Most companies inside the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) can attest to paying dividends to some extent. However, when I’m on the hunt for dividend gems, I’m looking for ASX shares that are rapidly growing their dividends.

It is often companies with a low dividend yield that are overlooked. But, when a low yield is combined with a blistering high rate of dividend growth, the long-term outcome can be shockingly good.

A yield of as little as 1% can become 6% equivalent over 10 years — assuming the same share price — if it increases by 20% each year.

That’s why I’d be taking a close look at this not-so-secret ASX tech share…

ASX 200 dividend aristocrat in the making

Many will be familiar with the circuit board design software provider Altium Limited (ASX: ALU). The ASX tech share came to prominence during the heyday of Australia’s ‘WAAAX‘ shares. Though, few probably appreciate the dividend component of this mighty company.

At a paltry 1.2% dividend yield, Altium isn’t touting a bank-beating income profile. However, yield is only one aspect that could lead investors astray. Instead, I’d focus on the fact that this company has grown its dividend for 10 years straight, as shown below.

Not only has Altium simply grown its dividends… it has significantly grown its dividends. When looking at the ASX 200 shares that have delivered a 10-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) on their dividends per share greater than 20%, Altium is one of only 10 companies that meet the high bar.

Unlike other companies that fall into this bucket — such as South32 Ltd (ASX: S32), Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG), and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) — Altium isn’t exposed to the extremely cyclical resource industry.

If Altium were to continue this trend for 15 more years, the ASX 200 share could potentially join a select group known as ‘dividend aristocrats’.

Look for continued growth

Altium is expected to release its first-half results for FY23 on 20 February. It will be important to see that the company is continuing to deliver on its growth ambitions. The ultimate target is US$500 million in revenue by 2026.

If the company can hit these milestones, I suspect Altium could become a highly prized ASX 200 dividend share.

The post Could this ASX 200 share be a dividend gem hiding in plain sight? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Here are the 3 most heavily traded ASX 200 shares on Wednesday
• Investing in ASX 200 copper shares? Here’s the outlook for the red metal in 2023
• Does the Vanguard Australian Shares ETF’s unique structure deliver better returns than the ASX 200?
• Did you buy $1,000 of Bank of Queensland shares 10 years ago? Here’s how much dividend income you’ve made
• 10 types of ASX companies that can grow even if the economy tanks

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 positions in and has recommended Altium. 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 S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) traded in the red for just the fourth time this year today, falling 0.3% to close at 7,468.3 points.

And no prizes to those who can guess why. Market experts were shocked by the latest Australian inflation data, released late this morning.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) found the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 1.9% in the December quarter and  7.8% over the course of 2022. Those figures were notably higher than consensus forecasts of 1.6% and 7.6%, respectively.

The likelihood the Reserve Bank of Australia could begin easing rates next month likely diminished on the findings, thereby disappointing investors.

On a more positive note, the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) outperformed despite the inflation read today. It gained 0.3%.

Interestingly, the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) also gained, rising 0.4%, while the S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) led the market, lifting 0.5%.

Meanwhile, the rates-sensitive S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) fell 1.2% and the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) dropped 1.2%.

But enough of that. Let’s take a look at the 10 shares that posted the ASX 200’s biggest gains on Wednesday.

Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown

Today’s top performing share on the index was News Corp (ASX: NWS).

The stock jumped 6% to close at $29.93 after the company revealed it won’t be merging with Fox Corporation and confirmed it’s in talks to sell its Move, Inc business.

These shares made today’s biggest gains:

ASX-listed company	Share price	Price change
News Corp (ASX: NWS)	$29.93	6.25%
IPH Ltd (ASX: IPH)	$8.52	4.16%
Orora Ltd (ASX: ORA)	$3.09	3.69%
Boral Limited (ASX: BLD)	$3.56	3.19%
Lovisa Holdings Ltd (ASX: LOV)	$26.81	3.19%
Corporate Travel Management Ltd (ASX: CTD)	$17.47	2.64%
James Hardie Industries plc (ASX: JHX)	$31.44	2.61%
ARB Corporation Limited (ASX: ARB)	$30.80	2.43%
Webjet Limited (ASX: WEB)	$6.88	2.38%
Iluka Resources Limited (ASX: ILU)	$10.97	1.95%

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.

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More reading

• Why Accent, Iluka, Myer, and QBE shares are charging higher today
• 3 ASX 200 resources shares on the move following quarterly updates
• 5 ASX 200 shares rocketing to new 52-week highs on Tuesday
• Up 30% in six months: Can the Webjet share price fly even higher?
• Which ASX dividend shares I’d buy now to target $50,000 of annual passive income

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 ARB Corporation and Lovisa. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended ARB Corporation, Corporate Travel Management, IPH, and Lovisa. 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 BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) share price is up a stellar 8.2% since the closing bell on 30 December.

That’s despite today’s 0.6% retrace following the hotter-than-expected CPI numbers just released by the ABS.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) iron ore giant is currently trading for $49.37. The BHP share price, as you can see in the chart below, closed out 2022 at $45.63.

Is it too late to buy?

With those kinds of gains already in the bag so early in 2023, is it too late to buy BHP shares?

The answer to that question largely relies on what happens with iron ore prices (the miner’s top revenue earner) and copper prices (its number two revenue earner) over the coming months.

The BHP share price has already benefited from a big lift in the price of both metals in 2023.

Iron ore was trading for US$118 per tonne at beginning of the calendar year and is currently fetching US$125 per tonne, up 6%.

The copper price has gained even more, lifting 12% since 30 December to currently trade for US$9,315 per tonne.

And while no one has a working crystal ball, most analysts are tipping significant further gains for both industrial metals over the year ahead.

Iron ore could gain from increased demand out of China, as the world’s most populous nation reopens following three years of pandemic lockdowns.

Copper could also benefit from China’s reopening, while demand for the red metal is expected to continue to run high for its critical role in the world’s transition towards electrification.

Both of these aspects would suggest it’s not too late to buy, even after the big BHP share price rally.

On the copper front, Goldman Sachs head of commodities research Jeff Currie believes that in the “longer-term” the copper price will reach US$15,000 per tonne.

Citing “a structural imbalance in these markets”, Currie said “You are likely to see peak copper supply in 2024.”

As for iron ore, Morgan Stanley commodities strategist Marius van Straaten notes the commodity rally coming ahead of China’s reopening is largely built on hype rather than actual increases in steel production.

According to van Straaten (quoted by The Australian Financial Review):

The previous nine bull markets we looked at were all underpinned by either periods of expanding China steel production or tightening supply from the iron ore majors.

While China’s steel mills have been restocking ore recently, this is basically the first serious bull market that is mostly driven by sentiment/optimism, rather than an actual physically tightening market.

Despite the current speculative-driven nature of the price increases, van Straaten sees iron ore trading for US$140 in the June quarter. That represents a 12% increase from today’s levels and would certainly offer some helpful tailwinds for the BHP share price.

What else could boost the BHP share price in 2023?

Atop potentially rising iron ore and copper prices, the BHP share price could receive a boost should the miner’s $28.25 per share (approximately $9.6 billion) cash takeover proposal of ASX 200 copper stock OZ Minerals Limited (ASX: OZL) go through.

The Oz Minerals board has unanimously recommended shareholders approve the acquisition. Shareholders are expected to vote on the proposal in late March or early April.

And let’s not forget the juicy, fully franked dividends on offer.

At the current share price, BHP pays a 9.4% trailing dividend yield. That will place the big miner high on the radar of income investors, increasing the demand for (and potentially the price of) its shares in 2023.

The post The BHP share price has had a stellar start to 2023. Is it too late to buy? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Investing in ASX 200 copper shares? Here’s the outlook for the red metal in 2023
• Does the Vanguard Australian Shares ETF’s unique structure deliver better returns than the ASX 200?
• Move over bank deposits! These ASX 200 mining shares are forecasting yields of over 5%
• BHP share price lifts amid copper deal
• Looking to energise returns with this pocket of undervalued ASX shares in 2023

Motley Fool contributor Bernd Struben 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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When one of the biggest operators in an industry speaks, it’s usually worth listening. Investors of ASX lithium shares had the chance to get the latest pulse reading from US-based Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB) last night, and the outlook is rather rosy.

Today, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is lingering 0.11% lower following the release of surprisingly high inflation data. Despite this, several Aussie companies involved in producing the electrifying material are in the green.

Driving a positive outlook for lithium

For some background, Albemarle is one of the largest suppliers of battery-grade lithium in the world. The company not only produces lithium but also processes it.

In the September 2022 ending quarter, Albermarle achieved US$1.5 billion in net lithium sales. In comparison, Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) recorded $1.19 billion in revenue across the entire 2022 financial year.

Last night, Albermarle provided updated estimates for the future of lithium in its 2023 strategic update. The most eye-catching metric was a 15% increase in the company’s lithium demand forecast for 2030, primarily due to higher expected electric vehicle (EV) adoption.

As such, management is now forecasting a total of 3.7 million metric tonnes worth of lithium demand in 2030 — giving ASX lithium shares something to cheer about. This is based on the assumption that annual EV production will reach 46.9 million by that point in time, equating to a 48% market penetration of light-duty vehicles.

Albemarle energy storage president Eric Norris described the catalyst for increased demand, stating:

We expect to continue to see increased EV adoption with charging speed and range improvements; more access to charging infrastructure; and changing consumer preferences. In response, auto OEMs are setting ambitious electrification goals and making large investments in EV production.

How are ASX lithium shares are responding?

The peachy outlook painted by Albermarle’s management could be supporting the prices of Aussie lithium companies today. Greater demand for lithium could mean higher prices for longer, promoting strong ASX lithium share prices today, including:

• Vulcan Energy Resources Ltd (ASX: VUL) up 0.73%
• Galan Lithium Ltd (ASX: GLN) up 0.81%
• Neometals Ltd (ASX: NMT) up 3.07%
• Sayona Mining Ltd (ASX: SYA) up 2.78%

At the larger end of town, Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN) is struggling on Wednesday despite releasing its quarterly report. Shares in the lithium and iron ore miner are down 1.42% this afternoon with iron ore shipments weighing on shareholder sentiment.

The post Lithium giant forecasts 15% greater demand. How are ASX lithium shares reacting? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Here are the 3 most heavily traded ASX 200 shares on Wednesday
• Guess which four ASX 200 lithium shares charged higher today
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Here are the 3 most heavily traded ASX 200 shares on Tuesday
• Analyst says Pilbara Minerals share price can keep rising

Motley Fool contributor Mitchell Lawler has positions in Albemarle. 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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