One of the difficulties with being an investor is switching off from all the headlines which over-hype doom and gloom, as well as boom times.
There are is nearly always some data point or reasons to be concerned about the outlook for the global economy and stocks however as has been proven time and time again, in the long-term human nature has a habit of triumphing and in the process economies expand and stock markets rise.
Recently there has been plenty of negative commentary surrounding the falling oil price with leading stocks such as Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) sinking over 10% in the past six months however here are some reasons to be positive on the outlook for certain sectors and certain stocks in 2015.
Retailers experienced a better than expected post-Christmas sales period with the Australian Retailers Association forecasting that over $2 billion of sales was achieved on Boxing day alone. This could suggest that consumer spending has stabilised and could surprise on the upside. Given leading retailers such as Myer Holdings Ltd (ASX: MYR) and Kathmandu Holdings Ltd (ASX: KMD) are trading near 52-week lows, there could be an opportunity for bargain hunters in the retail sector, particularly given heavy short selling of retail stocks.
Likewise, data on dwelling approvals continues to maintain its momentum with dwelling approval numbers for November (just released) showing a rise of 0.2%. That's good news for companies exposed and leveraged to the domestic housing market such as brick manufacturer Brickworks Limited (ASX: BKW) and the $3 billion plumbing supplier Reece Australia Limited (ASX: REH).
