Category: Stock Market

  • How much superannuation do you really need in retirement?

    Australian notes and coins surrounded by a calculator and the word super spelt out.

    Australian notes and coins surrounded by a calculator and the word super spelt out.

    Superannuation is one of the main ways that Australians save for retirement.

    Employees receive superannuation guarantee contributions. Employers are now meant to contribute 10.5% of wages to an employee’s superannuation fund. Employees can also salary sacrifice more into their super fund.

    Business owners can also make concessional contributions for themselves.

    On top of that, people can add extra money into superannuation with non-concessional contributions.

    When that money is in the superannuation fund, people can decide how they want that money to be invested such as ASX shares, international shares, cash and so on.

    But, there’s a question of how much people actually need to build up their retirement nest egg to be able to retire. Is it $1 million? Maybe $500,000?

    Every personal circumstance is different. Is that person renting, or do they perhaps own their home outright with no mortgage? Do they live with a spouse who also has a sizeable retirement account? And so on. This is the sort of thing that financial planners can help with.

    But, personal finance expert Scott Pape (AKA the Barefoot Investor), has shared in his latest weekly newsletter what the required superannuation balances could be for retirement.

    Required retirement balance

    After sharing a humorous story about visiting a (wealthy) men’s group lunch and talking about retirement, Pape revealed research done by Super Consumers Australia, a partner of CHOICE, that uses Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) research on what retirees typically spend.

    Super Consumers Australia suggest that, for a comfortable retirement, single people need $301,000 and couples need $402,000, assuming they don’t pay rent or a mortgage. These balances are based on singles spending $44,000 annually and for couples, it is based on spending of $64,000.

    That’s a bit more than the median superannuation balance at retirement, according to the ABS, of $250,000 for men and $200,000 for women. But, it may be achievable for people with time.

    For singles wanting to spend $55,000 a year, it was suggested they need $745,000, according to Super Consumers Australia. For couples wanting to spend $81,000 a year, they’d need around $1 million.

    Pape suggests that people can get by with smaller retirement balances if they get the aged pension and do a bit of paid work.

    Foolish takeaway

    Of course, how much is contributed to superannuation is one part of the future retirement balance equation. There’s also a question of how much time is given to grow the balance, and the size of the returns, to build towards retirement.

    Hopefully, our investment portfolios can deliver good investment returns partly thanks to the power of compounding.

    The post How much superannuation do you really need in retirement? 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 July 7 2022

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    Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has 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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  • ‘We have clearly seen the peak’: Sector veteran gives earnings season warning for ASX mining shares

    two men in hard hats and high visibility jackets look together at a laptop screen that one of the men in holding at a mine site.two men in hard hats and high visibility jackets look together at a laptop screen that one of the men in holding at a mine site.

    The iron ore price dropped below the benchmark of US$100 per tonne over the past week. This is the first time it has dropped this low in 2022. It was last around this mark in November 2021.

    Falling commodity prices and increasing costs for labour, fuel, and mining processing inputs are set to impact the earnings of ASX mining shares in the near future, one expert predicts.

    ‘Tough reporting season’ next month

    According to reporting in the Australian Financial Review (AFR), veteran mining analyst Dr Glyn Lawcock has recommended that investors go underweight on ASX mining shares ahead of a “tough reporting season” which commences next month.

    Lawcock’s warning comes amid a four-month fall in commodity prices including aluminium, gold, silver, copper, zinc, nickel, and iron ore.

    Downgrades on ASX mining shares

    Lawcock and his team at Barrenjoey have downgraded their 2023 earnings estimates for various ASX mining shares.

    They’ve dropped their forecasts for 29Metals Ltd (ASX: 29M) and Sandfire Resources Ltd (ASX: SFR) by more than 80%.

    A similar downgrade has been applied to Alumina Limited (ASX: AWC).

    The team also downgraded earnings estimates for South32 Ltd (ASX: S32) by 55%. Meantime, BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) and Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO) have been downgraded by 20% and 10% respectively.

    Lawcock said:

    We have clearly seen the peak in this cycle, although I’d say coal and lithium are still in a boom at the moment.

    We see iron ore prices lifting into the end of 2022 on China stimulus and expectations of a better 2023 given the disappointment of 2022 in China due to lockdowns.

    Lawcock said this cycle was different because “we come into this downturn with low [product] inventory and not a lot of projects under construction”.

    “We don’t come into this downturn with as much supply, so I don’t think we exacerbate the downside as much this time, and we are coming into a downturn with good balance sheets.”

    Resources ‘stronger than ever’ after economic chaos

    Regal Funds Management chief investment officer Phil King expects the US share market to bottom over the next month or two, according to another AFR article. He thinks it will finish the year higher.

    King also thinks inflation has peaked, and the market is full of great buying opportunities. But he is concerned about the Chinese economy and the flow-on effect on the iron ore price.

    King said:

    It causes us genuine concern because it’s the Chinese property market that has been driving the Chinese economy, and the Chinese economy has been driving the world.

    King thinks resources will come out on top once the economic chaos is over.

    He said: ” … even though we might see a US recession and some weakness in demand, we think the resource sector will come out the other side stronger than ever.”

    The companies behind the mega ASX mining shares are due to report soon.

    BHP will release its full-year results on 16 August. Fortescue’s are scheduled for 29 August.

    Rio reports on a different cycle and will present its half-year results on 27 July.

    The post ‘We have clearly seen the peak’: Sector veteran gives earnings season warning for ASX mining shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Our #1 Strategy for today’s inflation drenched markets

    The ABC recently reported that inflation in the UK has hit an eye watering 40 year high.
    Meanwhile the Reserve Bank believes that by the end of the year inflation in Australia will climb to levels not seen since 1990.
    As prices surge we’ve uncovered 3 “inflation fighting” stocks we think could hand investors outsized returns as the market recalibrates.
    And as Scott Phillips put it
    “There’s one thing to avoid at all costs when inflation hits.
    And that’s doing nothing.”
    We reveal details on these three “inflation fighting” stocks here.

    Learn More
    *Returns as of July 1 2022

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    Motley Fool contributor Bronwyn Allen has positions in Alumina Ltd. and BHP Billiton Limited. 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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  • Which ASX rich listers have grown their fortunes over the past year?

    Rich man posing with money bags, gold ingots and dollar bills and sitting on tableRich man posing with money bags, gold ingots and dollar bills and sitting on table

    This year’s edition of Australia’s top 250 richest people saw a number of well-known wealthy individuals climb up the ladder.

    Published by The Australian, the annual rich list tracks the fortunes of tech entrepreneurs along with mining and property magnates.

    Below, we take a look at the names who’re hitting the charts and cementing their places as the country’s most wealthy businesspeople.

    Who makes up Australia’s Top 5 Rich List?

    The annual study, showing which Australians are making financial strides, tallied riches past the half a trillion dollar mark this year.

    The average wealth of each person who made the cut stood at around $2.08 billion. The list included 131 billionaires.

    Of the top 250 names, 30 were women and the average age of each individual was 65 years of age.

    Here are the list’s top five:

    For the third consecutive year, Gina Rinehart took the mantle with an estimated wealth of $32.64 billion. Her source of wealth came from iron ore mining alongside investments in agriculture (beef) and media. She is the founding member of Pilbara iron ore mine Roy Hill.

    In second position, and not far behind, Andrew Forrest has acquired $31.77 billion through his holding in ASX-listed Fortescue Metals Group Ltd (ASX: FMG).

    Furthermore, Forrest also owns cattle stations in outback Australia which supplement his income.

    Moving into third spot, up from fourth last year, Anthony Pratt (and family) has $27.77 billion. Regarded as one of Australia’s most generous businessmen, Pratt made his wealth from Visy Industries – a packaging, paper, and resource recovery company that employs more than 7,000 people worldwide.

    Slipping in to fourth is Mike Cannon-Brookes who is co-founder and co-CEO of United States-based software giant Atlassian. His wealth came to $26.2 billion. Cannon-Brookes is often referred to as the ‘accidental billionaire’ given how he aimed to earn a mere $48,500 per year.

    And, lastly, at number five, Cannon-Brooke’s business partner Scott Farquhar is the other co-founder and co-CEO of Atlassian. His wealth is projected to be $25.99 billion.

    The post Which ASX rich listers have grown their fortunes over the past year? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Inflation pressures and bear market opportunities

    According to The Motley Fool’s Chief Investment Officer Scott Phillips, how investors handle their investments right now could have a massive impact on their wealth in years to come.
    While many investors will turn to real estate, gold and other commodities in times of inflation, Scott is quick to point out another way…
    Get the details now…

    Learn More
    *Returns as of July 1 2022

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    Motley Fool contributor Aaron Teboneras 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 Atlassian. 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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  • Own CSL shares? Here’s a look at the biotech’s balance sheet

    A man sitting at his dining table looks at his laptop and ponders the CSL balance sheet and the value of CSL shares todayA man sitting at his dining table looks at his laptop and ponders the CSL balance sheet and the value of CSL shares today

    Shares in biotech giant CSL Limited (ASX: CSL) have rerated in FY23. In fact, they have now pushed just over 8% into the green since the start of the month.

    That’s ahead of the 6% return for the S&P/ASX 200 Health Care Index (ASX: XHJ) over the same period.

    CSL shares finished the session on Tuesday at $290.66 — down 2.02% for the day.

    Following the company’s announcement of its acquisition of Vifor Pharma AG last year, current global supply chain headwinds, and (hopefully) a wind back in global COVID-19 cases, let’s take a look at CSL’s financial position and the book value of CSL shares.

    CSL balance sheet

    From its semi-annual report in December 2021, CSL reported cash & equivalents of $8.7 billion. Notably, some of this will have been allocated to the acquisition.

    It had total assets of more than $32 billion, or around $24 billion minus the cash and marketable securities.

    On this amount, it held debt of around $7.6 billion. The interest on this debt was covered more than 32 times from operating income.

    This gives CSL a total debt ratio of around 24%. Its total capital base is financed at around 28% with debt.

    Meanwhile, short-term obligations are covered 5 times from liquid assets, and around 3.4 times when separating CSL’s inventory. This means it should meet its financial obligations as they come due.

    As such, it had around $13.6 billion in working capital as at December 2021. That’s up from $5.7 billion in the prior half.

    Book value of CSL shares

    With this, shareholders held equity of more than $19.3 billion in the biotech giant. That provides a book value per share of $32.

    This year to date, CSL shares have fallen 1.8% but are up 1.46% over the past 12 months.

    TradingView Chart

    The post Own CSL shares? Here’s a look at the biotech’s balance sheet appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    “The worst thing you can do is nothing”

    Motley Fool Chief Investment Officer says right now is not the time to sit on your hands…
    As inflation eats away at cash balances Scott Phillips reveals three stocks for investors to consider that could help fight rising prices…
    … And Csl Limited isn’t one of them.

    Learn More
    *Returns as of July 1 2022

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    Motley Fool contributor Zach Bristow has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended CSL Ltd. 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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  • Down 40% in 2022: Is the Liontown share price a bargain buy?

    Man drawing an upward line on a bar graph symbolising a rising share price.

    Man drawing an upward line on a bar graph symbolising a rising share price.

    The Liontown Resources Limited (ASX: LTR) share price was out of form on Tuesday.

    The lithium developer’s shares ended the day 2% lower at $1.01.

    This means the Liontown share price has now lost 40% of its value in 2022.

    Is the Liontown share price in the buy zone?

    According to a recent note out of Bell Potter, its analysts believe the weakness in the Liontown share price is a buying opportunity.

    Its analysts currently have a speculative buy rating and $2.87 price target on the company’s shares.

    Based on where its shares currently trade, this implies potential upside of ~180% for investors over the next 12 months.

    What did the broker say?

    Bell Potter notes that Liontown has approved the development of its Kathleen Valley Lithium Project in Western Australia.

    This follows a major deal with auto giant Ford for both offtake and financing and means the tier-1 project is now fully funded.

    Combined with other offtake agreements, including one with Tesla, the broker is very positive on Liontown’s outlook.

    It commented:

    LTR has announced a Final Investment Decision (FID) for its flagship hard-rock lithium project in Western Australia’s northern goldfields, Kathleen Valley. The FID coincides with announcing a $300m debt finance facility with Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) and a further 150ktpa spodumene (SC6) binding offtake agreement.

    LTR has provided updated Kathleen Valley capital estimates of now $545m (previously $473m) and an estimate of working capital requirements of $93m. With the Ford debt facility and existing cash ($466m at 31 March 2022), Kathleen Valley is now fully funded. Further supporting the project, LTR has full-form binding offtake agreements covering over 80% of production in the first five years with LG Energy Solution, Tesla and Ford.

    The post Down 40% in 2022: Is the Liontown share price a bargain buy? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    3 Stocks for Runaway Inflation

    As the world suffers price shocks… and the cost of everything seems to be ticking higher…
    These 3 ASX stocks could be the answer to runaway inflation. Boasting key qualities companies need to not only survive but actively thrive when costs surge.
    Act fast – because in times of inflation, the worst thing you can do is… nothing.

    Learn More
    *Returns as of July 1 2022

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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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  • Here are the top 10 ASX shares today

    a woman with a broad smile on her face holds up ten fingers .a woman with a broad smile on her face holds up ten fingers .

    The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) slipped lower on Tuesday despite a strong performance by energy shares. The index closed down 0.56% at 6,649.60 points.

    The market was dragged lower by the S&P/ASX Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ). The tech sector dumped close to 3% following a dire Monday on Wall Street.

    The NASDAQ Composite dipped 0.8% overnight while the S&P 500 slumped 0.8% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell around 0.7%.

    On the other end of the spectrum, the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) gained 2.45% today, likely on the back of surging oil prices.

    The price of Brent crude oil lifted 5.1% overnight to reach US$106.27 a barrel and the US Nymex crude price rose 5.1% to US$102.60 a barrel.

    Come the end of Tuesday’s trade, only two of the ASX 200’s 11 sectors were in the green.

    So, which ASX shares managed to defy the market’s downturn to scrape together the biggest gains today? Let’s take a look.

    Top 10 ASX shares countdown

    The top performing shares of the ASX’s 200 biggest companies by market capitalisation may not come as a surprise on Tuesday.

    The market was led by ASX 200 energy giant Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX: WHC). Find out what the coal producer has been up to lately here.

    Meanwhile, Pendal Group Ltd (ASX: PDL) outperformed the market despite spending much of today’s session frozen. The stock was put in the freezer this morning as the company prepared to announce it’s in discussions with Perpetual Limited (ASX: PPT) regarding a potential transaction.  

    Today’s biggest gains were made by these ASX shares:

    ASX-listed company Share price Price change
    Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX: WHC) $6.75 4.66%
    Pendal Group Ltd (ASX: PDL) $4.29 4.38%
    New Hope Corporation Limited (ASX: NHC) $4.47 3.95%
    Perseus Mining Limited (ASX: PRU) $1.6575 3.59%
    Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) $32.39 3.48%
    Insignia Financial Ltd (ASX: IFL) $2.76 3.37%
    GQG Partners Inc (ASX: GQG) $1.385 3.36%
    Magellan Financial Group Ltd (ASX: MFG) $12.56 3.29%
    Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) $1.7625 2.77%
    Nickel Industries Ltd (ASX: NIC) $0.9375 2.46%

    Data as at 3:59pm AEST.

    Our top 10 ASX shares today countdown is a recurring end-of-day summary to ensure you know which companies were making big moves on the day. Check in at Fool.com.au after the market has closed during weekdays to see which stocks make the countdown.

    The post Here are the top 10 ASX shares today 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 July 7 2022

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    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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  • These are the stocks making hay from the Bitcoin price upturn

    A woman works on her desktop and tablet, having a win with crypto.

    A woman works on her desktop and tablet, having a win with crypto.The Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) price is up 3% over the past 24 hours, currently trading for US$22,024 (AU$32,123).

    The latest gains put the world’s top token by market cap up 10% since this time last week and at the highest level in a month.

    Though, as you’d expect with cryptos, the gains haven’t come in any kind of straight line. The Bitcoin price traded as low as US$19,000 and as high as US$22,795 over the week, according to data from CoinMarketCap.

    While the past week’s gains will certainly be welcomed by crypto investors, a handful of companies have ridden the token’s uptick to far greater heights.

    Making hay from the Bitcoin price upturn

    Not unlike gold miners, Bitcoin miners are leveraged to the price of the virtual tokens they earn as rewards for securing the blockchain.

    And with retail investors closely following the sector, the miners have been subject to some outsized price swings as the Bitcoin price rises and falls.

    Take Riot Blockchain Inc (NASDAQ: RIOT), for example. The Bitcoin mining company gained 12% in yesterday’s trade (overnight Aussie time) and is now up 30% since this time last week.

    Fellow crypto miner Marathon Digital Holdings Inc (NASDAQ: MARA) had an even better day on Monday, closing up 21%. That puts the Marathon Digital share price up 29% since last Tuesday.

    You’ll find a similar story playing out with most of the big crypto miners.

    Mind you, though, that despite the past week’s upturn, the Bitcoin price remains down 54% since 1 January.

    As for the miners, the Riot Blockchain share price is down 73% year-to-date, while the Marathon Digital share price is down 70%.

    Resilient and perhaps signs of early decoupling?

    Following last week’s release of sizzling hot inflation figures out of the United States, many analysts had forecast a tough few days for the Bitcoin price.

    We know now that didn’t transpire.

    Commenting on the token’s resilience in the wake of the inflation data, GlobalBlock analyst Marcus Sotiriou said (courtesy of Bloomberg), “When the market starts reacting positively to negative news, this is a signal that a local bottom could be in for now, as fear may have caused the news to be priced in.”

    eToro’s market analyst and crypto expert Simon Peters added that the relative strength of the Bitcoin price and most top cryptos over the past week could be the vanguard of a potential decoupling from equity market moves.

    “The events of the past few days have shown crypto assets moving above the gain lines of equities, with major indices relatively flat,” Peters said. “While not necessarily showing a decoupling of recent performance mirroring, divergence over a longer time frame could mark a significant shift.”

    The post These are the stocks making hay from the Bitcoin price upturn appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Bitcoin, 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 Bitcoin 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 July 7 2022

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    Motley Fool contributor Bernd Struben has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Bitcoin. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Bitcoin. 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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  • Why did the Xero share price have such a lousy session today?

    A geeky-looking young man with glasses bites down onto a computer keyboard in frustration or despair.A geeky-looking young man with glasses bites down onto a computer keyboard in frustration or despair.

    The Xero Ltd (ASX: XRO) share price closed well in the red on Tuesday amid a rough day for ASX tech shares.

    At market close , Xero shares finished at $83.00 each, a 5.71% fall. For perspective, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) finished 0.56% lower today.

    So why did Xero have such a tough day on the market today?

    Xero shares close lower

    Xero shares struggled today but they were not alone. The S&P/ASX All Technology Index (ASX: XTX) also closed 2.2% in the red.

    Other ASX tech shares that took a hit included Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1), down 4.29%, and Wisetech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC), down 4.91%. Meantime, Altium Ltd (ASX: ALU) shares fell 1.09% while Block Inc (ASX: SQ2) descended 2.93%.

    Xero is a New Zealand technology company with a global presence providing accounting software to small and medium-sized businesses.

    Today’s fall follows a tough night on US markets. The technology-heavy NASDAQ fell 1.46% on Monday’s trade, while the S&P 500 dropped 0.84%. Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL) shares dropped on the back of a Reuters report that the tech giant plans to slow hiring and spending next year.

    Nonetheless, Citi has a buy rating on Xero’s shares with a $108 price target. Citi recently said:

    We see Xero’s decision to increase prices in ANZ and UK as an indication of the company’s confidence in its position in its core markets.

    Goldman Sachs also has a buy rating on the company’s shares with a $113 price target.

    Share price snapshot

    Xero shares have declined 40% in the past year while they have fallen nearly 42% year to date.

    In the past week, the company’s share price has dropped 1.5% although it’s gained nearly 13% in a month.

    For perspective, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has slid about 9% in the past year.

    Xero has a market capitalisation of about $12.4 billion based on today’s share price.

    The post Why did the Xero share price have such a lousy session today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    “The worst thing you can do is nothing”

    Motley Fool Chief Investment Officer says right now is not the time to sit on your hands…
    As inflation eats away at cash balances Scott Phillips reveals three stocks for investors to consider that could help fight rising prices…
    … And Xero Limited isn’t one of them.

    Learn More
    *Returns as of July 1 2022

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    Citigroup is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. 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 positions in and has recommended Altium, Block, Inc., Goldman Sachs, MEGAPORT FPO, WiseTech Global, and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Block, Inc., WiseTech Global, and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended MEGAPORT FPO. 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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  • Top broker gives its verdict on ANZ’s Suncorp Bank acquisition

    Broker looking at the share price on her laptop with green and red points in the background.

    Broker looking at the share price on her laptop with green and red points in the background.The Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ASX: ANZ) share price remains out of action.

    The banking giant’s shares are currently in a trading halt until Thursday while it undertakes a $3.5 billion capital raising.

    These funds will be used to acquire the banking operations of Suncorp Group Ltd (ASX: SUN) for $4.9 billion.

    What are analysts saying about ANZ’s Suncorp Bank acquisition?

    This morning the team at Goldman Sachs gave their verdict on the Suncorp Bank acquisition.

    According to the release, the broker sees both positives and negatives from the acquisition.

    The positives are the expectation that the deal will be earnings per share accretive post synergies and boost to its domestic retail/commercial banking. Goldman said:

    Strategically, the proposed acquisition somewhat improves ANZ’s relative lack of scale in domestic retail/commercial banking. Based on APRA’s monthly ADI statistics, ANZ’s market share should increase c.2% in home lending and c.3% in retail deposits.

    Whereas the negatives are the elevated operational risks associated with the delivery of the aforementioned synergies and competition concerns. Goldman explained:

    We see operational risk as elevated, given i) management’s expected A$260 mn of pre-tax synergies largely rely on getting SUN’s 1.2 mn customers on to its still yet to be completed ANZ Plus platform, and ii) potential competition concerns.

    This synergy assumption looks high versus previous in-market financial transactions, which tend to see 25-30% of the target’s cost base as synergies.

    Is the ANZ share price good value?

    The note reveals that Goldman Sachs has held firm with its neutral rating.

    However, even after trimming its price target by 8% to $27.44, this still implies potential upside of 27% for investors over the next 12 months. That’s not bad for a neutral rating!

    In addition, it is worth noting that Goldman hasn’t incorporated the Suncorp Bank acquisition into its estimates. This will happen once the deal completes and could give its valuation a boost when it does.

    The post Top broker gives its verdict on ANZ’s Suncorp Bank acquisition appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Three inflation fighting stocks no ones’ talking about

    Savvy Motley Fool investors may have already found three stock moves to help fight inflation.
    Three ASX stocks that could be hiding right under your nose.

    Learn More
    *Returns as of July 1 2022

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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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  • 3 highly rated ETFs for ASX investors to buy now

    Man looking at an ETF diagram.

    Man looking at an ETF diagram.Are you wanting to make some new additions to your portfolio? If exchange traded funds (ETFs) are of interest to you, then you may want to look at the three listed below.

    Here’s what you need to know about them:

    BetaShares Crypto Innovators ETF (ASX: CRYP)

    The first ETF to look at is the BetaShares Crypto Innovators ETF. As you might expect, this ETF has been hammered this year amid the collapse in the crypto market. But if you’re a crypto-believer and feel that this is just a small blip then this ETF could be worth considering. It provides investors with exposure to crypto miners, neobanks, trading platforms, and mining equipment providers.

    Among its holdings you’ll find Coinbase, Silvergate, and Riot Blockchain. These companies look well-placed for growth over the next decade if the crypto industry proves not to be a fad.

    BetaShares Global Banks ETF (ASX: BNKS)

    Another ETF for investors to look at is BetaShares Global Banks ETF. As its name implies, this ETF gives investors exposure to many of the world’s largest banks. And as it excludes Australian banks, it could be a good option if you’ve already got reasonable exposure to them in your portfolio.

    Among the banks included in the fund are Bank of America, Barclays, Citigroup, HSBC, JPMorgan and Wells Fargo.

    BetaShares Global Energy Companies ETF (ASX: FUEL)

    A final ETF for ASX investors look at is the BetaShares Global Energy Companies ETF. This ETF provides investors with exposure to many of the world’s largest energy companies. This could make it a top option for investors that are wanting to gain exposure to sky high oil prices.

    Among the 50+ shares included in the fund are energy giants such as BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, and Royal Dutch Shell. These all appear well placed to deliver bumper profits and dividends in the near term thanks to favourable oil prices.

    The post 3 highly rated ETFs for ASX investors to buy now appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Our #1 Strategy for today’s inflation drenched markets

    The ABC recently reported that inflation in the UK has hit an eye watering 40 year high.
    Meanwhile the Reserve Bank believes that by the end of the year inflation in Australia will climb to levels not seen since 1990.
    As prices surge we’ve uncovered 3 “inflation fighting” stocks we think could hand investors outsized returns as the market recalibrates.
    And as Scott Phillips put it
    “There’s one thing to avoid at all costs when inflation hits.
    And that’s doing nothing.”
    We reveal details on these three “inflation fighting” stocks here.

    Learn More
    *Returns as of July 1 2022

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    Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended BetaShares Global Banks ETF – Currency Hedged, BetaShares Global Energy Companies ETF – Currency Hedged, and Betashares Crypto Innovators ETF. 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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