Tag: NCM

Australian Gold Sector Surges 19% so far in 2016 – Much more to come

by Barry Dawes

Key Points

  • Underweight market causes massive buying rush
  • Gold Index made up 14% of All Ords turnover in past two weeks
  • ASX 300 Gold Index pushes through 3000 – much more to come
  • Dawes Points 2016 Gold Portfolio up 19.8% this year
  • Dawes Points 2015 Gold Portfolio up 102% since 4 Dec 2014
  • Paradigm is Co Lead Manager on the Golden Eagle A$4.4m IPO – get in soon!
  • Do you have enough gold stocks?
  • This is only starting, so call me now to get set –
Here is a link to a new account set up - it can be done in a day! The Dawes Points view on gold stocks has been consistently pushing Australian growth stories where rising output, falling costs and revitalised managements have made compelling investment cases. The low PERs, the high cash levels supporting a growing dividend stream and some excellent exploration stories for these companies that have also benefitted from the lower A$ giving an A$ gold price of over A$1,500/oz.  Excellent circumstances for investing. The portfolios have done well with the new 2016 Dawes Points Portfolio being up 19.8% so far this year and the 2015 Portfolio up 102%.  Note these are investment positions and no trading is done. The general market place is still skittish about the US equity markets, the Shanghai market and the local banks and, well, just about everything. Our portfolios, however, are doing just fine thank you. This is the 2016 Portfolio. Following the share of market turnover of the ASX S&P 300 Gold Index has been a very useful task with this indicator giving us a great deal of confidence in the Dawes Points views. So have a look at this!  The Gold Sector made up 14% of ASX AllOrds turnover in the past 2 weeks and the 5 week moving average hit 12.6% while the 12 week is 7.5%.  Astonishing! I was happy that the downtrend had broken but the moving averages of the last peak in the sector have just been left behind. There is a massive need to BUY!  The market is drastically underweight. The Index is only just starting to move and this break above 3000 should get close to 6000 in 2016. And the Dawes Points Gold Index corrections chart is suggesting a massive rally is about to unfold. The driver is primarily that gold stocks are still very cheap against the A$ gold price. The Australian stocks are leading their North American counterparts but a high volume break out also occurred last week. And I hope you recall this very long term graphic of the Barron's Gold Mining Index back to 1940. And the North American stocks are trading at less than 25% of previous 25 year history. (plus graphic) Gold stocks will outperform gold and probably almost everything else for the next few years. The portfolio gives everyone a mix of size, liquidity, dividends, growth and risk so I am very happy to reinforce the selections. Newcrest has more gold resources than anyone else and improvements will allow resumption of dividends.  Northern Star is just brilliant and Oceania Gold has some excellent leverage. Evolution has acquired a massive swag of gold resources over the past couple of years and will be a big player in the Zuleika Shear zone. These stocks will be the dividend paying cornerstones of every pension fund for the next decade. Blackham will continue to please everyone for quite a while and my target of A$1 in my research report in early 2015 stands firm.  This is a potentially very long mine life play. Doray, Saracen, MetalsX and Gold Road among the developers are flying. Tribune is outstanding and the market place will soon cotton on to the significance of Pegasus and the East Kundana JV.  Its 140koz of gold bullion in the vaults currently worth over A$4.00 per share is an added golden bonus. The offshore players of Medusa and Resolute are just too cheap. The smaller growth players look very exciting and will be happy to talk to anyone about them. There are of course many other attractive gold stocks out there( like Dacian Gold and Perseus)  and they will be covered soon but let's just stay focussed for now.

Golden Eagle IPO

The IPO for Golden Eagle will raise A$4.4m for company holding substantial tenements along the Bullabulling Shear Zone and surrounding the 3.2moz Bullabulling resource. Those of you familiar with the highly productive but still vastly underexplored Zuleika Shear currently being made even more famous by NST and EVN might recognize a roughly parallel structure further west from Kalgoorlie but under more colluvium cover.  The Bullabulling 1g/t resource overlies some impressive higher grade drill intersections. Golden Eagle has the Geko gold deposit that has the potential of being in production in the medium term after listing and provide substantial cash flows to fund exploration on the large area of under explored tenements. You can download the Replacement Prospectus here. http://www.goldeneaglemining.com/prospectus/ Don't be put off by the Supplementary Prospectuses – it was very difficult out there late last year.  Only one resources stock was listed in 2015 and Golden Eagle could be the first gold stock listing in about three years. I won't be commenting on the US$ gold price in this Dawes Points.  It will move up strongly in its own time which I think is not too far away. I will just mention briefly however the industrial metals. No recession or downturn I ever experienced had declining LME inventories as a market signal. The continual bashing of commodities has been in contrast to record consumption levels for most metals and declining LME inventories. There are major issues in aluminium and nickel that detract from the messages from copper, lead, zinc and tin and even though their stocks are tumbling too we can only focus on how tight these markets really are. And the Australian Gold Sector is leading the world out of this miserable pricing time.  Gold stocks, gold, metals companies, industrial metals, technology metals, then oil, oil and gas companies and the bulk commodity producers will follow. So participate in the gold sector now with a good portfolio approach and let's have some real fun. I own NST, NCM, GOR, DRM, MLX, CGN, TYX, TBR, BLK, TNR, MML, RSG, GEE 8 February 2016 Edition #45  

Resources Sector Opportunities Remain

by Barry Dawes
  • Global economic expansion still on track
  • Global bond markets have now peaked
  • Banking and finance stocks down ~13% so far in June Qtr
  • Asian markets making yet more highs
  • Chinese crude steel production rate approaching record highs again
  • Forecast iron ore short-squeeze continuing
  • LME metals still tightening
  • Resources Sector improving market share within All Ords
  • Market breadth in Small Resources and Metals and Mining gaining
  • Market breadth in ASX Gold Sector improving through stock rotation
  • ASX Gold Index up 60% from low and seems to be still climbing
  • Oil price and sector may be turning up
  • Dawes Points  gold stock portfolio is up 81% since 1 Dec 14
The long term trend for resources remains firm as the demands from the real people in the world override the views of the financial sector bureaucrats and market manipulators.  The evidence is everywhere.  Especially if you are looking.  But closed minds abound in today’s world. But fear still abounds and a compliant populace in Australia has heeded the calls of the doomsayers despite the abundant evidence otherwise.  The rush to safety in bonds and cash has been strong but may now be no longer needed.  Sensing this, bond prices are now falling and bank shares are following - down almost 20% from their highs and down ~13% in the past two months.  The flow of funds is now trending from safety to something else. You should be putting your money to work in more active and productive enterprises that should give you major gains for the next decade at least. It is now worth just sitting back and think where we are as this change in bond yields takes place. The world’s new middle classes come from 1,400m people in China, 1,300m in India, 700m in ASEAN, 1,000m in Africa and 600m in Sth America. All wanting higher living standards. That means more food, technology, energy and resources. Against 360m in Nth America and 450m in Europe.  Most now wanting government handouts. Asia is growing through higher consumption and high infrastructure spending. China may be slowing in absolute growth figures but personal income is rising.  People everywhere in Asia are becoming wealthier.  Would you see these sorts of growth in personal income in the US, Europe or here? Average Annual Household Disposable Income in China from 2009 to 2018 Source: Ipsos Report - Dongfang Modern Agriculture Holding Group Prospectus China and India populations are also buying more gold and silver. So who now owns the gold and who will be making the rules? The demographics of the West are strongly influenced by the Baby Boomers who grew up in a rapidly changing world that was actually a slipstream sucking them in behind a World War II-depleted generation of cold-reality shaped stalwarts and but then the BBs also graduated into a generation of the Lyndon Johnson Great Society of publicly funded under-achievers. The initial gains were spectacular but the aging hippies and their uninspiring Generation X progeny gave us all massive government spending, Budget Deficits and the Welfare State.  And generations of reactionary bureaucrats. For us unreconstructed Baby Boomers, the 1960s and 1970s were a time of revolution in thinking after the conservatism from the Great Depression of the 1930s and the upheaval of World War II in Europe and in the Pacific.  The Depression said money was hard to come by and your savings were hard to hold on to and then WWII said that your life and personal safety, as well as savings, were hard to hold on to. Lord Keynes in the1930s with his Deficit Spending backed up by some US attention seekers announced to the world that `Government’ knew better and it could invest OPM (Other People’s Money – yours, as the Taxpayer) better than the people who earned it, i.e., you and corporations you might have invested in. The Revolutionaries of the 1960s and 70s are now the Reactionaries.  And their children too. Governments and quangos and NGOs all wanting to tell you what to do and how to do it.  Using your tax paid dollars of course.  Groupthink and consensus overruling facts and natural evidence. And calls for an inquiry on iron ore.  For heavens’ sake.  Dawes Points set out precisely in early May what was happening within the iron ore market.   The expected short cover rally is now underway.  How far will it run?  The bureaucrats are wanting to be heard now but the horse has bolted.  Yet another thought bubble. But perhaps the people overall have their own special way of responding to the uncertainty . Building up cash deposits. It is truly fascinating how people everywhere have taken to building up savings.  Inventory of Money.  Conserved labour. Private Savings. (And in contrast, Public Profligacy).   This Inventory of Money has come up often in these Dawes Points.     As does flow of funds. These funds will need to flow! Now with that flows of funds. Recall that we have gargantuan annual expenditures in USA (US$3tn), Europe (Euro 2tn) and here in Australia (~A$430bn(US$320bn) Federal Budget Expenditures) with deficits that add annually to the debt burden.  Funded by bond sales.  Government bonds now have higher yields than corporates! Dawes Points has been talking about the bond markets for some time now but I hope you have noted what has happened in the major bond markets over the past couple of months?  A volatile top and then carnage!  The bank shares are following. Just think about bond prices.  The lower the coupon the higher the volatility.  Doubling in yield.  Halving in price?  Well, not quite but horrible anyway.  And much more pain to come. Germany 10 years are now 0.88% after falling to below 0.05%!  And the UK has blasted through 2.0% after seeing 1%. This next one has to be one of the great technical graphics in my investing life!  US 10 Year Treasury Notes by price.  The peak in 2012.  The break of the break of the uptrend in 2013.  The rally in 2015 back to the trend break line for the `goodbye kiss’ then a sell off!   A break through about 122 (but probably 125!) might just put the fear of God into the `safe haven’ believers.  The falls this past month have been truly horrendous.  No wonder banks stocks are weak.  Keep watching this key indicator because it is not yet “oversold”! US$85-90tn in useless overpriced global sovereign debt.  And more coming every year.  These graphics on US, German and UK bonds should be telling YOU something LOUD and CLEAR.  Disinflation is over.  The central banks want some inflation and I just think they are going to get it. Maybe bigger than they expect. And what does Dawes Points think of rising bond yields? Good news!! All time highs in equity markets!  Almost everywhere but here in sleepy Oz.  A nation of bureaucrats chasing bank shares. Funds will be flowing out of these bonds (and bank shares) now.  Where will they go?   General equities of course, then resources shares.  Then gold and commodities.  Let’s just watch this play out. The oil price as expected has decided that low is no use to anyone and China’s 5.4% pa June Half 2015 gain means another 0.5mmbbl per day consumption.  The glut might just be over in the Dec Half and oil prices could be higher.   And while we were talking of the build up in bank deposit holdings we can also already see the build up in gold holdings.  Certainly underway in China and India. Do you go along with that rising interest rates will sink the global economy? Possibly that might happen, but the markets are telling you differently.  The US$ may have a last gasp rally and the fraudsters on COMEX may try to hit gold and commodities again but it will be futile. Recall the LME metals graphics in the last Dawes Points.  Consumption growth rates that even surprised me with their strength.  And no LME inventories.  Thank goodness we are going into Northern Hemisphere Summer otherwise the commodities would be surging already. Just come back to LME inventories.  Other stocks do exist but LME stocks are a helpful indicator. The composite is at just one week and some of the individual metals are below.  Copper, lead and tin are down to just one week and zinc is less than two and falling rapidly. Stocks of Nickel metal are at an all time high but this is disguising a major shortage developing in nickel-rich iron ores in China.   And China crude steel production is still confounding the doomsters. 838mtpa in April 2015.  Up just marginally on 2014 and the second highest rate ever!  Iron ore inventory movements will be so important to watch and will strongly influence iron ore prices.  Expect a rally to US$80 by year end. There is just so much more to come here.  I hope you all have an understanding of the significance of the Chinese Silk Road Infrastructure programme and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.  No slowdown in China and acceleration in ASEAN and India. You have seen how the probable iron ore short squeeze as suggested in the last Dawes Points is materialising. It might be one of the largest volume global markets but it is still a very thin market for traders. The inventory shift highlighted there has seen China port inventories down over 25mt (~20%) to <85mt. So the basic fundamental supply/demand data is overwhelmingly positive and a commentariat environment has been created that is overwhelmingly negative. I am seeing dozens of small resources stocks attracting good volume and recovering stock prices.  The opportunities are many.  Companies with decent projects trading at a few % of their NPVs and are just awaiting funding.  Producing companies trading a low single digit PERs.  Explorers with some outstanding results.  Technical geological and geophysical evidence is building up for the most extraordinary decade of new major discoveries in Australia in oil and gas, copper, lead-zinc-silver and gold. The indefatigable Kerry Stevenson and her recent Symposium at Broken Hill has just delivered a focussed insight into the massive potential for new discoveries in central Australia.  Knowledge and technology that begets new knowledge and then great wealth.   The mining and exploration sectors provide some of Australia’s most dynamic Intellectual Property. Hats off to the staff from the universities and Geological Surveys of NSW, Sth Australia and the Northern Territory.  The base that is being laid out before us is truly exhilarating.  Australian exploration will be having a vintage decade. I hope I have the time to cover this in more detail in the next few months because the implications are vast. So here is your chance to do very well on most resources companies. I know dozens of these companies with outstanding operations and projects and there are scores more that I don’t.  Many are already up 100s of % in 2015. Most are too small to even fit within the ASX 300 sub indices but I am seeing improving volumes, increasing market breadth and the rising prices that go with them. Participation by a broader section of the market place is still not with us, reflecting the fear and pessimism but this has been a very long period of bear market so it will take time to bring this back to normal.  That means this bull market will last a very long time too! Call me if you want to make some real money in the year ahead! But now however, the evidence can be best seen in the actual performance of ASX the Small Resources and Gold Sector Indices. Market share of ASX turnover is picking up and the four year-long downtrend declines have been broken.  The momentum is now with the Resources Sector. Have a close look at these graphics and I haven’t done them because they look colourful. Each one suggests major changes are coming in the markets. There is a downtrend trend break for the Metals and Mining. Small Resources had its bottom in June 2013 which is my `low’ for this cycle and many stocks outside the XSR have done very well indeed. The XGD is showing leadership after bottoming in November 2014. Gold sector turnover is rising as breadth and participation increases. Appreciate that the ASX Gold index is still down 70 % from its high and is now turning up. Certainly the weakness of the A$ in late 2014 helped kick the market and some people might have thought it was just an A$ gold adjustment that would soon peter out.  Nice jump.  Take profits.  Now what? Well it has held its ground and then moved marginally higher. In my view, the XGD is readying itself for another major move up.  Perhaps mirroring the bond markets that seem to be expecting an even bigger thump to come there.  Timing suggests mid to late June so you may not have much more time to dilly dally. This looks very interesting and a break above 2800 could see a sharp rush to 4400 (up 64% from here). Will we get it? Looking at this index more closely there is much to like. It is showing intra sector rotation as some stocks have weakened, some have moved sideways and some others have surged. Dawes Points has its favourites.  NST, MLX, TBR, BLK, SBM, OGC, NCM, EVN, BDR, MML, GOR, DRM and CGN.  

The Paradigm 1 December 2014 Portfolio to 3 June 2015

      A cents    
  Stock ASX Code

1-Dec

3-Jun

Change

1

Beadell BDR

19.0

19.8

3.9%

2

Doray DRM

27.0

44.0

63.0%

3

Evolution EVN

43.0

114.0

165.1%

4

Kingsgate KCN

62.0

75.0

21.0%

5

Medusa MML

57.0

92.5

62.3%

6

Newcrest NCM

918.0

1381.0

50.4%

7

Northern Star NST

96.0

237.0

146.9%

8

Oceana OGC

96.0

313.0

226.0%

9

Regis RRL

207.0

119.0

-42.5%

10

Resolute RSG

129.0

31.5

-75.6%

11

Saracen SAR

21.0

48.5

131.0%

12

Tribune TBR

265.0

390.0

47.2%

13

Gold Road GOR

20.5

45.5

122.0%

14

ABM Mining ABU

22.0

26.0

18.2%

15

MetalsEx MLX

70.0

145.5

107.9%

16

Blackham BLK

6.7

18.0

168.7%

17

Crater Gold CGN

12.5

11.0

-12.0%

  ASX 300 Gold XGD

1701

2625.0

54.3%

This unweighted portfolio is up 69% from 1 December with 0.5% yield.  The weighted (big caps double, mid caps single and small caps half weighting) portfolio was 80% higher and had dividends from NST, OGC, MLX and EVN to take it to just over 81%. What did yours do? The XGD was up 54% before dividends. Look at the leaders.  NST had a very strong run but is now digesting that.  NCM had recently made new rally highs.  MLX has exploded higher.  SBM is catching up.  Market breadth is expanding.  New rally highs for many.  Do you understand the TBR story?  BLK, GOR, CGN.  Like them all! Were you aware that the term Hedge Fund came from the big bond funds that `hedged’ their bond portfolios against rising inflation in the 1960s by having a portion of their funds in investment vehicles that bought gold and commodity stocks? With the S$80-90tn now in bonds those fund managers have a lot of hedging to do! What would a 1% hedging premium (US$800bn) buy in the gold and resources sector?      What would 2% buy? Do you have enough gold and resources stocks? Look at this: XGD Gold stocks against A$ gold had fallen 80% from April 2011 to the Nov 2014 low!  A$ gold at the low was the same as at peak in April 2011!! Other sectors are moving up and the takeover of Sirius by Independence Group along with the consolidation in the gold sector should be giving everyone confidence. And I do like the oil and gas sector.  Oil is holding up well with strong demand from Asia and the US output is stabilising or falling. The thesis in Dawes Points hasn’t changed these past two years even though some things have gone terribly wrong in the A$, the iron ore price, the oil price  and…… oh yes, resources stocks themselves. But the rest of the scenario of:-
  • Global bonds peaking
  • Global equity markets surging
  • China hasn’t fallen over despite Wall Street’s best efforts to say otherwise
  • Gold price firm in US$ and rising elsewhere in other currencies
  • Metals consumption growth rock steady
  • Most metals in supply deficits
  • LME inventories very low
  • Resources sector earnings still attractive
  • Exploration successes still flowing through
is still spot on. I am winning now. Are you there with me to win as well? I own NST, MLX, CGN, BLK, SBM, GOR, TBR, DRM and more. 6 June 2015 Edition #37

It’s all happening now in this Bull Market!!

by Barry Dawes

Key Points

  • The Dark Side throwing in the towel?
  • Shanghai finally joins the Global Bull Market
  • All Ords breaks 5500 and joins in too!
  • BHP is a Paradigm SUPER stock on oil and copper
  • Expansion continuing with ASX  XSR small resources up 8% in July
  • Dawes Points 2014 resources portfolio up 64% for 1 January - 30 July
  • Gold in super bull market  with demand rising from India and China
  • Oil and gas exploration activity in Australia stepping up
The Dark Side of Pessimism, Commodity Price Terrorism and China Envy appears to be finally throwing in the towel to surrender to the massive tide of global economic expansion as the aspirations of the world's rising middle classes prevail.  Expansion with record levels of global cash to fuel it. And what an event this is.  It is one to savour and to pass on to your grandchildren.  I have said that before but it is and it is all happening according to the Dawes Points script.  It is crystal clear in the markets now that China is not collapsing, the European banking system is not melting down and the US economy is not falling into the Greater Depression. If the world has done this well despite the pessimism, what will now happen as the Dark Side changes its view?   Are you ready for it?  What will happen with the extraordinary high levels of cash on the sidelines flow back to markets? And from the bond markets? You have been forewarned so are you fore-armed? The Dark Side has for years churned out a never ending torrent of warnings based on China slowing or Europe collapsing and the ensuing oversupply of commodities that was going to push down iron ore, copper, coal, LME metals, silver and, of course, gold.  The Super Cycle Bull Market in commodities was over and also was the strength in the A$.   Oh yes, also buy US T bonds! And build up cash! And all this has proven to be false prophesy.  What can you say about their professionalism? But the false prophesies have been enough to all but destroy the capital markets for resources stocks along with careers, opportunities, livelihoods and wealth.  Yours and mine.  FOR NO REAL REASON! And we still hear it.  Investors should build up cash and chase yield. Not capital growth.  So why then have the Russell 2000 Small Caps and the S&P600 Small Caps done so well and have led this market up since the March 2009 lows? The market facts tell it clearly.

Mar 2009 Low

30 July 2014

% change

S&P 600 Small Caps

131.54

475.25

360

Russell 2000 Small Caps

355.91

1146.57

321

S&P500

695.27

1970.07

282

Dow Jones 30

6709.61

16880.36

251

And Google, Tesla and Face Book are hardly high dividend yield stocks. So in great contrast to these strong highs, resources stocks are priced for the end of the world which is clearly not happening.  So if not, then there should be some `normalisation' in the terms of Wall Street Wallys.  That is, a major upward rerating of resources. So, where to start with the plethora of positive market signals in July. We could focus on any of the following:- Stock Markets
New All time Highs So Close to All time Highs Pre 2008 downtrends broken 2011 downtrends broken
US
Canada
Germany
India
Sth Korea
UK
Japan
Singapore
Taiwan
Europe
And how about these for commodities
New All time Highs So Close to All time Highs Pre 2008 downtrends broken 2011 downtrends broken Waiting
Palladium Silver
Bauxite Moly Platinum
Cobalt Copper
Oil Zinc
Nickel Lead
Tin Gold
Uranium Aluminium
Resources stocks are not reflecting these conditions at all. And then there is gold.  It was covered in the last Dawes Points and gold stocks are performing well. Just note the basing and reversal in the GDX ETF of the XAU (Philadelphia Gold Index). Note that gold stocks in North America are still about just 30% of their `normal’ rating against the general market and are turning up again.  Big % gains to come. But the clearest signal is the economic data coming out of China. The 7.5% pa GDP growth rate is being maintained and the various Purchasing Managers Indices (PMIs) are now all pointing up. Expect an acceleration from here.   Overall, China never really slowed overall and never as much in most sectors as the commentators expected, as we saw through the crude steel production data. And the US had 4% growth for June Qtr! My four visits to China from Sept last year gave no obvious indication of a real slowdown and in fact reinforced my views of an increasingly sophisticated and complex society so keen to improve living standards.  And the infrastructure and technology standards are so high that Australia is not keeping up. With economic expansion in China comes an increase in everything but particularly the demand for energy.  In a slower 2013, BP Datashows energy demand only grew 4.4% and took China to 23% of total global energy consumption and 25% higher than the US. Importantly, gas consumption in China increased 10.6% in 2013 but it is still only 5.1% of total energy consumption in China whereas the total global average is 23.7%.  Coal is still around 68% in China and 30% globally.   The demand for gas in China has so far to go from this 5.1% to at least 20% to get anywhere near the world's 24% and 30% in the US.  This graphic tells us a lot about the economies of China and the USA and the changes since 2006. Focus on the gas numbers because China will be a major importer of gas via pipeline from Iran and from Russia and can be also expected to greatly increase LNG imports as well as develop its own shale gas resources.   China needs to increase gas share from 5 to at least 20% in a growing energy consumption profile over the next 20 years. See how the US has increased gas by 25% to a level of 30% from just 24% in 2006 and reduced its coal consumption by 20% from 24% to 20%.  All from that shameful fraccing!!  So much more garbage from the Greens. Now just look at the markets. My last visit to China provided strong signals that share ownership in China is not highly regarded.  It seems much money was lost after 2007 with a steep index fall of 70%, a rally, then a grinding 45% decline over five years and a retreat to the levels of 2001.   No one owns shares anymore.  Its all in property and shadow banking high interest loans. Unfortunately the property developers can't quite make the payments on the 25-35% loans so the cash will likely go elsewhere.  Shares maybe? The markets are showing that the bearishness is now turning. The US$15,600bn market cap Shanghai SEC Index is up 13% in the past year and is on a PER of 10.1x. The 2007 downtrend is broken after the Index bounced off the 22 year uptrend. This FTSE China 25 Index ETF is also pushing against the 2011 highs which are also post 2008 highs. China had been holding back Australia but we are now leading Shanghai and with the break through 5500 the All Ords will now try to catch up the world. These improvements have been anticipated by some of the better opportunities in the market and are reflected in the 30 stocks Dawes Points Nov 2013 Non-trading Portfolio which is now up 64% since the beginning of 2014.   Big gains by LNG (4% of initial book value), LMB (0.8% ibv), AQA(4.3% ibv) and WSA(4.3%ibv) have helped significantly. Here is the portfolio.  Big caps have finally started to move but stock picking in the smaller end has produced stellar results.  Much more to come. Now one of the things that has been embedded in my brain since entering the financial markets is that the market in Australia can only go where the market leader goes.  And this is BHP. So if the market leader is not going higher then the market will find it difficult to move higher. We all have been bombarded by the iron ore bears who equate the iron ore price with the future of the Western and Eastern Worlds.  It affects BHP of course and RIO and then we have the numerous experts who have shorted FMG. But the operational and production responses and the market action of BHP are not of the character of a company, and hence a market, going nowhere. Note this extraordinary comment from a local fund manager who told Reuters:- "At the end of the day, BHP's fortunes are tied to the iron-ore market," said ………., chief investment officer at ………. Asset Management, which recently sold its shares in the miner after holding the stock for close to 15 years. "The stated strategy of the majors is to squeeze higher cost production out of the market," he said. "We're just not sure that maximizing production is as sensible as they think it is." So he is sold out.  Yet the stock is at 12 month highs so something else is happening. This is the `Generals and the Maginot Line’ concept referred to in the February Dawes Points. If the market for BHP is holding up and the iron ore price isn't that bad maybe this something else is happening. How about the something else being copper? Copper prices have broken the 2011 downtrend and LME inventories are just 144kt for a 21mtpa market and are at 6 year lows. The Dark Side has tried to tell us that the inventory has just been moved from LME warehouses to others in China and that financing of this inventory will bring us all unstuck.  Garbage! BHP will produce a net 1.8mt of copper in FY15 and at US$7000/t this is US$12.6bn in gross revenue.  At US$7700/t this is US$1.26bn more.   Escondida and Olympic Dam, each growing. Now to another something else. The 2011 acquisition of Petrohawk's Eagle-Ford and Permian oil and gas acreage and Chesapeake Energy's gas at Haynesville by BHP was derided by the cognescenti at the time as an over-priced and strategically dumb acquisition.   Gas prices fell after the acquisition so it was a big joke with writedowns on Cheaspeake's Haynesville assets.  Another Magma Copper.  HBI.  Ravensthorpe.  Failure. But wait a moment. Look at these numbers for gas which show a doubling for BHPP since the acquisition.
Year end June (BCF)

2011

2012

2013

2014

Bass Strait

107

112

124

109

North West Shelf

125

144

131

128

US onshore

36

448

479

449

Other

137

118

140

153

Total

405

822

874

839

US onshore %

9

55

55

54

  US Onshore provides almost 55% of BHP Petroleum's gas production but at the current US$4/mmbtu at Henry Hub its not too exciting. But more importantly however, the unconventional oil and liquids mostly from Black Hawk and Hawkville  in the Eagle-Ford shales provided 26% of BHPP's FY14 net liquids output and 31% in the June Qtr at a rate of 28mmbbloepa (80,000bbloepd). BHPP has advised a 17mmbbl liquids increase for FY15 and it had spent US$3.9bn in FY14 to achieve this. So taking a steady growth of +2.5mmbbloe per qtr growth rate to give just 15mmbbloe extra in FY15 then the June Qtr FY15 could be producing at a rate of over 60mmbbloepa (170,000bbloepd).  What will FY16 look like?   Can't really know today but BHPP has said 200,000bblpd by 2016(>70mmbblpa) so expect higher numbers in FY16. What may be known is that BHPP is probably getting one year IRRs of over 70% and 60mmbloe pa gives annual revenue of US$6,000m and at a conservative 50% EBITDA margin this adds a lot to BHPP's earnings.  Like about US$2bn in FY15 and US$3bn in FY16. The technology changes in drilling are bringing down drilling costs, improving reservoir recoveries and boosting returns.  BHPP `is testing high-temperature gels for better proppant transportation, different stage spacing to maximize stimulated rock volume, and reservoir modeling to simulate stress capture and optimize well sequencing.'  (UOGR April 2014) BHP also reported that field trials achieving are 10-40% higher than production for comparable surrounding wells. The rapid technology changes in unconventional oil production (now really a `manufacturing’ business rather than exploration) are suggesting increases in oil recovery from about 3% to as much as 6%, with about 50% recoverable in Year 1. Getting 400,000bbls @US$100/bbl in Year 1 is US$40m revenue with $8m op costs for a US$10m well is over 100% Year 1 IRR.  Try 150%.  And BHP is spending US$4bnpa.  The above BHP numbers might be low. So here are two major Divisions of BHP in cashflow growth mode that will offset any earnings weakness from any lower prices there in iron ore with its 10% higher FY15 225mtpa output, costs reduction and revenue of US$20bn. It seems that the world has just focussed on BHP's iron ore and ignored Copper and Oil.   BHP's share of All Ords market turnover has been at the lowest level for over 10 years suggesting it is very much underowned.  Turnover in recent weeks has jumped up sharply suggesting BHP will again lead the market higher. Other markets are giving BHP a better ranking so have a look at BHP in US$.  More action than in Australia, possibly. The raison d’etre for the establishment of DawesPoints in 2012 was to advise clients and the world in general that the real economy was operating at very different level to the financial economy. And that the real economy was doing far better than the financial community has been giving credit for. The continual reference to the US markets has been a core activity of DawesPoints because these are far more liquid markets with vast numbers of buyers and sellers with different goals, views, responsibilities, time frames and of course attitudes.  The Australia market appears to me to be concentrated with strong convergent groupthink views and guided by a generation of advisors investors with contrasting time frames compared to the real economies' requirements.  Risk averse commentators driving investors away from equities and to overweight positions in bonds and cash. The Australian investment market of course has had the luxury of being able to invest in a vast number of overseas markets with stocks such as Apple, Google and Tesla not available in the local market. So rightly competition for capital is substantial.  However, it is a pity bank deposits have won this section of the race with their A$1,606bn balance. How is it that our Australia prefers to back the banks and mediocrity or overseas companies rather than backing its citizens in their visions and endeavours?  Why would you back XYZ Bank Ltd to invest in 4.8% mortgages rather than to invest in Ken Everyman who has uncommon drive and a great idea about how to produce and sell a better front door lock?  What about Dr Phil Brown and his biotech innovation in a field that Australia is an acknowledged leader (did you know that the local George Institute is THE leading medical research unit of the world!!). Why indeed would you not invest in Bill Brilliant who has a copper deposit that he has assessed as worthy of further development? Or John with his iron ore opportunity?  Or Frank with the acquisition of a major exploration target from large international mining company for whom the target no longer met corporate goals.  Real ideas, real drive and real assets from real people. Australia does have the world’s largest listed mining company in BHP and a range of other and its banks are world class with all the big 4 with AA ratings The scope of this is vast and extraordinary.  From gold to iron ore from new mining technologies to unconventional oil and gas. Opportunities everywhere. And yet still the large investment banks are still vying for the title of the most bearish.  How many of them have even been beyond Hong Kong into China.  Not many, it would seem. And the fixation with a lower iron ore price and the collapse in the steel industry in China as it goes to yet another new record high (yes, new record of 843mtpa in June!!).    Oh, puulease. So what is really happening now?  The Bear Case of overwhelming debt leading to a US Depression with European banking collapse and China falling over has very simply failed to eventuate.  You can say QE and other injections of liquidity have prevented the collapse and that unless we get more then it will still happen.  Maybe. The much proclaimed collapse in commodities hasn’t arrived yet and apart from the ridiculous preoccupation with the iron ore price it appears it won’t. What is going to happen to these people who have been preaching Armageddon and worse?  And to those who have listened? I saw some `unverifiable’ data from a US columnist that showed that ten major global economies (including US, UK and Australia) had current savings rates in excess of 40%.  No wonder global growth has been slightly anaemic. But what does A$1,606bn in bank deposits suggest to you?  How could Treasury, most banks, the disgraceful `asset allocators', a growing army of risk averse financial planners and scared ordinary people with the conventional wisdom of Cash is King be on the right side of the market?   A thirty year bull market in bonds has certainly sucked in everyone, especially governments who think that the markets will always be there to take over priced paper. But note that the tide has already turned with major US bond funds reporting a full year of redemptions as the risk of holding low yield, balance sheet-challenged government paper just keeps growing. And here, the latest RBA data shows that although total bank deposits are still rising ( up 0.7% to a new record A$1,606bn) in June the Term Deposits category had the biggest ever monthly fall (A$7.9bn)  to just A$529bn and at -1.5%, the largest % fall since deposits began to rise sharply in 2007. Funds flowing from bonds and term deposits is now well underway.  Into investments, property and soon into retail consumption.  For us that is into equities and commodities and into resources equities (read small cap resources stocks!). Well if you are reading these DawesPoints you know these have been my views and you have had it consistently straight and true. Bull market for resources and commodities. And these views haven't changed in the past two years. Now some more facts for you to consider. Resources sector bottomed in the GFC in Nov 2008 and the broad markets Dow, S&P, All Ords, FTSE and DAX bottomed  almost 4 months later in Mar Qtr 2009. Say that again. The Resource Sector (XMM.ASX) bottomed in Dec Qtr 2008 and the broader market bottomed in March 2009. So technically we have been in a bull market uptrend in resources for almost six years now!  Hasn’t felt like it has it? The resources market rallied into April 2011 then weakened into June 2013 for the first major pull back.  A 53% fall was some pullback.  Ouch. And 71% for Small Resources was ,..  er,..er,.. um,.. some pull back.  But it is bottoming! The poor old gold sector after making a magnificent 230% rally from the GFC into 2011 then fell 80.0% to Dec 2013.  Mere details!  And of course the small caps became microcaps and then nanocaps and worse.  Quite few 95% falls here.  More than OUCH. All these share price collapses for no real macro economic reason.  Just misinformation, groupthink and fear. But what value has been created!! And strong stock and portfolio performances in 2014 reflect that.  So much more to come. I have referred to the `stealth’ bull market in Australian oil and gas exploration that is well underway now.  The new LNG projects in Australia will be export conduits for many new gas fields in Australia and will change the entire industry. I particularly like the key Cooper Basin stocks (BPT, DLS and SXY) and also those in the NT and parts of WA.  Hopefully a full report might be available very soon.  The implications are very great and the opportunities will be very rewarding. There are hundreds of companies with quality projects that need to be financed and I am happy to recommend dozens of them.  This is going to be an extraordinary Bull Market for the next decade! So the opportunities in Australia now start with our preferred leaders. BHP and FMG (SUPER stocks) with WPL, OSH, STO, WSA, ORG as leaders. Onshore oil and gas led by BPT, DLS, SXY in the Cooper Basin and then AJQ, CTP and REY. Gold stocks NCM, NST, ABU, GOR, SLR, SAR, BLK Copper stocks CDU, PNA Industrial metals TRO, AMI, IBG, Technology metals ORE, ALK, LMB, VXL, KNL, CNQ Metals explorers SIR, CZI, KGL, Many more as this market moves up, as we discover new opportunities and as relative values warrant switches. So what happens now for the supporters of the Dark Side? This is a very important question. If the end of the world hasn’t happened by now what might be the options for them?
  • Wonder what to do with A$1,606bn in bank deposits?
  • Get even more bearish?
  • Actually go to China and see it first hand rather than pontificating with propaganda of envy?
  • Look for undervalued sectors?
  • Concluding resources and Australia look very appealing?
All of the above. And that suits us just fine! I own shares in BHP and FMG, STO, DLS, AJQ, CTP and REY. NCM, NST, ABU, GOR, SLR, SAR, CDU, TRO, AMI, IBG, ORE, ALK, LMB, VXL, KNL, CNQ and CZI.  7 August 2014 Sydney