The Keytone Dairy Corporation Ltd (ASX: KTD) share price is making a splash today, up 14.29% at the time of writing to 32 cents.

Keytone is a manufacturer and exporter of formulated dairy products in Australia and New Zealand.

The company manufactures its own products under its KeyDairy, KeyHealth and FaceClear brands. These products include premium milk and nutrition powders and health supplement capsules for the treatment of acne. Additionally, Keytone is a production partner for leading retailers and supermarket chains, undertaking contract packing services for brands around the world.

Headquartered in the heart of New Zealand’s South Island, Keytone Dairy floated on the ASX in July 2018 at an offer price of 20 cents. Its current market capitalisation stands at just over $80 million at the time of writing.

Why is the Keytone Dairy share price spiking today?

Keytone Dairy shares took off in early trade this morning after the company announced a licensing agreement for a range of Baileys iced coffee drinks. The agreement gives Keytone a distribution license for these products in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

The “non-alcoholic coffee flavoured ready-to-drink dairy products”, which come in 3 flavours, are currently stocked nationally throughout Caltex petrol stations in Australia. A further national ranging at Beer Wine Spirits, part of the liquor division at Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW), is “expected imminently”. Keytone will also look to roll-out the licensed Baileys range through its existing national distribution footprint.

As well as the iced coffee drinks, the agreement also includes premium Baileys powdered beverages which will be introduced to the market from 1 August 2020.

According to Keytone, initial indications for distribution opportunities in New Zealand, Hong Kong and Taiwan are promising, with “strong demand and upside expected over the short to medium term”.

The company will pay a minimum royalty of $280,000 for the license through to the end of the initial license period on 31 December 2022. Keytone expects the sales through this period to be “magnitudes higher” than the license cost, while delivering further margin benefit to the company. The range will be manufactured in-house at Keytone’s Melbourne facilities.

Commenting on today’s update, CEO Danny Rotman said:

“The licensing deal with a global company such as R & A Bailey & Co. and the Baileys brand validates the credentials of Keytone, positioning the Company for further distribution channel wins for the full proprietary product suite and provides a stepping stone for licensing of further global brands. This is a valuable contract win for the sales opportunity directly attributed to the Baileys branded products, and the significant upside this brings across the Company’s proprietary products.”

More reading

• The Aussie dollar just hit an 8-week high. Here’s how it affects your ASX shares
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• The ASX 200 just hit an 11-week high. Here are 3 reasons we might be in overvalued territory
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Motley Fool contributor Cathryn Goh has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of Woolworths 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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At lunch on Thursday the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is on course to record another impressive gain. The benchmark index is currently up 2.4% to 5,912.3 points.

Here’s what has been happening on the market today:

Blackmores shares climb higher.

The Blackmores Limited (ASX: BKL) share price is climbing higher today after completing the institutional component of its capital raising. Blackmores raised $92 million through institutional investors at $72.50. This was an 8% discount to its last close price. These funds will be used to strengthen its balance sheet and liquidity position, support its activities in the Asia market, and invest in its efficiency program. Blackmores also revealed that it is on track to achieve its guidance in FY 2020.

WiseTech Global earnout update.

The WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC) share price is trading lower on Thursday after providing an update on its acquisition earnouts. The logistics solutions company has renegotiated the earnout arrangements for a number of acquisitions in order to remove significant contingent cash obligations and drive the growth of its CargoWise platform. Part of the renegotiations has seen the company replace significant cash payments with shares. These shares were issued today and could have been sold by some recipients, weighing on its share price.

Bank shares charge higher again.

It has been another fantastic day of trade for the big four banks. Investors have continued to pile into the banking sector on Thursday and are driving their shares notably higher. The Australia and New Zealand Banking Grp Ltd (ASX: ANZ) share price is the best performer with a gain of over 6.5%. The worst performer in the big four is the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) share price with a 4% gain.

Best and worst ASX 200 performers.

The best performer on the ASX 200 on Thursday has been the Nearmap Ltd (ASX: NEA) share price with an 18% gain. This follows the release of a positive update from the aerial imagery technology and location data company this morning. The worst performer has been the Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) share price with a 4% decline. This morning analysts at Macquarie and Morgans both downgraded the energy producer’s shares to neutral/hold ratings.

More reading

• The next looming test for the ASX 200 bull market is just round the corner
• Why Beach, Jumbo, ResMed, & WiseTech Global shares are dropping lower
• Why you shouldn’t fear an ASX share market crash
• Where will the Telstra share price be next year?
• Why the Blackmores share price is charging higher today

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Blackmores Limited and Nearmap Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of WiseTech Global. 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.

The post ASX 200 up 2.4%: Blackmores raises $92m, big four banks jump, Nearmap rockets appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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ASX investors may be close to scaling the COVID-19 wall of worry, but they won’t have to wait long to hit the next obstacle.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (Index:^AXJO) jumped 2% in morning trade as the ASX bank stocks led the charge yet again.

This takes the gain by the top 200 benchmark to around 30% since it hit its bear market trough two months ago.

This rally’s no bull

There’s a growing sense among professional investors that the rally isn’t a dead cat bounce. While it isn’t uncommon to see 20% odd jumps before a collapse during a bear market, it’s unusual for the rebound to push into 30% plus territory. It would take one springy cat to pull that off.

I believe consensus is catching up to my view that I expressed on March 30 that the worst is likely over for the ASX 200 thanks to the government’s JobKeeper program.

The last major bear stronghold (aka the big four ASX banks) is crumbling and this only adds to my conviction that financial markets have passed “peak-pain” – barring a second wave of infections.

Looming risks to the new bull market

But don’t pop the champagne just yet. I don’t think we have a clear run back to the pre-coronavirus top as there are other headwinds building on the immediate horizon.

One potential big obstacle is Hong Kong. The violent protests gripping the territory is shaping up to be a new battle front between US allies and China.

Investors aren’t paying much attention to this looming threat as they are too caught up in the coronavirus afterparty, but this would be a mistake.

Why you should watch Hong Kong

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared yesterday that the Asian financial hub no longer enjoys a high degree of autonomy from China.

This paves the way for the US government to remove Hong Kong’s special trading status and to impose sanctions against key Chinese officials and freeze Chinese assets in the US.

Such a move would mark the biggest escalation in Sino-US relations since US President Donald Trump waged a trade war against the Asian giant.

Second trade war will be worse

The trade war put a big dent in our market before the COVID-19 pandemic dominated headlines. A second trade war that puts Hong-Kong in the middle of the battlefield will be far worse than the first, in my view.

This is because the first trade war was about economics and US politics. A potential second one will involve Chinese pride and I don’t see the communist politburo compromising on this issue – not when Hong Kong symbolises China’s humiliation at the hands of the West following the Opium Wars.

It’s also alarming to see China flex its muscles on the world stage in other areas outside of Hong Kong. It’s starting to act like a superpower and this leaves it little room to back down from challenges without looking weak.

You can bet that Australia will be caught in any crossfire as we are forced to pick a side.

But Trump may only be using Hong Kong as a leverage in the next round of trade tariff negotiations, so it’s a little too early to assume the worse.

Debt time bomb

Trade wars aside, another wall of worry that the ASX 200 will need to scale is the expiration of goodwill and government stimulus in September.

This is when the JobKeeper and JobSeeker programs end. Landlords and lenders that have shown (or were forced to) restrain during the crisis might be more aggressively chasing debtors.

Even APRA is warning the banks that the worst lies ahead and not to take make a “dangerously naive” assumption of a “V” sharped economic recovery, according to the Australian Financial Review.

By all means, celebrate the flattening of the COVID-19 curve. Just remember to keep exuberance in-check.

More reading

• ASX 200 up 2.4%: Blackmores raises $92m, big four banks jump, Nearmap rockets
• Why you shouldn’t fear an ASX share market crash
• Where will the Telstra share price be next year?
• 3 ASX shares Warren Buffett couldn’t ignore today
• What would $50,000 invested in the ASX 200 a decade ago be worth today?

Motley Fool contributor Brendon Lau has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Connect with me on Twitter @brenlau.

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.

The post The next looming test for the ASX 200 bull market is just round the corner appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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