Author: openjargon

  • Down 6% in a week. Are Fortescue shares carrying an iron anchor?

    Female miner standing next to a haul truck in a large mining operation.

    The Fortescue Ltd (ASX: FMG) share price has dropped over 6% in the past week, as shown on the chart below. Market sentiment about the ASX iron ore share is usually influenced by the commodity price, which appears to be the cause right now.

    Demand for iron ore is largely driven by China because of how much of the commodity the Asian superpower purchases. When demand in China weakens, it can lead to a decline for the iron ore price.

    The most recent data from China has not been encouraging.

    Weak Chinese demand

    According to reporting by The Australian, Singapore iron ore futures dropped 3.5% to a near six-week low of US$111.45 per tonne after China’s monthly manufacturing PMI (purchasing managers’ index) for May dropped back to a level that indicates “contraction”, suggesting a weak Chinese outlook.

    There has been a rapid decline in iron ore futures; on Thursday, the price reached a three-month high of US$123 per tonne.

    The Australian also reported that the value of new home sales in China from the 100 biggest real estate companies showed a 34% year-over-year decline in May. It was also reported that the level of iron ore inventory at China’s ports reached a two-year high.

    Chinese officials recently reiterated the country’s stance on continuing to control crude steel output in 2024, according to reporting by Mining.com. China is aiming to reduce its level of carbon dioxide emissions by 1% compared to 2023’s national total.

    China is planning to strengthen its control over steel output and capacity. Analysts from Sinosteel Futures were quoted by Mining.com, who said:

    It remains unclear whether steel output this year will be flat on year or be lowered; such details are worth monitoring further.

    Is there any positivity for the iron ore price and Fortescue shares?

    Some analysts are optimistic about where the iron ore price can go from here.

    Global bank HSBC‘s chief economist Paul Bloxham believes there could be a surge in demand that will support the iron ore price and keep it relatively high for the next 12 months, according to reporting by the ABC.

    Bloxham suggests the iron ore ice will average US$105 per tonne in 2025, which is stronger than what other analysts are forecasting. Goldman Sachs thinks it could be US$95 per tonne in 2025.

    While there is weakness in the Chinese real estate market, HSBC suggests an increase in renewable energy manufacturing in China and globally can compensate for any shortfall. The US Inflation Reduction Act funding could indirectly help boost iron ore demand. Bloxham said:

    It’s a big policy measure there that has been taken to support investing in capacity to make the energy transition.

    It’s happening in Europe, it’s happening in Japan. Australia of course has followed as well to support our energy transition.

    That’s driving a lot of the demand for the increase in the products that go into electric vehicles, solar panels, batteries, and wind farm equipment.

    Fortescue share price

    When the iron ore price falls, Fortescue receives less revenue for the same amount of production but pays the same amount for the mining costs. This hurts its net profit after tax (NPAT).

    That’s why a lower iron ore price is bad news for the Fortescue share price, which is down 15% since the start of 2024.

    The post Down 6% in a week. Are Fortescue shares carrying an iron anchor? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Fortescue Metals Group right now?

    Before you buy Fortescue Metals Group shares, consider this:

    Motley Fool investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Fortescue Metals Group 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 may be better buys…

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of 5 May 2024

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has positions in Fortescue. 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.

  • Conspiracy theory-fueled newspaper Epoch Times grew revenue 4x thanks to CFO’s crypto crime proceeds, feds say

    The Epoch Times
    The Epoch Times

    • The Epoch Times, a media company linked to China's Falun Gong movement, has grown massively.
    • It says its pro-Trump, conspiracy theory-heavy editorial content has won donations and subscriptions.
    • But federal prosecutors say its growth was fueled largely by its CFO's pandemic-era cybercrime spree.

    The Epoch Times, a US media company linked to Chinese dissidents that seemingly shot to success by embracing Donald Trump and conspiracy theories, significantly funded its growth with proceeds of cybercrime, according to federal prosecutors.

    The Justice Department said the company's CFO, Weidong "Bill" Guan, was arrested on June 2 and charged with money laundering in New York. The DOJ indictment claims that he and others "used cryptocurrency to knowingly purchase tens of millions of dollars in crime proceeds" and plowed it into the Epoch Times starting in 2020.

    The Epoch Times wasn't named in court records, and the Justice Department said the case had nothing to do with its editorial slant. The indictment only mentioned a "multinational media company headquartered in Manhattan." However, the outlet could be identified because Guan is listed online as its CFO and because the financial numbers in the complaint come close to what the Epoch Times has reported to the IRS.

    According to the indictment, most of Guan's criminal activity mentioned in the indictment took place in 2020, 2021, and 2022, but prosecutors say that up until last month, Guan helped launder "at least $67 million."

    The time period overlaps with a period of major growth for Epoch Times, whose revenue grew from $15.5 million in 2019 to more than $70 million in 2020 and over $120 million a year in 2021 and 2022, according to its nonprofit tax returns.

    According to prosecutors, Guan and the Epoch Times' offshore "Make Money Online" team, or MMO team, used cryptocurrency to buy prepaid debit cards loaded with proceeds of fraud, like unemployment insurance fraud, starting in April 2020. They used the prepaid cards and financial accounts that were opened with stolen personal information to plow millions of dollars into the Epoch Times' bank accounts, prosecutors say.

    "When banks raised questions about the funds, Guan allegedly lied repeatedly and falsely claimed that the funds came from legitimate donations to the media company," US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams said in a press release.

    The Epoch Times didn't respond to a comment request.

    NBC News reported last year that the Epoch Times, which is linked to members of the Falun Gong group that has been repressed by China's government, grew by sending out free physical copies of its newspaper to hundreds of thousands of people and that it has focused on conservatives over age 60. The publication claims it's the fourth-largest newspaper in the US by subscriber count, but unlike other media outlets, its circulation figures aren't audited.

    Other outlets have noted the Epoch Times' willingness to play up stories about vaccine injuries and to traffic in conspiracy theories, like the idea that the Biden administration is trying to reduce food production and force Americans to eat bugs

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • How to turn $10,000 into $100,000 with ASX shares

    A smiling woman with a handful of $100 notes, indicating strong dividend payments

    If you are wanting to grow your wealth, then the share market and ASX shares could be the way to do it.

    That’s because thanks to the power of compounding, a single investment has the potential to grow materially in value.

    But how could you turn $10,000 into $100,000 with ASX shares? Let’s take a look and see.

    Growing your wealth with ASX shares

    As I mentioned above, compounding is your best friend when it comes to investing.

    It is what happens when you generate returns on top of returns. It essentially supercharges your returns the longer you leave it.

    For example, historically, the share market has delivered an average total return of 10% per annum.

    There’s no guarantee that this will happen again in the future, but I think it is reasonable to base our assumptions on this level of return for the purpose of this exercise.

    If you were to invest $10,000 into ASX shares and generated a 10% return per annum, your investment would become $11,000 after one year and then approximately $26,000 after 10 years.

    You’re still only a quarter of the way there. So, let’s keep going and let compounding do its thing.

    If we fast forward another 10 years, your investment would have grown to just over $67,000 if it continued to compound by 10% per annum.

    You’re now getting very close to your goal. In fact, with compounding now going into overdrive, it would take just a touch over four more years for your portfolio of ASX shares to become worth $100,000.

    All in all, that’s approximately 24 years of investing to reach your goal.

    Getting there quicker

    If you can beat the market, which is no easy feat, you could get there sooner.

    For example, a $10,000 investment in ASX shares that compounds by 13% per annum would get to $100,000 in 19 years.

    But how can you beat the market? Well, one person that has beaten the market consistently since the 1960s is Warren Buffett.

    His penchant for buying high quality companies with sustainable competitive advantages and fair valuations has been one of the keys to his success.

    And the good news for Aussie investors is that the VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF (ASX: MOAT) has been designed to allow investors to invest their hard-earned money into the type of shares that Buffett would buy.

    Over the last 10 years, the index the fund tracks has generated a market-beating return of 17.06% per annum. This would have turned a $10,000 investment into $48,000. Clearly it pays to follow Buffett’s investment style.

    The post How to turn $10,000 into $100,000 with ASX shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Vaneck Investments Limited – Vaneck Vectors Morningstar Wide Moat Etf right now?

    Before you buy Vaneck Investments Limited – Vaneck Vectors Morningstar Wide Moat Etf shares, consider this:

    Motley Fool investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Vaneck Investments Limited – Vaneck Vectors Morningstar Wide Moat Etf 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 may be better buys…

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of 5 May 2024

    More reading

    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 VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

  • Buy Rio Tinto and these ASX dividend stocks for 5%+ yields

    A businessman looking at his digital tablet or strategy planning in hotel conference lobby. He is happy at achieving financial goals.

    The average dividend yield on the Australian share market usually sits at around 4%.

    While this is a nice yield, income investors don’t have to settle for it. Not when there are some high quality ASX dividend stocks out there with notably better forecast yields.

    Let’s take a look at three that are expected to provide dividend yields greater than 5% this year and next:

    Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO)

    If you’re not averse to investing in the mining sector, then Rio Tinto could be worth considering.

    Goldman Sachs is feeling very positive about the mining giant and has a buy rating and $138.90 price target on its shares.

    As for dividends, the broker is forecasting fully franked dividends per share of US$4.29 (A$6.42) in FY 2024 and then US$4.55 (A$6.81) in FY 2025. Based on the latest Rio Tinto share price of $128.52, this will mean yields of approximately 5% and 5.3%, respectively.

    Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS)

    Goldman Sachs also thinks that income investors should consider buying Telstra shares while they are down.

    Although the broker was quite disappointed with its recent trading update, it still sees significant value in the telco giant’s shares at current levels and is forecasting some attractive yields from its shares in the coming years.

    Goldman currently has a buy rating and $4.25 price target on the ASX dividend stock.

    As for income, its analysts are now expecting fully franked dividends of 18 cents per share in FY 2024 and then 18.5 cents per share in FY 2025. Based on the current Telstra share price of $3.47, this equates to dividend yields of 5.2% and 5.3%, respectively.

    Transurban Group (ASX: TCL)

    A third ASX dividend stock that could be a buy this month according to analysts is Transurban. It manages and develops urban toll road networks in Australia and the United States. In Australia, this includes the Cross City Tunnel, the Eastern Distributor, and Westlink M7.

    Citi is a fan of the company and currently has a buy rating and $15.50 price target on its shares.

    As well as plenty of upside, its analysts are expecting some great yields from its shares in the coming years. For example, the broker is forecasting dividends per share of 63.6 cents in FY 2024 and then 65.1 cents in FY 2025. Based on the current Transurban share price of $12.59, this will mean dividend yields of 5% and 5.2%, respectively.

    The post Buy Rio Tinto and these ASX dividend stocks for 5%+ yields appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you buy Rio Tinto Limited shares, consider this:

    Motley Fool investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Rio Tinto 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 may be better buys…

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of 5 May 2024

    More reading

    Citigroup is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. 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 Goldman Sachs Group and Transurban Group. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Telstra Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

  • 4 high quality ASX 200 growth shares to buy in June

    A smiling businessman in the city looks at his phone and punches the air in celebration of good news.

    Are you wanting to add some ASX 200 growth shares to your portfolio this month?

    If you are, then it could be well worth checking out the four buy-rated options listed below. Here’s what you need to know about these high quality stocks:

    NextDC Ltd (ASX: NXT)

    Goldman Sachs thinks that NextDC is an ASX 200 growth share to buy. It is one of the region’s leading colocation service providers from its growing collection of world-class data centres.

    It likes the company due to “the rapid growth in cloud adoption, which has been supported by the continued evolution of the enterprise telecommunications market, and the significant demand by both public and private investors for digital infrastructure assets.”

    Goldman currently has a buy rating and $18.59 price target on its shares.

    ResMed Inc. (ASX: RMD)

    Another ASX 200 growth share that could be a buy in June is ResMed. It is a sleep treatment-focused medical device company with an industry-leading portfolio of hardware and software solutions.

    It has been tipped to grow strongly over the long term. This is thanks largely to the quality of its products and huge market opportunity. In respect to the latter, management estimates that there are 1 billion people impacted by sleep apnoea worldwide. However, only ~20% of these sufferers are believed to have been diagnosed.

    Macquarie is bullish on ResMed and has an outperform rating and $34.85 price target on its shares.

    Treasury Wine Estates Ltd (ASX: TWE)

    A third ASX 200 growth share that could be a buy is Treasury Wine. It is one of the world’s largest wine companies and the owner of a collection of very popular brands. The jewel in the crown is of course Penfolds.

    Morgans rates the wine giant highly and believes its recent US acquisition could prove to be a great addition. It notes that the addition of DAOU Vineyards “is in line with TWE’s premiumisation and growth strategy and will strengthen a key gap in Treasury Americas (TA) portfolio.”

    The broker currently has an add rating and $14.03 price target on its shares.

    Xero Limited (ASX: XRO)

    A final ASX 200 growth share that could be a buy in June is Xero. It is a cloud accounting platform provider with ~4.16 million subscribers globally.

    But if you thought this number was close to peaking, think again. Management estimates that its addressable market is 45 million subscribers, which means it has only captured a small slice of its market so far.

    Goldman Sachs thinks its market opportunity could be even larger. Its analysts “see Xero as very well-placed to take advantage of the digitisation of SMBs globally, driven by compelling efficiency benefits and regulatory tailwinds, with >100mn SMBs worldwide representing a >NZ$100bn TAM.”

    The broker has a buy rating and $164.00 price target on Xero’s shares.

    The post 4 high quality ASX 200 growth shares to buy in June appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you buy Nextdc Limited shares, consider this:

    Motley Fool investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Nextdc 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 may be better buys…

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of 5 May 2024

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Nextdc, ResMed, Treasury Wine Estates, and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Goldman Sachs Group, Macquarie Group, ResMed, and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Macquarie Group, ResMed, and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Treasury Wine Estates. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

  • This ASX share is projected to pay a huge yield of 16% in 2026!

    A woman and two children leap up and over a sofa.

    ASX share Adairs Ltd (ASX: ADH) paid its shareholders big dividends before inflation hit the Australian economy, and the Commsec forecast implies sizeable dividends could be on their way again.

    A leading retailer of homewares in Australia, Adairs also sells furniture through its Mocka and Focus on Furniture businesses.

    The ASX share may not seem like an obvious candidate for sizeable passive income, but there are a couple of important factors to focus on. The first mention goes to the company’s now very low price.

    Extremely low valuation

    Two inputs decide what a company’s dividend yield will be. There’s the dividend payout ratio – how much of its annual profit it pays to shareholders. There’s also the price/earnings (P/E) ratio – the multiple of earnings the business trades at.

    ASX retail shares typically trade on a lower earnings multiple than some other sectors, such as technology. However, Adairs is on a particularly low P/E ratio.

    According to Commsec’s estimates, Adairs shares are valued at just 9x FY24’s estimated earnings and around 6x FY26’s estimated earnings. As a comparison, the JB Hi-Fi Ltd (ASX: JBH) share price is valued at 15x FY24’s estimated earnings and just under 15x FY26’s estimated earnings, according to Commsec.

    It’s understandable that investors are somewhat nervous about discretionary retailers at the moment because of the cost-of-living difficulties for households. Based on the RBA’s latest comments, interest rates appear likely to stay higher for longer, which may prolong the pain for some consumers.

    Big dividend yield tipped

    Adairs’ board has shown a willingness over the years to reward shareholders with a pleasing level of investment income.

    As the chart below shows, the Adairs share price has fallen by around a third since 27 March 2024 and by around 60% since June 2021. A lower share price can raise the potential dividend yield.

    The estimate on Commsec suggests that Adairs could pay a dividend per share of 10.8 cents in FY24 and 19.8 cents in FY26. That could translate into a grossed-up dividend yield of around 9% in FY24 and more than 16% in FY26.

    Foolish takeaway

    Despite the uncertainty of the current economic environment, Adairs could be a compelling investment because it is working on several profit improvement initiatives.

    For example, the company’s transition to operating a new national distribution centre is improving its service and cost per unit dispatched. Adairs is also focused on managing its overall costs to return to an earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) margin of more than 10%.

    In addition, the ASX share is looking to open additional upsized Adairs stores, close some smaller ones, open more Focus on Furniture Stores and keep improving Mocka’s inventory, margins and costs.

    The post This ASX share is projected to pay a huge yield of 16% in 2026! appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you buy Adairs Limited shares, consider this:

    Motley Fool investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Adairs 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 may be better buys…

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of 5 May 2024

    More reading

    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 Adairs. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Adairs. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Jb Hi-Fi. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

  • What an extra $10,000 of superannuation in 2024 could be worth in retirement

    It’s never too early, or too late, to think about how adding to your superannuation might improve your retirement goals.

    For the purposes of this article, we’ll look at what putting an extra $10,000 into superannuation in 2024 could be worth when the time comes to hang up your hat and kick up your feet.

    Now, much of that is going to depend on your current age. And we’ll work with the assumption that you were born from 1957 onwards, meaning you’ll be 67 before you retire.

    Depending on your super balance at that stage, you may be eligible for a full pension, part pension, or none at all, providing you’ve managed to grow your retirement nest egg to a sustainable size.

    We won’t make any assumptions here about how large your overall superannuation pool will be at retirement. We’ll just look at the potential benefits off adding in that extra $10,000 this year.

    How much could this help your final superannuation balance?

    Now, aside from how much time you’ve got left before retirement, there’s another big variable at play here.

    Namely, the kind of returns you can expect from your superannuation fund.

    For a better idea of that, we turn to KPMG’s Super Insights 2024 report.

    According to the report, “With global financial market growth, Australian superannuation funds posted strong investment returns. Average returns were 8.62% for the year FY 2023.”

    This saw the total super assets under management in Australia grow to more than $3.5 trillion.

    And the good news is that management fees, which can take a big bite out of your final nest egg, have been coming down.

    According to KPMG, “Amid strong competition between super funds to attract and retain members, average fees continue to decline.” A positive trend the report says is likely to continue.

    I should note, however, that the strong FY 2023 result came after most super funds posted losses in FY 2022.

    Taking a longer-term perspective, the average return of Australian superannuation funds over the past 20 years sits at around 6.5%.

    So, working with the 6.5% annual returns, if you were to add $10,000 to your superannuation in 2024 and aimed to retire in 10 years, that extra investment would be worth $19,122.

    That’s already almost double in just 10 years.

    However, by tapping into the magic of compounding, younger workers could do far better.

    If you’re 47 and looking to retire in 20 years, that same $10,000 could balloon into $36,564.

    And if you’re 27 and not aiming to retire for 40 years, adding $10,000 to your superannuation balance in 2024 could give you an extra $133,696 to enjoy in your golden years.

    The post What an extra $10,000 of superannuation in 2024 could be worth in retirement 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. We believe these stocks are trading at attractive prices and Scott thinks they could be great buys right now…

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of 5 May 2024

    More reading

    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.

  • Why Qantas could be one the best shares to buy in the Asia-Pacific

    Qantas Airways Limited (ASX: QAN) shares could not only be one of the best options for investors in Australia, but also in the whole Asia-Pacific region.

    That’s the view of analysts at Goldman Sachs, which have just added the airline operator’s shares to their highly coveted Asia-Pacific conviction list. These are the most compelling investment opportunities in the region according to the investment bank’s analysts.

    And with only three other ASX shares making the list of 29, Qantas shares are in rarefied company.

    What is the broker saying about Qantas shares?

    The Flying Kangaroo has joined the likes of Lynas Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: LYC), Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW), and Xero Ltd (ASX: XRO), as well as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (NYSE: TSM) and Hyundai Motor Co, on the list after Goldman’s analyst, Niraj Shah, predicted that its valuation gap with peers would soon close.

    Commenting on Shah’s bullish view on the airline, the broker said:

    Niraj expects sustainably improved earnings capacity relative to pre-COVID, which is not reflected in Qantas’ current valuation. He believes market concerns around: 1) investment in fleet renewal and customer experience, and 2) willingness to return capital to shareholders, is reflected in Qantas trading on 6.4x FY25E P/E versus regional/US peers trading on 9.1x, a discount of 29%. This is more than 2x below the historical 5Y average discount of 14%. Niraj expects this gap to narrow as QAN delivers earnings that are sustainably above pre-COVID levels and demonstrates ability/willingness to distribute capital to shareholders while renewing the fleet.

    Goldman’s analyst believes that earnings in FY 2024 will be up significantly on pre-COVID times and, importantly, be sustainable at these levels. The broker adds:

    With capacity expected to be ~95% of pre-COVID levels in FY24E, Niraj forecasts group EPS of A$0.85, materially ahead of A$0.57 in FY19A, underpinned by the A$1bn cost out program implemented by the business during COVID and, importantly, he believes this is a sustainable reset, with an EPS forecast of A$0.96 in FY25E despite a 4% yoy decline in unit revenue.

    In light of this, Goldman has put a conviction buy rating and $8.05 price target on Qantas’ shares. Based on its current share price of $6.10, this implies potential upside of 32% for investors over the next 12 months.

    And with Goldman expecting a 4.9% dividend yield in FY 2025, there’s potential for some dividend income to come the way of shareholders by this time next year.

    The post Why Qantas could be one the best shares to buy in the Asia-Pacific appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you buy Qantas Airways Limited shares, consider this:

    Motley Fool investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Qantas Airways 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 may be better buys…

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of 5 May 2024

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Xero. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Goldman Sachs Group, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Xero. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

  • Would I be crazy to buy Coles shares at $16?

    Two couples race each other in supermarket trollies, having a great time, smiling and laughing.

    The Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL) share price has outperformed Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX:  WOW) over the past 12 months. Coles shares have fallen 8%, whereas Woolworths shares have dropped by 17% during the same period. At the time of writing, the Coles share price is trading at $16.56.

    Both consumer staple stocks have underperformed the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO), which is up 8.6% over the past year. The retail sector has been hit hard by weak consumer sentiment due to rising energy costs, rents, and other necessity prices. 

    With this challenging business environment and Coles’s share price outperformance compared to Woolworths, investors may be wondering whether now is the right time to invest in Coles shares.

    Business growth outpaces rival Woolworths

    Despite the weak consumer sentiment affecting both supermarket giants, Coles has outpaced Woolworths in the supermarket sector. In the March quarter, Coles achieved a 5.1% growth in supermarket sales, compared to Woolworths’ 1.5% growth. 

    Coles benefitted from a successful promotion campaign, but CEO Leah Weckert believes the success goes beyond promotions. Weckert highlighted in the third quarter sales update:

    We have delivered another solid sales result across our supermarkets this quarter reflecting strong execution of our trade plans and our continued focus on delivering great value and great quality alongside improved availability.

    We have also seen a meaningful increase in customers interacting with our digital platforms and loyalty programs which is allowing us to engage on a more personalised basis with these customers.

    Coles has implemented advanced technology such as Smart Gates to prevent theft, which was an issue last year. Additionally, Coles’ online supermarket sales have increased significantly, rising 35% year-over-year in the March quarter, bringing online sales penetration to 9.3%.

    How cheap are Coles shares compared to peers?

    Coles shares are trading at 19 times FY24’s estimated earnings. This compares with its past trading range of 17 to 25 times since being re-listed on the ASX in January 2019. 

    Comparing Coles to its competitors based on earnings estimates provided by S&P Capital IQ:

    • The Woolworths share price is valued at 22x FY24’s estimated earnings.
    • Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES) share price is valued at 26x FY24’s estimated earnings.
    • IGA owner Metcash Ltd (ASX: MTS) share price is valued at 13x FY24’s estimated earnings.

    Foolish takeaway

    A price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of 19 might appear high, given Coles’ single-digit earnings growth.

    With that said, Coles offers high earnings visibility and predictability as a key player in the essential grocery market. The company generates strong cash flows, which support its dividend payments.

    Coles shares are cheaper than some of its rivals and its own historical trading range. This is based on forward P/E ratios and currently a dividend yield of 3.3% using actual dividend payments over the last 12 months.

    Considering all the factors mentioned, Cole shares could be a worthwhile investment for dividend-focused investors.

    The post Would I be crazy to buy Coles shares at $16? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

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

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    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor Kate Lee 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 Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Coles Group and Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Metcash. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

  • Microsoft doubles down on quantum computing and other science projects in latest reorg

    Jason Zander
    Jason Zander

    • Microsoft on Monday cut hundreds Azure jobs to focus on AI investments, Business Insider reported.
    • An internal memo said a focus to "define the AI wave" was behind the changes.
    • The company is also increasing investments in quantum computing and other science projects.

    Quantum computing is a gnarly technical challenge that tech giants have been hacking away at for more than a decade.

    Microsoft isn't giving up, according to an internal memo detailing cuts in other parts of the company's operations.

    Business Insider broke the news on Monday that Microsoft is cutting hundreds of jobs from its Azure cloud business. Executive Jason Zander blamed the cuts on Microsoft's need to purse AI investments, according to an internal memo obtained by BI.

    In that memo, Zander also discussed other areas where Microsoft is doubling down, although he still described this as part of the company's broader AI efforts.

    "Looking ahead, we will increase investments in Quantum and Science, demonstrating the exciting possibilities of AI and cloud computing," Zander wrote in the memo.

    He highlighted Microsoft breakthroughs, such as the discovery of a new battery electrolyte that he said uses 70% less lithium, as well as the first demonstration of "reliable logical qubits."

    Traditional computers rely on bits representing ones and zeros to complete tasks. In contrast, a quantum bit, or "qubit," represents a one and a zero at the same time. Many qubits working together could in theory create a computer that performs some calculations exponentially faster.

    "We have more innovations like this already under way and are seeing an acceleration of discovery with our customers as well," Zander also wrote in the memo. "Going forward we will accelerate the product roadmap and build up this next generation business, building on the foundation we established with Azure Quantum Elements and infrastructure components built in AFO."

    AFO is Microsoft's Azure for Operators, a team from which Microsoft on Monday cut as many as 1,500 employees, according to an estimate from one of the people familiar with the cuts.

    Are you a Microsoft employee or someone else with insight to share?

    Contact Ashley Stewart via email (astewart@businessinsider.com), or send a secure message from a non-work device via Signal (+1-425-344-8242).

    Read the original article on Business Insider