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.

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul><li>Most active funds tout their ability to discriminate between good and poor quality management, and accordingly weight their portfolios towards businesses that they consider to be well managed.&nbsp; In the past decade, portfolio managers have also boasted of their ability to identify and invest in companies that score strongly across environment, governance and social (ESG) dimensions.</li></ul><ul><li>In the second instalment of Evidente's Dissecting Quality series, I show that management quality and corporate governance matter more for complex companies, where shareholders face high monitoring costs. To that end, I develop a systematic model of complexity and agency costs for the ASX200 based on eight company specific factors.</li><li>Some of the industrials that make up the top 20 complex stocks include: Qantas, Amcor, Computershare, Seek and Brambles. Investors can use the model to integrate their assessments of company management and corporate governance. In particular, investors should avoid complex stocks that score poorly across management quality and governance practices.</li></ul>

Most active funds tout their ability to discriminate between good and poor quality management, and accordingly weight their portfolios towards businesses that they consider to be well managed.&nbsp; In the past decade, portfolio managers have also boasted of their ability to identify and invest in companies that score strongly across environment, governance and social (ESG) dimensions.In the second instalment of Evidente's Dissecting Quality series, I show that management quality and corporate governance matter more for complex companies, where shareholders face high monitoring costs. To that end, I develop a systematic model of complexity and agency costs for the ASX200 based on eight company specific factors.Some of the industrials that make up the top 20 complex stocks include: Qantas, Amcor, Computershare, Seek and Brambles. Investors can use the model to integrate their assessments of company management and corporate governance. In particular, investors should avoid complex stocks that score poorly across management quality and governance practices.

Dissecting Quality: When Does Management Quality and Corporate Governance Matter Most?

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

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

David Blennerhassett

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>Back on the 6th January, Kerry Stokes-backed <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/sgh-limited" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:803:1" rel="noopener">SGH Limited (SGH AU)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/steel-dynamics-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:11061:1" rel="noopener">Steel Dynamics (STLD US)</a><a href="https://announcements.asx.com.au/asxpdf/20260106/pdf/06tzv9t8w6g7pg.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">submitted</a> an A$0.30/share cash NBIO for <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/bluescope-steel-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:207:1" rel="noopener">BlueScope Steel (BSL AU)</a>, Australia’s largest steel manufacturer.</li>
<li>BlueScope summarily rejected terms, stating the Offer "very significantly undervalues" the company. SGH/SDI have now <a href="https://announcements.asx.com.au/asxpdf/20260218/pdf/06wflzg212dlgh.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">returned with a $32.35/share</a> (best &amp; final) NBIO - $34/share when including A$1.65/share in dividends.</li>
<li>That's a A$15bn bid. Exclusive due diligence is sought. AusSuper, with 13.5% of shares out, holds the key. No scrip alternative is afforded. My guess is AusSuper is not supportive.</li>
</ul>


Back on the 6th January, Kerry Stokes-backed SGH Limited (SGH AU) and Steel Dynamics (STLD US)submitted an A$0.30/share cash NBIO for BlueScope Steel (BSL AU), Australia’s largest steel manufacturer.
BlueScope summarily rejected terms, stating the Offer "very significantly undervalues" the company. SGH/SDI have now returned with a $32.35/share (best &amp; final) NBIO - $34/share when including A$1.65/share in dividends.
That's a A$15bn bid. Exclusive due diligence is sought. AusSuper, with 13.5% of shares out, holds the key. No scrip alternative is afforded. My guess is AusSuper is not supportive.


BlueScope (BSL AU): SGH And SDI's Latest NBIO - What Say You AusSuper?

Pan-Asia Index Rebalances/ Events/ Delta One, Periscope Analytics

Brian Freitas

Pan-Asia Index Rebalances/ Events/ Delta One

Periscope Analytics

Periscope Analytics focuses on event-driven trades across Asia Pacific and provides comprehensive, timely and systematic coverage of index changes to major Asia Pacific indices in a structured manner.

The analysis includes forecasted inclusions and exclusions to all major Asian indices that have significant amount of tracking assets, including estimates of passive buy/sell flow on the stocks. The service also provides commentary and impact of market consultations, ground rule changes, and other events (IPOs, spin-offs, M&A) that could lead to index changes and passive flow.

Periscope Analytics works with multi-strategy hedge funds, proprietary trading firms, stat arb trading groups and long-only investors that invest and trade in the Asia Pacific region with the data being used to trade index rebalances, avoid pre-positioning and passive flow, and to time entry into and exit from stocks.

Event-Driven Trades Across Asia Pacific

Index Rebalance

<ul>
<li>There was big passive buying in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/sigma-healthcare-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:15966:1" rel="noopener">Sigma Healthcare (SIG AU)</a> in March from S&amp;P/ASX trackers following the completion of the merger with Chemist Warehouse Group.</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/sigma-healthcare-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:15966:1" rel="noopener">Sigma Healthcare (SIG AU)</a> should be added to a global index in May and those passive trackers will have a lot of stock to buy.</li>
<li>While there will be positioning in the stock, it appears lighter than the estimated passive buying. Shorts are being covered and that could provide a boost.</li>
</ul>


There was big passive buying in Sigma Healthcare (SIG AU) in March from S&amp;P/ASX trackers following the completion of the merger with Chemist Warehouse Group.

Sigma Healthcare (SIG AU) should be added to a global index in May and those passive trackers will have a lot of stock to buy.
While there will be positioning in the stock, it appears lighter than the estimated passive buying. Shorts are being covered and that could provide a boost.


Sigma Healthcare (SIG AU): Next Round of Passive Buying Around the Corner

Australia

Boral Limited is a manufacturer and supplier of building and construction materials in Australia and internationally.  Boral supplies building products to the residential and commercial building markets, operates clay brick business in the U.S. (for clay roof tiles and fly ash) along with the production of plasterboard, timber products and concrete products.

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Boral Ltd (BLD AU)

Dissecting Quality: When Does Management Quality and Corporate Governance Matter Most?

Most active funds tout their ability to discriminate between good and poor quality management, and accordingly weight their portfolios towards...

Sam Ferraro

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

BlueScope (BSL AU): SGH And SDI's Latest NBIO - What Say You AusSuper?

Revised terms are close to SDI's NBIO last year, which was rejected. BlueScope has zero net debt. The USA ops are undervalued. And structurally...

David Blennerhassett

Sigma Healthcare (SIG AU): Next Round of Passive Buying Around the Corner

Sigma Healthcare should be added to a global index in May. Shorts are being covered and positioning looks smaller than the estimated passive...

Brian Freitas

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