Category: Stock Market

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is having a poor session on Wednesday. In afternoon trade, the benchmark index is down 0.4% to 7,796.7 points.

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

Incitec Pivot Ltd (ASX: IPL)

The Incitec Pivot share price is down almost 2% to $2.85. This follows news that the agricultural chemicals company has ended negotiations with PT Pupuk Kalimantan Timur for the sale of its fertilisers business. The deal for the Incitec Pivot Fertilisers business was estimated to be valued at over $1 billion. Management advised: “Throughout the sale negotiations with PKT, we were focused on completing a sale transaction in a timely manner to allow us to commence our on-market buyback of up to $900 million. We have determined we are unlikely to achieve this outcome with PKT in an acceptable timeframe, and as a result we made the decision to cease negotiations with them.”

Kogan.com Ltd (ASX: KGN)

The Kogan share price is down almost 3% to $4.02. This is despite there being no news out of the online retailer. However, it is worth noting that Kogan’s shares have been under significant pressure in recent months. So much so, its shares have lost half their value since the middle of March and hit a 52-week low this morning. Investors may be concerned by rising competition from the likes of Amazon, Temu, and Shein.

Insignia Financial Ltd (ASX: IFL)

The Insignia Financial share price is down over 6% to $2.34. This financial services company’s shares rose almost 14% on Tuesday in response to speculation that it could be a takeover target of a private equity firm. The media report claimed that the company, which was formerly known as IOOF, had called in Citi to support it with takeover approaches. However, after the market close yesterday, the company responded to a speeding ticket from the ASX by advising that “Citi has not been engaged to field any offers and the company is not aware of any offer.”

Resimac Group Ltd (ASX: RMC)

The Resimac share price is down a further 2.5% to 79.5 cents. This non-bank lender’s shares have been under pressure this week after it announced the sudden exit of its CEO without reason. According to the release, Scott McWilliam has resigned from his employment with Resimac after 21 years of service. This included six years as its CEO and three years as its joint CEO following the merger with Homeloans Limited. It also advised that Mr McWilliam will take a period of leave before his employment contract ends on 1 September 2024.

The post Why Incitec Pivot, Kogan, Insignia, and Resimac shares are dropping today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Wednesday
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• Why Clinuvel, Mesoblast, Red Hill, and Resimac shares are sinking today
• These 5 ASX dividend shares had the highest yields in FY24

Citigroup is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Amazon and Kogan.com. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Amazon and Kogan.com. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

The paradigm shift represented by artificial intelligence (AI) is having a pronounced effect on the tech landscape, and nowhere is that more apparent than Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA). The company provides the chips with the computational horsepower to power AI, driving its financial results and stock price into the stratosphere. Nvidia stock is up more than 200% over the past year, resulting in a 10-for-1 stock split, which was completed just last month.

Despite the stock’s impressive run, Wall Street is reviewing its pricing models, and one analyst believes Nvidia still has plenty of upside ahead.

Fueled by Blackwell

UBS analyst Timothy Arcuri reiterated his buy rating on Nvidia stock and increased his price to $150. That represents potential upside for investors of 19%, compared to the stock’s closing price on Friday. The analyst believes that Nvidia’s recent focus on rack-scale servers is underappreciated and could spark additional gains for the chipmaker.

In March, Nvidia released details for its GB200 NVL72 system, powered by its GB200 Grace Blackwell Superchip. The processor contains “two high-performance NVIDIA Blackwell Tensor Core GPUs [graphics processing units] and the NVIDIA Grace CPU with the NVLink-Chip-to-Chip (C2C) interface.” The platforms are packed with either 36 or 72 GB200 GPUs, delivering up to 1.8 terabytes of throughput per GPU.

Arcuri’s channel checks suggest that demand for the Blackwell servers is “exceedingly robust,” noting that demand was “materially larger” than when he checked just two months ago. This could help push Nvidia’s earnings per share (EPS) to $5 in 2025. For context, the company generated split-adjusted EPS of $1.19 for fiscal 2024 (ended Jan. 28), so this represents a potential increase in profits of 320%.

I think the analyst hit the nail on the head. Every time Nvidia expands its domain, the company also increases its total addressable market and potential for greater profitability.

Nvidia’s stock is currently selling for 75 times forward earnings. However, if the analyst’s calculations are correct, the stock is currently trading for 24 times forward earnings, a bargain given the opportunity ahead.

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

The post Is Nvidia stock going to $150 in the wake of its high-profile 10-for-1 stock split? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Danny Vena has positions in Nvidia. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Nvidia. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) investors have been waiting patiently for central banks to finally begin cutting interest rates.

Very patiently.

Here in Australia, the Reserve Bank of Australia first moved to contain fast-rising inflation on 4 May 2022. At the time, the official cash rate stood at a historic low of 0.10%. The RBA then lifted that by 0.25% to 0.35%.

By the time the smoke cleared, and following a final 0.25% hike on 8 November 2023, the cash rate stands at the current 4.35%.

Now with inflation proving extra sticky down under, ASX investors are largely resolved that RBA interest rate cuts are likely off the table until 2025.

But how about the US Federal Reserve?

While Fed easing won’t lower the costs for Aussie mortgage holders, it should offer some tailwinds for many ASX 200 stocks.

The Fed, as you may know, made its own first rate hike on 17 March 2022, boosting the official funds rate by 0.25% to bring it in the range of 0.25% to 0.50%. The final 0.25% increase came on 26 July 2023.

That brought the official US rate to the current 5.25% to 5.50% range, the highest level in over 20 years.

Will ASX 200 investors see Fed interest rate easing in September?

Circling back to our headline question then, can ASX 200 investors expect some interest rate relief from the Fed this year?

As for the Fed’s next meeting on 31 July, this looks unlikely.

Speaking at the Senate Banking Committee yesterday (overnight Aussie time), Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell said, “More good data would strengthen our confidence that inflation is moving sustainably toward 2%.”

While Powell stressed that he wasn’t providing any timelines for upcoming interest rate moves, he did open the door for potential easing in September, when the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meets again.

“Elevated inflation is not the only risk we face,” Powell said (quoted by Bloomberg).

“The latest data show that labour-market conditions have now cooled considerably from where they were two years ago. And I wouldn’t have said that until the last couple of readings,” Powell added.

What are the experts saying?

So, will the ASX 200 enjoy lower US interest rates in the final quarter of 2024?

Derek Tang, an economist at LH Meyer, said a weakening US jobs market is a key lever to “spur” Powell into action.

“His focus is squarely on the labour market. Further softening in the labour market, even if further disinflation is not delivered, is enough to spur action,” Tang said.

Bloomberg economist Anna Wong added:

Powell’s remarks to lawmakers are rife with references to labour-market risks. The Fed now appears to be placing equal weight on the employment leg of its dual mandate in contrast to the past two years, when it explicitly prioritised price stability.

Given our forecast for the unemployment rate to climb to 4.5% in 4Q, we expect that by year-end the Fed will be prioritising the employment leg of its mandate.

The S&P 500 Index (SP: .INX) closed up 0.1% overnight following Powell’s address.

The ASX 200 is down 0.5% today.

The post Can ASX 200 investors expect a Fed interest rate cut in September? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Bernd Struben has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Many of Australia’s top brokers have been busy adjusting their financial models and recommendations again. This has led to the release of a number of broker notes this week.

Three ASX shares that brokers have named as buys this week are listed below. Here’s why their analysts are feeling bullish on them right now:

Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST)

According to a note out of Citi, its analysts have upgraded this gold miner’s shares to a buy rating with an improved price target of $15.90. The broker is feeling positive about Northern Star due to its belief that gold prices will be strong for the foreseeable future. Especially with Citi expecting the US Federal Reserve to cut interest rates in the near future, which will boost the appeal of the precious metal. In light of this and with Northern Star’s shares recently underperforming peers, Citi thinks that now could be the time to snap up its shares. The Northern Star share price is trading at $12.90 on Wednesday.

Qantas Airways Limited (ASX: QAN)

A note out of Morgans reveals that its analysts have retained their add rating on this airline operator’s shares with an improved price target of $7.00. Ahead of its results release next month, Morgans is forecasting Qantas to deliver its second largest profit in its history. It has pencilled in an underlying profit before tax of approximately $2.08 billion for the 12 months. The broker believes this will allow the Flying Kangaroo to announce a new $300 million on-market share buyback. And while it feels it is too soon for dividends this year, it expects payouts to resume from FY 2025 with a dividend of approximately 15 cents per share. The Qantas share price is fetching $6.08 today.

Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS)

Analysts at Goldman Sachs have retained their buy rating on this telco giant’s shares with an improved price target of $4.30. This follows news that Telstra is lifting its mobile prices by $2 to $4. Goldman was pleased with the news and believes it will boost its average revenue per user (ARPU) metric by $2.50. It also highlights that this demonstrates that mobile market rationality remains, particularly when combined with the recent Optus increase. In response to the update, the broker has lifted its earnings and dividend estimates for FY 2025 and FY 2026. The Telstra share price is trading at $3.79 at the time of writing.

The post Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Is the Telstra share price good value in July?
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Wednesday
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• Why did ASIC take a look when Qantas shares fell last year?
• How much cash do you need to quit work and live off ASX dividend income?

Citigroup is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Goldman Sachs Group. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Telstra Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Medibank Private Ltd (ASX: MPL) shares had a volatile FY24. The stock began the financial year at $3.52 and ended at $3.73, resulting in a 6% gain for the period.

But investors saw their Medibank shares trade as high as $3.91 in March before sliding to six-month lows of $3.41 by May. Quite the range.

After a year of turbulence – both in the markets and in the business – investors are curious whether FY25 will bring any significant changes. Let’s review last year’s performance and the outlook for the upcoming year for Medibank shares.

Medibank shares FY24 recap

Owning Medibank shares in FY24 was a turbulent affair. Even though its financials were reasonably strong, it still had to deal with regulatory scrutiny following the 2022 cyberattack.

Medibank reported a revenue increase of 3.3% to $4.02 billion in its H1 FY24 results in February. The company also saw a 104.8% rise in net profit after tax (NPAT), reaching $491.9 million.

Although, as my colleague Mitch reported, around $81 million of this result stemmed from accounting changes that were related to COVID-19 claims.

Management also declared an interim fully franked dividend of 7.2 cents per share, up 14.3% from the previous period.

Impact of the 2022 cyberattack on Medibank shares

It’s worth highlighting that the 2022 cyberattack had lingering effects on Medibank shares even in FY24. As a reminder, the breach reportedly exposed sensitive customer information, including personal and health data.

Consequently, the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) has commenced civil penalty proceedings, alleging Medibank failed to protect customer data adequately. The potential fines – though speculative – continue to loom over the company.

FY25 outlook: Opportunities and challenges

UBS sees potential in Medibank shares for FY25. According to my colleague Tristan, the broker noted that Medibank’s claims inflation was better than expected at 2%, compared to the 2.6% guidance.

UBS forecasts the private health insurance margin will remain above 8% from FY24 to FY26. Although Medibank’s policy numbers fell slightly, analysts remain optimistic about a rebound with projected growth of 0.9% and projected dividends of 18 cents per share this year.

Goldman Sachs meanwhile maintains a neutral rating on Medibank shares, with a price target of $3.70.

The broker appreciates Medibank’s defensive earnings and manageable claims environment. But, due to the current valuation, it has “a preference” for alternatives like NIB Holdings Limited (ASX: NHF), which it believes offers better growth prospects.

Foolish takeaway

Medibank shares were relatively flat in FY24, but the outlook for FY25 could bring opportunities, some experts note.

Investors should keep an eye on the company’s ability to manage costs, grow its policy base, and navigate ongoing legal challenges. In any situation, remember to consider personal risk tolerances and conduct your own due diligence.

The post Can Medibank shares expect a healthy FY25? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Zach Bristow has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

AGL Energy Ltd (ASX: AGL) shares faced a fairly turbulent run in FY24, only just finishing the year out of the red.

In the 12 months to June 28 2024, the energy stock gained just 0.18%, closing the year at $10.83 per share.

The saving grace came in February, when the broader resources and energy sectors began to rally, supported by strengthening commodity prices.

But will FY25 bring a change in fortune for AGL shares? Here’s a look at the year in review and what the experts say about FY25.

AGL shares FY24 review

AGL shares came back stronger in the second half of the financial year following a series of company-specific announcements.

The company boosted its FY24 earnings guidance in May. According to my colleague James, management now expects its underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) to be between $2.1 and $2.2 billion.

This is above the previously forecasted range of $2 to $2.17 billion. If AGL hits this target range, it represents a 56% to 61.5% increase compared to the company’s FY23 EBITDA.

Additionally, AGL anticipates its underlying net profit after tax (NPAT) to be between $760 million and $810 million, a 2.9-fold increase over the FY23 result.

In June, the company announced a $150 million deal to partner with UK-based Kaluza to digitise and simplify energy billing as part of its Retail Transformation Program (RTP). Once settled, AGL will own 20% of Kaluza.

As my colleague Bernd reported, the RTP initiative aimed to reduce operating expenses and capital expenditure, with the benefits expected to be realised in FY28.

However, the program entails significant upfront costs, estimated at $300 million over four years, which may or may not pressure the AGL share price in the short term.

Investment potential

Fund managers have recently highlighted AGL’s investment potential. L1 Capital, in its recent investor presentation, said AGL was well-positioned to benefit from surging electricity demand.

L1 said AGL was the lowest-cost baseload generator in Victoria and New South Wales. With rising electricity demand stemming from data centres, electric vehicles, and artificial intelligence (AI), the energy giant could benefit from these tailwinds.

The fund expects AGL to generate strong free cash flows, which “can fund high dividends and substantial investment in transition in areas such as batteries with solid returns”.

Valued at an enterprise value to EBITDA ratio (EV/EBITDA) of 4.5 times, AGL shares are “well below historical range” of around 6 times, according to L1. This ratio is similar to the price-to-earnings ratio (P/E).

Future outlook for AGL shares

The energy company is currently trading at $10.52 per share, with a trailing dividend yield of 4.64% and a P/E ratio of 18.4 times.

Despite the challenges faced in FY24, AGL’s strategic initiatives and upgraded earnings guidance could offer a positive outlook for FY25. As a reminder, always consider the risks involved and conduct your own due diligence.

The post AGL shares struggled in FY24. Will FY25 be different? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• What this expert predicts will be the best-performing ASX sectors in FY25
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• What’s put the wind up AGL shares on Friday?

Motley Fool contributor Zach Bristow has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) stock Incitec Pivot Ltd (ASX: IPL) is taking a tumble today.

Shares in the company – which manufactures explosives, chemicals and fertilisers – closed yesterday trading for $2.90. In morning trade on Wednesday, shares are swapping hands for $2.79 apiece, down 3.8%.

For some context, the ASX 200 is down 0.6% at this same time.

Here’s what’s happening.

Why is the ASX 200 stock under pressure?

The Incitec Pivot share price is sliding after the company announced it had ended negotiations with PT Pupuk Kalimantan Timur for the sale of its fertilisers business, Incitec Pivot Fertilisers, a deal estimated to be valued at over $1 billion.

The ASX 200 stock highlighted the advanced stage of these negotiations in its half-year results, released on 16 May.

At the time, CEO Mauro Neves said:

We are in advanced negotiations for a potential sale of our fertilisers business to PT Pupuk Kalimantan Timur, who are a major fertilisers producer in Asia and current supplier of urea to Australia…

With negotiations for the sale of IPF not yet concluded, our on-market share buyback of up to $900 million remains on hold.

Today Incitec Pivot said that after carefully considering how to maximise shareholder value while balancing the risks of completing the sale within a reasonable timeframe, management had opted to pull the plug.

On the plus side, with the sale off the table, the ASX 200 stock will now commence its suspended on-market share buyback program of up to $900 million. Management said the company will prioritise the buyback for the benefit of its shareholders.

Incitec Pivot will continue to manage its Dyno Nobel and Incitec Pivot Fertilisers businesses separately.

Commenting on the ceased sale negotiations, Neves said:

Throughout the sale negotiations with PKT, we were focused on completing a sale transaction in a timely manner to allow us to commence our on-market buyback of up to $900 million. We have determined we are unlikely to achieve this outcome with PKT in an acceptable timeframe, and as a result we made the decision to cease negotiations with them.

Neves said the ASX 200 stock will continue to assess options “for the structural separation of the two businesses”, while the immediate focus will be the share buyback program.

As for Dyno Nobel and Incitec Pivot Fertilisers, Neves added:

Led by a talented global executive leadership team, our Dyno Nobel business is being transformed into a global operation which is expected to substantially improve its financial performance.

Our IPF business remains focused on value accretive market share growth and is in a strong position for the agricultural season ahead.

Incitec Pivot reconfirmed the FY 2024 earnings guidance reported in its half-year results for its Dyno Nobel and IPF businesses.

The post ASX 200 stock tumbles as $1 billion deal goes south appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today

Motley Fool contributor Bernd Struben has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

The market may have run out of steam on Wednesday, but not all ASX shares are falling.

Two that are catching the eye of investors and roaring higher this morning are listed below.

Here’s why investors have been buying their shares today:

DUG Technology Ltd (ASX: DUG)

The DUG Technology share price is up 7% to $2.67 after investors responded positively to an announcement out of the analytical software developer.

DUG Technology delivers innovative software products and cost-effective, cloud-based high-performance (HPC) computing as a service backed by tailored support for technology onboarding. Its expertise in algorithm development and code optimisation allows its clients to leverage big data and solve complex problems.

According to the announcement, the company has received delivery of the 1,500 AMD EPYC Genoa machines announced in February. As a result of the RAM upgrades to its existing machines and other purchases, DUG is no longer incurring third-party compute costs.

The ASX tech share’s managing director, Dr Matthew Lamont, was pleased with the news. He said:

I am pleased to see our HPC capabilities grow in response to the demand we see moving forward. These are good times!

In February, Dr Lamont noted that the “AMD machines are needed to accelerate delivery of both current and imminent projects, and to support the unprecedented demand we continue to see moving forward.”

Imugene Ltd (ASX: IMU)

The Imugene share price is up almost 8% to 5.5 cents. This morning, this clinical stage immune-oncology company announced that the first patient has been dosed in its trial for bile tract cancer (cholangiocarcinoma) patients.

This trial is an expansion of the MAST (Metastatic Advanced Solid Tumours) Phase 1 trial after early responses were observed in gastrointestinal cancers, and particularly cholangiocarcinoma, using Imugene’s cancer-killing virus CF33 (Vaxinia).

Bile tract cancer is a rare disease in which malignant cancer cells form in the bile ducts. It is known to be difficult to treat and responds poorly to immunotherapy drugs. A total of 10 patients will be enrolled in the trial.

The ASX share’s managing director and CEO, Leslie Chong, appears optimistic that Vaxinia could be effective in treating bile tract cancer. She said:

Given the results we’ve seen to date we are eager to see the potential of VAXINIA in bile tract cancer. We look forward to now advancing to the higher doses in the trial to gather further key data and make a genuine difference to patients in need of innovative treatment options.

The post 2 ASX shares roaring higher on big news appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Dug Technology. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Dug Technology. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Accepting the market return from the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) rather than trying to beat it can generate substantial wealth for long-term investors. This strategy has become increasingly common in the last decade with the rise of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) on the ASX.

For some, owning a stake in the biggest names on the Australian Securities Exchange via an ETF is regarded as a pillar to achieving their financial goals. For this reason, ETFs are fast becoming a cornerstone in many Australian portfolios.

The simplicity of the investment, its diversification, and relatively low fees are all drawcards for investors. However, would-be passive investors now must choose from multiple offerings as ETF providers tap into the expanding market.

Fortunately, analysts at Morgan Stanley have already compared the most popular ASX 200 ETFs across various factors. The outcome? One Australian index-tracking fund to rule them all.

Which ASX 200 ETF takes the cake?

Three ETFs tracking the pre-eminent Australian index were evaluated by the team at Morgan Stanley:

• SPDR S&P/ASX 200 ETF (ASX: STW) — the first ETF listed in Australia
• iShares Core S&P/ASX 200 ETF (ASX: IOZ), BlackRock’s answer for low-cost access to the ASX 200
• BetaShares Australia 200 ETF (ASX: A200) — the new kid on the block

To properly assess the options, Morgan Stanley divided the comparison into six areas: exposure, product structure, risk metrics, fees and liquidity, product profitability, and return performance. Finally, an overall ranking is appended to each ETF.

Measure	SPDR S&P/ASX 200 ETF (STW)	iShares Core S&P/ASX 200 ETF (IOZ)	BetaShares Australia 200 ETF (A200)
Exposure	First	First	Third
Product structure	Second	First	Third
Risk metrics	Second	Third	First
Fees and liquidity	Third	Second	First
Product profitability	Third	Second	First
Return performance	Third	Second	First
Overall	Third	Second	First

As shown above, the BetaShares option trails behind its more tenured opponents in only two qualities: exposure and product structure.

Regarding exposure, all three ETFs look alike, with Morgan Stanley noting their differences as “negligible”. Each offering sports the same top 10 holdings, including the usual ASX 200 suspects: the big four banks, BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP), CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL), Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG), Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES), Goodman Group (ASX: GMG) and Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS).

Based on Morgan Stanley’s evaluation, the BetaShares Australia 200 ETF loses out to the iShares option on structure. The latter allows redemptions (the sale of ETF units) to be conducted without liquidating the underlying holdings for cash in the fund, mitigating capital gains tax at a fund level.

However, when it comes to fees, BetaShares is the clear winner. BlackRock’s iShares and State Street’s SPDR ETFs charge a 0.05% management fee, whereas BetaShares charges 0.04% — the lowest-cost Australian shares index ETF on the ASX.

Let’s talk returns

Each of the ASX 200 ETFs assessed by Morgan Stanley tries to replicate the index’s performance, so there shouldn’t be too much variation. Nevertheless, there are differences between the three.

When the broker conducted its analysis, BetaShares touted the best performance over the past one, two, three, and five-year periods and the highest year-to-date return. Unfortunately, the BetaShares Australia 200 ETF hasn’t been around long enough for a 10-year comparison.

According to its website, Morgan Stanley’s top ASX 200 ETF pick has returned 7.43% per annum (after fees) for the past five years. Meanwhile, iShares’ and SPDR’s five-year total returns are 7.17% and 7.19% respectively.

The post Want the best ASX 200 ETF? Look no further: Morgan Stanley appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Mitchell Lawler has positions in Macquarie Group. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended CSL, Goodman Group, Macquarie Group, and Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Macquarie Group and Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended CSL and Goodman Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

I think investors should always focus on ASX shares that can grow operationally and improve their profit over the long term. Sometimes, stocks can be good buys even if they’re trading at close to 52-week highs.

Businesses that are increasing their underlying value can help deliver shareholder returns. ASX shares with a history of winning can keep winning, as long as the valuation doesn’t become too extreme.

It’s important to remember that as a business grows, its growth rate will likely slow down sooner rather than later. But with the two stocks below, I think there’s still plenty of growth to come over the long term.

Tuas Ltd (ASX: TUA)

This is an ASX telco share that operates in Singapore and it’s growing at an impressive pace. As shown on the chart below, the Tuas share price has rocketed upwards almost 50% this year to $4.66, which is near its 52-week high.

I think there are two key reasons why the company is so exciting: its ongoing subscriber growth and operating leverage.

If the subscriber numbers are growing, it means the ASX share is gaining market share and growing revenue. In the FY24 first-half result, its active mobile services increased year over year from 35.7% to 938,000, marking a 14.5% rise since the second half of FY23.

When profit margins increase, it means that the bottom line can increase faster than revenue. HY24 saw revenue increase 38% to $54.7 million, and earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) jump 56% to $22.4 million. The EBITDA margin improved from 36% to 41%.

If Tuas can keep growing subscribers, then I expect its profit will accelerate. It’s targeting full-year positive net cash flow in FY24. The business expects subscriber numbers to keep rising in the second half of FY24, which can enable it to keep investing in its business.

REA Group Ltd (ASX: REA)

REA Group is the business that owns realestate.com.au, the leading property portal in Australia. The REA Group share price has risen more than 6% this year to around $195.40, close to its 52-week high, as shown on the chart below.

According to REA Group, it receives 130 million average realestate.com.au monthly visits, 4.1 times more visits than the nearest competitors each month on average. Its strong market position allows the business to implement sizeable price increases with little detrimental effects. The company has implemented an average 10% price increase on the product with the highest penetration, Premiere+.

With the digital infrastructure already designed, the increased revenue can help drive the ASX share’s profit higher at a faster pace. For the nine months to 31 March 2024, revenue rose 20% to $1.06 billion, EBITDA increased 23% to $594 million, and free cash flow jumped 39% to $322 million.

I’m also excited by the company’s potential in India, a country with a huge population steadily adopting digital services. In the FY24 third quarter, REA India’s revenue increased 31% year over year.

If REA’s primary businesses can continue to grow revenue, then I believe the profit and share price can also increase over time despite the current high valuation.

The post 2 ASX shares close to 52-week highs I’m thinking about buying appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended REA Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended REA Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.