The
2008/09 Federal Budget handed down on 13 May contains a mix
of spending restraint and tax integrity measures that are designed
to rein in inflation and keep a lid on interest rates. The bottom
line is a projected budget surplusof $21.7bn in the 2008/09
financial year with modest economic growth of 2.75%.
The package features personal income tax cuts, a reduction in
the Medicare Levy Surcharge, higher infrastructure spending
and a range of tax initiatives aimed at low- and middle-income
earners.More
Buoyed
once again by the resources sector, the latest company
reporting season has produced another crop of strong
earnings results. According to our sample of 191
companies, average sales growth was 14.2%, net profits
were up 9.7% on a year ago and earnings per share
were 6.8% higher. That's not as strong as the last
five years but better than most analysts and investors
were expecting.More
Borrowing to invest in residential property has
been one of the most popular and effective ways
for retail investors to build wealth. By any yardstick,
its track record is outstanding with gross total
returns averaging 14.1% per annum since 1980. More
Australia is currently
ranked twenty-fifth on our list of major market
price/earnings (P/E) ratios. According to our November
2006 survey, the average world P/E ratio is now
16.6 times. That's up from 15.9 in our May survey
but is not dangerously high by historical standards.More
The
latest Wren Research Survey of global equity funds
shows that managers are still wary of the U.S. share
market and are placing their bets on Europe and
Asia. The U.K. and Japan are continuing to lose
favour.More