Category: Stock Market

  • Up 8% in 2023, is right now the time to buy back into Webjet shares?

    The Webjet Ltd (ASX: WEB) share price has delivered returns for investors in 2023, but is it too late to buy?

    Webjet shares have risen 7.77% since market close on the last trading day of 2022 and are now fetching $6.68 apiece at the time of writing.

    In today’s trade, Webjet shares are down 2.42% amid a wider market fall. For perspective, the S&P/ASX 200 (ASX: XJO) is also 1.51% in the red today.

    Let’s check the outlook for Webjet shares.

    What’s ahead?

    Broker outlook for Webjet is positive with travel booming this year in the wake of COVID-19 border closures and travel restrictions that plagued the industry in 2020 and 2021.

    Australia’s borders reopened to international travellers on 21 February 2022.

    However, recent research from Southern Cross Travel Insurance reveals 83% of Australians on the move this year plan to cut travel expenses due to the rising cost of living, Global Travel Media reported.

    On the positive side, 87% of Australians are planning to travel within Australia or internationally within 12 months.

    Webjet is an online travel business operating all over the world. The company also owns the global travel brand WebBeds.

    Morgans is positive on the Webjet share price. The broker has placed a buy rating on the company with a $7.20 price target.

    This implies an upside of 7.8% at the current share price. Analysts at Morgans believe Webjet is trading at a discount. Commenting on Webjet, Morgans said:

    Based on our forecasts, WEB is trading on an FY24 recovery year PE which is at a discount to its five-year average PE (pre-COVID). Its WebBeds (B2B) business is highly leveraged to the northern hemisphere summer holiday season which is forecast to be strong.

    Webjet OTA is leveraged to ANZ domestic and international travel. Management also wasted a crisis and cost reduction initiatives will reduce its cost base by 20% across the group once the business returns to scale.

    Webjet subsidiary WebBeds last week announced an agreement with Luxembourg tour operator LuxairTours, broadening its customer base. Commenting on this news, WebBed Central Europe regional sales director Pepita Borrajo said:

    We are pleased to be working with LuxairTours. The depth and breadth of our accommodation inventory means that whatever holiday a LuxairTours customer wants, it can be supplied through WebBeds.

    Share price snapshot

    The Webjet share price has jumped 18% in the past year amid the travel recovery. In the last month, the company’s share price has slid 1.33%.

    Webjet has a market capitalisation of about $2.5 billion based on the current share price.

    The post Up 8% in 2023, is right now the time to buy back into Webjet shares? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Webjet Limited right now?

    Before you consider Webjet Limited, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Webjet Limited wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that are better buys.

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of March 1 2023

    (function() {
    function setButtonColorDefaults(param, property, defaultValue) {
    if( !param || !param.includes(‘#’)) {
    var button = document.getElementsByClassName(“pitch-snippet”)[0].getElementsByClassName(“pitch-button”)[0];
    button.style[property] = defaultValue;
    }
    }

    setButtonColorDefaults(“#0095C8”, ‘background’, ‘#5FA85D’);
    setButtonColorDefaults(“#0095C8”, ‘border-color’, ‘#43A24A’);
    setButtonColorDefaults(“#fff”, ‘color’, ‘#fff’);
    })()

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor Monica O’Shea 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.

    from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/z79rsI6

  • Here are the 3 most heavily traded ASX 200 shares on Thursday

    A young girl wearing glasses stares without smiling with lots of post-it notes stuck all over the wall behind her and all over her face.

    A young girl wearing glasses stares without smiling with lots of post-it notes stuck all over the wall behind her and all over her face.

    It’s been yet another day of carnage for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) so far this Thursday. After what has been a highly volatile week, the ASX 200 has fallen again, this time by a nasty 1.58%. That puts the Index back below 6,960 points.

    Ouch. But let’s not dwell too long on those depressing figures. It’s time now for a look at the ASX 200 shares that are at the peak of the share market’s trading volume charts at present, according to investing.com. 

    The 3 most traded ASX 200 shares by volume this Thursday

    Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS)

    First up today is the ASX 200 lithium share Pilbara Minerals. So far this session, a notable 28.31 million Pilbara shares have been dug up and sold on the markets. With no news from the company this Thursday, it looks like this volume is the result of the movements of Pilbara shares themselves.

    Pilbara has lost another 3.94% so far today and is currently down to $3.535 a share. As my Fool colleague covered this morning, Pilbara investors have now lost 20% of their capital over the past week alone. No wonder so many shares are flying around.

    Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS)

    Next up is the ASX 200 telco Telstra. This Thursday has seen a hefty 32.33 million Telstra shares rung up for sale thus far. There’s also not been much news out of Telstra, apart from a notice today that non-executive director Ming Long has acquired just over $100,000 worth of shares recently.

    So perhaps today’s volumes are a consequence of this notice.

    But Telstra has also been bouncing around a fair bit this session. The telco is currently up by a healthy 0.74% at $4.10, defying the broader market. But this morning, Telstra sunk into the red briefly, getting down to $4.04 a share. This volatility is probably driving the high volumes we are seeing.

    Sayona Mining Ltd (ASX: SYA)

    Finally this Thursday, we have another ASX 200 lithium stock in Sayona Mining to consider. So far today, a hefty 34.22 million shares have been bought and sold on the share market. Sayona is another ASX 200 share that is bucking the market.

    The lithium stock has gained a decent 1.16% so far, putting the company up at 21.75 cents a share. That was despite Sayona starting out in the red this morning.

    This high volume could be the result of the major announcement Sayona made to investors before open today. As my Fool colleague Monica covered earlier, Sayona announced that it has produced its first saleable commercial-grade spodumene lithium concentrate at its North American Lithium project.

    This is probably contributing to Sayona’s place at the top of the ASX 200 trading sharts right now.

    The post Here are the 3 most heavily traded ASX 200 shares on Thursday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    FREE Guide for New Investors

    Despite what some people may say – we believe investing in shares doesn’t have to be overwhelming or complicated…

    For over a decade, we’ve been helping everyday Aussies get started on their journey.

    And to help even more people cut through some of the confusion “experts’” seem to want to perpetuate – we’ve created a brand-new “how to” guide.

    Yes, Claim my FREE copy!
    *Returns as of March 1 2023

    (function() {
    function setButtonColorDefaults(param, property, defaultValue) {
    if( !param || !param.includes(‘#’)) {
    var button = document.getElementsByClassName(“pitch-snippet”)[0].getElementsByClassName(“pitch-button”)[0];
    button.style[property] = defaultValue;
    }
    }

    setButtonColorDefaults(“#0095C8”, ‘background’, ‘#5FA85D’);
    setButtonColorDefaults(“#0095C8”, ‘border-color’, ‘#43A24A’);
    setButtonColorDefaults(“#fff”, ‘color’, ‘#fff’);
    })()

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has positions in Telstra Group. 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 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.

    from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/wnLf4qi

  • The CBA share price is on a rollercoaster today. Is Credit Suisse to blame?

    People on a rollercoaster waving hands in the air, indicating a plummeting or rising share pricePeople on a rollercoaster waving hands in the air, indicating a plummeting or rising share price

    The Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) share price is on a rollercoaster on Thursday.

    In afternoon trading, shares in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) bank stock are down 0.5%, at $94.96 per share.

    That’s significantly better than the 1.6% loss posted by the ASX 200 at this same time. CommBank is also outperforming the other big four banks.

    In fact, during the lunch hour, the CBA share price rebounded into the green, briefly up as much as 0.8% at $96.15 per share. That was a large improvement from the earlier $93.35 per share, which saw CommBank trading down 1.3%.

    So, why the wild ride today?

    Why all the volatility?

    The CBA share price has been unusually volatile as investors consider the possibility of a looming global banking crisis.

    As you’re likely aware, last week the 18th biggest bank in the United States, SVB Financial Group (NASDAQ: SIVB), went belly up following a liquidity crunch that saw it unable to meet depositors’ withdrawal requests.

    Silicon Valley Bank shares plummeted 60% before trading was halted. Depositor funds have been guaranteed by the US government. But the now non-operational bank may well leave its shareholders begging for crumbs.

    The news saw the CBA share price and other ASX bank shares take a sharp fall this past Friday.

    In an unwelcome development, investors are now learning that the US banking woes have spread to Europe.

    In overnight trading, shares in Switzerland-based Credit Suisse Group (SWX: CSGN) tanked by 24% to new all-time lows.

    This came after the bank’s largest investor, Saudi National Bank said it could not offer additional financial support.

    The CBA share price may have enjoyed its midday bounce on fresh news that Credit Suisse is getting strong funding support from the nation’s central bank.

    “Credit Suisse is taking decisive action to pre-emptively strengthen its liquidity by intending to exercise its option to borrow from the Swiss National Bank (SNB) up to CHF 50 billion,” the bank reported.

    The AU$81 billion lifeline will be welcomed not just by Credit Suisse shareholders, but by bank investors the world over.

    CBA share price snapshot

    With today’s intraday losses factored in, the CBA share price is down just over 7% in 2023.

    The post The CBA share price is on a rollercoaster today. Is Credit Suisse to blame? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Wondering where you should 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 over ten years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

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

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of March 1 2023

    (function() {
    function setButtonColorDefaults(param, property, defaultValue) {
    if( !param || !param.includes(‘#’)) {
    var button = document.getElementsByClassName(“pitch-snippet”)[0].getElementsByClassName(“pitch-button”)[0];
    button.style[property] = defaultValue;
    }
    }

    setButtonColorDefaults(“#43B02A”, ‘background’, ‘#5FA85D’);
    setButtonColorDefaults(“#43B02A”, ‘border-color’, ‘#43A24A’);
    setButtonColorDefaults(“#fff”, ‘color’, ‘#fff’);
    })()

    More reading

    SVB Financial provides credit and banking services to The Motley Fool. 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 positions in and has recommended SVB Financial. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended SVB Financial. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

    from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/PuLl4Em

  • Are Suncorp shares a cheap passive-income buy after diving 7% in a week?

    an elderly man holds his chin in concern as he looks at his computer screen.

    an elderly man holds his chin in concern as he looks at his computer screen.

    Suncorp Group Ltd (ASX: SUN) shares have come under pressure with the rest of the banking sector this week.

    This means that the banking and insurance giant’s shares have lost almost 8% of their value since this time last week.

    In light of this decline, investors may be wondering if now is a good time to pounce on Suncorp’s shares. Let’s take a look.

    Is it time to buy Suncorp shares?

    One leading broker that thinks investors should be snapping up shares is Goldman Sachs.

    Earlier this month, the broker retained its buy rating with a $14.47 price target. This implies potential upside of almost 21% for its shares over the next 12 months.

    In addition, income investors may be pleased to learn that some very attractive dividend yields are expected in both FY 2023 and FY 2024.

    Goldman is forecasting fully franked dividends of 78 cents per share and then 79 cents per share, respectively. Based on the current Suncorp share price of $11.98, this will mean yields of 6.5% and then 6.6%.

    Why is the broker bullish?

    Goldman revealed that it is feeling bullish on Suncorp shares due to the company’s favourable outlook. This is being underpinned by a number of tailwinds in the general insurance market. It commented:

    We are favourably disposed to Suncorp noting in large part the tailwinds that exist in the general insurance market i.e., very strong renewal premium rate increases and the benefit of higher investment yields. We think the strong rate momentum that SUN is getting should likely offset volume pressures as they optimise their risk exposures in certain portfolios such as home but also likely policy lapses / buy downs.

    And while it acknowledges that its underlying margin is facing pressures, it sees scope for price increases to offset this. It adds:

    We note that SUN is putting through significant price increases to reflect these pressures but these benefits will flow through with a lag. Further, we note that we could start to see benefits of underlying claims inflation abating into FY24E.

    Overall, the broker believes Suncorp shares look cheap compared to peers. It also sees potential for a capital return when it sells its banking business. Goldman concludes:

    Despite reflecting some of these pressures in underlying margins, we think SUN trades relatively cheap compared to IAG hence we have a relative preference for SUN. We also see possible catalysts on the horizon for SUN including capital return post the bank sale and the possibility of a whole of account quota share arrangement similar to IAG. We are Buy-rated on SUN.

    The post Are Suncorp shares a cheap passive-income buy after diving 7% in a week? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Suncorp right now?

    Before you consider Suncorp, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Suncorp wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that are better buys.

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of March 1 2023

    (function() {
    function setButtonColorDefaults(param, property, defaultValue) {
    if( !param || !param.includes(‘#’)) {
    var button = document.getElementsByClassName(“pitch-snippet”)[0].getElementsByClassName(“pitch-button”)[0];
    button.style[property] = defaultValue;
    }
    }

    setButtonColorDefaults(“#43B02A”, ‘background’, ‘#5FA85D’);
    setButtonColorDefaults(“#43B02A”, ‘border-color’, ‘#43A24A’);
    setButtonColorDefaults(“#fff”, ‘color’, ‘#fff’);
    })()

    More reading

    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 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.

    from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/Bs9decl

  • 3 ASX growth stocks down 40%-65% to buy now and hold

    A woman sits in a cafe wearing a polka dotted shirt and holding a latte in one hand while reading something on a laptop that is sitting on the table in front of her

    A woman sits in a cafe wearing a polka dotted shirt and holding a latte in one hand while reading something on a laptop that is sitting on the table in front of her

    While the recent market volatility has been disappointing, this pullback is nothing compared to what some ASX growth stocks have experience over the last 12 months.

    For example, the three growth stocks listed below are down between 40% and 65% during this time.

    Here’s why this could prove to be a great opportunity for investors to buy and hold these stocks:

    Domino’s Pizza Enterprises Ltd (ASX: DMP)

    The Domino’s share price has lost almost 50% of its value since this time last year. Investors have been selling the pizza chain operator’s shares due to inflationary pressures. As well as weighing on its costs, the cost of living crisis has led to consumers pushing back on price increases, impacting sales.

    The good news is that inflation will ease in time and our love of pizza is unlikely to ever change. It is for this reason that Morgans is recommending its shares with an add rating and $70.00 price target.

    Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1)

    The Megaport share price has lost approximately two-thirds of its value over the last 12 months. This has been caused partly by the market’s aversion to loss-making growth stocks and its slowing growth.

    Goldman Sachs sees this as a buying opportunity for long term investors. This is due to the broker remaining “confident MP1 has a clear product advantage vs. peers and a decade-long runway for robust growth.” Its analysts recently put a buy rating and $8.20 price target on Megaport’s shares.

    Temple & Webster Group Ltd (ASX: TPW)

    The Temple & Webster share price may be rising today but it remains down 41% since this time in 2022. The rerating of growth stock valuations, softening online sales, and fears over housing market weakness appear to be behind this.

    But once again, these are all temporary headwinds that will ease in time and could have created a buying opportunity for buy and hold investors. Goldman Sachs clearly thinks it has. Especially given that its analysts “forecast a 21% 10-yr EBITDA CAGR driven by consolidation of market share and growing online penetration.”

    The broker has a conviction buy rating and $6.50 price target on this ASX growth stock.

    The post 3 ASX growth stocks down 40%-65% to buy now and hold appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Wondering where you should 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 over ten years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

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

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of March 1 2023

    (function() {
    function setButtonColorDefaults(param, property, defaultValue) {
    if( !param || !param.includes(‘#’)) {
    var button = document.getElementsByClassName(“pitch-snippet”)[0].getElementsByClassName(“pitch-button”)[0];
    button.style[property] = defaultValue;
    }
    }

    setButtonColorDefaults(“#0095C8”, ‘background’, ‘#5FA85D’);
    setButtonColorDefaults(“#0095C8”, ‘border-color’, ‘#43A24A’);
    setButtonColorDefaults(“#fff”, ‘color’, ‘#fff’);
    })()

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Domino’s Pizza Enterprises. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Domino’s Pizza Enterprises, Megaport, and Temple & Webster Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Domino’s Pizza Enterprises, Megaport, and Temple & Webster Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

    from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/5v8ki9K

  • Why is the De Grey share price smashing the ASX 200 on Thursday?

    An older female ASX investor holds a gangster-style fist pump pose showing off gold rings with dollar signs on them.An older female ASX investor holds a gangster-style fist pump pose showing off gold rings with dollar signs on them.

    It’s been yet another rough day for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) so far this Thursday. At the time of writing, the ASX 200 has lost a chunky 1.47%, dragging the Index below 6,970 points. But let’s talk about the extraordinary outlier to this misery known as the De Grey Mining Limited (ASX: DEG) share price.

    De Grey shares are on fire today. This ASX 200 gold miner is currently bucking the market with its gain of 0.35% so far today.

    That puts the company up to $1.42 a share. It was even better for De Grey shares earlier this morning too, with the gold stock rising as high as $1.46 a share just before midday today. That was a gain worth almost 2% at the time: 

    So what’s going so right for this ASX 200 gold miner this Thursday?

    Why is the De Grey Mining share price destroying the ASX 200 today?

    Well, this isn’t a hard one to figure out. De Grey is not the only gold share showing some green this session. Most of De Grey’s peers in the ASX 200 gold space are seeing similar, if not larger, gains. Take the ASX 200’s largest gold miner, Newcrest Mining Ltd (ASX: NCM). Newcrest shares are currently up by 1.14%

    Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) isn’t quite as strong, but it’s still put on a healthy 0.54%. Gold Road Resources Ltd (ASX: GOR) has risen by 1.78% so far, while Ramelius Resources Ltd (ASX: RMS) shares have been bumped up by 0.62%.

    All of these gains point to one thing: a rising gold price.

    ASX gold miners like De Grey are only as valuable as the precious metal they mine. And gold itself has been on a tear this week. Likely due to the fear and loathing in the markets right now, gold is fulfilling its old reputation as a safe haven.

    As we covered this morning in our piece covering gold exchange-traded funds (ETFs), the precious metal has risen from US$1,867 an ounce to more than US$4,920 an ounce over the past week alone.

    So given these rises in gold itself, it’s no wonder investors are flocking to ASX 200 gold shares like De Grey today.

    The post Why is the De Grey share price smashing the ASX 200 on Thursday? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in De Grey Mining Limited right now?

    Before you consider De Grey Mining Limited, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and De Grey Mining Limited wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that are better buys.

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of March 1 2023

    (function() {
    function setButtonColorDefaults(param, property, defaultValue) {
    if( !param || !param.includes(‘#’)) {
    var button = document.getElementsByClassName(“pitch-snippet”)[0].getElementsByClassName(“pitch-button”)[0];
    button.style[property] = defaultValue;
    }
    }

    setButtonColorDefaults(“#0095C8”, ‘background’, ‘#5FA85D’);
    setButtonColorDefaults(“#0095C8”, ‘border-color’, ‘#43A24A’);
    setButtonColorDefaults(“#fff”, ‘color’, ‘#fff’);
    })()

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has positions in Newcrest Mining. 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.

    from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/sObTBoC

  • Sayona Mining share price lifts on first saleable lithium production

    happy mining worker fortescue share pricehappy mining worker fortescue share price

    The Sayona Mining Ltd (ASX: SYA) share price is having a top run today.

    Sayona Mining shares are up 1.16%, currently fetching 21.75 cents a share. In contrast, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is 1.46% in the red at the time of writing.

    Let’s check the news that may be lifting the Sayona Mining share price today.

    ‘Milestone’ lithium news

    Sayona Mining is outperforming other ASX lithium shares today. At present, the Core Lithium Ltd (ASX: CXO) share price is down 4.07%, while Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) shares are 3.13% lower amid wider market turmoil.

    Today, Sayona announced a “new milestone“. The company has produced its first saleable commercial grade spodumene lithium concentrate at the company’s North American Lithium (NAL) operation in Quebec, Canada.

    About 1,200 tonnes of lithium concentrate has been produced, including 6% lithium grade.

    Sayona expects to ship lithium for the first time in July this year. The lithium company is aiming to produce between 85,000 and 115,000 tonnes of lithium in the first half of FY24.

    Commenting on the news, Sayona managing director Brett Lynch said:

    Congratulations to the whole team at NAL for delivering yet another milestone on time and within budget.

    Having witnessed first‐hand the operation’s restart I can only express admiration for this achievement, which demonstrates we have the experience and expertise to run a successful operation.

    For Sayona, the opportunity is only getting bigger and we are proud to play our part as North America’s emerging leading hard rock lithium producer.

    Today’s announcement follows Sayona’s news on 8 March that it had produced its first lithium concentrate.

    The North American Lithium restart is on schedule and within budget, Sayona said today.

    Share price snapshot

    The Sayona share price has soared 32% in the last year, while it has climbed 1.16% in the past month.

    Sayona has a market capitalisation of about $1.9 billion based on the current share price.

    The post Sayona Mining share price lifts on first saleable lithium production appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    FREE Investing Guide for Beginners

    Despite what some people may say – we believe investing in shares doesn’t have to be overwhelming or complicated…

    For over a decade, we’ve been helping everyday Aussies get started on their journey.

    And to help even more people cut through some of the confusion “experts’” seem to want to perpetuate – we’ve created a brand-new “how to” guide.

    Yes, Claim my FREE copy!
    *Returns as of March 1 2023

    (function() {
    function setButtonColorDefaults(param, property, defaultValue) {
    if( !param || !param.includes(‘#’)) {
    var button = document.getElementsByClassName(“pitch-snippet”)[0].getElementsByClassName(“pitch-button”)[0];
    button.style[property] = defaultValue;
    }
    }

    setButtonColorDefaults(“#0095C8”, ‘background’, ‘#5FA85D’);
    setButtonColorDefaults(“#0095C8”, ‘border-color’, ‘#43A24A’);
    setButtonColorDefaults(“#fff”, ‘color’, ‘#fff’);
    })()

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor Monica O’Shea 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.

    from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/XIODQ5A

  • Why is the CSL share price smashing the ASX 200 on Thursday?

    A doctor appears shocked as he looks through binoculars on a blue background.

    A doctor appears shocked as he looks through binoculars on a blue background.The CSL Limited (ASX: CSL) share price is defying the market selloff and pushing higher on Thursday.

    In afternoon trade, the biotherapeutics giant’s shares are up almost 1% to $286.37.

    This compares favourably to a 1.4% decline by the ASX 200 index.

    Why is the CSL share price outperforming?

    Investors have been buying CSL’s shares despite there being no news out of the company.

    However, when market volatility is high and the global economic outlook becomes uncertain, companies with defensive earnings are often in favour with investors.

    CSL ticks a lot of boxes here. Because it develops life-saving therapies, they are in demand with end-users whatever is happening in the economy.

    In addition, plasma is a key ingredient in the company’s therapies. This means that it relies heavily on plasma donations at its collection centres.

    When the global economy is booming, there is less need for people to donate plasma. This can lead to CSL having to increase its financial reward for donations. Whereas when there’s an economic downturn, there are more people willing to donate and collection costs tend to reduce accordingly.

    The team at Citi is likely to approve of anyone buying CSL shares today. It currently has a buy rating and $350.00 price target on the company’s shares. This implies potential upside of 22% from current levels.

    The post Why is the CSL share price smashing the ASX 200 on Thursday? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in CSL right now?

    Before you consider CSL , you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and CSL wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that are better buys.

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of March 1 2023

    (function() {
    function setButtonColorDefaults(param, property, defaultValue) {
    if( !param || !param.includes(‘#’)) {
    var button = document.getElementsByClassName(“pitch-snippet”)[0].getElementsByClassName(“pitch-button”)[0];
    button.style[property] = defaultValue;
    }
    }

    setButtonColorDefaults(“#0095C8”, ‘background’, ‘#5FA85D’);
    setButtonColorDefaults(“#0095C8”, ‘border-color’, ‘#43A24A’);
    setButtonColorDefaults(“#fff”, ‘color’, ‘#fff’);
    })()

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in CSL. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended CSL. 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.

    from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/c3qQyP9

  • ASX 200 trims losses amid employment data and Credit Suisse $80b central bank loan

    An older man wearing glasses and a pink shirt sits back on his lounge with his hands behind his head and blowing air out of his cheeks.An older man wearing glasses and a pink shirt sits back on his lounge with his hands behind his head and blowing air out of his cheeks.

    S&P/ASX 200 (ASX: XJO) shares are rebounding on news of stronger-than-expected jobs data and an $80 billion central bank bailout for Switzerland’s second-largest bank.

    During morning trade, the benchmark ASX 200 index fell by more than 150 points following dramatic trading sessions across Europe and in the United States overnight.

    At the time of writing, the ASX 200 has recovered somewhat to be down 101 points, or 1.43%.

    What’s helping the ASX 200 recover this afternoon?

    Credit Suisse Group AG has announced it is taking out an A$81 billion loan from Switzerland’s central bank.

    This follows a 24% plunge in Credit Suisse shares overnight after its major shareholder refused to up their stake.

    This caused a bank share rout in France, Germany, the United States, and here in Australia this morning.

    Credit Suisse has been besieged by various problems over time, with its market capitalisation halved since 2021.

    The bank’s shares have tumbled by more than 50% since early February.

    In a statement, Credit Suisse said:

    Credit Suisse is taking decisive action to pre-emptively strengthen its liquidity by intending to exercise its option to borrow from the Swiss National Bank (SNB) up to CHF 50 billion under a Covered Loan Facility as well as a short-term liquidity facility, which are fully collateralized by high quality assets.

    Credit Suisse also announces offers by Credit Suisse International to repurchase certain OpCo senior debt securities for cash of up to approximately CHF 3 billion.

    The cash tender on 10 US-dollar-denominated senior debt securities will expire on Wednesday, 22 March.

    What other news is pushing the ASX 200 higher?

    The Australian Bureau of Statistics has released its monthly labour force data today.

    The data revealed a surprise fall in the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate to 3.5%.

    This is back to where it was in December. The rate went up to 3.7% in January.

    ABS head of labour statistics Bjorn Jarvis said:

    The latest monthly increase in trend employment was only slightly below the monthly average for the 20 years before the pandemic.

    This now shows that, while underlying employment growth has slowed down compared with what we saw through much of 2022, it is still increasing at close to its long-term historical rate.

    The better-than-expected data indicates the economy is still doing well despite inflationary pressure.

    Low unemployment indicates businesses are thriving, which is why the ASX 200 is up on the news.

    The post ASX 200 trims losses amid employment data and Credit Suisse $80b central bank loan appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Wondering where you should 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 over ten years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

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

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of March 1 2023

    (function() {
    function setButtonColorDefaults(param, property, defaultValue) {
    if( !param || !param.includes(‘#’)) {
    var button = document.getElementsByClassName(“pitch-snippet”)[0].getElementsByClassName(“pitch-button”)[0];
    button.style[property] = defaultValue;
    }
    }

    setButtonColorDefaults(“#43B02A”, ‘background’, ‘#5FA85D’);
    setButtonColorDefaults(“#43B02A”, ‘border-color’, ‘#43A24A’);
    setButtonColorDefaults(“#fff”, ‘color’, ‘#fff’);
    })()

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor Bronwyn Allen 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.

    from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/okMVp1A

  • Why has the Flight Centre share price tumbled 11% in a week?

    A woman looks nervous and uncertain holding a hand to her chin while looking at a paper cut out of a plane that she's holding in her other hand. representing the falling Air New Zealand share price todayA woman looks nervous and uncertain holding a hand to her chin while looking at a paper cut out of a plane that she's holding in her other hand. representing the falling Air New Zealand share price today

    The past week has certainly not been kind to ASX shares and the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO). Over the past five trading days, the ASX 200 has fallen by a nasty 4.7% – a dramatic fall by any reading. But that’s nothing compared to the woes of the Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd (ASX: FLT) share price. 

    Flight Centre shares have certainly had a week to forget. At the end of last Wednesday’s session, this ASX 200 travel stock was asking $19.70 a share. Today, Flight Centre is trading at just $17.50 at present.

    That’s down a depressing 3.77% for the day alone, and down by an even more sobering 11.14% since last Wednesday:

    So what’s going on with Flight Centre shares that have made this ASX 200 travel company such a poor performer over the past week?

    Why has the Flight Centre share price seen so much turbulence this week?

    Well, it’s hard to say. The last time we had any news from the company itself was on Monday. As we covered at the time, Flight Centre told investors that its recent share purchase plan (SPP) had been successful.

    So much so that the company decided to raise $60 million instead of the original $40 million. That was despite demand of up to $350 million from investors. 

    These shares were issued at a price of $14.60, which has probably played a major role in the share price weakness we have seen over the past week. The funds raised from investors will go towards the acquisition of the British luxury travel company Scott Dunn.

    Together with Flight Centre’s ongoing presence on the ASX 200’s most shorted shares list, this share purchase plan looks like the most likely reason Flight Centre had had such a tough week. But it’s not the only ASX 200 travel share that has.

    Most of Flight Centre’s peers in the travel sector have also dramatically underperformed the broader market since last Wednesday. The Qantas Airways Limited (ASX: QAN) share price has lost almost 7% over the same period, while Corporate Travel Management Ltd (ASX: CTD) shares are down by close to 8%.

    So it was always going to be a tough week for the Flight Centre share price. No doubt investors will be hoping for a smoother end to the trading week tomorrow.

    The post Why has the Flight Centre share price tumbled 11% in a week? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Flight Centre Travel Group Limited right now?

    Before you consider Flight Centre Travel Group Limited, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Flight Centre Travel Group Limited wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that are better buys.

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of March 1 2023

    (function() {
    function setButtonColorDefaults(param, property, defaultValue) {
    if( !param || !param.includes(‘#’)) {
    var button = document.getElementsByClassName(“pitch-snippet”)[0].getElementsByClassName(“pitch-button”)[0];
    button.style[property] = defaultValue;
    }
    }

    setButtonColorDefaults(“#0095C8”, ‘background’, ‘#5FA85D’);
    setButtonColorDefaults(“#0095C8”, ‘border-color’, ‘#43A24A’);
    setButtonColorDefaults(“#fff”, ‘color’, ‘#fff’);
    })()

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen 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 recommended Corporate Travel Management and Flight Centre Travel Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

    from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/2xXoSI1