Category: Stock Market

  • ASX 200 energy shares take a breather, broker sees “lot of upside risk” for oil

    a man in a business suit looks at a map of the world above a line up of oil barrels with a red arrow heading upwards above them, indicting rising oil prices.

    S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) energy shares have pulled back in recent trading sessions despite oil prices continuing to advance.

    The S&P/ASX Energy (INDEXASX: XEJ) index has slipped 0.95% in the last five trading days, weighed down by losses from heavyweights Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL), Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) and Oil Search Ltd (ASX: OSH).

    In spite of weakness across ASX 200 energy shares, West Texas Intermediate rallied US$2.04 or 2.51% in the past week to US$83.54 a barrel, a 7-year high. The global benchmark, Brent crude, is trading at 3-year highs of US$85.74 a barrel.

    Goldman Sachs thinks oil has more legs to run

    “Global oil prices could surge well above $90/b by the end of the year unless a current supply deficit amid rebounding energy demand can be reduced in the coming months,” said Jeff Currie, the head of commodity research at Goldman Sachs, as reported by S&P Global.

    “This is a big hole to fill even with the production increases that we have penciled in going from now to the end of this year,” Currie said at the India Energy Forum by CERAWeek.

    Goldman Sachs previously raised its oil forecasts from US$80/b to US$90/b in late September.

    Its 26 September note said:

    While we have long held a bullish oil view, the current global supply-demand deficit is larger than we expected, with the recovery in global demand from the Delta impact even faster than our above-consensus forecast and with global supply remaining short of our below consensus forecasts.

    Currie thinks that oil has more legs to run, playing catch up against other surging energy power and gas prices, as well as other commodities such as copper and aluminium.

    “The only reason why oil is lagging these other markets is that it was at the epicenter of the demand hit from COVID … we think it’s just a matter of months until oil joins the ranks of the rest of these commodities,” Currie said.

    What does this mean for ASX 200 energy shares?

    Surging oil prices have helped push many depressed ASX 200 energy shares into positive year-to-date territory.

    It also helped prop up earnings, with Woodside Petroleum’s third quarter update showing a 70% jump in Brent crude oil prices to US$73/b compared to a year ago. This translated to a 19% quarter-on-quarter jump in revenues to $1.53 billion.

    The post ASX 200 energy shares take a breather, broker sees “lot of upside risk” for oil 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

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor Kerry Sun 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/3FZH5yu

  • Enero (ASX:EGG) share price leaps 22% to 52-week high. Here’s why

    Businessman in suit and holding a briefcase jumps into the sky celebrating the rising Enero share price

    The Enero Group Ltd (ASX: EGG) share price has a new 1-year high. The positive price movement comes after the company released a trading update for this financial year.

    At the time of writing, shares in the marketing and communications services company are trading for $3.45 – up 11.65%. Earlier today, the Enero share price hit a 52-week high of $3.76, up 21.7% on yesterday’s closing price.

    Let’s take a closer look at today’s news.

    Enero company profile

    Enero Group is a creative technology company operating a global collective of marketing and communications specialist agencies.

    Its portfolio includes:

    • Digital agency Orchard
    • Creative agency BMF
    • Brand, marketing and PR comms consultancy Hotwire
    • Programmatic marketing platform OBMedia
    • Issues management comms advisory CPR
    • Strategic data consultancies The Leading Edge and The Digital Edge.

    Enero share price up as revenue increases nearly 23%

    In its investor presentation, Enero provided the following update:

    These results are clearly encouraging for investors, at least judging by the rising Enero share price today.

    What’s the outlook and is this affecting the Enero share price?

    Looking forward, Enero says it continues “to see a strong pipeline of new business opportunities”, especially in the healthcare, technology, and consumer business-to-business markets.

    The company goes on to say that inorganic growth continues to be a strong focus for Enero. Inorganic growth is a result of mergers and acquisitions rather than an expanding customer base.

    Finally, Enero says ongoing uncertainty relating to COVID-19 may place pressure on the company’s bottom line. Enero cites possible wage growth cost pressures and increasing discretionary travel expenses as borders open up.

    Despite these headwinds, the Enero share price is rising today.

    Enero share price snapshot

    Over the past 12 months, the Enero share price has increased 89.5%. Year to date, shares in the company are up 62%.

    Enero has a market capitalisation of approximately $303 million.

    The post Enero (ASX:EGG) share price leaps 22% to 52-week high. Here’s why appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Enero, 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 Enero 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 Marc Sidarous 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/3pnKQrU

  • These 3 ASX 200 shares are topping the volume charts on Thursday

    Blue light arrows pointing up, indicating a strong rising share price

    The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is having another solid and sunny day in the green this Thursday. At the time of writing, the ASX 200 is up a decent 0.16% to 7,426 points. But let’s go further and check out the ASX 200 shares that are currently topping the charts in terms of raw trading volume, according to investing.com.

    3 most active ASX 200 shares by volume this Thursday

    Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX: WHC)

    Our first ASX 200 share up today is mining company Whitehaven. Whitehaven has seen a solid 13.19 million of its shares trade on the markets so far today.

    As my Fool colleague, Kerry covered this afternoon, this may have something to do with the moves Chinese regulators are making in the country’s energy market, which looks to be weighing on the coal miners’ shares today. Whitehaven shares are presently down 2.3% to $2.98.

    Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS)

    ASX 200 telco Telstra is next up this Thursday. We have seen a hefty 15.22 million Telstra shares swap hands so far today. There are no major news or announcements out of Telstra today that might explain such an elevated trading volume.

    However, the Telstra share price has shown some volatility today. It is presently sitting at $3.75 a share, flat for the day so far. However, it dipped down to $3.71 a share this morning after spiking to $3.77 soon after open. It’s probably this volatility that’s behind so many TLS shares trading today.

    Alumina Limited (ASX: AWC)

    Another ASX 200 resource share rounds out our list today in aluminium producer Alumina. Alumina has had 16.07 million of its shares bought and sold so far this Thursday.

    Again, this appears to be the result of some market volatility. Alumina shares are currently down a nasty 1.85% to $2.12 so far today, which is probably behind the elevated trading volume we see with this company.

    The post These 3 ASX 200 shares are topping the volume charts on Thursday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Telstra, 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 Telstra 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 Sebastian Bowen owns shares of 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 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.

    from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/3E4fbiW

  • NAB (ASX:NAB) share price nudges 2-year, post-COVID high

    A group of happy corporate bankers clap hands

    The National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) share price is edging higher this afternoon, currently trading at $28.96.

    That’s a shade off its intraday high of $29.08, which is a corresponding 2-year high for the Australian banking giant.

    Despite there being no market-sensitive news out of the NAB camp today, let’s investigate what may be behind the bank’s recent price momentum.

    What tailwinds are behind the NAB share price?

    Zooming out to scan a wider time frame, it’s clear that shares in the bank have been charging higher over the last month.

    The NAB share price came off a closing low of $26.91 on 22 September and hasn’t looked back since.

    After some slight volatility to start October, it has climbed 8% since this time, returning to its pre-pandemic trading levels once more.

    It’s worth noting that a handful of analysts have buy ratings on the NAB share price, indicating a positive sentiment that is generally a bullish signal.

    While some brokers have downgraded to hold or neutral from their buy stance, players like Ord Minnett have a price target of $29.50 on the NAB share price, indicating the potential for more upside yet.

    Analysts at Goldman Sachs are also bullish on the company, assigning a $30.62 price target on its shares with a forecasted FY22 dividend of $1.40 per share.

    If NAB manages to reach these targets, the Big 4 bank will be trading on a running dividend yield of 4.6%, a step up from its trailing 12-month (TTM) yield of 3.14%.

    In fact, NAB is Goldman’s top-rated company among its ASX financials universe, as it is particularly impressed by the Aussie bank’s capital budgeting style, its position in the mortgage market and on valuations.

    It’s also worth considering that the S&P/ASX 200 Financials index (XFJ) – of which NAB is a constituent – has posted equally as strong returns over the past month as well.

    Although NAB leads the index, it still has climbed almost 5% in that time, and also kissed its 2-year high today.

    With this momentum, it appears strengths are carried across the board in the ASX financials sector, a point that will be weighing in on NAB’s case.

    NAB share price snapshot

    The NAB share price has blown it out of the park this year to date, posting a 28% return – double that of the S&P/ASX 200 index (ASX: XJO) – since January 1.

    Over the last 12 months, it has climbed 48.5%, well ahead of the benchmark index on this time frame as well.

    The post NAB (ASX:NAB) share price nudges 2-year, post-COVID high appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in National Australia Bank right now?

    Before you consider National Australia Bank, 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 National Australia Bank 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 author Zach Bristow has no positions 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/3nhydfd

  • Pinterest Q3 earnings: Here’s what to look for

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

    happy woman looking at her smartphone.

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

    Image-based social media company Pinterest (NYSE: PINS) is expected to report third-quarter earnings on Oct. 27. The company has fallen out of favor with the market after reporting a surprising fall in monthly active users (MAU) in its fiscal second quarter.

    Pinterest gained a surge of new users and engagement on its platform at the onset of the pandemic, but that reversed in Q2 as economies reopened worldwide. The trend in MAU will be the primary concern of investors heading into third-quarter results. 

    Reopening economies draw people away from Pinterest

    Before last quarter, Pinterest was on a streak of adding monthly active users for 11 consecutive quarters, reaching a plateau of 478 million in fiscal Q1 of this year before shedding 24 million in Q2. Pinterest attributed the losses to consumers getting out of the house and spending less time on home computers as economies emerged from various stages of lockdown.

    Nearly 7 billion doses of vaccines against COVID-19 have been administered worldwide, and thankfully they’re having the desired effect of reducing the number of people getting severely ill. That has given governments around the globe the confidence to open up more facets of their economies. If that was a primary cause of Pinterest’s MAU losses in Q2, the drop likely continued into Q3.

    Still, investors will want to know from the company if user losses ended at some point in the quarter. It would be encouraging if management were to say that the company continued to lose users in the first half of the quarter, but then the direction turned around and it gained a modest amount of users in the second half of the quarter. 

    Importantly, MAU are vital to Pinterest’s business prospects. The company’s site is free to join. Pinterest makes money by showing advertisements to existing users who are browsing through its platform. The more people on its platform, the more advertisements the company can sell. Pinterest’s second-quarter revenue increased 125% in Q2 from the same time last year.

    Additionally, it will be interesting to observe if management mentions any benefits to Pinterest from Facebook‘s troubles. Facebook is facing public backlash about the negative effects its platforms have on teenage girls. When Facebook faced public outrage about a different issue last year, Pinterest noted it experienced a boost in ad revenue. 

    Pinterest’s stock price could be tied to MAU trends

    Analysts on Wall Street expect Pinterest to report revenue of $631 million and earnings per share of $0.23 in Q3, which would be increases of 42.7% and 76.9%, respectively, from the same quarter last year. As impressive as those growth figures would be, the company’s stock price could fall even if it hits those targets.

    That’s because investors will be focused primarily on the trend in MAU, which can affect the company’s long-term earning potential. And changes in variables that affect long-term results are weighted more heavily than one-time items like an individual quarter’s revenue or earnings per share. Investors shall soon see. 

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

    The post Pinterest Q3 earnings: Here’s what to look for appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Pinterest, 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 Pinterest 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

    Parkev Tatevosian has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Randi Zuckerberg, a former director of market development and spokeswoman for Facebook and sister to its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended Facebook and Pinterest. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Facebook and Pinterest. 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.

    from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/3vuX1UL

  • Broker upgrades Nanosonics (ASX:NAB) share price to a buy rating

    A smartly-dressed businesswoman walks outside while making a trade on her mobile phone.

    The Nanosonics Ltd (ASX: NAN) share price had a solid start to the day but is fading in afternoon trade.

    At the time of writing, the infection prevention company’s shares are down slightly to $5.95.

    This means Nanosonics’ shares are now down 28% from its 52-week high.

    Is the Nanosonics share price good value?

    According to a note out of Morgans this morning, its analysts believe the Nanosonics share price is in the buy zone.

    The notes reveals that the broker has upgraded the company’s shares to an add rating but cut the price target on them to $6.97.

    Based on the current Nanosonics share price, this suggests there is almost 17% upside for its shares over the next 12 months.

    What did the broker say?

    Morgans notes that Nanosonics recently revealed its expectations for a significantly greater cost base than it was expecting.

    It commented: “The increase in operating costs to A$90.0m is a big step up from the $70.8m incurred in FY21. The continued investment in R&D helps underpin the long-term growth prospects in the business. Our previous research note assumed a cost base of A$82.5m which was clearly below company guidance and needed adjustment.”

    This has led to the broker downgrading its earnings forecasts accordingly.

    Morgans explained: “We have made no changes to revenue for FY23/24, however the higher cost base results in an NPAT downgrade to A$19.0m (from A$26.9m) and to A$27.6m (from A$35.9m) in FY23/24 respectively. We note we have assumed a modest revenue contribution of A$8.3m from flexible endoscope sales staring in FY23.”

    While this has resulted in a lower valuation, the recent weakness in the Nanosonics share price offsets this and underpinned the recommendation upgrade.

    It concludes: “We have upgraded our recommendation to Add from Hold. Despite the lower valuation and target price there is still over 15% upside to our target price which provides the opportunity to upgrade the recommendation.”

    The post Broker upgrades Nanosonics (ASX:NAB) share price to a buy rating appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Nanosonics, 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 Nanosonics 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. owns shares of and has recommended Nanosonics Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Nanosonics 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/3E2CLg2

  • What is the current IAG (ASX:IAG) dividend payout ratio?

    Young boy wearing suit and glasses adds up on calculator with coins on table

    The Insurance Australia Group Ltd (ASX: IAG) share price hasn’t had a fantastic couple of weeks on the ASX boards. IAG shares are currently down around 6% since last Monday (11 October), putting them flat over the past month.

    This ASX 200 company has had a rather wild 2021 so far. Its shares are up 6.7% year to date on current pricing, with plenty of volatility thrown in.

    At the time of writing, the IAG share price is $5.02, up 0.2% for the day so far.

    IAG’s miserly performance over the past fortnight or so puts focus on its dividend. As any income investor would know, lower share prices equate to a higher starting dividend yield.

    What are IAG’s most recent dividends worth today?

    So IAG has paid out two dividends over the past 12 months, as is the custom on the ASX 200. These dividends consisted of a March interim dividend of 7 cents per share, unfranked. This is in addition to the final September dividend of 13 cents per share, also unfranked. That comes out at a total of 20 cents per share for FY21, giving today’s IAG share price a running yield of 3.98%.

    That’s a fairly meaty dividend by ASX standards today. It certainly tops what all four of the major ASX banks are currently offering. So what kind of payout ratio does this dividend represent?

    The payout ratio is a favourite metric of the dividend investor. It maps out what proportion of a company’s earnings per share (EPS) are being paid out as a dividend. As such, it can lend some useful insights into the company’s financial health, giving an indication of whether or not a dividend is sustainable. For example, if a company is paying out 110% of its earnings as a dividend, it would be a clear red flag that the dividend can’t be maintained at its current level for long.

    So how does IAG’s most recent payout stack up? After all, FY21’s total dividend of 20 cents per share is far higher than FY20’s total of 10 cents.

    What kind of payout ratio does that give this ASX 200 share?

    Luckily, it’s fairly easy to work out. In IAG’s earnings report for FY2021 that it delivered back in August, the company informed investors it managed to bring in 28.51 cents in diluted cash earnings per share. Since IAG paid out 20 cents of that EPS as dividends, we can determine that IAG’s FY21 payout ratio was approximately 70.15%.

    In other words, IAG forked out 70.15% of its earnings as dividends and retained the remaining 29.85% within its business. If we use non-diluted cash earnings, the payout ratio is closer to 66%.

    Last financial year, IAG delivered 12.12 cents per share in EPS, and forked out 10 cents in dividends, meaning its payout ratio has actually fallen from 82.5% in FY20 to 70.15% in FY21, even though it doubled its dividend.

    IAG dividend policy dictates the company will pay out 60-80% of its EPS as dividends, so this latest dividend also meets this criterion.

    Given IAG’s optimistic guidance for FY22, it could be likely this level of income can be maintained next year as well (but we shall have to wait and see).

    At the current IAG share price, this insurance giant has a market capitalisation of $12.39 billion.

    The post What is the current IAG (ASX:IAG) dividend payout ratio? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider IAG, 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 IAG 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 Sebastian Bowen 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 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.

    from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/3B0Poq0

  • Why the Super Retail (ASX:SUL) share price is crashing today

    Super Retail share price a man is being dragged backwards along the ground with two people in the background holding either leg. The man has a frustrated look on his face.

    The Super Retail Group Ltd (ASX: SUL) share price is tumbling despite releasing a bullish trading update yesterday.

    The Super Retail share price fell 4.9% to $12.58 during lunch time trade – making it the second worst performer on the S&P/ASX 200 Index (Index:^AXJO).

    Only the Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd (ASX: FLT) share price is faring worse as it slumped 5.3%, while the Webjet Limited (ASX: WEB) share price is in third spot with a 3.7% decline.

    Super Retail share price derailed by downgrade

    Super Retail has fallen out of favour after JP Morgan downgraded its recommendation to “neutral” from “overweight”.

    The broker believes the Super Retail share price is at risk of missing market expectation. This is despite the sports, auto and outdoor retail group giving a positive update on Wednesday that sent its share price jumping 1.7%.

    When a positive trading outlook isn’t enough

    Super Retail has plenty of inventory, so it will probably avoid the COVID-19 supply problems facing its peers.

    This means the Super Retail share price should benefit from strong consumer spending heading into Black Friday and the Christmas shopping season.

    The group’s like-for-like (LFL) sales are also holding up well despite lockdowns in New South Wales and Victoria.

    LFL sales grew 10% in the first 16 weeks of the financial year and would have grown by 27% if Victoria and NSW were excluded, noted JPMorgan. LFL refers to sales at stores that have been opened for a year or more.

    Super Retail share price is no bargain

    “However, we see downside risk of up to ~7% to consensus earnings, while [Super Cheap is] trading on a relatively full 15.6x FY23 PER,” said JPMorgan.

    The broker also believes that Super Cheap’s gross margins have peaked at 48% in FY21. That’s 300 basis points higher than the pre-COVID average.

    This is because Super Cheap, like many other retailers, did not need to offer discounts to attract sales. Widespread shortages of goods mean this is a sellers’ market.

    Margins and costs moving in wrong direction

    But this is as good as it gets. JPMorgan is forecasting Super Retail’s gross margin will contract by 70 basis points a year for the next two years.

    After all, the lack of discounts and promotions can’t last – something consumers will be happy about.

    Further, costs are expected to increase and will outpace sales growth. JPMorgan believes expenses will grow by 6.6% over the next two years when sales are only forecast to rise by 6.4% a year.

    The broker’s 12-month price target on the Super Retail share price is $14.20 a share.

    The post Why the Super Retail (ASX:SUL) share price is crashing 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

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor Brendon Lau owns shares of Webjet Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended Super Retail Group Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Super Retail Group Limited and Webjet Ltd. 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.

    from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/3G7oK2z

  • Here’s why the EP&T Global (ASX:EPX) share price is rocketing 56% today

    a man sits on a rocket propelled office chair and flies high above a city

    Shares in EP&T Global Ltd (ASX: EPX) are exploding into the stratosphere following the company’s strong trading update.

    During late morning trade, the EP&T share price touched a 2-month high of 23.5 cents before pulling back. At the time of writing, its shares are swapping hands for 19.5 cents, up 56%.

    How did EP&T perform?

    In today’s release, EP&T advised it has delivered robust growth for the first quarter of FY22.

    Annualised recurring revenue (ARR) came to $6.4 million, an increase of 21% over the prior period ($5.3 million). The energy management solutions company installed its EDGE Intelligent Systems in 29 buildings which led to the higher ARR.

    The company noted that the easing of COVID-19 restrictions enabled building access and installations to accelerate. This has led to sales initiatives generating continued pipeline growth.

    As such, ARR is forecasted to swell to $9.8 million by 30 June 2022, a jump of 85% over the 12-month period.

    The 3-year contract with leading asset manager, DWS, is on track to be deployed and live before the end of FY22. The annual contract value (ACV) is $2 million with a total contract value (TCV) of $6.1 million.

    EP&T CEO, Trent Knox commented on the outlook for the company:

    We continue to have a strong focus on the conversion of ACV to annualised recurring revenue (ARR) which is key to increasing revenues and improving operating cash flows.

    We are well positioned to capitalise on future sales opportunities with an ever-expanding list of verticals including commercial office, retail, hospitals, schools, hotels, clubs, and industrial.

    About the EP&T share price

    Since listing on the ASX boards in May 2021, EP&T shares traded mostly sideways up until the beginning of September. Its shares continued to fall lower, hitting an all-time low of 10.5 cents on 8 October. However, today’s rise has put it back within August levels.

    EP&T commands a market capitalisation of roughly $22.66 million and has approximately 116.18 million shares on hand.

    The post Here’s why the EP&T Global (ASX:EPX) share price is rocketing 56% today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in EP&T right now?

    Before you consider EP&T, 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 EP&T 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.

    from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/2Zax14Z

  • Why A2 Milk, Eroad, Flight Centre, and Webjet shares are sinking

    A man stands in front of a chart with an arrow going down and slaps his forehead in frustration.

    The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is on course to record a decent gain. In afternoon trade, the benchmark index is up 0.25% to 7,433.3 points.

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

    A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX: A2M)

    The A2 Milk share price is down almost 4% to $7.11. This follows reports that the embattled infant formula company will be hit with a second class action. In addition, this morning the team at Credit Suisse retained their underperform rating and $5.50 price target on the company’s shares. The broker believes the market is mispricing A2 Milk’s shares.

    Eroad Ltd (ASX: ERD)

    The Eroad share price has tumbled 8% to $4.85 following the release of the transportation technology services company’s quarterly update. That update reveals that Eroad has downgraded its standalone revenue growth guidance for FY 2022 to 10% to 13%. Management blamed this on challenging trading conditions, particularly in North America. In that segment, the company saw a reduction in contracted units.

    Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd (ASX: FLT)

    The Flight Centre share price has fallen 5.5% to $20.42. This decline appears to have been driven by the issue of convertible notes. This morning the travel agent confirmed that it has raised $400 million through a senior unsecured convertible notes offering maturing in 2028. Flight Centre intends to use the net proceeds to pay down existing debt and fund its growth vision into the future.

    Webjet Limited (ASX: WEB)

    The Webjet share price is down 3.5% to $6.27. This morning the team at Macquarie downgraded the online travel agent’s shares to a neutral rating with a $6.65 price target. The broker made the move on valuation grounds following recent share price strength.

    The post Why A2 Milk, Eroad, Flight Centre, and Webjet shares are sinking 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

    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 shares of and has recommended EROAD Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended EROAD Limited and Webjet Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended A2 Milk and 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.

    from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/3lZTv1v