Category: Stock Market

  • Here’s why the Deep Yellow (ASX:DYL) share price is up 5% on Tuesday

    Happy man in high vis vest and hard hat holds his arms up with fists clenched celebrating the rising Fortescue share price

    The Deep Yellow Limited (ASX: DYL) share price is rallying strongly on Tuesday, up 5.5% to $1.15.

    In comparison, the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) is up 0.3% at the time of writing.

    What’s driving the Deep Yellow share price?

    Phase 1 follow-up drill program complete

    Deep Yellow announced it had successfully completed its phase 1 follow-up drilling at the Barking Gecko prospect within its Nova joint venture project in Namibia.

    The phase 1 drilling results returned encouraging results, with 13 of the 14 holes intersecting uranium mineralisation.

    Deep Yellow was pleased with the exceptional thickness and grade of some of the intersections, and that all holes within the zone were mineralised.

    A phase 2 drilling program to undertake further follow-up is planned to begin, at the latest, early calendar year 2022. This will happen once all results from the current drilling are fully evaluated.

    Overall, the initial results remain encouraging, with Deep Yellow citing the “prospective nature of this zone being confirmed”.

    A bumper day for ASX uranium shares

    The surging Deep Yellow share price joins the broad-based rally taking place among uranium shares on Tuesday.

    This comes after the world’s largest uranium producer, Kazatomprom, announced plans to launch its own physical uranium fund.

    Similar to Sprott Asset Management and its Physical Uranium Trust, this fund will hold physical uranium as a long-term investment.

    In the case of Sprott, its uranium fund has accumulated more than 30 million pounds of uranium since its inception on 19 July 2021.

    During this time, uranium spot prices surged from the low US$30/lb level to a 9-year high of approximately US$50/lb on 17 September.

    Kazatomprom will raise an initial US$50 million, financed by its founders. It will then raise US$500 million from institutional and/or private investors to fund its uranium purchases.

    Uranium-related shares performed strongly overnight, with the Global X Uranium Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) rallying 4.72%.

    The post Here’s why the Deep Yellow (ASX:DYL) share price is up 5% on Tuesday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Deep Yellow right now?

    Before you consider Deep Yellow, 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 Deep Yellow 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 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/3DZ6CGt

  • Cochlear (ASX:COH) share price charges higher on AGM update

    A happy woman in an office puts her hands in the air as if to celebrate while looking at computer.

    The Cochlear Limited (ASX: COH) share price has been a solid performer on Tuesday.

    In morning trade, the hearing solutions company’s shares are up 2.5% to $220.50.

    Why is the Cochlear share price rising today?

    Investors have been bidding the Cochlear share price higher today following the release of its annual general meeting update.

    As well as giving investors a breakdown on how the company performed in FY 2021, management provided its expectations for the current financial year.

    The good news, and potentially why the Cochlear share price is rising today, is that management continues to forecast solid earnings growth in FY 2022.

    What is expected in FY 2022?

    Cochlear’s CEO and President, Dig Howitt, revealed that the company’s performance during the first quarter of FY 2022 was in line with expectations.

    In light of this, Mr Howitt continues to forecast underlying earnings growth of between 12% and 20% this year.

    He commented: “We provided earnings guidance for FY22 at the release of our results in August, outlining how we expect to increase underlying net profit by between 12 and 20%, and this continues to be the case.”

    “Sales revenue is expected to benefit from market growth, with a continuing recovery in surgery rates across many countries more affected by COVID. We will continue our investment in market growth activities, with the net profit margin expected to remain a little below our longer‐term target of 18%,” he added.

    Mr Howitt also provided colour on how both developed and emerging markets are performing.

    In respect to the former, he said: “Developed markets are expected to continue to grow in FY22. While hospitals and clinics have adapted to operating during the pandemic, surgery rates continue to be variable across many countries.”

    Whereas for the later, he commented: “The rate of recovery in emerging markets has varied. We expect continued improvement but at a slower rate than developed markets, with some countries well down on FY19 levels and not likely to recover fully in FY22.”

    Overall, based on the Cochlear share price performance today, this appears to have gone down well with the market.

    The post Cochlear (ASX:COH) share price charges higher on AGM update appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Cochlear, 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 Cochlear 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 Cochlear Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Cochlear Ltd. 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/3ATHmiO

  • Why is the Propel Funeral (ASX:PFP) share price down 7% today?

    a man's hand lays a white rose on a curved grave stone.

    The ,Propel Funeral Partners Ltd (ASX: PFP) share price is sinking in morning trade, down 6.8% to $4.12 per share.

    Below we take a look at the company’s capital raising announcement.

    What capital raising was announced?

    The Propel Funeral share price is dropping after the company reported it had completed a roughly $52.2 million institutional placement.

    Some 12.25 million new shares will be issued to new and existing shareholders for $4.10 per share. Even after today’s 6.8% retreat, that’s still 2 cents below the current Propel Funeral share price.

    Atop the institutional placement, the company plans to raise up to $10 million more via a share purchase plan (SPP). The SPP is available to existing eligible shareholders who can subscribe for up to $30,000 worth of new shares. Propel expects the SPP offer period will open next week Wednesday, 27 October.

    The company plans to use the proceeds of the placement and SPP to pay down debt and increase its available funding capacity to pursue further growth initiatives and acquisitions.

    Commenting on the capital raising, Propel’s managing director Albin Kurti said:

    We are delighted by the support received from Propel’s existing institutional shareholders and to be welcoming new institutional investors, who will broaden Propel’s share register. We are also pleased to offer all eligible shareholders the ability to participate in the share offering via the SPP.

    We believe this is the right time to further strengthen our balance sheet, as the company seeks to continue to execute on its acquisition led growth strategy in what is a highly fragmented industry.

    Propel expects settlement of the placement to occur this Friday, 22 October.

    Propel Funeral share price snapshot

    Despite today’s dip, the Propel Funeral share price has been a stellar performer in 2021, up 46%. That well outpaces the 11% gains posted by the The All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) year-to-date.

    Over the past month, Propel’s shares are up 6%.

    The post Why is the Propel Funeral (ASX:PFP) share price down 7% today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Propel Funeral right now?

    Before you consider Propel Funeral, 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 Propel Funeral 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 Propel Funeral Partners Ltd. 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/3lSwxJx

  • Digital Wine (ASX:DW8) share price edges lower despite Share Purchase Plan opening

    a wine technician in overalls holds a glass of red wine up to the light and studies is closely with large wine barrels in the background, stored in a brick walled wine cellar.

    The Digital Wine Ventures Ltd (ASX: DW8) share price is dipping during mid-morning trade. This comes after the wine-focused technology investment company provided an update on its capital raising efforts last night.

    At the time of writing, Digital Wine shares are 1.67% lower at 6 cents apiece. In comparison, the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) is hovering 0.28% higher to 7,712 points.

    What did Digital Wine announce?

    According to the update, Digital Wine advised it has opened up a Share Purchase Plan (SPP) following a successful placement.

    On October 15, the company revealed that it has received overwhelming support to raise $12.625 million via a share placement. The firm commitments came from institutional, sophisticated and professional investors.

    About 225.45 million shares will be issued at a price of 5.6 cents per share. This represents a 15.2% discount to the last traded price of 6.6 cents before the announcement on 12 October.

    Furthermore, Digital Wine directors also subscribed for an additional 2.23 million shares at the same price offered. However, this is pending shareholder approval at an Annual General Meeting (AGM) to be held in the near future.

    The company decided to allow its remaining shareholders to participate in a $2 million SPP based on the same terms.

    Eligible investors will be able to apply for up to a maximum amount of $30,000 worth of new shares.

    The closing date for the SPP will fall on 26 October and the results will be announced on 2 November.

    The funds raised under the placement will be used support the acquisition of leading wholesale alcoholic beverage platform company, Kaddy. This includes the following:

    • $6.75 million to fund the cash consideration for the acquisition of Kaddy;
    • $5.3 million for expansion capital for the Kaddy marketplace; and
    • $0.70 million in capital raising costs.

    The monies collected from the SPP, however, will be allocated towards extra sales and marketing activities and general working capital.

    About the Digital Wine share price

    Over the past 12 months, Digital Wine shares have rallied around 15% higher, reflecting modest investor sentiment. However, since the start of 2021, the company’s share price is up almost 40% alone.

    On valuation grounds, Digital Wine presides a market capitalisation of roughly $112.9 million with approximately 1.8 billion shares outstanding.

    The post Digital Wine (ASX:DW8) share price edges lower despite Share Purchase Plan opening appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Digital Wine right now?

    Before you consider Digital Wine, 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 Digital Wine 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/3G1oqSU

  • Can the Medibank (ASX:MPL) share price hit $3.80 by the end of 2021?

    ASX share price movement represented by doctor pressing digitised screen with array of icons including one entitled health insurance

    Can the Medibank Private Limited (ASX: MPL) share price reach $3.80 before the end of the calendar year?

    No-one can truly know what share prices are going to do. But analysts like to project where they think the share prices of businesses might be in 12 months from now. So, not necessarily where the business is going to be in two and a half months. But it could indicate the direction that brokers feel that Medibank is headed.

    What’s the price target for the Medibank share price?

    There are several different brokers. Each of them have a different opinion about where the private health insurer is going to be.

    One of the most optimistic outlooks is from the broker Morgan Stanley, which has a price target of $3.80. That implies the Medibank Private share price could rise by around 10% over the next year, if the broker is right.

    The broker thought the FY21 result was good and thinks that Medibank can continue to increase its total number of policyholders. It could achieve lower premiums for policyholders with changes relating to prosthetics.

    How good was FY21?

    It revealed that revenue from external customers rose by 2.1% to $6.91 billion, whilst health insurance operating profit grew by 14.4% to $538.6 million. Net claims expenses only grew by 1.4%. Continuing operations operating profit rose 14.6% to $528.3 million.

    There was a large increase in net investment income, going from $2.4 million to $120 million. This helped continuing net profit after tax rise by 39.8% to $441.2 million.

    The profit growth allowed the Medibank board to grow its annual dividend per share by 5.8% to 12.7 cents. At the current Medibank share price, that represents a grossed-up dividend yield of 5.2%.

    During FY21, net resident policyholders increased by 4.6% to 82,500. That was an increase from 0.6% in FY20.

    When adjusted for COVID-related suspensions, policyholders increased 3.5% with the Medibank and ahm brands growing 1.3% and 10.9% respectively. It said that its acquisition rate was largely driven by strong growth in the ‘new to industry’ customer segment within the Medibank brand. Its retention rate improved by 130 basis points at a fund level, reflecting improving customer advocacy across both brands.

    The company said that it had grown more in the prior 12 months than it had over the last 10 years, with the market share up 37 basis points. Another area of improvement was its net promotor score, with a 5.3 increase for Medibank and a 1.8 increase for ahm.

    In terms of the outlook, the Medibank CEO David Koczkar said:

    While we expect overall participation growth to slow compared to FY21, we plan to further strengthen our dual brand strategy by delivering differentiated and compelling products and services that respond to growing areas of customer demand.

    We also have a critical role to play in driving change in Australia’s healthcare system and advocating for reforms to improve the affordability and value of private healthcare.

    This is why we will continue to invest in preventative health and building more partnerships with doctors, hospitals and governments. However, these changes will not come quickly nor will it be easy, but the sustainability of our health system is at stake.

    Valuation on the Medibank Private share price

    According to Morgan Stanley, Medibank Private shares are valued at around 20x FY22’s estimated earnings.

    However, not every broker is so positive on the health insurance giant. For example, Morgans rates Medibank as a hold with a price target of $3.28. In other words, it thinks that Medibank shares are going to edge lower over the coming months.

    The post Can the Medibank (ASX:MPL) share price hit $3.80 by the end of 2021? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

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

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Medibank 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 Tristan Harrison has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

    from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/3aNko23

  • Brambles (ASX:BXB) share price rises as revenues lift 9% in first quarter

    A happy woman in a hard hat gives two thumbs up, standing in a packing warehouse.

    The Brambles Limited (ASX: BXB) share price is up in early day trading after the company released its first-quarter update for FY22.

    At the time of writing, shares in the supply chain logistics company are trading for $10.45 – up 2.96%. The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO), meanwhile, is 0.09% lower.

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

    What did Brambles announce?

    • Sales revenue up 9% on the prior corresponding period (pcp) to US$1.3 billion at a constant exchange rate. Broken down by segment – revenue from the Americas is up 9%, Europe, Africa and the Middle East is 8% higher, and Asia-Pacific revenue increased 11%.
    • Looking forward, Brambles is expecting revenue growth of between 5% and 7% throughout FY22. The company says a higher base from FY21 will be the reason for slower growth compared to the first quarter.
    • Underlying profit growth of 1-2%, including US$50 million of short-term transformation costs. Excluding these short-term transformation costs, underlying profit growth is expected to be between 6% and 7%.
    • Dividends should “be in line” with company policy of paying out 45-60% of underlying profits.

    What did management say?

    Commenting on the update possibly driving the Brambles share price today, CEO Graham Chipchase said:

    Our first-quarter sales performance demonstrates the commercial resilience of our business, with pricing and surcharge mechanisms supporting the recovery of increased costs across global supply chains. We continue to operate in a high inflationary environment with pallet availability constraints and ongoing lumber, labour and transport scarcity disrupting supply chains and driving increased costs across our businesses.

    Pallet availability remained challenging in the first quarter with industry-wide shortages of new pallet supply across the globe as well as lower levels of pallet returns and longer cycle times in our North American business. This was a contributor to the decline in like-for-like volumes in North America and contributed to the lower rates of new business growth across the Americas and Europe, as we prioritised servicing existing customer demand over new customer wins.

    He added:

    Despite some moderation in lumber inflation in North America, lumber prices across the group remain above historic levels and pallet prices continue to increase, particularly in Europe and Latin America. We expect inflationary pressures to remain for the balance of FY22.

    What else has affected the Brambles share price recently?

    As Motley Fool has previously reported, the Brambles share price slid 11% last month after its investor day presentation.

    Brambles alluded to “high single-digit” growth in its presentation for revenue and underlying profit in FY22 and FY23. The company sees revenue growth of 5-6% in FY22. Additionally, free cash flow is expected “to be an outflow of US$200 million”.

    Supply chain logistical issues, which have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, may also be worrying investors. The cost of shipping has increased as ports shut down and demand between regions varies markedly.

    Brambles share price snapshot

    Over the past 12 months, the Brambles share price has decreased by 2%. Year-to-date, Brambles shares are also around 2% lower. Over the past month, it’s an even worse 6% decline.

    Brambles has a market capitalisation of approximately $15 billion.

    The post Brambles (ASX:BXB) share price rises as revenues lift 9% in first quarter appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Brambles, 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 Brambles 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/3BW8wqH

  • CSL (ASX:CSL) share price trades flat despite annual R&D update

    woman in lab coat conducting testing representing biotech

    The CSL Limited (ASX: CSL) share price is trading broadly flat on Tuesday morning following the release of its annual research and development (R&D) update.

    At the time of writing, the biotherapeutics company’s shares are fetching $294.15.

    CSL share price flat following R&D update

    During FY 2021, CSL invested more than US$1 billion in its R&D activities across six therapeutic areas, four scientific platforms, and two businesses.

    Management notes that there were a number of highlights during the period. These include:

    The Seqirus business advancing its first-of-its-kind adjuvanted, cell-based seasonal influenza vaccine (aQIVc) and increasing its work on its self-amplifying mRNA (sa-mRNA) development program. In fact, earlier this month, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) awarded Seqirus a multi-year contract to provide clinical development services to evaluate the safety, immunogenicity, and dose-sparing capability of two H2Nx influenza vaccine candidates. One is using a combination of Seqirus’ FDA-licensed cell-based and adjuvanted technologies, and the other is using its next generation sa-mRNA platform.

    CSL has started a new collaboration with the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute for Medical Research (WEHI). This is one of the most prominent medical research and medicine development organisations in Australia. The two parties will work together to create a Centre for Biologic Therapies.

    Another item highlighted by management is the impending Phase III study of 4-Factor Prothrombin Complex Concentrate to improve survival rates in traumatic injury and acute major bleeding. In addition, the company notes that the VANGUARD Phase III clinical trial for Garadacimab, a treatment in hereditary angioedema (HAE), has enrolled its last patient two months ahead of schedule. Recruitment from the AEGIS-II Phase III study of CSL112 (ApoA-1) for treatment of acute coronary syndrome is also progressing despite COVID-19 impact on clinical trial sites and patients.

    Finally, on the licence front, CSL revealed that preparations are underway for EtranaDez, a gene therapy for haemophilia B, to submit a Biologics Licence Application for the US and Marketing Authorisation Application for the EU.

    Management commentary

    CSL’s Executive Vice President, Head of R&D, and Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Bill Mezzanotte, commented: “We continue to evolve as a leading plasma-based biotechnology company with purposeful diversity in therapeutic areas, scientific platforms and strategic alliances.”

    “We are continuing to invest in our core plasma business while also enhancing our other scientific platforms to better deliver on our promise to discover, develop and provide innovations that save and improve lives around the world,” he added.

    The post CSL (ASX:CSL) share price trades flat despite annual R&D update appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

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

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

    The online investing service he’s run for 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 CSL Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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

  • A2 Milk (ASX:A2M) share price ticks higher as UBS increases holding

    a cute young girl with curly hair sips a glass of milk through a straw with a smile on her face.

    The A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX: A2M) share price is trading higher on Tuesday following a change in substantial shareholding from UBS.

    At the time of writing, shares in the diary and infant formula company are up 2.34% to $6.775.

    UBS raises its stake

    A2 Milk released a change in substantial shareholding update this morning, revealing that UBS has increased its stake from 6.35% to 7.40%.

    The A2 Milk share price has shown some signs of life in the past week, bolstered by a positive update coming out of rival Bubs Australia Ltd (ASX: BUB) on Wednesday, 13 October.

    Bubs announced a resurgence in earnings with infant formula revenues up 124% in 1Q22 compared to the same quarter last year and up 64% over the prior quarter.

    Similarly, its adult goat milk power was up 100% year-on-year and up 61% quarter-on-quarter.

    Another encouraging figure was its strong rebound in China-facing business with revenue up 156% on the prior year and up 98% quarter-on-quarter.

    Overall international gross revenue increased 489% compared to the prior corresponding period (pcp) and up 35% on 4Q20.

    The successful turnaround for Bubs helped drive a sharp 13.45% re-rate for the A2 Milk share price on the day of the announcement.

    The 13.45% jump to $6.58 was also on the back of significant volume, with 15.03 million shares trading hands compared to a 10-day average volume of 5.97 million.

    The A2 Milk share price was met with some degree of resistance the next day, surging as high as 9.88% to a 3-month high of $7.23 before closing the day 4.26% higher at $6.86.

    The intraday pullback was again on high volume, with 19.24 million shares traded. The mixed performance perhaps signals a strong morning push before profit taking faded the gains.

    A2 Milk share price snapshot

    The A2 Milk share price is down 41% year-to-date following numerous guidance downgrades.

    The relentless selling that took place between August last year and late-May has somewhat subsided.

    A2 Milk shares have remain relatively range-bound since late-May, holding above the $5 level but struggling to break above $7.

    The post A2 Milk (ASX:A2M) share price ticks higher as UBS increases holding appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in A2 Milk right now?

    Before you consider A2 Milk, 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 A2 Milk 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 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 recommended A2 Milk and BUBS AUST FPO. 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/3G0TBxS

  • Stockland (ASX:SGP) share price gains despite retail renters’ struggles

    Woman with moving box on head 16:9

    The Stockland Corporation Ltd (ASX: SGP) share price is up this morning after the company released its operational update for the first quarter of financial year 2022.

    The housing developer and commercial property giant had a seemingly strong quarter despite COVID-19 restrictions impinging on tenants of its ‘retail town centre’ portfolio.

    At the time of writing, the Stockland share price is $4.64, 0.87% higher than its previous close.

    That’s a better performance than that exhibited by the broader market this morning. Right now, the S&P/ASX 200 Index is down 0.09%, while the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) has slipped 0.06%.

    Let’s take a look at the quarter just been for Stockland.

    Stockland share price gains after Q1 update

    The Stockland share price is rising despite the company collecting just 75% of its retail rent without adding abatements or deferrals over the quarter just been.

    Stockland noted discussions of COVID-19 rent relief with its retail tenants are still underway.

    It was a better story for the company’s logistics portfolio. It ended the quarter with 98.9% occupancy, up from 98% in June 2021. Additionally, only 2% of rent for Stockland’s workplace and logistics assets went unpaid during the quarter just been.

    The company’s residential arm also saw stronger performance. Residential property sales were up 8% compared to those of financial year 2021’s first quarter.

    The company sold 1,947 lots over the quarter just been. It also acquired approximately 5,900 new lots to restock its assets.

    Retirement living sales were in line with expectations, though, they were affected by COVID-19 restrictions. The integration of the Halcyon platform is progressing well, with Land Lease Communities’ sales in line with expectations.

    Stockland’s managing director and CEO Tarun Gupta commented on the news driving the company’s share price today:

    The group’s strong financial position was maintained at the end of the quarter with low gearing and ample liquidity, underpinned by our solid operational business performance.

    Additionally, the company forecasted its funds from operations per security will be between 34.6 and 35.6 cents for financial year 2022. It expects to pay out 75% to 85% of funds from operations per security as dividends.

    However, Stockland noted its guidance rests on Australia’s vaccination rates continuing to increase and COVID-19 restrictions easing alongside.  

    Market watchers interested in the Stockland share price, keep an eye out for another operational update on 8 November.

    The post Stockland (ASX:SGP) share price gains despite retail renters’ struggles appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Stockland, 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 Stockland 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. 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/3DURCJo

  • Medibank (ASX:MPL) share price forecast for more growth: fund manager

    one hundred dollar notes planted in the ground representing growth asx shares

    The Medibank Private Ltd (ASX: MPL) share price has handily outperformed the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) in 2021, despite a strong showing from the index.

    Year-to-date, Medibank shares are up 14% compared to a 10.5% gain posted by the ASX 200.

    And the integrated healthcare company could have more outperformance to come.

    That’s according to Andrew Martin, the principal portfolio manager of the Alphinity Australian Share Fund and the Alphinity Concentrated Australian Share Fund.

    Earnings upgrades ahead?

    One of the catalysts that could see the Medibank share price charge higher in the months ahead is the potential for earnings upgrades.

    Speaking to the Motley Fool earlier in October, Martin explained:

    We invest in what we call earnings leadership. Those are companies that are performing better than the market expects from an earnings perspective. Companies that are getting consistent earnings upgrades.

    Alphinity concentrates on analysing individual stocks bottom up. But when it comes to the potential for earnings upgrades, Martin pointed to the Aussie insurance sector as one to keep an eye on:

    One of the few sectors left getting earnings upgrades is insurance. It’s traditionally quite a volatile sector, because you can get big hits every now and again. But they’re experiencing some of the best conditions they’ve experienced since the early 2000s. A much better pricing environment coming through is helping grow the top line, and then you get this expansion in margin.

    Which brings us to the Medibank share price.

    When asked which ASX shares he believes have the potential to outperform, Martin had a few up his sleeve.

    Among those, he said, “We quite like Medibank. It’s an insurance company, but health insurance, so a different kind of market.”

    Martin said the business has “really been transforming itself since it listed”.

    It’s taken some really strong leadership in terms of sorting out a number of issues in the market around claims and what was happening in terms of healthcare costs going up materially. They’ve worked with the industry to try to contain pricing and therefore grow the industry.

    How has the Medibank share price been performing?

    Medibank shares are up 27% over the past 12 months. By comparison, the ASX 200 has gained 18% over that same time.

    Over the past month, the Medibank share price has struggled a bit, down 1% to the current $3.47 per share.

    At the current share price, the company pays a trailing dividend yield of 3.6%, fully franked.

    You can read the Motley Fool’s full interview with Alphinity’s Andrew Martin here.

    The post Medibank (ASX:MPL) share price forecast for more growth: fund manager appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

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

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Medibank 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 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/3AXUWBI