Month: May 2022

The Xero Limited (ASX: XRO) share price could be on the move this morning.

This follows the release of the cloud accounting platform provider’s full-year results.

Xero share price on watch following full-year results

• Total subscribers increased by 19% to 3.3 million
• Operating revenue increased by 29% to NZ$1.1 billion (30% in constant currency)
• Annualised monthly recurring revenue (AMRR) grew by 28% to NZ$1.2 billion
• Total subscriber lifetime value (LTV) grew by NZ$3.3 billion or 43% to NZ$10.9 billion
• EBITDA up 11% to NZ$212.7 million
• Net loss after tax of NZ$9.1 million

What happened during FY 2022?

For the 12 months ended 31 March, Xero reported a 29% increase in revenue to NZ$1.1 billion. This was driven by solid growth across all markets, with the Australian and UK segments arguably the standout performers.

In Australia, revenue increased by 26% to NZ$483.3 million. Underpinning this growth were 229,000 net subscriber additions, bringing the total to 1.34 million subscribers.

Over in New Zealand, revenue increased by 15% to NZ$149.4 million. Xero reported 66,000 net subscriber additions, bringing the total to 512,000 subscribers.

In the UK, it delivered a 30% increase in revenue to NZ$291.6 million thanks to 130,000 net subscriber additions. This brought its total subscribers to 850,000. Management notes that subscriber additions were subdued in the third quarter but improved in the fourth quarter.

In the massive North America market, Xero still only has a modest market share. It reported a 28% increase in revenue to NZ$72.6 million after adding 54,000 net subscribers. This brings its North American subs to 339,000.

Finally, the Rest of the World segment reported an 85% increase in revenue to NZ$100 million. This was driven by the addition of 51,000 net subscribers, which took its total to 226,000. This segment was also boosted by the inclusion of the majority of Planday’s revenues, which was acquired at the start of FY 2022.

Xero’s earnings continued to grow during the financial year, albeit at a slower rate than its revenue. The company reported an 11% lift in earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) to NZ$212.7 million.

Management advised that this softer growth reflects a balance between further gross margin expansion, which increased to 87.3%, and increased operating costs.

On the bottom line, Xero reported a net loss of $9.1 million and free cash flow of just $2.1 million. Though, this is consistent with Xero’s preference to reinvest capital generated back into the business.

How does this compare to expectations?

Xero appears to have delivered a result largely in line with expectations, though maybe just a fraction short.

According to a note out of Goldman Sachs, it was expecting Xero to report revenue of NZ$1,108 million and EBITDA of NZ$218 million.

Management commentary

Xero’s CEO, Steve Vamos, was pleased with the financial year and remains optimistic on the future. He said:

The value Xero brings to our small business customers and the trust they place in us is illustrated by this result. Our strong revenue and subscriber growth gives us confidence to continue to invest for growth consistent with our long-term strategy.

Our performance reflects the quality of our customer and partner relationships as more people realise the benefits that cloud accounting and digital tools provide.” “We are committed to delivering the world’s most insightful and trusted small business platform by focusing on driving cloud accounting adoption, growing the small business platform and building for global scale and innovation.

We continue to prioritise investment in building products and growing partnerships by investing cash generated to help deliver our strategy, drive long-term growth and meet customer needs.

Outlook

Xero hasn’t provided any concrete guidance for FY 2023.

However, it advised that it will continue to focus on growing its global small business platform and maintain a preference for reinvesting cash generated.

Total operating expenses (including acquisition integration costs) as a percentage of operating revenue for FY 2023 are expected to be towards the lower end of a range of 80% to 85%. This compares to FY 2022’s ratio of 84%.

Looking longer term, management revealed that its aspiration is to see significant improvement in its operating expense ratio “as Xero and the global cloud accounting industry continues to develop.”

The post Xero share price in focus amid strong FY22 revenue growth but full-year loss 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. has positions in and has recommended Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Xero. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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Many of us would now be holding ASX shares that have halved in value in just the first five months of this year.

The fact that so many growth stocks have suffered the same inglorious fate will be zero consolation to those everyday investors staring at a massive red percentage on their screen.

However, if you need strength to stay the course during such traumatic times, this might do the trick.

The fact is, many experts are saying, for many of those ASX shares, the stock price drops have nothing to do with the actual business performance.

“There is significant negative sentiment pervading almost all markets,” Cyan Investment Management portfolio manager Dean Fergie said in a memo to clients.

“Unfortunately we cannot control the market’s perception or fear — so we have to concentrate on the results being presented.”

Here is one example that Fergie’s C3G Fund holds:

Share price crashes while revenue rockets

Video games developer Playside Studios Ltd (ASX: PLY) managed to initially survive the rout of technology shares when the plunge started last November.

In fact, the share price hit an all-time high of $1.19 when trading closed on 11 February.

But since then the stock has almost halved, to close Wednesday at just 64 cents.

As far as Fergie’s concerned, that has nothing to do with the health of the business.

“Playside had a huge quarter with revenues up 400% to $13.6 million with a decent contribution coming from their Beans NFT launch.”

And with strong prospects, he’s still backing the stock to bear fruit.

“Playside continues to drive strong results with both its own gaming IP and its work for marquee clients such as Activision Blizzard Inc (NASDAQ: ATVI). 

“The recent acquisition of Activision by Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) has highlighted the corporate appeal of gaming companies.”

So many buying opportunities out there

Fergie admitted rising interest rates, a federal election, and overseas events are all conspiring against small-cap growth stocks.

“Investors may remain wary for some time yet,” he said.

“However, the very best buying opportunities occur when there is pessimism, fear and overwhelmingly negative sentiment, which appears to be the case currently.”

While his team will not be able to “pick the bottom” better than anyone else, there are many opportunities out there already where the stock price has divorced from reality.

“It’s clear that there are some increasingly evident gaps between price movements and underlying company performance and value.”

The post Revenue up 400%: expert sticks by ASX share that’s halved this year appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Tony Yoo has positions in Microsoft. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Activision Blizzard and Microsoft. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Activision Blizzard. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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The Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) share price will be on watch on Thursday.

This follows the release of the banking giant’s third quarter update this morning.

CBA share price on watch following third-quarter update

• Operating income down 1% to $6,103 million
• Cash profit flat compared to first half quarterly average at $2,400 million
• Expenses down 2% or 1% excluding remediation costs
• Loan impairment benefit of $48 million
• CET1 ratio down 9 basis points to 11.1% after interim dividend payment

What happened during the quarter?

For the three months ended 31 March, CBA reported a 1% decline in operating income compared to the first half quarterly average to $6,103 million.

Though, this would have been up 1% when adjusted for the two fewer days in the quarter. Management advised that this reflects 3% volume growth and higher non-interest income helping to offset continued margin pressure from elevated swap rates, mix effects, and competition.

In respect to volume growth, household deposits grew 1.1x system, home lending grew in line with system, business lending grew 1.5x system, and business deposits grew 1.4x system. The release notes that home lending was impacted by the bank’s decision to lead the market on fixed home loan interest rate increases (in response to rising swap rates).

Thanks to a 2% reduction in expenses driven by higher annual leave usage and two fewer days, partly offset by increased staffing levels, CBA’s cash earnings came in flat at $2,400 million.

How does this compare to expectations?

The good news for the CBA share price on Thursday is that this appears to have been better than the market was expecting.

For example, Citi was ahead of consensus with its estimate for cash earnings to be down 10% versus the quarterly average of the first half.

It commented: “Our 3Q cash earnings estimate is ~3% ahead of consensus driven by better BDDs (77% lower). Compared to 1H22 quarterly average, we expect 3Q cash earnings to be ~10% lower. Pre-provision profit is expected to be in-line with consensus with slightly higher NIMs and improved OOI, offset by higher costs.”

Management commentary

CBA’s CEO, Matt Comyn, appeared pleased with the bank’s performance during the quarter.

The March quarter underlined the disciplined execution of the Group’s strategy, focused on our core banking franchises, which delivered continued volume growth, sound portfolio credit quality and ongoing support for our customers and communities, in particular to those most affected by extreme weather events in many parts of the country including the catastrophic East Coast floods and WA bushfires.

Continued growth in household deposits, home loans, business lending and business deposits was a feature of the quarter. The Group maintained strong balance sheet settings and paid $3 billion in half-year dividends to shareholders.

The previously announced on-market share buy-back of up to $2 billion will be conducted across the remainder of this calendar year, and last week regulatory approval was obtained from the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission in respect of our previously announced partial sale of shares in the Bank of Hangzhou Co., Ltd.

Looking ahead, we are well positioned to support business investment to build Australia’s future economy. Through disciplined execution of our strategic agenda, we will continue to deliver for our customers, communities and shareholders as we build tomorrow’s bank today.

The post CBA share price on watch following $2.4bn Q3 cash profit appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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• Is it too late to buy big bank ASX shares?
• Own CBA shares? Here’s what to expect when the bank reports next week

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 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 Scott Phillips.

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Ask a Fund Manager

The Motley Fool chats with fund managers so that you can get an insight into how the professionals think. In part three of this edition, Michael Steele, co-portfolio manager at Yarra Capital Management, highlights a promising ASX small-cap telecom share and explains how the fund is positioned for higher interest rates.

Motley Fool: Yesterday you shared your two top ASX small-cap shareholdings in the outperforming UBS Yarra Australian Small Companies Fund. Are there other ASX small-caps that look particularly strong?

Michael Steele: A position that’s in our top-five and looks attractive is TPG Telecom Ltd (ASX: TPG), an Australian telco company.

In terms of the investment thesis, there’s a large opportunity to increase market share. Now they’ve got the full product offer, with both mobile and fixed telecommunications products post the Vodafone merger. They have a really large opportunity to take market share off the incumbent, Telstra.

TPG now has a large mobile business that is recovering from a cyclical low. So we expect higher mobile pricing and subscriber growth along with the upside of the cost synergies of putting the two businesses together, Vodafone and TPG. They really were a great fit given the network overlap.

TPG will also benefit from having historically had headwinds from NBN access costs. That cost headwind has now peaked and they are going to get some cost-benefit going forward, given they have a fixed wireless product.

And if you look at telecommunications infrastructure, there’s a number of transactions in the market recently. We think those transactions highlight that TPG is undervalued. If you look at their mobile towers and their fibre infrastructure, this really is an amazing infrastructure business.

MF: With the outperformance of your Fund, you’ve clearly gotten a lot right. Are there any moves you regret?

MS: My key regret is a missed opportunity with what happened with the COVID-19 correction.

We saw financial markets sell off very aggressively in the first three to four months. And I do regret not taking on more risk at that point. It was a great entry point in the equity market. I was expecting it to hit a lower low and missed it when it bounced 10% from the bottom. That was a great opportunity.

I guess, my point is, if you see the equity market down 20% to 25%, you should strongly consider averaging in.

MF: Has Russia’s invasion of Ukraine changed your investment approach?

MS: Our investment process hasn’t changed because of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

There are three takeouts from the investment process that we already capture, but which highlight how important those are.

First is sovereign risk. In the small-cap part of the ASX, we think sovereign risk is undervalued. There’s a lot more risk in some of these developing nations than is generally understood. And that’s something we’re really cautious of. We add a risk premium when investing in companies with exposure to those countries.

The second is the sustainability of supply chains. You’ve seen this with COVID-19 as well. You’ve really got to understand if supply chains are sustainable in terms of sourcing, whether that’s a raw commodity or a manufactured product. That could be anything from where semiconductor chips are sourced from to the sourcing of raw materials.

And the third element is thinking through commodity prices. We invest for the longer term, but we are constantly thinking about the sustainability of commodity prices. When you look at what’s happened with the Russia-Ukraine conflict and also COVID-19, it’s caused a massive spike in commodity prices.

If you take a longer-term view, commodities like wheat and coal are clearly way above fundamental levels. So, we’re not going to invest against that backdrop. When you take a longer-term view, we think those commodity prices are going to be a lot lower.

MF: Are you concerned about the potential impact of rising interest rates on your ASX small-cap shares?

MS: We’ve been positioned over the past 12 months for a more rapid increase in interest rates. Our economist Tim Toohey has done a great job at correctly forecasting that interest rate expectations would be brought forward and they’d have to move higher.

So, the portfolio is underweighted in a number of sectors which typically have underperformed when interest rates have gone up, such as the property sector.

We also own a number of companies that actually benefit from higher interest rates. They have revenues linked to interest income.

We are cautious on what higher rates will do to global economic growth in 2023.

**

If you missed the earlier installations of our interview with Yarra Capital’s Michael Steele, you can find part one here and part two here.

(You can learn more about the UBS Yarra Australian Small Companies Fund here.)

The post How to invest in ASX small-cap shares amid rising interest rates and geopolitical turmoil: fund manager appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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 TPG Telecom Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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While share markets have turned pretty dark in recent months, we know from past experience that it could all turn around pretty quickly.

However, to combat rising interest rates, experts are emphasising quality.

There is no universal definition of “quality”, but some of the more popular interpretations include profitability and tailwinds that are resistant to economic cycles.

As such, here are 2 ASX shares that have been beaten up pretty badly this year but experts reckon could surprise in a year’s time:

‘We’ve been buying it’

It’s fair to say Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1) shareholders have been sweating bullets this year.

The stock price has fallen a painful 62% so far in 2022.

Megaport’s far from the only technology company to suffer the wrath of a violent rotation away from growth shares though.

Burman Invest chief investment officer Julia Lee doesn’t think it will get any easier for the tech sector in the immediate future.

However, she reckons Megaport is worth a go if you have patience.

“If you’re a longer-term investor there’s certainly opportunities in the type of market that we’re in,” she told Switzer TV Investing.

“If you can… ride out the cycle then there’s no problem in accumulating high-quality businesses like Megaport.”

Megaport provides virtualised networking pipes to corporate customers. In the internet age when customer demand for connectivity can vary wildly, its services can be dialled up or down according to need.

And the already formidable transition of computing to the cloud has only accelerated since the COVID-19 pandemic arrived.

“We’re still seeing that shift to the cloud. They’ve had that first mover advantage.”

Shaw and Partners senior investment adviser Adam Dawes also rates Megaport shares as a buy.

“We really like this one. We’ve been buying it and putting it in clients’ portfolios,” he said.

“It’s even lower than $8 today — I think there’s definitely some value there.”

37%: has this education stock discounted enough?

Lee also favours international education placement provider IDP Education Ltd (ASX: IEL), despite its valuation dropping more than 37% since November.

“It made a very smart acquisition in India,” she said.

“I like that they’ve actually managed to improve on the business. The margins coming through that India acquisition are much higher than a couple of years ago, which is nice to see.”

With the world outside of China moving past coronavirus restrictions, international study placements will gather steam again.

Notwithstanding the share price drop over the past 6 months, Lee admits IDP is still expensive by many measures.

“It does have a very high multiple. It trades on a [price to earnings] multiple of over 40 times,” she said.

“But I think that post-COVID, as things start to move… this is going to be one of those companies that’s going to be bigger and better than it was before COVID hit.”

Dawes likes the current discounted price for IDP shares, but feels like it was too expensive to start with.

“[During] COVID, it shouldn’t have really traded where it was and it always trades at a real premium to the rest of that sector, and even the market,” he said.

“I’d be waiting for this sell-off to potentially ease before you get back into this one. I think there’s probably still some more selling to go.”

The post 2 ASX shares that could surprise you in a year’s time appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Tony Yoo has positions in MEGAPORT FPO. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Idp Education Pty Ltd and MEGAPORT FPO. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended MEGAPORT FPO. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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There are some interesting ASX dividend shares that could be ideas for income in 2022 and beyond.

The ASX share market has gone through much volatility this year. Inflation is currently relatively high, which is impacting market thoughts on where interest rates are headed.

This volatility has sent the valuation of some businesses down, which has pushed up the dividend yield of some ASX dividend shares, like these two:

Beacon Lighting Group Ltd (ASX: BLX)

Most readers may know Beacon for its lighting retail stores. It also services trade customers. Beacon Lighting has an e-commerce offering for customers and it has a growing international division.

It’s currently rated as a buy by the broker Citi with a price target of $3. That implies a potential rise of around 50%. However, it acknowledged that a rise in interest rates and a slowdown in household spending could hurt sales. Despite that, Citi believes that Beacon has long-term growth potential.

According to Citi, Beacon has a projected grossed-up dividend yield of 6% in FY23.

Beacon Lighting’s profit margins continue to climb. In the recent FY22 half-year result, the gross profit margin increased from 68.5% to 70% and the net profit after tax (NPAT) margin increased from 14.6% to 14.9%. Online sales jumped 41% to $20.3 million, with online sales representing 15.4% of total retail sales.

The ASX dividend share continues to open new stores. It currently has around 120. Further, it has identified the potential for 184 stores around Australia.

Internationally, the company recently launched its American website in a bid to build Beacon Lighting’s market presence in the USA. International sales rose by 65% to $8.1 million. It has also established a new online ceiling fan sales channel in China with Tmall Global.

Garda Diversified Property Fund (ASX: GDF)

This business owns 17 properties. It describes itself as a real estate investor, developer, and manager with investments along the eastern seaboard of Australia, from Cairns to Melbourne. In April 2022, its investments were worth around $603 million, split almost equally between industrial properties and commercial office properties.

It’s currently rated as a buy by the broker Morgans with a price target of $1.83. This implies a possible upside of around 20%.

Last month, the company updated the market with its latest valuation and net tangible assets (NTA) numbers. The business saw a $22.5 million valuation uplift, helping the NTA rise by 14 cents per security to $1.86. That means the current Garda Diversified Property Fund share price is at an 18% discount to the NTA.

Morgans thinks that the ASX dividend share is going to pay a distribution of 7.4 cents per security in FY23. That translates into a forward distribution yield of 4.8%.

Garda boasts that its active management, combined with “strong market fundamentals”, continues to deliver value for investors.

Looking at a few portfolio metrics, its portfolio occupancy rate in the FY22 half-year result was 94%, with 3.2% fixed annual rent increases. The weighted average lease expiry was 5.6 years.

The post 2 buy-rated ASX dividend shares for income in 2022 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Citigroup is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. 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 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 Scott Phillips.

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History will be made on Thursday as the first-ever exchange-traded fund (ETF) representing direct ownership of Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) starts trading in Australia.

ETFS 21Shares Bitcoin ETF (EBTC) — along with its Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) counterpart ETFS 21Shares Ethereum ETF (EETH) — are local products that directly own cryptocurrencies.

While there are already ETFs that track the ups and downs of the crypto industry, those funds never actually buy Bitcoin itself.

Vendor ETF Securities emphasised that the new funds “do not use derivatives of any kind”.

“They are not built as feeder funds into offshore ETFs. Nor do they engage in any lending or staking of the bitcoins and ether.”

So that’s all good and well, but why would an investor bother buying into these ETFs instead of purchasing Bitcoin or Ether themselves?

The case for owning Bitcoin in your own wallet

Purchasing Bitcoin and Ether yourself can be cheaper, as you’re not paying a commission or a management fee to an ETF provider.

Having Bitcoin in your own wallet also means they can be easily exchanged for other crypto, like Solana (CRYPTO: SOL) or Terra (CRYPTO: LUNA).

If your Bitcoin ownership was tied up in an ETF, that’s impossible to do without cashing out to a fiat currency.

Holding Bitcoin via an ETF could be more secure

ETF Securities stated in a blog post this week that the main advantages of crypto ETFs are security and tax considerations.

The vendor noted that Bitcoin funds have existed for years in Europe, yet none of them have been victims of hacks or theft.

“The history of cryptocurrency is littered with instances of hack attacks and thefts. All of which have occurred in unregulated environments and all of which have occurred on low quality exchanges, like Binance.”

One of the reasons ETF providers charge fees is to provide “institutional-grade security arrangements”.

“This top-flight security involves storing all bitcoins offline in ‘cold storage’,” the blog said.

“By keeping bitcoins disconnected from the internet, they are out of reach from hackers. By contrast, many bitcoin exchanges use ‘hot storage’ meaning they remain connected to the internet.”

ETF Securities is also keeping its cold storage devices in a Faraday cage to protect them from power surges.

“Bitcoin ETFs use additional security measures like sharding, which is where private keys are split up across different custodian vaults around the world,” said the blog post.

“Moving bitcoins in and out of a bitcoin ETF always requires approval from two people or more. And the two people must work for different organisations.”

Tax advantages for owning Bitcoin through an ETF

Ease of tax reporting is a major convenience of owning crypto through an ETF, according to ETF Securities.

This is especially the case if the Bitcoin is part of your self-managed superannuation portfolio.

“As bitcoin ETFs can be bought and sold within your existing brokerage account – such as CommSec, NABtrade, Interactive Brokers – they can more easily be placed into your existing SMSF infrastructure,” the blog read.

“This means less work for you, your accountant, and potentially lower capital gain taxes.”

While some crypto exchanges allow accounts to be opened in the name of an SMSF, most do not.

“This can mean that accountants either cannot add them to your SMSF, or that it will require more work for them. And this in turn can cause greater charges from your accountant.”

The post Why should I buy Bitcoin ETF shares instead of just buying Bitcoin? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Tony Yoo has positions in Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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On Wednesday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) fought hard to end its losing streak and record a small gain. The benchmark index rose 0.2% to 7,064.7 points.

Will the market be able to build on this on Thursday? Here are five things to watch:

ASX 200 expected to sink

The Australian share market looks set to resume its decline on Thursday after higher than expected inflation in the United States spooked Wall Street. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 54 points or 0.8% lower this morning. On Wall Street, the Dow Jones fell 1%, the S&P 500 dropped 1.65%, and the Nasdaq sank 3.2%.

Xero full-year results

The Xero Limited (ASX: XRO) share price will be one to watch on Thursday. This morning the cloud accounting platform provider is scheduled to release its full-year results. According to a note out of Goldman Sachs, it is expecting Xero to report revenue of NZ$1,108 million. This comprises ANZ revenue of NZ$650 million and international revenue of NZ$458 million. The broker has also pencilled in an EBITDA margin of 19.6% and EBITDA of NZ$218 million.

Oil prices surge

It could be a very good day for energy shares including Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) and Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) after oil prices rebounded. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is up 5.4% to US$105.14 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is up 4.5% to US$107.07 a barrel. Oil prices rose after Russian gas flows to Europe declined.

IDP CEO resigns

The IDP Education Ltd (ASX: IEL) share price could come under pressure today amid the surprise resignation of the language testing company’s CEO, Andrew Barkla. Mr Barkla is stepping down from the role in September after more than seven years leading IDP. A global search for a new CEO will now commence.

Gold price rises

Gold miners Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) and Regis Resources Limited (ASX: RRL) could have a good day after the gold price pushed higher overnight. According to CNBC, the spot gold price is up 0.65% to US$1,852.90 an ounce. Inflation concerns and a softer US dollar gave the precious metal a boost.

The post 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday 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. has positions in and has recommended Idp Education Pty Ltd and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Xero. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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The S&P/ASX 300 Metals and Mining Index (ASX: XMM) has dropped 8% in a year, but some ASX shares exploring critical minerals are bucking the trend.

According to Geoscience Australia, critical minerals are crucial elements for modern technologies, economies and national security.

There are several ASX-listed companies involved in the exploration, mining or production of three critical minerals: vanadium, tungsten, and cobalt.

Let’s take a look at what these minerals are used for and which ASX shares are involved.

Vanadium

Vanadium is a silver-grey element used in steel alloys, nuclear reactors and space vehicles. Further, it is seen as a metal that could be used in the cathodes of batteries in electric vehicles (EV).

One vanadium share on the ASX is Australian Vanadium Ltd (ASX: AVL). The AVL share price has surged 181% over the past 12 months, and it’s soaring 103% year to date. The company is exploring the Australian Vanadium Project in Western Australia.

Another vanadium explorer is Neometals Ltd (ASX: NMT), an ASX share working on vanadium recovery in Scandinavian countries. The Neometals share price has surged 154% in the past year but is down 10% since the start of 2022.

Tungsten

The critical mineral tungsten is another rare metal that can be used in the production of lithium-ion batteries. Group 6 Metals Ltd (ASX: G6M) is redeveloping a mine to explore tungsten in King Island, Tasmania. The company’s share price has surged 40% year to date, although it has fallen 12% over the past 12 months.

ABC TV Four Corners viewers who tuned in to the documentary program this week would have seen Group 6 featured on the show. Chairman Johann Jacobs revealed the company was attracting interest from United States officials. He said he had held three meetings with the US embassy in 12 months, adding:

At this stage, they don’t have any financial interest, but they certainly are very keen to see us progress and develop the mine because it’s another supply chain… from a friendly nation.

Cobalt

Cobalt Blue Holdings Ltd (ASX: COB) is one ASX share exploring cobalt. The company has seen its shares surge 171% over the past 12 months and 86% year to date. In today’s trade, the company’s share price jumped nearly 14%.

In April, the company received a $15 million Federal Government grant for the Broken Hill Cobalt Project.

Cobalt is used in alloys, magnets and as a catalyst for the petroleum and chemical industries. The metal is also used in lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles. Cobalt helps stop cathodes in the batteries from overheating.

Our final ASX share is cobalt explorer Jervois Global Ltd (ASX: JRV), which is exploring the critical mineral in Idaho, United States. Jervois shares have surged 87% in the past year and 27% year to date.

The post 3 critical minerals you might not have heard of (and the ASX shares that have surged because of them) appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• This ASX battery metals share rocketed 20% today. What’s going on?
• Why did the Cobalt Blue share price come off the boil in April?

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 Scott Phillips.

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The Kogan.com Ltd (ASX: KGN) share price was going in the right direction at last on Wednesday.

The struggling ecommerce company’s shares rose a sizeable 6% to end the day at $3.72.

Why did the Kogan share price race higher?

The Kogan share price was on the move today amid a rebound in the retail sector after some sizeable declines in recent weeks.

Several beaten down retail shares rose along with Kogan. This includes the following:

• The Accent Group Ltd (ASX: AX1) share price rose 6%
• The Baby Bunting Group Ltd (ASX: BBN) share price climbed 2.5%
• The City Chic Collective Ltd (ASX: CCX) share price jumped almost 7%
• The Temple & Webster Group Ltd (ASX: TPW) share price rose 2.5%

These gains appear to have been driven by bargain hunters picking up shares rather than anything sector specific.

After all, even after today’s strong gain, the Kogan share price is down 57% since the start of the year.

It is a similar story for the others listed above, with Accent down 44% in 2022, Baby Bunting down 25%, City Chic down 54%, and Temple & Webster down 57%.

Shareholders will no doubt be hoping that today’s gains represent an inflection point for their shares and it is onwards and upwards from here.

The post Why did the Kogan share price jump 6% today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• These are the 10 most shorted ASX shares
• Leading brokers name 3 ASX shares to sell today
• Why Appen, Aussie Broadband, IGO, and Kogan shares are sinking today
• These are the 10 most shorted ASX shares
• Why Kogan, Reliance, ResMed, and Sandfire shares are dropping

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 positions in and has recommended Kogan.com ltd and Temple & Webster Group Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Kogan.com ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Accent Group, Baby Bunting, and Temple & Webster Group Ltd. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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