Why is disruption working as an investment strategy? Is it actually different this time or just an extended build-up to a new tech crash? The rules of investing say the raw PE’s of Amazon, Google and the like are high by most standards, and this underpins a view by some … Read More
How Apple’s buybacks create a 27% increase in EPS
Broker calculators have been running red hot over the past week working through the implications of the large cash balances of some of the world’s largest companies, now that Apple (which is now up 10% in the past month) has told everyone that it is going to undertake what looks … Read More
President Trump is the reason Facebook users are angry with Zuckerberg – Alex Pollak on 2GB
To listen to the podcast interview between Alex Pollak and 2GB, click on the play button in the black bar below.
Pricing growth – why simple doesn’t work. Amazon, Apple and the Aussie market
By Alex Pollak, CIO Loftus Peak In the twelve months to Monday of this week, the S&P500 index is up 15.02%, while Alibaba is up 80%, Google is up 29.3%, Amazon is up 71% and Apple is up 24%. By contrast, Exxon is down 5.6%, Coke is up 7.6% and … Read More
Disruption? It’s happening
Below are the top ten listed companies by market capitalisation in 2007, and today. Look at how the top ten has changed. By Alex Pollak and Anshu Sharma, CIO and PM at Loftus Peak. Two of the firms on the list are Chinese – for example Tencent, now valued at … Read More
The beginners guide to machine learning
“The last 10 years have been about building a world that is mobile-first. In the next 10 years, we will shift to a world that is artificial intelligence (AI) first.” Sundar Pichai, Chief Executive Officer, Alphabet (Google) There is so much discussion about AI, or machine learning, that the … Read More
China takes the BAT to FANG
Just a few days ago, Alibaba Group, the Chinese on-line retailer, came within 1% of being the world’s most valuable retailer – with a market capitalisation of U$473b, its value was just US$4b lower than that of Amazon. Alibaba has been on a tear this year – it is up … Read More
The trouble with index investing
The Name of the Rose is Umberto Eco’s masterpiece whodunit set in a 14th century monastery (bags of sex and grisly violence with some serious semiotics thrown in). The last line of the book, which is a reference to the title, has been translated from the Italian as “Yesterday’s rose … Read More
Netflix share price falls 12% as competition increases
By Alex Pollak, CIO Loftus Peak Strike one for Netflix was the news that Disney will no longer supply programming from the end of 2019. Strike two happened late last week when several credible sources reported than Apple had committed to spending US$1b on original programming in 2018. Disney followed … Read More
Are fossil fuel car companies in denial about electric vehicles?
By Alex Pollak, CIO Loftus Peak The news that Tesla will raise $1.5b in senior debt signals a new phase for the company – one in which equity issues are likely to be thin on the ground, if at all. On Tesla’s second-quarter earnings call with analysts, Musk telegraphed as … Read More