Rudi’s View: Investing Is About The Future

Rudi's View | Mar 06 2024

In this week's Weekly Insights:

-Investing Is About The Future
-All-Weather Model Portfolio
-Conviction Calls
-It's Your Turn

By Rudi Filapek-Vandyck, Editor FNArena

Investing Is About The Future

The local December-half results season in February had its own script in mind, as also illustrated by the interim result release from California, USA headquartered Life360 ((360)) on March 1st.

It's not often Australian investors see a sizeable earnings 'beat' being rewarded with a 38.5% rise in the share price, not to mention the double digit follow-through that occurred on the following Monday.

By the market's close 7.87% of that follow-through was left for a 46%-plus gain over two days, which neatly summarised what February 2024 was mostly about:

-both analysts and investors had been too cautious in many instances, which provided a platform for big corrections upwards

-a two-year bear market for smaller cap companies also meant share prices proved too low

-consumer spending is still fine, both locally and overseas

-management teams have a much better grip on limiting cost growth

-the sky is literally the limit for technology companies, both large and small

That seldom witnessed melt-up experience for shares in Life360, provider of tracking services for family members and pets, is the result of an undervalued starting point in combination with operational momentum that has forced analysts to significantly upgrade forecasts, valuations, and price targets.

According to FNArena's The Short Report total short positions in the stock were less than 1.5% prior to the market update.

For investors, to understand the full message emanating from the Life360 share price explosion, both items supporting the share price move are equally significant.

I would actually argue the second part is the most important factor as numerous other technology-driven companies have equally enforced significant upward corrections in operational estimates and share prices, without starting from a beaten-down, too low share price level.

Spoiler alert: it is not just a smaller cap phenomenon either.

Goodman Group ((GMG)) has been one of my personal favourites in the local share market for numerous years and with a market capitalisation of circa $57.9bn it is one of the largest index constituents on the ASX.

Yet, its financial release too put a rocket under the share price and left analysts in awe, scrambling back to the drawing board to remodel upgraded forecasts and valuations.

It wasn't that long ago when investors on my X feed were seen discussing whether Goodman Group shares at $24 were 'fair value' or 'expensive'. Now the shares are trading above $30, backed by significant increases in analyst valuations. The current high-marker is Citi with a price target of $32.50.