Welcome to Thursday. Here are the five things I'm looking at today on the Australian sharemarket.
- The S&P/ ASX 200 Index (Index: ^AXJO) (ASX: XJO) has opened 0.3% higher thanks to strong leads in offshore markets. Overnight, The Dow Jones gained 0.9%, while the broader S&P 500 added 0.8% and the tech-heavy NASDAQ climbed more than 1%.Yes Fools, normal service has resumed, and recent falls could be just another blip on the radar.
If you sold out during this time – you're probably regretting it right now and if you are looking for some free wisdom from the world's greatest investor – check out the report below.
The Wisdom of Warren Buffett – and 2 ASX stocks he could love
- Is Australia's insurance sector set for structural change like that of media and retail?
Potentially.
KPMG has warned that online brands such as Youi and iSelect Limited (ASX: ISU) are taking profits from the big insurers like Suncorp Group Ltd (ASX: SUN) and Insurance Australia Group Ltd (ASX: IAG). KPMG also warns that tech giants Google, Amazon and Facebook could also pose a threat, by offering similar products.
- Supermarket giant Woolworths Limited (ASX: WOW) may be on the verge of strong earnings growth, driven by cost savings and market share gains driven by big data and online shopping, according to the Australian Financial Review.Woolies is reported to be spending $1 billion to overhaul its supply chain, to slash grocery transport costs. The retailer is also reported to be using data gained from customer shopping habits to tweak its online and in-store sales.
Woolworths shares have fallen more than 5% over the past month, and may be worthy of adding to your watchlist.
- Tweet of the Day.
"public trust in the financial planning industry has hit rock bottom" writes @adele_ferguson https://t.co/8DTeo4iOfu #auspol
Industry Super (@IndustrySuper) September 24, 2014
Until some genuinely serious changes are made to the financial advice system, the public can have no faith in the advice they are receiving. - Stock of the Day – brought to you by Mark Woodruff – BHP Billiton Limited (ASX: BHP). The Big Australian is expected to cede to shareholder demands and list its spinoff company on both the ASX and the London Stock Exchange. You can catch up on the details here.
