% after almost tripling full-year distribution. But it was the Iron Triumvirate - BHP (2.4%), Rio Tinto (1.8%) and Fortescue Metals (0.7%) well assisted by Adbri (4.7%) - that dragged a lighter index higher. And so, to bed.Our top three VODs:Market analysts expect FY earnings up 35-40%; Gerrish's reporting season scorecardSmall cap reporting season standoutsEvan Lucas' reporting season checklist See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Yesterday we saw the Aussie market hit a 6-week high after rising for three days and lifting 0.8% - attempting to play catch up with global equities. Today, the futures are suggesting a small lift of 0.04%.The IMF raised global growth forecasts from 5.2% to 6%. That's the quickest growth rate since 1980. For Australia it sees our economy growing at 4.5%.What to watch todayToday traders and investors will be focused on four areas: (1) Stocks benefitting from Australian NZ flights taking off 19 April - like Air New Zealand (ASX:AIZ) which rose 8% yesterday. (2) The Tech sector – Yesterday it saw its biggest gain in a long time, with Afterpay (ASX:APT) rising 10%, Zip (ASX:Z1P) rising 9% and Xero (ASX:XRO) rising 3.1% - as bond yields stabilised and the US tech sector is coming back. (3) Stocks that hit a 52-week high to see if they have more momentum. (4) Eco news – construction index for March – expected to show further growth, supporting earnings in construction and mortgages stocks and Services sector data due out today – expected to strengthen. Companies going ex-dividend today, including Adbri (ASX:ABC) as well as ETFs like IOZ, which is the top 200 ETF, and IGB which is a Bond ETF.  Trading ideas:Bell Potter reiterated its Buy calls on two stocks overnight: Acrow Formwork & Construction (ASX:ACF) with a $0.45 target and Senex Energy (ASX:SXY) with a $3.71. Super Retail Group (ASX:SUL), Redbubble (ASX:RBL) and Nickel Mines (ASX:NIC) are all giving off bullish charting signals according to Trading Central.

The Aussie share market futures are suggesting a 0.2% rebound. Commodity stocks are set to lift the market, while the vaccine rollout continues to lift sentiment - with Australia awaiting the second shipment of Pfizer vaccines today.What to watch today:Commodity stocks will dominate headlines and will likely continue to do so this year as prices continue to rise on Chinese demand and lack of supply.Iron ore darling stocks like Fortescue Metals (ASX:FMG), BHP (ASX:BHP), Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO) and Mineral Resources (ASX:MIN).Oil stocks will be in focus – Oil price jumped 4% to US$61.69 – with the price likely to continue to push up, as US oil rigs remain shut due to a cold weather snap, while oil demand continues. Silver and copper stocks also on the radar – Silver rose 3.5% and Copper surged 1.5% Results out of the gate today:Adbri (ASX:ABC) - NPAT hit $93.7m, which is weaker than the $104m expected.Alumina (ASX:AWC) announced profit fell 31% to $US147m. Disappointing shareholders expecting US$183m. HUB24 (ASX:HUB) announced its profit rose 19% in the half-year and it declared a record dividend. Macmahon Holdings (ASX:MAH) announced its profit rose 56% in the half-year to $44.8 million. Trading ideas:Bell Potter upgraded Costa Group's Ltd (ASX:CGC) Buy rating with an increased $5.10 price target after CGC's profit rose 100%.Bell Potter reiterated Senex Energy's (ASX:SXY) Buy rating with a price target of $0.46.Champion Iron (ASX:CIA), Piedmont Lithium (ASX:PLL) and NZME (ASX:NZM) are all giving off bullish charting signals according to Trading Central. 

 The market hit a 12-month high this week, rising 3% (Mon-Fri 10:30am) - that's the ASX200's best gain in 13-weeks. In keeping with tradition, better than expected company news, earnings results, and economic stimulus have driven this surge. But with a marked increase in retail investor trading in small and mid-sized companies, caution is advised...In this week's wrap, Jessica covers:(0:22) The soaring market. All sectors doing well except Utilities(0:55) Credit Corp (ASX:CCP) rising 18%, after a good report card(1:27) Home loans reaching record highs in December(2:03) What'll be hot next week - key earnings results(3:00) Two oil stocks to watch(4:08) Where to be cautious amongst the retail investor buying frenzy

We saw 35 companies report this week, the busiest reporting season week in August. Most results came in line or beat expectations, while a handful of reports dragged the chain.   In this week's wrap, Jessica covers:(0:6) Reporting Season's final dash(0:16) Sectors: Tech shines, while Utilities dampen(0:5) Who beat, who met, and who missed expectations?(2:49) The reporting season big picture(3:18) Results to watch next week: Bubs Australia (ASX:BUB) and Cooper Energy (ASX:COE)(3:45) Ex-dividend dates coming up including: Ansell (ASX:ANN), Steadfast Group (ASX:SDF) and Amcor (ASX:AMC) 

After another record night for the S&P 500 and the NASDAQ, which unfortunately failed to translate to gains for the local market. The top 200 closed down 0.6% with banks leading the losers. Healthcare and real estate sectors finished in the green. Afterpay was down 2% after its tear yesterday - maybe some caution ahead of tomorrow's results - while Zip surged 27% to a new high on news of a deal with eBay... Australia and New Zealand that is. Our top three VODs for today are:Ryan Stokes: Infrastructure and mining help Seven Group stay resilientCOVID-19 won't dim Adbri's bright futureCleanaway's greatest opportunities and challenges lie with SMEs See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.