Author: openjargon

  • The pros and cons of buying Woodside shares right now

    A miner in visibility gear and hard hat looks seriously at an iPad device in a field where oil mining equipment is visible in the background.

    Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) shares have been on a downward trend over the last year, falling more than 20%, as we can see in the chart below.

    After its sizeable decline in the past 12 months, investors may wonder if this is a buying opportunity.

    There are some compelling reasons to buy Woodside shares, but also other reasons for avoiding it. Let’s look at both sides of the investment equation.

    The positives

    A lower Woodside share price means a more appealing valuation, as shown by its lower price/earnings (P/E) ratio. It’s possible Woodside shares could still go cheaper, but the 27% drop from September 2023 is substantial.

    Broker UBS has forecast Woodside could make earnings per share (EPS) of $1.23, resulting in a forward P/E ratio of 15. This is materially lower than the valuation when the Woodside share price was still above $38, compared to approximately $28 today.

    A cheaper Woodside share price also leads to a larger dividend yield for new investors. UBS suggests the ASX energy share could pay an annual dividend per share of US 98 cents. That translates into a possible grossed-up dividend yield of 7.6%. The dividend return could generate an essential part of the overall shareholder returns in the medium term.

    The third positive I’ll point to is the possibility of growing energy demand. Data centres could drive significant demand growth for greener energy, such as hydrogen, which could help the company find customers for its hydrogen projects.

    Finally, the Australian Federal Government recently announced that gas would remain part of Australia’s energy plans at least until 2050. The government had this to say:

    Reliable gas supply will gradually and inevitably support a shift towards higher-value and non-substitutable gas uses. Households will continue to have a choice over how their energy needs are met.

    Australia is, and will remain, a reliable trading partner for energy, including Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and low emission gases.

    Negatives about Woodside shares

    An integral negative for me is the company’s profit is closely linked to energy prices, but it has little control over oil or gas prices. It’s a price-taker rather than a price-maker. Price-takers find it challenging to deliver consistently growing profit, so we can often see the Woodside share price bounce around rather than steadily rising over time.

    Consequently, UBS thinks EPS could be higher in FY24 than in FY26 and FY28. Forecasts are just educated guesses, of course — energy prices could be weaker or stronger. However, if EPS doesn’t grow much compared to the estimate for FY24, I can’t see the Woodside share price delivering too much in terms of capital growth.

    UBS also points out that one of Woodside’s projects, Sangomar, has “complicated” geology. The broker is cautious because the ASX energy share has not provided disclosure on its well performance.

    The broker also notes there’s an “increased risk” that the fiscal regime under the Sangomar Production Sharing Contract may be renegotiated to increase the government’s take following Senegal’s change in government.

    Foolish takeaway

    Now may be an opportune time to examine the business after its recent decline.

    However, because of the uncertainty relating to commodity pricing, I don’t think there’s a significant upside for the Woodside share price. I’d rather focus on other ASX shares with a more foreseeable and consistent growth outlook.

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

    Should you invest $1,000 in Woodside Petroleum Ltd right now?

    Before you buy Woodside Petroleum Ltd 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 Woodside Petroleum Ltd 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 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.

  • I’m a Google product manager who mentors 10 people a month. Here’s how I pick mentees, based on their messages and attitude.

    Sonakshi Pandey
    Pandey worked at Amazon and AWS before moving to Google in 2021.

    • Sonakshi Pandey transitioned from software engineering to solution architecture.
    • Mentoring has sharpened her leadership skills and exposed her to diverse tech fields.
    • She looks for mentees who are self-driven, prepared, and are willing to be honest and vulnerable.

    This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Sonakshi Pandey, a cloud computing product manager at Google in Seattle. It has been edited for length and clarity. Business Insider has verified her employment history.

    I was three years into my career as a software engineer when I realized I wanted to challenge myself.

    I loved coding but was keen on a role that was less desk-bound and encouraged me to meet people and speak in public, something that made me anxious because I have always been an introvert.

    I found that a solution architecture role would be a good entry point, and I interviewed to move to Amazon Web Services, from Amazon.com, where I was at the time.

    I got the role and had the opportunity to speak at client meetings.

    But my first few presentations were very rocky: I struggled with confidence, imposter syndrome, and memorizing a script.

    It took hours of practice presentations and guidance from various mentors to help me become a person who speaks comfortably at meetings and tech conferences.

    Now, I'm selective about who I choose to mentor. Here's why I do it and how I pick mentees:

    Being a mentor benefits me

    I mentor interns at Google and a variety of people at various stages of their careers who reach out on LinkedIn or other social media. I am also starting an advisory role at the University of Washington this summer.

    I have found it to be a mutually beneficial relationship, where I get a lot from talking to them as well.

    Having mentees from backgrounds like data analytics, solutions architecture, and people management has exposed me to parts of the tech landscape that I don't know as much about.

    Watching my mentees succeed not only gives me confidence about the impact I can create but has rekindled my passion for my field.

    I have been mentoring for about four years now. Most of my mentorship relationships also turn into professional connections and become good opportunities for collaboration or support.

    What I look for in mentees

    As someone with close to 10 years of experience in Big Tech, I receive a lot of reachouts on social media and my email.

    In the early days of setting up my tech Instagram and YouTube accounts, I was excited to help everyone who reached out and asked for my time.

    I soon realized that I would need a way to filter mentees because not everyone would reciprocate or acknowledge the efforts I put into supporting them. This made me very protective of myself and the hours I was dedicating to mentorship.

    What I look for in cold reachouts

    I find that the best reachouts are the ones that show research and effort.

    I always appreciate when people include something they learned from my content and how it helped them or feedback for my posts. Interactions that start with asking me more details or questions about a topic I mention are also a great way of connecting.

    One of my reachouts introduced themselves by saying they completed a free certification after watching one of my videos and would like my help in using it to land a full time role, which stood out to me.

    I find that it is a great way of establishing a two-way relationship instead of simply introducing themselves and requesting 15 minutes of my time.

    A nice email also seems more thoughtful than a direct message on Instagram or a request to connect on LinkedIn. I naturally get a lot more of those, because they require such less effort.

    Very few people do the hard work of going to my "About" page on YouTube and finding my email.

    Long-term relationship building

    I look for people who appear proactive and self-driven. I love when mentees set ambitious goals and seek resources to achieve them. They come to meetings with thoughtful questions and a desire to learn from my personal stories.

    The mentees I have long-term relationships with are those who approach setbacks with optimism. They are also honest with me and true to themselves.

    I advise those looking to become mentors to seek out similar traits. The best mentees are self-starters who come to meetings prepared and are keen on paying it forward.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • 1 Australian mining stock worth a long-term investment

    A happy miner pointing.

    The Australian mining stock Sandfire Resources Ltd (ASX: SFR) has excellent investment potential because of its copper exposure, I believe.

    Sandfire is one of the largest copper miners on the ASX. Its DeGrussa operations are located 900km northeast of Perth in Western Australia, which is generating “strong cash flows,” according to the company. The ASX copper share also owns the MATSA operations in Spain and the Motheo copper mine in Botswana.

    Here are two major reasons why I think Sandfire Resources has a compelling future.

    Strong growth potential for the Australian mining stock

    The mining company says its MATSA portfolio in Spain offers “exceptional exploration upside”.

    While MATSA is already operational, the surrounding exploration tenure — approximately 3,000sq km in size — offers “substantial long-term exploration upside and organic growth potential”, according to Sandfire.

    If it can find more copper in Spain, the company can lengthen the life of its mining operations and utilise existing infrastructure. The company can also potentially find copper in other locations.

    The outlook for copper itself is another reason to be interested in this Australian mining stock.

    Copper is an essential decarbonisation commodity because of its role in global electrification, including expanding the electrical grid, manufacturing renewable energy generation (like wind power), and the significant use of copper in electric vehicles.

    According to McKinsey, electrification is projected to increase annual copper demand to 36.6 million metric tons by 2031. The research outfit has forecast a possible pathway to 30.1 million metric tons of annual copper supply, but that suggests a deficit of 6.5 million metric tons (or 20%).

    Sandfire Resources is an important global copper player, so the Australian mining stock could benefit from higher copper prices if demand materially outstrips supply in the coming years.

    Sandfire Resources share price valuation

    The broker UBS, has forecast the ASX copper share can generate earnings per share (EPS) of 47 cents in FY26. This puts the ASX mining share at 20x FY26’s estimated earnings.

    With the potential for the copper price to rise in the long term, plus the company’s efforts to grow copper production over time, I think this is a compelling Australian mining stock to consider.

    The post 1 Australian mining stock worth a long-term investment appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Sandfire Resources Nl right now?

    Before you buy Sandfire Resources Nl 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 Sandfire Resources Nl 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 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.

  • With a dividend yield over 7%, are Telstra shares a buy for income?

    a man looks down at his phone with a look of happy surprise on his face as though he is thrilled with good news.

    Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS) shares have significantly declined over the past year, dropping by 20%.

    This means the Telstra share price currently offers a higher level of dividend income because the dividend yield increases when a share price falls.

    After the valuation decline for the ASX telco share, let’s examine what income Telstra investors are getting now.

    How big is the dividend yield today?

    Telstra told investors that solid cash flow conversion and generation supported “flexibility to grow dividends and invest” and that it wanted to maintain “balance sheet strength and flexibility while seeking to grow dividends”.

    The last two dividends declared by Telstra amounted to 17.5 cents, delivering a fully franked dividend yield of 5.1% and a grossed-up dividend yield of 7.2%.

    But those dividends are history. What could the future payouts be for owners of Telstra shares?

    The broker UBS has predicted Telstra could pay a dividend per share of 18 cents per share in FY24 and 19 cents per share in FY25. That translates into forward grossed-up dividend yields of 7.5% and 7.9%, respectively. That’s much more than what you can get from a savings account.

    But there’s more to a sound investment than just the dividend yield. Ideally, I’d like to see profit growth over the longer term. Profit generation funds the dividend payments, so bigger profits can enable large payouts. Higher profits can also support a higher Telstra share price.

    Are Telstra shares a buy?

    Pleasingly, every six months, Telstra typically reports that it has added significant additional subscribers. In the first half of FY24, Telstra revealed that its mobile services in operation (SIO) grew by 4.6%, or 625,000 subscribers. I believe mobile subscriber growth will be the critical driver of underlying profit.

    Telstra has already spent the capital on its networks and built the infrastructure. The additional subscribers can help boost revenue and margins.

    The company recently acknowledged its enterprise business wasn’t performing and announced job cuts in the division, with up to 2,800 roles to be removed. Most of the cuts are expected to occur by the end of the 2024 calendar year.

    With those cuts and other actions, Telstra expects to achieve $350 million of its T25 cost reduction goal by the end of FY25. One-off restructuring costs are expected to be between $200 million and $250 million across FY24 and FY25.

    The company has guided that its underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) for FY25 is expected to be between $8.4 billion and $8.7 billion. That would be growth compared to the guidance range for FY24 (which hasn’t finished yet) of between $8.2 billion and $8.3 billion.

    At this lower Telstra share price, I think it’s a buy. The underlying profit and dividend are growing, and the lower valuation looks more appealing. According to UBS, the Telstra share price is valued at 19x FY24’s estimated earnings.

    The post With a dividend yield over 7%, are Telstra shares a buy for income? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you buy Telstra Corporation 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 Telstra Corporation 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 no position in any of the stocks mentioned. 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.

  • Buy these ASX 200 dividend shares for passive income in June

    There are plenty of quality ASX 200 dividend shares to choose from on the Australian share market.

    But which ones could be buys next month?

    Three that have been tipped as buy in June are listed below. Here’s why they could be worth a look:

    Aurizon Holdings Ltd (ASX: AZJ)

    Aurizon could be an ASX 200 dividend share to buy according to analysts. It is Australia’s largest rail freight operator and each year transports more than 250 million tonnes of Australian commodities, connecting miners, primary producers and industry with international and domestic markets.

    The team at Ord Minnett thinks income investors should be buying its shares. The broker has an accumulate rating and $4.70 price target on its shares.

    As for dividends, Ord Minnett is forecasting partially franked dividends of 17.8 cents per share in FY 2024 and then 24.3 cents per share in FY 2025. Based on the latest Aurizon share price of $3.70, this will mean dividend yields of 4.8% and 6.55%, respectively.

    Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS)

    Another ASX 200 dividend share for income investors to consider buying is Telstra.

    Goldman Sachs remains positive on the telco giant despite being disappointed with its recent guidance update.

    It notes that the “low risk earnings (and dividend) growth that Telstra is delivering across FY22-25, underpinned through its mobile business, is attractive.” It also believes that the company “has a meaningful medium term opportunity to crystallise value through commencing the process to monetize its InfraCo Fixed assets”.

    Goldman expects 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 $3.45, this equates to yields of 5.2% and 5.35%, respectively.

    The broker has a buy rating and $4.25 price target on Telstra’s shares.

    Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS)

    A final ASX 200 dividend share that could be in the buy zone this month is Woodside Energy. It is one of the globe’s largest energy producers.

    The team at Morgans thinks that investors should be taking advantage of recent share price weakness. Especially given the quality of its earnings and strong balance sheet.

    In addition, recent share price weakness has boosted the yield on offer with its shares. Morgans is forecasting fully franked dividends of $1.25 per share in FY 2024 and then $1.57 per share in FY 2025. Based on the current Woodside share price of $27.93, this represents dividend yields of 4.5% and 5.6%, respectively.

    Morgans has an add rating and $36.00 price target on its shares.

    The post Buy these ASX 200 dividend shares for passive income in June appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you buy Aurizon Holdings 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 Aurizon Holdings 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 Woodside Energy Group. 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 positions in and has recommended Telstra Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Aurizon. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

  • Why Vanguard US Total Market Shares Index ETF (VTS) is a top buy for retirement

    A middle-aged couple dance in the street to celebrate their ASX share gains

    I’m a big fan of the Vanguard US Total Market Shares Index ETF (ASX: VTS) as a solid investment for building towards retirement — and for retirees too.

    The VTS ETF is one of the largest exchange-traded funds (ETFs) on the ASX and provides investors with exposure to most of the US share market.

    Pleasingly, its most significant portfolio holdings are among the world’s biggest and strongest companies, including Microsoft, Apple, Nvidia, Alphabet, Amazon, Meta Platforms and Berkshire Hathaway.

    Another attractive feature of this ETF is that its management fee is just 0.03% per annum. This leaves almost all returns generated in the hands of investors, making it one of the cheapest annual fees in Australia.

    Here are some more reasons why I think it’s such an effective investment for people in both the accumulation and retirement phases.

    Excellent wealth-growing pick

    The VTS ETF owns a high-quality group of US tech businesses with globally leading service or product offerings. For example, companies like Microsoft, Nvidia, and Alphabet are leading the charge for the development of artificial intelligence (AI). These US giants have incredible balance sheets, impressive operating profit margins, and long growth runways.

    Due to sizeable allocations to those high-performing stocks, the Vanguard US Total Market Shares Index ETF has delivered a hefty average annual return of 14.2% in the five years to April 2024.

    Now, we can’t fully rely upon this rate of return in the future, but even if it remains reasonably stable in the years ahead, investors can grow wealth at an impressive rate.

    For example, if someone invested $1,000 a month for 20 years and the fund grew at 14.2% per annum, it would be worth $1.1 million after two decades.

    This fund has more to it than the top holdings — it actually has 3,719 holdings. That’s an enormous amount of diversification in a single investment.

    I also like the sector allocation. Technology makes up around a third of the weighting, which is the industry where many compelling businesses are located. Other sectors in the ASX ETF with double-digit weightings include consumer discretionary (14.1%), industrials (13%), healthcare (11.8%), and financials (10.9%).

    Can unlock cash flow for retirees

    Investors in retirement are likely seeking income to fund their cash flow requirements.

    The VTS ETF isn’t known for dividends – it currently has a dividend yield of around 1.4% because of the generally low dividend yield of the underlying holdings.

    However, the ETF can still be a great source of income by crystallising some capital gains. I’ll show you how it can work.

    Imagine owning $100,000 of the VTS ETF, and over 12 months, it rises 10% to become worth $110,000. If you sell $5,000, that’s a 5% dividend yield on the original $100,000, and the net value after the sale would be $105,000.

    Of course, the stock market can be volatile and shares in the VTS ETF might be lower in some years, so I wouldn’t choose to sell all my gains every year. It’s good to keep some in reserve in case you need an emergency fund. A 4% or 5% yield would be the right balance, in my opinion.

    If the VTS ETF keeps delivering good returns, it could provide cash flow for retirees and capital growth.

    The post Why Vanguard US Total Market Shares Index ETF (VTS) is a top buy for retirement appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Vanguard Us Total Market Shares Index Etf right now?

    Before you buy Vanguard Us Total Market Shares Index 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 Vanguard Us Total Market Shares Index 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

    Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Randi Zuckerberg, a former director of market development and spokeswoman for Facebook and sister to Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. 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 Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Berkshire Hathaway, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Berkshire Hathaway, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

  • A message for Harrison Butker: women shouldn’t be shamed over their life choices — no matter what they are, career coach says

    NFL player Harrison Butker sits in front of a microphone during the Super Bowl LVIII opening night.
    Harrison Butker of the Kansas City Chiefs.

    • Harrison Butker defended remarks he made during Benedictine College's graduation ceremony. 
    • He encouraged female graduates to forgo professional careers to be homemakers. 
    • A career coach said women should be free to make their own choices without shame.

    Harrison Butker isn't apologizing for his remarks suggesting that women should forgo professional careers to become homemakers.

    The Kansas City Chiefs player appeared at the Courage Under Fire gala at Regina Caeli Academy on Friday, nearly two weeks after his graduation speech at Benedictine College garnered criticism.

    "It is now, over the past few days, my beliefs or what people think I believe have been the focus of countless discussions around the globe," Butker, 28, said in footage shared online. "At the outset, many people expressed a shocking level of hate. But as the days went on, even those who disagreed with my viewpoints shared their support for my freedom of religion."

    Harrison Butker of the Kansas City Chiefs on September 7, 2023.
    Harrison Butker spoke at the Courage Under Fire gala.

    Butker said he's become a polarizing public figure, but didn't waver on his previous stance.

    "It's a decision I've consciously made and one I do not regret at all," Butker said.

    Butker has weathered criticism following his remarks at Benedictine College, a small Catholic liberal arts college in Kansas, on May 11. While there, he told female graduates they had been told "diabolical lies" before suggesting they were more excited to create a family than go into the workforce.

    "How many of you are sitting here now about to cross this stage and are thinking about all the promotions and titles you are going to get in your career?" Butker said. "Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world."

    Butker then mentioned his wife, whom he said embraced "one of the most important titles of all: homemaker."

    "I say all of this to you because I have seen it firsthand how much happier someone can be when they disregard the outside noise and move closer and closer to God's will in their life," he said.

    Women shouldn't be shamed for the path they choose

    Butker's comments sparked online debates about women in the workforce.

    Phoebe Gavin, a career and leadership coach, told Business Insider that women should have the space and opportunity to determine their future based on their ambitions.

    "I am pro-women having choices and women being able to make those choices based on what intrinsically motivates them," Gavin said. "There are some women who are going to choose to embrace motherhood as a primary motivation in their lives, and then there are women who are going to make other choices."

    Gavin added some women want both a career and motherhood, while others want neither. None of these choices should be ridiculed, she said.

    "There are people who truly believe that is the right decision for them, and if that's what they believe, then I fully embrace, empower, and encourage them to go down that path," she said. "My issue is pushing those sorts of values upon other people."

    That's why she takes issue with Benedictine College's decision to choose Butker as a commencement speaker.

    Benedictine College
    Benedictine College.

    "They should have known that he was not the kind of person that they would want to put in front of these grads," Gavin said.

    She said it was "challenging" to see young female graduates who had spent at least four years working toward professional careers "being told that they're doing the wrong thing and that they should be doing something else."

    Jessica Schaefer, a crisis communications and reputation management expert, echoed Gavin's thoughts. She said commencement speeches are meant to be inspiring, not a platform to share personal opinions.

    "As someone who works on a lot of these commencement speeches, it's important that you prepare. The goal is to inspire everyone that's graduating," Schaefer told BI. "It's not a platform for your personal opinion. That's not why you're getting paid to give a commencement speech."

    Gavin added that "whatever choice a woman makes, they should be able to make that choice and live without shame."

    Since giving his speech, several people have spoken out against Butker and Benedictine College.

    The National Football League distanced itself from Butker with a statement praising inclusivity. Teammates Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes said they disagreed with Butker's comments but defended his right to voice his opinion.

    And nuns from Benedictine College denounced Butker's speech, saying they disagreed with the suggestion that "being a homemaker is the highest calling" for women.

    "We sisters have dedicated our lives to God and God's people, including the many women whom we have taught and influenced during the past 160 years," the statement read. "These women have made a tremendous difference in the world in their roles as wives and mothers and through their God-given gifts in leadership, scholarship, and their careers."

    Butker and Benedictine College representatives did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider outside regular business hours.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • 1 popular ASX 200 share I wouldn’t touch with 2 bargepoles!

    woman looking scared as she cradle a piggy bank and adds a coin, indictating a share investor holding on amid a volatile ASX market

    ANZ Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: ANZ) shares stand among some of the largest companies within the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO). But simply being a big business isn’t enough to appeal to me.

    While ANZ shares hold a sizeable weighting in exchange-traded funds (ETFs) such as the Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (ASX: VAS) and other popular investment funds, I’m not attracted to the ASX 200 bank share for a few crucial reasons. Let’s take a look.

    Strong competition

    Ideally, I want to invest in businesses with strong competitive advantages or economic moats.

    Competition is stiff in the banking sector, with numerous lenders operating in Australia. On the ASX alone, we have the big players like ANZ, Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA), Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC), Bank of Queensland Ltd (ASX: BOQ) and Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG).

    Not to mention a host of smaller lenders, including Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Ltd (ASX: BEN), Pepper Money Ltd (ASX: PPM), AMP Ltd (ASX: AMP) and MyState Ltd (ASX: MYS).

    Thanks to the rise of digital banking, lenders don’t need a national network to be competitive anymore. Macquarie and ING have become sizeable players without branch networks.

    Loans appear to have become commoditised, so lenders have seen their margins decline. That trend doesn’t seem to be reversing. Plus, mortgage brokers are now influential players in the market. In my mind, these are long-term headwinds.

    In the FY24 first-half result, ANZ revealed that its net interest margin (NIM) had declined. The NIM tells us how much profit a bank makes on its lending (including the cost of funding, such as term deposits).

    The ANZ NIM has declined every quarter since the start of FY23, from 2.47% in the first quarter of FY23 to as low as 2.32% in the second quarter of FY24.

    High dividend yields aren’t ideal for me

    ANZ pays a high dividend yield, which may be ideal for some owners of ANZ shares.

    However, as a full-time worker, I’m in the ATO tax bracket, where essentially a third of my additional income is lost to tax. Considering ANZ pays big dividends every year, I’d lose a fair amount of my return.

    If my shares generate capital growth, they aren’t taxed until the asset is sold, so that is much more appealing to me. Another benefit of capital growth returns rather than dividend returns is getting a capital gains discount if I hold for more than 12 months.

    Weak earnings growth expected

    I don’t mind the idea of a high dividend yield if the ASX 200 share’s earnings are expected to rise significantly in the next few years.

    However, due to the competitive landscape and low demand for credit amid the high cost of living, I don’t believe ANZ’s earnings will grow much in the next few years.

    The broker UBS expects the bank’s FY24 and FY25 net profit after tax (NPAT) of $7 billion and $7.2 billion, respectively, to be lower than FY23’s net profit ($7.4 billion) amid the challenging conditions. It might take until FY26 for ANZ’s net profit to surpass FY23.

    If profit isn’t growing, then I don’t think the ANZ share price can sustainably rise much in the next 12 months, which is one of the main reasons why I’m steering clear of buying ANZ shares.

    The post 1 popular ASX 200 share I wouldn’t touch with 2 bargepoles! 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 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 Macquarie Group. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Bendigo And Adelaide Bank and Macquarie Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

  • 3 high-quality ASX shares tipped to generate strong returns

    Do you have room in your portfolio for some new ASX shares? If you do, then it could be worth checking out the three listed below.

    They have all been named as buys and tipped to generate strong returns over the next 12 months. Here’s what you need to know:

    Lovisa Holdings Limited (ASX: LOV)

    The first ASX share that could be a buy is fashion jewellery retailer Lovisa.

    Morgans is feeling very positive about the company’s outlook and sees it as a great long-term pick due to its global expansion plans.

    In fact, the broker has previously suggested that “LOV may just prove to be one of the biggest success stories in Australian retail. LOV is showing every sign of becoming a global brand.”

    Morgans has an add rating and $35.00 price target on its shares. This implies potential upside of 9% for investors from current levels. It also expects a ~2.6% dividend yield to sweeten the deal further.

    NextDC Ltd (ASX: NXT)

    Another ASX share that could deliver big returns for investors is NextDC. It provides colocation services to local and international organisations from its growing collection of world-class Tier III and Tier IV data centre facilities across Australia and the Asia-Pacific.

    It has been growing at a rapid rate for many years thanks to the insatiable demand for data centre capacity due to the shift to the cloud. The good news is that the artificial intelligence boom is expected drive a third wave of demand. This bodes well for NextDC’s growth over the next decade.

    Morgan Stanley is a big fan of the company. It believes the data centre market will more than double in size by the end of the decade.

    As a result, earlier this month it put an overweight rating and $20.00 price target on its shares. This suggests potential upside of almost 14% for investors.

    WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC)

    Finally, the team at UBS believes that WiseTech Global could be an ASX share to buy.

    It is the logistics solutions company behind the CargoWise One platform. This platform is integral to the global logistics industry and used by all the big players.

    In fact, strong demand for the platform from industry giants means WiseTech has been growing at a very strong rate in recent years. The good news is that UBS believes this strong form can continue.

    Earlier this month, the broker put a buy rating and $112.00 price target on WiseTech Global’s shares. This implies potential upside of 14% for investors over the next 12 months.

    The post 3 high-quality ASX shares tipped to generate strong returns appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you buy Lovisa Holdings 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 Lovisa Holdings 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 Lovisa and Nextdc. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Lovisa and WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Lovisa. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

  • Buy this ASX All Ords stock for a 30% gain and 6% dividend yield

    If you are on the lookout for the dream combination of huge gains and a juicy dividend yield, then it could be worth taking a closer look at the ASX All Ords stock in this article.

    That’s because the team at Bell Potter believes that this stock could rise more than 30% over the next 12 months.

    In addition, the broker is forecasting very attractive 6%+ dividend yields through to 2026.

    Which ASX All Ords stock?

    The ASX All Ords stock in question is Regal Partners Ltd (ASX: RPL).

    It is a specialist alternative investment manager with approximately $12.1 billion in funds under management.

    Regal Partners was formed in 2022 following the merger of Regal Funds Management and VGI Partners. It manages a broad range of investment strategies covering long/short equities, private markets, real and natural assets, and credit and royalties on behalf of institutions, family offices, charitable groups, and private investors.

    According to the note, Bell Potter has been pleased with the company’s recent performance and feels it could be outperforming expectations in respect to performance fees. It said:

    The first four months have shown strong returns for the majority of the funds in the Regal stable. We consider which funds may be generating a performance fee, both by performance and size. A recent presentation from Regal (23 May) notes that 72% of FUM is at, or within 5% of HWM, compared to 54% at December. The implication is that H1 will show strong performance fees.

    We consider six of Regal’s funds and show year to date performance, fund or strategy size and attempt to estimate the size of performance fee that RPL could be generating. We estimate that from these six funds alone RPL could generate performance fees of around $55m (compared to our forecasts of $38m) with particularly strong contributions coming from the PM Capital Global companies, the Regal Australian Small Companies, Regal Tactical Opportunities and RF1 (- which including reinvestment of income is now back above its HWM). Across the entire stable of funds, we could expect the figure to be higher.

    Big returns

    The note reveals that Bell Potter has reaffirmed its buy rating on the ASX All Ords stock with an improved price target of $4.02.

    Based on its current share price of $3.07, this implies potential upside of 31% for investors over the next 12 months.

    In addition, the broker is forecasting fully franked dividends per share of 19.7 cents in FY 2024, 18.9 cents in FY 2025, and 21.7 cents in FY 2026. This equates to above-average dividend yields of 6.4%, 6.15%, and 7.1%, respectively.

    Overall, the broker feels the market is undervaluing this ASX All Ords stock. It concludes:

    As a result of these updates, our NPAT and adjusted EPS forecasts increase by 21.9% for FY24, 3.2% for FY25 and 2.5% for FY26. We adjust our price target to $4.02 (from $3.86 previously). We continue to favour RPL, given its strong organic & inorganic growth potential, and entrepreneurial culture. Following the acquisition of PM Capital and Taurus (50%) last year, the firm has shown an acceleration of inflows, strong investment performance and success in marketing new funds. We feel this strong performance is not reflected in the share price and see considerable upside.

    The post Buy this ASX All Ords stock for a 30% gain and 6% dividend yield appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Regal Funds Management Pty right now?

    Before you buy Regal Funds Management Pty 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 Regal Funds Management Pty 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 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.