Author: therawinformant

  • IBM CEO: ‘The trend we see in the market is clear’

    IBM CEO: 'The trend we see in the market is clear'IBM has jettisoned some of its legacy business to focus on the high-margin cloud computing business, an area that has seen a lot of action in recent years as companies ramp up their digital shift to boost efficiency. Revenue from the cloud business, previously headed by Krishna, rose 30% to $6.3 billion in the second quarter. Krishna took over as chief executive officer from Ginni Rometty in April, while appointing former Bank of America Corp's top technology executive, Howard Boville, as the new head of the cloud business.

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  • Word on the street: Democrats push for elimination of SALT deduction cap

    Word on the street: Democrats push for elimination of SALT deduction capYahoo Finance’s On the Move panel discuss the latest headline making news stories.

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  • It’s Silver’s Turn to Shine as Prices Surge to Four-Year High

    It’s Silver’s Turn to Shine as Prices Surge to Four-Year High(Bloomberg) — Silver is hitting its sweet spot. While viewed as a haven from market turmoil — just like pricier sister gold — silver also has wide industrial uses in products like solar panels and electronics. That means the metal’s drawing both investors worried about rising virus cases and those focused on rosier indicators, from optimism over China’s recovery and promising vaccine news, to the landmark stimulus package clinched by Europe’s leaders.Read more about what’s moving global markets todaySpot silver powered through $20 an ounce Tuesday and is trading near a four-year high. The cheaper metal has outpaced gold’s own gains this month, and holdings in silver-backed exchange-traded funds have increased for 12 straight weeks to a record.“Silver is now leading the charge,” said Stephen Innes, chief market strategist at AxiCorp Ltd. The metal is following the same trajectory as during the global financial crisis, he said. Back then, prices dropped during the worst of the crisis before rallying to fresh records near $50 by 2011.Spot silver jumped as much as 3.3% on Tuesday to $20.5609 an ounce, the highest since August 2016, extending this year’s gains to 15%. Futures in New York, which breached the $20 level on Monday, rose as high as $20.945 an ounce. Other precious metals also advanced as the dollar weakened, with spot gold adding 0.5% to $1,827.20 an ounce, the highest since September 2011.Read also: Gold’s Good But Silver’s Super as Bulls Go on the RampageEven after recent gains, there’s a long list of banks and traders predicting silver will keep rising as investors continue to pile in. Citigroup Inc. said in a report this week that it sees prices rising to $25 in the next six to 12 months, with the potential for $30 based on the bank’s bull case.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.

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  • More than 50% of market pros think a vaccine will be ready within a year: Morning Brief

    More than 50% of market pros think a vaccine will be ready within a year: Morning BriefTop news and what to watch in the markets on Tuesday, July 21, 2020.

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  • Investor Optimism Abounds Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN) But Growth Is Lacking

    Investor Optimism Abounds Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN) But Growth Is LackingAccenture plc's (NYSE:ACN) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 28.5x might make it look like a strong sell right now…

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  • Why the Pantoro share price soared 17% today

    gold mining

    The Pantoro Ltd (ASX: PNR) share price soared 17.39% higher today to close trade at 27 cents per share. This positive share price action came after Pantoro announced this morning that it had encountered high grade mineralisation in its maiden drilling campaign at the Sailfish prospect on Lake Cowan.

    What does Pantoro do?

    Pantoro is an Australian gold producer. The company’s Halls Creek gold project in the Kimberley region of Western Australia is its key operational focus. The project provides Pantoro with a platform for growth through the operation of its first producing gold asset and includes underground and open pit mines, and a modern processing facility.

    Why did the Pantoro share price storm higher today?

    Pantoro announced very high grade mineralisation was encountered in its maiden drilling campaign on Lake Cowan. These finds demonstrated the sheer potential of the site, with the potential for more high grade finds in the future. Some of the key highlights were as follows:

    • Drilling returned 8.1 m @ 67.29 g/t Au from 78.6 m down hole
    • The intersection included 0.7 m @ 521 g/t and 0.25 m @ 252g/t Au.
    • Other significant intercepts include 1.8 m @ 4.25 g/t Au, and 3.5 m @ 2.56g/t Au.
    • Confirms historical intersection of 1.5 m @ 461.47 gt/Au, drilled by Western Mining in 1992

    Commenting on the results, Pantoro managing director Paul Cmrlec said: “These results from our initial eight diamond drillhole program at the Sailfish prospect on Lake Cowan highlights the immense exploration potential of the project, and in particular the likely presence of further very high grade mineralisation that Norseman has been known for over many decades.”

    What now for the Pantoro share price

    Whilst the discoveries are excellent news, the company advises the exploration is in very early stages and so it is too early to speculate what the results may mean in the context of the broader project. Nonetheless, the results are definitely a positive for Pantoro.

    Pantoro has seen a strong resurgence in its share price this year, climbing almost 280% since its lows in March. The Pantoro share price is up 63% since this time last year, and the company’s market capitalisation is currently sitting around the $270 million mark. 

    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 Daniel Ewing 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 Pantoro share price soared 17% today appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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  • Acadia Plunges 12% As Depressive Study Misses Goals; Analyst Says Buy

    Acadia Plunges 12% As Depressive Study Misses Goals; Analyst Says BuyShares in Acadia Pharmaceuticals (ACAD) plunged 12% in Monday’s extended trading, after the company announced disappointing top-line results from its 298 patient Phase 3 CLARITY study evaluating pimavanserin as an adjunctive treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD).The study did not achieve statistical significance on the primary endpoint which was the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17) total score change from baseline to week 5. Pimavanserin 34 mg, given once-daily as an adjunctive treatment to standard antidepressant therapy was associated with a mean reduction of 9.0 in HAMD-17 total score compared to 8.1 for placebo as an adjunctive treatment (p=0.296).Positive results were observed on the key secondary endpoint, the Clinical Global Impression – Severity (CGI-S) score, a clinician assessment of a patient’s severity of depression (nominal p=0.042) and on the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS) score (nominal p=0.005).“We observed a consistent improvement of depressive symptoms over time with pimavanserin but, unfortunately, the robust positive results from our CLARITY-1 study were not replicated,” said Serge Stankovic, ACADIA’s President. “While these results do not support the product profile to pursue an additional Phase 3 study in adjunctive MDD, we will continue to analyze the data and the findings from our earlier positive depression studies as we assess next steps.”In the study, pimavanserin was generally well-tolerated when added to existing antidepressant therapy, and similar rates of adverse events were observed between pimavanserin (58.1%) and placebo (54.7%).However, on a more positive note, the company also announced that the FDA accepted Nuplazid’s (pimavanserin) supplemental new drug application (sNDA) for dementia-related psychosis (DRP). The PDUFA date for the FDA’s decision is set for April 3, 2021.“Nuplazid’s Phase 3 failure in major depressive disorder (MDD) is certainly disappointing but not entirely surprising given how difficult a nut this indication is to crack” commented JP Morgan analyst Cory Kasimov following the update.However he remains bullish on ACAD’s longer-term outlook and the DRP indication specifically. “We remain highly confident in the approvability of DRP” the analyst commented. He has a buy rating on the stock and $66 price target (19% upside potential).Shares in ACAD are up 30% year-to-date, and the stock shows a bullish Strong Buy analyst consensus. That’s with an average analyst price target of $60 (8% upside potential). (See ACAD stock analysis on TipRanks)Related News: Pfizer, BioNTech Ink UK Supply Deal For 30M Covid-19 Vaccine Doses NuVasive Spikes 5% After-Hours On Sharp Procedure Rebound GSK Buys 10% Stake In Germany’s CureVac To Develop mRNA Vaccines More recent articles from Smarter Analyst: * IBM Pops 5% in Extended Trading After Quarterly Profit Beats Expectations * NuVasive Spikes 5% After-Hours On Sharp Procedure Rebound * Apple iPhone SE Boosts Q2, But Unlikely To Cannibalize 5G Sales – Report * Is Nokia Stock a Buy Right Now? This Is What You Need to Know

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  • Nanosonics and these ASX shares could be fantastic long term options

    buy and hold

    Interested in adding some mid cap ASX shares to your portfolio? Then you might want to take a look at the ones listed below.

    I believe these three ASX mid cap shares have the potential to generate strong returns for investors over the 2020s:

    EML Payments Ltd (ASX: EML)

    EML Payments is a payments company with a focus on pre-paid cards and digital gift cards. It provides its services to a wide range of businesses such as shopping centres, bookmakers, and salary packaging companies. Unfortunately, its meaningful exposure to shopping malls means the pandemic will inevitably weigh on its second half performance. However, I believe it is well-positioned to accelerate its growth once the crisis passes. Especially given the recent acquisition of UK-based Prepaid Financial Services. This has diversified its offering and gives EML access to the emerging field of banking as a service.

    Jumbo Interactive (ASX: JIN)

    Another mid cap ASX share to consider buying is Jumbo. I’m a big fan of the online lottery ticket seller due to its growing Software as a Service (SaaS) business and its long term agreement with Tabcorp Holdings Limited (ASX: TAH). Although the latter agreement is on less favourable terms compared to previous agreements, it provides stability and allows the company to focus on the international expansion of its SaaS business. This business is expected to play a key role in the company achieving its target of $1 billion in ticket sales through its platform by FY 2022. This will be triple what it achieved in FY 2019.

    Nanosonics Ltd (ASX: NAN)

    A final mid cap share to consider buying is Nanosonics. The infection prevention company is one of my favourite growth shares on the Australian share market due to its extremely positive long term outlook. This is thanks to the sustained demand for its industry-leading trophon EPR disinfection system for ultrasound probes and the expansion of its product portfolio. The latter will see Nanosonics launch a number of new infection control products targeting unmet needs in the coming years. Given its reputation in the industry and existing distribution channels, I’m optimistic that these products will sell well and drive further strong earnings growth over the 2020s.

    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 Nanosonics Limited. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. recommends Jumbo Interactive Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Emerchants Limited and Jumbo Interactive Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Nanosonics 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 Nanosonics and these ASX shares could be fantastic long term options appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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  • Why SAP SE (SAP) Stock is a Compelling Investment Case

    Why SAP SE (SAP) Stock is a Compelling Investment CasePolen Capital Management recently released its Q2 2020 Investor Letter, a copy of which you can download here. During the second quarter of 2020, the Polen Global Growth Model Portfolio returned 20.58% gross of fees, while the MSCI All Country World Index was up 19.22%. You should check out Polen Capital’s top 5 stock picks […]

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  • The smartest ASX shares to buy if you have $2,000

    thinking

    If you have $2,000 to invest then I think the two ASX shares in this article are the smartest ones to buy:

    Share 1: Pushpay Holdings Ltd (ASX: PPH)

    Not too long ago I wrote an article where I said that I thought the Pushpay share price had run too hard. Since 13 July 2020 the Pushpay share price has dropped 16%. I think it could be back into the buy zone.

    Pushpay is an electronic donation payment business. Its current focus is to facilitate digital giving to large and medium sized churches in the US. Pushpay thinks this is a large opportunity. It thinks it can reach annual revenue of US$1 billion if it can reach a 50% market share of this sector.

    In these COVID-19 conditions there is obviously more social distancing, so digital giving may be preferred to cash donations by both the church and the person donating.

    The ASX share delivered a strong result in FY20 with revenue growth of 32% and earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, amortisation and foreign currency (EBITDAF) growth of 1,506% to US$25.1 million.

    In FY21 Pushpay is expecting to at least double its EBITDAF with further expansion of profit margins. In FY20 the gross margin grew by five percentage points from 60% to 65%. Further revenue growth should see the business become even more profitable.

    The recent acquisition of Church Community Builder brings exciting cost synergy and cross-selling potential.

    At the current Pushpay share price it’s trading at just 34x FY21’s estimated earnings. I think it could be a very smart long-term buy today.

    Share 2: Bubs Australia Ltd (ASX: BUB)

    I think Bubs is one of the most exciting shares on the ASX due to its international growth plans and improving margins. It has a range of products, with a focus on goat milk

    If a business can successfully expand into Asia or other populous regions, it opens up huge addressable markets for that company.

    Bubs is doing a great job of expanding its distribution reach with agreements with international retailers like Alibaba as well as local ones such as Chemist Warehouse, Coles Group Limited (ASX: COL), Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) and Baby Bunting Group Ltd (ASX: BBN).

    The increased distribution network is leading to exciting revenue growth. In the FY20 third quarter Bubs generated quarterly revenue of $19.7 million, this was growth of 67% compared to the prior corresponding period and 36% on the previous quarter.

    There were a few key areas of growth that delivered that impressive growth for the ASX share. Bubs infant formula revenue grew 137%. Chinese revenue increased 104% and ‘other market’ revenue rose almost 20 times – this represented 12% of gross sales and included significant growth into Vietnam. I think the strong growth can continue for at least the medium-term as the Bubs distribution network and brand awareness continues to grow internationally.

    As the ASX share gets bigger its gross profit margin gets better. Indeed, its gross margin increased in each of the December 2018, June 2019 and December 2019 results. The December 2019 gross margin was 24% and the Bubs infant formula gross margin was 41%. To me, this says the business can continue to become even more profitable as it grows bigger and more of its sales are infant formula related.

    In the update about the quarter to 31 March 2020, the company said that it was cashflow positive. That means it’s now not burning cash in its day to day operations. That’s an important step for a rapidly growing business.

    Foolish takeaway

    Perhaps the sale of Pushpay shares by the largest shareholder group unnerved some investors. But I think Pushpay still has a great future. The lower share price makes Pushpay a more attractive buy to me than earlier in July. Bubs is also a great ASX growth share candidate. I’d be happy to buy both of them for my portfolio at the current 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

    More reading

    Tristan Harrison has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of PUSHPAY FPO NZX. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended BUBS AUST FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of COLESGROUP DEF SET. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended PUSHPAY FPO NZX. 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 The smartest ASX shares to buy if you have $2,000 appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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