Pacific Perspectives
The day CBA shares crashed back down to earth
The ASX’s gorillas have big companies so priced to perfection that they’re sitting ducks for results day capitulations. That’s what happened to Commonwealth Bank of Australia on Wednesday. Big superannuation funds have so much passive…
Small caps, tech stocks at risk as budget hits retail investors
Labor’s capital gains tax changes are expected to hit Australian small caps and growth stocks that are popular among retail investors and could even deter technology companies and start-ups from listing on the local sharemarket…
Budget turns Australia into ‘belle of the ball’ for global bond buyers
The federal government’s borrowing manager says it plans to sell $125 billion of Treasury bonds in the next financial year, making them a favourite for foreign investors seeking higher returns and greater security. Source: https://www.afr.com/markets/debt-markets/budget-turns-australia-into-belle-of-the-ball-for-global-bond-buyers-20260513-p5zw8f
Wholesale inflation jumps 6% in April on annual basis, biggest increase since 2022
Wholesale prices in April posted their highest annual increase in more than three years, signaling more nettlesome inflation as pipeline costs intensify. Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/13/ppi-inflation-report-april-2026-.html
Markets raise chances for a Fed rate hike following hot inflation report
Traders moved further away Tuesday from expecting any Federal Reserve interest rate cuts and in fact began anticipating a higher probability that the next move would be a hike. Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/12/markets-raise-chances-for-a-fed-rate-hike-following-hot-inflation-report.html
Australians scramble for Wall Street’s AI boom despite crash fears
Australian investors are piling into American technology giants at a furious pace as they scramble for exposure to an artificial intelligence trade that has sent Wall Street to records despite warnings from major fund managers…
CBA lifts bad debt buffers as quarterly profit rises
Commonwealth Bank said inflation and interest rate rises will weigh on household spending and business activity, as it reported a $2.7 billion cash profit for the March quarter, up 4 per cent on the prior…
IFM Investors’ hostile bid spurned by Atlas Arteria shareholder
ClearBridge Investments, a long-term shareholder in Atlas Arteria, says it will reject IFM Investors’ $6.9 billion hostile takeover offer because it undervalues the company’s assets. Andrew Chambers, portfolio manager at Melbourne-based ClearBridge who specialises in…
The stock market isn’t ignoring Iran. It’s rising for these three very real reasons
Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/12/the-stock-market-isnt-ignoring-iran-its-rising-for-these-three-very-real-reasons.html
Inflation reading Tuesday expected to show prices at nearly a three-year high
An inflation reading due Tuesday is expected to show price gains at their highest level in nearly three years, setting up potential challenges for investors and Federal Reserve officials alike. April’s consumer price index, a broad…