Category: Stock Market

  • 2 buy-rated ASX dividend shares with 5% yields

    large goklden symbol of 5% representing yield of dividend shares

    Are you looking for some dividend shares to boost your income portfolio? If you are, then you might want to look at the ones listed below.

    Here’s why these ASX dividend shares could be in the buy zone:

    Scentre Group (ASX: SCG)

    The first ASX dividend share to look at is this shopping centre operator.

    Scentre owns and operates the pre-eminent living centre portfolio in the ANZ market with $50 billion of retail real estate assets under management. This comprises 42 Westfield living centres.

    It certainly has been a tough 18 months for Scentre because of the pandemic. However, with Australia on the verge of reopening again, foot traffic through its centres looks set to rebound.

    In addition, with inflation expectations at high levels, Scentre looks well-placed to benefit. This is because the company is positively leveraged to inflation with an estimated 70%+ of its base rental income subject to inflation-linked escalation.

    It is largely for this reason that Goldman Sachs is so positive on Scentre. It currently has a buy rating and $3.32 price target on its shares.

    As for dividends, the broker is forecasting a 16 cents per share dividend in FY 2022. Based on the latest Scentre share price of $2.99, this will mean a 5.3% yield.

    Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC)

    Goldman Sachs is also positive on Australia’s oldest bank. It likes Westpac due to its belief that the earnings risks are skewed to the upside thanks to its bold cost reduction plans. It notes that management is aiming to reduce its cost base down to $8 billion by FY 2024.

    Although Westpac’s shares have stormed higher this year, the broker believes they can still go higher. It has a buy rating and $29.83 price target on its shares.

    In addition, its analysts believe the bank’s shares will provide investors with a generous yield in FY 2022. Goldman has pencilled in a fully franked $1.28 per share dividend. Based on the current Westpac share price of $25.65, this will mean a 5% yield for investors.

    The post 2 buy-rated ASX dividend shares with 5% yields appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Wondering where you should invest $1,000 right now?

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for 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 James Mickleboro owns shares of Westpac Banking Corporation. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia 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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  • Is the NAB (ASX:NAB) share price a buy?

    Young girl peeps over the top of her red piggy bank, ready to put coins in it.

    Is the National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) share price worth looking at right now? It’s currently at above $27.

    Over the last month the NAB share price has fallen by 4%, though it had fallen below $27 a couple of weeks ago.

    What do brokers think of NAB?

    Brokers had been positive on the big four ASX banks for quite a while. NAB shares have risen by 47% over the last 12 months, showing that the market appeared to agree.

    However, after the strong run, brokers are reducing their expectations for the next 12 months.

    For example, a few weeks ago the broker Credit Suisse reduced its rating on the bank from a buy to hold/neutral. Credit Suisse thinks the positive direction that the bank is heading in is now reflected in the valuation.

    Credit Suisse’s price target for NAB is $28.50, suggesting a slight increase over the next 12 months. Based on the broker’s numbers, the NAB share price is valued at more than 14x FY22’s estimated earnings with a forward grossed-up dividend yield of 6.9%.

    However, the broker Ord Minnett still rates NAB as a buy, thinking it can increase its revenue. Interestingly, Ord Minnett thinks that NAB shares are valued at 15x FY23’s estimated earnings.

    How good was the NAB result in reporting season?

    NAB said that in the third quarter of FY21, it generated $1.65 billion of statutory net profit. The bank also made $1.7 billion of cash earnings. The cash earnings represented growth of 10.3% year on year.

    At the time, the bank said that it was pleasing that it was seeing strong momentum across its business. In Australia, housing lending rose 2% and small and medium business lending grew by 4.3%, both outpacing the overall lending market in recent months. In New Zealand, its business also saw growth of lending of 2.7%. NAB attributed this growth to the decisions and investments it’s making, which are having a positive impact on the business and for customers.

    Management said it’s focused on where and how it will grow. Growth can be an important factor that impacts the NAB share price.

    NAB noted it has exited MLC Wealth and that the acquisitions of 86 400 and Citigroup’s Australian consumer business will help accelerate its growth strategy.

    Citigroup acquisition

    The big four bank is going to pay Citigroup a cash amount for the net assets of the consumer business, plus a premium of $250 million. It was expecting to pay approximately $1.2 billion for the business, which implies a multiple of 8x time Citigroup consumer business pro forma net profit after tax (NPAT) of $145 million for the 12 months to June 2021.

    NAB said this deal will bring scale and deep expertise in unsecured lending, particularly credit cards, which it believes is still an important way for customers to make payments and manage their cashflows.

    The NAB share price has risen 2% since announcing this acquisition.

    The post Is the NAB (ASX:NAB) share price a buy? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider NAB, 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 NAB 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 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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  • 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday

    Investor sitting in front of multiple screens watching share prices

    On Wednesday the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) gave back its morning gains and dropped into the red. The benchmark index fell 0.6% to 7,206.5 points.

    Will the market be able to bounce back from this on Thursday? Here are five things to watch:

    ASX 200 expected to rise

    The Australian share market looks set to rise on Thursday. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 10 points or 0.15% higher this morning. This follows a mildly positive night of trade on Wall Street, which late on sees the Dow Jones up 0.05%, the S&P 500 up 0.15%, and the Nasdaq trading 0.2% higher.

    Oil prices fall

    Energy shares including Oil Search Ltd (ASX: OSH) and Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) could come under pressure after oil prices pulled back. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is down 2.35% to US$77.09 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price has fallen 2.1% to US$80.79 a barrel. News that US stockpiles have increased put pressure on oil prices.

    Gold price falls

    Gold miners Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) and Regis Resources Limited (ASX: RRL) could have a positive day after the gold price pushed higher. According to CNBC, the spot gold price is up 0.2% to US$1,765 an ounce. A slight retreat in US bond yields boosted the safe haven asset.

    Dividends being paid

    Today is payday for shareholders of a number of ASX 200 shares. Among the companies paying their latest dividends are Breville Group Ltd (ASX: BRG), InvoCare Limited (ASX: IVC), South32 Ltd (ASX: S32), Super Retail Group Ltd (ASX: SUL), and Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES).

    NAB shares rated as buys

    The National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) share price could be in the buy zone according to analysts at Goldman Sachs. In response to APRA’s targeted serviceability restrictions, the broker has retained its conviction buy rating and $30.62 price target on the banking giant’s shares.

    The post 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday 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 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 Super Retail Group Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Super Retail Group Limited and Wesfarmers Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended InvoCare 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 are the top 10 ASX shares today

    Top 10 ASX 200 shares

    Today, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) finished lower despite a positive start to the session. The benchmark index dipped 0.58% to 7,206.5 points.

    In the morning, the tech sector was holding the index up in the green. However, the broader market’s negative sentiment spilled over into the technology shares, erasing a considerable chunk of the gains on display earlier in the day.

    However, the question is: which shares delivered the biggest returns to investors on the ASX today? Here are the ten stocks that rose to the occasion:

    Top 10 ASX shares countdown today

    Looking at the top 200 listed companies, Yancoal Australia Ltd (ASX: YAL) was the biggest gainer today. Shares in the Australian coal producer jumped 7.9% amid the rising fears of an energy shortage across China and Europe. Find out more about Yancoal Australia here.

    The next biggest gaining ASX share today was Virgin Money UK PLC (ASX: VUK). The financial services company rallied 3.31% despite no new announcements. Uncover the latest Virgin Money UK details here.

    Today’s top 10 biggest gains were made in these ASX shares:

    ASX-listed company Share price Price change
    Yancoal Australia Ltd (ASX: YAL) $3.96 7.90%
    Virgin Money UK PLC (ASX: VUK) $3.75 3.31%
    Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX: WHC) $3.56 3.19%
    Nine Entertainment Co Holdings Ltd (ASX: NEC) $2.67 3.09%
    Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) $117.10 3.08%
    Platinum Asset Management Ltd (ASX: PTM) $3.41 3.02%
    Eagers Automotive Ltd (ASX: APE) $14.82 2.56%
    Contact Energy Ltd (ASX: CEN) $8.05 2.55%
    QBE Insurance Group Ltd (ASX: QBE) $11.78 2.44%
    Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) $7.435 2.41%
    Data as at 4:00pm AEST

    Our top 10 ASX shares today countdown is a recurring end-of-day summary to ensure you know which companies were making big moves on the day. Check-in at Fool.com.au after the market has closed during weekdays to see which stocks make the countdown.

    The post Here are the top 10 ASX shares today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Wondering where you should invest $1,000 right now?

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for 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 Mitchell Lawler owns shares of AFTERPAY T FPO. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended AFTERPAY T FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended AFTERPAY T 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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  • What’s happening with the Evergrande crisis today?

    a woman leans her back on the glass of an office tower with her arms folded and her eyes closed as if digesting bad news.

    Another day, another revelation in the China Evergrande Group saga. The precariously perched Chinese property developer is believed to be sitting on a debt pile of A$408 billion.

    This makes Evergrande the most indebted real estate company in the world — a record you don’t want if you can’t afford the repayments. Unfortunately, that is exactly the case.

    In the latest development, ABC News has reported the company once again failed to make good on a $282 million payment to bondholders. This follows multiple other failures to make payments on its debts over the past week.

    Additionally, the concerns for further economic fallout have heightened as other sizeable property developers miss their payment deadlines.

    Reining in debt comes at a cost

    The China government is adamant it is aiming to tighten the belt on rising debt and the speculative property market. As such, fears have escalated that Beijing may stick to its guns and avoid bailing out the company and its creditors.

    This would send a definitive message on the risks of operating at high debt levels and providing capital to such businesses.

    How much debt? Well, according to Simply Wall St, the property developer’s debt to equity ratio was 139% at the end of June 2021. This figure is based on the company’s debt reaching A$122 billion though this has skyrocketed beyond $400 billion in the past few months.

    Typically, more than 40% debt to equity would be considered high in the financial world.

    At the same time, Evergrande is reported to only have around $19 billion of cash and short-term investments on its balance sheet. Yet, even with this reported amount of cash, it seems the company is failing to meet its debt obligations.

    As a result, investors are fearing a collapse of Evergrande could spill over to global financial markets. At this point, economists believe Beijing has the resources to contain any potential impact.

    Joining Evergrande in defaulting

    Potentially most worrying, Evergrande is not the only property developer skipping its debt paydays. Another company, Fantasia Holdings Group, listed on the Hong Kong exchange, announced a missed payment on Tuesday.

    Reports indicate Fantasia was due to repay a $206 million bond on Monday but was unable to fulfil its debt obligation. A release from the company after entering a trading halt stated, “management will assess the potential impact of the financial condition and cash position of the group under the circumstances”.

    Commenting on the news, S&P Global Ratings issued a statement stating:

    Fantasia’s missed payment highlights its strained liquidity, despite its reported sufficient cash on hand.

    Fuelling Evergrande fears, a multitude of other Hong Kong-listed property developers followed suit yesterday, entering trading halts of their own.

    The post What’s happening with the Evergrande crisis 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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  • Tech stocks on the nose, energy rises, online retail grows. Scott Phillips on Nine’s Late News

    Scott Phillips on Nine Late News 5 Oct 2021.

    Motley Fool Australia Chief Investment Officer Scott Phillips joined Nine’s Late News on Tuesday night to discuss the big recent fall in technology stocks, a bounce for energy stocks on the back of a higher oil price, and online grows by 15% despite falling retail sales.

    The post Tech stocks on the nose, energy rises, online retail grows. Scott Phillips on Nine’s Late News 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 Scott Phillips 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 is the Predictive Discovery (ASX:PDI) share price falling today?

    Fortescue Metals share price falls. young boy wearing a hard hat frowning with his hands on his head.

    The Predictive Discovery Ltd (ASX: PDI) share price is sliding 11% into the red today and is now trading at 23.5 cents.

    The gold explorer’s shares have fallen despite there being no market-sensitive information from the company and after closing yesterday 13% higher at 26 cents.

    Let’s take a close look at what might be fuelling this pullback in the Predictive Discovery share price.

    What’s up with the Predictive Discovery share price today?

    It’s difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of what might be behind today’s downward moves in Predictive’s share price.

    However, yesterday the company advised it is set to hold an investor presentation on recent updates at its Bankan gold project in the West African nation of Guinea.

    Predictive is riding a wave of momentum at this site of late, including an updated mineral resource estimate (MRE) of 3.65 million ounces for the gold project.

    Predictive Discovery managing director Paul Roberts will lead a 30-minute presentation covering the site, its planned exploration activities and plans for technical studies.

    Investors appeared to have enjoyed the news with a flurry of buying activity lifting Predictive’s share price yesterday.

    However, these gains haven’t rolled over into today and the Predictive Discovery share price has corrected towards its levels of 30 September.

    Taking a step back and looking at the wider picture, Predictive Discovery shares were trading relatively flat in the 3 months until 21 September, after which they began to march northwards.

    This came after high-grade gold discoveries at its Bankan project that were announced a week earlier. This was followed by positive drill results and another mineral resource update from the site at month’s end.

    Despite the update, Predictive’s shares took a backward step before being scooped up by investors at 22 cents apiece on 1 October. They climbed to new 52-week highs yesterday.

    Again, the day after yesterday’s announcement, the company’s share price has taken another backward step.

    In the absence of any price-sensitive news today, it’s difficult to pinpoint what is causing the selloff in Predictive Discovery’s shares today

    Suffice to say, it’s been a fairly bumpy road for Predictive Discovery shareholders the past few days.

    Predictive Discovery share price snapshot

    The Predictive Discovery share price has delivered outsized returns this year to date and has climbed 268% into the green.

    That’s well ahead of the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO)’s return of 25% in the past year.

    The post Why is the Predictive Discovery (ASX:PDI) share price falling today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Predictive Discovery right now?

    Before you consider Predictive Discovery, 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 Predictive Discovery 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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    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.

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  • Pilbara Minerals (ASX:PLS) share price flat despite resource upgrade and quarterly update

    bored man looking at his iMac

    Gains for the Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) share price were quick to fade this morning, opening 5.33% higher to an intraday high of $1.975 before sliding to breakeven territory.

    This is despite an upbeat announcement this morning regarding an upgrade in ore reserves and a September quarterly update later in the afternoon.

    Short-lived rally for the Pilbara Minerals share price

    The Pilbara Minerals share price quickly ran out of steam this morning, hitting an intraday high of $1.975 right after the morning bell before fading to lows of $1.86 by 11 am.

    Despite investors selling on the news, the announcement itself highlighted a positive 54% increase in total proved and probable ore reserve tonnes following the discovery of new pegmatite domains together with the integration of the Ngungaju resource.

    Pilbara Minerals announced its plans to restart Ngungaju operations back in June this year.

    The project was previously owned by Altura Mining Limited (ASX: AJM), which Pilbara Minerals acquired in October last year for $175 million.

    The company estimates that restart costs will be around $39 million and the project should ramp up to 1800,000 to 200,000 dry metric tonnes (dmt) by mid 2022.

    Pilbara Minerals announced another price-sensitive piece of news in the afternoon, that being a September quarter production and sales update.

    The announcement failed to drive any further upside to the Pilbara Minerals share price.

    Within the announcement, the company reported September quarter production of 85,759 dmt of spodumene concentrate compared to 77,162 dmt in the June quarter.

    Spodumene concentrate shipment figures stood at 91,549 dmt, a slight decrease compared to June quarter shipments of 95,972. But exceeded its prior guidance of 77,000 to 90,000 dmt.

    Pilbara Minerals reported a quarter-end cash balance of $137.3 million, which included $36.2 million in irrevocable bank letters of credit for shipments completed up to 30 September.

    In addition to production and shipment figures, the company advised that its joint venture with South Korean steel-making company POSCO was “well advanced”.

    Pilbara Minerals said that a final investment decision is expected towards the end of October.

    The joint venture features the development and operation of a 40,000 tonnes per annum (tpa) downstream lithium chemical conversion facility in South Korea.

    The post Pilbara Minerals (ASX:PLS) share price flat despite resource upgrade and quarterly update appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Pilbara Minerals right now?

    Before you consider Pilbara Minerals, 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 Pilbara Minerals 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 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.

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  • Why is the Altech Chemicals (ASX:ATC) share price soaring 22% today?

    A female dancer dressed in red soars over the earth after taking a giant leap.

    The Altech Chemicals Ltd (ASX: ATC) share price is soaring today, peaking around midday at 26% higher than yesterday’s close. Altech shares are now changing hands at 8.2 cents apiece, 22.39% higher.

    Altech shares are well ahead of the S&P/ASX 300 Metals and Mining Index (AXMM), which has slipped into the red.

    Shares in the alumina producer are on the move despite there being no market sensitive news today. In light of this, let’s investigate further.

    Why are Altech Chemicals shares soaring today?

    In the absence of any specific news, one has to look immediately to the commodity markets for an explanation.

    Foolish investors will likely know that we are in the midst of a commodities supercycle reminiscent of the commodities boom of the 2000s, which peaked around 2007.

    Consequently, the entire commodities basket is fetching multiyear highs.

    Altech is a leading producer of alumina. Alumina is a key ingredient that is smelted in the primary production process to form aluminium.

    As such, the company has exposure to the price of aluminium and the price it commands in the spot and futures markets.

    Given this situation, the company is considered a price taker. That means it must work with what prices are on offer in the commodities markets, instead of bargaining or looking for alternative places to sell into.

    Aluminium has been on a stairway headed straight north over the last 12 months. It has increased 46% from US$1,998/tonne to now trade at US$2,915 per tonne.

    Strong demand and supply shortages, in addition to a military coup in Guinea, a major exporter of alumina’s key ingredient bauxite, have sent prices soaring this year.

    In the short term, aluminium has made another move from 30 September, jumping US$65/tonne.

    It appears the relationship has carried through to the Altech Chemicals share price, as it has popped over 31% from 6.2 cents on 1 October.

    As a result of the recent moves, Altech Chemicals shares are now trading above their previous 52-week high.

    Altech Chemicals share price snapshot

    The Altech Chemicals share price has climbed 105% this year to date, well ahead of the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) return of just 7.7%.

    Altech shares have gained 64% in the past year. And they have rallied 17.14% just this past month.

    The post Why is the Altech Chemicals (ASX:ATC) share price soaring 22% today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Altech Chemicals right now?

    Before you consider Altech Chemicals, 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 Altech Chemicals 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.

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  • Here are the 3 most heavily traded ASX 200 shares this Wednesday

    a man peers between two large piles of papers and files with a wide-eyed, wide-mouth look of dread at the amount of work he has to do.

    The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is having a pretty poor Wednesday so far. After an initial bump into positive territory this morning, the ASX 200 has since regressed. It’s currently sitting at 7,207 points, down 0.57% for the day.

    So let’s escape from that mire and instead check out the ASX 200 shares that are being most heavily traded so far today, according to investing.com.

    The 3 most heavily traded ASX 200 shares this Wednesday

    Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX: WHC)

    ASX 200 coal miner Whitehaven Coal is our first ASX share to check out today. Whitehaven has so far seen an impressive 14.13 million of its shares bought and sold on the markets this Wednesday. There is not much in the way of news out of the company today.

    However, we have seen a large share price move that can probably explain this elevated trading volume. The Whitehaven share price is currently up a healthy 4.2% so far this Wednesday to $3.60 a share. That’s just a whisker away from Whitehaven’s 52-week high of $3.64.

    Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT)

    We have oil driller Beach up next. Beach Energy has also seen elevated volume numbers today, with a hefty 20.37 million Beach shares swapping owners so far. Again, there are no major news or developments with this company today.

    However, Beach has also seen a large swing in its share price that is likely behind the large volumes of shares trading. Beach shares are down a nasty 1.6% so far and are currently trading at $1.41 a share.

    Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS)

    Our final ASX 200 share to examine this Wednesday is the lithium producer Pilbara Minerals. Pilbara made a big announcement this morning when the company outlined an increase in its expected ore reserves.

    This has excited investors mightly, with the Pilbara share price currently up a robust 0.53% to $1.885. It traded even higher earlier today, hitting an intra-day high of $1.98 a share. This is the probable cause of the 22.83 million Pilbara shares changing hands so far today.

     

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

    Should you invest $1,000 in PIlbara Minerals right now?

    Before you consider PIlbara Minerals, 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 PIlbara Minerals 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 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 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/3Fl4MB5