ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) midday update: Uniti jumps on takeover speculation, Rio Tinto and Yancoal tumble

Two male professional analysts discuss share price movements shown on the computer screen in front of them, with one pointing to a screen

Two male professional analysts discuss share price movements shown on the computer screen in front of them, with one pointing to a screenTwo male professional analysts discuss share price movements shown on the computer screen in front of them, with one pointing to a screen

At lunch on Tuesday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is under pressure and trading lower. The benchmark index is currently down 0.6% to 7,107.9 points.

Here’s what is happening on the ASX 200 today:

Uniti rockets on takeover speculation

The Uniti Group Ltd (ASX: UWL) share price was rocketing higher on Tuesday morning before being placed into a trading halt. Investors were buying the telco’s shares amid speculation that it could be in exclusive takeover talks. Uniti has neither confirmed nor denied the speculation but will release an announcement relating to it tomorrow.

Rio Tinto falls despite acquisition news

The Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO) share price is falling on Tuesday despite the mining giant announcing a non-binding proposal to acquire the remaining ~49% of the issued and outstanding shares of Turquoise Hill. Rio Tinto has made an all-cash offer of ~US$2.7bn. If the deal completes, Rio Tinto’s share of the Oyu Tolgoi copper operation in Mongolia will increase to 66%. The team at Goldman Sachs believes the miner would be getting a very good deal.

Healius announces buyback

The Healius Ltd (ASX: HLS) share price is pushing higher today. Investors have been buying the healthcare company’s shares after it announced a $100 million share buyback. The company notes that the buyback will be managed within the ‘10/12 limit’ permitted by the Corporations Act. As a result, it does not require shareholder approval.

Best and worst ASX 200 performers

The best performer on the ASX 200 on Tuesday has been the Uniti share price with a 17% gain prior to its trading halt. This was in response to takeover speculation. The worst performer has been the Yancoal Australia Ltd (ASX: YAL) share price with a 16% decline. This is predominantly due to the coal miner’s shares trading ex-dividend this morning.

The post ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) midday update: Uniti jumps on takeover speculation, Rio Tinto and Yancoal tumble appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Wondering where you should invest $1,000 right now?

When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for over ten years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

Scott just revealed what he believes could be the five best ASX stocks for investors to buy right now. These stocks are trading at near dirt-cheap prices and Scott thinks they could be great buys right now.

*Returns as of January 12th 2022

More reading

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. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Uniti Group Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/FtYv4TV

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *