| ATAA Blast! Newsletter #186 – Christmas - December 2025
| | Dear ~~first_name~~
Welcome to the latest edition of the ATAA Blast! Newsletter, with very useful and informative news.
This is our special December / Christmas edition, and our next edition will be early February in 2026. So, we will take this opportunity to wish all readers a happy and safe festive and holiday season. May Santa bring you something useful, and may 2026 be prosperous for everyone.
| | | In this Blast! edition you can see the following, with links for an easy and speedy go-to to the relevant section below:
- ATAA National President's Update for this month, and an Executive Summary from the recent board meeting, to help keep members informed of what the board has been doing.
- The latest ATAA Website Resource Library updates for the latest month, including uploaded speaker presentation slide decks, and video recording of the presentation.
- Trading Expert Series update (formerly known as the National Speaker Series) of online presentations - we've already had four with the first one back in April. See the details below.
- Updates from the ATAA Chapters and SIGs: Included below are updates for some Chapters and SIGs, noting that the Brisbane chapter is changing meeting details soon. Information below also includes the RealTest Coders Online Workshop, and some chapters: Canberra, Melbourne, Brisbane. Thank you to: Mark (Canberra) for your ongoing contributions.
- IFTA information update: Latest information from IFTA including details about the IFTA Journal which is now available to download - a monster edition jam packed with a lot of useful information.
- TECHNICAL ANALYSIS article - A useful article this month from Darryl Nagel on dividends and the 45-day rule. Do you qualify to receive the franking credit?
- Detailed benefits for ATAA members. Just in case you are missing something with your membership.
| I do hope you find this Blast! newsletter useful and interesting reading; but do feel free to tell us what you really think, and how we can improve it.
Robert B Brain
Blast! Newsletter Editor
ATAA Marketing Director
(and ATAA Life Member)
| Our Tag Line:
The ATAA is the knowledge network
for successful financial market
trading and investing
|
From the President's Desk – December 2025
Our ATAA AGM in mid-November was a highlight of the past month. It was encouraging to see members attending and engaging, and I am delighted to welcome Angela Osmond and Mark Mills to the ATAA National Board. Both bring thoughtful perspectives and genuine enthusiasm for the ATAA’s future, and they have already begun contributing to our conversations as we look ahead to 2026.
Behind the scenes, a great deal of work has also taken place on the marketing front. Setting up the new Mobiweb campaign required extensive preparative work - particularly around platforms and approvals - but that groundwork has now been laid, and the first ads have begun to run. It will take time to see the impact, but the campaign is an important step in broadening our reach and connecting with traders and investors who may not yet know about the ATAA.
As the year draws to a close, I would like to thank all members for your continued involvement throughout 2025. Whether you are one of the office bearers helping to organise meetings, attend chapter events, participate in SIGs, join our online sessions, or read the Blast! news each month, your engagement is what keeps our association strong and connected. On behalf of the board, I wish you and your families a safe and enjoyable holiday season, and I look forward to working with you all in what promises to be an exciting year ahead for the ATAA.
Jim Haralambidis
ATAA National President
| Executive Summary – ATAA Board Meeting (2 December 2025)
- At its December meeting, the ATAA Board reviewed the outcomes from the recent AGM and welcomed our two new directors. The Board endorsed the recommendation to hold an online National Conference in 2026, with an in-person event planned for Melbourne in 2027. Financially, the Association remains in a solid position, supported by the strong surplus from this year’s Conference and the renewal of our term deposit.
- The Board discussed several initiatives to improve member engagement and retention. Our new social-media marketing campaign with Mobiweb is now underway, with Facebook ads launched this week and an updated landing page ready to support new enquiries.
- The Board also agreed to introduce name badges at chapter meetings to support networking — an important part of the ATAA’s member experience.
- Enhancements to our email system are underway to ensure that members who opt out of marketing emails continue to receive important administrative communications, including renewal reminders.
- Finally, the Board noted the discontinuation of the Introductory TA Course by the external provider and will explore options for new educational content in the coming year.
- The next Board meeting will be held on Tuesday 3 February 2026.
| ATAA Website Resource Library Updates - recordings October-November 2025
Our ATAA Resource Library now has many presentations and recordings going back to 2008. You can drill down on these using the website menu: Resources > Presentations by Date. An alternative way to find something specific on a particular topic is to search the library using the menu option: Resources > Search Resource Library.
The materials recently added to the Resource Library include:
- November Trading Expert Series:
- Edwin Cornelissen - Building a Portfolio of Strategies That Work Together.
- Tuesday 18 November - STANZ Online Meeting
- Brent Robinson - "Trading with the Use of Combination Plays or "Layering".
- Thursday 13 November - Melbourne Chapter Hybrid meeting
- Robert Brain - "How good are you at picking stocks? Should I have bought this one?"
- Louise Bedford - "Investing Psychology Secrets: How to Stay Calm, Clear and Consistent".
- Thursday 11 October - Brisbane Chapter Hybrid meeting
- Robert Brain - "I am never wrong! - Or am I?
- Thursday 9 October - Melbourne Chapter Hybrid meeting
- Keith Mundy - "Why is it so? - Part 2
- Alan Clement - Global Markets Quarterly Technical Outlook.
All of these items can be found from the ATAA website menu: Resources > Presentations by Date. Make sure to browse the earlier recordings in the Resource Library, because you never know what you've been missing. And you can also search the Resource Library by keyword. If your local chapter or SIG has a video recording, or a (PowerPoint) slide deck of a recent session, then it can also be added to our library collection. | |
ATAA National Board updates
| | | Social Media Marketing and advertisements on Facebook, Instagram and Reddit. If you are a user of any of these social media platforms, you might soon see ATAA advertisements on them. This is the Mobiweb-run campaign that is mentioned elsewhere here. | Trading Expert Series – Markets, Models and Mindsets | These webinars are usually held on a Saturday every 3 months or so. We have had four in recent months, and recordings of the sessions are in the ATAA website Resource Library. Stay tuned for details of the next event in 2026. |
ATAA 2025 Annual Conference
“The Future of Trading – Blending Classic Tactics with Smart Technology”
This was held: Saturday 18 - Sunday 19 October 2025 in Melbourne and was a great success!
Recordings of the proceedings are available in the ATAA (website) Resource Library for members and conference delegates.
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Norgate Data provides expertly curated, survivorship bias-free market data for charting, backtesting, system development, analytics, and trading.
Visit the NorgateData website. | | | CHAPTER and Special Interest Group (SIG) news and updates
| ATAA Chapters, SIGs and Network groups
For the benefit of ATAA members everywhere, the ATAA has a number of: Chapters, and Special Interest Groups, and Network Groups. Current financial members are free and welcome to participate in any of these. We are hopeful that all of these groups will submit some information for publication in the Blast! News from time to time, to help our hundreds of readers understand more about the opportunities and benefits for ATAA members.
For the latest meeting information, check the ATAA website for details, and also scroll down the website home page to see the latest announcements, presentations and updates to the resource library.
| | ATAA Chapters (alpha order) meeting monthly
- Adelaide
- Brisbane
- Canberra
- Melbourne
- Perth
- Sydney
| | SIGs and Networks (and contact names)
- Melbourne Quant SIG (Mohamed Nasher)
- RealTest Coders (online) Workshop (Chris Meakin, Robert Grigg)
- MetaStock Users SIG (Jerry Bongard)
See the ATAA website for latest information.
| | |
On Saturday, 29 November, the Sydney Chapter hosted a very successful trader panel event. The panel consisted of:
- The very well known Dr. Brett Steenbarger, Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioural Sciences at SUNY Upstate Medical University, and the author of The Daily Trading Coach, The Psychology of Trading, and Enhancing Trader Performance;
- Agnieszka Wood, a trading mindset coach; and
- Peter Robbins, an author and market educator.
The panel ran as an interactive AMA (Ask Me Anything) designed specifically for traders. The unique informative event was recorded and will be posted in the resources section of the ATAA website for ATAA members.
Darryl Nagel
For the Sydney Chapter
|
The Canberra Chapter generally meets on the third Tuesday each month.
Mark Gleeson
ATAA Canberra Chapter President
[The Canberra Chapter generally meets on the third Tuesday each month.]
| | RealTest Coders online Workshop
| | |
The RealTest Coders workshop meets online monthly. Recordings of the meetings along with any associated material can be found in the RT Coders SIG forum here.
[Always meets on the second Monday of the month.] | The Melbourne Chapter continues to host monthly hybrid meetings and we are still broadcasting the 2-hour segment of 6pm to 8pm by Zoom, and the recordings go into the ATAA website Resource Library - use the website menu: Resources > Presentations by Date. For those of you who are not able to be in the meeting room, you are missing: the invaluable networking (or "common gossip") from 5.15pm to 6pm (including free finger food), the interactions in the room during the broadcast session 6-8pm, and then further networking and guest speaker mingling over dinner after 8pm.
The December meeting will be our annual, special pre-Christmas meeting, with finger food from 5:30pm, Alan Clement presenting his Quarterly Markets update, then Alan Oliver explaining the methods of Gann (online). See more session details on the ATAA website.
Don’t forget that public transport (tram) runs past the hotel front door, the train station is only 700m away, and there is ample car parking around the corner and nearby.
Robert Brain
ATAA Melb Chapter President and interim Secretary
(for the Council team: Paul Ash, Jim Haralambidis, Keith Mundy, Tony Hambling, Tony Leonard, Robert Grigg). | We have a total of six chapters around Australia, as well as several Special Interest Groups (SIGs) in which members can participate. You can see a list of the seven chapters and their office-bearers on the website - use the menu option: ATAA Overview > Current Office-Bearers > Chapter Councillors > Subcommittees. See the ATAA website for latest meeting and event details.
- Adelaide Chapter generally meets in-person on the third Wednesday of the month.
- Perth Chapter generally meets on the third Thursday of the month.
- Brisbane Chapter generally meets... second Saturday of the month.
- Sydney chapter - TBA.
- MetaStock Users SIG - Contact Jerry Bongard, jerry.bongard@ataa.asn.au
- RealTest Coders Workshop (sub-group of the Quant SIG) - Meets online, generally on the second Monday of each month at 8:00 pm. EST (to give members in western states a better chance of attending). SIG Coordinators: Chris Meakin and Robert Grigg.
| IFTA Update Newsletter - December 2025 issue. This is being prepared and will be available soon.
| About IFTA (International Federation of Technical Analysis) - It is the umbrella organisation for Technical Analyst societies around the world.
IFTA webinars: See the latest information about up-coming and past webinars on the IFTA website. | |
"There is no old or new technical analysis. But there are new ideas that can be adopted without discarding the old, cherished approaches. Perhaps the textbooks need to be thicker, or the body of knowledge broader. Because our world just keeps on turning. But it can also be fun and broaden your own horizons."—Dr. Rolf Wetzer, CFTe, MFTA, Journal Editor
”Markets are never wrong – opinions often are.”—Jesse Livermore
Inside this issue:
- MFTA Papers
- Articles (several, including: Stochastic, Prediction is Difficult, GSR Bands)
- Book Review - "The Intelligent Fund Investor" by Joe Wiggins, reviewed by Regina Meani.
| | | IFTA and ATAA members - ATAA members are automatically affiliate members of the International Federation of Technical Analysts. ATAA membership gives you access to IFTA resources including: certification programs, educational events and networking opportunities, including participation in the IFTA Conferences. The information below is the latest update from IFTA.
IFTA Update (quarterly newsletter) - The IFTA Update is a quarterly newsletter that is available to members of the ATAA. | The ATAA Elevator Pitch:
Join the ATAA to improve your understanding of how to
invest or trade successfully in the financial markets
focusing on the correct use and application of Technical Analysis
(if someone asks you what the ATAA does, simply tell them this) | |
TECHNICAL ANALYSIS
and Trading/Investing Tips
| | | Dividends, Franking Credits and Strategies - A Practical Guide | This month's article is not really anything to do with technical analysis, but it is a very important aspect of trading and investing in the financial markets, and a topic that is not often talked about in our circles. It is very useful, and many of our members will be receiving dividends, and some will be engaging in maximising dividend income in a strategic manner. This is the sort of information that you need to help you with your trading and investing activity. Of course, there is no recommendation or advice here. This material is purely for your information and education. And thank you to Darryl Nagel (Sydney chapter) for submitting this material.
| A Practical Guide to Dividends, Franking Credits, and Short-Term Dividend Strategies for Australian Investors.
Please note that this information is provided for educational purposes only. Always obtain prior financial product advice and legal advice before applying anything in this article. All trading and investing involve risk.
One of the things I really enjoy about owning shares in Australian companies, such as the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA), is the certainty and structure around dividends and franking credits. In a world where financial markets can feel unpredictable, the dividend cycle offers something refreshingly certain.
Every six months, I know roughly when the CBA will announce its results. I have a good idea that a dividend is on the way. When the company makes its announcement, we are given everything we need: |
- The dividend amount,
- Whether the dividend is fully franked,
- The ex-dividend date,
- The record date, and
- The payment date.
This level of transparency provides confidence and helps shareholders plan ahead.
Why Do Ex-Dividend Dates Matter?
Once a dividend is declared, the ex-dividend date is also provided. This is the key date: if you hold the shares before the ex-dividend date, you are entitled to the dividend. If you buy the shares on or after the ex-dividend date, you miss out on the dividend.
Understanding Franking Credits
Australia’s dividend imputation system ensures shareholders are not taxed twice on the same company profit where the company has already paid tax. When companies pay tax on their earnings, they may attach franking credits to dividends. Shareholders then use these credits to offset personal tax or receive a refund if their tax rate is low. | Worked Example: $1 Fully Franked Dividend
- Cash dividend: $1.00
- Franking credit: 43 cents (3/7of dividend)
- Grossed-up dividend: $1.4c
Franking Credit Tax Table for 2025 -2026
|
Taxable Income
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Marginal Tax Rate
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Tax on $1.43
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Franking Credit
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Net Outcome
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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$45,001-$135,000
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34.5%
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$0.49
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$0.43
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Tax owed 6c
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|
|
|
|
|
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| SMSFs
- Accumulation (15%): refund 21.5c approx.
- Pension phase (0%): refund 43c
My Short Term Dividend Strategy
Sometimes, when a share in my portfolio is approaching its ex-dividend date, I consider increasing my holding temporarily, so I receive both the dividend and the attached franking credit. I am not buying these additional shares as a long-term investment; I am simply participating in the dividend and franking credit cycle.
However, the Australian Tax Office has strict rules about when franking credits can be claimed, especially for short-term holdings. Two requirements must be met:
1. The 45-day rule (actually 47 days in practice), and
2. The requirement to hold the shares “at risk”.
|
The 45-Day Rule
To claim the franking credit, shares must be held at risk for at least 45 days, not counting the day of purchase or the day of sale. This means a minimum holding period of 47 calendar days.
The 45-Day Rule flowchart
The process flowchart at right indicates the steps and considerations with the so-called 45-day rule. | | | Holding Shares “At Risk”
The ATO requires that investors maintain genuine economic exposure. Hedging is allowed, but not if it eliminates most of the risk. I use:
• Put options, and
• Short CFDs.
Not allowed (breaches):
• Fully hedging the position
• Matching futures or CFDs that neutralise risk
• Deep-in-the-money put options
• Any structure guaranteeing no risk.
ATO Discretion
Even when rules appear satisfied, the ATO may deny franking credits if it considers the arrangement artificial, non-commercial, or primarily designed to obtain refundable credits.
Why I Still Use the Strategy
When executed carefully and within ATO guidelines, short-term dividend capture can:
• Boost income
• Produce franking credit refunds
• Complement long-term investing.
Newsletter Disclaimer
This article provides general commentary only and is not financial product, tax, or legal advice. The rules described, including the 45-day holding period, at risk requirement, and anti avoidance provisions, summarise current ATO guidance. The law may change. Investors should seek professional advice for their circumstances.
|
Happy and safe investing/trading
Darryl Nagel
(ATAA Sydney member)
| ATAA Member Perks and Benefits
| If you're not an ATAA member, and you are considering joining, you might be interested to know there are many good reasons to sign-up, including:
- Learn how to protect your hard-earned capital - using wise stock selection, and money and risk management ideas;
- Invaluable education opportunities (with discounts for members);
- Huge and extensive Resource Library (access for members);
- Networking opportunities - meet with like-minded peers for trading and investing discussions;
- Special Interest Groups (SIGs) (only for members) - there are several;
- News and information;
- Online Forums;
- Annual ATAA Conference (discounted for members).
| In Closing
I do hope you have found this edition of the Blast! Monthly News both interesting and useful. Feel free to send my any feedback - good or bad.
NOTES about this newsletter: The appearance of this email newsletter can be a little different depending on how you view it. In Google's Gmail the Gmail Inbox might show just a portion of this edition. At this stage I am not sure of the best way to work around this issue. And my apologies continue for any odd formatting that you might find which I cannot resolve - font size or line spacing etc - as these seem to be oddities in our CE email editor tool (there are probably odd HTML codes hidden behind the text, which we have not found yet). Every month when I prepare this newsletter, I spend ridiculous amounts of time fiddling around trying to make the line spacing consistent throughout, and the font sizes consistent; but it still turns out less than I would want it to.
Robert B. Brain
Blast! Newsletter Editor
| |