Telstra's stellar year; $16b HECS cut to pass; illegal tobacco hits Viva
Published: July 29, 2025
Telstra's stellar year; $16b HECS cut to pass; illegal tobacco hits Viva
News in brief
The federal Opposition will vote for the government’s childcare bill and the $16 billion student debt discount, ensuring their passage through the lower and upper houses.
The owner of Shell and Liberty petrol stations, Viva Energy, has outlined a drop in earnings on the back of a slump in tobacco sales. Convenience stores are being whacked by a surge in illegal tobacco sales and yesterday Viva said revenue from tobacco was down 27 per cent in the June half.
Gilmour Space has postponed its attempt to launch the first fully Australian-made rocket due to high winds. The company fuelled its rocket on the purpose-built pad in the north Queensland town of Bowen but was thwarted by the weather. Gilmour will reset and try again today.
President Donald Trump has asked a US court to order a swift deposition of Rupert Murdoch in his lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal, citing the media mogul's advanced age.
A gunman killed at least four people and himself at an office tower that houses investment group Blackstone, the National Football League and KPMG among others, sparking hours of chaos and fear in Midtown Manhattan.
Fear-o-meter
The top 20 stocks don’t change much over years. BHP and the big four banks have been top 20 stocks for literally decades. You can add Telstra to that list.
QBE has been around a long while as has Wesfarmers. So, it is exciting to see newcomers in the top 20.
The first is medical imaging group Pro Medicus. Its share price is up 133pc over the past year, including nearly 30pc in 2025. It is the best performing large cap in 2025, though 12 months ago it was barely in the top 50. Its technology is increasingly being adopted in US health outlets, pushing up revenue.
The other is Sigma Healthcare, which has been supercharged by its merger with Chemist Warehouse.
Perhaps the biggest surprise among the large caps in 2025 is Telstra. Its 1.1 million shareholders are not only receiving decent dividends, but its share price has surged, up 23pc this year, and 27pc over the past 12 months.
Overall, the top 20 stocks – as measured by the ASX20 – have underperformed small caps and the ASX200 over the past year and in 2025.
Who's talking today?
Now, on average, we do 40,000 orders a day, so a quantum leap. But it also speaks to how Australian participation in the investing and share market landscape in particular has changed. probably by the late 90s, it wasn't the exclusive realm that it would have been in decades prior...
It is Wednesday the 30th of July 2025. Today, Telstra has emerged as close to the best performing large cap so far in 2025, while CSL, which has been on a strong run for the past month, is the worst of the top 20 stocks over the last year. While the focus has been on the banks and miners, there’s been significant movements among the other top 20 stocks, with Wesfarmers and QBE also outperforming.
Greed-o-meter
| 25 June 1995 | 25 June 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BHP | CBA |
| 2 | News Corp | BHP |
| 3 | NAB | Rio Tinto |
| 4 | CRA | NAB |
| 5 | Westpac | CSL |
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To mark its 30th anniversary, CommSec released data showing the top five stocks traded in June 1995, compared with June this year.
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Source: CommSec
Business By Numbers
The top 3 numbers to know for the week, brought to you by Xero
43pc: Australia's target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, compared to 2005 levels. Climate change policy is once again on the agenda in Canberra.
$16 billion: The total reduction in HECS debt after the Opposition agreed to support the government's legislation.
80 years: How long Rio Tinto hopes to be working in the Pilbara in WA, flagging new mines, mine extensions and renewable energy projects.