The S&P/ASX 200 (ASX: XJO) added another 1.2% over the week while the Dow Jones led the way for US benchmarks, gaining 0.9%.
Here are my three key investor takeaways from the week.
Buybacks not the answer
It was the week of share buybacks in Australia as boards follow the US lead and seek to either return capital to investors or reduce their shares on issue.
Commonwealth Bank (ASX: CBA), National Australia Bank (ASX: NAB) and ANZ Banking Group (ASX: ANZ) along with Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS), Boral Limited (ASX: BLD) and Suncorp Group Ltd (ASX: SUN) have all announced buybacks in recent months and whilst a short-term positive for the share price, they may actually be hiding a bigger issuer.
As much as we all love dividends, if those dividends are coming from a company that is not reinvesting, particularly in the era of disruption, they are unlikely to be sustainable. Buybacks tend to suggest a management team doesn’t believe they can generate better returns in house.
Climate in focus
The release of the UN’s Climate report during the week was met with both fanfare and derision, as is typically the case. But regardless of your view on the report, it is clear that a transition to a lower carbon and more sustainable economy is already underway.
Many popular thematic funds are seeking to capitalise on the demand for exposure but may be contributing to a sustainability bubble, as evidenced by the significant run-up in lithium and renewable energy stocks in 2020 and 2021; as always, tread with caution and invest for the long-term.
Valuations
With the S&P 500 hitting its 40 something record high and the ASX 200 joining the party, the attention naturally switches to concerns about valuations.
On the one hand, the ASX remains fairly valued compared to other assets but particularly government bonds.
On the other, most of us aren’t investing directly into the index, rather we are actively seeking to own the best quality assets for the evolving environment.
