It is well known that Canadian investors favour their domestic banking oligopoly for its history of solid growth and stable dividends. What is less well known is that Australia is home to one of the world’s best banking sectors, with nearly identical long-term returns and dividends to those of the Canadian banks.
Insights: Asia/Australia
HBA – Top Performing Financials ETF in Canada (and 5 Reasons to Invest)
In 2022, our blue-chip Hamilton Australian Banks Equal Weight Index ETF (HBA) outperformed its 38 competitor financials ETFs, by rising ~1%, making it the top performing financials ETF in Canada – foreign or domestic[1]. This is the second year in a row that Hamilton ETFs had the top performing financials ETF in Canada[2]. In fact, HBA – which has a yield of 5.8% – was the…
HFT – Top Performing Fintech ETF by Wide Margin
With its focus on blue-chip firms, the Hamilton Financials Innovation ETF (HFT) outperformed all fintech ETFs in the last two years, including those offered by “high profile” U.S. providers/managers. When it was launched, we explained that HFT would differentiate itself versus its competitors by focusing on “blue-chip” firms focused on financial innovation with higher growth, which were (i) profitable, (ii) had established business models, and importantly…
HFG – Top Performing Global Financials ETF in Canada
Our Hamilton Global Financials ETF (HFG) was the top performing ETF in its category in 2022 and outperformed its domestic competitors and the iShares Global Financials ETF (IXG) over the last two years. During that period, HFG generated a total return of 17.5%, beating every competitor ETF by at least 2.8%[1]. Importantly, not only did HFG outperform its competitor global financials ETFs and the index in…
Australian Banks: Robust Earnings and Large Capital Return
A strong recovery of the Australian economy is underway as evidenced by the solid earnings growth seen at the Australian banks in their most recent reporting season. In this insight, we discuss the positive trends impacting the sector. Specifically, we elaborate on the recent operating results (both earnings drivers and capital returns), and other positive trends including economic growth supported by further reopening as well as…
Australian Banks: Earnings Recovery in Progress; Massive Capital Return Ahead
The recovery of the Australian economy and banks is accelerating. In this insight, we discuss how the Australian banking sector – one of the world’s strongest – has firmly entered the recovery stage of the credit cycle and what that means for share prices. In the past, we have described the Canadian and Australian banking sectors as being akin to fraternal twins given their significant similarities,…
Global Financials: The Most Attractive/Important Investment Themes in 2021
Hamilton Global Financials ETF (HFG), which launched on June 26, 2020, is focused on investing in high quality global financial stocks with strong balance sheets, diversified income streams and exposure to favorable, medium- and long-term cyclical and secular trends. This focus aims to provide Canadian investors with diversified exposure to the most attractive themes within the global financial sector while maintaining a volatility profile not materially…
Australian Banks: Entering Recovery Stage of Credit Cycle (in 6 Charts)
In this insight, we share 6 charts that, in our view, indicate that the Australian banking sector – one of the world’s strongest – has entered the recovery stage of the credit cycle, which should be supportive of share prices. In the past, we have described the Canadian and Australian banking sectors as being akin to fraternal twins given their significant similarities, as well as those…
Australian Banks: Outperformance vs Canada (akin to Canadian Bank #4)
In this insight we review the performance of the Australian banks versus the Canadian banks and discuss why Canadian bank investors should consider the Hamilton Australian Bank Equal-Weight Index ETF (ticker: HBA). Launched on June 29, 2020, HBA aims to replicate (net of fees) the performance of the Solactive Australian Bank Equal-Weight Index TR (SOLBAEWT) and is currency hedged. The SOLBAEWT index, which tracks the performance…
Canadian Banks: Three Vulnerable Loan Exposures (in Charts)
In our Insight, Financials: Does COVID-19 Represent a Growth Scare, Credit Event or Crisis (March 25, 2020), we discussed the implications of the global economy moving swiftly into an undetermined period of negative economic growth. For the banks, we fully expect the result will be a credit cycle. Although the peak of losses and the duration are very much unknown, we believe this credit cycle is likely…
One Chart: Australia Appears to be Flattening the Curve Ahead of Other Countries (including Canada)
In our Insight, “Financials: Does COVID-19 Represent a Growth Scare, Credit Event or Crisis” (March 25, 2020), we discussed the implications of the global economy moving swiftly into an undetermined period of negative economic growth which has caused stocks to fall sharply. One critical variable for every country will be when they can restart their economies, which will be heavily influenced by each country’s ability to…
Financials: Does COVID-19 Represent a Growth Scare, Credit Event or Crisis?
Since we launched our first ETF in January 2016, there have been four significant macro corrections in four years. None of those large and painful corrections represented a crisis, insofar as the declines did not represent a threat to the solvency of the financial sector, either from a lack of liquidity or the destruction of capital. Rather, they were related to the market rapidly (and, in…