Category: Stock Market

  • Why Amazon stock slumped today

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

    amazon delivery

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

    What happened

    Although it wasn’t exactly a steep decline, Amazon‘s (NASDAQ: AMZN) stock took a bit of a fall on Thursday. The retailing giant’s shares declined to close the day 0.6% lower, while the S&P 500 index as a whole rose by 0.4%. The drop was linked to potential new struggles in labor relations.

    So what

    On Thursday, Reuters reported that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rejected an Amazon request to scotch a proposed shareholder vote on an audit of working conditions at its facilities. That proposal was put forward by a man named Thomas Dadashi Tazehozi. 

    Tazehozi is an investor in Tulipshare, a London-based activist investment collective that aims to “promote ethical change” at companies, according to its website.

    Citing the official response letter sent by the SEC to Amazon, the regulator stated, “In our view, the Tazehozi Proposal transcends ordinary business matters.”

    Amazon has not yet officially commented on this development. Its upcoming annual general shareholders meeting, at which the vote will be conducted, is scheduled for May 25.

    The news comes on the heels of a major victory for Amazon’s workforce. Last week, workers at a company warehouse on Staten Island in New York City voted to form the retail giant’s first U.S. union. On Wednesday, President Joe Biden expressed support for those workers and potential union creators, saying: “By the way, Amazon, here we come. Watch.”

    Not surprisingly, Amazon filed a formal objection to the vote, alleging that the union used threats to win support for its cause. 

    Now what

    For some time, members of the general public have decried what they consider to be unfair labor practices of big companies like Amazon. These concerns are obviously gaining traction, and they’re landing with investors, too. It might just be time for the Amazons of this world to rethink their labor strategies, particularly considering that labor in certain markets is becoming scarce. 

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

    The post Why Amazon stock slumped today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Amazon, 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 Amazon 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.

    *Returns as of January 13th 2022

    More reading

    Eric Volkman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns and has recommended Amazon. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Amazon. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson. 

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

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  • The Woodside share price has gained just 1% in 5 years. Have the dividends been worth it?

    A youngA young boy dressed as a nerd wears a makeshift helmet and invention which uses many calculators to compute his solutions.A youngA young boy dressed as a nerd wears a makeshift helmet and invention which uses many calculators to compute his solutions.

    The Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) share price has travelled on a rollercoaster over the course of the last few years.

    The impact of COVID-19 led government at all levels around Australia to enforce mandated restrictions on passenger movements. This steered Woodside shares south as demand for oil plummeted throughout the pandemic.

    However, the recent war in Ukraine and heavy-handed sanctions on Russia’s energy markets has led oil prices to spike. In turn, Woodside shares have recorded a stellar year on the back of strong demand for oil and gas.

    Below, we calculate if the dividends have been worth the wait if a shareholder made an investment five years ago.

    What if you had invested $10,000 in Woodside shares 5 years ago?

    If you had invested $10,000 in Woodside shares on this day five years ago, you would have bought them for around $32.60 each. This would have given you approximately 306 shares without factoring in any dividend reinvestments over the years.

    Fast-forward to today, and the current Woodside share price is $32.90. This means those 306 shares would now be worth $10,067.40. When considering percentage terms, this would have given you relatively flat returns for the period.

    In contrast, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has returned a yearly average of 4.89% to shareholders in the past five years.

    And the dividends?

    Over the course of the last five years, Woodside has made a total of 10 bi-annual dividend payments from April 2017 to March 2022.

    Adding those 10 dividends payments gives us an amount of $6.9953 per share. Calculating the number of shares owned against the total dividend payment gives us a figure of $2,140.57.

    When putting both the initial investment gains and dividend distribution, an investor would have made roughly $12,207.97.

    In comparison, investing the same amount in the ASX 200 would have netted you a total figure of $12,695.60.

    As you can see, parking your money in the benchmark index would have retuned a slightly better result.

    Woodside share price snapshot

    Over the past 12 months, the Woodside share price has accelerated by around 35%, driven by favourable market conditions.

    Its shares hit a 52-week high of $34.60 in early March, before finding support around the $32 mark.

    Woodside has a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 12.47 and commands a market capitalisation of roughly $32.37 billion.

    The post The Woodside share price has gained just 1% in 5 years. Have the dividends been worth it? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Woodside, 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 Woodside 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.

    *Returns as of January 13th 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 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 Bruce Jackson.

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  • Worried about current ASX share market uncertainty? Read this

    Man looking concerned head in hands at laptopMan looking concerned head in hands at laptop

    Volatility has crept into the ASX share market in 2022, and there’s been plenty of calamity from the fallout.

    The standard deviation – a measure of volatility both up and down – of the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is at an annualised 16% this year to date, well above historical levels.

    As a result, several sectors are pushing lower, while others are well up, with pockets of green and red littered throughout each corner of the market.

    TradingView Chart

    Worried about the uncertainty? Think long-term

    One important consideration is the current economic and investing cycle, Shane Oliver of AMP Capital says.

    The economist says while there are plenty of setbacks in the ASX share market, over the long-term, growth assets like stocks continue to provide outsized returns.

    “It’s invariably the case that the share market leads the economic cycle (bottoming out before economic recovery is clear and topping out before an economic downturn has really hit and vice versa at the top) and that different assets perform relatively best at different phases in the cycle,” he said to Livewire.

    Such a mantra is important, Oliver says, because investment returns have proven to be smooth and consistent for the patient investor. That’s despite an extensive list of “worries” that have kept more than a few on the sidelines.

    “Australian economies have had plenty of worries over the last century, but it got over them with Australian shares returning 11.8% per annum since 1900, with a broad rising trend in the All Ords price index,” he remarked.

    Expanding on this school of thought, Oliver also mentioned:

    Worries are normal around the economy and investment markets but most of them turn out to be no more than short-term noise.

    Short-term share returns can sometimes see violent swings, but the longer the time horizon the greater the chance your investments will meet their goals. It’s also extremely hard to time these short-term swings. So in investing, time is on your side and its best to invest for the long-term.

    ASX shares have certainly shrugged off the wave of pressures in the past few years, even powering through geopolitical and global market tensions since trading resumed in 2022.

    The benchmark recently powered back towards its all-time highs, with the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) and Australian small caps following suit.

    TradingView Chart

    The post Worried about current ASX share market uncertainty? Read this 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.

    *Returns as of January 12th 2022

    More reading

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

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  • Why did the Medibank share price go backwards in March?

    Stethoscope with a piggy bank in the middle.Stethoscope with a piggy bank in the middle.

    Shares in Medibank Private Ltd (ASX: MPL) finished trading yesterday at $3.06 apiece.

    The gain comes amid a period of heavy losses for the company whose share price has collapsed from a high of $3.60 on January 2.

    TradingView Chart

    What’s up with the Medibank share price?

    Shares have been gliding down these past few weeks with authority. This is despite nothing sensitive from the company.

    Noteworthy are the natural flooding disasters spread along the East Coast of Australia that are no doubt causing headaches for Australian insurers and insurees alike.

    Fellow insurers Suncorp Group Ltd (ASX: SUN) and Insurance Australia Group Ltd (ASX: IAG) also felt pain from the fallout.

    As such, it appears the market has priced in lower growth expectations for Medibank over the coming periods, according to Matt Ingram, analyst at Bloomberg.

    “[Medibank’s] cyclically adjusted P/E ratio lags behind peers despite being 20% above the past decade’s average and could be due to the market’s lower growth expectations for Medibank,” he wrote in a recent note.

    “Its 4.3% dividend yield is comparable to peers, but may not be boosted by more buybacks like Suncorp and Australia’s big four banks due to lower surplus capital,” he added.

    The market prices securities on a balance of earnings performance and in particular, future earnings expectations, Peter Lynch says in One Up on Wall Street.

    So if the market feels Medibank’s growth is set to wind back, so will its share price on this logic.

    In the last 12 months, the Medibank share price has climbed 21% but has erased around 8% of gains since trading resumed this year.

    The post Why did the Medibank share price go backwards in March? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Medibank Private right now?

    Before you consider Medibank Private, 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 Medibank Private 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.

    *Returns as of January 13th 2022

    More reading

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

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  • 2 ASX dividend shares with attractive yields

    If you’re looking to boost your income with some dividend shares, then you might want to consider the ones listed below.

    Both dividend shares are expected to provide investors with attractive yields in the near term. Here’s what you need to know about them:

    Rural Funds Group (ASX: RFF)

    The first ASX dividend share for income investors to look at is Rural Funds.

    It is a lessor of agricultural property with revenue derived from leasing almond orchards, macadamia orchards, poultry property and infrastructure, vineyards, cattle properties, cropping properties, agricultural plant and equipment, cattle and water rights.

    Rural Funds currently has property portfolio comprising 61 properties across New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia with a lengthy weighted average lease expiry of 10.9 years.

    Combined with built in periodic rental increases, this provides Rural Funds with great visibility on its long term earnings. It also allows management to target a 4% dividend increase each year.

    This means that in FY 2022, the company is aiming to lift its dividend to 11.73 cents per share. Based on the current Rural Funds share price of $3.00, this represents a yield of 3.9%.

    Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC)

    Another dividend share that could be a buy is Westpac. It is of course one of Australia’s big four banks, operating through a number of brands. These include the eponymous Westpac brand, Bank of Melbourne, Bank SA, St Georges, and Rams.

    Although Australia’s oldest bank has seen its shares rebound strongly from recent lows, they are still expected to provide investors with generous dividend yields in the coming years.

    For example, on a trailing 12-month basis, Westpac’s shares currently offer a fully franked 4.9% dividend yield. Whereas if you look ahead to FY 2023, when the team at Morgans is forecasting a $1.60 per share dividend from the bank, the yield increases to a very attractive 6.6% for investors.

    The post 2 ASX dividend shares with attractive yields 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.

    *Returns as of January 12th 2022

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    Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro owns Westpac Banking Corporation. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns and has recommended RURALFUNDS STAPLED. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Westpac Banking Corporation. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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  • 2 great ASX shares to buy in April: experts

    ASX shares upgrade buy Woman in glasses writing on buy on boardASX shares upgrade buy Woman in glasses writing on buy on board

    Experts have named some ASX shares as buys, and April 2022 could be the time to jump on these opportunities.

    When a business generates a lot of revenue growth, it could lead to elevated compound growth over time.

    Here are two ASX shares that are liked:

    Temple & Webster Group Ltd (ASX: TPW)

    Temple & Webster is an e-commerce business that sells an extensive range of different homewares and furniture products. It sells more than 200,000 products from hundreds of suppliers.

    The business runs a drop-shipping model where products are sent directly to customers by suppliers, which enables faster delivery times and reduces the need to hold inventory, allowing for a more extensive product range.

    The ASX share also has a private label range, which is sourced from overseas suppliers.

    Temple & Webster is generating growth in numerous ways. In the FY22 first half, revenue increased 46% year-on-year to $235.4 million. Active customers grew 34% to 906,000, and revenue per active customer rose 10%.

    According to management, the second half of FY22 started “strongly”, with year-on-year growth of 26% for the period of 1 January 2022 to 6 February 2022.

    Management said it remains confident that the strategy is resonating with the next generation of shopper and it’s well placed to continue to take share in the markets it’s operating in.

    It is continuing to reinvest its operating leverage where it makes sense to do so, building strategic moats around the core business while investing in new growth horizons.

    It’s currently rated as a buy by Credit Suisse, with a price target of $13.54. The Temple & Webster share price closed on Thursday at $6.26, suggesting a potential upside of 116%.

    Volpara Health Technologies Ltd (ASX: VHT)

    Volpara Health Technologies is an ASX healthcare share that offers software for screening clinics providing feedback on breast density, compression, dose, and quality, while its enterprise-wide practice-management software helps with productivity, compliance, reimbursement, and patient tracking.

    The business is seeing steady growth in its annual recurring revenue (ARR), which gives the company and investors revenue visibility.

    For the three months to 31 December 2021, Volpara added almost US$1.1 million of ARR. The ARR reached US$21.5 million. In that quarter, subscription receipts rose 51% to NZ$6.7 million.

    Its market share has now reached more than 35% of US women being screened, up from the prior quarter of 34%. Its software-as-a-service (SaaS) churn/client loss remains low.

    The company is looking to upsell more of its products to clients, which could help the average revenue per user (ARPU). ARPU over the installed base was US$1.47 on 31 December 2021, with the average ARPU for deals in the third quarter of US$1.65.

    The ASX share is also looking to grow in the lung cancer space. It entered the lung cancer screening world in 2019 when it acquired MRS Systems, with a market share of 8%.

    Volpara says that software technology ‘stacks’ are similar, “except diagnostic tools are more compelling in the lung space due to the complexity of doing lung biopsies as compared to breast”.

    Volpara believes the commercial opportunities in lung cancer screening are at least equal to breast screening as lung screening ramps up. It estimates the market could be $400 million in the US alone.

    It’s currently rated as a buy by Morgans, with a price target of $1.94. That’s 54% higher than Thursday’s closing price of 89 cents.

    The post 2 great ASX shares to buy in April: experts 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.

    *Returns as of January 12th 2022

    More reading

    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. owns and has recommended Temple & Webster Group Ltd and VOLPARA FPO NZ. The Motley Fool Australia owns and has recommended VOLPARA FPO NZ. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Temple & Webster Group Ltd. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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  • 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Friday

    Business woman watching stocks and trends while thinking

    Business woman watching stocks and trends while thinking

    On Thursday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) was out of form and dropped into the red again. The benchmark index fell 0.6% to 7,442.8 points.

    Will the market be able to bounce back from this on Friday and end the week on a high? Here are five things to watch:

    ASX 200 expected to rebound

    The Australian share market looks set to end the week on a positive note following a solid night of trade on Wall Street. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 39 points or 0.5% higher this morning. In the US, the Dow Jones rose 0.25%, the S&P 500 was up 0.4%, and the Nasdaq edged ever so slightly higher.

    Oil prices rise

    Energy producers including Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) and Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) could have a decent finish to the week after oil prices pushed higher. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is up 0.75% to US$96.98 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is up 0.3% to US$101.34 a barrel. Further sanctions on Russian oil boosted prices.

    Iron ore price falls

    BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) and Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO) shares could have a subdued finish to the week after the iron ore price pulled back. According to Metal Bulletin, the spot benchmark iron ore price dropped 3.2% to US$155.05 a tonne.

    Dividends being paid

    A number of ASX 200 shares will be paying their latest dividends on Friday. This includes funerals company InvoCare Limited (ASX: IVC), administration services company Link Administration Holdings Ltd (ASX: LNK), logistics infrastructure company Qube Holdings Ltd (ASX: QUB), and logistics solutions platform provider WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC).

    Gold price rises

    Gold miners Newcrest Mining Ltd (ASX: NCM) and St Barbara Ltd (ASX: SBM) could have a decent finish to the week after the gold price pushed higher. According to CNBC, the spot gold price is up 0.6% to US$1,934.7 an ounce. Traders were buying gold as an inflation hedge.

    The post 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Friday 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.

    *Returns as of January 12th 2022

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns and has recommended Link Administration Holdings Ltd and WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool Australia owns and has recommended WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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  • Why did the CSL share price go backwards in the March quarter?

    a medical researcher rests his forehead on his fist with a dejected look on his face while sitting behind a scientific microscope with another researcher's hand on his shoulder as if giving comfort.a medical researcher rests his forehead on his fist with a dejected look on his face while sitting behind a scientific microscope with another researcher's hand on his shoulder as if giving comfort.

    The CSL Limited (ASX: CSL) share price struggled through the March quarter despite plenty of good news being released by the company.

    In fact, the biotechnology giant’s stock tumbled 7.76% last quarter, ending the period trading at $270.05.

    For comparison, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) ended the quarter trading relatively flat with where it started, recording a gain of just 0.74%.

    So, what moved the CSL share price over the three months ended 31 March? Let’s take a look.

    What happened to the CSL share price last quarter?

    The CSL share price had some notable ups and downs over the course of the March quarter.

    The first came with the announcement of the completion of CSL’s share purchase plan on 14 February.

    The share purchase plan – first announced in December – raised $750 million for CSL’s acquisition of Vifor Pharma.

    The company received applications of $942.7 million for the capital raise, which offered new shares in the company for $253.57 apiece. As a result, it had to scale the offer back.

    However, as The Motley Fool Australia’s James Mickleboro reported, the company was hit with a negative note from S&P Global Ratings that same day.

    All in all, the CSL share price fell 1.99% on 14 February. Fortunately, it was soon boosted by the release of the company’s half-year results.

    Over the six months ended 31 December, CSL’s revenue rose 5.3%, while its net profit after tax (NPAT) slipped 2.8%. The company’s dividend stayed at US$1.04 per share.

    However, its bullish view on plasma collections and its financial year 2022 earnings likely helped lift the CSL share price.

    It gained 8.51% on the day of its earnings’ release and a further 5.05% the following day.

    The final piece of price-sensitive news released by the company last quarter dropped after the market closed on 3 March.

    Then, CSL announced 74% of Vifor Pharma’s shares were tendered under a public tender offer.

    That was slightly less than the company’s goal of 80%. Nevertheless, CSL said it would waive its acceptance rate condition and declare the offer successful.

    Following the tender offer, CSL commenced a tender period for subsequent acceptance of the offer. As a result, the acquisition was on track to be finished by the middle of 2022.

    The CSL share price gained just 0.31% on the news.

    What else might have driven CSL’s stock last quarter?

    That’s all the price-sensitive news released by CSL in the March quarter. However, there were a few more happenings that might have helped boost market sentiment toward its shares.

    The company reportedly ditched efforts to create an antiviral treatment for COVID-19 in January. It will instead be focusing its $1 billion-a-year research program on other projects.

    Additionally, CSL’s influenza vaccine was granted new approvals by regulators in March. As a result, it can now be administered to children above the age of two.

    The post Why did the CSL share price go backwards in the March quarter? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

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

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

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

    *Returns as of January 13th 2022

    More reading

    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. owns 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 Bruce Jackson.

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  • What went so wrong for ASX travel shares today?

    Woman sitting looking miserable at airportWoman sitting looking miserable at airport

    ASX travel shares descended today on a tough day for the market.

    The Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd (ASX: FLT) slid 2.74%,  Webjet Limited (ASX: WEB)  gravitated 2.86%, and Qantas Airways Limited (ASX: QAN) descended 1.96%.

    Meanwhile, the Helloworld Travel Ltd (ASX: HLO) share price fell 2.40%, while Corporate Travel Management Ltd (ASX: CTD) dropped 2.54%.

    Let’s take a look at why these travel companies had such a shocking day.

    Travel chaos predicted

    ASX travel shares followed the pattern of their US counterparts. The American Airlines Group Inc (NASDAQ: AAL) fell 2.58%, United Airlines Holdings Inc (NASDAQ: UAL) descended 3.67%, and Delta Air Lines Inc (NYSE: DAL) dropped 3.69% in Wednesday’s trade in the US. US airlines fell amid rate rise fears.

    News from the White House that the USA has no plans to scrap COVID-19 testing requirements may also have weighed on travel shares. In a video shared on Twitter by The Post Millennial, Whitehouse COVID-19 advisor Jeff Zients said: “There are no plans to change the international travel requirements at this point.”

    ASX travel shares Flight Centre, Webjet and Qantas all have a presence in the USA market.

    Travel chaos in the lead up to Easter may also be concerning travel shareholders. Hundreds of international flights are being cancelled due to COVID-19 travel shortages, CBS News reported. Australian passengers were recently warned to arrive at the airport at least two hours early for domestic flights amid airline staff shortages, the Daily Mail reported.

    Rising oil prices may also be impacting ASX travel shares. International benchmark Brent crude oil is up 1.45% to US$102.57 per barrel at the time of writing, Trading Economics data shows. Fuel is a major cost for airlines, and the oil price impacts the cost of fuel.

    ASX travel share recap

    In the past year, Qantas shares have fallen 7.41%, Webjet shares have fallen 2.86%, while Flight Centre shares have leapt 4.96%.

    Helloworld Travel shares have soared 10.41%, while Corporate Travel shares have exploded 22.35%.

    In contrast, the S&P/ASX 200 Index has returned more than 7% in the past year.

    The post What went so wrong for ASX travel 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.

    *Returns as of January 12th 2022

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    The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns and has recommended Helloworld Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns and has recommended Helloworld Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Corporate Travel Management Limited, Flight Centre Travel Group Limited, and Webjet Ltd. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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  • Guess which 2 ASX shares were the best and worst All Ordinaries performers in March

    Winning woman smiles and holds big cup while losing woman looks unhappy with small cupWinning woman smiles and holds big cup while losing woman looks unhappy with small cup

    As Richard Carlson once said, “Reflection is one of the most underused yet powerful tools for success.” Investors spend a lot of time looking ahead, but in this article, we take a moment to reflect upon the last month in ASX All Ordinaries shares.

    If you were to simplify what investors want to achieve into one short sentence, it would probably be something along the lines of — “find and invest in the big winners while avoiding the big losers”.

    And so, we found the best and worst performers of the All Ordinaries in March to offer some reflection.

    Lithium developer takes out the top spot among All Ordinaries

    It’s hard to beat a company whose shares have skyrocketed 108% in a single month. Though it might be hard to believe, that is exactly what lithium developer Lake Resouces N.L (ASX: LKE) achieved in March.

    Taking a look at what the company got up to during the month, you might begin to see what instilled such excitement among shareholders. For instance, Lake Resources found itself being added to the S&P/ASX 300 Index (ASX: XKO).

    In addition, the company raised $39 million through the execution of its at-the-market subscription agreement with Acuity Capital.

    Finally, on 29 March this ASX All Ordinaries share announced it had linked up with Japan-based Hanwa Co Ltd. According to the announcement, an offtake proposal of 25,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate per annum had been made. Furthermore, Hanwa suggested it was considering a meaningful equity investment in Lake Resources.

    Missing the target in March

    Not every ASX All Ordinaries share could be as fortunate as Lake Resources. For 88 Energy Ltd (ASX: 88E), it was a plain painful month — where did it all go wrong for the oil explorer? It’s time for some more reflection.

    Unfortunately, 88 Energy released a company update on 30 March which sent shareholders running. As per the announcement, 88 Energy was unable to obtain fluid samples from its target zones in the Merlin-2 well, situated in Alaska.

    The news douses investors’ hopes of striking a well rich with oil. In turn, this ASX All Ordinaries share shaved off 63% in March.

    The post Guess which 2 ASX shares were the best and worst All Ordinaries performers in March appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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    Motley Fool contributor Mitchell Lawler 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 Bruce Jackson.

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