The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) lifted 1.26% in Tuesday trading, but four ASX 200 lithium shares soared considerably higher.

Lithium explorers IGO Ltd (ASX: IGO), Allkem Ltd (ASX: AKE), Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN), and Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) all leapt on the market today.

Let’s take a look at what may have impacted these lithium companies today.

What’s going on

IGO shares rose 4.49% today, while Mineral Resources shares jumped 5.28%. Meanwhile, Pilbara shares gained 5.18% and Allkem shares climbed 3.45%.

Today’s lift in ASX lithium shares comes amid broker upgrades from analysts at UBS. The broker upgraded Mineral Resources and IGO to a buy and Pilbara Minerals to neutral, while it retained its buy rating on Allkem, the Australian Financial Review reported.

UBS has lifted its lithium price outlook by up to 50%, according to the publication. Commenting on lithium, UBS analyst Lachlan Shaw said:

We believe lithium markets will remain in deficit for the near and medium term before moving to structural deficit long term.

This needs a demand rationing price, for which we have seen no evidence in the past 12 months despite record-high prices that are orders of magnitude above costs

Meanwhile, Pilbara Minerals has also just received positive broker coverage from Morgans, as my Foolish colleague James reported this morning.

Morgans has maintained an add rating on Pilbara shares and lifted the price target to $5.40.

Commenting on Pilbara, analysts said:

We maintain our ADD rating given the upside that we see to our target price. The company’s growing cash balance gives it options for capital management including buybacks or a special dividend.

Share price snapshot

The IGO share price has risen 25% in the last year.

Mineral Resources shares have exploded 56% over the past 12 months.

Pilbara shares have risen 46% in the last 52 weeks.

Allkem shares have soared 39% in the past year.

The post Guess which four ASX 200 lithium shares charged higher today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

(function() {
function setButtonColorDefaults(param, property, defaultValue) {
if( !param || !param.includes(‘#’)) {
var button = document.getElementsByClassName(“pitch-snippet”)[0].getElementsByClassName(“pitch-button”)[0];
button.style[property] = defaultValue;
}
}

setButtonColorDefaults(“#43B02A”, ‘background’, ‘#5FA85D’);
setButtonColorDefaults(“#43B02A”, ‘border-color’, ‘#43A24A’);
setButtonColorDefaults(“#fff”, ‘color’, ‘#fff’);
})()

More reading

• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Here are the 3 most heavily traded ASX 200 shares on Tuesday
• I’d buy 100 shares of this ASX lithium stock for $700 a year in passive income
• Move over bank deposits! These ASX 200 mining shares are forecasting yields of over 5%
• 5 ASX 200 shares rocketing to new 52-week highs on Tuesday

Motley Fool contributor Monica O’Shea 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.

from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/pRfFS8G

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) continued its upwards trajectory today, posting a 0.44% gain to close at 7,490.4 points. That sees it just 1.8% lower than its all-time high – reached in 2021.

Meanwhile, the market geared up to learn of the latest Australian inflation figures, set to drop tomorrow. Some experts are hopeful the cash-eating measure that wreaked havoc on markets in 2022 peaked in the December quarter, my Fool colleague James reports.

Perhaps in anticipation, the S&P/ASX 200 Real Estate Index (ASX: XRE) posted today’s biggest gain, lifting 1.8%.

Meanwhile, the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) rose 1.3% following a strong session for the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC). It surged 2% overnight.

On the other hand, the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) lost ground on Tuesday, falling 0.25%, dragged down by many of the big four banks.

So, having covered all that, let’s take a gander at today’s 10 top-performing ASX 200 shares.

Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown

The index’s biggest gains came from the Breville Group Ltd (ASX: BRG) share price today. It soared 7.5% to close at $22.39.

That’s despite no news having been released by the manufacturer of small appliances.

These shares made today’s biggest gains:

ASX-listed company	Share price	Price change
Breville Group Ltd (ASX: BRG)	$22.39	7.54%
Block Inc (ASX: SQ2)	$114.69	5.7%
Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN)	$96.28	5.28%
Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS)	$5.08	5.18%
Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN)	$3.41	4.92%
Liontown Resources Ltd (ASX: LTR)	$1.54	4.76%
IGO Ltd (ASX: IGO)	$15.84	4.49%
South32 Ltd (ASX: S32)	$4.83	4.32%
Sayona Mining Ltd (ASX: SYA)	$0.27	3.85%
Premier Investments Limited (ASX: PMV)	$27.60	3.64%

Our top 10 shares countdown is a recurring end-of-day summary to let you know which companies were making big moves on the day. Check in at Fool.com.au after the weekday market closes to see which stocks make the countdown.

The post Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

(function() {
function setButtonColorDefaults(param, property, defaultValue) {
if( !param || !param.includes(‘#’)) {
var button = document.getElementsByClassName(“pitch-snippet”)[0].getElementsByClassName(“pitch-button”)[0];
button.style[property] = defaultValue;
}
}

setButtonColorDefaults(“#0095C8”, ‘background’, ‘#5FA85D’);
setButtonColorDefaults(“#0095C8”, ‘border-color’, ‘#43A24A’);
setButtonColorDefaults(“#fff”, ‘color’, ‘#fff’);
})()

More reading

• Here are the 3 most heavily traded ASX 200 shares on Tuesday
• I’d buy 100 shares of this ASX lithium stock for $700 a year in passive income
• Move over bank deposits! These ASX 200 mining shares are forecasting yields of over 5%
• 5 ASX 200 shares rocketing to new 52-week highs on Tuesday
• Why Block, Codan, Latin Resources, and Myer shares are storming higher

Motley Fool contributor Brooke Cooper 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 Block. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Block. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Premier Investments. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/zr0IHhC

The Qantas Airways Limited (ASX: QAN) share price has jumped higher since the start of 2023. It has risen by around 8% this year and it’s up 40% over the last six months.

To put that into perspective, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has only gone up by 10% in the last six months. That’s still a good effort.

I think it’s understandable why Qantas shares are performing so well.

The company’s updates have been full of promising updates and financial guidance.

It told investors in November what it was expecting in the first half of FY23. Let’s remind ourselves what was in that update.

Profit upgrade

The ASX airline share told investors that underlying profit before tax is expected to be between $1.35 billion to $1.45 billion. This will help reduce net debt to a range of $2.3 billion to $2.5 billion.

Qantas put this improved performance down to customers continuing to put a high priority on travel ahead of other spending categories. The airline said there are signs that limits on international capacity are driving more domestic leisure demand, benefiting Australian tourism.

However, Qantas did say that fuel costs would remain significantly elevated compared to FY19 and are expected to reach $5 billion in FY23. That’s despite international capacity being at around 30% less than pre-COVID levels.

Debt is falling. It’ll be around $900 million better than expected in the most recent update. That’s due to an acceleration of revenue inflows as customers book flights on Qantas, Jetstar, and partner airlines in the second half and beyond, as well as the deferral of approximately $200 million of capital expenditure to the second half.

Qantas said it’s adding back capacity as quickly as possible in the second half of the year while maintaining operational reliability. However, it did say that it was the most on-time domestic airline in October.

Is it too late to buy Qantas shares?

Investors are able to buy shares whenever they want to, the key question is whether they are good value today.

Commsec numbers suggest the airline could generate 92 cents of earnings per share (EPS) in the 2023 financial year and 97 cents of EPS in FY25. That puts the company at 7x FY23’s estimated earnings and around 6.5x FY25’s estimated earnings.

If earnings recover that strongly to FY25, the projections suggest the business could pay an annual dividend per share of 21 cents. That could be a dividend yield of 3.25%, excluding the effect of franking credits.

Qantas shares could still be quite cheap if its earnings stabilise at the projected level, though it’s not as cheap as it was a few months ago. I believe the business still has further to run over the next year, particularly if the fuel costs keep dropping.

Looking at the recommendations covered by Commsec, there are 12 buy ratings, two hold ratings, and no sell ratings. Goldman Sachs currently has a buy rating, with a target price of $8.20. That implies a rise of around 30% on Tuesday’s closing price of $6.41 over the next year.

The post Up 8% in 2023, is it too late to buy Qantas shares now? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

(function() {
function setButtonColorDefaults(param, property, defaultValue) {
if( !param || !param.includes(‘#’)) {
var button = document.getElementsByClassName(“pitch-snippet”)[0].getElementsByClassName(“pitch-button”)[0];
button.style[property] = defaultValue;
}
}

setButtonColorDefaults(“#0095C8”, ‘background’, ‘#5FA85D’);
setButtonColorDefaults(“#0095C8”, ‘border-color’, ‘#43A24A’);
setButtonColorDefaults(“#fff”, ‘color’, ‘#fff’);
})()

More reading

• Qantas share price struggles amid second incident in 2 days
• 3 ASX 200 shares smashing new 52-week highs on Wednesday
• Should ASX 200 investors buy Qantas shares today?
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday
• Shareholders rejoice! Qantas share price hits post-market-crash high

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 positions in and has recommended Goldman Sachs Group. 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.

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

The Australian share market is making another move higher today, bringing returns from the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) to 7.8% so far this year. Today’s enthusiasm is being felt across ASX energy shares, with the sector’s performance peaking in early afternoon trade.

While the energising segment is on the move, there are a handful of energy companies that are receiving heightened attention on Tuesday. Juiced-up trading volume can be found in several names following the release of their quarterly reports.

Here’s a quick summary of the results.

Drilling down into these ASX energy shares

Warrego Energy Ltd (ASX: WGO)

The $478 million oil and gas explorer released its quarterly cash flow and activities report today for the three months ending 31 December 2022. In response, investors have pushed shares in the ASX energy company up 1.3% to 39.5 cents apiece.

According to the cash flow report, Warrego pulled in $1.26 million in cash receipts from customers during the quarter. However, the company experienced a net operating cash outflow of $4.49 million after expenses.

Notably, Warrego’s made further progress on its host of projects during the quarter while fielding an ongoing takeover war from Hancock Energy and Strike Energy.

Cooper Energy Ltd (ASX: COE)

Next up is Cooper Energy, a $513 million ASX energy share that is on the way down on Tuesday. The market appears to be unimpressed by the company’s figures for the second quarter.

According to its release, Cooper Energy achieved record year-to-date production and revenue. Production increased by 16% to 1.82 million barrels of oil equivalent (MMboe). However, production and revenue fell 16% and 17% respectively in Q2 compared to the prior corresponding period.

Shares in the company are currently 1.54% below yesterday’s closing price, swapping hands at 19.2 cents apiece.

Karoon Energy Ltd (ASX: KAR)

Back to ASX energy shares that are in the green. Karoon Energy has settled 0.22% higher at $2.325 a share in late afternoon trading as the market digests its latest update. Earlier today, it hit a high of $2.38 a share, or 2.6% higher.

The two major positives to take from Karoon’s quarterly are its 62% increase in production — reaching 2.08 MMboe — and its 34% lift in oil sales. The elevated sales helped the ASX energy share secure US$159.2 million in oil sales revenue.

Melbana Energy Ltd (ASX: MAY)

Last but not least is the best performing of the bunch, Melbana Energy. Shares in the small-cap energy company shot 15.6% higher at one stage today, hitting 8.9 cents a share. Melbana shares are currently trading at 8.1 cents each, up 5.2%.

This ASX energy share actually released its quarterly report after the market close yesterday. Although, the report largely covered the status of its Zapato-1st exploration well and its plans for well appraisals.

Today, Melbana revealed independent assessments estimate volumes of 1.9 billion barrels of oil in place at Amistad structure in Block 9. The company will now move to evaluate the quality and performance of this formation.

The post 4 ASX energy shares heating up on quarterly reports today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

(function() {
function setButtonColorDefaults(param, property, defaultValue) {
if( !param || !param.includes(‘#’)) {
var button = document.getElementsByClassName(“pitch-snippet”)[0].getElementsByClassName(“pitch-button”)[0];
button.style[property] = defaultValue;
}
}

setButtonColorDefaults(“#0095C8”, ‘background’, ‘#5FA85D’);
setButtonColorDefaults(“#0095C8”, ‘border-color’, ‘#43A24A’);
setButtonColorDefaults(“#fff”, ‘color’, ‘#fff’);
})()

More reading

• Looking to energise returns with this pocket of undervalued ASX shares in 2023
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Why HUB24, Lovisa, Redbubble, and Warrego shares are sinking today
• These two ASX shares are celebrating 2023 by hitting new 52-week highs

Motley Fool contributor Mitchell Lawler 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.

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