Author: therawinformant

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has failed to follow the lead of U.S. markets and is dropping lower on Monday. At the time of writing the benchmark index is down 0.15% to 5,955.9 points.

Four shares that have not let that hold them back are listed below. Here’s why they are charging higher:

The Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd (ASX: FLT) share price has jumped 7% to $14.15. A number of travel shares have been charging higher on Monday. This appears to have been driven by news that Victoria is relaxing restrictions after a major improvement in COVID-19 infections. Investors may believe the domestic travel market will now recover sooner than expected.

The OneVue Holdings Ltd (ASX: OVH) share price has surged 7% higher to 42 cents. This follows an announcement by Iress Ltd (ASX: IRE) which reveals that it is increasing its takeover offer from 40 cents per share to 43 cents per share. The financial technology company made the move after receiving feedback from OneVue shareholders. This will be Iress’ final offer.

The Paradigm Biopharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: PAR) share price has charged 8% higher to $2.47. This morning the biopharmaceutical company revealed that it has received positive feedback from the European Medicines Agency after its recent scientific advice meeting. Based on this feedback, applications to commence clinical trials in EU member countries can now begin for its Zilosul product. This product is targeting the knee osteoarthritis market.

The PointsBet Holdings Ltd (ASX: PBH) share price has stormed 6% higher to $11.04. This follows the release of an update on the sports betting company’s U.S. operations this morning. PointsBet advised that it has launched retail sports betting operations in the State of Illinois and signed deals with two NFL teams – the Chicago Bears and the Indianapolis Colts.

More reading

• OneVue (ASX:OVH) share price zooms higher after Iress (ASX:IRE) increases takeover offer
• PointsBet (ASX:PBH) share price in focus after U.S. update
• These are the 10 most shorted ASX shares
• ASX 200 jumps 2.4% higher, numerous shares rise
• Why the Flight Centre (ASX:FLT) share price and Webjet (ASX:WEB) share price are taking off

James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of Pointsbet Holdings Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Flight Centre Travel Group Limited and Pointsbet Holdings Ltd. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

The post Why Flight Centre, OneVue, Paradigm, & PointsBet shares are charging higher appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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In late morning trade the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is on course to start the week with a decline. At the time of writing the benchmark index is down 0.25% to 5,949.9 points.

Four shares that are falling more than most today are listed below. Here’s why these ASX shares are tumbling lower on Monday:

The A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX: A2M) share price has crashed almost 9% lower to $15.66. Investors have been selling the infant formula and fresh milk company’s shares after it updated its outlook for FY 2021. According to the release, a2 Milk has been experiencing weakness in the daigou channel in FY 2021. As a result, management expects its first half sales to be down 3.9% to 10.1% compared to the prior corresponding period.

The Blackmores Limited (ASX: BKL) share price is down 2% to $67.38. This decline appears to have been driven by the update out of a2 Milk today. As Blackmores generates meaningful revenues from the daigou channel, investors appear concerned that its performance may have been impacted by the same headwinds.

The Ramelius Resources Limited (ASX: RMS) share price has fallen 1.5% to $2.02. This follows the release of the gold miner’s mineral resources and ore reserve statement. According to the release, Ramelius’ mineral resources are up 15% and ore reserves are up 32% for the year, after mining depletion. Investors may have been expecting an even stronger increase.

The Synlait Milk Ltd (ASX: SM1) share price has sunk 5.5% to $5.34 following the release of its full year results this morning. Although the dairy processor reported a 27% increase in revenue to NZ$1.3 billion, a higher cost base weighed on its profits. Synlait posted a 9% decline in net profit after tax to NZ$75.2 million. Looking ahead, management expects its profits to be largely flat in FY 2021.

More reading

• ASX 200 Weekly Wrap: Bank shares push ASX 200 higher
• Synlait Milk (ASX:SM1) share price on watch after FY 2020 profit decline
• a2 Milk (ASX:A2M) share price on watch after guidance update
• 10 fantastic ASX shares to buy in October
• These were the worst performing ASX 200 shares last week

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Blackmores Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of A2 Milk. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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One thing the Australian share market is certainly not short of is growth shares.

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

To help you narrow things down, I have picked out two quality ASX growth shares that I think are in the buy zone.

Here’s why I would buy them for the long term:

Domino’s Pizza Enterprises Ltd (ASX: DMP)

This pizza chain operator has been an exceptional performer over the last 10 years. During this time, the company has generated market-beating returns for investors thanks to the growing popularity of its pizzas and the expansion of its store network.

The good news is that I believe Domino’s is well-positioned to replicate this success over the next 10 years. Especially given management’s plan to grow its store network to 5,500 stores by 2033. This is more than double the 2,668 stores it had operating at the end of FY 2020. I think this could make it a great buy and hold option for investors.

ELMO Software Ltd (ASX: ELO)

Another ASX growth share I would buy is ELMO Software. It is a cloud-based human resources and payroll software company which provides businesses with a unified platform to streamline their people, process, and pay. It operates on a software-as-a-service business model based on recurring subscription revenues.

ELMO was a strong performer in FY 2020 despite the pandemic. It delivered annualised recurring revenue (ARR) of $55.1 million, which was up 19.7% year on year. Pleasingly, more of the same is expected in FY 2021. Management expects to grow its ARR organically to the range of $65 million to $70 million. This will be an 18% to 27% increase year on year. However, this doesn’t include acquisitions. ELMO is sitting on a cash balance of $139.9 million, the majority of which is likely to be deployed on value accretive acquisitions in the near term.

More reading

• 3 fantastic ASX shares to buy in October
• 3 outstanding blue chip ASX shares to buy in October
• New to investing? I would invest $500 into these exciting ASX shares
• Why I would buy these ASX growth shares right now
• Grow rich with these excellent ASX shares

James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and recommends Elmo Software. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Domino’s Pizza Enterprises Limited and Elmo Software. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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In difficult investing environments, high yield dividend shares can be the answer to generate income.

With the interest rates at all time lows, its highly unlikely that decent cash flow can be made from bank investments alone.

Not to mention the fact that the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has been rocky lately as it recovers from the coronavirus pandemic.

There’s still a lot of uncertainty all round. A good alternative or even just an addition to your current investments could be some high yield dividend shares.

With this in mind, I have found 3 ASX shares that are currently providing dividend yields above 10%. Let’s take a look.

Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG)

Fortescue is a global leader in the iron ore industry. The company has been widely recognised for its culture, innovation and development of infrastructure in the mining industry. It’s based in Western Australia within the Pilbara region. 

Currently, Fortescue is producing a 12.57% yield for shareholders, making it well and truly a high yield dividend share. The industry average is around 5.2%, so Fortescue outperforms most of its peers. 

Historically speaking, the company has generally increased its dividend yield over time. 

Fortescue has ranged from around 1.5% yield in 2011 right through to 12.57% in 2020, its highest yet. 

The company also offers a dividend reinvestment plan (DRP) to all shareholders with an Australian or New Zealand address.

G8 Education Ltd (ASX: GEM)

G8 is a leading provider of care and education services in Australia. The company states that it helps to shape the minds and lives of tens of thousands of children every day.

It provides childcare services through four core brands:

• Pelicans Learning for Life
• Jellybeans Child Care & Kindy
• Greenwood Early Education Centres
• The Learning Sanctuary

G8 Education currently offers a 10.97% dividend yield – almost double the industry average of 5.6%.

Similar to Fortescue, G8 has steadily increased its dividend over time. Additionally, it has also produced a dividend for more than 10 years. Again, stability and growth are key.

Navigator Global Investments Ltd (ASX: NGI)

Navigator is the parent of alternative investment manager Lighthouse Investment Partners LLC, known as ‘Lighthouse’.

Lighthouse is based in the United States, but it manages hedge fund solutions globally for a variety of different customers.

As of 2020, Lighthouse has an impressive US$11.77 billion AUM (assets under management). It has been operating for more than 20 years and has over more than staff.

Navigator has a policy of paying a dividend of between 70% and 80% of earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) 

The company currently offers a dividend yield of 13.26% against an industry average of just 3.7%. Navigator well and truly outperforms most of its peers in this category.

As with the other companies here, Navigator has offered a dividend for almost 10 years and has steadily increased the yield. All good things for investors.

Foolish takeaway

When looking for dividend shares, it’s not only the yield that matters.

History, stability and growth matter as well. It’s one thing to pay a big dividend, it’s another thing to maintain and grow. You can find shares on the ASX with extremely high dividend yields, but the year before they produced nothing. This is a red flag.

The key is finding the trifecta of high yield, stability and growth. That’s what we have here.

More reading

• 3 cheap ASX shares in the buy zone today
• How to make money by investing in ASX 200 shares
• Westpac (ASX:WBC) and 2 more ASX 200 shares to watch this week
• ASX 200 Weekly Wrap: Bank shares push ASX 200 higher
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Monday

Motley Fool contributor glennleese has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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In morning trade the Iress Ltd (ASX: IRE) share price is pushing higher after providing an update on its potential takeover of Onevue Holdings Ltd (ASX: OVH).

At the time of writing the financial technology company’s shares are up 2% to $9.72 and the OneVue share price is up 7.5% to 42.2 cents.

What did Iress announce?

This morning Iress announced that it is making its best and final offer to acquire OneVue.

According to the release, Iress has increased the consideration under the proposed scheme of arrangement from 40 cents per share to 43 cents per share.

The two parties have subsequently entered into an amended scheme implementation agreement which reflects the increased consideration.

Iress’ chief executive, Andrew Walsh, revealed that the company decided to increase its offer following feedback from OneVue shareholders.

He commented: “The original offer price of 40 cents per share was unanimously recommended by the OneVue Board. It was towards the upper end of the independent expert’s valuation range and represented a 67% premium to OneVue’s closing share price on 28 May 2020.”

“While overall feedback from OneVue shareholders has been very positive regarding the Scheme, Iress has considered all shareholder feedback and decided to increase consideration to 43 cents per share to give the Scheme the greatest chance of success. This revised price is at the top of the independent expert’s valuation range of 36 cents to 43 cents per OneVue share and represents a 79% premium to the 28 May 2020 closing share price,” he added.

What now?

OneVue directors continue to unanimously recommend that its shareholders vote in favour of the scheme. This is in the absence of a superior proposal and subject to the independent expert continuing to conclude that the scheme is in their best interests.

They also note that the independent expert has warned that there could be significant downside risk for OneVue shares if the scheme is unsuccessful.

This was echoed by Iress’ chief executive.

Mr Walsh concluded: “If OneVue shareholders view the offer as attractive, we encourage them to vote in favour. If the Scheme is unsuccessful, the independent expert has indicated there is a risk that the OneVue share price will fall below our original offer. On 28 May 2020, OneVue was trading at 24 cents per share.”

More reading

• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Wednesday

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended IRESS Limited. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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It certainly hasn’t been a great month for the Sezzle Inc (ASX: SZL) share price.

Prior to today, the buy now pay later provider’s shares were down a very disappointing 42.2% since the start of the month.

This decline has been driven by concerns over the imminent launch of a buy now pay later product by payments giant PayPal in the United States and a profit-taking tech selloff on the Nasdaq index.

Fortunately for its shareholders, the Sezzle share price is heading in the right direction on Monday.

At the time of writing the company’s shares are up 4.5% to $6.82.

Why is the Sezzle share price shooting higher on Monday?

As well as getting a boost from a strong night of trade on the Nasdaq index on Friday, investors have responded very positively to the release of an announcement this morning.

That announcement reveals that the Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) rival has signed a proof of concept agreement with one of the world’s largest retailers.

According to the release, Sezzle has commenced a proof of concept with US$77 billion retailer, Target Corporation. This will see the company’s buy now pay later platform used for limited tests with a small portion of Target.com guests in two product categories. 

The trial is being undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of the Sezzle platform for Target’s retail operations.

However, management has warned investors not to get too excited with this news.

It warned: “The POC is preliminary in nature and does not represent any guarantee of a future commercial contract. Sezzle will provide a further update to the market at the conclusion of the POC, with the timing of this not yet known.”

Should you invest?

While this is a promising development, I feel it is far too soon to consider it as part of an investment thesis.

I would suggest investors keep their powder dry until the company releases an update following the conclusion of the trial.

More reading

• ASX 200 jumps 2.4% higher, numerous shares rise
• Why Afterpay, Nufarm, PolyNovo, & Sezzle shares are racing higher today
• Sezzle (ASX:SZL) share price on watch after announcing Ally Lending partnership
• The Sezzle (ASX:SZL) share price is up 15% this week
• How an ASX share turns $100 into $1,000

James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. recommends Sezzle Inc. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of AFTERPAY T FPO. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Sezzle Inc. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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The ASX share market has rebounded quite strongly from March to June this year. The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) saw its value plummet 36% as COVID-19 impacted in March. It is now sitting half-way between its 52-week high and low range.

However, the share market has stagnated of late. And despite many ASX shares recovering from their ultra-low share prices, there are still companies that are bargain buys.

I think it’s possible that the market has seen its absolute bottom and will now continue to rise. Here’s my pick of 3 top ASX shares that I believe are in the buy zone today.

Credit Corp Group Limited (ASX: CCP)

COVID-19 wreaked havoc on Australia’s largest debt buyer and collector. The Credit Corp share price has tumbled more than 55% since February, to $16.46. Economic uncertainty has cast a slowdown in customers committing to long-term debt arrangements.

While government stimulus packages have provided relief to consumers until March, recent data shows that unemployment levels are easing. Credit Corp is in a unique position to benefit from the pandemic with higher debt volumes for sale.

At this price, I think Credit Corp shares are good value for patient investors. The company is an established market leader and has a strong business model that will grow its books.

Nearmap Ltd (ASX: NEA)

Nearmap is a leading specialist in high-resolution aerial imagery and location data. Early in the month, Nearmap surprised investors with a capital raise to fund growth opportunities. This sent the Nearmap share price south from reaching a 52-week high of $3.22 in late August to $2.23 today.

No doubt, the forthcoming dilution of shareholder value led the 30% fall in the Nearmap share price.

The extra liquidity will be used to increase investment in sales and marketing for its North American segment. In addition, Nearmap will also look to speed-up its HyperCamera3 system that will enable expansion into new geographical markets. Both these initiatives are projected to boost revenue by a decent margin.

I would consider Nearmap a buy at its current share price. I think this ASX growth share is undervalued and could soar in the near-future.

Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL)

Australian oil and gas company Woodside has been heavily sold off by investors this year. This was the result of both the impact of coronavirus on the global economy and a pricing war between Russia and Saudi Arabia. The knock-on effects sent the price of oil into negative territory for the first time in history.

The price of crude oil has now stabilised around US$40, a long way off from its US$76 high in June 2018.

The Woodside share price has tanked from its 52-week high of $36.28 to Friday’s market close of $18.32. This represents a discount of 50%, which is why I think it’s trading at attractive levels for a long-term investor.

Oil is known as the lifeblood of industrialised nations. Global traffic will eventually resume, with international travel and logistical supply chains set to renew demand for the precious resource.

More reading

• 3 ASX shares with dividend yields above 10%
• How to make money by investing in ASX 200 shares
• Westpac (ASX:WBC) and 2 more ASX 200 shares to watch this week
• ASX 200 Weekly Wrap: Bank shares push ASX 200 higher
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Monday

Aaron Teboneras owns shares of Nearmap Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of Nearmap Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Nearmap Ltd. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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The PointsBet Holdings Ltd (ASX: PBH) share price could be on the move on Monday after releasing an update on its U.S. operations.

What did PointsBet announce?

This morning the sports betting company announced that it has launched retail sports betting operations in the State of Illinois and has now taken the first retail bet at the Hawthorne Race Course. This follows the launch of online operations in the state earlier this month.

In addition to this, the company revealed that it has signed a deal in the state with the Chicago Bears NFL franchise.

PointsBet is the first official sports betting partner of the Chicago Bears and will gain usage of trademarks and logos. It will also have sponsorship opportunities and brand visibility across various digital assets.

Further NFL deal.

The Chicago Bears isn’t the only team that PointsBet has just signed up.

The company advised that it has entered into a deal which will see it become an official sportsbook partner of the Indianapolis Colts NFL franchise.

As with the Chicago Bears deal, PointsBet will gain usage of trademarks and logos, as well as sponsorship opportunities and brand visibility across digital assets.

One such sponsorship opportunity it has seized is the Official Colts Podcast, which is circulated across the team’s various digital assets.

PointsBet has also been given access to mobile app push notifications for Indianapolis Colts regular season games prior to kick off.

Johnny Aitken, PointsBet USA’s CEO, was very pleased with these deals.

He commented: “The PointsBet team is incredibly excited to become a sportsbook partner of both the Bears and Colts. We are teaming up with first-class organizations, supported by extremely passionate fans.”

“Since launching our fast and differentiated mobile sports betting app in Indiana and Illinois, we’ve been thrilled by the reception of local sports bettors in both states. We’ve always viewed Indiana and Illinois to be significant markets for the PointsBet brand, and we look forward to increasing our presence alongside famed partners in the Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago Bears,” he concluded.

More reading

• Is it too late to buy the PointsBet (ASX:PBH) share price? 
• PointsBet (ASX:PBH) share price higher on U.S. expansion news
• Should you buy the PointsBet (ASX:PBH) share price after its capital raising? 
• Why Accent, Afterpay, Nine, & PointsBet shares are dropping lower today
• Why the PointsBet (ASX:PBH) share price tumbled 21% lower today

James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of Pointsbet Holdings Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Pointsbet Holdings Ltd. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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Everyone wants to make money in the sharemarket. ASX 200 shares have been volatile in recent times which can make it hard to see where and how to invest. 

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) jumped 1.5% higher last week and now could be a good time to buy.

Here are a few of my top tips that I think can help Fools make money by investing in top-quality shares today.

How to make money by investing in ASX 200 shares

1. Decide on an investment strategy

The average “retail” or individual investor can be their own worst enemy. Too often I have sold out of strong ASX 200 shares because I’m worried about potential losses.

People tend to be loss averse but risk-seeking. Those two concepts don’t really match up because you need to take some risk to get strong returns but don’t want to see your investments fall.

The best way to combat this is by creating your own investment strategy. I like to set targets for when I would buy and sell a particular ASX 200 share. That could mean if it gets to a particular price target I sell and if it falls more than 20% I sell, or I’m only allowed to invest 5% of my portfolio in small cap shares.

It doesn’t really matter what the rules are as long as you stick to them and get out of your own way!

2. Buy for the long-term (don’t gamble!)

I think this is really critical. One of the mistakes I made early on in my investing journey was chopping and changing too much.

 Of course, not all of your investments will pan out. There will be ASX 200 shares that rocket higher like Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) and those that crash and burn.

The key is to try and minimise the losers while giving the potential winners time to run. Buying and selling over short time horizons is a good way to lose a lot of money in tax and transaction costs.

Rather than constantly buying the next hot stock, I think it’s best to have a diversified portfolio of growth and dividend shares across a number of sectors.

3. Invest in high-quality ASX 200 shares

This follows on from the point above. Buying high-quality ASX 200 shares is the key to building long-term wealth.

It’s best to drown out the noise regarding the next hot tip from your friend or the local taxi driver. Do your research and invest in companies with a strong competitive “moat” around their business and real long-term growth potential.

There are a few ASX 200 shares that I’ve got my eye on at the moment. For non-cyclical exposure I like Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL) while I think Transurban Group (ASX: TCL) shares could be a secret cash cow.

More reading

• Westpac (ASX:WBC) and 2 more ASX 200 shares to watch this week
• ASX 200 Weekly Wrap: Bank shares push ASX 200 higher
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Monday
• 10 fantastic ASX shares to buy in October
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 next week

Motley Fool contributor Ken Hall has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of AFTERPAY T FPO, COLESGROUP DEF SET, and Transurban Group. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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Every Monday I like to look at ASIC’s short position report to find out which shares are being targeted by short sellers.

This is because I believe it is well worth keeping a close eye on short interest levels as high levels can sometimes be a sign that something isn’t quite right with a company.

With that in mind, here are the 10 most shorted shares on the ASX this week according to ASIC:

• Webjet Limited (ASX: WEB) remains the most shorted ASX share by some distance after its short interest rose to 17.7%. It appears as though short sellers believe Webjet shares are vastly overvalued at the current level given the weak outlook for travel markets.
• Speedcast International Ltd (ASX: SDA) has short interest of 11.15%. This communications satellite technology provider’s shares have been suspended almost all year whilst it undertakes its chapter 11 recapitalisation. When it eventually returns to trade, short sellers will no doubt be cashing in greatly.
• Myer Holdings Ltd (ASX: MYR) has seen its short interest rise to 11%. The department store operator’s short interest has risen consistently since the release of its full year results. Myer posted a 41.6% decline in EBITDA to $305.3 million. Short sellers don’t appear confident FY 2021 will be any better.
• InvoCare Limited (ASX: IVC) has short interest of 9.9%, which is up week on week once again. This funerals company has come under attack from short sellers since the release of its weak half year result. It appears as though they expect the difficult trading conditions to persist.
• Inghams Group Ltd (ASX: ING) has 8.3% of its shares held short, which is up slightly week on week. This poultry company has been battling with higher input costs and an unfavourable shift in its sales mix.
• FlexiGroup Limited (ASX: FXL) has 8% of its shares held short, which is down slightly week on week. The financial services company posted a 62% decline in cash profit during FY 2020. Judging by its high level of short interest, short sellers may be expecting another poor result in FY 2021. 
• CLINUVEL Pharmaceuticals Limited (ASX: CUV) has seen its short interest fall to 7.8%. The biopharmaceutical company recently announced plans to extend the use of its SCENESSE product to treat xeroderma pigmentosum. This may have led to some short sellers closing positions.
• Bank of Queensland Limited (ASX: BOQ) has seen its short interest rise again to 7.7%. Short sellers have been going after this regional bank after it warned that difficult trading conditions were likely to persist over the near term. Though, I suspect that recent changes to responsible lending rules may cause a rethink from some short sellers.
• Corporate Travel Management Ltd (ASX: CTD) has entered the top ten with short interest of 7.4%. Rising coronavirus cases globally appear to be the catalyst for this.
• Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd (ASX: FLT) is another new entry to the top ten with 7.1% of its shares held short. As with Corporate Travel Management, this appears to be related to the bleak outlook for travel markets due to rising coronavirus cases.

More reading

• Will the Corporate Travel (ASX:CTD) share price surge in 2021?
• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to sell next week
• ASX 200 finishes the week with a bang
• ASX 200 jumps 2.4% higher, numerous shares rise
• Why the Flight Centre (ASX:FLT) share price and Webjet (ASX:WEB) share price are taking off

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Corporate Travel Management Limited and Webjet Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended FlexiGroup Limited, Flight Centre Travel Group Limited, and InvoCare Limited. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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