Are you looking to make some additions to your portfolio in March? If exchange traded funds (ETFs) are of interest to you, then you might want to look closely at the three listed below.

Here’s why they could be worth researching further this month:

BetaShares Crypto Innovators ETF (ASX: CRYP)

The first ETF to look at is the BetaShares Crypto Innovators ETF. It could be a good option for investors that are interested in the cryptocurrency industry but aren’t too keen on buying coins. That’s because this ETF gives investors exposure to pure-play crypto companies (including crypto exchanges, mining companies, and mining equipment providers), those whose balance sheets are held at least 75% in crypto-assets, and diversified companies with crypto-focused business lines. Among its holdings you’ll find Coinbase, PayPal, Riot Blockchain, Robinhood, Silvergate, and Square/Block.

BetaShares Global Cybersecurity ETF (ASX: HACK)

A second ETF for investors to look at is the BetaShares Global Cybersecurity ETF. This fund provides investors with the opportunity to invest in the growing cybersecurity sector. This means you’ll be buying companies such as Accenture, Cisco, Cloudflare, Fortinet, Okta, Splunk, Zscaler, Crowdstrike. With more businesses moving to the cloud and the threat of cyberattacks growing globally, these companies look well-placed to benefit from increasing demand for cybersecurity services.

Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS)

A final ETF for investors to look at is the Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF. This ETF provides investors with exposure to ~1,500 of the world’s largest listed companies. Among the many companies that you’ll be investing in are giants such as Amazon, Apple, Johnson & Johnson, JP Morgan, Nestle, Procter & Gamble, and Visa. Given the sheer range of shares included in the fund, it could be a good way to add some diversification to a portfolio.

The post 3 exciting ETFs for ASX investors in March appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 2 compelling ASX shares expecting big growth this decade
• Check out these ETFs in March
• Why is this leading ASX ETF suddenly in the spotlight?
• 2 exciting tech ETFs for your watchlist
• 2 intriguing ETFs for ASX investors to watch

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns and has recommended BETA CYBER ETF UNITS, Betashares Crypto Innovators ETF, and Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF. The Motley Fool Australia owns and has recommended BETA CYBER ETF UNITS. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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The OZ Minerals Ltd (ASX: OZL) share price has been on fire the past few days amid surging commodity prices.

The company’s shares have rocketed 10.98% since market close on 1 March. Today, Oz Minerals shares gained 4.34%. For perspective, the  S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) fell 1.02% today.

Let’s take a look at what is happening with Oz Minerals shares.

Why is the Oz Minerals share price going up?

It seems investors are optimistic about the Oz Minerals share price in response to a boost in copper and gold prices.

Copper soared to an all-time high in the US overnight amid the Ukraine crisis, Bloomberg reported. The copper price has hiked nearly 9% since market close on 1 March. Meanwhile, gold prices have climbed more than 2% in the same time frame, Trading Economics data reveals.

Oz Minerals explores copper, gold, and other metals. The company owns the Prominent Hill and Carrapateena mines in South Australia, along with the Carajás East Hub in Brazil.

In its full-year financial results, released on 21 February, Oz Minerals reported a 56% increase in revenue to $2,095.8 million. Management advised this revenue surge was driven by higher sales volumes and the increasing copper and gold prices. Net profit also rose 150% to $531 million.

Commenting on the results, Oz Minerals managing director and CEO Andrew Cole said:

These results were delivered notwithstanding a more difficult final quarter impacted by COVID related absenteeism which has continued into 2022.

When combined with an extreme rain event that affected our South Australian logistics, we are likely to see a slower start to 2022 production, building back in line with full year guidance as the year progresses.

The company will pay a dividend of 18 cents per share on 11 March.

Oz Minerals share price snapshot

The Oz Minerals share price has surged nearly 30% over the past year but has fallen 2% year to date.

In the past month, Oz Mineral shares have gained 11.49%, 11% of that in the past week alone.

For perspective, the benchmark ASX 200 has returned nearly 5% in the past year.

Oz Minerals has a market capitalisation of about $9.2 billion based on its current share price.

The post Why has the Oz Minerals (ASX:OZL) share price surged 11% in 4 days? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• OZ Minerals (ASX:OZL) share price falls despite 150% profit increase in FY21
• Record exploration: Are ASX 200 shares gearing up for the next mining boom?

The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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Could the Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) share price be a smart idea for dividends?

There are plenty of different banking options on the ASX for investors to choose between such as the major banks like Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA), Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ASX: ANZ).

Smaller banks are also possibilities, such as Bank of Queensland Limited (ASX: BOQ), Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Ltd (ASX: BEN), Suncorp Group Ltd (ASX: SUN) and Mystate Ltd (ASX: MYS).

How is the Westpac share price going?

Before this latest volatility amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Westpac shares were staging a recovery. Between 31 January 2022 and 21 February 2022, the Westpac share price had climbed 17.5%. However, since then it has fallen almost 9%.

It’s not alone, the other big four ASX banks have also dropped in recent weeks.

Is it a good opportunity today?

The broker UBS certainly seems to think so.

It recently increased its price target of the Westpac share price to $27, suggesting a possible upside of more than 20%. A driver of this decision is the fact that the banks can keep generating good profits during these uncertain times, whilst experiencing an uplift in the net interest margin (NIM) after recent loan rate hikes.

For UBS, Westpac is the pick of the bunch.

However, Credit Suisse is not so sure. This broker is only ‘neutral’ on the business with a Westpac share price target of $23 – which still suggests a single-digit rise over the next 12 months. After seeing Westpac’s quarterly update, Credit Suisse is expecting the FY22 NIM to fall because of competition.

In that first quarter to 31 December 2021, Westpac announced that it made cash earnings of $1.58 billion. This was up 74% compared to the quarterly average of the second half of FY21.

However, after excluding ‘notable’ items the cash profit only went up 1%. There was an impairment charge of $118 million, mostly from an increased provision reflecting continuing COVID-19 uncertainty.  The NIM was 1.91%, down 8 basis points due to competition and higher liquid assets.

What about the Westpac dividend?

The big four ASX bank doesn’t announce quarterly dividends. The next dividend announcement will probably be with the half-year result in a couple of months.

UBS is expecting Westpac to pay a dividend that equates to a grossed-up dividend yield of 8.5% in FY22.

However, Credit Suisse is only expecting a grossed-up dividend yield of 7.4% in FY22 at the current Westpac share price.

The post Is the Westpac (ASX:WBC) share price the best bank idea for dividends? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• WAM boss urges cashed-up ASX 200 companies to buy, invest or pay dividends
• Australia’s newest tech unicorn, Zeller, is taking on the ASX banks. Here’s how
• 2 cheap ASX dividend shares analysts rate as buys
• Why did the Westpac (ASX:WBC) share price smash the other banks in February?
• What’s keeping this top broker neutral on Westpac (ASX:WBC) shares?

Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Westpac Banking Corporation. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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Today was a great day for both the S&P/ASX 200 Resources Index (ASX: XJR) and the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ), but it was a struggle for the share price of battery materials-focused resource company Vulcan Energy Resources Ltd (ASX: VUL).

The Vulcan share price tumbled 6.17% to $8.52 on Monday.

For context, both the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) and the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) ended today’s session in the red, each slipping 1%.

Vulcan Energy’s fall came despite silence from the company. In fact, the market hasn’t heard price-sensitive news from it in nearly three weeks.

Let’s take a closer look at what could have weighed on the lithium explorer’s stock on Monday.

What dragged on the Vulcan Energy share price today?

The Vulcan Energy share price ended today in the red, having handed back its recent gains.

The lithium explorer’s stock gained 5.7% over the course of last week. Thus, today’s movement could be a simple market correction.

While the Vulcan share price has been on a rollercoaster ride over the last six weeks, it’s still relatively flat with where it was in late January.

The last time the market heard price-sensitive news from the S&P/ASX 300 Index (ASX: XKO) company was 15 February. Then, Vulcan Energy announced it was floating on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.

As The Motley Fool Australia reported at the time, that makes it the first company to be dual-listed on both the ASX and the regulated market of the FSE.

As of Monday’s close, the Vulcan Energy share price is around 18% lower than it was at the start of 2022.

However, it’s still 42% higher than it was this time last year.

The post Why did the Vulcan Energy (ASX:VUL) share price plunge 6% on Monday? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• How have Vulcan Energy (ASX:VUL) shares been faring since their dual listing?
• Why is the Vulcan (ASX:VUL) share price charging higher today?
• 2 ASX lithium shares with huge upside potential in 2022
• Vulcan Energy (ASX:VUL) shares could be set for a dual listing. Here’s what you should know
• Lithium boom! Broker says the Vulcan (ASX:VUL) share price has 175% upside

Motley Fool contributor Brooke Cooper owns Vulcan Energy Resources Limited. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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