Buy Hold Sell, by Livewire Markets

Answering the internet's most common ETF questions

Around 51% of Australians (or 10.2 million people) hold investments outside their homes and superannuation, according to the ASX. Of these investors, around 20% (or 2 million people) use exchange-traded funds (or ETFs) - up from 15% in 2020.

Investor interest in low-cost, liquid and diversified ETFs has seen assets under management in the industry explode over the last decade, with its market cap now reaching close to $190 billion. In fact, in the last 12 months alone, the market cap of the Australian ETF industry has surged 35.5% (or by $49.6 billion).

Given more investors are using ETFs than ever before, Livewire decided it would be worthwhile to go back to basics, reaching out to two ETF aficionados for their top tricks and tips on investing in these listed vehicles.

In this episode, Shaw and Partners' Adam Dawes and DP Wealth Advisory's Andrew Wielandt answer the internet's most common questions on ETFs. Plus, they also each name the one ETF they believe "rules them all". Note:

This episode was filmed on Wednesday 13 March 2024. You can read an edited transcript below.

https://www.livewiremarkets.com/wires/answering-the-internet-s-most-common-etf-questions 

Buy Hold Sell: Your top-tipped ETFs for 2024

There are now more than two million Australians using exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to invest, an increase of 7% compared to 2022 (according to Betashares). 

As of the end of February, there was $189.4 billion invested across 359 ETFs, and with BlackRock estimating the market could more than double by 2027, it seems there's no stopping the explosive growth of the low-cost, easily accessible ETF market. 

So in this episode, Livewire's Ally Selby was joined by Shaw and Partners Adam Dawes and DP Wealth Advisory's Andrew Wielandt for their analysis of Livewire and Market Index readers' top-tipped ETFs for 2024. 

For most of your ETFs, our financial advisers provide similar calls - but there's one in particular that has them divided - and it's a doozy. 

Note: This episode was recorded on Wednesday 13 March 2024. You can read the edited transcript below. 

https://www.livewiremarkets.com/wires/buy-hold-sell-your-top-tipped-etfs-for-2024 

 

Timecodes: 

• 0:00 - Intro
• 0:31 - Is the Betashares Nasdaq 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ) a buy, hold or sell?
• 1:36 - Is the Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (ASX: VAS) a buy, hold or sell?
• 2:48 - Is the Betashares Global Cybersecurity ETF (ASX: HACK) a buy, hold or sell?
• 4:14 - Is the VanEck MSCI International Quality ETF (ASX: QUAL) a buy, hold or sell?
• 5:24 - Is the iShares S&P 500 ETF (ASX: IVV) a buy, hold or sell?
• 6:38 - Is the Vaneck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF (ASX: MOAT) a buy, hold or sell?
• 8:05 - Is the Global X Fang+ ETF (ASX: FANG) a buy, hold or sell?
• 9:55 - Is the Vanguard Australian Shares High Yield ETF (ASX: VHY) a buy, hold or sell?
• 11:49 - Is the Global X Physical Gold ETF (ASX: GOLD) a buy, hold or sell?
• 12:58 - Is the Betashares Global Uranium ETF (ASX: URNM) a buy, hold or sell?

Buy Hold Sell: 5 of the ASX's fastest-growing stocks

Growth stocks have been off to the races over the last few months, with the S&P/ASX 200 Growth Index rebounding 14% since hitting a low at the end of October 2023. Over that same time period, growth stocks like Megaport (up 52%), NEXTDC (up 44%), REA Group (up 28%), WiseTech Global (up 60%), and Lovisa (up 76%) - among many others - have all skyrocketed. 

While I am not so sure that there are many ways to skin a cat, there are many ways to measure growth - think sales growth, revenue growth, earnings per share growth, dividend growth, and more. 

So in this episode, Livewire's Ally Selby was joined by Regal's Jessica Farr-Jones and Spheria's Brittany Isakka for their analysis of three stocks with trailing 12-month earnings per share (EPS) growth of more than 100%. You'll learn whether these stocks can continue to push earnings to the limit over the year ahead.

Plus, our guests also name an emerging growth darling within their portfolios that they are backing over the next 12 months. 

Note: This episode was recorded on Wednesday, 28 February 2024. You can read an edited transcript below: 

https://www.livewiremarkets.com/wires/buy-hold-sell-5-of-the-asx-s-fastest-growing-stocks/

 

How to invest in small and micro-caps (and 4 emerging stocks for the next 5 years)

How do you avoid the small-cap potholes and identify the fast-lane stocks on the highway to success? 

In this episode, Livewire's Ally Selby was joined by Regal Funds Management's Jessica Farr-Jones and Spheria Asset Management's Brittany Isakka for their tips and tricks for investing in emerging ASX-listed stocks. 

They also share their outlook on small and micro-caps for the year ahead, the recent major changes they have made to portfolios, and two stocks they are backing with exciting growth trajectories over the next five years. 

Plus, because this anonymous writer loves a dash of drama, they also name one stock that they believe can no longer deliver growth for investors. 

Note: This episode was recorded on Wednesday, 28 February 2024. You can read an edited transcript below.

https://www.livewiremarkets.com/wires/how-to-invest-in-small-and-micro-caps-and-4-emerging-stocks-for-the-next-5-years 

Buy Hold Sell: 5 small stocks headed for large-cap status

If rates have peaked, which local cash rate futures indicate they have, long-duration growth names, small-cap stocks, and cyclicals are likely to continue to recover from here. 

That said, there are some risks to that outlook - particularly given it's the market consensus. So in this episode, we'll be putting some of the ASX's up-and-coming small-cap growth and cyclical stocks to the test. 

These small-cap stocks have had a stellar year, having risen an average of 117%. So can they do it again over the coming 12 months? 

 

To find out, Livewire's Ally Selby was joined by Regal Funds Management's Jessica Farr-Jones and Spheria Asset Management's Brittany Isakka for their analysis of Life360 (ASX: 360), Temple & Webster (ASX: TPW) and HUB24 (ASX: HUB). 

Plus, our guests each name a small-cap stock that they believe could be headed for large-cap status over the years to come. 

Note: This episode was recorded on Wednesday 28 February 2024. You can read an edited transcript below.

https://www.livewiremarkets.com/wires/buy-hold-sell-5-small-stocks-headed-for-large-cap-status 

Buy Hold Sell: 3 stocks with dividends on the rise (and 2 on the chopping block)

When it comes to income, you need a recipe for success. Sure, term deposits are cooking up around 5% yields right now, but for income-hungry investors, 5% may just not cut it. 

That's where equity income comes in. The yield on the market itself has been around 4-5% over the last 20 years - and a diversified portfolio of stocks with rising and sustainable dividends and earnings growth can deliver far more income than that. 

Then there are franking credits, which add a little extra flavour to investors' portfolios - and typically, an additional 2% in yield. 

So, in this episode, we're serving up some of the market's dividend darlings and throwing the scraps (stocks with falling dividends) into the trash. 

Livewire's Ally Selby was joined by IML's Michael O'Neill and Plato Investment Management's Dr Don Hamson for their analysis of three stocks with impressive 1-year forward yields.  

Plus, they also name one stock they believe could see its dividends on the chopping block in 2024. 

**Please note that this episode was filmed before the recent announcement regarding ANZ's takeover approval of SUN by the ACCC.**

 

Note: This episode was filmed on Wednesday, February 14, 2024. You can read an edited transcript below.

 

https://www.livewiremarkets.com/wires/buy-hold-sell-3-stocks-with-dividends-on-the-rise-and-2-on-the-chopping-block/ 

 

 

How to generate passive income in 2024

Over the 12 months to the end of December, housing costs rose 6.1%, alcohol and tobacco prices lifted 6.6%, medical costs bumped up 5.1%, and insurance and financial services prices soared 8.1%. We also spent more on food and non-alcoholic beverages, more on transport, and more on education.*

All this is to say that it costs a lot more to be alive today than it did 12 months ago, and this anonymous writer is starting to feel the bite. Sure, inflation is finally starting to cool, but you would be hard-pressed to find someone whose lifestyle hasn't been dampened by higher rates. 

So this episode of Buy Hold Sell is focused on making your money work a little harder for you. 

We've reached out to two income specialists in the form of Dr Don Hamson from Plato Investment Management and Michael O'Neill from IML, for their top tips and tricks for helping you generate more bang for your buck in 2024.

They share the stocks that have sustainable yields, name a few that don't, teach you how to avoid the traps that plague dividend-hungry investors, and last but not least, name one stock that they believe every income investor should hold in 2024.

Note: This episode was filmed on Wednesday 14 February 2024.

Buy Hold Sell: 5 stocks with monster dividends in 2024

Global markets soared to new heights in 2023, with the MSCI World Index (AUD) lifting 23.2%. Lucky for income-hungry investors, this saw dividends grow with it, with payouts up 8.9% in Aussie dollar terms, according to Plato Investment Management. 

While the majority of investors around the globe enjoyed increased dividend payouts in 2023 (compared to 2022), Australian investors were among the few who received less bang for their buck during the year, with dividend payouts falling 5.4%. Despite this, Australia was still the fifth-highest dividend-paying country in the world in the fourth quarter. 

So, where can investors generate more dosh for their dollar in 2024? Particularly as the cost of living continues to bite our bottom lines? 

In this episode, Livewire's Ally Selby was joined by Australia's two "Dividend Doctors" - Dr Don Hamson from Plato Investment Management and Michael O'Neill from IML. 

They run the ruler over three stocks with high expected one-year forward yields in 2024. Plus, they each name one stock that they believe could announce a monster dividend in the year ahead.

Note: This episode was recorded on Wednesday 14 February 2024. You can read the edited transcript below. 

https://www.livewiremarkets.com/wires/buy-hold-sell-5-stocks-with-monster-dividends-in-2024/ 

Buy Hold Sell: Your 5 top small and mid-cap stocks for 2024 (and 2 big fundie buys)

Given the underperformance of small and mid-caps since 2021, and the fact that central banks have tipped the end of the rate-hiking cycle, many money managers are spruiking the coming wave of capital that could enter the smaller end of the market in 2024. 

While small caps tend to outperform post-recession - and we haven't seen one of those - the Small Ordinaries Index has already rebounded around 16% since hitting a low at the end of October. So is there more where that came from? 

To find out, Livewire's Ally Selby was joined by T. Rowe Price's Randal Jenneke and Tribeca's Jun Bei Liu for their analysis of five of Livewire and Market Index readers' top-tipped small and mid-cap stocks for 2024. 

There's definitely a theme with this list - all of the stocks are either uranium darlings or biotech stars. In 2023, these five stocks delivered an average return of 90%. So there's high hopes that they can do the same over the year ahead. 

Plus, we also asked our guests to name two small stocks that they believe could outperform in 2024. 

Note: This episode was recorded on Wednesday 31 January 2024. 

6 stocks for a full portfolio reset in 2024

Last year, we asked two fund managers what they would do if they could start completely from scratch. It seemed to hit a nerve with our readers, with the episode turning out to be the most popular of the year.

It's likely because we all, at some point in our investment journeys, have cursed the day we bought a particular stock (or let's face it, stocks) - and wished, wholeheartedly, that we could start over. Facing this dilemma, some investors may sell everything and give up for good. Others may just watch on as those losing positions become smaller and smaller pains in their portfolios. 

However, it's far better to review your holdings, have an honest conversation with yourself about what worked and what didn't, and develop a plan so that you can better stick to your strategy over the year ahead. 

So in this episode, Livewire's Ally Selby was joined by T. Rowe Price's Randal Jenneke and Tribeca's Jun Bei Liu for a full portfolio reset. 

They will share the headwinds they believe you should keep on your radar in 2024 - particularly as the ASX 200 hits a new all-time high, the key opportunities they have identified today, as well as three stocks they would own if they could start completely from scratch. 

Plus, unless you invested all your life savings in NVIDIA last year, we've likely all made some mistakes throughout 2023. So, our guests share the most painful position in their portfolio from 2023 - and what they learnt from it. 

Note: This episode was filmed on 31 January 2024. You can read an edited transcript below. 

https://www.livewiremarkets.com/wires/6-stocks-for-a-full-portfolio-reset-in-2024/