Category: Stock Market

The Newcrest Mining Ltd (ASX: NCM) share price is ending the week in the red despite no news having been released by the company today.

The stock is currently down 3.29%, trading at $22.35.

That’s compared to the S&P/ASX 200 index (ASX: XJO)’s 0.65% gain at the time of writing.

So, what’s going so wrong for the gold mining giant today? Let’s take a look.

What’s going wrong for this ASX 200 gold miner today?

The Newcrest share price is taking a dive alongside many of the market’s mining giants today. Its slump also comes amid reports shareholders are concerned as to who might take the top job at the company.

The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) is the ASX 200’s worst-performing sector today. It’s trading 1.48% lower right now, with gold stocks among its biggest weights.

Shares in Ramelius Resources Limited (ASX: RMS) are leading the sector’s fall, dropping 6.9%.

Stock in the likes of Regis Resources Ltd (ASX: RRL) and Gold Road Resources Ltd (ASX: GOR) aren’t far behind, tumbling 6.5% and 6.1% at the time of writing.

It’s likely no surprise, then, that the yellow metal had a rough night’s trade.

Gold futures fell 0.6% to US$1,930.80 an ounce, while the spot gold price was around US$1,912 at the US close.

Meanwhile, particular attention might be on Newcrest shares amid reports shareholders are urging the company to hire outside its own talent pool in its quest for a new CEO.

The $20 billion gold miner’s former-CEO Sandeep Biswas retired in December, with chief financial officer Sherry Duhe stepping up to the role of interim CEO as the company underwent an internal and external search for a permanent leader.

However, key stakeholders are urging the company not to permanently appoint Duhe – who has extensive experience in finance – to the role, The Australian reported last night. Rather, they’re said to be asking the company to hire an external candidate with a background in operations.

Newcrest share price snapshot

Despite today’s tumble, the Newcrest share price is still trading in line with the ASX 200 year to date. The stock has risen 8% since the start of 2023, while the index has lifted 8.9%.

However, it has underperformed over the last 12 months, rising 0.4% compared to the ASX 200’s 6.8% gain.

The post Why is the Newcrest share price fizzling out on Friday? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• The gold price is near 9-month highs. Could these ASX 200 mining stocks be set to soar?
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Friday
• Why Centuria Office, Deep Yellow, Newcrest, and Xero shares are racing higher today
• Investing in ASX 200 gold shares? Here’s what to expect from the yellow metal in 2023
• Up 30% in 4 months! ASX 200 gold share Newcrest is still trading cheap: fundie

Motley Fool contributor Brooke Cooper 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 S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) looks set to end the week on a very high note this Friday. At the time of writing, the ASX 200 Index has risen by a healthy 0.54%, leaving the index at just over 7,550 points. 

So let’s now dig a little deeper into these pleasing gains for the ASX 200 by taking stock of the ASX 200 shares that are presently at the peak of the share market’s trading volume charts, according to investing.com.

The 3 most traded ASX 200 shares by volume this Friday

Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS)

First up this Friday is the ASX 200 telco Telstra. This session has had a hefty 12.57 million Telstra shares traded so far. There hasn’t been any fresh news out of the telco giant for almost a month now. So this volume can probably be explained by the movements of the Tesltra share price itself.

Telstra has had a bit of a bumpy ASX over Friday thus far. At present, Telstra shares are up by 0.36% at $4.14, but have spent time in both positive and negative territory today, and got down to $4.11 at one point. This volatility is the most likely cause of these high volumes.

Sayona Mining Ltd (ASX: SYA)

Next up today we have ASX 200 lithium stock Sayona Mining. A sizeable 25.76 million Sayona shares have said sayonara to their old owners so far today. This looks like a probable consequence of the share price falls we have seen with Sayona today.

In defiance of the broader market, Sayona shares have slumped a meaningful 1.85% at this point of the session down to 26 cents a share. That’s despite Sayona rising to 28 cents a share earlier this morning. This drop looks like the smoking gun behind the volumes we are witnessing.

Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN)

ASX 200 uranium miner Paladin is our third, final and most traded ASX 200 share to examine today. And what an examination it will be. Paladin has smashed the ASX 200’s trading volumes today, with a whopping 247.25 million shares trading hands thus far.

Such a massive volume for paladin is rather unusual, but there’s no obvious explanation for this huge figure. Sure, the Paladin share price is down by a nasty 6.74% at present to 80 cents per share. So this could explain some of this elevated volume.

But perhaps an institutional buyer has come in and either loaded up or sold a very large parcel of shares. Whatever the cause, it looks like Paladin is set to hold its first place on the podium for the rest of the session.

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

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More reading

• A rare day in the green: Magellan share price soars 5%
• Why did the Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF lag the ASX 200 in January?
• Why are ASX 200 iron ore shares being hammered hard on Friday?
• 3 ASX 200 lithium stocks that leapt beyond 20% in January
• The ASX 200 is trading near record highs. Is now the time to invest?

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.

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The Magellan Financial Group Ltd (ASX: MFG) share price is enjoying a day in the sun on Friday.

In earlier trading, the embattled ASX financial stock reached an intraday high of $9.55, up 4.95%.

This is 10.5% up on its 52-week low of $8.65 reached on 6 January. Investors killed the stock that day after the company lodged another gloomy funds under management (FUM) report with the ASX.

As my Fool colleague James reported, Magellan now has $45.3 billion in FUM, which represents a 10% fall since the end of November.

Over the six months to 31 December, Magellan averaged $53.8 billion in FUM. That’s more than half its average ($112.7 billion) in the prior corresponding period. It’s an OMG sort of situation for shareholders.

The outlook for Magellan shares in 2023

Not surprisingly, as direct institutional investors have continually withdrawn their money from Magellan’s various investment funds over the past couple of years, ordinary ASX shares investors have lost faith.

Arguably the biggest hit to Magellan’s image occurred in December 2021 when it announced it had lost the St James’s Place mandate. That represented 12% of Magellan’s annual revenue alone. Ugh.

Then came a dog of a year with the Magellan share price tumbling a distressing 58% in 2022. That is more than 10 times the loss incurred by the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) at 5.45%.

In late 2022, there were “material” staff changes across Magellan’s investment teams. This led to some ratings agencies putting several Magellan funds on watch.

At the time, Zenith noted that “Magellan’s entire product suite is affected by the changes”.

All of this added to investors’ nerves, too.

Do the experts see any hope for Magellan?

Shaw and Partners portfolio manager James Gerrish is not upbeat on Magellan shares.

In a Market Matters Q&A, Gerrish said:

Performance is what this stock needs to get back on track. However, if outflows continue at similar rates and possible management fees are lowered in an attempt to maintain FUM [funds under management], we think the stock will simply continue to slide lower.

In the year to date, the stock market has risen pretty strongly.

The ASX 200 is up 8.7% while the Magellan share price is up 7%.

So, the financial share seems to be benefitting from broader market optimism. For the time being, it’s at least keeping up with its ASX 200 counterparts.

But will this last? Time will tell.

The post A rare day in the green: Magellan share price soars 5% appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Core Lithium: An ASX 200 share to buy in February? 
• Why did the Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF lag the ASX 200 in January?
• Why are ASX 200 iron ore shares being hammered hard on Friday?
• 3 ASX 200 lithium stocks that leapt beyond 20% in January
• Investing in ASX 200 dividend shares? Here’s what to look for in 2023: fund manager

Motley Fool contributor Bronwyn Allen has positions in Magellan Financial 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 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 Core Lithium Ltd (ASX: CXO) share price has struggled to keep up with the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) over the last six months. It’s fallen 3% in that time compared to the index’s 8% gain.

Meanwhile, the company is in a particularly exciting phase of development right now, if I do say so myself.

It recently saw its first revenue event and is expected to announce its dense media separation plant’s maiden production of spodumene this half.

Does all that mean now is the time to snap up shares in the ASX 200 lithium company? Let’s take a look.

The Core Lithium share price is $1.135 right now.

What is the ASX 200 lithium stock up to this month?

This month is shaping up to be another big one for the ASX 200 lithium developer and its flagship Finniss Lithium Project.

It has recently commissioned its crushing and screening plant and is working on constructing its dense media separation plant. That’s expected to be completed by the end of this quarter.

It was also recently impacted by Tropical Cyclone Ellie, which brought above-average rainfall during December. That saw the company implementing measures to address water in the project’s Grants pit.

The company held $125 million of cash at the end of the December quarter. That’s prior to recognising $20 million of proceeds from the sale of direct shipping ore (DSO).

What brokers are saying?

Brokers’ opinions on Core Lithium shares are mixed, with two tipping it a strong buy and four a strong sell, according to CommSec.

Among the bears is Goldman Sachs. It believes the company is currently overvalued and tips its stock to fall around 16% to 95 cents.

Siding with the bulls, meanwhile, is Macquarie. It thinks the Core Lithium share price could jump around 15% to $1.30, my Fool colleague James recently reported.

Is Core Lithium an ASX 200 buy in February?

Ultimately, I believe whether Core Lithium shares are an ASX 200 winner or looser is largely out of the market’s hands.

Rather, it’s likely dependent on what lithium prices do in the future. Any shift in the price of lithium will impact the company’s future earnings. And there are many factors that might influence the battery-making material’s value.

For instance, rising demand for electric vehicles and renewable energy storage could bolster lithium prices. On the other hand, global economic instability could dint demand, in turn dinting the material’s value.

I also think it’s worth noting that Core Lithium is yet to post a profit. I’d therefore argue it houses greater risk than profitable ASX 200 lithium outfits like Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) and Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN).

Of course, that means individual investors will likely have their own opinion on whether the stock is worth buying this month.

The post Core Lithium: An ASX 200 share to buy in February?  appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Why did the Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF lag the ASX 200 in January?
• Why are ASX 200 iron ore shares being hammered hard on Friday?
• 3 ASX 200 lithium stocks that leapt beyond 20% in January
• The ASX 200 is trading near record highs. Is now the time to invest?
• Can buying Pilbara Minerals shares today create long-term wealth?

Motley Fool contributor Brooke Cooper 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 Macquarie 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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If you’re wanting to invest but aren’t sure which shares to buy, then exchange traded funds (ETFs) could be a good option.

This is because ETFs allow you to buy a large number of shares through a single investment.

But which ETFs could be top options right now? Here are two that could be worth considering:

BetaShares Global Energy Companies ETF (ASX: FUEL)

The first ETF for investors to look at this month is the BetaShares Global Energy Companies ETF.

As its name implies, this ETF provides investors with an easy way to gain exposure to the energy sector, which is benefiting greatly from high oil prices at present.

In fact, just yesterday Shell reported its highest profits in its 115-year history. The energy giant doubled its full year earnings to a whopping US$39.9 billion.

The good news is that Shell is one of the leading energy producers that the ETF gives investors access to. Other holdings include fellow energy giants BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, Phillips 66, and Total.

iShares S&P 500 ETF (ASX: IVV)

Another ETF for investors to look at in February is the iShares S&P 500 ETF.

This ETF gives investors easy access to Wall Street’s famous S&P 500 Index. This index is the benchmark in the United States and covers a wide range of sectors including energy, real estate, healthcare, and tech.

This means that buying this ETF provides almost instant diversification for a portfolio.

Among the 500 companies included in the fund are household names and industry giants. These include Amazon, Apple, Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, Facebook (Meta), JP Morgan, Johnson & Johnson, Mastercard, Microsoft, Tesla, Visa, and Walmart.

The post 2 fantastic ETFs for ASX investors to buy in February appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• 3 popular ETFs that could be top picks right now
• How I would use these 3 ASX shares to build a portfolio from scratch
• 3 wonderful ETFs for ASX investors to buy next week
• How I’d invest my very first $500 in ASX shares in 2023
• Why these could be the ASX ETFs to buy in 2023

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 recommended iShares S&p 500 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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It has been another busy week for Australia’s top brokers. This has led to the release of a large number of broker notes.

Three broker buy ratings that you might want to know more about are summarised below. Here’s why brokers think these ASX shares are in the buy zone:

CSL Limited (ASX: CSL)

According to a note out of Morgan Stanley, its analysts have retained their overweight rating and $354.00 price target on this biotherapeutics giant’s shares. This follows the release of an update from rival Takeda, which appears to indicate that the immunoglobulins market is strengthening. As a result, the broker believes that the key CSL Behring business is well-placed to deliver strong top line growth in FY 2023. The CSL share price is trading at $312.71 on Friday.

James Hardie Industries plc (ASX: JHX)

Analysts at Goldman Sachs have initiated coverage on this building products company’s shares with a buy rating and $40.50 price target. While Goldman notes that near-term risks remain skewed to the downside, it believes the market has already priced in a trough in James Hardie’s earnings in FY 2024. Its analysts feel that this provides cyclical upside to the current share price. The James Hardie share price is fetching $34.56 today.

Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1)

A note out of Morgans reveals that its analysts have retained their add rating on this network as a service company’s shares with a trimmed price target of $8.25. While Morgans acknowledges that it is difficult to know if the current declining sales momentum will persist, it appears optimistic it will only be a short term thing. In light of this, it sees value in Megaport’s shares for those with a higher risk profile. The Megaport share price is trading at $5.99 this afternoon.

The post Brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy now appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• The CSL share price has boomed 13% in under a month. What’s going on?
• Tech boom! Buy these ASX tech shares before it’s too late: broker
• Buy this ASX 200 tech stock that’s crashed 27% this week: expert
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Friday
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today

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 and 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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The Novonix Ltd (ASX: NVX) share price is ending the week in a positive fashion.

In afternoon trade, the battery materials technology company’s shares are up 2% to $1.87.

Why is the Novonix share price ending the week strongly?

Investors have been bidding the Novonix share price higher today despite there being no news out of the company.

However, it is worth noting that the company’s shares have been in fine form in recent weeks, so today’s gain appears to be a continuation of that.

For example, since the start of the year, the Novonix share price is up 27%. This is almost quadruple the return of the ASX 200 index, which is up 7.3% over the same period.

Though, it is worth remembering that the company’s shares were hammered in 2022. As a result, as you can see on the chart below, shareholders are still sitting on a paper loss of 71% over the last 12 months.

Can it keep rising?

With sentiment continuing to improve in the battery materials industry and interest rates close to peaking, there’s certainly potential for the Novonix share price to keep rising.

Morgans, for example, has a speculative buy rating and $3.11 price target on its shares. This implies potential upside of approximately 65% between now and this time next year.

Though, it is worth highlighting the word “speculative” in the broker’s recommendation. Novonix is high up on the risk scale in an already risky part of the market.

The post Why is the Novonix share price having such a stellar end to the week? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Up 35% so far in 2023, is the Novonix share price on the road to recovery?
• Novonix share price plummets 6% as losses continue
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• If I invest $1,000 in Novonix shares now, what could my return be this year?
• 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 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 Novonix Ltd (ASX: NVX) share price sure has put on a stellar performance in 2023 so far.

In early afternoon trading, the battery technology and materials company is trading up 4.6% to $1.92.

But check this out. Since the start of the year, Novonix shares have ascended 35.5%. That compares to an 8.6% leap by the S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO).

So, is Novonix on the comeback trail after a shocker in 2022, when its shares plummeted 84%?

Why is the Novonix share price soaring this year?

The only price-sensitive news out of this ASX tech stock so far this year is its December quarterly report, which was released on Tuesday.

As my colleague Brooke reported, the company spent US$18 million in cash and made US$2.17 million in receipts. As of 31 December, Novonix had a $99 million cash balance.

Investors weren’t happy with the report and sold off Novonix shares heavily. The Novonix share price lost 6.2% on the day and it closed at $1.815.

But there must be something giving the stock this great momentum in the new year. A 35% bump in the share price is pretty impressive.

So, let’s take a look at the latest positive news from the company.

Over the December quarter:

• Novonix officially opened its cathode pilot facility in Canada. It has now got all the required equipment, and during 1H 2023, it will be testing out its all-dry cathode synthesis technology
• The company received a US$150 million grant to help with the expansion of its anode materials division. It also formally applied for another loan with the Department of Energy
• It progressed engagements with tier 1 cell and automotive manufacturers through material sampling and qualification
• Novonix continued work at its Riverside facility ahead of the start of production. It already plans to increase Riverside’s output targets to meet its supply agreement with KORE
• In its battery tech business, Novonix increased its cell prototyping capacity and launched a new proprietary cell testing and analytics software service for battery research and development

What’s the outlook for Novonix?

Novonix has operations in both Canada and the United States. It provides advanced, high-performance materials, equipment, and services for the global lithium-ion battery industry.

It’s already selling its products and services across 14 countries but the US is its primary focus.

There’s no question Novonix has a huge addressable market. Millions of tonnes of anode and cathode material will be needed to service the burgeoning North American electric vehicle (EV) market. According to BloombergNEF, more than 50% of new car sales in the US will be EVs by fiscal 2030.

What makes Novonix unique is it claims to create materials and technologies to support longer-life and lower-cost batteries.

If the support that the Novonix share price has received so far in 2023 is any guide, investors might be thinking the worst of the company’s recent troubles are behind them.

The post Up 35% so far in 2023, is the Novonix share price on the road to recovery? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Novonix share price plummets 6% as losses continue
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• If I invest $1,000 in Novonix shares now, what could my return be this year?
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today

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.

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The Spacetalk Ltd (ASX: SPA) share price had a disastrous time in 2022.

During the 12 months, the technology company’s shares lost over 80% of their value.

The good news is that things are looking up for shareholders in 2023.

In fact, with the tech share up 55% to 8.2 cents this afternoon, it is now up 200% from 2.7 cents in the space of two days.

Why is this ASX tech share blasting off?

Investors have been fighting to get hold of Spacetalk shares this week after the company announced the appointment of its new CEO.

According to the release, Simon Crowther will take on the role from the start of next week.

Mr Crowther was previously the CEO of patent troll company Ipernica, which eventually morphed into aerial imagery technology company Nearmap under his watch. Nearmap left the ASX boards late last year after being acquired by Thoma Bravo.

Since leaving Nearmap, Crowther has served as the CEO of Airmap and the managing director of Yamaha Motor Ventures in Silicon Valley with a focus on Aerotech & Sustainability.

Why join this struggling company?

Crowther described Spacetalk as an exciting business with a lot of potential. He said:

As soon as I met with the board and learnt more about Spacetalk I saw the opportunity to build an exciting business, target valuable sectors and execute in a focused and disciplined way. Spacetalk has an opportunity to make an impact for good as we help give children, parents, guardians, people aging in place, care recipients and their carers freedom to live their lives. I am focused on building on the progress that has been made to date and realising the full potential of the business and the team.

Spacetalk’s Chairman, Georg Chmiel, was pleased with the appointment. He added:

Following an extensive global search, we are pleased to announce the appointment of Simon Crowther as Spacetalk’s new CEO. Simon’s track record at Nearmap is outstanding and we are excited to see what he will achieve at Spacetalk. I’d also like to thank Saurabh Jain. As the interim CEO he has done a fantastic job of the first phase of the turnaround. Saurabh will continue as a director of the Company.

The post Blastoff! Guess which ASX tech share has rocketed 200% in 2 days 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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As most of us would be well aware, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) had a stunningly positive month over January. Between 31 December and 31 January, the ASX 200 went from 7,038.7 points to 7,476.7 points. That’s a jump worth a healthy 6.2%.

But let’s check out the Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (ASX: VAS).

The Vanguard Australian Shares ETF is the ASX’s most popular exchange-traded fund (ETF). It doesn’t exactly track the ASX 200, instead going for the larger S&P/ASX 300 Index (ASX: XKO). But the ASX 300 has historically gotten similar, if not slightly better, returns than the ASX 200.

But not over January, it seems. While the ASX 200 recorded a nice 6.2% gain, Vanguard Australian Shares ETF units seemingly underperformed. The ETF ended 2022 at a price of $87.70. But by the end of last month, it has risen to only $92.44.

Sure, that’s still a gain worth 5.4%. But it’s close to a percentage point off the broader market returns. And that’s not what ETF investors sign up for when they buy an index fund.

So what’s going on here? Is the Vanguard Australian Shares ETF broken?

What happened with the Vanguard Australian Shares ETF in January?

Well, fortunately, there seems to be a relatively simple explanation here. Because ASX index funds like this Vanguard ETF hold ASX dividend shares, they also tend to pay out dividend distributions.

In this ETF’s case, investors can look forward to a dividend distribution every quarter When an ETF pays out a dividend distribution, it goes through the same process as a normal ASX dividend share.

There’s an ex-dividend date, followed by a payment date. As any dividend investor would know, an ex-dividend date normally results in a sharp drop in a company’s (or ETF’s) share price.

It so happens that the Vanguard Australian Shares ETF paid out its latest dividend distribution on 18 January. The ex-distribution date for this payment was 3 January.

This payment was worth 74.97 cents per unit, the value of which left the Vanguard unit price on 3 January. If you look carefully, you’ll be able to see it here:

If we take the value of this distribution, we can see that it would have represented a yield of 0.87%, based on the last Vanguard unit price before the ETF went ex-distribution.

That happens to be almost exactly the same as the shortfall between the Vanguard Australian Shares ETFs’ January performance compared to the ASX 200 Index.

The ASX 200 Index doesn’t factor in dividend returns, so, unlike the Vanguard ETF, it didn’t fall in value in January on any dividend payments.

So this is the most likely explanation as to why the Vanguard Australian Shares ETF ‘underperformed’ the ASX 200 Index over January. Factoring in those dividend distributions, the returns were almost identical, as investors would expect.

So it all came out in the wash. It just doesn’t look that way by analysing the prices alone.

The post Why did the Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF lag the ASX 200 in January? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Why are ASX 200 iron ore shares being hammered hard on Friday?
• 3 ASX 200 lithium stocks that leapt beyond 20% in January
• The ASX 200 is trading near record highs. Is now the time to invest?
• Can buying Pilbara Minerals shares today create long-term wealth?
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today

Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has positions in Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF. 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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