The Carsales.Com Ltd (ASX: CAR) share price is up almost 5% this morning following its latest market trading update. The Carsales share price has rallied strongly since late March, regaining most of its losses during the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

Update on impending FY 2020 results

Carsales’ adjusted total revenue is predicted to be flat and in the range of $419 million to $423 million for FY 2020. That compares with total revenue of $418 million for FY 2019. Adjusted revenue included $26 million of revenue billed but not charged due to the COVID-19 support package. Reported revenue, when this figure is not included, would actually result in growth of between -5% to -6%.

Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) is, however, expected to show modest growth for FY 2020. Carsales estimates that it will be in the range of $228 million to $232 million. If achieved, that would be growth in the range of 5% to 6% for the full financial year.

Lead and traffic volumes improving in Australia, but inventory declines

Carsales pleasingly reported that lead volumes and traffic for Australia continue to improve, since its last market update. The easing of social distancing measures is definitely helping in this respect. Lead volumes for the period between 22 April and 16 June were reported to have grown strongly over the prior corresponding period in 2019.

Total inventory has, however, actually declined over the prior 6-week period. Carsales noted that Australian dealers are facing difficulties with regards to acquiring new and used car stock. This is due do the challenging current environment.

However, on a positive note, there has been a significant reduction in the time required to sell its stock. This is due to the reduction of social distancing restrictions. Many people are now looking to add an additional car to their household to avoid using public transport.

Korea performs well, Brazil remains challenged

In Korea, Carsales’ ownership in SKEncar (a secondhand vehicle company) continues to perform well. Inventory, listing volumes and traffic are pleasingly all up.

Brazil, however, is a different story. This is due to the escalation of the COVID-19 outbreak over there.

Will the Carsales share price continue its rise?

The company’s share price has regained most of the losses that it suffered during the initial phase of the outbreak. It is now trading at $17.76  after being as low as $10.47 in late March.

Where Carsales shares continue to from here will be interesting, in any case. 

This market update appears to be reasonably solid considering the challenging market conditions. However, its share price is not looking as cheap as it was back in March.

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Motley Fool contributor Phil Harpur owns shares of carsales.com Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended carsales.com Limited. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. 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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In late morning trade the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is on course to record another solid gain. At the time of writing the benchmark index is up 0.45% to 5,969.9 points.

Four shares that have not been able to follow the market higher today are listed below. Here’s why they are tumbling lower:

The G8 Education Ltd (ASX: GEM) share price is down 1% to 94 cents on the day of its annual general meeting. The childcare centre operator advised that its booked occupancy is currently ~65%, with physical attendance of ~53%. The lower attendance rate is due to some parents continuing to choose to keep their children at home despite having a booking at a centre.

The InvoCare Limited (ASX: IVC) share price has fallen 3% to $11.05. Investors have been selling the funeral company’s shares in response to a broker note out of Macquarie. According to the note, the broker has downgraded InvoCare’s shares to an underperform rating with a lowered price target of $10.20. Macquarie believes the company is losing market share and could fall short of earnings expectations.

The Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1) share price has dropped 4.5% to $13.38. This follows the sell down of shares by a substantial shareholder. According to the release, Digital Realty has sold 7.7 million Megaport shares for an average of $13.36 per share. This represents a total consideration of approximately $103 million. Digital Realty retains 2 million shares and has advised that it remains committed to its strategic partnership.

The Webjet Limited ASX: WEB) share price is down 2% to $4.02. Investors appear to be taking profit after the online travel agent’s shares rocketed higher on Tuesday. However, as I pointed out here earlier, Webjet now has a market capitalisation greater than its pre-pandemic level. As such, its shares may not be as cheap as you think despite their heavy decline this year.

More reading

• Is the Webjet share price going to crash lower?
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• ASX 200 falls 2%, ASX travel shares drop heavily

James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of MEGAPORT FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Webjet Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended InvoCare Limited and MEGAPORT FPO. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. 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 AGL Energy Limited (ASX: AGL) share price has been under pressure in 2020.

While the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is down 11.1% this year, AGL’s value has plummeted 16% to $17.25 per share at the time of writing.

ASX energy companies have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic and recent bear market, but could AGL be in the buy zone?

Why AGL Energy shares have slumped lower this year

AGL is currently trading at just $17.25 but started the year at $20.58. The oil price war between OPEC+ and Russia hit ASX energy shares hard in February.

However, AGL isn’t a large oil producer compared to its energy peers like Santos Ltd (ASX: STO). The Santos share price has fallen 33.4% in 2020 which probably reflects the higher oil exposure compared to AGL.

In contrast, AGL is one of the largest ASX-listed investors in renewable energy. AGL has strong interests in renewables which could be a real bonus as Australia looks to kickstart its economy.

Fellow ASX energy share Origin Energy Ltd (ASX: ORG) is down 29.8% this year, which means AGL seems to be outperforming its peers with its 16% drop.

But given the non-cyclical nature of earnings, could AGL shares actually be undervalued?

Is $1,000 worth of shares a smart investment?

Despite relatively strong performance compared to its ASX energy peers, AGL is still underperforming the ASX 200 benchmark index.

However, I think AGL shares still have strong potential to outperform in 2020. If we are set for tough economic times this year, that could mean AGL is a good buy for income.

If earnings remain solid in August, that could bode well for further share price growth towards the end of the year.

Of course, if the sector bounces back then arguably Origin may be better value given its strong declines.

Foolish takeaway

It’s very hard for even the best investors to pick good value ASX shares right now. AGL shares have underperformed so far this year but could be a cheap buy if you’re buying and holding for the long-term.

More reading

• 3 reasons to buy ASX 200 shares right now
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• ASX 200 jumps almost 4%, Webjet share price soars
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• 3 ASX 200 shares to buy for income and growth

Motley Fool contributor Ken Hall has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. 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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