Six secret stock winners for Australian billionaires
Some of Australia’s most successful business identities also dabble in stock picking. Here are six of their lesser-known investments that have surged this year.
Billionaire Mark Creasy has done it again with Azure Minerals.
Having made his fortune prospecting around the wilds of Western Australia, the veteran mining investor has had some big hits in recent years.
Creasy’s Yandal Investments has a large stake in nickel and lithium IGO, which has surged in value in recent years and put him in the billionaire bracket.
He has dozens of other holdings in Yandal, the result of a never-ending appetite for deals – the biggest of late is Azure.
Creasy is one of several billionaires on The List – Australia’s Richest 250 who have picked some little-known stocks that have turned into winners this year.
His company is benefiting from the surging share price of Azure thanks to its 40 per cent holding in the Andover lithium project in WA.
Creasy owns the other 60 per cent of Andover, of which Azure has spruiked the great potential.
Azure shares have quadrupled since the beginning of June, giving Creasy – the company’s second-biggest shareholder behind Chilean group SQM – a stake of more than $140m.
SQM recently made a buyout proposal for Azure at $2.31 per share, as revealed by The Australian’s DataRoom column, but Azure is now raising $120m via placement at $2.40 per share that is backed by both Creasy and SQM.
Azure will use $66m from the raise for exploration at Andover and $14m on studies at Andover. The company’s shares are up more than 1000 per cent since January 1.
Gerry Harvey is best known as the founder and major shareholder of retail giant Harvey Norman, but also dabbles in some stock picking and has a penchant for smaller mining stocks.
Harvey is among the top 20 shareholders of Meteoric Resources, which is up about 230 per cent this year, thanks to its push into critical minerals exploration in Brazil where its Caldeira project has a high-class rare earths deposit.
Billionaire investor Alex Waislitz has long been a master of picking small cap stocks via his private Thorney Investments or his two listed investment companies, Thorney Opportunities and Thorney Technologies.
Avita Medical, a regenerative medicine company focusing on skin restoration, is one of the biggest holdings of Thorney Technologies.
The LIC has 6.5 per cent of its total portfolio in Avita shares, which are up more than 150 per cent since January 1.
Avita recently said it has gained Premarket Approval (PMA) from the US Food and Drug Authority for its spray-on vitiligo treatment RECELL.
Waislitz and Thorney Technologies recently told the market: “We remain positive about (Avita) and confident that it will achieve both revenue growth and a broadening of its product offerings going forward.”
Another billionaire investor, Robert Millner, has delivered more than two decades worth of annual dividend increases each year for shareholders as stakes in ASX-listed companies such as Brickworks, BKI Investments and New Hope have performed well for his Soul Patts firm.
Millner’s investment company also has shares in trucking and logistics firm Lindsay Australia, which is up about 45 per cent this year.
Soul Patts recently made about $2m from trimming its shareholding but still has a 18 per cent stake.
Trucking magnate Lindsay Fox is a billionaire from his privately-held Linfox empire, but Linfox also has shares in the ASX-listed K & S Corporation, which also runs a fuels distribution business, and a warehousing operation.
While the transport and logistics company only has market capitalisation of about $340m, K & S shares are up about 24 per cent since January 1.
He has made big money for his Caledonia investment company from global shareholdings such as the Formula One motor racing circuit and betting giant Flutter.
But Will Vicars’ Caledonia also has shares in Light & Wonder, a gambling machine and online games company that has a dual-listing on the ASX that has risen 26 per cent in value this year.
More Coverage
Wine giant boss’s China dream takes shape
Tim Ford doesn’t just want to pack product off to China never to be seen again; he believes his Treasury Wine Estates and Penfolds brand can be a driving force in that country’s wine community.
Mystery Macau investor buys into staggering Star
A mystery Macau-based investor has emerged as a substantial shareholder in Star Entertainment Group only days after analysts said the cash-strapped casino operator was close to collapse.