Author: therawinformant

  • These ASX ETFs could generate strong long term returns

    Exchange Traded Fund (ETF)

    If you’re looking to add a bit of diversity to your portfolio, then you might want to consider buying an exchange traded fund or two.

    I like exchange traded funds because they allow you to invest in a particular theme, index, or industry through just a single investment.

    While there are countless exchange traded funds for for investors to choose from, three of my favourites are listed below. Here’s why I like them:

    BetaShares Asia Technology Tigers ETF (ASX: ASIA)

    If you’re looking for exposure to the Asia market, then you might want to consider the BetaShares Asia Technology Tigers ETF. This fund tracks the performance of the 50 largest technology and ecommerce companies that have their main area of business in Asia (excluding Japan). This includes the likes of Alibaba, Samsung, and Tencent Holdings. Given how these companies are among the fastest growing in the region and revolutionising the lives of billions of people, I believe this exchange traded fund could provide strong returns over the 2020s.

    BetaShares NASDAQ 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ)

    Another exchange traded fund which I think could provide strong returns for investors over the next decade is the BetaShares NASDAQ 100 ETF. This exchange traded fund gives investors exposure to the 100 largest non-financial businesses on Wall Street’s famous NASDAQ index. It has a high weighting towards technology shares, with the likes of Amazon, Apple, Alphabet, Facebook, Microsoft, and Netflix included in the fund. Given the positive long term outlooks for these companies, I believe the future is bright for the NASDAQ 100.

    Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS)

    A final option for investors to consider buying is the Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF. This exchange traded fund gives investors access to some of the biggest and most well-known companies in the world. The fund is invested in a total of 1,579 listed companies across major developed countries. Its holdings include the likes of Apple, Mastercard, Nestle, Proctor & Gamble, and Visa. While I don’t think this exchange traded fund will grow as quickly as the others, I think the diversity it offers makes it worth considering.

    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

    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 BETANASDAQ ETF UNITS. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended BetaShares Asia Technology Tigers ETF. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended BETANASDAQ ETF UNITS and Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF. 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 These ASX ETFs could generate strong long term returns appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

    from Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/2P4tcWD

  • Marley Spoon share price on watch after 129% jump in Q2 revenue

    Marley Spoon share price

    The Marley Spoon AG (ASX: MMM) share price will be one to watch on Thursday.

    This follows the release of the global subscription-based meal kit provider’s second quarter update.

    How did Marley Spoon perform in the second quarter?

    During the second quarter of FY 2020, Marley Spoon continued to experience strong demand for its meal kits.

    Management advised that this has been driven by the pandemic, which has accelerated the long-term adoption of online grocery shopping. Marley Spoon more than doubled its customer base year on year during the quarter to 350,000 active customers.

    Also growing strongly was its revenue. The company’s second quarter revenue came in at 73.3 million euros. This was an impressive 129% increase on the prior corresponding period.

    Pleasingly, the company reported that the retention of new customers remained strong and its customer acquisition costs significantly reduced. Marketing expenses as a percentage of revenue represented 13% of revenue in the quarter, compared to 18% in the prior corresponding period.

    This supported a 6-point increase in its global contribution margin (CM) to a record 30.5%, which ultimately led to global operating earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) of €4.5 million.

    The latter comprised operating EBITDA of 3.6 million euros in Australia and 4.6 million euros in the United States, which was offset slightly by a 3.7 million euros operating EBITDA loss in Europe.

    “Surge in demand.”

    Marley Spoon’s CEO, Fabian Siegel, was understandably very pleased with the company’s performance during the second quarter.

    He said: “The COVID-19 pandemic has changed lives globally. Due to the crisis we continue to see an accelerated adoption of online shopping for all kinds of goods, including groceries. The resulting surge in demand for our brands has led to strong growth, a record margin and a full quarter of profitability.”

    “Given our reduced customer acquisition costs, higher growth rate and associated scale benefits, we now expect significantly better results for the full year than we did previously, and are upgrading guidance,” he added.

    Management has increased its revenue guidance for FY 2020. It now expects revenue growth of at least 70%, compared to previous guidance of ~30%.

    One metric that won’t be upgraded is its CM guidance. Although it notes that its CM has already exceeded the previously guided level for the year (29.5% in Q1 and 30.5% in Q2), at this point it is not updating its CM guidance due to the uncertainty caused by the pandemic.

    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 James Mickleboro 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 Marley Spoon share price on watch after 129% jump in Q2 revenue appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

    from Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/333UQv3

  • Rio Tinto’s capital return crashes by half on $2.5 billion dividend payout

    Liquid Molten Steel Industry

    The Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO) share price could come under pressure tomorrow after the miner posted a drop in its half year results and a smaller than expected cash handout.

    Australia’s largest iron ore miner posted a 6% decline in underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) to US$9.6 billion ($13.4 billion) and declared a US$1.55 a share interim dividend.

    The fall in earnings comes even as the iron ore price remains stubbornly high through the COVID-19 mayhem and is driven by falls in the aluminium and copper prices.

    No dividend surprise

    But what I think will disappoint more is the lack of a special dividend or other capital returns. Even though the interim dividend is 3% above what it paid last year, total cash returns paid to shareholders in the first half have fallen by more than half to US$3.8 billion from US$7.8 billion.

    This is largely because Rio Tinto paid a special dividend worth US$3.9 billion in April 2019.

    As I wrote yesterday, some experts were anticipating another special dividend from Rio Tinto as the miner holds excess cash on its balance sheet.

    While there’s little consensus on what the interim dividend will be with estimates ranging from US$0.94 to US$2.21 a share, I think the US$1.55 will disappoint without an additional supplement.

    Nervous outlook despite positive signs

    Investors will view the dividend decision as a sign that management is nervous about the outlook even as demand for iron ore is holding up in this highly unpredictable environment, thanks in no small part to Vale SA’s coronavirus-stricken supply.

    Chinese demand for the steel making ingredient is expected to remain robust despite growing tensions between China and Australia.

    Our largest trading partner is counting on infrastructure construction to kick-start its sagging economy.

    FY20 guidance intact

    Rio Tinto reiterated its production guidance. It’s aiming to produce 324 million to 334 million tonnes of iron ore from its Pilbara mine at a unit cost of US$14-US$15 per wet metric tonne on a free-on-board (FOB) basis.

    The miner’s aluminium business is the thorn in the side of the group, but this is well flagged and understood by the market.

    Is Rio Tinto share price a buy?

    Notwithstanding the negatives from the results, I am happy to remain overweight on the Rio Tinto share price.

    While I would have rather it paid a special dividend, the stock is still yielding over 7% if franking credits are included. That’s a pretty good yield in this environment.

    Another special dividend candidate

    Looking forward, investors will now have to pin their capital return hopes on fellow iron ore miner Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG). Fortescue is better placed to surprise on this front than BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP).

    The Rio Tinto share price lost 0.7% to $103.40 on Wednesday, while the BHP share price shed 2% to $37.30 and the FMG share price slipped 0.2% to $16.85.

    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

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor Brendon Lau owns shares of BHP Billiton Limited and Rio Tinto Ltd. Connect with me on Twitter @brenlau.

    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 Rio Tinto’s capital return crashes by half on $2.5 billion dividend payout appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

    from Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/3hKdJHn

  • ASX 200 drops 0.2%, APRA boosts big 4 ASX banks

    ASX 200

    The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) fell by 0.23% today to 6,006 points.

    Queensland is racing to contact trace cases after three people tested positive there for COVID-19. Two people had avoided quarantine and gave “misleading information” about visiting COVID-19 hotspots after flying to Brisbane from Melbourne via Sydney.

    APRA’s boost for big four ASX banks

    The share prices of the big four ASX banks all rose today.

    Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ASX: ANZ) saw its share price rise around 2%.

    The Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) share price went up 1%.

    The share price of National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) rose by 1.6%.

    Finally, the Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) share price increased by 1.25%.

    APRA issued a letter today to banks today with uncertainty in the economic outlook somewhat reducing since the last dividend recommendation earlier this year.

    The regulator has been reviewing the banks’ financial projections.

    APRA has asked the ASX 200 banks to retain at least half of their earnings when making decisions on capital distributions, as well as utilising dividend re-investment plans and other initiatives to offset the reduction of capital from distributions where possible.

    ASX 200 banks are also being asked to conduct regular stress testing. APRA wants banks to make use of capital buffers to absorb the impacts of financial stress, and continue to lend to support households and businesses.

    APRA chair Wayne Byres said: “Today’s announcement strikes a balance in recognising the strength of the financial system, while at the same time acknowledging the difficult path ahead…. In the current environment, banks face additional challenges to their capital resilience, including the material volume of loan repayment deferrals (which are subject at present to regulatory concessions), greater financial impact from COVID-19, and restrictions on dividends from their New Zealand operations.”

    AGM update boosts AP Eagers Ltd (ASX: APE)

    The AP Eagers share price zoomed 13% higher after giving an update at its annual general meeting (AGM).

    The ASX 200 car dealership company said that it has been optimising its existing business due to COVID-19 and has managed to deliver a permanent cost reduction of approximately $78 million per annum. Part of this was achieved when it cut its headcount and reduced its fixed monthly cost base by approximately $6 million a few months ago.

    In the AGM update the company said that its corporate debt net of cash decreased to $7.6 million at 30 June 2020, down from $315.8 million at 31 December 2019.

    AP Eagers expects underlying operating profit from continuing operations to be around $40.3 million, which would represent a 23.6% decline from the prior corresponding period.

    Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO) half year result

    One of the ASX 200’s biggest miners reported its half-year result to June 2020 this afternoon after the market had shut.

    Net cash generated from operating activities fell 12% to US$5.6 billion and free cashflow dropped 28% to US$2.8 billion.

    Underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) fell by 6% to US$9.64 billion and underlying earnings per share (EPS) dropped 3%.

    Rio Tinto’s board has declared a dividend of US$1.55 per share, an increase of 3% from last time. Net debt increased by almost US$1.2 billion over the six months to 30 June 2020.

    The ASX 200 company reconfirmed its 2020 production guidance across all of its commodities.

    Rio Tinto CEO J-S Jacques said: “We have been agile and adapted our way of working, to deliver another resilient performance while navigating the new and ongoing challenges and dealing with COVID-19.

    “Our world-class portfolio of high-quality assets and our strong balance sheet consistently serve us well in all market conditions and particularly in turbulent times. This, together with our disciplined capital allocation, underpins our ability to sustain production, increase our investment in the business, pay taxes and royalties to governments and continue delivering superior returns to shareholders.”

    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

    More reading

    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.

    The post ASX 200 drops 0.2%, APRA boosts big 4 ASX banks appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

    from Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/39AwxGp

  • Buy Coles and this safe ASX dividend share for income in August

    Coles share price

    Unfortunately, because of the pandemic, a number of popular dividend shares have been forced to defer or cancel their dividends.

    The good news is that there are still a handful of companies out there that appear well-positioned to pay their dividends as normal.

    Two safe ASX dividend shares that I believe will pay generous dividends are listed below. Here’s why they could be good options for income investors right now:

    Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL)

    One of the safest dividend shares I think you could buy today is Coles. During the pandemic the supermarket giant has experienced a surge in sales from panic buying and more eating at home. And while increased operating costs will mean that not all of this sales growth flows to the bottom line, I’m confident Coles will deliver a solid increase in full year earnings and ultimately its dividend. I expect this positive form to continue in FY 2021 and for Coles to be in a position to pay another generous dividend. Based on this and the current Coles share price, I estimate that it offers investors a fully franked FY 2021 dividend yield of ~3.5%.

    Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES)

    Another safe dividend share to consider buying for income is Coles’ former parent, Wesfarmers. I think the conglomerate is a great option due to the quality and positive outlook of its diverse portfolio of businesses. Another positive is that Wesfarmers has a sizeable cash balance, especially after the selldown of its Coles stake earlier this year. I believe these funds are likely to be used for acquisitions in the near future. And given management’s track record of successful investments, these could give its earnings and dividend growth a real boost in the coming years. For now, though, based on the current Wesfarmers share price, I estimate that it offers a fully franked forward 3.3% dividend yield.

    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

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of COLESGROUP DEF SET and 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 Buy Coles and this safe ASX dividend share for income in August appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

    from Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/3hGqLFO

  • Goodman share price hits record high. Is it too late to invest?

    man walking up line graph into clouds, asx shares all time high

    Another strong performance in today’s afternoon trade has seen the Goodman Group (ASX: GMG) share price edge as high as $16.82, which marks a new record for Australia’s largest real estate investment trust (REIT).

    Although its shares have softened slightly, closing the day at $16.59, investors have been piling into this company since it bottomed out at $9.60 earlier in March. So what’s spurring the Goodman share price to new heights and is it too late for prospective investors to jump in?

    What’s driving the Goodman share price upward

    For the most part, REITs and property shares have been heavily battered this year. This has been in large part due to fears that COVID-19 may profoundly de-value commercial property, as more people substitute the office to work from home.

    Goodman appears to be the outlier to this downward trend, shrugging off these concerns principally due to the exposure of its asset portfolio to warehouses and large-scale logistics facilities.

    Although it boasts total assets under management of $55 billion across 395 properties globally (as of March 2020), the market appears most impressed by its prospects for growth in the industrial property space with its largest client, e-commerce juggernaut Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN).

    On 11 June, it was announced that Goodman had inked a new deal with Amazon for a new 16,300 square metre warehouse in Brisbane. In addition, on 30 June, Goodman entered into a partnership with Brickworks Limited (ASX: BKW) to jointly secure a long-term lease with Amazon at Oakdale West in Sydney.

    Amazon’s entrance into the Australian market and the growth of e-commerce more broadly is a significant tailwind for Goodman’s future performance prospects. This US giant and other domestic competitors such as Kogan.com (ASX: KGN) clearly see the importance of bolstering their warehousing capabilities as retail shopping heads online, and Goodman is a key beneficiary by offering such services.

    Is it too late to buy in?

    If we’re going solely off the ‘buy low, sell high’ mantra, Goodman is probably a watchlist item for many at this point, just because it’s at its most expensive level ever. In support of this view, the company’s price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 21 is higher than competitors such as Charter Hall Group (ASX: CHC), with a P/E of 19, and Centuria Industrial REIT (ASX: CIP), with a P/E of 12. This high P/E is undoubtedly due to the future expectations of Goodman’s financial performance being priced in by the market.

    Notwithstanding the Goodman share price being somewhat expensive, I still see a lot of upside for prospective investors with a medium- to long-term outlook.

    For one thing, the company has managed to maintain both its earnings and distribution guidance for FY20 despite the challenging environment presented by COVID-19. In its Q3 FY20 update to the market in May, Goodman affirmed operating earnings per share of 57.3 cents, equivalent to an 11% increase relative to FY19.

    This operational update also revealed the company has $4.8 billion of development work in progress and 97.5% of occupancy rates being maintained. These types of metrics further illustrate the resilience of this business to continue to outperform throughout an otherwise difficult period.

    Since that update, the addition of Amazon’s long-term commitment to collaborating with Goodman will certainly have positive ramifications for the company’s FY21 outlook when it reports full-year FY20 earnings on 13 August.

    Foolish takeaway

    Those investors diving into Goodman at its share price apex may be paying a premium based on its current P/E ratio, but I think this REIT has a tremendous runway for earnings growth potential over the coming years.

    E-commerce isn’t going to be slowing down anytime soon, and at the end of the day retailers like Amazon and Kogan are always going to need some immensely large warehouse spaces to fulfil customer demand for goods. I see the Goodman share price continuing to benefit from retail moving online and the unprecedented demand for industrial warehousing this trend facilitates.

    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

    More reading

    John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Toby Thomas 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 Amazon. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of Kogan.com ltd and recommends the following options: short January 2022 $1940 calls on Amazon and long January 2022 $1920 calls on Amazon. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Brickworks. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Amazon and Kogan.com 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 Goodman share price hits record high. Is it too late to invest? appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

    from Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/2Era0QJ

  • Earnings season: What to expect from Treasury Wine Estates

    The Treasury Wine Estates Ltd (ASX: TWE) share price will be one to watch in August when it releases its full year results.

    With the wine company’s shares down 44% from their 52-week high, shareholders will no doubt be hoping a better than expected result will get its shares heading back in the right direction.

    What is the market expecting from Treasury Wine?

    Ahead of the release of the Treasury Wine full year result on 13 August, I thought I would take a look to see what the market is expecting from it.

    According to a note out of Goldman Sachs, it is forecasting group sales of $2,646.9 million in FY 2020.

    This is slightly ahead of the analyst consensus estimate of $2,620.4 million and down 6.5% from FY 2019’s group sales of $2,831.6 million.

    The broker expects this to be driven by volume declines across much of the business and offset slightly by increases in average revenue per case.

    In respect to earnings, the broker is forecasting EBITS of $538.1 million for FY 2020. While this is 1.4% higher than the consensus estimate of $530.8 million, it will be a 21% reduction on FY 2019’s $681.4 million.

    The Americas segment is expected to be the main drag on its earnings this year. Goldman is forecasting a 36.9% decline in Americas EBITS to $147.4 million in FY 2020.

    Will there be a dividend?

    Both Goldman Sachs and the market are expecting Treasury Wine to pay its shareholders a final dividend, albeit a heavily reduced one.

    Goldman estimates that the company will declare a 7 cents per share fully franked final dividend. Whereas the consensus estimate is for a final dividend of 8 cents per share. This is down from 20 cents per share from the prior corresponding period.

    Should you invest?

    While I think that Treasury Wine could be a good long term investment option for patient investors, Goldman Sachs is sitting on the fence.

    It has reiterated its neutral rating and $10.10 price target on Treasury Wine’s shares.

    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 James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Treasury Wine Estates 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 Earnings season: What to expect from Treasury Wine Estates appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

    from Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/3jP0WVY

  • Is it too late to buy ASX gold shares like St Barbara?

    finger reaching out to press gold button entitled 2021

    ASX gold shares. They’re quickly becoming the gift that keeps on giving in 2020.

    Much of the success for ASX gold shares like St Barbara Ltd (ASX: SBM) is due to the coronavirus pandemic.

    The global and domestic viral outbreaks have spooked investors and crimped economic growth. Faced with the prospect of a removed government safety net and higher unemployment, investors have flocked to gold as a safe-haven asset.

    That fear has pushed global gold prices to an all-time high as of Tuesday. Gold was trading at US$1,963 (A$2,745) per ounce which is good news for ASX gold shares.

    But does the soaring gold price mean it’s too late to join the party in 2020?

    Should you buy ASX gold shares?

    Let’s look at how some of the big Aussie gold miners have performed on the ASX in 2020.

    The St Barbara share price is up 28.6% in 2020 and is trading at a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 20.59.

    It’s been a similar story for fellow miner Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) this year. The Northern Star share price has rocketed 36.8% higher but trades at a higher P/E ratio of 50.5.

    Then there’s Saracen Mineral Holdings Limited (ASX: SAR). The Saracen Mineral share price has surged 86.4% and trades at a P/E ratio of 46.2.

    This has proven to be the pick of the ASX gold shares so far this year. I do like the Saracen business as it churns out consistent cash flow versus the speculation involved in many other (smaller) ASX companies.

    Saracen boasts a market capitalisation of $6.84 billion compared to St Barbara ($2.48 billion) and Northern Star ($11.53 billion).

    Saracen is also a 50% owner of the Super Pit gold mine in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia alongside Northern Star.

    Given the surge in gold prices over recent months, that November 2019 transaction looks like an absolute steal.

    What results can we expect in August?

    I’m expecting some strong earnings figures from the ASX gold miners in their August results.

    Given the gold price surged in March, I think that leaves a full quarter of potential sales at those higher prices.

    That’s good news for investors who are hoping for some strong dividends to go with the recent capital gains.

    Is it too late to buy ASX gold shares?

    The current uncertainty and market volatility could continue for some time, so I don’t think it’s too late to buy ASX gold shares.

    In saying that, I don’t think it’s wise to start investing with a short-term mindset.

    ASX gold shares can have their place in a well-diversified portfolio and as a tactical hedge. However, I think the long-term portfolio fit still needs to make sense before buying.

    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 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 Is it too late to buy ASX gold shares like St Barbara? appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

    from Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/3hF7dBM