Author: therawinformant

  • Is the Transurban share price a buy right now?

    Transurban shares

    On Friday, the Transurban Group (ASX: TCL) share price fell 2% to $13.81 per share. The stock broadly followed the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO), which also lost 2% Friday.

    The Transurban share price is down in morning trade today, and is currently sitting at $13.67 per share with a market capitalisation of $37.39 billion. Transurban shares have bounced back sharply from their 19 March low (up by 36.15%), but the Transurban share price still down 8.3% year-to-date.

    Transurban has an annual dividend yield of 3.4% and will pay its next dividend of 16 cents on 14 August. It’s too late to get in on that payment now, but while its dividends have fallen since the onset of national lockdowns, the company has a long track record as a reliable yield stock.

    What does Transurban do?

    Transurban is one of the world’s largest toll road operators. It also designs and builds new road projects. The company is Australian owned and active in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. It also operates in Montreal, Canada, and Greater Washington in the United States (US).

    If you’ve popped onto the major freeways in New South Wales, Victoria or Queensland, you’ve probably paid Transurban for the privilege.

    What’s next for the Transurban share price?

    With the coronavirus crisis shifting on an almost daily basis, it’s impossible to say what the short-term impact will be on any Aussie stocks.

    But if you’re looking for a share to add to your long-term holdings, I think Transurban should be near the top of your list.

    Social distancing and lockdowns in the US, Canada and Australia have had a major impact on the company’s 2020 revenues. The company’s 2020 financial year results will be released on 12 August, so stay tuned. And with Victoria entering the most restrictive lockdown measures in Australian history, the coming months will likely see more pain ahead for its toll revenues.

    But longer term, which is where I think investors should be concentrating, the impact of this virus should see people in the major cities turning away from public transport and more inclined to use their own cars, in my view. There’s nothing like your boot and bonnet to maintain a safe distance.

    Where to invest $1,000 right now

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for more than eight years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    Scott just revealed what he believes are the five best ASX stocks for investors to buy right now. These stocks are trading at dirt-cheap prices and Scott thinks they are great buys right now.

    *Returns as of June 30th

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    Motley Fool contributor Bernd Struben has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of 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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  • 3 top ASX tech shares to buy right now

    blackboard drawing of hand pointing to the words buy now

    The Australian technology sector is growing rapidly. It is home to a growing number of ASX tech shares, many with an expanding international presence.

    Here we look at why these three ASX tech shares are all currently on my buy list.

    3 ASX tech shares to buy now

    Altium Limited (ASX: ALU)

    Altium designs software that enables engineers to produce printed circuit boards for a broad range of devices. This includes a growing number of interconnected devices that make up what is known as as the ‘internet of things’ (IoT).

    Altium’s recent financial performance has been very strong, despite subdued market conditions due to the coronavirus pandemic. Altium achieved a very solid 10% increase in revenue to US$189 million during FY 2020. Its customer base also grew strongly, up by 17% during the 12 month period.

    The Altium share price was hit hard in the first phase of the pandemic, before which it was trading at levels above $40. Since then, however, it has only made a partial recovery and is currently trading at $32.99. This in my mind, offers investors a good buying opportunity.

    Bravura Solutions Ltd (ASX: BVS)

    Bravura provides mission-critical enterprise software solutions to the wealth management and funds administration industries.

    The Bravura share price has risen strongly since the beginning of 2018, rising from $1.73 to now be trading at $4.22. However, like Altium, this ASX tech share has only partially recovered from its initial sharp fall during February/March bear market. Investors are therefore offered the opportunity to purchase shares in this high quality fintech provider at a more attractive price.

    I believe Bravura is well place for strong growth over the next few years, driven by an expanding product set and market-leading position in its operating niche.

    Audinate Group Ltd (ASX: AD8)

    Another ASX tech share on my buy list right now is Audinate. This locally-based company provides audio networking solutions that are used in the production of a range of professional audio equipment.

    A recent capital raising set to deliver $40 million will strengthen Audinate’s balance sheet. It will also increase its engineering and R&D capabilities to support future growth opportunities. 

    I believe that, despite current challenges, this ASX tech share is now well positioned for long-term growth, driven by its market leading audio solutions. The Audinate share price is currently trading more than 43% below its pre-pandemic levels which provides investors with a good, long-term buying opportunity.

    Foolish takeway

    Altium, Bravura and Audinate are three high quality ASX tech shares that have seen falls in their share prices this year. With long runways for future growth, astute long-term investors now have the opportunity purchase shares at more attractive prices.

    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

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    Phil Harpur owns shares of Altium. 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 AUDINATEGL FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Bravura Solutions Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended AUDINATEGL FPO. 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 ANZ, Flight Centre, SEEK, & Tabcorp shares are dropping lower

    shares lower

    The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is on course to start the week with a decline due largely to weakness in the banking sector. In late morning trade the benchmark index is down 0.45% to 5,901.9 points.

    Four shares that are falling more than most today are listed below. Here’s why they are dropping lower:

    The Australia and New Zealand Banking GrpLtd (ASX: ANZ) share price is down almost 4% to $17.27. Investors have been selling the big four banks on Monday after the Victorian state government declared a state of disaster. This has seen it lock down the state for six weeks in an effort to control the spread of coronavirus.

    The Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd (ASX: FLT) share price has sunk 5% lower to $10.00. The travel sector has come under pressure on Monday after the aforementioned lockdowns in Victoria. In addition to this, more new coronavirus cases in New South Wales may be a concern for investors. All in all, the recovery of the domestic travel market looks likely to take a lot longer than first expected.

    The SEEK Limited (ASX: SEK) share price is down 2.5% to $21.15. Investors have been selling the job listings giant’s shares after it announced that it would be cancelling its final dividend for FY 2020. Management advised that it believes it is better to preserve capital in an uncertain environment in order to fund its long-term growth strategy. This means the 13 cents per share interim dividend paid last month (which was down 46% on the prior corresponding period), will be the only dividend paid in FY 2020.

    The Tabcorp Holdings Limited (ASX: TAH) share price is down 1.5% to $3.50. This morning the gambling company announced that it expects to incur non-cash goodwill impairment charges in the range of $1,000 million to $1,100 million in FY 2020. It also revealed that it expects to report a net profit before tax and significant items in the range of $267 million to $273 million. This is a 31% to 32.5% decline year on year.

    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

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    Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro owns shares of SEEK Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Flight Centre Travel Group Limited and SEEK 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 Why ANZ, Flight Centre, SEEK, & Tabcorp shares are dropping lower appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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  • Is the Afterpay share price a boom or bust?

    business men engaged in tug of war

    The Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) share price. It’s right up there with the coronavirus pandemic on what is dividing investors in 2020.

    There’s no doubt Afterpay’s growth trajectory has been impressive. Steady operational expansion and consistently low bad debts have been hallmarks of Afterpay’s growth.

    The Afterpay share price has enjoyed similarly strong growth this year. In fact, shares in the buy now, pay later leader are up 128.5% in 2020.

    But, ahead of the company’s August earnings result, is Afterpay set to be an ASX boom or bust?

    Why investors are split on the Afterpay share price

    One article in the Australian Financial Review (AFR) looked at exactly this issue.

    According to the article, a Morgan Stanley report on US payments company had Afterpay at 23rd by market share of the 477 merchants in the US.

    What that means for the Afterpay share price really depends on your perspective. On the one hand, Afterpay could have a lot more market to capture in the coming years.

    On the other, Afterpay is in a crowded market and may not have the growth that its share price is pricing in.

    I think the key for further capital gains is strong customer acquisition and retention.

    One potential area of concern is slowing growth in Afterapy’s home market. Australia and New Zealand merchant numbers have slowed in recent months despite strong growth in the United States and the United Kingdom.

    The other big factor is keeping bad debt expenses low. One potential area of concern for buy now, pay later is a rising bad debts expense.

    That hasn’t been the case so far, with Afterpay’s bad debts remaining low. Investors have been bullish about the company’s growth trajectory and that’s reflected in the Afterpay share price this year.

    Foolish takeaway

    I don’t like to invest in companies that I don’t understand. The underlying business is simple and has proven to be effective.

    However, I don’t understand the Afterpay share price valuation right now. The company has a lot of further growth required to make its current valuation a reasonable buy.

    If the current growth trajectory continues, we could see Afterpay hit $100 per share in 2020. But just one slight stumble could see the company’s value plummet this year.

    ASX tech shares have rocketed but I don’t want to be caught chasing gains that I don’t understand. That means I’ll be steering clear until I can make sense of the fundamental value being priced in.

    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

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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 AFTERPAY T FPO. 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 Is the Afterpay share price a boom or bust? appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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  • CSL and 1 other ASX 200 growth share to buy for long-term growth

    ladder going between 2020 and 2030

    ASX growth shares typically don’t pay huge dividends, however they tend to produce strong share price growth over the longer term. This is because a large proportion of company profits are normally re-invested back in to the company to support long-term growth initiatives.

    Here we look are two ASX 200 growth shares, both of which I believe would make solid additions to your ASX share porfolio.

    2 ASX 200 growth shares to buy and hold

    CSL Limted (ASX: CSL)

    CSL has evolved over the past few decades to become a global market leader in blood plasma research and disease treatment. It currently has a market capitalisation of $123.55 billion and now now reaches more than 60 countries outside of its home base in Australia.

    CSL is playing an important role during the coronavirus pandemic. It has entered into a new agreement to accelerate the development of a COVID-19 vaccine candidate.

    The CSL share price has risen very strongly over the past decade, however it has lost some ground in recent months. Since mid-February, the CSL share price has fallen from $341 to now be trading at $273.48. This, in my mind, offers investors a reasonably good share buying opportunity.

    I remain optimistic about CSL’s long-term future. I believe that a strong new product development pipeline will lead to above average share price growth over the next five years for CSL.

    Blackmores Limited (ASX: BKL)

    Blackmores develops and sells a broad range of healthcare products including vitamins, minerals and herbal and nutritional supplements. Its market reach now extends throughout retailers in Australia, New Zealand and Asia.

    Blackmores’ success over the past decade has been underpinned by a very strong brand. The company invests significantly in research, development and marketing to grow its brand image.

    The Blackmores share price has not performed strongly over the past 12 months, and the company’s recent financial performance has been below market expectations.  Blackmores’ operations in China, in particular, have underperformed. However, I believe that Blackmores’ new Asian expansion strategy is placing the company back on the right track for future growth. The company in injecting more funds into its South East Asian business, which is now growing strongly.

    Foolish takeaway

    CSL and Blackmores are both ASX 200 growth shares that are in my buy zone right now. With both now trading at share prices well below their pre-COVID-19 levels, I believe this offers investors a reasonably good buying opportunity.

    Of the two, CSL would be my top pick right now, due to stronger recent financial performance and a more solid track record over the past 3 years.

    Legendary stock picker names 5 cheap stocks to buy right now

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    Phil Harpur owns shares of Blackmores Limited and CSL Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of CSL Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Blackmores 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 CSL and 1 other ASX 200 growth share to buy for long-term growth appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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  • Will outages make the Telstra share price a buy?

    woman sitting glumly in the dark with candles

    Over the weekend, hackers carried out an attack on Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS), creating connection issues for some home internet users across Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. With so many people working from home, especially in stage four locked down-Melbourne, there is a question of whether this could impact on the Telstra share price and present a buying opportunity.

    As a Telstra investor, should you care about the Telstra outages?

    In short, I don’t think so. Whilst the news of the hack isn’t a positive for both the business and its share price, over the long term, I don’t think it should have a material impact on the Telstra share price. The main reason for this is that Telstra has indicated no personal data was compromised in the attack.

    As technology becomes more accessible globally, and more and more money and data is tied up with technology, it’s reasonable to expect an increase in cyber attacks. This will likely lead to increased cyber security costs for the likes of Telstra, but shouldn’t affect your decision on investing, in my view.

    What to consider when buying Telstra shares

    Telstra is the market leader in its industry. Because of this, the potential for the company to grow is somewhat limited, despite it having some pricing power from its superior coverage. With that said, competitors such as Optus have done a good job in recent years to increase their coverage nationally.

    5G is the 5th generation mobile network meant to deliver faster data speeds, lower latency and a more reliable and available experience. 5G is probably Telstra’s greatest opportunity for growth in the coming years. The technology will support the growth of the Internet of Things (IoT) and thus the number of devices connected to the network. Telstra was the first to enable standalone 5G in Australia.

    About the Telstra share price

    The Telstra share price currently trades on a trailing price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 19x earnings and a dividend yield of 3%, plus franking credits. I’d say the Telstra share price is fairly valued at present. Investors will, however, gain a better insight into the company’s recent operations when it reports FY20 full year results on 13 August 2020.

    Foolish bottom line

    Telstra’s strong mobile division should benefit from the rollout of 5G, but I don’t expect the Telstra share price to produce life changing growth from here. However, ASX investors who need more regular income should consider the share for its solid dividend yield.

    If you are looking to invest in fast growing companies that could increase by 3, 5 or even 10 times in the next decade or so, check out these compelling ASX shares instead.

    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

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    Motley Fool contributor Lloyd Prout has no position in any of the stocks mentioned and expresses his own opinions. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Telstra 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 Will outages make the Telstra share price a buy? appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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  • Analysis: Is the Woolworths share price good value in August?

    miniature shopping trolley containing gifts

    Are Aussie supermarket shares a good buy in August? The Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) share price has climbed 6.9% this year but could be good value in 2020.

    Why is the Woolworths share price good value?

    I think Woolworths offers good exposure to non-cyclical earnings through its supermarkets business. 

    The hotels and retail segments have dragged on earnings but I think they still have long-term potential.

    The Woolworths share price trades at a solid price to earnings (P/E) ratio and may be a good short- to medium-term dividend share.

    What do the numbers say about the Woolworths share price?

    The Woolworths share price is outperforming in 2020. Woolworths shares have climbed 6.9% while the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is down 11.6% this year.

    Despite that, the conglomerate’s shares are trading in the middle of their 52-week trading range. That means there could be some more upside for the Woolworths share price in 2020.

    Woolworths is the second-largest company in Australia by revenue after Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES).

    That means Woolworths could be a solid cornerstone investment for a diversified ASX share portfolio.

    The Woolworths share price is trading at a P/E ratio of 19.25 compared to 24.1 for Wesfarmers shares.

    What can we expect from the August earnings result?

    Supermarket sales have been strong in 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic.

    That may not be sustainable, but I think we’ll see some robust earnings numbers from Woolworths in August.

    I’m also interested to see how the company’s technological investments are tracking.

    Woolworths is expected to invest $700 million to $780 million in technology with a focus on high-tech distribution centres. That includes a 20-year initial lease term with Qube Holdings Ltd (ASX: QUB) as it looks to streamline its supply chain.

    What are the risks?

    The big risk that I see a significant slowdown in supermarket earnings as restrictions begin to ease. 

    There’s also the potential drags on earnings that we’re seeing across retail and hotels. That includes the company’s ALH Group in the hospitality industry and Big W on the retail side.

    However, this may be a good time to invest in a conglomerate like Woolworths. The diversity of earnings across the company’s portfolio could be a factor in delivering a solid dividend in FY20.

    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 Ken Hall has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of Wesfarmers Limited and Woolworths 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 Analysis: Is the Woolworths share price good value in August? appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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  • Why the Mobilicom share price jumped last Friday

    The Mobilicom Ltd (ASX: MOB) share price rose 4.55% on Friday after the company released a positive business update. The Mobilicom share price has remained steady this morning, currently sitting at 12 cents per share.

    Headquartered in Israel, Mobilicom develops communication solutions for mission-critical private networks without the need for any infrastructure. In addition, Mobilicom has a range of patents for technological breakthroughs in this sector. 

    Some of the company’s clients include Space Florida, the aerospace economic development agency of the State of Florida, as well as Samsung, the Israeli navy and Japanese telecommunications company NTT. 

    What moved the Mobilicom share price last Friday?

    The company released a business update for Q2 FY20, showing improved financial performance and an increased pipeline of work. This was in spite of constraints from the coronavirus pandemic.

    Mobilicom reported an increase in cash receipts of 42% for H1 FY20, versus the previous corresponding period. When combined with stringent cost control measures, the company has managed to keep costs for the quarter at $0.4 million, preserving a cash balance of $3.6 million.

    In more good news for the Mobilicom share price, government grants increased by over 100% compared to the previous corresponding period. These grants are expected to continue for several years, further improving the company’s cash balance.

    Mobilicom also summarised its new achievements during the quarter. It won a 2-year drone research project with Censys Technologies for Space Florida. This project is to develop a communications system for autonomous drone and unmanned aerial systems and it has a first-year budget of $770,000.

    In addition, the Israeli Innovation Authority selected Mobilicom to work on wireless artificial intelligence (AI) for 5G networks. The company expects the project to run beyond 2021. It has a CY20 budget of $550,000. Once development is complete, Mobilicom will use this technology in its own next-generation autonomous systems.

    Lastly, the company announced it has secured an additional patent with the US Patent Office. The patent covers 18 claims for advanced algorithms and innovation concepts, and strengthens Mobilicom’s patent portfolio and knowledge base. 

    The company is continuing with the development stage of the new ground controller station (GCS) solution for leading Canadian drone supplier Elbit. This is a major contract for Mobilicom, worth over $2 million.

    About the Mobilicom share price

    The Mobilicom share price has risen by 130% from its low point on 20 March, valuing the company at $29.66 million. 

    Where to invest $1,000 right now

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for more than eight years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    Scott just revealed what he believes are the five best ASX stocks for investors to buy right now. These stocks are trading at dirt-cheap prices and Scott thinks they are great buys right now.

    *Returns as of June 30th

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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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  • My ASX share of the week

    young excited woman holding shopping bags

    My ASX share of the week is City Chic Collective Ltd (ASX: CCX) at today’s share price. I think it has a lot growth potential.

    A quick overview of City Chic

    City Chic describes itself as a global omni-channel retailer specialising in plus-size women’s apparel, footwear and accessories. It now consists of several brands including City Chic, Avenue and Hips & Curves.

    City Chic has 93 stores across Australia and New Zealand, multiple websites operating in Australasia and the US. It has marketplace and wholesale partnerships with major US retailers such as Macys and Nordstrom. The ASX share also has a wholesale business with European and UK partners such as ASOS and Zalando.

    The Avenue brand targets value-conscious women and Hips & Curves is an intimates brand – both of these offerings are online-only with a “significant” customer following throughout the US.

    Performance before COVID-19

    The ASX share was doing very well before COVID-19 hit the world. In the FY20 half-year result it reported that sales revenue was up 39% to $104.8 million with comparable sales growth of 11.3%. In that report it shows that online sales made up 53% – more than half – of its total sales. The northern hemisphere represented 29% of global sales.

    Underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose by 20.8% to $19.1 million. Reported profit before tax from continuing operations increased by 15.1% to $16 million. Normalised operating cashflow jumped by 17.1% to $17.1 million.

    It was clearly doing well and its underlying cost of business was improving, down to 36% of sales (from 39.5% in the prior corresponding period).

    How the ASX share as performed during COVID-19

    Obviously COVID-19 was going to impact its FY20 result in several ways.

    In terms of sales, the company reported that its trading improved after the initial lockdowns. Total sales grew 31% to $194.5 million, with comparative sales growth of 0.4% – the comparative number makes no adjustment for closed stores.

    The reason sales were able to grow so much was because of online sales. US online sales contributed $65.2 million in FY20, compared to $10.7 million in FY19.

    City Chic reported that its unaudited underlying EBITDA for FY20 was $26.5 million. That measure is before AASB 16 accounting changes and includes share-based payments of $2.8 million.

    Why I think City Chic is a buy

    The ASX share has managed to deliver a solid result despite some of the most difficult conditions a retail business has ever faced.

    City Chic is now well capitalised after its recent $80 million institutional capital raising. The money will be used to potentially buy the Catherines business. I like that City Chic is looking to acquire plus-size retailers that are struggling but have the potential for a large volume of online-only sales with existing customer bases. The acquisitions will need to integrate well though.

    The company can use their period to quickly gain market share. When COVID-19 is over it will have a much stronger market position and will hopefully be able to generate even more profit.

    Retail businesses that are able to sell a high proportion of their products online deserve investor attention, particularly if profit margins are going to rise over the longer-term. I think City Chic perfectly fits that description.

    The fact that City Chic is growing in the northern hemisphere at such a strong rate is exciting in my opinion. The ASX shares that are able to expand globally usually end up producing strong returns because the total addressable market is so much larger than just Australia (and New Zealand).

    At the current City Chic share price it’s trading at 23x FY22’s estimated earnings. This seems like good value for a business with strong growth potential. However, I expect there will be volatile moments over the next 12 months.

    Legendary stock picker names 5 cheap stocks to buy right now

    Motley Fool resident tech stock expert Dr. Anirban Mahanti has stumbled upon five stocks he believes could be some of the greatest discoveries of his investing career.

    These little-known ASX stocks are growing like gangbusters, yet you can buy them today for less than $5 a share. Click here to learn more.

    See these 5 cheap stocks

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    Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison 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 Sezzle and these ASX shares recorded huge gains in July

    Rocket launching into space

    Last month the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) continued its recovery and recorded a 0.5% gain to end it at 5927.8 points.

    While this was positive, a number of ASX shares thoroughly outperformed the benchmark index.

    Here’s why these 3 ASX shares recorded huge gains in July:

    Marley Spoon AG (ASX: MMM)

    The Marley Spoon share price was a very strong performer and stormed 81% higher in July. Investors were fighting to get hold of the global subscription-based meal kit provider’s shares last month after the pandemic led to a surge in demand for its offering. According to its second quarter update, quarterly revenue came in at 129% higher than the prior corresponding period at 73.3 million euros. This led to management increasing its revenue guidance for FY 2020. It now expects revenue growth of at least 70%, compared to its previous guidance of ~30%.

    Sezzle Inc (ASX: SZL)

    The Sezzle share price was on fire and recorded an 82% gain last month. The strong gain was driven by increasing investor interest in the buy now pay later industry and the release of its second quarter update. During the second quarter, Sezzle delivered underlying merchant sales (UMS) of US$188 million. This was a 57.5% increase on the first quarter and a 348.6% lift on the prior corresponding period. Management advised that this was driven by strong growth in customer and merchant numbers and the accelerating shift to online shopping.

    Whispir Ltd (ASX: WSP)

    The Whispir share price was easily one of the best performers on the market in July with a gain of 117%. Investors were buying the communications workflow platform provider’s shares last month after the pandemic accelerated its growth. In its fourth quarter update, the company revealed annualised recurring revenue growth of 4.2% over the March quarter and 35.7% over the prior corresponding period to $42.2 million. Management advised that this was driven by organisations looking to adopt more sophisticated yet easy-to-use communications systems.

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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 Whispir Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. recommends Sezzle Inc. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Sezzle Inc and Whispir 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 Sezzle and these ASX shares recorded huge gains in July appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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