Day: 9 May 2023

  • Goldman Sachs names 2 ASX tech shares to buy with massive upside

    Happy man and woman looking at the share price on a tablet.

    Happy man and woman looking at the share price on a tablet.

    Are you wanting to gain some exposure to the tech sector? If you are, then you might want to consider the two tech shares named below that Goldman Sachs is recommending as buys.

    Especially with the broker tipping major upside potential ahead for their shares. Here’s what it is saying:

    Life360 Inc (ASX: 360)

    This location technology company is highly rated by analysts at Goldman Sachs. The broker has a buy rating and $7.85 price target on the ASX tech share.

    Based on the current Life360 share price of $5.52, this implies potential upside of 42% for investors over the next 12 months.

    Goldman highlights that its shares have undeservedly underperformed peers this year, which it feels has created a buying opportunity. Particularly given its high growth outlook and latent operating leverage. It explains:

    Life360 has underperformed domestic and offshore peers YTD and continues to trade at a material valuation discount when adjusting for its robust growth outlook. The company is trading at ~2.7x FY24 EV/GP (vs ~6x key peers) and we believe reaching break-even and demonstrating resumption in paying circle growth can serve as catalysts to refocus investor attention on Life360’s strong balance sheet, high growth outlook and latent operating leverage. Our estimates and A$7.85/CDI TP are unchanged, and we reiterate Buy.

    Temple & Webster Group Ltd (ASX: TPW)

    Another ASX tech share that Goldman Sachs is bullish on is Temple & Webster.

    It currently has a conviction buy rating and $6.10 price target on the online furniture retailer’s shares. This suggests that its shares could rise approximately 60% from current levels.

    Goldman believes that the company’s position as the largest pure-play online home retailer leaves it perfectly placed for the future thanks to structural growth drivers. It said:

    We see a long term structural growth opportunity driven by increasing online penetration and consolidation of online market share. We think TPW is best placed to be a winner in a category that favours scale players, requires a specialist approach to e-commerce and logistics, has higher barriers to entry vs. other categories. The category remains under-penetrated relative to other markets (16% vs. the UK/US at 25-30%) even after a large pull forward in online; we expect online penetration to reach similar levels over time and expect TPW to be a beneficiary of this shift. We are Buy rated (on CL) on the stock.

    The post Goldman Sachs names 2 ASX tech shares to buy with massive upside appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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    *Returns as of April 3 2023

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    Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Life360. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Life360 and Temple & Webster Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Temple & Webster Group. 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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  • Buy this ASX 200 healthcare share for a 25% return: broker

    Two healthcare workers, a male doctor in the background with a woman in scrubs in the foreground,, smile towards the camera against a plain backdrop.

    Two healthcare workers, a male doctor in the background with a woman in scrubs in the foreground,, smile towards the camera against a plain backdrop.

    If you’re looking for exposure to the healthcare sector, then Ramsay Health Care Ltd (ASX: RHC) could be the way to do it.

    That’s the view of analysts at Morgans, which see major upside ahead for this ASX 200 healthcare share.

    What is the broker saying about this ASX 200 healthcare share?

    In response to a recent trading update, the team at Morgans has retained its add rating with a slightly trimmed $75.57 price target.

    Based on the current Ramsay share price of $60.58, this implies potential upside of 25% for this ASX 200 healthcare share over the next 12 months.

    In addition, the broker is forecasting a 2.2% dividend yield over the next 12 months, boosting the total potential return on offer with its shares even further.

    What did it say?

    While the broker wasn’t blown away by Ramsay Health Care’s trading update, it was pleased with underlying trends. It explained:

    A nine-month FY23 trading update highlighted improving volumes across all regions on increased surgical activity, although margins and profit lagged. While COVID-related headwinds are subsiding, labour shortages and inflationary pressures remain, dampening a full recovery in underlying profitability.

    The good news is that Morgans expects these headwinds to ease in time and for its profits to rebound. It adds:

    While the operating environment remains unpredictable and dynamic, with doctor/patient behaviour, inflation and workforce issues all defining the earnings profile, higher activity and improving (albeit slowly) productivity are suggestive of growing momentum.

    All in all, the sum of the above is that the broker believes that this makes Ramsay an ASX 200 health care share to buy right now for patient investors.

    The post Buy this ASX 200 healthcare share for a 25% return: broker appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Ramsay Health Care Limited right now?

    Before you consider Ramsay Health Care Limited, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Ramsay Health Care Limited wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that are better buys.

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of April 3 2023

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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 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 Wesfarmers share price was in the red today despite green energy acquisition rumours

    Woman looking at her smartphone and analysing share price.Woman looking at her smartphone and analysing share price.

    The Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES) share price declined 0.29% today amid the speculation that the ASX retail share is interested in making another acquisition.

    Wesfarmers is best known for owning businesses like Bunnings, Kmart and Officeworks. But, it has a growing portfolio of businesses that are in other sectors. The Wesfarmers chemicals, energy and fertiliser (WesCEF) business is the home of a number of the compelling industrial areas of the business, including the lithium project at Mt Holland.

    Takeover plans?

    According to reporting by The Australian, Wesfarmers is one of the potential buyers of Alinta Energy’s Western Australia assets.

    There could be synergy between the businesses considering Wesfarmers already operates Kleenheat which “produces, imports and distributes liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to residential and commercial markets across WA and NT through a comprehensive network of distribution centres and dealers, as well as retailing natural gas to residential and commercial markets, and electricity to businesses in WA”, according to Wesfarmers.

    What are the Alinta assets that Wesfarmers may buy?

    The Australian reported that it’s the majority of Alinta Energy’s Pilbara operations. Alinta will reportedly retain operational control and a minority stake.

    Newman Power Station may be viewed as the key asset, which has a gas and distillate power station, with a battery storage system.

    There is also an 11.8% stake in the 1,380km Goldfields gas pipeline, which transports gas from the Carnarvon basin producers in the northwest of the state to Kalgoorlie in the southeast. APA Group (ASX: APA) owns the rest of that particular pipeline asset.

    It was reported that the power station generates 15% of Alinta’s earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA). It’s currently gas and diesel-powered, but it is being sold to investors with the idea that it can be powered by cleaner fuel.

    Is anyone else interested?

    The Australian reported that there are a number of different interested parties including private equity players Pacific Equity Partners and EQT, as well as Gina Rhinehart, CKI, Queensland Investment Corporation, APA Group, Andrew Forrest and Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG).

    So, while there is a lot of competition, it was reported that APA is “highly motivated” to try to win the asset.

    Foolish takeaway

    Time will tell which group is successful in buying these assets. But, if it is Wesfarmers, then that will diversify the company’s earnings even more, which could be a benefit for the Wesfarmers share price.

    The post The Wesfarmers share price was in the red today despite green energy acquisition rumours appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Wesfarmers Limited right now?

    Before you consider Wesfarmers Limited, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Wesfarmers Limited wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that are better buys.

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of April 3 2023

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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. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Apa Group, Macquarie Group, and Wesfarmers. 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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  • Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today

    Top ten gold trophy.Top ten gold trophy.

    The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) slipped into the red on Tuesday, closing today’s session 0.17% lower at 7,264.1 points.

    Weighing on the market was the S&P/ASX 200 Real Estate Index (ASX: XRE). It slumped 1.4% today.

    It was also a rough session for the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ), which fell 0.7% on the back of disappointing performances from stock in BrainChip Holdings Ltd (ASX: BRN) and Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1).

    At the other end of the market, the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) outperformed, rising 0.5%, while the S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) lifted 0.3%.

    But today’s top-performing ASX 200 share didn’t belong to either sector. Let’s take a look at what drove it to outperform all others on Tuesday.

    Top 10 ASX 200 share countdown

    The index’s biggest gain on Tuesday was posted by healthcare share Imugene Limited (ASX: IMU). The stock rose 8.7% today despite no word having been released by the company.

    These shares made today’s biggest gains:

    ASX-listed company Share price Price change
    Imugene Limited (ASX: IMU) $0.125 8.7%
    Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN) $73.50 2.93%
    Worley Ltd (ASX: WOR) $16.47 2.87%
    Allkem Ltd (ASX: AKE) $12.83 2.8%
    Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG) $177.43 2.27%
    BlueScope Steel Limited (ASX: BSL) $20.22 2.07%
    Insignia Financial Ltd (ASX: IFL) $3.06 2%
    Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) $4.69 1.96%
    Hub24 Ltd (ASX: HUB) $27.73 1.91%
    Champion Iron Ltd (ASX: CIA) $6.65 1.53%

    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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    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 Hub24 and Megaport. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Macquarie Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Hub24 and Megaport. 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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  • These ASX income shares have very big forecast dividend yields

    A woman looks excited as she fans out a wad of Aussie $100 notes.

    A woman looks excited as she fans out a wad of Aussie $100 notes.

    The good news for income investors is that there are a lot of dividend shares to choose from on the ASX.

    But if you’re paralysed by choice, don’t worry because listed below are a couple of ASX dividend shares that come highly recommended and have big forecast dividend yields.

    Here’s why analysts are tipping these shares as buys:

    Charter Hall Retail REIT (ASX: CQR)

    The first ASX dividend share that could be a buy is the Charter Hall Retail REIT.

    As you might have guessed from the name, this property company has a focus on retail assets. These are predominantly supermarket anchored neighbourhood and sub-regional shopping centres.

    The team Citi is positive on the company. This is due to its “defensive net property income growth despite rising interest rate profile.” The broker also highlights how Charter Hall Retail REIT is “effective at passing through higher inflation”, which is a positive in the current environment.

    Citi currently has a buy rating and $4.50 price target on its shares.

    As for dividends, Citi is expecting the company to pay dividends of 26 cents per share in both FY 2023 and FY 2024. Based on the current Charter Hall Retail share price of $3.82, this will mean 6.8% dividend yields for investors.

    Dicker Data Ltd (ASX: DDR)

    Another ASX dividend share that has been named as a buy is Dicker Data.

    It is one of the largest distributors of computer hardware and software in the ANZ region.

    Morgan Stanley is a fan of the company and currently has an outperform rating and $10.00 price target. Its analysts are positive on Dicker Data’s outlook and are forecasting solid earnings and dividend growth in the near future.

    In respect to the latter, the broker is expecting fully franked dividends per share of 43.8 cents in FY 2023 and 48.8 cents in FY 2024. Based on the latest Dicker Data share price of $8.40, this will mean dividend yields of 5.2% and 5.9%, respectively.

    The post These ASX income shares have very big forecast dividend yields appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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    *Returns as of April 3 2023

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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 Dicker Data. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Dicker Data. 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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  • Buy these top ASX growth stocks: experts

    man on an iPad looking at chart of an increasing share price

    man on an iPad looking at chart of an increasing share price

    If you’re a fan of growth stocks like I am, then I have good news for you.

    A couple of high quality shares with bags of growth potential have recently been named as buys. Here’s why brokers are bullish on them:

    Breville Group Ltd (ASX: BRG)

    Goldman Sachs has named this appliance manufacturer as an ASX growth stock to buy.

    The broker is very positive on the company and highlights that it is exposed to some powerful trends. This includes the at-home coffee market, which Breville has material exposure to following some recent acquisitions.

    Combined with its international expansion and ongoing research and development investment, Goldman believes Breville can grow its revenue and EBITDA by a compound annual growth rate of 7.6% and 11.1%, respectively, between FY 2022 and FY 2025. Not bad given the tough economic environment it is operating in.

    Goldman has a buy rating and $22.70 price target on the company’s shares.

    Corporate Travel Management Ltd (ASX: CTD)

    Over at Morgans, its analysts are bullish on this corporate travel booker and have named it as an ASX growth stock to buy.

    The broker believes Corporate Travel Management is well-placed for growth over the medium term thanks to acquisitions, its lower cost base, and technology development.

    It highlights that “CTD should be a materially larger business post COVID given it has made two highly accretive acquisitions during the downturn. The company has also won a lot of new business, implemented structural cost-out opportunities and continued to develop its market-leading technology.”

    Morgans currently has an add rating and $24.00 price target on its shares.

    The post Buy these top ASX growth stocks: experts 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…

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of April 3 2023

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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 no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Corporate Travel Management. 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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  • 3 ASX resources shares exploding over 65% on Tuesday

    A male ASX investor sits cross-legged with a laptop computer in his lap with a slightly crazed, happy, excited look on his face while next to him a graphic of a rocket shoots upwards with graphics of stars scattered around itA male ASX investor sits cross-legged with a laptop computer in his lap with a slightly crazed, happy, excited look on his face while next to him a graphic of a rocket shoots upwards with graphics of stars scattered around it

    The S&P/ASX 200 Resources Index (ASX: XJR) is 0.29% in the red in late afternoon trade, but these three ASX resources shares are pushing higher.

    The Besra Gold Inc (ASX: BEZ), Voltaic Strategic Resources Ltd (ASX: VSR), and Chesser Resources Ltd (ASX: CHZ) share prices are all rocketing more than 50% today.

    Let’s take a look at what is going on with these ASX resources shares.

    Voltaic Strategic Resources

    Voltaic shares are exploding 152% at the time of writing. Investors are buying up this lithium share amid drilling results released today.

    Several thick pegmatites have been intercepted at the Andrada prospect at the Ti Tree Project in Western Australia.

    Drilling showed “key structural trends” connected to favourable lithium, caesium, and tantalum (LCT) pegmatoids close to granitic contacts.

    Commenting on the news, CEO Michael Walshe said:

    We now have a much-improved model of the regional pegmatites at Ti Tree in terms of structure, down-hole continuity and zonation, all of which are critical data for vectoring towards an LCT discovery.

    Besra Gold

    Besra Gold shares are soaring 93% at the time of writing to 42.5 cents. The gold company is exploring the Bau Goldfield in East Malaysia. Besra has finalised a binding gold purchase agreement with major shareholder Quantum Metal Recovery. This will enable Besra to fund production at the Bau project and evaluate other deposits in the Bau goldfield corridor.

    Former CEO Dr Ray Shaw will be moving to the role of chief operating officer, stepping down as CEO. Jocelyn Bennett will take on the role of executive chair. Commenting on today’s news, Bennett said:

    The announcement of progress this landmark agreement, as well as the accompanying corporate changes, moves Besra’s 3Moz Bau Gold Project closer to production.

    Chesser Resources

    Chesser shares are flying 65% higher today to 12 cents on the back of takeover news. Fortuna Silver Mines Inc (NYSE: FSM, TSE: FVI) is proposing to acquire 100% of Chesser shares at an implied value of 14.2 cents per Chesser share.

    This is a 95% premium to Chesser’s closing price of 7.3 cents on 8 May. However, Chesser shares are now catching up to the offer price.

    In a statement today, Chesser said the board “unanimously recommends” shareholders support the acquisition at the scheme meeting. This is due to be held in August 2023.

    Chesser managing director Andrew Grove said:

    Chesser’s strategy has focused on the standalone development of the Diamba Sud project and we have made excellent progress in this regard through exploration success, resource delineation and the delivery of a highly attractive Scoping Study late last year.

    The post 3 ASX resources shares exploding over 65% on Tuesday 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…

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of April 3 2023

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    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.

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  • 9 directors have bought up AGL shares in 2023. Should you jump in too?

    A young man looks like he his thinking holding his hand to his chin and gazing off to the side amid a backdrop of hand drawn lightbulbs that are lit up on a chalkboard.

    A young man looks like he his thinking holding his hand to his chin and gazing off to the side amid a backdrop of hand drawn lightbulbs that are lit up on a chalkboard.Last week, AGL Energy Limited (ASX: AGL) revealed that yet another insider has been buying its shares.

    According to the release, non-executive director, Mark Twidell, picked up 7,500 AGL shares for an average of $8.85 per share.

    This represents a total consideration of just over $66,000. It also means that this is the ninth time that insiders have bought shares this year.

    Given that insider buying is often seen as a bullish indicator, should you be following their lead and doing the same?

    Should you be buying AGL shares?

    While the insider buying is encouraging, most analysts don’t see a lot of value in AGL shares at current levels.

    For example, although Macquarie has an outperform rating on the company’s shares, its price target of $8.31 has now been surpassed.

    Elsewhere, last week, the team at Morgan Stanley retained their equal-weight rating with an $8.88 price target. This is broadly in-line with where AGL shares are trading this afternoon.

    And over at Morgans, its analysts currently have a hold rating and $6.89 price target. This implies potential downside of 22% for AGL shares from current levels.

    The broker is sitting on the fence until it has confidence that the company is moving onwards and upwards from its troubles. It said:

    We anticipate increasing dividends as earnings begin to recover in the next 12 months however we think the market will want to see clear evidence of this before it regains confidence in the company and the sector.

    The post 9 directors have bought up AGL shares in 2023. Should you jump in too? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Agl Energy Limited right now?

    Before you consider Agl Energy Limited, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Agl Energy Limited wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that are better buys.

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of April 3 2023

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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 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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  • Do we dare hope, when it comes to the Budget?

    graphic depicting australian economic activity

    graphic depicting australian economic activityAh, Budget Day.

    It’s pretty much Christmas for those of us who are both finance and politics nerds (you can send my wife your pity).

    I’ve written before about why I enjoy it so much and value it so highly, but it boils down to two things – all of the government’s planned income and expenditure in one place, and the fact that no matter how imperfect our system is, we are able to vote for our preferred candidate and then the government of the day is required to stand up and outline how they plan to handle the nation’s finances over the next year (with projections further out).

    Does that make me Pollyanna? Probably. But when we stop valuing those things we risk losing them. So, I’m happy to be a nerd, and I’ll be watching the Treasurer’s speech tonight.

    And what are we to expect tonight?

    Well, we know some things, thanks to the stage-managed Budget ‘pre-announcements’, designed to maximise coverage for the government.

    And a good old-fashioned Budget ‘leak’ (read: off-the-record phone call to select journos so you can grab this morning’s headlines) of a $4 billion Budget surplus.

    It seems to be a ‘nip and tuck’ Budget, with some targeted spending, likely offset by a welcome (at least, from the national balance sheet perspective) jump in tax revenue thanks to higher commodity prices, company profits and personal income tax collections, and less welfare spending, specifically on unemployment benefits as the unemployment rate remains at historic lows.

    Those are the numbers, at least.

    Whether the changes in each line item are justified is in the eye of the beholder, of course.

    It strikes me as hard to complain about a boost to JobSeeker, given how far it has fallen below average earnings over the past couple of decades. And raising the eligibility age for the Sole Parent pension (it used to cut out when the child turned 8, and is being lifted to 14) seems logical, given the care needed by kids when they’re between 9 and 13.

    And I reckon as a very wealthy country the least we can do is make sure people can afford to heat their homes over winter.

    Some readers will disagree. Others will say it doesn’t go far enough. As I said, the eye of the beholder.

    And what do I hope for?

    I’m not sure I’m prepared to hope for things that seem remarkably unlikely. That just feels like setting ourselves up for disappointment.

    But what should the Budget offer?

    That’s easier.

    The government should do what successive governments over the past couple of decades have been unwilling to do: chart a course back to structural balance, where the deficits in the bad years and offset by surpluses in the good years.

    And it should go further: finding a way back to a modest structural surplus, using the extra funds to pay down the government debt.

    Why? Two reasons. Firstly, the interest on that debt is getting expensive. Second, the more debt we carry, the less flexibility we’ll have to respond to future crises without dire consequences.

    Is debt always bad? No. Is there a case for keeping some? Yes.

    But is it prudent? And the right thing to leave for our kids? No. No, it’s not.

    There are lots of other things worth addressing, too. I’d meaningfully cut back the dog’s breakfast of deductions, subsidies and programs, most of which are a combination of vote-buying and unsupported ideology.

    I’d increase resource rents further (and put them in a sovereign wealth fund), collect more tax from multinational corporations, remove negative gearing from future residential property purchases, re-index CGT (scrapping the 50% discount) and completely overhaul the NDIS, which has become a honeypot for fraud and gold-plating (the recipients deserve support, but we can do it without the bureaucracy and middlemen).

    And here’s the thing. I think Australians probably pay too much income tax. But I don’t think the government collects too much tax revenue. The difference? The abovementioned boondoggles, deductions, minimisation and avoidance. I have a suspicion that if we got serious about that stuff, there’d be more than enough extra money (after structurally balancing the budget and paying back most of the debt) for income tax cuts, too.

    But to finish, I want to go back to where we started.

    What I really want from tonight’s Budget is a document that sets out the sort of country we want to be – incentivising effort, while looking after those who need assistance; offering both a fair go and a helping hand.

    That outcome is within our grasp. What we lack is the vision and guts, right across the parliament. Will tonight be a new page? I don’t know. I’m not prepared to hope, but it’s what I think we deserve.

    Tomorrow, I’ll be back with a summary of my thoughts from Budget night (and, well, something else that I can’t talk about yet…).

    Fool on!

    The post Do we dare hope, when it comes to the Budget? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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    Motley Fool contributor Scott Phillips 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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  • Here are the 3 most heavily traded ASX 200 shares on Tuesday

    blue arrows representing a rising share price ASX 200

    blue arrows representing a rising share price ASX 200

    The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) seems to have taken a turn for the worse today. After yesterday’s positive start to the trading week, the ASX 200 has retreated so far this session. At the time of writing, the index has gone backwards by 0.21%, leaving it at just over 7,260 points. 

    But let’s try not to dwell on all of that. So instead, it’s time for a look at the shares that are currently at the top of the ASX 200’s share trading volume charts right now, according to investing.com. 

    The 3 most traded ASX 200 shares by volume this Tuesday

    Stockland Corporation (ASX: SGP)

    First up today is a rare appearance on this list in ASX 200 real estate investment trust (REIT) Stockland. So far today, a notable 13.69 million Stockland units have been exchanged on the ASX boards. There’s been no news out of this ASX 200 REIT itself today.

    However, the Stockland unit price has had a bit of a rough time of it today. At present, Stockland is down by a nasty 2.62% at $4.46 a unit, well underperforming the broader market. It seems that this rather steep fall is what’s behind this high volume that we are seeing.

    Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS)

    Next up we have a more familiar face in Pilbara Minerals. Today’s session has seen a sizeable 21.78 million Pilbara shares swap hands as it currently stands. This looks like it is a result of Pilbara’s market-defying gains.

    This lithium producer, like most of its peers, is comfortably in the green so far this Tuesday. Pilbara shares are presently up by 1.41% at $4.66. As we covered earlier today, the strength in the ASX lithium space seems to be due to optimism that lithium prices might be on the rebound.

    Sayona Mining Ltd (ASX: SYA)

    Another ASX 200 lithium stock in Sayona Mining rounds out our top three most traded shares this Tuesday. In Sayona’s case, investors have watched as a chunky 26.81 million shares have been bought and sold today. However, unlike Pilbara, it hasn’t been all smooth sailing for Sayona.

    This lithium share has spent time in both positive and negative territory this session, going as high as 20.6 cents a share and as low as 19.8 cents. At present, the company has met the middle and is trading flat at 20 cents. All of this bouncing around probably explains why so many Sayona shares are soaring around the share market.

    The post Here are the 3 most heavily traded ASX 200 shares on Tuesday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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    Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen 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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