Category: Stock Market

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) are on course to start the week with a decline. In afternoon trade, the benchmark index is down 0.6% to 7,170.6 points.

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

Arafura Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: ARU)

The Arafura share price is up 4.5% to 45 cents. Investors have been loading up on this rare earths producer’s shares once the dust settled on its recent institutional placement. Arafura received firm commitments for $121 million from institutional investors at 37 cents per new share. These funds will be used to help accelerate the development schedule of the Nolans Project.

Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1)

The Megaport share price is up 4.5% to $6.76. This is despite there being no news out of the network as a service provider. However, with its shares down almost 70% year to date prior to today’s session, some investors may believe they had been oversold.

Nitro Software Ltd (ASX: NTO)

The Nitro share price is up almost 4% to $2.21. This morning the document productivity software provider revealed that Alludo has increased its takeover proposal by 15 cents per share to $2.15 per share. Investors appear to be betting that fellow suitor Potentia will lift its $2.00 per share offer. Though, it is worth noting that Nitro is recommending Alludo’s latest offer to shareholders.

Sayona Mining Ltd (ASX: SYA)

The Sayona Mining share price is up 3.5% to 22.25 cents. Investors have been buying this lithium developer’s shares after it released an update on the North American Lithium (NAL) project. That update reveals that the company has been awarded the final permit for NAL’s restart ahead of the planned recommencement of production in the first quarter of 2023. Management believes this has effectively de‐risked its NAL operation.

The post Why Arafura, Megaport, Nitro, and Sayona Mining shares are storming higher today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Why this one top fund manager is optimistic about 2023, and one little-known IPO that has hit it out of the park
• It’s not all bad news for the ASX All Ords on Monday. Here are 3 big gainers
• Sayona Mining share price higher on North American Lithium news
• Here are the 10 most shorted ASX shares
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today

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 Megaport. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Megaport. 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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There are many different ways for investors to invest on the ASX. Some people consider ASX exchange-traded funds (ETFs), while others may decide to invest in individual shares.

Investing in ASX dividend shares is one investment style, for example, while buying ASX growth shares is another.

But, choosing ASX ETFs may be the simplest way to invest.

While there are some compelling ETFs that are focused on individual sectors, like Betashares Global Cybersecurity ETF (ASX: HACK) and VanEck Video Gaming and Esports ETF (ASX: ESPO), there is one name that might be the most laid-back investing option of them all.

Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS)

This investment option is offered by Vanguard, a leading investment manager that aims to offer its investment products as cheaply as possible.

The idea behind this ETF is that it looks to track an index called the MSCI World ex-Australia Index. It invests in many of the world’s largest companies listed in “major developed countries”.

The top 10 holdings include some of the biggest global businesses listed in the United States:

• Apple
• Microsoft
• Alphabet
• Amazon.com
• Tesla
• UnitedHealth
• Exxon Mobil
• Johnson & Johnson
• Berkshire Hathaway
• JPMorgan Chase

Unsurprisingly, just over 70% of the portfolio is invested in US-listed businesses. The US is the biggest economy and where many of the world’s largest companies are headquartered.

But, many other countries are represented in the Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF portfolio. There are plenty of countries with a market allocation of more than 0.5% within the ASX ETF: Japan, the UK, Canada, France, Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Spain, Hong Kong, Italy and Denmark.

One of the great things about this investment option is that it owns almost 1,500 holdings. This means that there is excellent underlying diversification across many companies and sectors.

It’s invested across numerous industries with the following allocations (as of October 2022): IT (21.5%), healthcare (14.4%), financials (13.3%), consumer discretionary (10.8%), industrials (10.4%), consumer staples (7.7%), communication services (6.7%), energy (5.8%), materials (3.8%), utilities (3%) and real estate (2.6%).

Why it’s an easy investment to potentially make $1 million

The ASX ETF has such a large and diverse portfolio that if things go wrong for a particular investment, such as Meta Platforms, it’s not a major setback for the whole portfolio.

Its holdings are regularly changing, so investors won’t need to worry about adjusting the portfolio themselves. This is one of the things that make it an effective low-effort investment. As businesses become bigger or smaller, they will naturally move up or down the portfolio’s holding list.

The Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF has returned an average of 10.5% per annum, after fees, over the last five years. Past performance is not a guarantee of future performance, though. That includes a decline of more than 10% in 2022. It has an annual management fee of just 0.18%.

According to the compound interest calculator from Moneysmart, investing $1,000 a month and it generating a return of 10% per annum will turn into $1.06 million over 24 years. With a global share portfolio, investors may not need to consider investing in other international share ETFs.

However, volatility is likely in the coming years, and the 10% average return is an average. In one year, it could rise 15%, and in another, it could fall 5%.

The post One ASX ETF that could make you a stock market millionaire with little to no effort appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• These ETFs allow ASX investors to buy thousands of global shares
• One ASX ETF that could turn $200 per month into $250,000 with next to no effort
• It took me years to realise I’m no investing genius like Warren Buffett
• Are Vanguard International Shares ETF dividends fully franked?
• 3 top ETFs for ASX investors to buy and hold for a decade

John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. 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 Alphabet, Amazon.com, Apple, Berkshire Hathaway, BetaShares Global Cybersecurity ETF, JPMorgan Chase, Microsoft, Tesla, and Vanguard Msci Index International Shares ETF. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended Johnson & Johnson and UnitedHealth Group and has recommended the following options: long January 2023 $200 calls on Berkshire Hathaway, long March 2023 $120 calls on Apple, short January 2023 $200 puts on Berkshire Hathaway, short January 2023 $265 calls on Berkshire Hathaway, and short March 2023 $130 calls on Apple. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended BetaShares Global Cybersecurity ETF. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended VanEck Vectors Video Gaming And eSports ETF, Alphabet, Amazon.com, Apple, Berkshire Hathaway, and Vanguard Msci Index International Shares ETF. 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 tough start to the week. In afternoon trade, the benchmark index is down 0.7% to 7,162.3 points.

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

Bigtincan Holdings Ltd (ASX: BTH)

The Bigtincan share price is down a further 6% to 53 cents. This sales enablement platform provider’s shares have been smashed in recent sessions after the company’s strange decision to raise capital while it is the subject of a takeover approach. Bigtincan raised $30 million at 60 cents per share despite having received an 80 cents per share takeover offer.

Nanosonics Ltd (ASX: NAN)

The Nanosonics share price is down 13% to $4.22. This is despite there being no news out of the heavily shorted infection prevention company. Though, it is worth noting that a major shareholder revealed that it has been selling down its stake. State Street sold over 3.5 million shares last week.

Origin Energy Ltd (ASX: ORG)

The Origin share price is down almost 8% to $7.20. Investors have been selling Origin and other utilities shares in response to news that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is planning a price cap on domestic coal and gas sales. Energy Minister Chris Bowen said: “It’s Australian gas, under Australian soil and Australians should not be paying elevated war prices for that gas.”

Tyro Payments Ltd (ASX: TYR)

The Tyro share price is down over 17% to $1.23. This morning Tyro concluded takeover talks with Potentia and Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) after failing to receive an acceptable offer from either party. Potentia had increased its offer to $1.60 per share, but this was swiftly rejected. Westpac never actually tabled an offer, potentially after realising that its idea of fair value was well short of what Tyro expected.

The post Why Bigtincan, Nanosonics, Origin, and Tyro shares are sinking today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Westpac share price slumps as Tyro takeover scrapped
• Tyro share price crashes 22% after ending takeover talks with Westpac and Potentia
• Here are the 10 most shorted ASX shares
• Why Bigtincan, Core Lithium, Pinnacle, and Warrego shares are dropping today
• Why is ASX tech share Bigtincan crashing 20% on Friday?

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Westpac Banking. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Bigtincan, Nanosonics, and Tyro Payments. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Bigtincan and Nanosonics. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Tyro Payments and Westpac Banking. 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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1) The stock market continues to dance to the tune of interest rates, with the S&P 500 falling 0.7% on Friday night as investors bet on central banks staying “higher for longer” as they continue to battle stubbornly higher inflation.

“We think the markets are too sanguine on rates after the first quarter,” said Cliff Hodge, chief investment officer for Cornerstone Wealth on AFR.

The Federal Reserve meets this week, and is widely expected to hike US interest rates by another 50 basis points. Such a move would lift rates to a 4.25% to 4.5% target range, the highest level since 2007. Good news for savers. Bad news for the economy and share market investors, although much of the coming downturn is arguably already priced into many individual stocks.

2) The market will turn higher in anticipation of better economic news, be that lower inflation and/or central banks pivoting to hold or even cut interest rates in the latter half of next year.

I do not profess to having any great insights or opinion as to what may happen and when, other than to say – stating the obvious – we’re much closer to the end of this rate hiking cycle than the start.

Writing in its November monthly update, New Zealand based Pie Funds are “fairly optimistic about the outlook for 2023,” partly because they believe inflation and interest rates have peaked, but mostly because “after such a terrible year history shows poor-performing periods are usually followed by strong returns if you look out 12 months.”

I love the simplicity of the thinking. No macro. No talk of soft landing versus deep recession. And it comes despite Pie Funds saying a widely expected general economic slowdown or recession “will impact corporate profits, on average, anywhere from 10-40%.”

“Based on 15 years of managing client money, I know that investors won’t start to return to stocks until at least six months after the bottom. So that means investor sentiment will remain cautious until at least April,” said Mike Taylor, founder and chief investment officer.

3) One of Pie’s holdings is little-known IPD Group (ASX:IPG), a national distributor and service provider to the Australian electrical market.

It is one of the few recent IPOs that is trading strongly above its float price, the IPD share price having risen from $1.20 to its current $2.93 in the 12 months since it hit the ASX boards.

“IPD Group held its AGM during the month and confirmed that strong double-digit growth has continued into 1H23 while margins have been maintained. IPD Group exemplifies the style of defensive growth business we look for with structural tailwinds in electrification, market share opportunities as they expand their portfolio of ABB products, and high levels of ownership by management,” wrote Pie’s Australiasian Growth Fund portfolio manager Michael Goltsman. 

4) There have been many COVID winners turned losers, most obviously in the tech sector. 

You can take your pick as the poster child for the huge round trip some of these stocks have endured, and just how much their share prices have fallen over the past 12 months…

Zip Co (ASX: ZIP) share price down 86%

PointsBet (ASX:PBH) share price down 75%

Megaport (ASX:MP1) share price down 69%

Airtasker (ASX: ART) share price down 62%

Kogan.com (ASX:KGN) share price down 61%

The share prices of all those companies got well ahead of itself, not to mention being aided by healthy doses of irrational exuberance from locked-down and bored retail investors.

Reality has hit, and hit hard, due to slowing or declining growth, excessive valuations and a market no longer willing to fund losses ad-infinitum. 

One sector riding a genuine post-COVID boom is travel, with demand and prices riding high. The Qantas (ASX:QAN) share price is flying high, up 160% from its March 2020 low as continued strength in travel demand has resulted in profit upgrades.

So you’d expect the Flight Centre (ASX:FLT) share price to also be riding high… except it’s down more than a third in the past 14 months. Fellow travel agents Corporate Travel Group (ASX:CTD) and Helloworld Travel (ASX:HLO) are also on the nose, their share prices down 45% and 50% over a similar period.

Dragging them lower appears to be lower profit margins as airlines, most notably Qantas, announced during the pandemic they would cut commissions paid to travel agents. 

Adding to sector woes are the prospect of a coming economic slowdown, something that traditionally sees consumers cut discretionary spending on luxury items like travel, and less corporate travel as companies cut costs and continue to use Zoom and Teams for their meetings.

In a trading update in late October, Corporate Travel said FY23 is expected to “remain choppy” but is expecting a “full recovery” in FY24, and underlying EBITDA of $265 million. Compared to today’s market capitalisation of around $2 billion, that looks neither cheap nor expensive, but about right, especially given much can change over the next two years.

The post Why this one top fund manager is optimistic about 2023, and one little-known IPO that has hit it out of the park appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Here are the 10 most shorted ASX shares
• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy next week
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• The Zip share price has halved since late July. What went so wrong?
• Brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today

Motley Fool contributor Bruce Jackson 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 Helloworld Travel, Kogan.com, Megaport, PointsBet, and Zip Co. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended Airtasker. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Helloworld Travel and Kogan.com. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Corporate Travel Management, Flight Centre Travel Group, Ipd Group, Megaport, and PointsBet. 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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Is ASX 200 tech share and former market darling Xero Limited (ASX: XRO) a ‘safe’ ASX share?

Well, it certainly hasn’t been for investors over the past year or two. The Xero share price last hit an all-time high back in November 2021. But since then, investors have been burned… badly burned, by Xero shares.

Since Xero clocked a share price of around $155 back in November last year, this cloud-based accounting software provider has fallen by a painful 55% or so. It’s going for under $70 a share today, less than half of what the company was worth a year ago.

The company is also down by more than 52% in the 2022 year to date:

So Xero shares certainly haven’t been a safe place to have had your capital invested. But, by most definitions, no share is truly ‘safe’.

If you are looking for somewhere to park your dollars that will never fall in value and steadily rise over time, no ASX share fits this description.

In fact, the only asset class that truly does is a government-guaranteed savings account or term deposit at a bank.

How ‘safe’ can an ASX 200 share like Xero be?

A company can be the most consistently profitable business in the world. But as the legendary investor Benjamin Graham once said, the share market is a voting machine in the short term. Day to day, the only thing that sways share prices is investor sentiment.

Looking at Xero shares over the past few years, this company does look like a safe place to have invested cash. Since 2012, the Xero share price has risen by an impressive 1,406%. Sound safe?

If it does, consider this as well. Even though Xero has given its investors these kinds of stunning returns, it has also severely clipped their capital several times.

Between March and October 2014, Xero shares went from around $40 to under $20. In 2018, the company fell from over $50 a share to under $38. In early 2020, the company crashed from $87 a share to $61. And now in 2022, investors have endured more than a 52% drop.

So Xero shares have never been safe. But then again, what is?

What we do know is that Xero has given investors a return of 1,406% since 2014.

The post Is Xero a ‘safe’ ASX share? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• One ASX 200 share I’m buying for passive income before 2022 is over
• A bull market is coming: 3 ways Warren Buffett is preparing
• Could this help ANZ close the gap on its ASX 200 competitors?
• Is it safe to invest in ASX shares now? Take advice from Warren Buffett
• Telstra share price on watch following latest telco data breach

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 positions in and has recommended Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Xero. 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 All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) is 0.55% in the red today, but three ASX All Ords shares are charging higher.

The Nitro Software Ltd (ASX: NTO), Arafura Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: ARU) and Air New Zealand Limited (ASX: AIZ) share prices are all in the green today.

Let’s take a look at these three ASX All Ords shares in more detail.

Nitro Software

The Nitro Software share price is climbing 3.76% today from $2.13 to $2.21.

Nitro is the subject of a bidding war for a takeover. Alludo is proposing to acquire 100% of Nitro by scheme of arrangement with a revised price of $2.15 per Nitro share. This is 7.5% more than a previous offer. Nitro is recommending shareholders vote in favour of a revised takeover offer from Alludo in the absence of a superior proposal.

Last week, Potentia Capital Management offered to take over Nitro at $2 cash per Nitro share. The Nitro board recommends shareholders reject Potentia’s takeover offer.

Air New Zealand

Air New Zealand shares are climbing 2.78% today.

The company recently upgraded its half-year earnings guidance for the 2023 financial year. The airline is expecting to achieve earnings before significant items and taxation for the first half of the financial year to be between $295 and $325 million. This is an upgrade on the previous guidance of $200 million to $275 million.

Commenting on travel demand, Air New Zealand said:

Continued strong travel demand across the domestic and international networks, as well
as a recent decline in jet fuel prices has accelerated the airline’s financial recovery. As
a result, Air New Zealand is today upgrading half year earnings guidance for the 2023
financial year.

Arafura Rare Earths

The Arafura Rare Earths share price is soaring 8% today.

Arafura is exploring the Nolans Project in the Northern Territory for neodymium and praseodymium (NdPr). Nolans contains all the rare earths, but it is “particularly enriched” in magnet feed rare earths Nd and Pr. Arafura recently highlighted that the Nolans project is the “only advanced stage NdPR focussed project outside China that plans to mine and process ore to oxide at a single site”.

Arafura is conducting a capital raise of $133 million to accelerate construction.

The post It’s not all bad news for the ASX All Ords on Monday. Here are 3 big gainers appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Why Beach, Chalice Mining, Nitro, and Rio Tinto shares are rising today
• One ASX penny stock I’d buy for 2023 and hold for a decade
• Why Air New Zealand, Chalice, Evolution, and Origin shares are rising today
• 5 ASX shares involved with rare earths (aside from Lynas)
• Why Arafura, Mayne Pharma, Pilbara Minerals, and Tyro shares are dropping today

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.

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The Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS) share price is up 0.25% as we head into the lunch hour, having earlier posted gains of more than 0.5%.

Telstra shares closed on Friday at $4.00, with shares currently trading for $4.01 apiece.

While that’s not exactly shooting the lights out, it comes as the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is down 0.5%.

The Telstra share price gain also comes despite news breaking over the weekend of a significant data breach. This saw the details of 132,000 customers, who had asked to remain unlisted, published in directory assistance and an online version of the White Pages directory.

How was the customer data published?

As reported earlier today, the Telstra data breach was not the result of cybercriminals but rather, according to Telstra, due to a “misalignment of databases”.

Commenting on the incident that does not appear to be having a material impact on the Telstra share price today, chief financial officer Michael Ackland said the mistake was uncovered during the company’s regular auditing processes.

16,000 of the 132,000 customers had their phone numbers published in an online version of the White Pages directory, with the rest of the customer’s information accidentally made available via directory assistance.

Ackland told Today, “We found there were misalignments where customers, who in our databases we believed should have been unlisted, were flagged as listed in the directory assistance database, and those 16,000 customers in the White Pages database.”

The customer details from the White Pages were removed immediately after Telstra realised its mistake. The telco is still working to expunge all the customer details from its directory assistance servers.

How has the Telstra share price performed longer-term

As you can see in the chart below, the Telstra share price has dropped 1% over the past 12 months.

Longer-term, the ASX 200 telco is up 9% over five years.

The post Telstra share price outperforming despite data breach impacting 132,000 customers appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Telstra share price on watch following latest telco data breach
• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy next week
• 2 safe and reliable ASX dividend shares to buy for 2023: analysts
• 10 ASX shares to buy in 2023
• Why Domino’s, New Hope, PolyNovo, and Telstra shares are pushing higher 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 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.

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Given how many shares to choose from on the ASX, it can be hard to decide which ones to buy. The good news is that brokers across the country are doing a lot of the hard work for you.

Three top ASX shares that leading brokers have named as buys this week are listed below. Here’s why they are bullish on them:

Aristocrat Leisure Limited (ASX: ALL)

According to a note out of Citi, its analysts have retained their buy rating and $41.20 price target on this gaming technology company’s shares. The broker notes that digital bookings showed signs of rebasing in November. Citi sees this as a positive, particularly given that its Pixel United business continues to outperform peers. Outside this, the broker continues to view Aristocrat’s land-based business as well positioned and remains optimistic on the real money gaming opportunity. The Aristocrat share price is trading at $33.69 this afternoon.

BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP)

A note out of Macquarie reveals that its analysts have retained their outperform rating and lifted their price target on this mining giant’s shares to $50.00. Macquarie made the move after lifting its estimates to reflect stronger than expected iron ore prices. However, based on current spot prices, these estimates could yet prove conservative. Macquarie’s current estimates imply the payment of a fully franked 6.1% dividend yield in FY 2023. The BHP share price is currently fetching $47.00.

HMC Capital Ltd (ASX: HMC)

Analysts at Morgans have retained their add rating on this property development company’s shares with a trimmed price target of $5.85. Morgans highlights that HMC’s shares haven fallen heavily due to weakness in the REIT sector this year. It feels that this has created a buying opportunity. The broker points out that it has a capital light business model and a track record for executing on complex deals. The HMC share price is trading at $4.46 on Monday.

The post Leading brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today 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 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.

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With the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) once again falling this Monday, it’s becoming clear that the end of the year might shape up to be a rather volatile time for the share market.

At least, that’s the way things look to be heading as we approach the middle of December. ASX 200 shares started December at a seven-month high. But it has been downhill ever since for the ASX. As it stands today, the index has lost around 2.5% of its value over December thus far.

But, volatility can be the patient investors’ best friend. After all, being able to obtain ASX shares at lower prices usually does wonders for future returns. So here’s one ASX dividend share I’m eyeing off for passive income amid all this volatility.

It’s Brickworks Limited (ASX: BKW).

Why is this ASX 200 share on my buy list?

Brickworks is a rather interesting ASX share. It is a market leader in the manufacturing of bricks and other construction materials, of course.

But this isn’t just a building supplies company. Brickworks is far more diversified than its name suggests. Construction materials is a notoriously cyclical business. When there’s a boom, everyone wants to build houses and buy more bricks and other materials.

But this demand can go just as easily as it can come. When the economy is tight, demand for new properties is scant.

So Brickworks also has a property investment strategy that helps the company overcome the cyclical nature of making construction materials. Brickworks places land it no longer uses for manufacturing into its ‘Brickworks Manufacturing Trust’.

It then uses this land to create a supplementary income stream, which helps it to ride out the ups and downs of its primary business.

Brickworks has another earning avenue outside the construction centre as well. It’s Brickworks’ investment portfolio. This is primarily made up of a massive chunk of another ASX company – Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co Ltd (ASX: SOL).

Brickworks owns around $2.6 billion worth of Soul Patts shares or around 26.1% of the whole company. Soul Patts is a diversified conglomerate with large shareholdings of its own.

It has the unique distinction of being the only ASX 200 share to have delivered an annual dividend rise every year since 2000. This gives Brickworks a useful stream of dividend income for its coffers too.

So all of this adds up to an ASX dividend share I want to buy before 2022 is over.

Why buy Brickworks now?

At present, Brickworks has a trailing dividend yield of 2.89%, fully franked, on the table today. That number doesn’t look overly impressive, I’ll admit.

But when you consider that Brickworks is a company that also consistently raises its dividend and hasn’t cut its payouts since 1976, that yield looks a whole lot more appealing from a passive income standpoint.

At its latest annual general meeting, Brickworks claimed that its shares have returned an average of 12.3% per annum over the last 54 years. That is a record I want to be a part of.

The post One ASX 200 share I’m buying for passive income before 2022 is over appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has positions in Washington H. Soul Pattinson And. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Brickworks and Washington H. Soul Pattinson And. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Brickworks and Washington H. Soul Pattinson And. 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 AGL Energy Ltd (ASX: AGL) share price is down 2.88% in late morning trade, having earlier posted losses of 6.8%.

Shares in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) energy company closed on Friday trading for $8.00 and are currently changing hands at $7.77 apiece.

It’s not just the AGL share price under pressure.

While the ASX 200 is down 0.7%, utilities stocks are broadly underperforming, as witnessed by the 4.01% fall in S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index [ASX: XUJ] at this same time.

Here’s what’s happening.

Why are utilities stocks selling off today?

The AGL share price and other utilities stocks look to be under pressure following Friday’s announcement by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of a pending price cap on domestic coal and gas sales.

On Thursday, 15 December, Parliament will vote on Labor’s plan to cap gas prices at $12 per gigajoule. The price for thermal coal (used to generate electricity) would be capped at $125 per tonne for the domestic market.

Those prices are well below what gas and coal producers have been receiving since energy prices rocketed in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, resulting in some record profits for the companies.

Commenting on the planned price cap, Energy Minister Chris Bowen said (quoted by Bloomberg):

We were facing gas price rises next year of 36%, that’s not acceptable. Either you intervene and take the sting out of those price rises, or you don’t. We believe in intervening…

It’s Australian gas, under Australian soil and Australians should not be paying elevated war prices for that gas.

Bowen noted that the proposed price caps would not apply to exports or any new gas projects. He said if companies “want to make money from exports, that’s okay”.

With major energy stocks likely to come under pressure, as with the AGL share price today, not everyone is pleased with the price cap plan.

As Reuters reports, Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association CEO Samantha McCulloch said the price caps would reduce confidence and investment in energy projects and lead to lower supplies in the future. McCulloch called the plan a “fundamental dismantling” of the Australian gas market.

“This may be taken as a declaration of war on the gas industry on the east coast,” Credit Suisse analyst Saul Kavonic added.

AGL share price snapshot

Despite today’s dip, the AGL share price (pictured below) is up an impressive 32% over the past 12 months. That compares quite favourably to the 3% full-year loss posted by the ASX 200.

The post Why is the AGL share price tumbling on Monday? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Fortescue share price jumps amid Twiggy’s $4b renewables takeover
• Buying AGL shares for the dividends? Read this first
• How did the AGL share price outperform the ASX 200 by 11% in November?
• Are AGL shares a good investment right now?
• 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.

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