Never mind the length, look at the volume

If you are one of those nervous nellies you probably shouldn't be reading this blog because I haven't lost interest in the stockmarket as some have in the NZX.

In fact I am more interested than when the market was going up over the last 5 years-it is more exciting when there are bargains to be had!

Most of the big overseas investors have retrenched and sold while the NZ dollar was higher and most Mum and Dad investors seem to have sat on their shares and the NZX is now operating on a mere trickle of volume where wild swings and achy hearts are the order of the day.

We only have die-hards like myself making the odd trade and during some days in November there were as few as 2000 trades .

We all know that the New Zealand Stockmarket operates on small volumes by comparison to overseas markets, but the very low volumes traded over the last month or so are an indicator that those that are left in the market want to stay and conversely those that have left are not ready to take what they see as risk and get back into a market they presumably think has further to fall.

They are probably right.

Watch though when things in the economy start to improve and news media releases are of a more positive nature the volume of shares traded will begin trending up and that is when a sustained improvement in the market is likely.

Until then the current trickle of trades on the NZX is largely a lack of interest rather than any sort of market meltdown, as is the case with the current high volumes traded on the NYSE .

Keep a look out for any significant and sustained volume increases for a more meaningful indication of the mood of the market.

Positive, and indeed, negative.


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c Share Investor 2008

OCR cut puts pressure on investors seeking better returns

The OCR rate cut coming this Thursday varies from 1-1.5% depending on which financial media commentator you are following but what is clear is that this cut isn't going to immediately stimulate any sector of the economy because most people have put their wallet away thinking there are cheaper bargains to be had.

What it will do is put pressure on many who have money to invest to go out and find a better return than the gross 6% (and dropping) interest rate they maybe getting for a term investment and the meager real returns still to be found in residential real estate for rentals-values for that sector still have a long way to fall and then will become more attractive return-wise.

I would contend that there are many good stocks on New Zealand's NZX that will find an attractive home for the vast amount of billions currently tied up in term investments in our three major banks.

With a 1.5% point cut on December 4 the OCR rate would be 5% and another likely cut early in 2009 would see our OCR fall below 5% putting pressure on investors coming back from holiday to go hunting for better returns in the stockmarket.

Look for higher yielding and safer large capital stocks to benefit from rate cuts.

A dozen or more Kiwi stocks are paying more than a 10% gross yield and companies like Telecom NZ [TEL.NZ] should do well from those bailing out of banks.

Eventually the rate cuts will work to stimulate our economy, just as tax cuts do.

I am hoping against hope that since the previous Government has guaranteed finance companies that no more term deposit money goes after their higher rates.



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c Share Investor 2008

Dominos poised for another slice of Pizza Hut

With the latest push by Domino's Australia [DMP.AX] for more market share released today it might well be worth another look at the hapless Pizza Hut.

Restaurant Brands [RBD.NZ] the operator of the Pizza Hut Brand in New Zealand, must be wondering what they can do next to stem the flow of customers from their doors to that of their main competitor Domino's Australia which operates 76 stores in New Zealand.

Their American style advertising, where they compare the size of a large Domino's pizza to theirs(see below) smacks of a little desperation and,well, it isn't working. Domino's are still kicking Pizza Huts oily little backside in the food quality, service and price areas of the pizza business.

Customers simply like the way Domino's does its business and they are voting with their feet.

This leaves Pizza Hut management with a big problem.

What do they do next to regain their lost sales?

I doubt whether management have the answer, for they have been trying to regain their lost mojo since Domino's entered the New Zealand market in 2003 and started getting a big slice of the action from the get-go.

I do recall a rather blase' reaction to Domino's arrival along the lines that Pizza Hut was such a dominant and strong player any new entrant was going to find things very difficult in "their" market.

This has been the hallmark of their reaction to competition until very recently and it seems it has been increasingly hard to shake that complacency.







Restaurant Brands @ Share Investor


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c Share Investor 2008

NZX Hangover from 1999 possible

Looking at charts for the beginning my Long vs Short series I got a bit sidetracked-but still related- as you can on the internet and found to my horror that the chart for the NZSX50 index for the last 10 years(above) looks like the kind of chart that would plot the course of the Hindenburg shortly before it crashed.

To be fair the New Zealand stockmarket pretty much reflects the sad performance of the Dow Jones index when you compare the 5 year chart (below) but when you look back a further 5 years that is when things look as ugly as Paris Hilton having it off with her shih tzu.

The NZSX50 is currently at early 2005 levels and only has 800 points further to fall to get back to 1999 levels. It has lost 750 points in the last 3 months, so it is not beyond the bounds that our index will be having a flashback hangover early 2009 inspired by New Years Eve 1999.

Time to resurrect Prince.






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c Share Investor 2008