Category: Stock Market

Key points

• Qantas is upping its battle to change its long-haul cabin crew’s enterprise agreement, taking it to the Fair Work Commission
• The airline claims the current agreement will stall its COVID-19 recovery and counter-offers would see it paying an extra $60 million over 4 years
• Qantas crew rejected a proposed replacement agreement last month due to concerns of a wage freeze and increased on-call hours

---

The Qantas Airways Limited (ASX: QAN) share price had a rough day on the ASX on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the airline has announced it is taking the battle against its enterprise agreement with long-haul cabin crew to the Fair Work Commission, applying for it to be terminated.

According to Qantas International CEO Andrew David, without change, the agreement will stall the airline’s international recovery.

At the closing bell today, Qantas shares finished down 0.98% at $5.04 apiece.

For context, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) ended the day up 0.14%.

Let’s take a closer look at today’s news from Australia’s signature airline.

Qantas share price slips amid enterprise agreement battle

The Qantas share price nosedived amid news the airline is taking its fight to end an enterprise agreement to the Fair Work Commission. This comes after the company failed to win over the Flight Attendants’ Association of Australia (FAAA) and 97% of voting crew.

Over the last 6 months, the airline has been negotiating with the union and other representatives for a new agreement.

Qantas’ 4-year proposition — which the airline says offers increased pay and allowances — was shut down last month.

Staff were apparently concerned over an included 2-year wage freeze and additional on-call shifts.

According to the airline, without these changes, the enterprise agreement is “unworkable” post-COVID-19.

It said the FAAA’s proposed counter-offer would see it forking out an additional $60 million over the 4 years.

In a statement, the airline said its international competitors are moving to “more dynamic schedules”, adapting to demand by swapping out aircraft at short notice.

Qantas’ enterprise agreement means 20% of its 2,500-strong long-haul crew can only work in one type of aircraft. Crew are limited to working on either Airbus A330s, or both Airbus A380s and Boeing 787s.

Qantas’ proposed agreement would mean crew could be trained to work across all 3 aircraft.

Additionally, Qantas wants to place all crew on a single rostering system which already directs 80% of crew.

On termination of the agreement, crew would fall under the modern award, which Qantas calls “the safety net for the industry”, until a new agreement is agreed upon.

According to David, the FAAA created a “scare campaign” against the proposition, claiming it would bring redundancies and offshoring.

He stated: “The union’s default position is that the company can’t be trusted and should always give more. That’s simply wrong.”

What did management say?

Commenting on the fight, David noted:

Asking to terminate the current agreement is the last thing we want, but we’re stuck between a rock and a hard place…

The challenges facing airlines are pretty obvious and, even though we’re flying internationally again, it’s clear that we have to operate in a more agile and flexible way than we did pre-COVID in order to recover and match customer demand.

Qantas is willing to put the rejected deal back on the table. However, David stated that would require a backflip from a union he says has “continually misrepresented the facts”. He continued:

I know our people will be disappointed that it has come to this and so are we. We’re open to putting the same deal that was rejected back on the table, but that would require a change of heart from a union that has continually misrepresented the facts.

We have sold land, mortgaged aircraft, and raised money from shareholders to get through this pandemic. The government has provided hundreds of millions in direct funding to our employees while they were stood down. We don’t think the flexibility we’re asking from our international crew is unreasonable given the challenges we continue to face.

Meanwhile, FAAA secretary Teri O’Toole has been quoted by the Australian Financial Review as saying:

We had met the company on a number of their claims, but they would not have met with any of ours…

These were the heroes that have had to bring stranded Australians back during COVID-19, and this is how the company repays them for exercising their workplace rights to vote down the new agreement.

Qantas share price snapshot

It has been a tough start to the year for the Qantas share price.

The airline’s stock is currently up just 0.4% year to date. Though, it’s 4% higher than it was this time last year.

The post Own Qantas (ASX:QAN) shares? Here’s why the airline is fronting up to the Fair Work Commission appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• What could help the Qantas (ASX:QAN) share price take flight soon?
• Why are ASX 200 travel shares down today?
• Brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today
• Own Qantas (ASX:QAN) shares? Morgan Stanley sees ‘significant upside’ to earnings
• ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) midday update: Qantas cuts capacity, Afterpay hits 52-week low

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 Bruce Jackson.

from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/3fHIWME

Key points

• Althea delivered a record performance during the second quarter
• Strong demand for pharmaceutical cannabis helped drive its growth
• Althea is still burning through its cash despite its sales growth

---

The Althea Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: AGH) share price is smoking the market on Thursday.

In late afternoon trade, the cannabis company’s shares are up 12% to 23.5 cents.

Why is the Althea share price shooting higher today?

Investors have been bidding the Althea share price higher today following the release of a trading update.

According to the release, Althea recorded its best quarter ever with $5.5 million in receipts from customers for the three months ended 31 December. This was an increase of 107% from the prior corresponding period and an increase of 21% on the prior quarter.

A key driver of this growth was the company’s pharmaceutical cannabis business. Its cash receipts totalled $2.8 million during the quarter, including a record $1.2 million for the month of December.

This means that receipts from customers for the first half of FY 2022 have reached a record of $9.9 million.

Another positive that could be lifting the Althea share price was a reduction in its expenditures. Management advised that its expenditure decreased by $354,000 during the quarter. This follows the completion of its previously announced business review.

However, this wasn’t enough to stop Althea from burning through $2.5 million of cash during the quarter. This led to the company’s cash balance falling from $12.735 million to $10.254 million.

Management commentary

Althea’s CEO, Joshua Fegan, said: “Althea achieved a record $1.2 million in receipts from customers from pharmaceutical cannabis sales for the month of December 2021 – an increase of 56% from the prior month – as the business rebounded following the easing of various COVID-19 restrictions in place in Sydney and Melbourne, during the Reporting Period. Moving forward, we expect a stronger growth trajectory as more and more COVID-19 restrictions are removed, and patients return to visit their doctors as normal.”

“Peak continues to prosper as it cements itself as one of the leading manufacturers of recreational cannabis products in Canada. The achievement of the positive EBITDA milestone from its operations in the Canadian adult-use cannabis market is remarkable and somewhat unique to the sector, with the Company expecting to see fantastic results from the business in the months and years ahead, as it continues to forge greater market share across multiple product categories and foster strong brand partner relationships,” he added.

Despite today’s strong gain, the Althea share price is down ~50% over the last 12 months.

The post Here’s why the Althea (ASX:AGH) share price is rocketing 12% today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Here are 3 ASX dividend shares with grossed-up yields over 5%
• Virtus Health (ASX:VRT) share price jumps 8% on fresh takeover offer
• Why BrainChip, GrainCorp, Redbubble, and Zip shares are dropping today
• Here are the 3 most heavily traded ASX 200 shares this Thursday
• NAB (ASX:NAB) share price target raised at Morgan Stanley. So, is it a buy?

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 Bruce Jackson.

from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/3FESq5D

Finding an ASX dividend share offering a yield of 5% or greater is no mean feat. With many ASX dividend payers still recovering from the income drought that so defined 2020, sustainable yields at that kind of level are not common. But they are also not impossible to find. So here are 3 such shares that at least offer trailing dividend yields of more than 5% right now, when grossed-up with franking credits.

3 ASX dividends with fully franked yields over 5%

Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL)

Coles was one of the few ASX 200 shares that managed to get through 2020 without cutting its dividend. Not only that, but Colas actually dialled up its shareholder payouts in 2020 and 2021.

2020 saw the grocery giant fork out 57.5 cents per share in dividends, which was exceeded by last year’s total of 61 cents per share. That gives Coles a trailing dividend yield of 3.74% on current pricing, which, grossed-up with the full franking on offer, comes out at 5.34%.

WAM Capital Limited (ASX: WAM)

Listed Investment Company (LIC) WAM Capital is next up. WAM Capital is a LIC that only invests in other ASX shares and companies. It tends to focus on the small to mid-cap part of the market, with current holdings like Brickworks Limited (ASX: BKW) and Life360 Inc (ASX:360). It has also been making some full-scale acquisitions in recent months too.

WAM Capital has also kept its dividend streams consistent over the past few years. It has paid an annual dividend of 15.5 cents per share since 2018. At today’s pricing, that gives WAM Capital a trailing yield of 6.95%. With WAM’s full franking, that grosses-up to a healthy 9.93%.

Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS)

Telco Telstra is our final ASX dividend share to check out today. This telco has pretty much had a reputation as a strong income payer ever since its ASX debut back in the late 1990s. That’s despite the infamous dividend slashing of 2017.

But since 2019, Telstra has consistently forked out 16 cents per share in annual dividends. And that includes both 2020 and 2021. On today’s pricing, that gives Telstra a trailing yield of 3.88%, which grosses-up to 5.54% with Telstra’s full franking credits.

The post Here are 3 ASX dividend shares with grossed-up yields over 5% appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Here are the 3 most heavily traded ASX 200 shares this Thursday
• Supermarkets were once ‘COVID winners’, so why is the Coles (ASX:COL) share price struggling amid Omicron?
• 2 killer ASX shares to buy for a volatile 2022
• 2 excellent ASX shares for a retirement portfolio
• Why the Telstra (ASX:TLS) share price zoomed 43% higher in 2021

Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen owns Telstra Corporation Limited. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns and has recommended Brickworks and Life360, Inc. The Motley Fool Australia owns and has recommended Brickworks, COLESGROUP DEF SET, and Telstra Corporation Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/358DZub

Key points

• The Virtus Health share price is up 8% after exiting a same-day trading halt
• The fertility company has received an offer from CapVest to acquire 100% of the business
• Virtus has granted the investment firm “exclusive due diligence” in its purchase offer

---

The Virtus Health Ltd (ASX: VRT) share price is soaring after exiting a same-day trading halt around midday.

The halt prefaced a proposal from European investment firm, CapVest Partners LLP, to acquire 100% of the company in a scheme of arrangement.

According to Listcorp, the Australian healthcare company is among the top 5 providers of assisted reproductive services in the world, with a strong foothold in Australia, Ireland, Denmark, and a growing presence in both Singapore and the United Kingdom.

At the time of writing, the Virtus share price is up 7.92% at $7.22 apiece.

Let’s take a look deeper into CapVest’s takeover proposal…

CapVest’s proposal to Virtus Health

London-based CapVest has offered Virtus one of two options:

• $7.60 cash per share in exchange for a 100% acquisition of the business
• $7.50 cash per share off-market bid, with 50.1% minimum acceptance condition.

Virtus currently has 85.54 million shares issued.

Both offers are non-binding, and are subject to the conditions of “satisfactory completion of due diligence on Virtus and its business”, and complete agreement from directors of the Virtus board.

However, the offers do require the healthcare company to give CapVest “exclusivity and cost recovery protections”.

In addition, if implemented, the agreement must:

• Meet regulator, shareholder and court approval, and be determined as in the best interests of Virtus by an independent expert
• Not incur a “court order or regulatory impediment” before completion.

This may relate to the healthcare company’s current situation with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) in acquiring Adora Fertility and 3 Day Hospitals from Healius Ltd (ASX: HLS) for $45 million.

The acquisition was announced in late August, subsequently seeing the company’s share price trend downwards.

Soon after, the ACCC stepped in to stop the takeover. In its AGM address back in November, Virtus said the takeover was still yet to be finalised.

Prior proposal from BGH

CapVest isn’t the only investment company to make a move on Virtus lately…

Back in mid December, the Virtus share price leapt 34% on news the company had received an “unsolicited non-binding indication of interest” from private equity group, BGH Capital Pty Ltd.

BGH advised it had already acquired 8.5 million shares (a 9.99% interest) in the healthcare company at $7.10, as well engaging in a “total return swap” Virtus shares owned by Swiss investment bank, UBS.

All in all, this represents a 10% interest in the company for BGH.

However, the Virtus board has since reviewed BGH’s offer, and deemed CapVest the more attractive option.

Therefore, Virtus will allow CapVest to conduct “exclusive due diligence” in developing a firm, binding offer for the company.

Further, Virtus has agreed into a process deed — agreeing to pay $2 million to the firm in the event that it does not wish to proceed with the acquisition. This fee will increase to $4 million if Virtus elects a competing proposal during an agreed time between the two companies.

At time of writing, there is no time frame for when a decision on the CapVest/Virtus acquisition will be made.

Virtus Health share price snapshot

The Virtus share price has increased 33% over the last 12 months, and is up 6% in the past week.

The company has a market capitalisation of $617 million at the time of writing and a price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of 13.4.

The post Virtus Health (ASX:VRT) share price jumps 8% on fresh takeover offer appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why Allkem, Beacon Lighting, Northern Star, and Virtus Health shares are charging higher
• Brokers name 3 ASX shares to sell
• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to sell next week

Motley Fool contributor Alice de Bruin 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 Virtus Health Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/32gs3Fz

In afternoon trade, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has fought back from earlier declines and is on course to record a small gain. At the time of writing, the benchmark index is up 0.1% to 7,340.3 points.

Four ASX shares have failed to follow the market higher today are listed below. Here’s why they are charging higher:

BrainChip Holdings Ltd (ASX: BRN)

The BrainChip share price is down 6.5% to $1.99. This appears to have been driven by profit taking after some very strong gains in recent weeks. For example, even after this decline, the BrainChip share price is up 150% in 2022. Investors may also be questioning whether a company with such little revenue warrants a valuation of over $3.5 billion.

Graincorp Ltd (ASX: GNC)

The Graincorp share price is down 2% to $7.67. This appears to have been driven by a broker note out of UBS this morning. According to the note, the broker has downgraded the grain exporter’s shares to a neutral rating with an $8.00 price target. UBS made the move on valuation grounds following a strong gain in recent months.

Redbubble Ltd (ASX: RBL)

The Redbubble share price has continued its slide and is down a further 4.5% to a 52-week low of $2.10. Investors have been selling the ecommerce company’s shares this week following the release of a disappointing half year trading update. That update revealed weaker sales and a collapse in its profitability due to increased competition.

Zip Co Limited (ASX: Z1P)

The Zip share price is down 1% to $3.62. This is despite the buy now pay later provider reporting strong growth during the second quarter. Zip posted a 53% increase in transaction volume to a record of $2.6 billion and a 58% lift in quarterly revenue to a record of $167.4 million. A key driver of this growth was a 57% increase in customer numbers to 9.9 million. It appears as though some investors were expecting even stronger growth.

The post Why BrainChip, GrainCorp, Redbubble, and Zip shares are dropping today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) midday update: Zip’s Q2 update, Santos and Woodside deliver record revenue
• Has the Zip (ASX:Z1P) share price fallen on Block’s ASX debut?
• Why did the BrainChip (ASX:BRN) share price have such a stellar year in 2021?
• Zip (ASX:Z1P) share price on watch amid record second quarter performance
• Redbubble (ASX:RBL) share price sinks again after brokers respond to update

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 ZIPCOLTD FPO. 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.

from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/3rz4b8P

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is having another tough day so far this Thursday. It has been seesawing all day but at the time of writing is edging higher by 0.05% at 7,336 points.

But rather than dwelling on that, let’s instead take a look at the ASX 200 shares that are currently topping the market’s share trading volume charts, according to investing.com.

The 3 most traded ASX 200 shares by volume today

Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN)

ASX 200 gold miner Evolution is the first cab off the rank today. This Thursday has seen a hefty 10.73 million Evolution shares bought and sold. This appears to be a result of the big move Evolution has made on the markets thus far. The miner is currently up a very healthy 8.92% to $4.15 a share.

With other ASX 200 gold miners like Newcrest Mining Ltd (ASX: NCM) enjoying similar bounces today, we can probably thank the rise in the gold price that we have seen over the past day or two as a catalyst here. And, in turn, it’s likely today’s elevated trading volume is the result of this steep share price appreciation.

Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS)

Pilbara Minerals is next up today. This ASX 200 lithium share has seen a notable 12.09 million shares change hands so far on Thursday. There isn’t much in the way of news or announcements out of Pilbara today (or indeed in 2022 thus far), so again we can probably place the root cause of this volume down to the movements of the Pilbara share price itself. This company is currently enjoying a 2.43% bump to its valuation and is trading at $3.80 a share.

Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS)

From PLS to TLS! ASX 200 telco Telstra is the final and most traded ASX 200 share of the day so far. This Thursday has seen a whopping 19.17 million Telstra shares swap owners at the time of writing.

Unfortunately for investors, it looks as though a steep sell-off on Telstra is what is behind this elevated trading volume. The telco is currently down a nasty 1.55% at $4.13 a share. That’s getting to some distance from the company’s new 52-week high of $4.31 that we saw hit just this week.

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

More reading

• Why is the Evolution Mining (ASX:EVN) share price surging 10% today?
• ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) midday update: Zip’s Q2 update, Santos and Woodside deliver record revenue
• 5 best shares to bet on electric cars right now
• 2 killer ASX shares to buy for a volatile 2022
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday

Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen owns Newcrest Mining Limited and Telstra Corporation 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 owns and has recommended Telstra Corporation Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/3fGdsq1

Key points

• Analysts at investment bank Morgan Stanley upgraded its valuation on the stock to $28.50 in a note yesterday
• Morgan Stanley is bullish on the ASX banking sector in 2022
• The firm reckons that shifting interest rates will positively impact margins
• In the last 12 months, the NAB share price has climbed 20% into the green

---

Shares in banking giant National Australia Bank Ltd. (ASX: NAB) are tracking lower today and now trade less than 2% in the red at $28.60.

As seen in the chart below, the NAB share price has outperformed its benchmark over the past 12 months, however has turned sharply this week.

There’s been nothing remarkable out of the big 4 member’s camp this week to pinpoint the downside pressure. However, analysts at investment bank Morgan Stanley upgraded its valuation on the stock to $28.50 in a note yesterday.

In the research update, Morgan Stanley analyst Richard Wiles noted that ASX banking shares could outperform their benchmarks in 2022 amid the prospect of higher interest rates set to improve key margins for lenders.

Why the upgrade to the NAB share price target?

Analysts at the firm note that sooner-than and larger-than-expected rate hikes from the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) are a net positive for ASX banking shares in general.

This, combined with a higher fixed-rate mortgage pricing regime looks set to improve the sector’s margin outlook, the broker says, which will bode in well for shares in majors such as NAB.

The outlook isn’t without its inherent risks, however. Whilst the broker is optimistic on the runway for players such as NAB in 2022, it also cautions the impact of higher rates on the housing market and on credit quality.

Even still, the broker thinks the banks will benefit from these and other industry-specific tailwinds, leading to higher year on year growth schedules.

“We think mortgage growth expectations are reasonable” it said in the note, “and the major banks’ total loan growth should be higher in FY 2022 than in FY 2021”.

The broker raised its valuation on the NAB share price by around 3% today, however retained its ‘equal weight/attractive’ rating in doing so.

Meanwhile, fellow broker Macquarie reckons NAB is a buy right now and assigned a $30.50 price target to its shares in a note from last year.

Goldman Sachs, Jefferies, JP Morgan and Jarden are also bullish on NAB’s share price. Each broker labels the bank as a buy, and have valuations above the $31 mark.

In fact, checking a list of analysts provided by Bloomberg Intelligence, 10 firms have NAB as a buy whereas 6 have it as a hold. The consensus price target for 2022 is $30.31, indicating a 6% upside potential at the time of writing.

NAB share price summary

In the last 12 months, the NAB share price has climbed 20% into the green. However, since starting the new year, shares have crept down and are now less than 1% in the red.

This comes after a month of trending down where shares are approximately 1% in the red, and down a further 2% in the past 5 weeks of trading.

The post NAB (ASX:NAB) share price target raised at Morgan Stanley. So, is it a buy? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Is the NAB (ASX:NAB) share price an undervalued smart buy for dividends?
• Is the NAB (ASX:NAB) share price an ASX buy or sell for 2022?
• Brokers name 2 ASX 200 dividend shares to buy
• Is Westpac (ASX:WBC) going to be the best big 4 bank for dividends in 2022?
• NAB (ASX:NAB) share price gains following digital health claim acquisition

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.

from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/3H0Bl81

Key points

• The Monash IVF share price has lifted nearly 6% today
• It comes after COVID-19 IVF restrictions were lifted in Victoria
• The company will resume IVF services next week

---

The Monash IVF Group Ltd (ASX: MVF) share price is rising today amid the lifting of a COVID-19-related suspension on IVF treatments.

The fertility services company’s shares are trading at $1.052 in afternoon trade, up 5.73%.

Let’s take a look at what may be impacting the company today.

Victoria IVF ban lifted

Investors appear to be reacting positively to news the company will be able to recommence fertility services. The Victorian State Government lifted a temporary ban on IVF procedures today.

The order had originally slated IVF procedures to remain suspended until 12 April due to COVID-19 restrictions on non-urgent surgeries.

Today, however, the government reversed this decision which will enable IVF procedures to recommence. Monash IVF says it will recommence its IVF services by 26 January.

An online petition calling for a reversal of the suspension of fertility treatments across Victoria gained 140.000 signatures, 7News reported.

In a statement released to the ASX, Monash IVF stated:

Monash IVF is pleased IVF procedures will recommence and the company is focussed on informing patients of their options to recommence their treatment and ensure sufficient workforce and resources are in place to meet demand.

The company also remains focussed on maintaining appropriate measures and protocols in place to protect the health and safety of the company’s patients, employees and specialists.

Monash IVF shares have seen consistent gains in the past year. In November, the company released its financial results for FY 2021, which showed adjusted net profit after tax soared 61.5% compared to the previous financial year.

Monash IVF share price snapshot

The Monash IVF share price has soared around 42% in the past year but is flat this year to date.

In contrast, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has returned about 8% in the past 12 months.

Monash IVF has a market capitalisation of about $409 million based on its current share price.

The post The Monash IVF (ASX:MVF) share price is gaining 6% today. Here’s why appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why Allkem, Beacon Lighting, Northern Star, and Virtus Health shares are charging higher
• Newcrest (ASX:NCM) share price regains some shine as inflation worries mount
• Top broker tips Allkem (ASX:AKE) share price to shoot 20% higher
• What kinds of dividends will APA Group (ASX:APA) payout in 2022?
• Fans of Treasury Wine (ASX:TWE) shares might be surprised to learn of its NFTs

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

from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/358Fmcn

In afternoon trade, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is on course to record a small gain. At the time of writing, the benchmark index is up slightly to 7,339.1 points.

Four ASX shares that are climbing more than most today are listed below. Here’s why they are charging higher:

Allkem Ltd (ASX: AKE)

The Allkem share price is up almost 3% to $11.10. This appears to have been driven by a broker note out of Morgans. According to the note, the broker has upgraded the company’s shares to an add rating and lifted its price target on them to $13.25. Based on the current Allkem share price, this implies potential upside of 20% for the lithium miner over the next 12 months.

Beacon Lighting Group Ltd (ASX: BLX)

The Beacon Lighting share price is up 3.5% to $3.13. Investors have been buying the retailer’s shares following the release of a first half trading update. Beacon Lighting revealed that it expects to report a result in line with the prior corresponding period’s sales of $151.3 million and net profit after tax of $22.2 million. It notes that the latter is significantly higher than analyst expectations.

Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST)

The Northern Star share price is up 11% to $9.74. This follows the release of the gold miner’s quarterly update but has been driven largely by a rise in the gold price. Traders were buying gold amid ongoing geopolitical risks and as an inflation hedge. Northern Star isn’t the only gold miner rising today. The S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Gold index is up over 7% today.

Virtus Health Ltd (ASX: VRT)

The Virtus Health share price is up 8% to $7.23 following the receipt of a takeover approach. The fertility treatment company has received a $7.60 cash per share non-binding offer from CapVest Partners. This improves on the $7.10 cash per share offer made by BGH. As a result, the Virtus health Board believes it is superior and has granted CapVest due diligence.

The post Why Allkem, Beacon Lighting, Northern Star, and Virtus Health shares are charging higher appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Top broker tips Allkem (ASX:AKE) share price to shoot 20% higher
• Why the Northern Star (ASX:NST) share price is surging 7% today
• Why Allkem, Megaport, Redbubble, and Temple & Webster’s shares are falling
• Analysts name 3 hot ASX lithium shares to buy now
• Is the Allkem (ASX:AKE) share price going to keep charging higher?

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro owns Orocobre 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 recommended Virtus Health Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/3FEdb1z

The Newcrest Mining Ltd (ASX: NCM) share price is glistening with a green complexion on Thursday.

At the time of writing, shares in Australia’s largest listed gold mining company are trading at $25.47, up 6.3%. Meanwhile, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is down 0.05% in afternoon trade.

What’s going on with the Newcrest share price today?

The Newcrest share price is having its best day since May 2020 when it gained 6.7%. However, the $19 billion gold-mining giant is moving without any new announcements out today.

If we step back and take a broader look at the gold sector, we see that Newcrest isn’t alone in its joyous performance. For reference, here’s how other gold miners are doing:

• Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) up 11%
• Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) up 8.5%
• Chalice Mining Ltd (ASX: CHN) up 6.1%

This information would suggest the reason behind Newcrest’s move is due to a sector-wide catalyst. It is likely the strengthening in the spot gold price overnight that is causing today’s momentum.

According to CNBC, gold rallied 1.7% to US$1,842.9 an ounce. The upward move places the precious metal at a 2-month high. In turn, the Newcrest share price is benefitting from it.

The reason behind gold prices making a move could be 2-fold.

Firstly, the most recent reports indicate the safe-haven asset has found renewed appeal amid geopolitical tensions between Russia and Ukraine. White House press secretary Jen Psaki has said Russia could instigate a conflict at any point — possibly between January and February.

At the same time, investors have been rotating into investments that are perceived as inflation hedges as rate hikes look more likely.

Bloomberg Economics has forecast the first rate increase in the US in March. Meanwhile, Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) expects the Reserve Bank to raise rates in August.

When are quarterly results coming?

The market’s attention is heightened around this time of the year. We are fast approaching earnings season and some companies are already posting their quarterly results.

Newcrest’s December quarterly results are slated for release on 28 January. There’s a good chance this event will have shareholders on the edge of their seats, hoping the Newcrest share price reacts positively to the update.

The post Newcrest (ASX:NCM) share price regains some shine as inflation worries mount appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Leading fund manager says these blue-chip ASX shares are buys right now
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Monday
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Friday
• How does the Newcrest (ASX:NCM) dividend stack up against other ASX 200 miners like BHP?
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Monday

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 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.

from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/3IkAW09