Embracing discomfort: Joseph’s top articles in March
Joseph shared contrarian insights from our analysts and reflected on his own investments.
Just like that, another month disappears into the ether.
At the end of February, I said that I was looking forward to more time chatting with our equity research team now that earnings season was done and dusted. The insights they shared with me during the month didn’t disappoint.
Let’s start with Ask the analyst. This series lets you put questions to our analysts about the companies and industries in our ASX coverage. You can send any questions you have to [email protected] and they will be considered for a future edition.
First, Johannes Faul answered a reader’s question on how tighter gambling rules and lower booze consumption may hit Endeavour. As the owner of Australia’s largest liquor retailing operation and a large pubs and gaming business, it seems a fair question. See Johannes’ response here.
Then Shane Ponraj answered a question on IDP Education, where the near-term outlook has been clouded by tighter policies on immigration and foreign students. You can see why Shane is a lot more optimistic on IDP’s long-term prospects here.
I also brought you two updates from our industrials analyst Esther Holloway. The companies on Esther’s list made headlines more often than usual in March, what with James Hardie’s big acquisition and Johns Lyng Group crashing after a small earnings miss.
Spoiler alert: Esther thinks markets got them both wrong. Also, a disclosure: I now own some shares in Johns Lyng.
Bookworm
In addition to Ask the analyst, I also write my regular Bookworm column. The idea here is to share interesting insights that I pick up from investing books and shareholder letters.
This month included some ‘buy and hold’ inspiration from a strange source and a simple decision-making framework that could change your life.
I also wrote about a key investing criteria of one of Warren Buffett’s biggest influences and flagged a potential capital allocation red flag at 2 ASX companies.
Some thoughts on investing in individual shares
As I often say in articles, I don’t just read our analyst reports for the purposes of sharing their insights with you. They are a fundamental input for how I invest my money. During March, I reflected on some of the methods I employ in my portfolio and some lessons from down the years.
- I shared eight things I wish I knew before I started buying individual shares here.
- I also revealed what I think is the most promising way for individual investors to pursue a long-term edge in the stock market.
- And I looked at some simple questions that can help you understand companies at a deeper level.
The personal front
I don’t know if my body relaxed too much after cricket season, or if there is just a fair amount going around at the moment. But I spent at least half of March crook.
As a result, it isn’t hard to pick the month’s highlight: a magical weekend in Jervis Bay, sandwiched between two bouts of lurgy. It really is beautiful down there. Make sure you check it out if you haven’t already.
As ever, thanks for reading. I’ll be back in April with more insights from our analysts. That reminds me: if you have a question about any of the stocks or industries in our ASX200 coverage, please send them to me at [email protected]. Cheers!
