Author: openjargon

2 top ASX growth shares I’d buy today
Smaller ASX growth shares have the potential to deliver really good returns because of their ability to scale up from the current starting point.

I want to see businesses that can grow their revenue and profit margins, leading to excellent profit growth and, hopefully, good shareholder returns. Below are two I’m excited about.

Collins Foods Ltd (ASX: CKF)

Collins Foods operates KFC outlets in Australia, the Netherlands and Germany.

I’m optimistic about this company because KFC has a strong brand in the fast food space, and simply rolling out more locations in Australia and Europe could be a good driver of earnings. In the first half of FY24, it added eight new KFCs in the Netherlands and four KFC locations in Australia.

But, the ASX growth share is also growing same store sales (SSS) at a solid pace at the moment. In HY24, KFC Australia saw SSS growth of 6.6%, and KFC Europe’s SSS grew by 8.8%. Existing stores are performing strongly, and the overall network is growing at a solid pace.

As a bonus, it’s also responsible for Taco Bells in Australia, which is a useful growth avenue for the company, though it’s relatively small at this point.

The revenue rose 14.3%, underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) increased 16.7%, and underlying net profit after tax (NPAT) went up 28.7%.

The Collins Foods share price has dropped more than 20% since mid-January, so it looks much better value now. According to Commsec, the ASX growth share is now priced at under 13x FY26’s estimated earnings.

Airtasker Ltd (ASX: ART)

Airtasker offers a platform where people can advertise almost any task they need help with, which individuals and businesses can offer to do for a fee.

The ASX growth share claims to be the leading marketplace for local services in Australia and it’s now trying to do the same thing in the UK. It has signed a 5-year media-for-equity partnership with Channel 4 In the UK.

In the FY24 third quarter, Airtasker marketplace revenue rose 11.5% to $10.1 million, while UK posted tasks increased by 49.1% year over year.

To me, one of the most exciting things is that profit can soar from here, depending on how much it decides to re-invest for more growth. The business has a gross profit margin north of 90%, so new revenue is very profitable.

The FY24 third quarter saw free cash flow of $2.5 million, an improvement of $5.1 million year over year. I think the ASX growth share has a capital-light model which will enable it to make much stronger profit in the next two or three years.

The post 2 top ASX growth shares I’d buy today 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 Tristan Harrison has positions in Collins Foods. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended Airtasker. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Collins Foods. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.
13 May 2024
The pros and cons of buying Coles shares right now
Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL) shares could be a smart buy today. There are several advantages and disadvantages to consider when weighing up whether to dive into the ASX supermarket stock right now. Let’s take a closer look.

The Coles share price has experienced its fair share of ups and downs over the past year, as we can see from the chart above.

Which way is the market going to send the business next? Whilst we can’t know what the company’s share price will do in the short term, here’s what I’m taking into account for the long term.

Positives

The company is delivering solid supermarket sales growth, stronger than that of arch-rival Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW). In the FY24 third quarter, Coles supermarkets saw sales growth of 5.1% to $9.06 billion. Including liquor sales and the sales to service station operator Viva Energy Group Ltd (ASX: VEA), Coles Group’s total sales increased 3.4%.

Another positive is the impressive growth rate of e-commerce sales, which helped drive the overall numbers. The supermarket’s e-commerce sales increased 34.9% to $856 million over the quarter.

In the early part of the fourth quarter, supermarket volumes remained “positive”. Coles also reported having made “good progress” in addressing “loss” (theft), with efforts continuing in the fourth quarter. If Coles can keep improving on this front, that’s good news for shareholders.

The opening of Coles’ Kemps Creek automated distribution centre and its two customer fulfilment centres will “be yet another step” towards “improving operating efficiency” and differentiating its offer.

In terms of earnings, I like how defensive the supermarket’s revenue is â we all need to eat! According to Commsec estimates, Coles is projected to generate earnings per share (EPS) of 81 cents in FY24 and 95.4 cents in FY26. That puts the current Coles share price at around 20x FY24’s estimated earnings and 17x FY26’s estimated earnings.

The dividend is yet another reason to consider buying Coles shares â the payout has increased every year since listing. Commsec numbers suggest a grossed-up dividend yield of 5.9% in FY24 and 7% in FY26.

Negatives to keep in mind about Coles shares

Coles is not exactly a high-growth ASX stock, so investors should be patient when it comes to capital growth and earnings growth. Furthermore, there’s no guarantee that good sales growth will continue. Population growth is a useful tailwind, but it’s not a given it will translate into earnings growth

Cost inflation is another factor investors should consider. Coles has already said its wages are increasing materially in FY24, and the new warehouses have higher costs (including depreciation).

The final negative factor for me is that Coles’ debt levels have increased due to spending on the new warehouses. Some investors aren’t fans of debt, particularly in an environment of high interest rates.

Foolish takeaway

Ultimately, I think Coles shares are a reasonable long-term buy right now, but there are some downsides to keep in mind. Steady earnings growth and a decent dividend yield could combine to deliver comparatively good overall returns.

The post The pros and cons of buying Coles shares right now appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

Before you buy Coles Group 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 Coles Group Limited wasn’t one of them.

The online investing service heâs 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 no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Coles Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.
13 May 2024
Guess which ASX 200 gold stock is marching higher on a ‘significant resource upgrade’
A high-performing S&P/ASX 200 IndexÂ (ASX: XJO) gold stock is marching higher again today.

Shares in the big Aussie gold miner closed on Friday trading for $2.00. At the time of writing, in early morning trade on Monday, shares are swapping hands for $2.03 apiece, up 1.5%.

For some context, the ASX 200 is down 0.1% at this same time.

Investors are bidding up the ASX 200 gold stock after the miner reported on a sizeable resource upgrade at one of its key projects.

Any guesses?

If you said Ramelius Resources Ltd (ASX: RMS), go to the head of the virtual class.

Here’s what’s happening today.

ASX 200 gold stock gaining on expanded resource

The Ramelius Resources share price is in the green on news the Mineral Resource Estimate for its Eridanus project at the Mt Magnet gold mine in Western Australia has been increased by 64%.

The ASX 200 gold stock said the updated Mineral Resource Estimate now includes the adjacent Lone Pine and Theakston deposits. The MRE also incorporates recent drilling and mining information collected at the sites.

This brings the new estimate to 21 million tonnes at 1.7 grams of gold per tonne for a total of 1.2 million ounces.

The increased MRE has positive implications for both open pit and underground options, which remain available beyond the current open pit. The miner noted that this itself is expected to produce some 300,000 ounces of gold once completed and all stockpiles are processed.

In ongoing exploration at the project to improve the analysis of both mining options, Ramelius plans to kick off a 10,000 metre drill program next month. The drill campaign will include 3,300 metres of diamond drilling,

What did management say?

Commenting on the increased MRE boosting the ASX 200 gold stock today, Ramelius managing director Mark Zeptner said, “In keeping with the previously released Mt Magnet 10-Year Plan, the Eridanus project is expected to figure prominently in one form or another for the entirety of the mine plan.”

Zeptner added:

Today’s significant resource upgrade, both in terms of tonnes and grade, augurs well for a mine life well beyond 10 years especially if an open pit option is ultimately chosen.

Given the 64% increase is net of depletion and the current open pit will produce over 300,000 ounces once processed, Eridanus is set to become the third one-million-ounce-plus mine in the Mt Magnet field, after Hill 50 & Morning Star.

With today’s intraday gains factored in, shares in the ASX 200 gold stock are now up 19% in 2024 and up 45% over the past full year.

The post Guess which ASX 200 gold stock is marching higher on a ‘significant resource upgrade’ appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

Before you buy Ramelius Resources 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 Ramelius Resources Limited wasn’t one of them.

The online investing service heâs 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 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.
13 May 2024
Why is the ANZ share price sinking today?
The ANZ Group Holdings LtdÂ (ASX: ANZ) share price is starting the week in the red.

In morning trade, the banking giant’s shares are down by 4% to $27.89.

As a comparison, the benchmark ASX 200 index is currently 0.1% lower in early trade.

Why is the ANZ share price tumbling?

The big four bank’s shares are falling today after trading ex-dividend for its upcoming interim dividend.

When a share trades ex-dividend, it means that the rights to an impending dividend payment are now settled.

As a result, if you were to buy its shares today, the rights to that dividend would stay with the seller and not transfer to the buyer.

Given that a dividend forms part of a company’s valuation, a share price will tend to drop in line with the value of the dividend on the ex-dividend date. After all, it new buyers don’t want to pay for something that they won’t receive.

What is the ANZ dividend?

Last week, ANZ released its first-half resultsÂ and reported a cash profit of $3,552 million for the six months ended 31 March. This represents a 1% decline compared to the second half of FY 2023.

This reflects a strong performance from the Institutional business, which reported a 12% lift in cash profit to $1,522 million, which was offset by a poor half for the Australia Retail business. It posted a 9% decline in cash profit to $794 million despite delivering above-system home loan growth with pricing above cost of capital.

However, much to the delight of shareholders, that profit decline didn’t stop the bank from increasing its dividend by 2 cents year on year to 83 cents per share. This dividend is partially franked at 65%.

Based on Friday’s closing ANZ share price of $29.09, this dividend equates to an attractive 2.9% dividend yield. And there’s still a final dividend coming in six months.

But what will that dividend be? Analysts at Goldman Sachs believe that a final dividend of 81 cents per share will be declared with the bank’s full year results. This will bring its total dividends for the year to $1.66 per share. This equates to a dividend yield of 5.7% based on last week’s closing price.

When is pay day?

Eligible shareholders won’t have to wait too long until they are paid out the bank’s interim dividend.

ANZ is currently scheduled to make this dividend payment in 7 weeks on 1 July.

ASIC investigation

In other news, also potentially weighing on the ANZ share price is reports that ASIC is investigating the company for suspected contraventions of a number of provisions of the ASIC Act and the Corporations Act.

According to The Australian, the investigation relates to ANZ’s execution of a 2023 issuance of 10-year Treasury Bonds by the Australian Office of Financial Management.

The post Why is the ANZ share price sinking today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Should you invest $1,000 in Australia And New Zealand Banking Group right now?

Before you buy Australia And New Zealand Banking 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 Australia And New Zealand Banking Group wasn’t one of them.

The online investing service heâs 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 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.
13 May 2024
How to choose ASX shares for passive income
ASX shares that offer dividends can be appealing, but how are you supposed to choose between them all for passive income?

In this article, I’m going to talk about three of my favourite ways to evaluate ASX dividend shares. Some investors may have different priorities, but I’d suggest that each element that I’m going to talk about is important for every income investor to think about.

Dividend yield

The headline-grabber for a lot of dividend investors is the dividend yield, so let’s start there.

This tells us how much of a cash payment an investor can expect from their investment. For example, if someone invested $1,000 in a business with a 4% dividend yield, it’d pay $40 over a year. A 6% dividend yield would pay $60. And so on.

As income investors, we want a certain amount of payout from our stocks. However, a yield that is too big may not be the best option if the dividend is in danger of being cut or if a high dividend payout ratio means little re-investing for growth.

Examples of high-yield dividend shares I’m interested in are Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS) and Metcash Ltd (ASX: MTS). In FY25, according to Commsec, Telstra is projected to pay a grossed-up dividend yield of 7.4%, and Metcash is projected to pay a grossed-up dividend yield of 7.8%.

Stability

Passive income is a useful source of returns, but only if the payments keep coming. If someone is relying on income to pay for their life expenses, then they need those dividends to keep flowing, even during a recession.

Dividends aren’t guaranteed, but some businesses operate in more stable industries than others, resulting in stable profits and resilient payments.

Commodity prices have a history of bouncing around, so while Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO) has a projected grossed-up dividend yield of 7.5% for FY24, it could easily be substantially smaller in FY25 if the iron ore or copper price crashed in 2025.

Energy infrastructure business APA Group (ASX: APA) provides half of the nation’s gas usage, which provides predictable cash flow to pay growing distributions. It has grown its distribution every year for the past 20 years.

Brickworks Limited (ASX: BKW) has a diversified asset base, which is paying its growing rental profits and rising dividends, enabling Brickworks to grow its dividend every year for the past decade. It hasn’t cut its dividend for almost 50 years.

Sonic Healthcare Ltd (ASX: SHL) is an ASX healthcare share that has grown its dividend most years over the past three decades, including consistent annual growth over the past decade.

Dividend growth

The last few years have shown how important it is for our work/investment income to grow to ensure we stay on top of inflation.

A business like APA has a great track record of slow and steady growth, but there are a number of companies that have grown their dividends at a much faster pace. That means a lower starting dividend yield can catch up to and overtake a high (but stable) yield over the years.

For example, Collins Foods Ltd (ASX: CKF) has grown its annual dividend by around 150% in the past decade.

Pinnacle Investment Management Group Ltd (ASX: PNI) has grown its annual dividend by 210% in the last six years.

Fund manager GQG Partners Inc (ASX: GQG) has just grown its latest quarterly payment by 56% year over year.

Foolish takeaway

By looking at these three passive income factors, I think investors can build a good dividend portfolio without being lured into names that aren’t necessarily the right long-term choice (in my opinion).

I’m a fan of many of the businesses I’ve mentioned, which is why I’m a shareholder in a lot of them for dividends and long-term capital growth.

The post How to choose ASX shares for passive income 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 Tristan Harrison has positions in Brickworks, Collins Foods, Metcash, and Sonic Healthcare. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Brickworks and Pinnacle Investment Management Group. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Apa Group, Brickworks, Pinnacle Investment Management Group, and Telstra Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Collins Foods, Metcash, and Sonic Healthcare. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.
13 May 2024
An engineer landed jobs at Google and Microsoft with this 2-page résumé — and describes the section she considers a non-negotiable
Sonakshi Pandey's resume includes a section on her volunteering and mentorship efforts.

Sonakshi Pandey
- Sonakshi Pandey switched roles at Amazon, then moved to Google to be a customer engineer.
- Pandey credits mentorship with transitioning her career and growing more confident.
- Pandey's résumé includes company blogs and a section on her volunteering and mentorship projects.
Sonakshi Pandey did not always feel prepared for the role she is in today.

She landed a job as a software engineer at Amazon straight out of her master's degree in computer science. For three years, she did what she loved: writing code.

"I was very shy, very introverted," she told Business Insider. "I used to wear my headphones and code for eight hours straight."

One day, she came across a YouTube video, where a tech expert was speaking about databases in depth. She admired how confident he sounded.

"I want to exactly do what this guy is doing: I want to go on a stage and I want to talk confidently in front of a bunch of people," she said.

It triggered her journey to change roles from software development to solution architecture at Amazon Web Services, a job that required more public speaking and client presentations.

After five years at Amazon, Pandey wanted to try working at other FAANG companies and applied to Microsoft and Google in 2021.

She shared the résumé that helped her land an offer at Microsoft as well as the one she accepted at Google, a customer engineering position.

Pandey's 2021 résumé landed her roles at Google and Microsoft.

Sonakshi Pandey

Looking back on her 2021 résumé, Pandey said that there are two unique things about the document that worked in her favor.

1. Writing for company blogs

During her time at AWS, she wrote blogs for Amazon's cloud computing page.

Blogs reflect thought leadership — so if you want to build a brand as an expert in any industry, she said having blog posts on a bigger medium like a company website helps underline your expertise.

Pandey said she would not include some of her other public work, such as her career advice pages on Instagram and YouTube.

"I don't want that to deflect attention from my product manager skills," she said.

2. A section on volunteering — even though it makes her résumé 2 pages long

Pandey's section on volunteering, which discusses her mentorship projects, make her résumé exceed the typically recommended one-page rule. But adding that section is a non-negotiable for Pandey, she said.

For her, the section reflects an important part of her journey in tech — she dealt with imposter syndrome and hesitated with public speaking, and now she helps other women overcome the same issues. Pandey credits her transition to having a mentor at Amazon. "She recommended books to read, podcasts to listen to, and it eventually got me to killing it at my job."

The projects she founded and led are her way of paying it forward.

"I feel this is very important to have and is a piece of me that I want to share with everyone wherever I go," she said. "And that's why I was like: It doesn't matter if it's two pages, this needs to be here."

She said it also helped her in interviews. Pandey talks about her mentorship experiences when hiring managers ask scenario-based questions and discusses her initiatives when the interviewers give her time to introduce herself.

If she were to update the document today, she said she would only add her certifications and recent blogs at Google, and beef up her volunteering section with more recent diversity and mentorship projects.

Pandey is currently a data and product manager at Google's Seattle office. BI has verified her employment history.

Read the original article on Business Insider
13 May 2024
One of Tim Cook’s top executives could be Apple CEO in a few years. Here are his most likely replacements, report says.
Here's who could become the next Apple CEO Tim Cook

Bay Ismoyo/AFP via Getty Images
- CEO Tim Cook will be staying at Apple for at least three more years, Bloomberg reported.
- Cook previously said he hopes his successor will be an internal hire.
- According to Bloomberg, execs Jeff Williams and John Ternus could be potential successors.
Tim Cook won't be steering Apple's ship forever.

Cook, who succeeded Apple founder Steve Jobs, helped Apple cross the $3 trillion market cap mark — and may push the company past $4 trillion by 2025.

However, 63-year-old CEO is also thinking about who will come after him. In October, Cook told singer Dua Lipa on her podcast "At Your Service" that he hoped his successor would "come from within Apple."

And according to "several people familiar with Apple's inner workings" who spoke to Bloomberg, that is a very likely scenario.

According to the Bloomberg report, Cook will not leave for at least three years, but company insiders are considering several potential CEOs.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Jeff Williams, Chief Operating Officer

Jeff Williams has a similar leadership style to Tim Cook.

Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images

Per Bloomberg, Williams has been widely seen as Cook's logical successor since 2019, when he took over Apple's design studio following the departure of Chief Design Officer Jony Ive in 2019.

Williams was once called "Tim Cook's Tim Cook. Both men have been described as having similar leadership styles.

Williams oversaw the development of the Apple Watch and now manages Apple's worldwide operations. The executive recently announced the company was abandoning a decadelong effort to manufacture an Apple electric car.

However, company insiders told Bloomberg that because Williams is 61, he may not be a long-term leader.

John Ternus, Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering

John Ternus is the younger, more likely candidate.

Christoph Dernbach/picture alliance via Getty Images

Company insiders told Bloomberg that because of Williams' age, John Ternus will most likely replace Cook once he leaves the company.

At Apple, Ternus leads the hardware engineering of iPhones, iPads, Macs, and AirPods and has been at the company for over two decades.

"Tim likes him a lot, because he can give a good presentation, he's very mild-mannered, never puts anything into an email that is controversial and is a very reticent decision-maker," one person close to Apple's executive team told Bloomberg. "He has a lot of managerial characteristics like Tim."

One person who spoke to Bloomberg, however, described the 49-year-old exec as "too junior."

Others told Bloomberg that he was not an "innovator" and pointed out that Ternus was behind the controversial introduction of the Touch Bar for MacBook keyboards, which was axed last year.

The less likely candidates

Craig Federighi and Deirdre O'Brien will probably not be Cook's successors.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images // Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images

Bloomberg cited two other executives who could succeed Cook but are less likely to do so, according to one company insider who spoke to the publication.

Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of software engineering, is responsible for developing iOS and macOS.

Federighi is more publicly known than some of his other colleagues: The exec, in a leather jacket, shredded on a triple-necked guitar in a clip shown at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference in June 2023.

Deirdre O'Brien, senior vice president of retail — who Bloomberg described as a Cook confidant — is also in the running. The exec, who helped launch Apple's first retail stores in 2001, took on her current post in 2019.

If O'Brien were to take over as leader, she would be the first female CEO of Apple, which was founded in 1976.

Read the original article on Business Insider
13 May 2024
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem is now barred from entering nearly 20% of her state, report says
Kristi Noem.

John Lamparski | Getty Images
- South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem is barred from nearly 20% of her state, The Associated Press reported.
- It comes after her controversial remarks linking tribal leaders and drug cartels.
- The bans build on preexisting tensions stemming from Noem's anti-protest stance and COVID-19 clashes.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem is now barred from entering nearly 20% of her state, The Associated Press reported.

The governor has now been barred from land belonging to the Yankton Sioux Tribe and the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate tribe, adding to her previous bans from the reservations of the Oglala, Rosebud, Cheyenne River, and Standing Rock Sioux tribes, per the report.

The moves mean Noem will be refused entry to the reservations of six out of the state's nine Native American tribes.

It follows her controversial remarks linking drug cartels and tribal leaders.

"We've got some tribal leaders that I believe are personally benefiting from the cartels being there, and that's why they attack me every day," Noem said at a forum, per The AP.

"But I'm going to fight for the people who actually live in those situations, who call me and text me every day and say, 'Please, dear governor, please come help us in Pine Ridge. We are scared,'" she added.

Tribes have slammed Noem's comments, with Oglala Sioux Tribe President Frank Star Comes Out, saying: "How dare the Governor allege that Sioux Tribal Councils do not care about their communities or their children, and, worse, that they are involved in nefarious activities?" The AP previously reported.

Standing Rock Sioux Tribe chairwoman Janet Alkire added: "Governor Kristi Noem's wild and irresponsible attempt to connect tribal leaders and parents with Mexican drug cartels is a sad reflection of her fear-based politics that do nothing to bring people together to solve problems."

Noem's strained relationship with the tribes predates her governorship, beginning with her support for antiprotest legislation following the Dakota Access Pipeline protests at Standing Rock in 2016.

Subsequent clashes over COVID-19 checkpoints exacerbated tensions between the governor and local tribes.

Native Americans marched to a sacred burial ground that was disturbed by bulldozers building the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) on September 4, 2016, near Cannon Ball, North Dakota.

ROBYN BECK | Getty Images

Noem recently came under fire for admitting that, a few decades ago, she killed her dog because it was untrainable and overly aggressive, in what many saw as a major publicity blow amid her campaign to be Donald Trump's running mate.

But six people close to the former president told Politico that Noem had been out of the running even before the revelation — although they did not rule her bid out entirely.

Trump seemingly stood by the governor amid the backlash, saying of Noem: "Somebody that I love. She's been with me, a supporter of mine and I've been a supporter of hers for a long time."

Read the original article on Business Insider
13 May 2024
A millennial couple invested in a $143,000 vacation home in Bali. It’s become the crux of their early retirement strategy.
The two-story villa in Bali comes with a pool.

Rory Jones
- Rory and Casey Jones built a villa in Bali for 2.287 billion Indonesian rupiah, or about $143,000.
- They wanted to invest in a tangible asset that would earn income and double as a retirement home.
- Prior to this, they had never traveled to Indonesia before.
For Rory Jones and his wife Casey, building a house in Bali seemed like a good idea — even though they had never been to Indonesia.

The couple, from Tasmania, Australia, dreamed of retiring early, so they spent a lot of time investing in the stock market.

"We got a little bit, I guess, down on the fact that we were putting this money away, but we had nothing to show for it apart from numbers on a bit of paper," Jones, 37, told Business Insider.

Rory and Casey Jones built a villa in Bali.

Rory Jones

They wanted a tangible asset, and after some research, they settled on the idea of building investment property overseas.

"We decided it gave us the ability to earn a good income, but also, a place that we could potentially retire to, in a country that was less expensive than Australia," Jones, a photographer and videographer, said.

The couple had considered Thailand, the Philippines, and even Portugal, but ultimately chose Bali because their research showed that it had the highest return on investment. Moreover, it was also relatively easy for foreigners to build a home there.

According to ILA Global Consulting, it is possible for short-term rentals in Bali to yield a 15% annual return on investment, while other markets offer 5% to 10%.

The front of the villa.

Rory Jones

Although the couple had never been to the island before, they had spent a lot of time in Southeast Asia.

"So we knew that we liked the climate. We knew that we would probably like the culture and the food too," Jones said.

First time in Bali

In 2022, the couple hopped on a plane to Bali for the first time.

The primary living space.

Rory Jones

They were there for about three weeks, exploring the island and speaking to different legal professionals and builders for more insights on how they could get started with their project.

"We spent a good chunk of time in different areas to make sure that we liked the area and that we had a good understanding of what that area gave to the tourists," Jones said.

The dining area.

Rory Jones

Since traffic in Bali can be difficult to navigate, it was important that the area they chose had good infrastructure and was easy to get to, he said.

"Other than that, we were looking for a place that we could see ourselves retiring to as well," Jones said.

While looking for a peaceful but up-and-coming neighborhood that travelers would be drawn to, they eventually found a piece of land in the Bingin area near Uluwatu, a region in the southwestern tip of Bali.

The kitchen.

Rory Jones

"The best success that we had was actually just posting in the local Facebook groups to say that we were looking for land, and then people would reach out to us and let us know what they had available," Jones said. "With the land that we ended up getting, it was a local guy that showed us the land. He didn't own the land, but he knew the owners."

The bar area.

Rory Jones

Since foreigners aren't allowed to own land in Bali, the piece of land they have is on a 30-year lease, with the option to renew for another 30 years. They paid 720 million Indonesian rupiah, or about $44,700, for it.

A modern tropical villa

The two-story villa, which sits on a 3,300-square-foot plot, has two bedrooms and two bathrooms. The entire build, including furniture and permits, cost 2.287 billion Indonesian rupiah, or about $143,000.

Jones says he chose to build a house from scratch because it was cheaper than buying one.

According to the property website Propertia Bali, a new two-bedroom villa near Bingin can cost between 3.525 to 5.575 billion Indonesian rupiah, depending on the size, the complexity of the build, and the lease left on the land.

One of the bedrooms in the house.

Rory Jones

"If there was anything wrong with the building that was already existing, we wouldn't be able to tell," he added. "But by building ourselves, we could dictate the standards that went into that building."

Safety standards aside, it also meant that they could design the building the way they wanted it. Jones describes it as a mix between modern industrial and boho, with a touch of Balinese influence.

A cozy corner of the villa.

Rory Jones

The building looks modern on the outside, thanks to the black steel window frames, a mezzanine-style design, and vaulted ceilings. In contrast, the interiors are cozy with lots of wood accents and furniture.

"We knew that the building itself was quite modern, so we wanted to bring a lot of the tropics and a lot of Bali into it with the interior design," Jones said.

A close-up of the decor in the villa.

Rory Jones

Everything in the villa was crafted locally, he added.

The only major issue the couple encountered during the build was a particularly bad rainy season that delayed their project by a few weeks.

"Towards the end of the build, they were running quite late with everything, and it's fine that they were running late, but they didn't tell us that they were running late," Jones said. "There were some communication issues rather than issues with construction, which caused a bit of friction toward the end."

An outdoor dining area.

Rory Jones

Retiring in Bali

The villa can be rented on Airbnb for a minimum of two nights. At press time, it has a 4.58-star rating based on 26 reviews.

"Initially we planned to spend a couple of months a year in Bali, but with the way that things have gone, with how popular it is, I think it would make more financial sense to leave it rented out on Airbnb all the time," Jones said.

That said, Jones hopes to be able to retire in that villa in Bali in the next five to six years.

An outdoor seating area.

Rory Jones

"We're working hard at saving and investing as much money as we can to hopefully get to a point where we can retire in my early forties," he said. "But plans can also change, so it would be great to retire to Bali, but I mean, maybe we'll stay in Australia. Who knows? It's still a long way away."

That said, the couple has plans to build more investment properties in Bali in the future.

Jones has a piece of advice for those who are thinking of building a house in Bali: Manage expectations.

The pool.

Rory Jones

"Go into it knowing that the standards you may expect from your home country might not be the same in Bali. Expect things to run behind time and expect things to be done in a different way than what you might be used to," he said.

That way, things will be less stressful, he added.

Have you recently built or renovated your dream home in Asia? If you've got a story to share, get in touch with me at agoh@businessinsider.com.

Read the original article on Business Insider
13 May 2024
Buy these ASX stocks for 4% and 8% dividend yields
Luckily for income investors, there are plenty of ASX income stocks to choose from on the Australian share market.

However, with so many to choose from, it can be hard to decide which ones to buy above others.

But don’t worry, that’s because analysts have been doing the hard work for you and have picked out two stocks that they rate as buys for income investors.

Here’s what you need to know about them:

Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL)

Analysts at Morgans think that this supermarket giant would be a great option for income investors.

In fact, the broker is so bullish it added the company’s shares to its best ideas list this month. The broker said:

In our view, the ongoing scrutiny on the supermarkets has affected short term sentiment in the sector, which we believe creates a good buying opportunity in COL. While Liquor sales remain soft, we expect the core Supermarkets division (~92% of earnings) to continue to be supported by further improvement in product availability, reduction in total loss, greater in-home consumption due to cost-of-living pressures, and population growth.

Morgans has an add rating and $18.95 price target on its shares.

In respect to income, the broker is expecting fully franked dividends per share of 66 cents in FY 2024 and 69 cents in FY 2025. Based on the latest Coles share price of $16.24, this equates to dividend yields of 4.1% and 4.25%, respectively.

Dexus Convenience Retail REIT (ASX: DXC)

The Dexus Convenience Retail REIT could be an ASX income stock to buy now. That’s the view of analysts at Bell Potter, which are very positive on the service stations and convenience retail focused real estate investment trust.

Bell Potter highlights that the company could offer investors compelling returns. This includes a very big dividend yield. It said:

Sub-sector with a high level of ownership from privates and HNW’s means petrol stations are typically more liquid that any commercial real estate that carries larger cheque sizes. Management has actively recycled capital leading to a balance sheet with low headroom & ICR risk. Compelling risk-adjusted returns: DXC offers a yield c.8% based on mid-point of FY24 DPS guidance. While we do see asset values declining (BPe 30bp cap rate expansion), trading at a 27% discount to NTA and 10% discount to BPe NAV looks too punitive to us for a defensive sub-sector.

The broker has a buy rating and $3.00 price target on its shares.

As for dividends, Bell Potter is forecasting dividends per share of 20.9 cents in FY 2024 and 20.7 cents in FY 2025. Based on its current share price of $2.61 this equates to yields of 8% and 7.9%, respectively.

The post Buy these ASX stocks for 4% and 8% dividend yields 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 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 positions in and has recommended Coles Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.
13 May 2024