When the BetaShares Crypto Innovators ETF (ASX: CRYP) launched on the ASX last year, it caused quite the stir. This exchange-traded fund (ETF) took only eight minutes on the ASX to surpass $8 million worth of trades. By the end of its first day, investors had exchanged $39.7 million worth of the ETF’s units, smashing an ASX record.

This ETF from provider BetaShares doesn’t invest in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) directly. Instead, it invests in companies that provide “‘picks and shovels’ exposure to the companies building crypto mining equipment, crypto trading venues, and other key services that allow the crypto economy to thrive”.

Some of its current top holdings include Silvergate Capital Corp, Microstrategy Inc, and Coinbase Global Inc.

But unfortunately for the BetaShares Crypto Innovators ETF’s early investors, there hasn’t been much in the way of good news since its launch. On its first day of ASX life, CRYP closed at $11.28 per unit. But as it stands at end of trading on Tuesday, this ETF is asking just $4.89. That’s a fall of almost 57%.

Of that fall, 23.35% has come during the past month alone. But now that we have seen such savage falls, many investors might be wondering if this ETF is in the bargain bin.

Is the BetaShares Crypto ETF a buy or a sell today?

Well, let’s check out what two ASX expert investors reckon. Felicity Thomas from Shaw and Partners and Ben Nash from Pivot Wealth both joined a Livewire podcast recently where they shared their views on this ASX ETF.

Here’s some of what Nash had to say:

This one’s a buy from me. I think crypto is a really interesting space, the blockchain technology has so many applications that I think we’re only just starting to see that. I think it will just grow and continue to grow. Also, the house always wins, so a lot of the companies that this particular ETF is investing in, they’re companies that are not necessarily tied to the price or value of cryptocurrency or other digital assets but instead that make money when they’re more and more popular. So I think that it’s a huge growth area.

So that’s pretty unequivocal there. Fortunately, Thomas agreed that CRYP units were a buy. Here’s some of what she added:

It’s another buy from me. It’s off 45% from its original initiation price. I really like what Ben said, in that it’s the picks and shovels of cryptocurrency in different companies, rather than direct cryptocurrency. You make money on the buyers and sales. So with ANZ and NAB and all the majors getting into cryptocurrency, I think it’s here to stay.

So that’s how these two ASX experts view CRYP right now. Although this ETF’s first few months of life haven’t been easy, who knows what the future of cryptocurrency might bring to the companies that enable this technology.

The BetaShares Crypto Innovators ETF charges a management fee of 0.67% per annum.

The post The Betashares Crypto Innovators ETF has dumped 23% in a month. Is it now a bargain? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen owns Bitcoin and Coinbase Global, Inc. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns and has recommended Betashares Crypto Innovators ETF, Bitcoin, and Coinbase Global, Inc. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended MicroStrategy and Silvergate Capital Corporation. 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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Believe it or not, it’s nearly May 2022 already. Could there be some compelling ASX tech shares to look for next month?

The ASX share market has seen elevated volatility so far this year with the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) closing more than 2% lower on Tuesday.

Could these two ASX tech shares be top contenders to consider in the current climate?

Airtasker Ltd (ASX: ART)

Airtasker describes itself as “Australia’s leading online marketplace for local services, connecting people and businesses that need work done with people who want to work”.

The latest quarterly update from the company showed ongoing business progress.

For the three months to 31 March 2022, the ASX tech share’s gross marketplace volume (GMV) increased 24.9% to $51.5 million, while revenue jumped 21.2% to $8.6 million.

Despite investing for growth, the company said that it generated a positive operating cash flow of $1 million. It also has $32.8 million of cash in the bank.

International growth continues for the business at a very fast pace. UK GMV growth was 138% year on year. Meanwhile, US-posted task growth was up 90% quarter on quarter. The UK and US markets represent large market opportunities, according to Airtasker. However, these segments are starting from much smaller bases for Airtasker.

The company also noted that it achieved these growth numbers, and the positive operating cash flow, despite COVID impacts and severe weather events, including flooding.

The ASX tech share said in its FY22 half-year result that it had a gross profit margin of 93%, which is one of the highest on the ASX.

The broker Morgans rates the share as a buy.

Betashares Global Cybersecurity ETF (ASX: HACK)

This exchange-traded fund (ETF) is all about the global cybersecurity sector.

BetaShares says that with cybercrime on the rise, “the demand for cybersecurity services is expected to grow strongly for the foreseeable future.” Indeed, the ETF provider points to projections by Statista that the cybersecurity market could grow from US$137.63 billion in 2017 to US$248.26 billion in 2023.

There are a number of different businesses in the HACK ETF’s portfolio. The ASX tech share has around 40 positions at the moment.

These are some of the largest positions in the portfolio: Crowdstrike, Palo Alto Networks, Cisco Systems, Zscaler, Cloudflare, Akamai Technologies, Booz Allen Hamilton, Juniper Networks, Leidos, and Mandiant.

The fund has an annual management fee of 0.67%. Of course, past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. However, in the five years to February 2022, the average annual net return has been an average of 20.5%.

The post Are these 2 ASX tech shares top ideas for May 2022? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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. owns and has recommended BETA CYBER ETF UNITS, Cisco Systems, Cloudflare, Inc., and CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended Airtasker Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns and has recommended BETA CYBER ETF UNITS. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. 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 National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) share price is ratcheting up in 2022 and is now 13.5% higher since trading resumed in January.

It continues to surge in April and rests near 52-week highs at its closing price of $32.74 on Tuesday.

What tailwinds are behind the NAB share price?

There have been a number of catalysts that appear to have helped the banking and financial sector in Australia this year.

The S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) has thrust hard off a low in early March. It has since gained 11% after trading as much as 14% higher in that time. It’s now up over 3% this year to date.

JP Morgan analysts are tipping NAB to outpace other banks in revenue growth and profitability this coming year, backed by “sound cost control”.

Despite some possible headwinds to cost targets, the broker sees “NAB’s pre-provision profit growth outstripping peers” in both FY22 and FY23.

Further, experts are almost certain the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) is set to hike base rates this year, slightly ahead of its previously outlined forecasts.

Until this point, the RBA has been reluctant to raise interest rates. However, soaring inflation, rising food costs, and a tumultuous property market have forced the RBA’s hand, experts say.

Meanwhile, the Australian Financial Review‘s survey of 36 economists revealed the RBA is tipped to lift rates three times by the end of 2022 — if the economists are correct.

The question is what this will mean for Australian banks like NAB, taking into account the heavy competition in an already saturated mortgage market. The other consideration is what it means for homeowners paying a mortgage.

According to analysts at UBS, Aussie mortgage holders appear to be well equipped to absorb any shock from a shift in interest rates.

In a note to clients, UBS analyst John Storey cited results of a recent Australian Mortgage Survey the investment bank conducted. Findings indicate that around half of respondents were at least three months ahead in their monthly mortgage payments.

That’s a positive sign for the sector, Storey says, as the macroeconomic climate begins to shift.

A total of 65% of analysts covering NAB rate it as a buy right now, according to Bloomberg data. The consensus price target is $32.50, meaning the stock is fairly valued using this metric.

The post Why is the NAB share price beating the other ASX 200 banks in April? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Zach Bristow 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 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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Looking for some small cap shares to buy? Then have a look at the ones listed below.

Here’s why they could be worth getting better acquainted with:

Adore Beauty Group Limited (ASX: ABY)

The first small cap for investors to look at is Adore Beauty. It is a leading online retailer in the Australian beauty and personal care (BPC) market. It currently has almost 1 million active customers and generated revenue of $113.1 million from them during the first half of FY 2022, which was up 18% year on year. And while this is a large number, even if you annualise it, it is still only a 2% share of the $11.2 billion Australian BPC market. This gives Adore Beauty a significant runway for growth over the next decade.

UBS is a fan of the company and currently has a buy rating and $4.70 price target on its shares.

Hipages Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: HPG)

Another small cap share that could be in the buy zone is Hipages. It is a leading Australian-based online platform and software as a service (SaaS) provider connecting consumers with trusted tradies. At the last count, there were over 30,000 tradies using the platform, underpinning strong revenue growth.

Analysts at Goldman Sachs are confident that this strong growth will continue over the long term as it grows into its huge market. The broker has a buy rating and $3.60 price target on its shares.

Nitro Software Ltd (ASX: NTO)

A final small cap ASX share for investors to look at is fast-growing document productivity software company, Nitro. It is the company behind the increasingly popular Nitro Productivity Suite. It provides integrated PDF productivity and electronic signature tools to customers through a horizontal, software-as-a-service, and desktop-based software solution. And while Nitro has been growing rapidly in recent years, it is still only scratching at the surface of a total addressable market estimated to be $28 billion per year.

The team at Goldman Sachs is also very bullish on Nitro. The broker currently has a buy rating and $4.50 price target on its shares.

The post Analysts name 3 small cap ASX shares to buy appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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 Hipages Group Holdings Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended Adore Beauty Group Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns and has recommended Hipages Group Holdings Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Adore Beauty Group Limited and Nitro Software Limited. 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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