Author: therawinformant

When it comes to buying ASX shares, most investors will select investments that suit their particular ASX share focus. Those investors who invest for dividend income will normally pick an ASX dividend payer for their portfolio. Conversely, if you’re a growth investor, you might choose a company that has been growing their revenue at a high rate, even if it doesn’t necessarily pay a dividend.

But the 2 ASX shares I name below would fit well into any ASX portfolio, in my view. I think both offer solid growth prospects, the potential for dividend income and are trading at a fair valuation today. And best of all, I’m putting my money where my mouth is because I own both. Here they are:

Ramsay Health Care Limited (ASX: RHC)

Ramsay is the largest operator of private hospitals in Australia and also has a growing presence overseas. I love Ramsay as I think it is well-positioned to take advantage of our ageing population demographics with its top-notch hospitals. Ramsay has long been a growth share. It has delivered investors an average of nearly 17% per annum over the past 10 years (not including dividend returns).

Speaking of dividends, it was disappointing to learn that Ramsay is set to break its 20-year streak of annual dividend increases in 2020. However, I acknowledge this was a move made with prudence in mind. I’m sure Ramsay is set to resume its dividend growth in 2021 and beyond.

I’m excited about my own position in Ramsay and I look forward to benefitting from the company’s great management and business expansion plans for years to come.

VanEck Vectors Wide Moat ETF (ASX: MOAT)

This exchange-traded fund (ETF) is one of my favourite investments. It’s not an index fund like the iShares Core S&P/ASX 200 ETF (ASX: IOZ). Rather, it only invests in a select group of US companies that have characteristics that indicate the presence of a ‘wide moat’.

A moat is a concept popularised by Warren Buffett and translates into a durable competitive advantage a company might possess. This ‘moat’ protects the company from competition and disruption. Apple is a great example of a company with a wide moat. Think about Apple’s brand power. It enables the company to charge relatively high prices for its products compared with any competitor. Not a bad trait for an investment to have.

At the time of writing, the MOAT ETF has 47 holdings. These include famous names like American Express, Amazon.com, Boeing, Buffett’s own Berkshire Hathaway, and Harley Davidson. I’m more than happy to own such a basket of famous brands myself.

MOAT has returned an average of 15.69% over the past 5 years. A  pretty good showing from an ETF. As such, I think MOAT can merit a place in any ASX portfolio, but especially those lacking in some American exposure.

More reading

• Do you have $5,000 to invest? Here are the ASX shares I would buy right now
• Is the Ramsay Health Care share price a buy?
• 3 of the best blue chip ASX 200 shares to buy in July
• Do you want to get rich by investing? Then do this
• Australian businesses are running out of cash

Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen owns shares of American Express, Ramsay Health Care Limited, and VanEck Vectors Morningstar Wide Moat ETF. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Ramsay Health Care Limited and VanEck Vectors Morningstar Wide Moat 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.

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The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is having a mixed day and is down slightly in late morning trade. At the time of writing the benchmark index is down a few points to 6,011.2 points.

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

The Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) share price has fallen 1.5% to $67.02. This follows the successful completion of the payments company’s institutional placement. Afterpay raised $650 million via a placement which was strongly supported by existing and new shareholders. As a result of the support, the placement price rose to $66.00 per new share. This represents a discount of just 2.9% to its last close price and compares favourably to its underwritten floor price of $61.75 per new share.

The Alumina Limited (ASX: AWC) share price is down 5% to $1.62. This morning the company revealed that the ATO is going after the local operation of US aluminium giant Alcoa. Alumina has a 40% interest in the business. The tax office has hit Alcoa of Australia with a bill of over $900 million due to transfer pricing allegations.

The Magellan Financial Group Ltd (ASX: MFG) share price has dropped 1.5% to $63.17. This morning analysts at Citi downgraded the fund manager’s shares to a neutral rating with a $66.00 price target. Although it is a fan of the company, it appears to believe its shares are fully valued now. On Tuesday Magellan released its latest funds under management update and revealed net fund inflows of $249 million.

The Webjet Limited (ASX: WEB) share price is down 3% to $3.19. A number of travel shares have been sold off today amid concerns over the recovery of the domestic travel market. This follows the announcement of a six-week lockdown in Melbourne after a spike in coronavirus cases. These latest lockdowns will impact around five million people.

More reading

• Afterpay share price lower after raising $650 million via institutional placement
• Afterpay and 1 other ASX share to buy and hold beyond 2025
• Why Etherstack and these shares were the most traded on the ASX last week
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Wednesday
• ASX 200 drops on return of lockdown in Melbourne

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Webjet Ltd. 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.

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The Saracen Mineral Holdings Limited (ASX: SAR) share price is edging higher today after the gold miner reported record gold production for FY20. Gold production for the full year was 520,414 ounces, above the company’s previous guidance of +500,000 ounces. Production of more than 600,000 ounces of gold is slated for the current financial year. 

About Saracen Mineral Holdings

Saracen Mineral Holdings is an Australian gold mining company that operates three mines near Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. These consist of the Carosue Dam, Thunderbox, and 50% of the Super Pit. The Saracen share price has benefitted from the rise in gold prices over 2020. The company’s shares have risen from a low of $2.91 in March to their current price of $6.12, at the time of writing. The increasing share price resulted in Saracen joining the S&P/ASX 100 (ASX: XTO) in the most recent quarterly rebalance. 

What did Saracen report? 

Sarcen released a trading update this morning which revealed its FY20 full year production was above guidance. In the June quarter, Saracen produced 145,830 ounces of gold, contributing to a full year production of 520,414 ounces. 

Managing Director, Raleigh Finlayson, commented “We have now met or exceeded guidance for seven straight financial years”. He went on to say “We are also meeting our undertakings to continue to drive growth and we expect this to be clearly evident in our strong news flow over the coming months”.

Saracen reported gold sales of 148,011 ounces in the June quarter at an average price of $2,280 per ounce. This resulted in sales receipts of $337.5 million. At the end of the June quarter, Saracen had a net cash position of $48 million. This was up from a net debt position of $21 million at the end of the March quarter. 

What is the outlook for the Saracen share price? 

Like other gold miners, the Saracen share price has been lifted by the increase in the price of gold. This has risen from below $2,300 per ounce in January to nearly $2,600 per ounce currently. Further news is expected out of Saracen in the coming months. This will include detailed information on the performance of its mines as well as the company’s full FY20 results. To date, COVID-19 has had a limited impact on the company, which has continued to execute its long-standing strategy to future-proof the business. 

More reading

• Is the NextDC share price still a buy despite hitting an all-time high?
• Why Domino’s and these ASX 200 shares have just hit new highs
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Friday
• Should you buy ASX gold shares like Saracen Minerals in July?
• ASX 200 up 1.2%: Big four banks rebound, WiseTech CEO dumps shares, Collins Foods impresses

Motley Fool contributor Kate O’Brien 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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The Carbon Revolution (ASX: CBR) share price crashed more than 30% lower in early trade following the company’s recent trading update. Carbon Revolution shares are currently sitting at $1.40 per share, a drop of 29.75%.   

COVID-19 impacting demand

Earlier today, Carbon Revolution released a market update that highlighted the impact of COVID-19 on its global automotive supply chains. Given the evolving nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, Carbon Revolution informed the market that sales growth and demand for its wheels in the first quarter of FY21 will be affected.

As a result, the company also withdrew is guidance for FY20 and has implemented a series of operational changes. These changes include a reduction in its production workforce and the restructuring of working shifts. The company’s management believe that the changes will have no effect on the medium to long-term demand for its wheels or growth prospects.

How has Carbon Revolution performed?

Carbon Revolution is an Australian-based company that manufactures lightweight, carbon fibre wheels for the global automotive industry. The company produces wheels which are about 40% lighter than conventional wheels to car makers including Ferrari, Ford and Renault.

In late April, the company released a business update that highlighted the impact of CVOID-19 on its sales. Carbon Revolution noted that the business had been impacted by disruption of global supply chains, which has affected freight availability, costs and also resulted in supply issues for raw materials. Despite the setbacks, Carbon Revolution reported that wheel sales grew 184% for the third quarter ending 31 March 2020, in comparison to the third quarter of 2019.  

Carbon Revolution began trading on the ASX in late November after a public float with an issue price of $2.60. Market volatility during the COVID-19 pandemic saw the company’s share price sink to an all-time low of 80 cents in late March. Despite the share price volatility, Carbon Revolution was added to the All Ordinaries Index during the June rebalance.

It is also important to note that Carbon Revolutions operations are based in Geelong and could be further impacted given the new restrictions imposed in Victoria.

Foolish takeaway

At the time of writing the Carbon Revolution share price is trading more than 29% lower for the day at $1.40 per share, having hit an intra-day low of $1.36.

More reading

• Why Afterpay, Alumina, Magellan, & Webjet shares are dropping lower
• Saracen share price rising on report of record gold production
• Why Coles, Kogan, Northern Star, & Splitit are charging higher
• Why the Reject Shop share price could be a recession-buster
• ASX small cap SRG Global secures new NZ$25 million contract

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

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In late morning trade the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has followed the lead of U.S. markets and dropped lower. At the time of writing the benchmark index is down 0.5% to 5,983.7 points.

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

The Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL) share price is up 1.5% to $17.61. This gain appears to have been driven by news that Melbourne is going into lockdown again to combat the spread of COVID-19. Investors may be betting on the supermarket giant benefiting from panic buying again.

The Kogan.com Ltd (ASX: KGN) share price is up 1% to $16.90. This morning the ecommerce company announced the successful completion of its share purchase plan (SPP). Given the strong support shown by eligible shareholders, Kogan decided to increase the SPP size by $5 million above its original target of $15 million. As a result, it has raised a total of $120 million (including its placement) to fund its future growth.

The Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) share price is up 5% to $14.62 after the release of its fourth quarter update. During the quarter, Northern Star generated underlying free cashflow of $217.9 million from the sale of 262,717 ounces of gold. This took its full year sales to 900,388 ounces from gold production of 905,177 ounces. This was 1.6% lower than its withdrawn guidance. The gold miner also announced that it will pay its postponed interim dividend later this month.

The Splitit Ltd (ASX: SPT) share price has jumped 15% to $1.57. This follows the release of the buy now pay later provider’s second quarter update. Splitit reported Merchant Sales Volume (MSV) of US$65.4 million for the second quarter. This was a record 260% increase on the prior corresponding period and a 176% lift on its first quarter MSV.

More reading

• Splitit share price surges 24% higher after record second quarter growth
• Northern Star share price on watch after fourth quarter update
• These ASX shares are swept up by the new Victorian COVID-19 lockdown
• You’re probably a customer of these 3 ASX shares. Should you own them too?
• Why retirees should buy Coles and Telstra shares for income

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 Kogan.com ltd. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of COLESGROUP DEF SET. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended 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.

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An article published in The Australian this week has highlighted the potential bright future for the Reject Shop Ltd (ASX: TRS) share price. According to the article, the surging demand for discount retail could make the Reject Shop a ‘recession-buster’.

How the Reject Shop could be a recession-buster

The article cited recent research from Morgan Stanley which highlights the dominant position the Reject Shop holds in Australia’s ‘dollar shop’ industry. As a result of the retailer’s strong position in the sector, analysts believe the Reject Shop share price could see it become a $3 billion company over the next decade.

Analysts cited the budget retail niche as being large and highly profitable in other global markets. And, as such, advised that the Reject Shop has been ‘under-earning’ in the Australian market. According to Morgan’s analysis, its new management and a simplified strategy could see the Reject Shop parlay its current annual sales of $900 million into greater growth moving forward.

With traditional clothing and footwear retailers facing troubling times as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, shoppers could increasingly turn to budget retailers like the Reject Shop. Morgan analysts cited the large addressable market, strong unit economics and resilience amid the economic downturn as possible fuel for the Reject Shop’s growth.

To support their thesis, Morgan also lifted its share price target for the Reject Shop to $10. Analysts expect the company’s new management to improve the retailer’s range, cut sourcing and staff costs and take advantage of rent cuts. The Reject Shop share price surged 13.9% on Monday following this positive outlook.

How has the Reject Shop share price been performing?

Prior to Monday’s spike, I believe the Reject Shop share price has been largely flying under the radar over the last 3 months. Despite being sold off during the Febraury/March bear market, the company’s share price has surged more than 220% from its low of $2.40 in late March. It reached a new, 52-week high of $8.50 yesterday before falling back to $7.81 in early trade today. The Reject Shop was also added to the All Ordinaries Index in the June rebalance .

In mid-March, the company released a market update informing investors it had seen a material increase in sales driven by customer concerns surrounding the pandemic. It reported that comparable sales surged 5.7% for the first 11 weeks of the second half of FY20.

Should you buy shares in the Reject Shop?

Given the distressed state of many traditional brick and mortar retailers, I think investors should exercise caution before buying in at today’s Reject Shop share price. Although Morgan Stanley is renowned for quality analysis, it’s important to take into account that the company’s share price has already rallied hard since earlier in the year.

I think a more prudent strategy would be to wait until reporting season before making an investment decision. This would provide a more thorough indication of how the retailer is performing and what its strategy is for the future. 

More reading

• Leading brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today
• 3 ASX shares that could make a big turnaround
• Westpac tips the Australian dollar to continue rising

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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The SRG Global Ltd (ASX: SRG) share price rose as much as 3.9% yesterday before closing the day flat at 26 cents per share. The recent SRG Global share price movement came after the company announced it had been awarded a major new maintenance contract.

SRG Global is an engineering-led specialist construction, maintenance and mining services group with a global portfolio of work including Emirates Tower in Dubai.

What moved the SRG Global share price yesterday?

Yesterday morning, SRG Global announced it has secured an 8-year contract for the the provision of inspection and specialist maintenance services on the Auckland Harbour Bridge. The contract is with the Auckland System Management Maintenance Alliance, and the ultimate client is the Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency.

Works under the contract have commenced and will conclude in 2028. In total, the estimated revenues under the contact are approximately NZ$25 million, notwithstanding any additional capital works.

This helps to provide the company with annuity style revenue streams. Accordingly, the company has a strategy of increasing recurring revenues versus project based earnings. This change in strategy has been largely driven by the impacts of the COVID-19 lockdowns. 

In the announcement, SRG Global managing director David Macgeorge commented:

This is a significant award for SRG Global and our New Zealand operations. The Auckland Harbour Bridge is an iconic piece of New Zealand transport infrastructure and we are pleased to extend our long-term relationship with Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency under this new agreement with the Alliance.

SRG Global share price

The company expects to generate an underlying earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) of $20 million–$21 million in FY20. Additionally, it forecasts a growth of 50% EBITDA for FY21. The growth expectations are due largely to a forward order book of $707 million and an opportunity pipeline valued at $6.2 billion. 

The SRG Global share price has opened today’s trade up 1.96% at the time of writing. This values the company at $113 million with a price to earnings ratio of 18.64. At this price, the company has a trailing 12 month dividend yield of 3.85%.

More reading

• Why the Reject Shop share price could be a recession-buster
• Afterpay share price lower after raising $650 million via institutional placement
• Rio Tinto share price on watch following broker downgrade
• Splitit share price surges 24% higher after record second quarter growth
• Why the IGO share price could outperform other ASX stocks on this gloomy day

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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