Companies

It’s been a chaotic morning for JB Hi-Fi (JBH) investors. If you’ve been watching the screens, you might have developed a mild case of whiplash. JB Hi-Fi shares opened over 5 per cent higher at around $80, fell to $72 (down 4 per cent), and have since clawed back above $80, reflecting a classic case of a solid half-year result clashing with a cautious outlook for the rest of 2026.

A solid 1H26 result

On the surface, JB Hi-Fi remains a poster child of execution. Sales and Net Profit After Tax (NPAT) were both up over 7 per cent year-on-year (YoY), largely meeting or exceeding consensus expectations. continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Companies, Market commentary, Market Valuation.

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Commonwealth Bank (ASX: CBA), under the guidance of CEO Matt Comyn, has once again proven why it’s considered the best Australian bank. Despite a muddy economic backdrop and fierce competition in the mortgage market, the bank’s half-year FY26 (1H26) results beat analyst expectations (again).

While the headline numbers were strong and will dominate today’s commentary, a more interesting story lies in the shifting dynamics of Australia’s largest lender. continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Companies, Financial Services, Market commentary, Market Valuation, Stocks We Like.

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On December 18, in a blog entitled Time Magazine Cover Curse, I wrote, “…Gracing the cover of the [TIME] mag isn’t a coronation but a harbinger of doom, because the moment a public figure has permeated the public discourse sufficiently to land the cover, the trajectory inevitably reverses.”

Politicians have suffered landslide defeats after being featured on the cover, as have business tycoons whose stocks plummet, and celebrities whose reputations are assassinated under sudden, intense scrutiny. continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Companies, Economics, Investing Education, Market Valuation.

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It has struck me as curious that one of the sectors of the global market that was hit after the pandemic lockdowns were lifted but has generally failed to recover, is luxury retail. 

I have long believed that many prestige brands, such as Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada, and Ralph Lauren, are now so common on street corners and in shopping centres and malls that they verge on being more mass-market than exclusive, more masstige than prestige. One questions how much longer they can sustain their high margins if consumers become unwilling to pay ever-increasing prices for items that can be bought just about anywhere. continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Companies, Global markets, Manufacturing, Market commentary.

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As the February 2026 reporting season gets underway, attention turns once again to earnings as ASX-listed companies begin releasing their results. This period often brings heightened market activity, with share prices reacting swiftly to earnings surprises, guidance updates and outlook commentary.

The last two reporting seasons have brought increased volatility and, as a result, significant opportunities. With many companies reluctant to provide guidance amid an unstable geopolitical environment, the prospect of earnings surprises this reporting season is more pronounced. continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Companies.

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2025 was a strong year for small companies and for the Montgomery Small Companies Fund. In this detailed video, I’m joined by Gary Rollo, Co-Portfolio Manager of the Montgomery Small Companies Fund to review the Fund’s performance, key market drivers, and the outlook for small caps and growth companies heading into 2026. continue…

by Scott Phillips Posted in Companies, Economics, Global markets, Investing Education, Market commentary, Market Valuation, Small Caps, Stocks We Like.

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I joined Juliette Saly on Ausbiz to reflect on how markets closed out in 2025 and what may lie ahead in 2026. Last year was again dominated by artificial intelligence (AI) and the Magnificent Seven (Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, Nvidia and Tesla). However, with valuations now stretched amongst these technology leaders, there may be opportunities for investors beyond the headlines.  continue…

by David Buckland Posted in Companies, Market commentary, Small Caps, Stocks We Like, TV Appearances.

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Wall Street on Thursday experienced a stunning reversal in sentiment. Impressive results from the company spearheading the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution, Nvidia (NVDA), and a strong September jobs report initially drove the Nasdaq up more than two per cent.

On Wednesday, Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang had described demand for its Blackwell chips as “off the charts”, and dismissed fears of an AI bubble on the company’s earnings call.

Meanwhile, the U.S. economy added 119,000 jobs in September, meaning the labour market was in better shape than previously thought. continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Companies, Global markets, Investing Education, Market commentary, Market Valuation.

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National Australia Bank (ASX: NAB) delivered its full-year 2025 (FY25) results on 6 November, posting cash earnings of $7.091 billion – essentially flat on FY24 and a touch below the market’s $7.18 billion consensus.

The share price sold off about two per cent on the day, and we believe the relatively soft trading since is due to investors focusing on two things:

1. Higher-than-expected loan impairment charges (up 14 per cent to A$833 million), driven mainly by missed payments, a handful of individual business banking exposures and some unsecured retail lending stress, and
2. Relatively flat earnings and final dividend 85 cents per share, bringing the full-year dividend per share (DPS) up one cent to 170 cents, fully franked.

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by Roger Montgomery Posted in Companies, Financial Services.

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NVIDIA delivered another blowout quarter (Q3 2025 – ended 26 October, 2025 – released 19 November, 2025), significantly beating Wall Street expectations, and for some, partially alleviating (perhaps only temporarily) concerns about an artificial intelligence (AI) bubble. Demand for AI infrastructure remains extremely strong, with the new Blackwell graphic processing unit (GPU) architecture powering Nvidia’s latest high-performance chips for AI and Data Centres ramping faster than anticipated. continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Companies, Technology & Telecommunications.

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