Author: therawinformant

  • Will the Domino’s share price continue to surge in August?

    Image of home delivery pizza in a paper box

    Will pizza be the key to outperformance in August?

    Judging by the Domino’s Pizza Enterprises Ltd (ASX: DMP) share price gains, that could be the case.

    Domino’s shares are up 5.0% in the last month while the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has edged 0.2% lower.

    Why the Domino’s share price is soaring

    There have been no major announcements from the Aussie food company since mid-April. However, that hasn’t stopped the Domino’s share price continuing to climb.

    One big factor has been Domino’s ability to continue operating despite coronavirus restrictions.

    Investors seem to be pricing in resilient future earnings, with Domino’s shares jumping 40.2% to $75.52. In fact, Domino’s is currently trading just 1.7% behind its 52-week high.

    I think strong momentum and a lack of announcements make the company’s August earnings result one worth watching.

    It’s been a long time since we’ve got an insight into Domino’s financials and operations. That means the August 19 full-year result could help re-calibrate expectations for the Domino’s share price.

    Is the Domino’s share price a buy?

    I think the Victorian lockdown could be good for Domino’s earnings. There are tight restrictions in stage 4 but food delivery is not one of them.

    That means Domino’s earnings could be resilient despite economic hardship in many industries.

    I also think it’s in a better position than many ASX 200 shares to pay dividends in the near future.

    The one concern I would have is the lofty valuation. Domino’s shares trade at a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 49.1 and just shy of its 52-week high.

    That means you’re investing a lot of money for little immediate return. If you believe in the long-term growth story, that may not be a huge concern.

    However, value investors may be turned off buying Domino’s shares.

    Foolish takeaway

    The Domino’s share price has had a strong year but I’m not sure the company’s shares are particularly cheap.

    If you’re willing to wait, I think the August earnings result could provide a good reset point for the ASX share’s fair valuation.

    Legendary stock picker names 5 cheap stocks to buy right now

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    Motley Fool contributor Ken Hall has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Domino’s Pizza Enterprises 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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  • Is the Mesoblast share price a sleeping biotech giant?

    close up of pink alarm clock against blue background

    Mesoblast Limited (ASX: MSB) shares have surged more than 30% in the past month. Despite this, I believe the Mesoblast share price is poised to go higher. Around nine years ago, the company was part of the S&P/ASX 200 Index (INDEXASX: XJO) and was trading around $9 with a market capitalisation of $2.5 billion at its peak.

    Since then, the Mesoblast share price has struggled to gain any traction and was eventually dropped out of the Index. However, since late-March, the Mesoblast share price has surged more than 314% on the back of a potential treatment for COVID-19, which has seen the company re-join the ASX 200 Index. So, is Mesoblast finally going to become a biotech giant and is now the time to invest?

    What is fuelling the Mesoblast share price?

    Mesoblast is a world leader in developing regenerative medicines for inflammatory diseases. The company made headlines in April after it announced promising results for its Remestemcel-L (Ryonsil) treatment for COVID-19.

    According to Mesoblast, Ryonsil is design to counteract the inflammatory process induced by COVID-19 by neutralising inflammation. The product is currently undergoing Phase 3 trials in the United States on COVID-19 patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome.

    Ryoncil is already in a number of other clinical trials targeted at reducing inflammatory conditions in patients with steroid-refractory acute graft versus host disease (SR-aGVHD).

    What is the outlook for Mesoblast?

    There are two important catalysts in the near future that could send the Mesoblast share price soaring. The first is the interim analysis of Ryoncil’s Phase 3 trials in ventilator dependent COVID-19 patients. The Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) has set a date in early September to review the data and will inform Mesoblast on whether further trials should proceed.

    The second catalyst is closer and pertains to Ryoncil’s use in treating children with SR-aGVHD. The company is scheduled to meet with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on 13 August. I’ll be keeping a close eye on the Mesoblast share price at this time.

    Should you buy?

    Mesoblast released its activities report for the fourth quarter in late July. This saw the company end the quarter with US$129.3 million in cash and net operating cashflow of US$2 million. Mesoblast completed a US$90 million capital raising in May and is well positioned to scale-up manufacturing of its products.

    Despite the catalysts that could send the Mesoblast share price soaring, I don’t think it would be prudent to jump ahead and buy shares in the company hoping for positive results. Although there may be promising data, investors need to factor in the risk that Mesoblast’s clinical trials fail to reach their endpoint. However, if the company achieves regulatory approval and can manufacture its products at a cost-effective price, it could become a biotech giant.

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    Motley Fool contributor Nikhil Gangaram 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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  • Why this leading fundie likes the Newcrest share price

    figurine of a bull standing on gold bars

    It’s been a good year for the Newcrest Mining Limited (ASX: NCM) share price.

    Shares in the Aussie gold miner have rocketed 22.8% but many think it could be headed higher.

    Global gold prices have smashed the US$2,000 per ounce barrier and continue to reach new record highs.  Fears over coronavirus and rising inflation have driven the precious metal’s recent rise.

    That’s good news for ASX gold shares like Newcrest and Saracen Mineral Holdings Limited (ASX: SAR).

    But can the Newcrest share price beat it’s current 52-week high and continue climbing in 2020?

    Why one leading fundie likes the Newcrest share price

    Fund manager Tribeca Global Natural Resources Ltd (ASX: TGF) is certainly bullish on the ASX gold share.

    That’s according to an article in the Australian Financial Review (AFR) quoting Tribeca’s head of research, Todd Warren.

    Mr Warren touched on many of the big themes driving gold prices higher. That includes the strong money supply and government stimulus, as well as a prolonged period of low interest rates.

    According to the article, Tribeca is bullish on the Newcrest share price with some “exciting results” out of an exploration prospect.

    There are other ASX gold shares on the investment manager’s buy list. That includes Saracen shares after the miner’s Super Pit acquisition late last year.

    That asset, joint-owned with Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST), could prove to be a masterstroke.

    With gold prices rocketing past US$2,000 per ounce, Saracen may have purchased that stake for an absolute steal.

    Tribeca believes the Aussie miner can “strip out costs” from the Kalgoorlie site and generate strong returns.

    Should you buy ASX gold shares?

    The Newcrest share price currently trades at a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 36.1. That’s certainly cheaper than the 44.9 multiple that Saracen shares currently trade at.

    Clearly, Tribeca and other leading fundies are bullish on ASX gold shares like Newcrest.

    I personally won’t be buying in, but I can see the appeal for tactical investors. I think a small allocation to gold shares could be a good hedge in the current market.

    However, other companies with defensive earnings like Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL) could also help protect against the downside this year.

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    We hear it over and over from investors, “I wish I had bought Altium or Afterpay when they were first recommended by The Motley Fool. I’d be sitting on a gold mine!” And it’s true.

    And while Altium and Afterpay have had a good run, we think these 5 other stocks are screaming buys. And you can buy them now for less than $5 a share!

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    Motley Fool contributor Ken Hall has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of COLESGROUP DEF SET. 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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  • Nick Scali share price bolstered by strong outlook and dividend upgrade

    Nick Scali lounge

    Who said recessions are bad for retailers? The Nick Scali Limited (ASX: NCK) share price could be set to jump after it posted a positive profit report and predicted better times ahead.

    While the furniture retailer posted a 2.1% dip in FY20 revenue to $262.5 million, it managed to lift its earnings before interest and tax by 1.7% to $60.8 million as net profit was steady at $42.1 million.

    That’s a good result in this COVID-19 stricken environment, although that’s not the most exciting pieces of news.

    Profit and dividend upgrade

    Management is forecasting first half FY21 profit “to be up by at least 50-60%” compared to the same time last year and it increased its final dividend by 12.5% to 22.5 cents per share.

    The dividend lift is unusual for this reporting season. UBS described this period succinctly when it coined the term “dividend recession”. Many ASX stocks, such as big banks like Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA), will be slicing their payouts due to the pandemic.

    COVID boost to sales

    The COVID-19 lockdown probably helped Nick Scali. Demand for home furnishings got a boost with stuck-at-home consumers taking the opportunity to refresh their dwellings.

    “During the temporary closure of the Company’s stores in April, the online store was launched across all product categories and achieved greater than $3m in sales orders for the quarter,” said the company in its ASX statement.

    “The online store positively contributed to EBIT in the first quarter of operation.”

    Cost control pads margins

    But what’s also impressive is the group’s cost control. The weaker Australian dollar puts pressure on the retailer’s bottom line as it imports its goods from overseas and pays in US dollars.

    The impact of the exchange rate can be seen on its skinnier gross margin, but management’s cost cutting in a difficult environment more than offset this.

    This allowed its EBIT margin to expand by 90 basis points to 23.2% in FY20 over the previous financial year.

    It’s operating cash flow also recorded an impressive 22.6% jump to $75.4 million and its order book is brimming.

    Big order book

    “Contrary to the decline in sales revenue, written orders grew by 9% with same store sales orders up 4%,” added Nick Scali.

    “Following the temporary closure of Australian stores for most of April, and up until mid-May in New Zealand, May and June sales orders grew by 72% year on year.”

    Around 65% of the company’s products, like sofas, are made to order and takes between 9 weeks and 13 weeks for delivery.

    Nick Scali scaling the fiscal cliff

    The big surge in orders before June 30 means Nick Scali will book the sales and profits in the current quarter – contributing to management’s bullish profit guidance for the current half.

    The way profits are booked could help Nick Scali manage the so-called “fiscal cliff” facing the sector. This cliff refers to the gradual or full withdrawal of support measures from October.

    Other retailers like Harvey Norman Holdings Limited (ASX: HVN) and Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES) are also expected to post strong FY20 results. But their outlook could be more sombre.

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    We hear it over and over from investors, “I wish I had bought Altium or Afterpay when they were first recommended by The Motley Fool. I’d be sitting on a gold mine!” And it’s true.

    And while Altium and Afterpay have had a good run, we think these 5 other stocks are screaming buys. And you can buy them now for less than $5 a share!

    *Extreme Opportunities returns as of June 5th 2020

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    Motley Fool contributor Brendon Lau owns shares of Commonwealth Bank of Australia. Connect with me on Twitter @brenlau.

    The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of Wesfarmers 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.

    The post Nick Scali share price bolstered by strong outlook and dividend upgrade appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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  • Up 21% in a month, is the Northern Star share price a buy?

    digital line chart of asx gold share prices next to gold bars

    ASX gold shares. They’re arguably the hottest thing on the market right now except for maybe tech shares. One of those leading the pack is Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST). In fact, the Northern Star share price has surged 20.8% in the last month.

    So, how does Northern Star compare to its peers and is it still in the buy zone?

    Why the Northern Star share price has gone up

    One huge factor has been the bearishness in global share markets.

    Investors have been on edge ever since the March bear market. While the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has bounced back strongly, there are still lingering concerns.

    Those fears have been heightened amid the Victorian lockdown and the looming August earnings season.

    That has pushed global gold prices to a new record high and the Northern Star share price has climbed with it.

    In fact, ASX gold shares are continuing to climb. Low-interest rates and a weakening US dollar are continuing to fuel demand with a potentially bullish outlook ahead.

    How does Northern Star compare to its peers?

    Let’s take a look at the numbers and see if there’s any relative value in the Northern Star share price.

    Northern Star trades at a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 53.5 with a market capitalisation of $12.2 billion.

    On first glance, that looks to be quite expensive for an ASX gold share.

    The Saracen Mineral Holdings Limited (ASX: SAR) share price has also been outperforming. In fact, Saracen shares have rocketed 81.3% higher this year to a market capitalisation of $6.6 billion.

    Saracen shares trade at a P/E ratio of 44.9, while St Barbara Ltd (ASX: SBM) shares have a lower 21.2 multiple.

    One thing to keep in mind is the huge resources that both Northern Star and Saracen have to work with. That includes the joint ownership of the Kalgoorlie Super Pit gold mine which has massively boosted production.

    Foolish takeaway

    Despite how bullish the market is on ASX gold shares, I don’t think the Northern Star share price is a buy.

    There’s no sign of inflation in the short-term which could hamper global gold prices’ future growth. While market volatility may continue, I’m not sure gold will continue to surge.

    Add to that a relatively expensive P/E ratio and I don’t think it’s a compelling buy in the current market.

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    We hear it over and over from investors, “I wish I had bought Altium or Afterpay when they were first recommended by The Motley Fool. I’d be sitting on a gold mine!” And it’s true.

    And while Altium and Afterpay have had a good run, we think these 5 other stocks are screaming buys. And you can buy them now for less than $5 a share!

    *Extreme Opportunities returns as of June 5th 2020

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    Motley Fool contributor Ken Hall 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.

    The post Up 21% in a month, is the Northern Star share price a buy? appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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  • Why the Fortescue share price gained 26% in July and is still running strong

    colourful chalk drawing on blackboard of increasing bar graph

    Iron ore producer and explorer, Fortescue Metals Group Limited’s (ASX: FMG), shares gained 25.7% in July. The rising Fortescue share price placed the company near the top of July’s best gainers on the S&P/ASX 200 (INDEXASX: XJO).

    And the Fortescue share price has continued its run higher in August. In the first three trading days of this month, the company’s share price is up another 5.4%. That brings Fortescue’s year-to-date share price gain to 69.8%. Since its 9 March low, the share price is up almost 112%.

    These are the kinds of gains resource investors might normally expect from a risky, small-cap mining share reporting a big resource discovery. But with a market capitalisation of $56.4 billion, Fortescue is anything but small.

    While Fortescue’s share price has gained nearly 70% so far in 2020, the ASX 200 — down 0.6% yesterday — has lost more than 10%.

    What does Fortescue do?

    Fortescue is an iron ore production and exploration company. With core assets located in the Western Australia’s Pilbara region, Fortescue first publicly listed in 1987. It now ranks as the fourth largest iron ore producer in the world.

    The company owns and operates integrated operations spanning two iron ore mine hubs; the five-berth Herb Elliott Port and Judith Street Harbour towage facility in Port Hedland and the fastest heavy haul railway in the world.

    Why is Fortescue’s share price soaring higher?

    Fortescue’s share price has benefited from the high iron ore price, currently still well above US$100, at US$105.59 per tonne.

    Fortescue share holders have also benefited from the production slowdowns of one of the company’s chief rivals, Brazil’s Vale SA (NYSE: VALE). Vale saw a big fall in its iron ore production, as Brazil struggled to control the nation’s COVID-19 outbreak.

    On the other end of the globe, China — the world’s biggest importer of iron ore — has been recovering from its own virus-related slowdowns. With China’s demand for steel — and thus iron ore — forecast to remain strong, I expect Fortescue’s share price to continue performing well.

    Indeed, Fortescue shares have performed strongly into August, buoyed by the company’s fourth quarter report. The report revealed it had beaten its financial year iron ore estimates, revealing the company had, “Record iron ore shipments of 47.3 million tonnes (mt) for the quarter and 178.2 mt for FY20, exceeding the top end of guidance of 177 mt and 6% higher than FY19.”

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    We hear it over and over from investors, “I wish I had bought Altium or Afterpay when they were first recommended by The Motley Fool. I’d be sitting on a gold mine!” And it’s true.

    And while Altium and Afterpay have had a good run, we think these 5 other stocks are screaming buys. And you can buy them now for less than $5 a share!

    *Extreme Opportunities returns as of June 5th 2020

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    Motley Fool contributor Bernd Struben 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.

    The post Why the Fortescue share price gained 26% in July and is still running strong appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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  • 3 ASX tech shares to buy in FY 2021

    person touching digital screen featuring array of icons and the word saas

    I think the Australian information technology sector is a great place to look for buy and hold investments.

    This is because there are a good number of companies that I believe have the potential to grow materially over the next decade.

    Three which I feel could generate outsized returns for investors over the long term are listed below. Here’s why I would buy them:

    Altium Limited (ASX: ALU)

    Altium is an award-winning electronic design software provider which I believe has a long runway for growth. This is thanks to its exposure to the fast-growing Internet of Things and artificial intelligence markets. These two markets are underpinning the proliferation of electronic devices globally. This is a big positive for Altium, as its software is used as an integral part of the design process by companies such as HP, Lenovo, Boeing, Philips, and BMW. Given the positive industry tailwinds, I expect demand for its software to continue increasing for a long time to come.

    Appen Ltd (ASX: APX)

    Another company which is benefiting from the artificial intelligence boom is Appen. This is because it has a leadership position in the development of high-quality, human-annotated training data for machine learning and artificial intelligence. As with Altium, Appen has worked closely with some very big companies. These include Apple, Facebook, and Microsoft. I believe this is a testament to the quality of its offering. Looking ahead, with spending on artificial intelligence expected to grow materially over the next decade, I believe Appen is positioned perfectly to deliver above-average profit growth over the long term.

    Xero Limited (ASX: XRO)

    A final tech share to look at is Xero. It is a provider of cloud-based business and accounting software which has been growing at an explosive rate over the last couple of years. This has been driven by increasing subscriber numbers and strong recurring revenue growth. Given its massive global market opportunity, high quality and sticky product, and strong pricing power, I believe it is in a great position to continue this trend for a long time to come.

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    We hear it over and over from investors, “I wish I had bought Altium or Afterpay when they were first recommended by The Motley Fool. I’d be sitting on a gold mine!” And it’s true.

    And while Altium and Afterpay have had a good run, we think these 5 other stocks are screaming buys. And you can buy them now for less than $5 a share!

    *Extreme Opportunities returns as of June 5th 2020

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    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 Altium. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of Xero. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of Appen 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 Galaxy Resources share price surged 41% in July. Here’s why.

    Cut outs of cogs and machinery with chemical symbol for lithium

    Investors in lithium producer Galaxy Resources Limited (ASX: GXY) enjoyed a tremendous 41.0% share price gain in July.

    The stock hit a monthly high of $1.12 per share on 28 July. It closed the month at $1.10 per share, up from 78 cents at the start of July. That puts Galaxy high on the top gainers list for the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) last month.

    It’s been a wild ride for the company’s investors in 2020. The Galaxy Resources share price plummeted a gut-wrenching 42.3% from 5 February to 4 May. Investors who held their nerve were rewarded handsomely though. Since 4 May, the share price has gained 63.4%.

    Year-to-date, the share price is up 16.0%, giving the company a market cap of $475 million. Over that same time the All Ords — down 0.5% yesterday — lost 9.9%.

    What does Galaxy Resources do?

    Galaxy Resources Limited is a lithium producer working to create a large scale, global lithium chemicals business to power the future. It has a diversified portfolio of lithium hard rock and brine assets at different levels of development.

    Those include its hard rock operations in Mt Cattlin, Western Australia. Galaxy is also progressing with its development of its flagship brine project, Sal de Vida in Argentina, among the world’s largest undeveloped lithium brine assets. The company is also progressing the early stage development of its James Bay project in Quebec, Canada.

    Short sellers beware!

    On 6 July, Galaxy Resources made the top 10 list of shorted stocks, coming in at number six, according to figures from ASIC. Believing the weakness in lithium prices would see the company’s share price fall, short sellers held 8.1% of the stock on 6 July.

    With the stock gaining 36.5% since then, the short sellers got this one completely wrong.

    And the company’s outlook remains strong.

    On 13 July the company reported:

    A multiyear offtake extension has been executed with long term major customer Yahua Industrial Group. Yahua has recently doubled their lithium hydroxide production capacity and has agreed to purchase additional spodumene concentrate from Mt Cattlin.

    If you’re out for the specifics, Yahua agreed to purchase an additional 30,000 dmt of 6% Li2O spodumene concentrate in 2020. It also agreed to buy 120,000 dmt per year from 2021 to 2025 on a take or pay basis.

    5 stocks under $5

    We hear it over and over from investors, “I wish I had bought Altium or Afterpay when they were first recommended by The Motley Fool. I’d be sitting on a gold mine!” And it’s true.

    And while Altium and Afterpay have had a good run, we think these 5 other stocks are screaming buys. And you can buy them now for less than $5 a share!

    *Extreme Opportunities returns as of June 5th 2020

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor Bernd Struben 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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  • Alliance Airlines reports 24% increase in profits

    airplane rocket

    Alliance Aviation Services Ltd (ASX: AQZ) reported a 24.1% jump in profit before tax after the close of trading on Wednesday. The company’s diverse business model enabled it to pivot in mid-stride during the coronavirus pandemic quicker than any other airline. Consequently, it was able to continue flying throughout the pandemic.

    The company’s FY20 top line revenue was $298.6 million, versus $277.1 million in FY19. In addition, flying hours were only 1% lower. As a brief financial summary, the company flew basically the same hours for an additional 7% of revenue, and saw profit before tax increase by 24.1%. This underlines very disciplined cost management throughout the period in addition to higher paying flights.

    The company also ended the year with 4 additional aircraft, and reduced debt by $6 million.

    Alliance Airlines high points

    Contract sales made up 68% of company revenue. Specifically, they contributed $202.5 million for the year, which is an increase of 22.5% compared to FY19. This was the result of two factors. First, the continuation of resource sector companies as part of the nation’s essential services. Second, the social distancing requirements. This resulted in more flights required for existing customers to traffic workers to and from remote sites safely.

    Wet leases were down by 46.3%. This is when the company’s planes fly under another company’s brand. This is due to the suspension of the group’s wet lease agreement with Virgin Australia Holdings Limited (ASX: VAH) in March 2020.

    Another standout performer for Alliance Airlines was chartered flights. This increased by 97% over the year. The group performed charter services for a number of new resource sector clients, sporting teams and various emergency services from the lockdown period to the end of the financial year.

    Its stoic performance throughout the coronavirus pandemic has resulted in additional work. For example, the company was awarded flights to the Whitsundays by the Queensland Government. In addition, it announced a new 10-year airline services contract with South32 Ltd (ASX: S32) for the Cannington and Groote Eylandt (GEMCO) mine sites on 1 May.

    Company outlook

    Alliance Airlines carried out a placement to institutional investors for an amount of $91.9 million. In addition, it raised a further $3.9 million via a share purchase plan for retail investors. These funds are to increase the fleet size to take advantage of opportunities in the market.

    On the 3 August 2020, the group announced it had entered an agreement with Azorra Aviation of the United States. Specifically, this was for the purchase of 14 Embraer E190 aircraft. Moreover, the package included related inventory, ground support equipment, tooling and training devices.

    The company has a number of new routes already planned in regular public transport (RPT) for these aircraft. Furthermore, it expects several of its charter flights to mature into long term charter contracts. Lastly, most requirements for social distancing has now ceased, however contracted schedules continue to be higher than pre-COVID-19 levels.

    Nevertheless, the airline is not without competitors. Today’s announcement by Virgin Australia that it was going to kill off its Tigerair brand reduces low cost flight competition. However, it still finds itself competing head first with the Qantas Airways Limited (ASX: QAN) regional carrier Qantaslink, as well as Regional Express Holdings Ltd (ASX: REX).

    Foolish Takeaway

    The performance of Alliance Airlines during the pandemic has vindicated the company’s diverse business model. Moreover, based on its performance, it has won extra contracts. I believe the company’s financial results are sustainable, and will continue to improve into the future. This is due to the planned expansion building on existing successes, thereby reducing the risk of failure.

    As a result of its planned expansion, there will be no final dividend for FY20. The company is currently trading at a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 19.4 and has a market valuation of $571.59 million.

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    Motley Fool contributor Daryl Mather 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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  • A Taiwan Tech Company Bigger Than Foxconn (Not TSMC)

    A Taiwan Tech Company Bigger Than Foxconn (Not TSMC)(Bloomberg Opinion) — When the U.S. administration moved in May to block Huawei Technologies Co. from accessing American technology to manufacture its chips, shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. dropped.Huawei, the Chinese phone and telecoms equipment giant, was one of the custom chipmaker’s biggest clients and losing those orders was thought to pose a huge threat to revenue. Yet that same day, shares of another Taiwanese company jumped as much as their daily 10% limit, the most in almost five years.MediaTek Inc., a designer of chips used in electronics including smartphones, has since climbed another 78% in Taiwan and by late July overtook the market value of Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., the Taipei-based flagship of iPhone maker Foxconn Technology Group. At the close of trade Wednesday, MediaTek was Taiwan’s second-biggest company, worth NT$1.2 trillion ($40 billion). The new rule from the Trump administration stated that chip manufacturers such as TSMC cannot use American know-how to make semiconductors for Huawei, accusing the Chinese company of undertaking “malign activities contrary to U.S. national security and foreign policy interests.” Since U.S. equipment, software and materials are an irreplaceable part of chip manufacturing, the edict meant that Huawei can no longer use its own chips in its devices.But Huawei’s smartphones, routers, switches and other hardware can use chips designed by outside parties, even if they’re manufactured with American technology. Enter MediaTek.It designs 5G chips for both smartphones and base stations, and has them manufactured by TSMC, making it the perfect replacement for the Huawei-designed chips that can no longer be made.Already a supplier to the Chinese company, MediaTek’s orders from Huawei are reported to have jumped after the restrictions, spurring analysts to raise their outlook for 2020 revenue by 14% and for next year by 29%.This wasn’t some fluke, though, or merely being in the right place at the right time. Founded by M.K. Tsai, a U.S.-educated electrical engineer and  early leader of Taiwan’s chip industry, MediaTek has made a career out of being the backup quarterback in the world’s most ubiquitous devices.Once a division of United Microelectronics Corp., TSMC’s smaller rival in the chip foundry business, the company was spun off and listed in 2001. All three are based in Taiwan’s Hsinchu Science Park. When it gained independence, CD-ROMs and DVDs were hot, and MediaTek made the chips which powered them. It’s been riding the electronics revolution ever since and Tsai was later named among the world’s best-performing chief executive officers by the Harvard Business Review. When Blu-ray players were introduced, it became a key supplier of components. By the time Bluetooth became standard in gadgets, later to include mobile phones, MediaTek had cheaper offerings than its rivals. Wi-Fi was another big boon to the company.In many cases, MediaTek didn’t have the first or even the best product in the market, but it consistently found a way to balance performance with cost, and leverage a huge uptake in a hip new technology that would invariably force prices down. Competitors were often left flat-footed, offering higher-priced chips when MediaTek’s components were considered acceptable while being far cheaper.When mobile telephony came along, particularly the 3G technology that enabled the mobile internet, MediaTek was recognized as a serious player. Before long, it was not only designing networking chips but the core processor that runs a smartphone or tablet, treading on turf dominated by Qualcomm Inc. It went one step further, offering reference designs — recipes for how to make a smartphone — whereas Qualcomm tended to just sell the chip and let device manufacturers figure out the rest.MediaTek’s semiconductors, and Google’s free Android operating system, gave rise to a boom in smartphones that could be made for as little as $20 apiece. It has since developed high-end chips with artificial intelligence capabilities. One parlor trick: using MediaTek-powered phones to follow human movement and mimic it on a robot.Now, there’s 5G.With Chinese smartphone brands like Huawei, Xiaomi Corp. and Oppo already clients, and China itself being the earliest adopter of this faster networking standard, MediaTek stands poised to benefit. It helps that its closest rival, Qualcomm, is an American company in the midst of a U.S.-China tech cold war.Its new mobile chipsets may be installed on more than 40% of 5G devices launched in China, Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Charles Shum writes, adding to the strength it already enjoys in the market for Wi-Fi and power-management components it supplies to the likes of Amazon.com Inc., Xiaomi and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.MediaTek has built a good business from being a smaller, less-famous name from a little-known place in Taiwan. With Beijing-Washington tensions heating up, it now finds itself at the center of the action. The trick will be to remain indispensable without becoming collateral damage.This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.Tim Culpan is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering technology. He previously covered technology for Bloomberg News.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinionSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.

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