Amanda's Take Five for Easter

Personal Finance

These are just a few of my favourite things that I wish the Easter Bunny would have brought a decade ago. And these are the top five NZ equities picks from a handful of experts

5th Apr 12, 1:23pm by Amanda Morrall

By Amanda Morrall (email)

I have eggs on my mind today. Not boiled, scrambled, or chocolate although I will undoubtedly be tucking into the latter over the next few days. No, the kind of eggs I am contemplating are the one's I'd like to feather my retirement nest with.

The experts suggest you should only invest in what you know and understand. Using that logic, my share market shopping list would consist of companies that specialised in the following: 1) coffee 2) chocolate 3) yoga 4) books and 5) music.

Extrapolating from my tastes and preferences for the things I love (and get) my portfolio basket would consist of a pinch of raw commodities (coffee, cocoa and cotton - apparently organic is going gangbusters) a sprinkling of LuluLemon (too bad I missed the boat as it's overpriced now), a touch of Amazon and a dash of Apple. All my favourites are hideously expensive now but if I'd been braver and bolder, and more financially savvy 10-15 years ago, I'd be in good form today I reckon.

Here's what a sampling of experts are choosing for 2012 as published in Forbes Money.

What are some of New Zealand's fund managers packing in their KiwiSaver baskets and what are other experts are keeping their eye on? I decided to find out.

Here's a sampling:

1) Milford Asset Management's active growth KiwiSaver fund - top five NZ equities holdings:

Ryman Healthcare (NZ)

Chorus (NZ)

Diligent Board Member Services (NZ)

Restaurant Brands

Turners Auctions

2) Fisher Funds Management - KiwiSaver Growth Fund - top five NZ equities

Ryman Healthcare

Mainfreight

Freightways

Metlifecare NZ

NZX

3) Craig Simpson, interest.co.nz senior analyst's top 5 picks

Contact Energy

Mainfreight

SkyCity

Fisher & Paykel Healthcare

Chorus

4) Macquarie Securities Broker's top five picks for 2012

Chorus

Pumpkin Patch

Ryman

Mainfreight

Transpacific Industries

5) Hamilton Hindin Green - Broker's top five picks for 2012

F&P Healthcare

Westpac

Chorus

Nuplex

Tower

If I could put in a request to the Easter Bunny, this year I'd be asking for a generous handful of TradeMe shares (I know and get TradeMe), a portion of the SOEs when they get floated, (I am bracing now for the winter bill shock), a dollop of NZ bank bonds (apparently the credit spreads make them a good bet), and of course I always love cash. I'm keen on the loonie and the Aussie. I'll pass on the gold watch but I wouldn't say no to a big bar of it. Hey, a girl can always dream. I hope the Easter bunny is good to you too.

To read other Take Fives by Amanda Morrall click here. You can also follow Amanda on Twitter@amandamorrall

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22 Comments

by Christov | 5th Apr 12, 6:20pm 1333606838

Carefull with the Chorus...peaked early ...will put more weight on but in the long, rather than short game.

I jumed on it in Nov 2011....very nice...now hmmmmm I'm thinking F&P health...Restraurant brands...of that lot....

by steven | 5th Apr 12, 8:21pm 1333614104

I dont see any shares myself, no way better completely out. The trend i think will be down quite a bit over 2012. If we hit a depression it will be oh god. So finding something that gains when everything is 50% over-priced seems like looking for doggy doo doo in a minefiled with bare feet and a blind fold.

Contact shares have lost money in the 21months since I sold them, pretty close to 25%....one of the worst preformers I got rid of, I see nothing to indicate a reversal?

Turners auctions I also doubt, trademe has been eating them up from the little ive watched and I dont see whats to turn around..

Pumkin patch are clothing retail, they are screwed IMHO, retail is in for a very bad few years. Amazon is very cut throat....I really wonder....but you never know.....

Westapc, LOL, well I wouldnt go near a bank (shares).....huge housing/farming exposure

Restaurant Brands, ive never liked....and shares have been dropping for a year.....will poor ppl who are strapped for cash continue to boost sales on kentucky fried rat? I wonder....

Nuplex, chemical companies get hit in a recession/depression...."Polymer resins are essential ingredients in a wide range of products used every day, from basic necessities, through consumer durables to luxury goods." - see retail....

regards

by Gummy Bear Hero | 7th Apr 12, 12:11pm 1333757495

Your experience is just in New Zealand based companies , or overseas ones too ?

...... might I suggest a little Easter reading : " Warren Buffett Invests Like a Girl ( and why you should too ) " by Louann Lofton .

by MortgageBelt | 7th Apr 12, 11:01am 1333753276

Women do it better than men ... Better at investment due to Buy & hold tendencies as opposed to Trading inclinations (Guys). http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/6701725/Women-trump-men-in-share-…
E.g. Buy a home (don't rent) then just hold. Time will do the rest for you. e.g. Keep plugging 2% into your conservative KS fund - set & forget.

by ngakonui gold | 7th Apr 12, 1:19pm 1333761545

my five for what its worth

heartland

nz farming systems

millenium copthorne

restaurant brands

goodman fielder

haven't done any research but got as much chance as the socalled experts

by Gummy Bear Hero | 8th Apr 12, 12:25pm 1333844715

Gummie's Top 5 : Fletcher Building , Michael Hill , Nuplex , Cavalier , Millennium .

...... nice to see that real investments , productive ones , finally get a hearing at interest.co.nz ... well done Amanda .......

Sick of all the articles about freakin' houses ......... oh yeah , Hickey's on holiday , ain't he !

by Wolly | 8th Apr 12, 7:37am 1333827439

"On any given day 29,000 students skip school – the equivalent of Blenheim's entire population missing from class.

And serial truants, who may be bunking school to smoke drugs, babysit younger siblings or help with household chores, are already on the road to prison or welfare dependency, a prominent principal says."

Ask the truants...likely as not most will say school is a prison......and so what's the big problem!

Is it not just a case of the prominent principal fearful of a blot in the CV, for having a truancy rate worse than the average!.....ask the frontline teacher what they think about not having the trouble in their class....we all know the answer.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/national/6709333/Wagging-school-the-daily-deal-for-29-000

by Christov | 9th Apr 12, 6:20pm 1333952443

#678716 by Andrew J. where is it please...?

by Christov | 9th Apr 12, 6:23pm 1333952590

#678713 by GBH . where is please..?

by Gummy Bear Hero | 9th Apr 12, 6:30pm 1333953019

....... has the immoderator wiped me out again , Count ?

Not before time , say I ........ lawdy , they let anyone onto this site nowadays ....

... I refuse to belong to an outfit whose standards are so slovenly low that they'd admit me ..........

by Amanda Morrall | 10th Apr 12, 7:16am 1333998970

Gummy, I was kind.
Play nice huh?
Amanda

by Christov | 10th Apr 12, 8:36am 1334003803

i must say Amanda...I felt my post was less risque than many...certainly not abusive...certainly not intended to cause offence.

Off topic..? perhaps ....but , I think int.co should realise by now some of the banter is what keeps some of us here...otherwise it's often a lot of white noise(myself included).

Reading between the lines ,sometimes even banter reflects an opinion or position on something.

P.S. I cannot imagine that A.J. had anything to say to be removed....Gummy and I ...well I guess if you really want to be picky.

Have a most excellent week.

by Amanda Morrall | 10th Apr 12, 9:09am 1334005766

It wasn't your post that was offending but the first pushed the limits. As they were all shackled together when I deleted the first, the rest went. Don't worry, I haven't lost my sense of humour. You boys are the entertainment.:)

You have a good week as well. Auckland is still on holidays judging by the traffic -- on the road.

Amanda

by Gummy Bear Hero | 10th Apr 12, 10:54am 1334012094

Tsk tsk ! ...... I was paraphrasing the great Groucho Marx .........

...... and we thought you were widely read on the world's foremost philosophers and economists , Amanda .......

Marxian economics founded the mighty Soviet Union's economy ( and look how that ended up , stinking like fish , floundered ! ) ......

by Christov | 10th Apr 12, 11:03am 1334012619

In fact GBH it was Groucho's rendition of the line..."Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn" that made Clarke Gable look like a two bit hack with clicky teeth.

ya gotta love the Groucho.

by Amanda Morrall | 10th Apr 12, 12:30pm 1334017823

Sorry to disappoint you Gummy. Amanda is but a humble yogi/writer who eschews scary bedtime reading. I assure you I am no Marxis, merely a naive pacifist I guess.

by Christov | 10th Apr 12, 1:22pm 1334020964

I think OUT magazine is about the scariest bedtime reading I've come across....it left me scarred.

N here I was thinking I was all growed up...... nope apparently not.

by Gummy Bear Hero | 10th Apr 12, 5:22pm 1334035335

You is more all growed up than many what is blog here , Count ...... don't worry , be happy .

....... and the Gummster is getting an important environmental education too , just been to a conservation documentary at the local theatre , " The Lorax " ....... the 6 year old loved it ...

... meebee PDK could correct me , but the key point is to locate a fresh valley of Truffula trees before you cut down the last one in this forest .... ?

by Gummy Bear Hero | 10th Apr 12, 6:12pm 1334038375

Gummy is definitely a Groucho Marxist , Amanda ...... but I feel we need to cheer you up , a little light reading to give you sweet dreams .....

Mark Stevenson : A Optimist's Tour of the Future ( one curious man sets out to answer " What's Next ? " )

...... plenty of cheap copies over at Amazon ...

by Christov | 10th Apr 12, 6:24pm 1334039050

GBH you gotta ge back on billy backwash time....I'm off to cook the lovely one some fresh snapper......happy evening to you ..!

by Gummy Bear Hero | 10th Apr 12, 6:32pm 1334039538

........snapper just for the lovely one , what about yer wife ........ meanie !

Had BBQ sthn blue fin tuna on Sunday : Oarsome with a capital " O " ........ 'tis the season ..

..... or the seasoning ?

Either / or , happy to be shackled to you Count , as Amanda puts it , anytime snapper's on the menu .......

by Amanda Morrall | 10th Apr 12, 8:24pm 1334046258

Don't you worry Gummy, Amanda be happy. Yogis remedy for malaise and miscommunication.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTASo1tz42k