Category: Stock Market

  • 2 top ASX 200 shares that might be buys today

    asx blue chip shares represented by pile of blue casino chips in front of bar graph

    The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) shares in this article might be good considerations to think about today.

    Businesses in the ASX 200 are often among the biggest and strongest in their industry.

    The two investments below are ones that may be able to deliver growth over the long-term:

    Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES)

    Wesfarmers is a diversified business that has been operating for decades. It has some market-leading retailers including Bunnings, Kmart, Officeworks and Catch. The ASX 200 share also has other operations including Target, a lithium project and various industrial businesses and investments.

    The business showed how much essential consumer demand there is for its businesses including Bunnings, Officeworks and Catch. Wesfarmers was able to capitalise on the COVID-19 era demand.

    Whilst people aren’t doing as many home projects or buying home office equipment, Wesfarmers is still experiencing higher demand than pre-COVID times.

    It’s regularly adding to its portfolio to diversify its future profit. For example, Bunnings bought Beaumont Tiles. Wesfarmers is progress with its Mt Holland lithium project. The latest attempt by the company is to try to buy Australian Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (ASX: API). It’s in a battle with Sigma Healthcare Ltd (ASX: SIG) for API.

    Wesfarmers says that whilst it plans to invest in the API business, it would also provide the basis of a new healthcare division of Wesfarmers and a platform from which to invest and develop capabilities in the growing health, wellbeing and beauty sector.

    According to Commsec, it is valued at 30x FY22’s estimated earnings with a projected grossed-up dividend yield of 4.3%.

    Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG)

    Fortescue is one of the largest iron ore miners in the world.

    Citi is one of the brokers that currently rates Fortescue as a buy, with a price target of $18.50. That implies a potential rise of close to 30% over the next year, if the broker is right.

    The Fortescue share price is now a lot lower after a sharp decline of the iron ore price. The ASX 200 share has seen a decline of around 40% over the last three months.

    Fortescue continues to produce enormous amounts of iron ore. In the first quarter of FY22, Fortescue shipped 45.6mt of iron ore, which was a 3% increase compared to the same period last year.

    The average revenue was US$118 per dry metric tonne, whilst the C1 cost was US$15.25 per wet metric tonne (in line with the previous quarter).

    Fortescue is making a number of headlines with its Fortescue Future Industries (FFI) division.

    The goal of the ASX 200 share is for FFI is to take a global leadership position in the renewable energy and green products industry. It has a vision of making green hydrogen the most globally traded seaborne commodity in the world.

    One of the key developments relates to the planned construction of the global green energy manufacturing centre in Gladstone, Queensland. The first stage of development is an electrolyser factory with an initial capacity of two gigawatts. It has also signed a letter of intent with Plug Power for a joint venture with the two gigawatt electrolyser factory, with the ability to expand into fuel systems and other hydrogen-related refuelling and storage infrastructure in the future.

    Fortescue Future Industries has also signed an agreement with JCB and Ryze hydrogen to become the UK’s largest supplier of green, renewable hydrogen. JCB and Ryze will purchase 10 per cent of FFI’s global green hydrogen production.

    The post 2 top ASX 200 shares that might be buys today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Wesfarmers, 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 Wesfarmers wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for nearly 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 August 16th 2021

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    Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison owns shares of Fortescue Metals Group 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 shares of and has recommended Wesfarmers 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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  • Own Flight Centre shares? Here’s the company’s plan to reopen WA

    a man stands with a finger to his mouth in a confused pose while his wheeled luggage is next to him with handle extended at a deserted airport.

    Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd (ASX: FLT) shares have just managed to squeak into the green so far in November, up 0.3% since the closing bell on the final trading day of October.

    That comes after a fairly poor showing last month, where Flight Centre shares fell 7%, despite many international and domestic air routes slated for reopening.

    With most ASX travel shares still trading below their pre-pandemic levels, companies like Flight Centre are eager for a full reopening, especially here at home.

    While most Aussie states look set to end border closures over the coming weeks, Western Australia is dragging its heels, concerned about letting COVID into its virtually virus-free space.

    And that has drawn the ire of Flight Centre’s CEO, Graham Turner.

    Western Australia may, or may not, reopen its borders for out of state travellers once full vaccination rates hit 70–80%.

    The state’s roadmap to reopening has yet to be clarified by Premier Mark McGowan. McGowan aims to brief the public on that plan this week — what effect that has on Flight Centre shares remains to be seen.

    Should that roadmap not indicate the state will reopen when double dose rates hit the 70–80% mark, Turner said his company will take legal action.

    Speaking about that potential legal action to the West Australian (and quoted by the Daily Mail), Turner said:

    The constitution states very clearly about freedom of movement and freedom of trade. That’s the basic concept.

    That’s why I think we have a good chance for success on this. Not everyone in WA will [support opening borders] as some people are quite happy to stay locked up forever, but our clients are not like that…

    Obviously, they want to travel interstate and overseas to see their relatives, to see their parents and grandparents.

    How have Flight Centre shares been performing longer-term?

    Flight Centre shares may have slipped last month, but the share price is still up an impressive 55% over the past 12 months. That compares to a gain of 22% posted by the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) over that same time.

    Flight Centre closed on Wednesday at $20.10 per share. In early trade today its share price has fallen 0.25% to $20.05.

    The post Own Flight Centre shares? Here’s the company’s plan to reopen WA appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Flight Centre right now?

    Before you consider Flight Centre, 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 Flight Centre wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for nearly 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 August 16th 2021

    More reading

    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 Flight Centre Travel 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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  • Zip (ASX:Z1P) share price higher after record performance in October

    Investor looking at smartphone and considering Evolution's share purchase plan

    The Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P) share price is on the move on Thursday following the release of its annual general meeting update (AGM).

    At the time of writing, the buy now pay later (BNPL) provider’s shares are up 2% to $6.35.

    Why is the Zip share price rising?

    While the event was focused largely on what has happened over the last 12 months and Zip’s plans for the future, the company also provided an update on recent trading. This appears to have gone down well with the market, giving the Zip share price a boost today.

    Zip’s Managing Director and CEO, Larry Diamond, revealed that the company’s strong growth continued during October.

    He commented: “October was Zip’s highest TTV month on record processing over $770m in transaction volume for the month, which was a 94% increase on October 2020, with the Company now annualising at over $9b. Off the back of the rebrand, October delivered a 24% MoM increase which provides outstanding momentum entering the seasonal peak period.”

    Mr Diamond also spoke about recent partnerships that are expected to support the company’s growth. One, that is currently in the works, is with a bank in the United States.

    He said: “We secured partnerships with major names including Microsoft, PayU and Adyen and are live with global merchants such as Shein in multiple geographies.”

    “Zip is excited to share that we are in the process of establishing a financial partnership with Utah based WebBank to provide Zip the flexibility to drive further innovation in product and lending across the country,” he added.

    Finally, the Chief Executive provided an update on how Zip is responding to regulatory pressures in the BNPL market.

    Mr Diamond explained: “As flagged earlier in the presentation, in the UK, Zip will take part in Treasury’s process to map out a proportionate regulatory framework for BNPL. In the US, Zip has joined with other leading fintechs a new US industry group – the Financial Technology Association – to make the case for BNPL. Alongside this, Zip has also engaged with multiple regulators and Federal legislators to explain our business model and how we engage with US consumers.”

    All in all, investors appear pleased with the update and have been bidding the Zip share price higher today in response to it.

    The post Zip (ASX:Z1P) share price higher after record performance in October appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Zip, 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 Zip wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for nearly 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 August 16th 2021

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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. owns shares of 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.

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  • Why Tesla stock jumped on Wednesday

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

    2 men checking a Tesla vehicle out.

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

    What happened

    Shares of Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) jumped on Wednesday, climbing 3.6% by the time the market closed. The move extends the stock’s recent bullish momentum.

    While there was no specific reason for the growth stock‘s gain on Wednesday, shares have been generally trending upward lately. This could be a continuation of that trend. In addition, it was an upbeat day for the overall market, with the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq climbing about 0.7% and 1%, respectively.

    So what

    Highlighting Tesla stock’s momentum recently, shares have surged 71% over the past three months and 57% in the last 30 days alone. With so much momentum, it’s not surprising to see shares trading higher again. Of course, investors shouldn’t count on this near-term momentum to continue. Any pullback after such a staggering run-up could be sharp.

    Tesla’s third-quarter momentum has had many analysts recalibrating their models for the stock higher. The company has made significant progress in manufacturing, sales, and profitability — even during a challenging operating environment. Third-quarter vehicle deliveries increased 73% year over year to more than 241,000, and management said it was able to achieve an annualized production run rate of more than 1 million cars by the end of the quarter.

    Now what

    The downside to a soaring stock price, of course, is that expectations are increasing. This means investors expect Tesla’s impressive business momentum to persist. Looking ahead, investors will want to look for the company to continue growing deliveries and profitability.

    Fortunately, management seems to think Tesla is just getting started. In its third-quarter shareholder update, the company guided for 50% annual growth in deliveries over “a multi-year horizon.” 

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

    The post Why Tesla stock jumped on Wednesday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Tesla, 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 Tesla wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for nearly 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 August 16th 2021

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    Daniel Sparks 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.

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

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  • Why the Suncorp (ASX:SUN) share price is dropping today

    disappointed and sad woman

    The Suncorp Group Ltd (ASX: SUN) share price is trading lower on Thursday morning.

    At the time of writing, the insurance giant’s shares are down 1% to $11.23.

    Why is the Suncorp share price under pressure?

    The Suncorp share price has come under pressure this morning after following the lead of rival Insurance Australia Group Ltd (ASX: IAG) by releasing an update on recent claims.

    This follows the hail and wind event which occurred on 28 and 29 October, impacting South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania.

    According to the release, as of 3 November, Suncorp had received approximately 12,000 home and motor claims. However, as the full extent of damage is still unfolding, the company expects claims to rise further.

    So much so, Suncorp is forecasting the total cost from the event to be in the range of $225 million to $250 million.

    Suncorp’s Group CEO, Steve Johnston, said: “Our local assessors and tradespeople are on the ground and helping affected customers.”

    “One of the key elements of our Best in Class Claims strategy is a more flexible workforce, which has been successfully scaled up to support this event. Our focus on the digital customer experience is also yielding positive results with more than half of all home and motor claims from this event lodged online.”

    “The Group’s supply chain is responding well and we are not currently experiencing issues due to border restrictions. We will continue to work closely with governments and the Insurance Council of Australia to ensure we can respond to customers as quickly as possible,” he added.

    What about other events?

    Suncorp revealed that there was a total of six declared weather events in October.

    And while it is too early to accurately estimate the ultimate costs of the more recent events, Suncorp estimates that its hazard costs currently stand at $597 million to $702 million financial year to date. This is up from $382 million and $492 million just last week.

    As a result, the company is forecasting full year natural hazard costs is in the range of $1.105 billion to $1.130 billion. This will exceed its FY 2022 allowance of $980 million by between $125 million to $150 million.

    The post Why the Suncorp (ASX:SUN) share price is dropping today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Suncorp, 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 Suncorp wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for nearly 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 August 16th 2021

    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. 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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  • Megaport (ASX:MP1) share price outperforms All Tech Index by 14% over the past month

    a female superhero dressed in shiny green with a mask leaps in the sky with leg and arm outstretched in a leaping action.

    It’s been a good 30 days for the Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1) share price. It’s soared 19.6% since this time last month to finish yesterday’s session at $19.29.

    For context, the S&P/ASX All Technology Index (ASX: XTX) has gained 5.3% over the last 30 days.

    That means, over the month that’s been, the Megaport share price has beaten the average performance of its peers by an impressive 14.3%

    So, what’s lead to the software-defined network service provider to outperform other ASX tech giants? Let’s take a look.

    The month that’s been for Megaport

    Megaport has only released one price sensitive announcement to the ASX in the last month, and it seemed to be a good one.

    The company provided the market with an update on its September quarter on 21 October.

    However, the market was seemingly disappointed. On the day Megaport released its only news of the last 30 days, the company’s share price dipped 0.7%.

    Within the update, Megaport detailed a period in which its monthly reoccurring revenue increased to $8.6 million, 14% more that of the previous quarter.

    The company’s quarterly revenue also came to $24.6 million, 8% greater than that of the June quarter.

    Megaport’s CEO Vincent English commented on what seemed to be a successful quarter, saying:

    With a record quarter of [monthly reoccurring revenue] growth and a continued increase in long-term commitments from our customers, we are seeing more substantial adoption of our platform.

    Megaport share price snapshot

    The gains experienced by the Megaport share price over the last month have boosted it further into the green on the ASX.

    Right now, the company’s stock is trading for 35% more than it was at the start of 2021. It has also gained 33% since this time last year.

    At its current share price, the company has a market capitalisation of around $3 billion.

    The post Megaport (ASX:MP1) share price outperforms All Tech Index by 14% over the past month appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Megaport, 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 Megaport wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for nearly 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 August 16th 2021

    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 shares of and has recommended MEGAPORT FPO. 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 Bruce Jackson.

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  • How did the Westpac (ASX:WBC) share price perform in October?

    Puzzled female client shrugging with credit card phone isolated on light background.

    The Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) share price had a relatively uneventful month of October. The company’s shares continued to tread close to its 52-week high of $27.12, before plummeting on 1 November.

    At Wednesday’s closing bell, the bank’s shares began to recoup some losses by edging 0.09% higher to $23.15.

    How did Westpac shares fare in October?

    Investors remained undecided during October as Westpac shares went through a horizontal channel. This came despite the company releasing a price-sensitive market announcement advising of notable items affecting its second-half profit.

    The news appeared to barely both shareholders, with Westpac shares falling just 1.65% that day to $25.63.

    For the month, the bank’s shares dipped just under 1%, which fared worse than the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO). The benchmark index rose by 2% in value over the period.

    However, while last month seemed quiet, the company’s release of its full-year results on November 1 had a detrimental impact on its shares.

    Westpac revealed a step in the right direction with increases across key metrics. But the financial scorecard missed the mark with investors who were expecting more. This led the company’s shares to sink 7.36% to $23.78 apiece.

    In addition, Australia’s oldest bank stated that it is conducting a $3.5 billion off-market share buyback.

    What do the brokers say?

    Following the FY21 results, a number of brokers weighed in on the company’s share price.

    Analysts at Morgan Stanley downgraded their outlook to an “equal weight” rating from “overweight” for the Westpac share price. The broker cut its price target by 14% to $24.80.

    Goldman Sachs also reassessed their rating, reducing the view on Westpac shares by 11% to $25.60. Based on the current share price, this implies an upside of approximately 10%.

    The most recent note came from multinational investment bank, Bell Potter. The firm discounted Westpac shares by 4.1% to a 12-month price target of $26.

    Westpac share price summary

    Over the past 12 months, the Westpac share price has gained around 30% in value. It is also up by about 20% this year to date. Although, when looking over a 5-year time frame, Westpac shares are down by more than 20%.

    Westpac has a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 21.98 and commands a market capitalisation of roughly $87.24 billion.

    The post How did the Westpac (ASX:WBC) share price perform in October? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Westpac, 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 Westpac wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for nearly 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 August 16th 2021

    More reading

    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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  • What’s going on with the Federal Reserve and how might it impact ASX shares?

    Federal Reserve ASX shares investor holding up a chart under the weight of interest rates.

    ASX shares are poised to open higher this morning after the US Federal Reserve reassured markets about inflation and interest rates.

    The futures market is pointing to a 0.5% rise in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (Index:^AXJO) this morning.

    ASX shares are poised to rise with US shares, which recovered from early losses after the Fed released its policy decision.

    How the Federal Reserve is stimulating ASX shares

    The Fed said it will par stimulus but played down the prospects of an early rate hike to cool a spike in inflation.

    The US central bank will reduce its bond purchase by US$15 billion to US$105 billion from this month. It said it is planning on completely stopping these purchases by 2022.

    The Fed has been buying US government bonds and mortgage-backed securities to inject cash into the financial system. The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) have a similar but smaller scale program here.

    It’s all about interest rates, stoopid

    While such stimuli have been a big driver for the bull run in equities, the move has been well flagged. The market knew this was coming.

    The wildcard was the Fed’s stance on interest rates. Credit markets pricing in rate hikes well ahead of what the Fed had telegraphed.

    On that front, Fed chair Jerome Powell gave the bulls what they wanted – he stuck to the script. Powell said that rising cost pressures would prove to be “transitory”. This means a faster increase in interest rates won’t be required to control inflation.

    ASX shares gets reassurance from the Fed

    Markets have been obsessed by interest rates. This is true in Australia as well with ASX shares hanging on to the words of the RBA as credit markets here are also pricing in faster than forecast rate hikes.

    Central banks use interest rates to control inflation, which have surged due to disruptions cased by the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Higher commodity prices and the shortage of workers in multiple industries are also adding upward pressure on prices.

    How big a deal is interest rates on shares?

    But as international borders reopen and as some commodity prices, like iron ore, have pulled back from their peaks, the Fed is betting that inflation will ease.

    The RBA is counting on the same thing. While everyone knows that interest rates can’t stay at record lows forever, ASX shares and international equities are not pricing one in for next year.

    Share investors and credit traders are at loggerheads and one group will be paying a high price for getting the rate call wrong.

    Not sure about you, but I know which team I am cheering for.

    The post What’s going on with the Federal Reserve and how might it impact ASX shares? 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 more than eight 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 August 16th 2021

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    Motley Fool contributor Brendon Lau 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 this medical tech ASX share could rocket today

    Medical professionals cheering good news. pro medicus

    The AVITA Medical Inc (ASX: AVH) share price will be keenly watched when the ASX opens on Thursday after some big news overnight pushed its US shares up 7%.

    The company provides regenerative medical technology, with its ReCell spray-on skin for burn patients its flagship product.

    Overnight Avita revealed that US authority Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) approved ReCell for a transitional pass-through payment device category code that will provide payment for “procedures that are performed in hospital outpatient facilities and ambulatory surgical centres”.

    What does this mean?

    A prominent fund manager told The Motley Fool that it’s a huge boost for the adoption of ReCell in the US market.

    “Doctors will get reimbursed for the cost of the device when they use it for burns treatments outside a hospital setting.”

    Avita shares on the NASDAQ rocketed overnight

    The company, founded by 2005 Australian of The Year Dr Fiona Wood, is listed on both the ASX and the NASDAQ.

    In what could be an omen for the Australian market, AVITA Medical Inc (NASDAQ: RCEL) shares shot up 7.12% in overnight trade.

    The news will be some relief to shareholders, who have had their faith sorely tested in the past 18 months.

    After reaching as high as $16.30 in February 2020 before the COVID-19 crash struck, Avita’s ASX shares have sunk 73% since then.

    Avita’s ASX shares closed Wednesday at $4.43.

    Avita chief executive Dr Mike Perry said the CMS approval could be a precursor for future subsidies.

    “This device code lays the reimbursement foundation for the soft tissue repair indication we are working towards, which has a serviceable addressable market valuation of US$450 million.”

    Despite its recent struggles, Avita shares continue to be a favourite among analysts.

    According to CMC Markets, 5 of 6 analysts rate it as a “strong buy”.

    Montgomery Fund portfolio manager Joseph Kim in July told The Motley Fool it’s a stock he would hold on for 5 years.

    “It’s going to take time. And there’s always going to be people that won’t use it because they’re just stuck in their ways,” he said.

    “But then, ultimately, as a doctor with the duty of care, you’ve got to provide the best outcome to your patients. I think from that perspective, I’m pretty optimistic now.”

    The post Why this medical tech ASX share could rocket 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 more than eight 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 August 16th 2021

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    Motley Fool contributor Tony Yoo owns shares of Avita Medical Limited. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended Avita Medical Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Avita Medical 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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  • Here’s what happened to the Telstra (ASX:TLS) share price in October

    Man holding phone in front of stocks graphic

    It was a reasonably disappointing month for the Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS) share price in October.

    The telco giant’s shares ended the period almost 3% lower than where they started it at $3.82.

    This was despite Telstra announcing an agreement to acquire Digicel Pacific together with the Australian Government.

    What happened to the Telstra share price in October?

    The Telstra share price appeared to run out of steam in October after some sensational gains year to date.

    For example, despite its hiccup last month, the company’s shares are still up approximately 30% since the start of the year. This is almost triple the return of the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) over the same period.

    Investors have been bidding the Telstra share price higher this year following a solid performance in FY 2021 and the unveiling of its new T25 strategy.

    What is T25?

    T25 is Telstra’s new strategy, replacing its highly successful T22 strategy at the end of the current financial year.

    Telstra’s CEO, Andrew Penn, explained that T22 was based on transforming the company, whereas T25 will be about driving growth.

    Management is aiming for sustained growth and value by targeting mid-single digit underlying EBITDA and high-teens underlying earnings per share (EPS) compound annual growth rates (CAGR) from FY 2021 to FY 2025.

    Goldman Sachs is a fan of the new strategy and believes it will lead to a long-awaited dividend increase in the near future.

    Its analysts are forecasting dividends of 16 cents per share in FY 2022 and FY 2023, before an increase to 18 cents per share in FY 2024 and then 19 cents per share dividend in FY 2025.

    In light of this increasingly positive outlook, the broker has put a buy rating and $4.40 price target on its shares. Based on the current Telstra share price, this implies potential upside of almost 13% for investors.

    This means November has the potential to be a much better month for the Telstra share price.

    The post Here’s what happened to the Telstra (ASX:TLS) share price in October appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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    Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of 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.

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