Rudi’s View: Model Portfolios, Best Ideas & Conviction Calls

This story features AUB GROUP LIMITED, and other companies. For more info SHARE ANALYSIS: AUB

By Rudi Filapek-Vandyck, Editor

Morningstar’s Best Equity Ideas for ASX-listed stocks (freshly updated) has seen a few changes.

Gone are AUB Group ((AUB)), Newmont Corp ((NEM)) and Pexa Group ((PXA)). Instead APA Group ((APA)), IGO Ltd ((IGO)) and SiteMinder ((SDR)) have been included.

Three in and three out means the selection still have 14 names:

-APA Group

-ASX Ltd ((ASX))

-Aurizon Holdings ((AZJ))

-Bapcor ((BAP))

-Brambles ((BXB))

-Domino’s Pizza ((DMP))

-Dexus ((DXS))

-Endeavour Group ((EDV))

-IGO Ltd

-SiteMinder

-Santos ((STO))

-TPG Telecom ((TPG))

As well as Fineos Corp ((FCL)) and ResMed ((RMD)) and  among international ideas.

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Jarden‘s select list of Best Ideas among small cap stocks in Australia (ex-ASX100) contains the following 19 stocks:

-AUB Group ((AUB))
-Champion Iron ((CIA))
-Dicker Data ((DDR))
-Domain Holdings Australia ((DHG))
-EVT Ltd ((EVT))
-Ingenia Communities Group ((INA))
-Inghams Group ((ING))
-IPH Ltd ((IPH))
-Karoon Gas ((KAR))
-Light & Wonder ((LNW))
-Lovisa Holdings ((LOV))
-Nick Scali ((NCK))
-NRW Holdings ((NWH))
-National Storage ((NSR))
-Pointsbet Holdings ((PBH))
-Pepper Money ((PPM))
-Telix Pharmaceuticals ((TLX))
-Temple & Webster ((TPW))
-Universal Store Holdings ((UNI))

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Ord Minnett‘s Buy-rated stocks in the local technology sector are currently: Cosol ((COS)), Dropsuite ((DSE)), Hansen Technologies ((HSN)), Life360 ((360)), Qoria ((QOR)), Seek ((SEK)), Siteminder ((SDR)), and Xero ((XRO)).

The list contains one lonely Sell rating, which is reserved for Pro Medicus ((PME)).

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Market strategists at Evans and Partners bemoan the fact higher for longer inflation numbers in Australia are preventing the RBA from lowering the burden of high interest rates. This, argue the strategists, effectively places a ceiling over the economy and the share market, limiting upside potential.

The key risk for the quarters ahead, argues Evans and Partners, is that high inflation with low growth becomes the consensus view locally. The strategists thus implore investors to be cautious and selective, “scrutinising those businesses and industries facing cyclical headwinds and instead focussing on companies with more diverse earnings drivers.”

Evans and Partners’ key focus has turned to offshore earners, “as well as businesses with strong industry positions benefiting from structural thematics such as digitalization and decarbonisation”.

Selected names:

-Aristocrat Leisure ((ALL))
-Brambles ((BXB))
-Flight Centre ((FLT))
-Macquarie Group ((MQG))
-Treasury Wine Estates ((TWE))
-James Hardie Industries ((JHX))
-Block Inc ((SQ2))

As well as:

-BHP Group ((BHP))
-Rio Tinto ((RIO))
-Monadelphous Group ((MND))
-APA Group ((APA))
-NextDC ((NXT))
-Macquarie Technology Group ((MAQ))

Also worth mentioning, Evans and Partners’ preferred yield ideas are:

-APA Group ((APA))
-Arena REIT ((ARF))
-Qantas Airways ((QAN))
-Telstra ((TLS))

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Key Stock Picks for the year-ahead nominated by analysts at Bell Potter:

-Among listed investment companies (LICs); Australian Foundation Investment Company ((AFI)), Metrics Master Income Trust ((MXT)), and MFF Capital Investments ((MFF))

-Agriculture & fast moving consumer goods; Bega Cheese ((BGA)), Rural Funds Group ((RFF)), and Elders ((ELD))

-Technology; TechnologyOne ((TNE)), Gentrack ((GTK)), and REA Group ((REA))

-Diversified Financials; Perpetual ((PPT)), Regal Partners ((RPL)), and McMillan Shakespeare ((MMS))

-Real Estate; Dexus Convenience Retail REIT ((DXS)), HealthCo Healthcare & Wellness REIT ((HCW)), and GDI Property Group ((GDI))

-Retailers; Premier Investments ((PMV)), Universal Store Holdings ((UNI)), and Propel Funeral Partners ((PFP))

-Aerospace & Defence; Electro Optic Systems ((EOS)) and Austal ((ASB))

-Industrials; Brickworks ((BKW)), IPD Group ((IPG)), and Cleanaway Waste Management ((CWY))

-Healthcare; Telix Pharmaceuticals ((TLX)), Cyclopharm ((CYC)), Aroa Bioscience ((ARX)), MedAdvisor ((MDR)), and Neuren Pharmaceuticals ((NEU))

-Gold sector; Capricorn Metals ((CMM)) and Santana Minerals ((SMI))

-Base metals; Aeris Resources ((AIS)), Nickel Industries ((NIC)), and Mineral Resources ((MIN))

-Strategic Minerals; Alpha HPA ((A4N)), IperionX ((IPX)), and Liontown Resources ((LTR))

-Energy sector; Boss Energy ((BOE)) and Paladin Energy ((PDN))

-Mining services; Seven Group Holdings ((SVW)), Mader Group ((MAD)), and SRG Global ((SRG))

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Barrenjoey Chief Equity Strategist Damien Boey has been among the first to declare it’s time to pivot the investment portfolio in favour of a more defensive positioning (not that the market has been paying any attention).

Barrenjoey’s Bucket List of conviction calls includes the following selection:

-Woolworths Group ((WOW))
-Viva Energy Group ((VEA))
-TechnologyOne ((TNE))
-Medibank Private ((MPL))
-Steadfast Group ((SDF))
-Aussie Broadband ((ABB))
-QBE Insurance ((QBE))
-Santos ((STO))
-Northern Star ((NST))
-Ampol ((ALD))
-Insurance Australia Group ((IAG))
-Ventia Services Group ((VNT))
-AUB Group ((AUB))
-Aristocrat Leisure ((ALL))
-Brambles ((BXB))
-Origin Energy ((ORG))
-Cochlear ((COH))
-Car Group ((CAR))
-Metcash ((MTS))
-Aurizon Holdings ((AZJ))
-Cleanaway Waste Management ((CWY))
-ResMed ((RMD))
-Orora ((ORA))
-Telstra ((TLS))
-CSL ((CSL))

Boey’s reasoning for a more defensive portfolio positioning is because global risk appetite is currently much higher than the economic outlook deserves it to be. Even with the prospect of central bank rate cuts underpinning positive sentiment, Boey thinks it’s more likely risk appetite will, at some point, pull back.

Potential triggers include the Bank of Japan diverging away from its global peers, and devaluations of JPY and/or the Chinese Yuan.

In Australia, the Barrenjoey strategist worries about the RBA raising rates further in response to stubbornly high inflation. With excess savings depleting rapidly among Australians, consumer spending remains at risk of slowing further, with negative flow on effects for the labour market.

Barrenjoey is thus underweight banks and domestic rate-sensitive cyclicals and believes Insurance, Staples, Telcos, Healthcare and Utilities are defensive in this environment.

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JP Morgan‘s last update on Emerging Companies (“small caps”) showed Superloop ((SLC)) is the Top Pick and Dicker Data ((DDR)) is the broker’s Bottom Pick.

The first is lauded for its strong operational momentum on still an undemanding valuation, while the market is seen as too optimistic for Dicker Data’s outlook which includes slowing top line growth.

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The full list of UBS’s Least Preferred stocks now includes:

-Aurizon Holdings ((AZJ))
-ASX ((ASX))
-Bank of Queensland ((BOQ))
-CommBank ((CBA))
-Cochlear ((COH))
-Domain Holdings ((DHG))
-Pilbara Minerals ((PLS))
-Reece ((REH))
-Scentre Group ((SCG))

UBS’s full list of Most Preferred stocks:

-AGL Energy ((AGL))
-BlueScope Steel ((BSL))
-Orica ((ORI))
-Origin Energy ((ORG))
-Rio Tinto ((RIO))
-Santos ((STO))

-AUB Group ((AUB))
-Computershare ((CPU))
-nib Holdings ((NHF))
-QBE Insurance ((QBE))
-Suncorp Group ((SUN))

-Brambles ((BXB))
-Coles Group ((COL))
-CSL ((CSL))
-James Hardie ((JHX))
-NextDC ((NXT))
-Super Retail ((SUL))
-Telstra ((TLS))
-Treasury Wine ((TWE))
-Universal Store ((UNI))
-Worley ((WOR))
-Xero ((XRO))

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Ord Minnett analysts’ Conviction List consists of the following:

-Alliance Aviation Services ((AQZ))
-ARB Corp ((ARB))
-Cosol ((COS))
-EQT Holdings ((EQT))
-Lindsay Australia ((LAU))
-Pinnacle Investment Management ((PNI))
-Red 5 ((RED))
-Regis Healthcare ((REG))
-Select Harvests ((SHV))
-SRG Globval ((SRG))
-Waypoint REIT ((WPR))
-Webjet ((WEB))
-Whitehaven Coal ((WHC))

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Goldman Sachs’s High Conviction calls for the Asia-Pacific region includes only four ASX-listed companies:

-Lynas Rare Earths ((LYC))
-Woolworths Group ((WOW))
-Qantas Airways ((QAN))
-Xero ((XRO))****

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Morgan Stanley’s Australia Macro+ Focus List contains the following 10 stocks:

-Aristocrat Leisure ((ALL))
-Car Group ((CAR))
-CSL ((CSL))
-Macquarie Group ((MQG))
-Origin Energy ((ORG))
-Paladin Energy ((PDN))
-QBE Insurance ((QBE))
-Suncorp Group ((SUN))
-Treasury Wine Estates ((TWE))
-Woodside Energy ((WDS))

****

Morgan Stanley’s Macro+ Model Portfolio consists of the following 32 constituents:

-ANZ Bank ((ANZ))
-CommBank ((CBA))
-National Australia Bank ((NAB))
-Westpac Bank ((WBC))
-Macquarie Group ((MQG))
-QBE Insurance ((QBE))
-Suncorp Group ((SUN))
-Goodman Group ((GMG))
-Scentre Group ((SCG))
-Stockland ((SGP))
-Aristocrat Leisure ((ALL))
-Car Group ((CAR))
-Domino’s Pizza ((DMP))
-The Lottery Corp ((TLC))
-Wesfarmers ((WES))
-James Hardie ((JHX))
-Orica ((ORI))
-Coles Group ((COL))
-Treasury Wine Estates ((TWE))
-CSL ((CSL))
-ResMed ((RMD))
-AGL Energy ((AGL))
-Origin Energy ((ORG))
-Telstra ((TLS))
-Transurban Group ((TCL))
-BHP Group ((BHP))
-Newmont Corp ((NEM))
-Rio Tinto ((RIO))
-South32 ((S32))
-Paladin Energy ((PDN))
-Santos ((STO))
-Woodside Energy ((WDS))

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Wilsons‘ list of Highest Conviction Investment Ideas: TechnologyOne, Worley ((WOR)), Woodside Energy, Aristocrat Leisure, and Collins Foods ((CKF)).

More ideas come with “long term growth” profiles:

-Ridley Corp ((RIC))
-Universal Stores ((UNI))
-ARB Corp ((ARB))
-Neuren Pharmaceuticals ((NEU))
-Pinnacle Investment Management ((PNI))

Among Resources stocks, there are two favoured ideas:

-Beach Energy ((BPT))
-Liontown Resources ((LTR))

And there’s a Speculative basket too:

-Immutep ((IMM))

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Wilsons’ Focus Portfolio‘s largest overweight remains towards growth companies, including a large overweight to the healthcare sector. The largest underweight allocation remains for local banks. The Portfolio also holds a slight overweight allocation to resources, but this is due to “active positioning” in green metals and energy (underweight iron ore).

The Focus Portfolio encompasses the following:

Consumer Discretionary
Aristocrat Leisure ((ALL)), Lottery Corp ((TLC)), Collins Foods ((CKF)), Breville Group ((BRG)), Webjet ((WEB))

Energy
-Woodside Energy ((WDS))

Financials
-ANZ Bank ((ANZ)), National Australia Bank ((NAB)), Westpac ((WBC)), Macquarie Group ((MQG)), Insurance Australia Group ((IAG)), Netwealth Group ((NWL)), Steadfast Group ((SDF))

Healthcare
-CSL ((CSL)), ResMed ((RMD)), Telix Pharmaceuticals ((TLX))

Industrials
-Worley ((WOR))

Information Technology
-TechnologyOne ((TNE)), Xero ((XRO))

Materials
-BHP Group ((BHP)), Amcor ((AMC)), Evolution Mining ((EVN)), Mineral Resources ((MIN)), Arcadium Lithium ((LTM)), Sandfire Resources ((SFR)), South32 ((S32))

Real Estate
-Goodman Group ((GMG)), HealthCo Healthcare & Wellness REIT ((HCW))

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Macquarie Wealth’s recommended Growth Portfolio:

-Goodman Group ((GMG))
-Seek ((SEK))
-Aristocrat leisure ((ALL))
-Northern Star ((NST))
-CSL ((CSL))
-Computershare ((CPU))
-NextDC ((NXT))
-Flight Centre ((FLT))
-Mineral Resources ((MIN))
-Cleanaway Waste Management ((CWY))
-Steadfast Group ((SDF))
-Arcadium Lithium ((LTM))
-ResMed ((RMD))
-Pexa Group ((PXA))
-Treasury Wine Estates ((TWE))
-Viva Energy ((VEA))
-Xero ((XRO))

Macquarie Wealth’s recommended Income Portfolio:

-Suncorp Group ((SUN))
-Telstra ((TLS))
-National Australia Bank ((NAB))
-Westpac Bank ((WBC))
-ANZ Bank ((ANZ))
-BHP Group ((BHP))
-CommBank ((CBA))
-Premier Investments ((PMV))
-Coles Group ((COL))
-Viva Energy ((VEA))
-Atlas Arteria ((ALX))
-Aurizon Holdings ((AZJ))
-APA Group ((APA))
-GPT Group ((GPT))
-Deterra Royalties ((DRR))
-Metcash ((MTS))
-Amotiv ((AOV))
-Charter Hall Retail REIT ((CQR))
-Amcor ((AMC))

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Shaw and Partners Research Monitor for the June quarter shows the broker’s ASX100 Large Caps Model Portfolio consists of the following ten members:

-Aristocrat Leisure ((ALL))
-Domino’s Pizza ((DMP))
-Evolution Mining ((EVN))
-James Hardie Industries ((JHX))
-Pilbara Minerals ((PLS))
-Qantas Airways ((QAN))
-ResMed ((RMD))
-Suncorp Group ((SUN))
-Treasury Wine Estates ((TWE))
-Xero ((XRO))

Preferred exposures among ’emerging companies’ (smaller caps) are:

-Abacus Storage King ((ASK))
-Bannerman Energy ((BMN))
-Black Cat Syndicate ((BC8))
-Global Lithium Resources ((GL1))
-Helloworld ((HLO))
-Metro Mining ((MMI))
-Retail Food Group ((RFG))
-Vista Group ((VGL))
-Tyro Payments ((TYR))
-Webjet ((WEB))

****

Stockbroker Morgans‘ list of Best Ideas currently consists of the following 32 ASX-listed companies:

Among Large Caps:
-Coles Group ((COL))
-CSL ((CSL))
-QBE Insurance ((QBE))
-Woodside Energy ((WDS))

Cyclicals:
-GQG Partners ((GQG))
-WH Soul Pattinson ((SOL))
-ALS Ltd ((ALQ))
-Beacon Lighting ((BLX))
-GUD Holdings ((GUD))
-Universal Store Holdings ((UNI))
-Elders ((ELD))
-Acrow ((ACF))
-Maas Group ((MGH))
-Dalrymple Bay Infrastructure ((DBI))
-Karoon Energy ((KAR))

Structural Growth:
-ResMed ((RMD))
-NextDC ((NXT))
-TechnologyOne ((TNE))
-Mach7 Technologies ((M7T))
-Camplify Holdings ((CHL))
-Superloop ((SLC))

Tactical Ideas:
-Treasury Wine Estates ((TWE))
-ClearView Wealth ((CVW))
-Inghams Group ((ING))
-Avita Medical ((AVH))
-Flight Centre Travel ((FLT))

Preferred Resources:
-South32 ((S32))
-Stanmore Resources ((SMR))

A-REITs:
-Cedar Woods Properties ((CWP))
-Dexus Industria REIT ((DXI))
-HomeCo Daily Needs REIT ((HDN))
-Qualitas ((QAL))

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In December, Shaw and Partners released its 10 Best Ideas to benefit from the anticipated small caps’ revival in 2024.

The selected ten:

-AIC Mines ((A1M))
-Austin Engineering ((ANG))
-FireFly Metals ((FFM)), previously AuTeco (AUT)
-Chrysos ((C79))
-Gentrack Group ((GTK))
-Metro Mining ((MMI))
-MMA Offshore ((MRM))
-Peninsula Energy ((PEN))
-ReadyTech Holdings ((RDY))
-Silex Energy ((SLX))

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Macquarie’s ASX Quality Compounders

The highest quality ‘compounders’ as identified by Macquarie quant research inside the ASX300:

-James Hardie ((JHX))
-Cochlear ((COH))
-REA Group ((REA))
-TechnologyOne ((TNE))
-ResMed ((RMD))
-Data#3 ((DTL))
-Pro Medicus ((PME))
-Jumbo Interactive ((JIN))
-PWR Holdings ((PWH))
-Netwealth Group ((NWL))
-Aristocrat Leisure ((ALL))
-Spark New Zealand ((SPK))
-Codan ((CDA))
-Clinuvel Pharmacauticals ((CUV))
-Redox ((RDX))

Given Macquarie’s research strong leaning on the past five years, with high barriers to match, the following 11 companies fell just outside the above list:

-Fisher & Paykel Healthcare ((FPH))
-Medibank Private ((MPL))
-Coles Group ((COL))
-The Lottery Corp ((TLC))
-Lovisa Holdings ((LOV))
-CSL ((CSL))
-IDP Education ((IEL))
-Pinnacle Investment Management ((PNI))
-ARB Corp ((ARB))
-Breville Group ((BRG))
-Johns Lyng ((JLG))

My research and All-Weather stock selections are 24/7 available for paying subscribers: https://fnarena.com/index.php/analysis-data/all-weather-stocks/

(Do note that, in line with all my analyses, appearances and presentations, all of the above names and calculations are provided for educational purposes only. Investors should always consult with their licensed investment advisor first, before making any decisions.)  

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P.S. II – If you are reading this story through a third party distribution channel and you cannot see charts included, we apologise, but technical limitations are to blame.

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