Sharesight20 top 20 trades on ASX & NZX - September 2018

Welcome to the September 2018 edition of the Sharesight20 monthly trading snapshot (click here for last month’s Sharesight20), where we look at the top 20 trades on both the ASX and NZX markets among the Sharesight userbase during the current month, and dig a little deeper into the news behind these movements.

Let’s dive into September’s top trades.

Sharesight20ASX September 2018 Snapshot

Afterpay Touch (ASX: APT) put in a strong month to claim top spot in September, followed by CSL Limited (ASX: CSL) and Appen Limited (ASX: APX). Some of the highlights in the top 20 include:

Afterpay Touch (ASX: APT)

• Hit all-time highs above $21 at the end of August after announcing expansion plans in the UK
• It then slid almost 25% in early September to around $15

CSL Limited (ASX: CSL)

• CSL shares moved 15.6% higher in August after announcing a full year profit up 29% on a year earlier
• CSL’s CEO, Paul Perreault used the opportunity to sell more than $20.4 million in shares he owned in the company
• CSL’s shares hit another all-time high in early September on the back of a lower Australian dollar, with most of the company’s revenue earned in the USA

Appen Limited (ASX: APX)

• Earnings for the first half of FY18 were announced with reported revenues of $152.8 million up 106% on the first half of FY17
• Appen also reported an underlying EBITA of $25.6 million, pushing shares to an all-time high on the news

Telstra (ASX: TLS)

• Announced more conservative numbers for the performance of the telco’s fixed wireless NBN plans
• Announced changes to how Telstra will sell enterprise services with the introduction of the Telstra Connected Workplace “IT stack”
• Telstra CEO Andy Penn revealed energy costs have increased by $100 million in the last year, describing the company as “one of the largest users of energy in Australia”
• Telstra’s executive director of network and infrastructure engineering Channa Seneviratne announced plans to roll out a second 5G ‘smart cities’ test site

Aristocrat Leisure (ASX: ALL)

• Announced the roll out of a Mad Max: Fury Road slot machine based on a license from Warner Bros Entertainment
• Announced the firm had acquired rights to release a slot machine based on the TV show Billions from CBS consumer products and Showtime Networks
• Aristocrat shares lead the sell-off across the ASX in the first week or September

Sharesight20NZX September 2018 Snapshot

A high number of dividend reinvestment plan ‘buy’ trades are seen in this month’s numbers for the NZX, particularly at the top of this month’s snapshot. Some of the highlights in the top 20 include:

Steel and Tube Holdings (NZX: STU)

• Posted an after tax loss of $32 million for the year to June
• Despite this the firm is upbeat about FY19 on the back of improving sales
• Reaffirmed FY19 guidance of $25 million in earnings before interest and tax
• Raised $42.3 million in discounted retail rights offer

Heartland Bank Limited (NZX: HBL)

• Shareholders voted overwhelmingly in favour of the bank’s proposed restructure -- subject to court approval
• Read chairman Geoffrey Ricketts statement at Heartland’s AGM about the restructure for the details
• Reported net profit after tax of $67.5m for FY2018 -- a doubling in just 4 years

a2 Milk Company (NZX: A2M)

• Launched its products in Walmart stores across 5 states and Washington DC
• Welcomed new laws in China governing e-commerce operators in the country
• CEO Jayne Hrdlicka sold all her shares in the company, an action seen negatively by the market and which pushed the share price lower

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Important Disclaimer. We do not provide tax or investment advice. The buying of shares can be complex and varies by country. You should seek tax and investment advice specific to your situation before acting on any of the information in this article.

FURTHER READING

• Blog – How much money can Sharesight save you?
• Blog – 7 reasons why Sharesight is better than a spreadsheet