Founder Evidente. Top rated quantitative analyst, Evidente

Sam Ferraro

Founder Evidente. Top rated quantitative analyst

Evidente

Evidente is an independent financial education firm that delivers innovative financial advice to wholesale investors, including active long only funds, hedge funds, pension funds, and sovereign wealth funds, in Australia and globally.  Drawing on academic research in asset pricing, behavioural finance and portfolio construction, Evidente provides wholesale investors with commercial solutions to stock selection and asset allocation decisions across equities and other asset classes.

Macroeconomics

The market is firmly expecting another rate cut from the RBA at today&rsquo;s Board meeting. The domestic data flow has not delivered any large negative surprises, but the key swing factor over the past month appears to have been the 25% slide in the iron ore price, reflecting lower steel demand associated with renewed weakness in Chinese housing markets but also a lift in expected future iron ore production. Importantly, short-term gyrations in volatile commodity markets are unlikely to sway the RBA, nor does the the slide in the iron ore price provide a positive narrative to ease monetary policy. The RBA has plenty of scope to cut interest rates: the economy remains stuck in a nominal recession, revenue conditions are subdued, there is still considerable slack in the labour market, growth in private sector wages has reached a record low and the inflation outlook does not pose an obstacle to another rate cut.&nbsp;&nbsp; But the central bank will likely wait for another month.

The market is firmly expecting another rate cut from the RBA at today&rsquo;s Board meeting. The domestic data flow has not delivered any large negative surprises, but the key swing factor over the past month appears to have been the 25% slide in the iron ore price, reflecting lower steel demand associated with renewed weakness in Chinese housing markets but also a lift in expected future iron ore production. Importantly, short-term gyrations in volatile commodity markets are unlikely to sway the RBA, nor does the the slide in the iron ore price provide a positive narrative to ease monetary policy. The RBA has plenty of scope to cut interest rates: the economy remains stuck in a nominal recession, revenue conditions are subdued, there is still considerable slack in the labour market, growth in private sector wages has reached a record low and the inflation outlook does not pose an obstacle to another rate cut.&nbsp;&nbsp; But the central bank will likely wait for another month.

Another line ball decision for the RBA, but expect no change in April

The March non-farm payrolls release confirmed that employment in the United States continues to expand but at a more moderate pace over the past three months.&nbsp;The Phillips curve has flattened since the financial crisis, which confirms that inflation has become less responsive to changes in the unemployment rate. A structurally lower participation rate associated with the demographics of ageing suggests that there is far more slack in the labour market than implied by the unemployment rate of 5.5%.&nbsp; The performance of premium rated growth stocks around the taper &lsquo;tantrum&rsquo; in May 2013 reveals just how sensitive these stocks are to the future course of US monetary policy. The worst four performing stocks among the ASX200 at the time were: CTD, DMP, IIN and REA, reflecting their long duration attributes. Discount rate shocks therefore represent a key risk for growth investors. But the recent moderation&nbsp;of US&nbsp;employment growth, still considerable slack in the US labour market, and little prospect that core inflation will move back to the Fed Reserve's 2% objective anytime soon, should buy more time for not just the Fed but also growth investors.

The March non-farm payrolls release confirmed that employment in the United States continues to expand but at a more moderate pace over the past three months.&nbsp;The Phillips curve has flattened since the financial crisis, which confirms that inflation has become less responsive to changes in the unemployment rate. A structurally lower participation rate associated with the demographics of ageing suggests that there is far more slack in the labour market than implied by the unemployment rate of 5.5%.&nbsp; The performance of premium rated growth stocks around the taper &lsquo;tantrum&rsquo; in May 2013 reveals just how sensitive these stocks are to the future course of US monetary policy. The worst four performing stocks among the ASX200 at the time were: CTD, DMP, IIN and REA, reflecting their long duration attributes. Discount rate shocks therefore represent a key risk for growth investors. But the recent moderation&nbsp;of US&nbsp;employment growth, still considerable slack in the US labour market, and little prospect that core inflation will move back to the Fed Reserve's 2% objective anytime soon, should buy more time for not just the Fed but also growth investors.

US employment growth moderates, buying the Fed and growth investors more time

Australia

Wagners Holding Co Pty Ltd. operates as a holding company. The Company, through its subsidiaries, provides raw materials, such as washed sand, loam, sealing aggregates, ballasts, road bases, boulders, and rip raps.

Nufarm Limited manufactures and supplies a range of agricultural chemicals used by farmers to protect crops from damage caused by weeds, pests and disease. The Company has worldwide operations.

Bellevue Gold Limited operates as a mining company. The Company engages in the exploration and development of gold mines. Bellevue Gold serves customers in Australia.

Genesis Minerals Limited is an Australian-based mineral exploration company. The Company acquires commercially significant mineral deposits that can be brought into production.

Ramelius Resources Limited is a gold exploration and production company with exploration activities focused in Western Australia.  The Company also explores for base metals.

Gold Road Resources Limited operates as a mineral exploration and production company. The Company focuses on its Yamarna Gold Project located east of Laverton, Western Australia.

Zimplats Holdings Limited is a mining group which explores for and produces platinum group metals in Zimbabwe. The Company's exploration projects include Ngezi South and North, Hartley Platinum and Selous.

Sims Metal Management Ltd. collects, sorts and processes scrap metal materials which are recycled for resale. The Company's divisions include ferrous recycling, non-ferrous recycling, secondary processing of non-ferrous metals and plastics, international trading of metal commodities and the merchandising of steel semi-fabricated products.

Liontown Resources Ltd. explores for and mines base metals.

AVZ Minerals Limited operates as a mineral exploration company. The Company acquires, develops, mines, and produces lithium, tin, tantalum, and other base metals. AVZ Minerals serves customers globally.

PT Indocement Tunggal Prakarsa Tbk manufactures cement and building materials. Through its subsidiaries, the Company also manufactures and processes ready-mix cement as well as owns and manages properties and hotels.

Tangshan Jidong Cement Co., Ltd. manufactures and markets portland cement and cement clinker.  The company also provides cement machine installation services.

Tangshan Jidong Cement Co, Ltd. (000401 CH)

Sichuan Shuangma Cement Co., Ltd. manufactures and markets cement and cement products.  Through its subsidiaries, the Company also generates electric power and trades construction materials.

India Cements Limited manufactures different varieties of cement and clinker. The Company also manufactures and exports textiles.

Orient Refractories Ltd. fabricates metal products.  The Company manufactures slide gate plates, nozzles and well blocks, tundish nozzles, bottom purging refractories and top purging lances, slag arresting darts, basic spray mass for tundish working lining, and castables.

Lafarge Malaysia Berhad operates as an investment holding company. The Company, through its subsidiaries, manufactures, sells, and distributes cement and clinker. Lafarge Malaysia also manufactures and sells ready-mixed concrete, provides shipping services, leases vessels, and trades building materials.

Anhui Fangxing Science & Technology Co., Ltd. manufactures and markets float glass, coated glass, ITO conductive coated glass, glass deeply-processed products, and other advanced materials.

Birla Corporation Limited is a manufacturing company that produces and sells cement, automobile trim parts, jute goods, synthetic and cotton yarns, and PVC floor coverings and coated fabrics. The Group also manufactures calcium carbide, ferromanganese, silico manganese, oxygen and iron and steel castings.

J.K. Lakshmi Cement Ltd. manufactures cement, which it sells under the brand name JK Lakshmi.

Cementos Molins, S.A. manufactures and distributes ready-mix concrete, portland cements, luminous cements, pre-cast concrete products and other related building materials.  The Company operates portland and luminous factories, two quarries in Vallirana and Palleja and a manufacturing plant in Palleja.

Adbri Limited supplies construction materials. The Company distributes cement, concrete, aggregates, industrial lime, clinker, and other related products. Adbri serves customers in Australia.

Price Gauge
52-week Range	0.00 - 0.00
Market Cap (USDm)	0.00
P/E	0.00
Dividend (Yield)	0.00

Adbri (ABC AU)

Another line ball decision for the RBA, but expect no change in April

The market is firmly expecting another rate cut from the RBA at today’s Board meeting. The domestic data flow has not delivered any large negative...

Sam Ferraro

US employment growth moderates, buying the Fed and growth investors more time

The March non-farm payrolls release confirmed that employment in the United States continues to expand but at a more moderate pace over the past...

Sam Ferraro

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)