Category: Stock Market

  • 3 excellent ASX ETFs for investors

    ETF spelt out

    If you’re looking for an easy way to invest in international shares for diversification, then exchange traded funds (ETFs) could be the answer.

    But which ETFs should you look at? Here are three excellent ETFs that could be worth getting better acquainted with:

    BetaShares NASDAQ 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ)

    The first ETF to look at is the hugely popular BetaShares NASDAQ 100 ETF. There’s a reason why this ETF is appearing in a growing number of Australian investment portfolios. That’s because it gives investors exposure to the 100 largest non-financial shares on the famous NASDAQ index. Among the 100 companies included in the fund are tech giant’s such as Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft, and Netflix. There are also a number of outstanding non-tech companies included. These include Mondelez, Moderna, Pepsico, Starbucks, and Tesla.

    BetaShares Global Cybersecurity ETF (ASX: HACK)

    Another ASX ETF to look at is the BetaShares Global Cybersecurity ETF. This popular ETF gives investors exposure to the leading companies in the global cybersecurity sector. This could be a great place to invest right now, with demand for cybersecurity services increasing due to the growing threat of cyber attacks. Included in the fund are high quality companies such as Accenture, Cisco, Cloudflare, Crowdstrike, Okta, and Splunk.

    VanEck Vectors Morningstar Wide Moat ETF (ASX: MOAT)

    A final ETF for ASX investors to consider is the VanEck Vectors Morningstar Wide Moat ETF. This ETF gives investors access to a diversified portfolio of companies with sustainable competitive advantages and fair valuations. These are traits that Warren Buffett looks for when he picks his investments. At present, there are a total of 48 US based stocks in the fund. This includes Amazon, Bank of America, Berkshire Hathaway, Intel, McDonalds, Microsoft, Philip Morris, and Yum Brands.

    The post 3 excellent ASX ETFs for investors 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 BETA CYBER ETF UNITS and BETANASDAQ ETF UNITS. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended BETA CYBER ETF UNITS and BETANASDAQ ETF UNITS. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended VanEck Vectors ETF Trust – VanEck Vectors Video Gaming and eSports ETF. 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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  • 2 ASX dividend shares that just delivered even bigger payouts

    Telstra dividend upgrade best asx share price dividend growth represented by fingers walking along growing piles of coins upgrade

    Reporting season continues, but there are some ASX dividend shares that just increased the dividend to shareholders.

    Some businesses have seen a lot of growth in this strange environment because of COVID-19. Time will tell whether that continues or not.

    But the leadership decided to increase dividend payouts from these two businesses:

    JB Hi-Fi Limited (ASX: JBH)

    JB Hi-Fi is one of Australia’s biggest retailers. According to the ASX, it currently has a market capitalisation of $5.7 billion.

    Total sales increased by 12.6% to $8.9 billion, whilst net profit after tax (NPAT) grew 67.4% to $506.1 million and earnings per share (EPS) rose 67.5% to 440.8 cents. Online sales grew by 78.1% over the year to $1.1 billion.

    The Good Guys in-particular saw a large increase in profitability, which saw the earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) improve 318 basis points to 7.9%. The gross profit margin increased 189 basis points to 22.4% and the cost of doing business margin improved 100 basis points to 11.7%.

    With that profit, the ASX dividend share decided to declare a final dividend of $1.07 per share – an increase of 18.9%. That brought the total dividend for FY21 to $2.87 per share, up 51.9%.

    That payment of the annual dividend represented 65% of net profit after tax (NPAT).

    However, in a trading update for FY22 to 15 August 2021, it saw JB Hi-Fi Australia sales fall 14.6% and The Good Guys saw a decline of 8.1%.

    The broker Credit Suisse rates JB Hi-Fi as a buy, with a price target of $56.48. In FY22, Credit Suisse is projecting JB Hi-Fi will pay a grossed-up dividend yield of 6.7% at the current JB Hi-Fi share price.

    Accent Group Ltd (ASX: AX1)

    The footwear ASX dividend share revealed sizeable growth in FY21. Total sales rose 19.9% to $1.14 billion.

    Accent’s EBIT grew 32.1% to $124.9 million, NPAT increased 38.6% to $76.9 million and EPS went up 38.2% to 14.21 cents.

    That growth gave the board the confidence to increase the full year dividend by 21.6% to 11.25 cents. At the current Accent share price, after falling 18% since 13 August 2021, it has a FY21 grossed-up dividend yield of 7.4%.

    Accent’s EBIT grew 32.1% to $124.9 million, NPAT increased 38.6% to $76.9 million and EPS went up 38.2% to 14.21 cents billion. Online sales grew 48%, representing 20.9% of total FY21 sales. It is aiming for online to be 30% of sales over time.

    The company continues to target a growing store portfolio. It opened 90 new stores during the year and closed seven stores where required rent outcomes could not be achieved. Including the acquisition of Glue Store, the total store number grew to 638. New stores are performing strongly on more favourable rents than the existing portfolio.

    The ASX dividend share said that in the first seven weeks of FY22, sales, including online, were down 16% compared to the prior corresponding period. However, digital sales continue to grow – in the last three weeks digital sales were up 66.7%.

    It’s still aiming for at least 10% compound EPS growth and wants to be defined by its retail innovation, cash conversion and growing returns on shareholder funds.

    According to the forecast on Commsec, Accent will pay a fully franked dividend of 12.3 cents per share in FY23. That equates to a grossed-up dividend yield of 8.1%.

    The post 2 ASX dividend shares that just delivered even bigger payouts appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in JB Hi-Fi right now?

    Before you consider JB Hi-Fi, 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 JB Hi-Fi 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 recommended Accent Group. 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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  • From zero to investing in one week: THIS WEEK. Scott Phillips on Sunrise

    Motley Fool Chief Investment Officer Scott Phillips on Weekend Sunrise

    Motley Fool Australia Chief Investment Officer Scott Phillips joined Weekend Sunrise on Sunday to explain how you can get yourself started investing in just one week: this week!

    The post From zero to investing in one week: THIS WEEK. Scott Phillips on Sunrise 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 owns shares of Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF. 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 Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF. 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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  • ASX 200 Weekly Wrap: Miners drag ASX back to earth

    A sad miner holds his head in his hands

    The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has just experienced a week to forget, recording 5 straight sessions of losses in a row. Falling commodity prices, ongoing concerns over the savage Delta outbreak and a mixed bag of earnings results all contributed to the ASX’s woes last week.

    But it was the ASX mining shares that really dragged the whole index down.

    It was a brutal week for miners. The large iron miners that dominate the ASX 200 led the losses. BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) was down a phenomenal 16%, while Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO) lost 10.9%. Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG) slipped 8.7%.

    With BHP, the company has also seemingly copped some flack over its FY21 earnings report we saw on Tuesday. Although BHP delivered some pleasing metrics, including a big dividend hike, the reception for its plans to offload its petroleum business to Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) seems to be getting some pushback from the markets.

    But miners outside the majors also felt the pain. South32 Ltd (ASX: S32) fell more than 3%, as did other mid-tier iron diggers like Champion Iron Ltd (ASX: CIA) which was down more than 8%.

    These moves followed a dramatic collapse in the price of iron ore itself. A week ago, iron ore was at US$165 per tonne. A fortnight ago, it was around US$172 per tonne. Today, it’s sitting at US$154 per tonne. It’s this notable decline in pricing that was likely behind the moves we saw last week in these miners.

    Miners lead ASX 200 off a cliff

    But it wasn’t just the iron ore miners in the dumps last week. Popular lithium and rare earths companies like Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS), Orocobre Limited (ASX: ORE) and Lynas Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: LYC), which have recently been exploring new all-time highs, were also smashed. Lynas was down close to 7% last week, while Pilbara fell 5.6% and Orocobre, 5.7%.

    Gold miners were also hit hard. The ASX’s largest gold prospector, Newcrest Mining Ltd (ASX: NCM), fell 3.3%, which was not an uncommon move for its peers either.

    ASX bank shares like Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) also spent the week going backwards.

    We also saw some familiar lockdown moves that might remind investors of 2020. The ongoing restrictions across many major Australian cities last week, Sydney and Melbourne included, saw ASX travel shares like Corporate Travel Management Ltd (ASX: CTD) and Qantas Airways Limited (ASX: QAN) lose a lot of steam.

    In their place, ASX tech shares like Kogan.com Ltd (ASX: KGN) and Redbubble Ltd (ASX: RBL), as well as Domino’s Pizza Enterprises Ltd (ASX: DMP) surged. On the latter, this was partly assisted by a well-received earnings report as well.

    How did the markets end the week?

    Well, as we mentioned above, it wasn’t a great week on the ASX boards last week, with back-to-back losses Monday to Friday. Monday and Tuesday saw the largest losses of the week, with the ASX giving back 0.61% and 0.94%, respectively. But Wednesday, Thursday and Friday also saw drops of 0.12%, 0.5% and 0.05% apiece, meaning that no day was especially joyous for investors last week.

    Overall, the ASX 200 started the trading week off at 7,628.9 points and finished up at 7,460.9 points, a steep fall of 2.2%.

    Meanwhile, the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) also had a pretty nasty week. The All Ords started the week at 7,897.7 points but finished up at 7,725.1 points – a drop of 2.19%. 

    Which ASX 200 shares were the biggest winners and losers?

    Time now for our most salacious segment, where we check out the ASX 200’s biggest winners and poorest losers of the week. And boy, with the week the ASX has just had, it’s going to be a juicy one. So get the coffee brewing as we, as always, start with the losers:

    Worst ASX 200 losers % loss for the week
    Lynas Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: LYC) (18.2%)
    Sims Ltd (ASX: SGM) (17.4%)
    Mineral Resources Limited (ASX: MIN) (17%)
    BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) (16%)

    The ASX 200’s wooden spooner share last week was indeed Lynas Rare Earths, with a steep 18.2% loss for the week. Lynas was caught up in the commodity sell-off last week, with perhaps some profit taking going on as well. Until recently, Lynas had been on an incredible run, and even after this chunky loss, remains up more than 51% in 2021 so far.

    Scrap metal company Sims was also caught in the crosshairs. That was despite the company’s FY21 earnings report delivering better than expected numbers for the financial year just passed. Falling iron ore prices do tend to translate into lower scrap metal prices, so this might be what is behind investors hitting the sell button on this one.

    Miner and supplier Mineral Resources was likely caught up in the same headwinds here, with no major news out of this company. And we’ve already looked at BHP, which has responded to the falling iron ore price especially hard.

    Now with the losers out of the way, let’s take a gander at last week’s winners:

    Best ASX 200 gainers % gain for the week
    Pro Medicus Limited (ASX: PME) 17.5%
    Kogan.com Ltd (ASX: KGN) 15.1%
    Chorus Ltd (ASX: CNU) 12%
    Domain Holdings Australia Ltd (ASX: DHG) 11.1%

    Our winning ASX 200 share last week was healthcare company Pro Medicus. Investors responded with great excitement to this company’s FY21 earnings report, which was released on Wednesday. With profits before tax rising by an impressive 41%, it’s not hard to see why.

    Kogan was also a winner last week. Unlike Pro Medicus though, there wasn’t much news out of the company that may explain Kogan’s 15% jump. Perhaps its reputation as a ‘lockdown winner’ was behind this.

    Turning to the New Zealand-based Chorus, and a favourable decision from the New Zealand Government seemed to be behind the telco’s good fortune last week, underpinning a 12% jump.

    Meanwhile, Domain shares rose after the company reported its FY21 earnings on Thursday. Again, we saw some impressive numbers here, with Domain reporting net profits were up a very healthy 66%. Investors reacted accordingly.

    A wrap of the ASX 200 blue-chip shares

    Before we go, here is a look at how the ASX 200’s blue-chip shares are faring as we start on yet another week of company results:

    ASX 200 company Last share price Trailing P/E ratio Trailing Dividend Yield 52-week high 52-week low
    CSL Limited (ASX: CSL) $306.10 38.02 1% $320.42 $242
    Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) $99.27 21.09 3.53% $109.03 $62.64
    Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) $25.76 22.04 3.45% $27.12 $16
    Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ASX: ANZ) $28.31 17.15 3.71% $29.64 $16.40
    National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) $27.41 21.04 3.28% $27.84 $16.56
    Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG) $163.57 19.84 2.87% $166.36 $118.36
    Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG) $20.36 7.16 12.13% $26.58 $15.62
    BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) $44.34 14.41 9.23% $54.55 $33.73
    Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO) $107.23 6.75 8.46% $137.33 $90.04
    Newcrest Mining Ltd (ASX: NCM) $24.71 14.95 1.77% $34.77 $23.08
    Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) $19.70 2.93% $27.60 $16.80
    Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS) $4.02 25.74 3.98% $4.02 $2.66
    Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) $41.99 37.48 2.41% $44.06 $35.96
    Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES) $66.06 39.84 2.5% $67.20 $43.50
    Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL) $18.72 23.81 3.26% $19.11 $15.28
    Transurban Group (ASX: TCL) $14.03 2.6% $15.64 $12.36
    Sydney Airport Holdings Pty Ltd (ASX: SYD) $7.70 $8.04 $5.20
    Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) $129.50 $160.05 $70.06

    And finally, here is the lay of the land for some leading market indicators:

    • S&P/ASX 200 Index (XJO) at 7,460.9 points.
    • All Ordinaries Index (XAO) at 7,725.1points.
    • Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) at 35,120 points after rising 0.65% on Friday night (our time).
    • Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) going for US$49,163 per coin.
    • Gold (spot) swapping hands for US$1,782 per troy ounce.
    • Iron ore asking US$154.30 per tonne.
    • Crude oil (Brent) trading at US$65.18 per barrel.
    • Australian dollar buying 71.3 US cents.
    • 10-year Australian Government bonds yielding 1.08% per annum.

    That’s all folks. See you next week!

    The post ASX 200 Weekly Wrap: Miners drag ASX back to earth 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 Sebastian Bowen owns shares of Bitcoin, National Australia Bank Limited, Newcrest Mining Limited, and Telstra Corporation Limited. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended AFTERPAY T FPO, Bitcoin, CSL Ltd., Kogan.com ltd, and Pro Medicus Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended AFTERPAY T FPO, COLESGROUP DEF SET, Corporate Travel Management Limited, Kogan.com ltd, Macquarie Group Limited, Pro Medicus Ltd., Telstra Corporation Limited, and Wesfarmers Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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  • 3 top ASX growth shares that could be buys

    a happy investor with a wide smile points to a graph that shows an upward trending share price

    If you’re interested in adding some growth shares to your portfolio, now could be a good time to look at the shares below.

    Here’s why they are rated highly by analysts:

    Altium Limited (ASX: ALU)

    The first growth share to consider is Altium. It is an award-winning printed circuit board (PCB) design software provider. Over the last few years, it has carved out a leading position in this growing market. Altium is now aiming to take things to the next level and dominate the market with its cloud-based Altium 365 product.

    Credit Suisse is positive on the company. It currently has an outperform rating and $42.00 price target. This compares to the latest Altium share price of $35.39.

    Aristocrat Leisure Limited (ASX: ALL)

    Another ASX growth shares to look at is Aristocrat Leisure. It is one of the world’s leading gaming technology companies. While the pandemic hit Aristocrat hard, it has bounced back strongly in recent quarters and appears to be winning market share. Pleasingly, despite casinos reopening, its digital business continues to grow strongly and generate significant recurring revenues.

    Citi is a fan of the company. It has a buy rating and $46.60 price target on its shares. This compares to the latest Aristocrat Leisure share price of $43.37.

    REA Group Limited (ASX: REA)

    Finally, REA Group could be an ASX growth share to consider buying. It is of course the dominant player in real estate listings in the Australian market. This puts it in a fantastic position to benefit from the housing market boom. In addition to this, cost cutting, new revenue streams, price increases, and acquisitions look set to give its sales and earnings a boost.

    Macquarie is feeling very bullish on REA Group. Its analysts currently have an outperform rating and $185.00 price target on its shares. This compares to the current REA Group share price of $154.05.

    The post 3 top ASX growth shares that could be buys 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 Altium. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Altium. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended REA Group Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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  • Down 8%: Is the CBA (ASX:CBA) share price a buy?

    Broken white piggy bank on red background

    The Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) share price has dropped around 8% since 11 August 2021. Does that mean that the big four ASX bank is now a buy?

    What happened?

    On 11 August 2021, the country’s biggest bank reported its FY21 result.

    There were a number of interesting things announced and revealed in that report.

    It said that statutory net profit after tax (NPAT) grew by 19.7% to $8.84 billion and cash NPAT increased 19.8% to $8.65 billion.

    The bank explained that NPAT increased due to improved economic conditions and outlook resulting in a lower impairment expense and a strong operational performance.

    A noticeable part of the profitability improvement came from a reduction of the loan impairment expense, which fell by 78%, compared to FY20, to $554 million. This loan impairment expense decrease reflected an improvement in economic conditions and outlook. However, it has maintained a “strong” provision coverage ratio of 1.63%, reflecting the economic uncertainty from the continuing impacts of COVID-19.

    It was the concerns about bad debts that caused CBA to register such as a large loan impairment expense in FY20, which may also have been a big factor on the CBA share price.

    Despite all of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, CBA continued to see growth in key areas. Business lending grew by $11 billion, which was more than 3x the system. Home lending and household deposits both increased by $31 billion, which represented 1.2x system growth.

    However, the bank said that its net interest margin (NIM) was 2.03% in FY21. This represented a reduction of 4 basis points. The bank explained that group NIM declined due to higher liquid assets and the ongoing impact of a low interest rate environment.

    Could shareholder returns boost the CBA share price?

    Well, on the day of the result, CBA shares did climb 1.5%.

    Its profit wasn’t the only thing that the bank revealed. It declared a full year dividend of $3.50 per share. That represented a 17% increase on FY20.

    CBA also said that its common equity tier 1 (CET) capital ratio was 13.1%, an increase of 150 basis points. This was above APRA’s ‘unquestionably strong’ benchmark of 10.5%.

    The bank also announced the intention to conduct an off-market buy-back of up to $6 billion of CBA ordinary shares.

    There is no CBA share price decided yet for the buy-back, it will be conducted through an off-market tender process which will open on 30 August 2021.

    CBA Chair Catherine Livingstone said:

    CBA’s strong capital position and our progress on executing our strategy mean that we are well placed to continue to support our customers and manage ongoing uncertainties, while also returning a portion of surplus capital to shareholders. After careful consideration, your board has determined that the buy-back is the most efficient and value-enhancing strategy to distribute CBA’s surplus capital and franking credits.

    Is the CBA share price a buy?

    Numerous brokers still rate CBA shares as a sell, despite the recent decline.

    For example, Morgan Stanley rates CBA as a sell with a price target of $90. It doesn’t believe market’s high price for CBA is good value with its limited growth outlook.

    The brokers at Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG) also believe that CBA is a sell, with an even lower price target of $88.50. Macquarie thinks that CBA’s revenue growth isn’t strong enough for the valuation and margins could continue to be challenged.

    The post Down 8%: Is the CBA (ASX:CBA) share price a buy? 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 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 owns shares of and has recommended Macquarie Group Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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  • 2 ASX 200 dividend shares with big yields

    Cool woman in a bright yellow suit and sunglasses excited about the cash she's splashing, flicking notes all around her.

    With interest rates likely to remain low for some time to come, potentially even years, the yields on the ASX dividend shares listed below could be even more attractive than normal for income investors.

    Here’s what you need to know about these dividend shares that have been rated as buys:

    Australia and New Zealand Banking GrpLtd (ASX: ANZ)

    This banking giant could be a good option after returning to form in FY 2021. During the first half, it reported a statutory profit after tax of $2,943 million and cash earnings from continuing operations of $2,990 million. This was up 45% and 28%, respectively, on the second half of FY 2020. And thanks to its strong capital position, it has just announced a $1.5 billion share buyback.

    Looking ahead, thanks to favourable trading conditions, a booming housing market, and the relaxation of responsible lending rules, ANZ looks well-placed to build on its strong first half showing. It also has the balance sheet strength to underpin another buyback in the coming months if trading and asset conditions don’t deteriorate.

    Analysts at Morgans are very bullish on the bank. They currently have an add rating and $34.50 price target on its shares.

    The broker is also forecasting fully franked dividends of 145 cents per share in FY 2021 and 165 cents per share in FY 2022. Based on the latest ANZ share price of $28.31, this represents yields of 5.1% and 5.8%, respectively.

    Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS)

    Another ASX dividend share to look at is this telco giant. After several years of difficulties because of the NBN rollout, this headwind is finally easing and a return to growth is now in Telstra’s sights.

    This is being supported by its significant cost cutting, rational competition, and its leadership position in 5G internet. In respect to the latter, the company has such a lead with its 5G network, that it has been tipped to grow its market share in the coming years.

    In addition to this, the company is in the process of offloading assets such as its towers to unlock value for shareholders.

    Ord Minnett is a fan of Telstra. It currently has a buy rating and $4.40 price target on its shares. The broker is expecting 16 cents per share fully franked dividends for the foreseeable future. Based on the current Telstra share price of $4.02, this will mean 4% yields.

    The post 2 ASX 200 dividend shares with big 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

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Telstra Corporation Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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  • 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Monday

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    On Friday the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) finished a very disappointing week on a subdued note. The benchmark index fell a few points to 7,460.9 points.

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

    ASX 200 expected to rise

    The Australian share market looks set to bounce back on Monday. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 35 points or 0.5% higher this morning. This follows a solid end to the week on Wall Street, which saw the Dow Jones rise 0.65%, the S&P 500 climb 0.8%, and the Nasdaq storm 1.2% higher. A rebound in iron ore prices is expected to support the ASX 200 miners.

    Oil prices drop

    Energy producers including Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) and Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) could be under pressure today after oil prices dropped again on Friday night. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is down 2.1% to US$62.14 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price has fallen 1.9% to US$65.18 a barrel. Concerns over the spread of the Delta variant led to oil prices recording their biggest week of losses of the year.

    Sonic Healthcare full year results

    The Sonic Healthcare Limited (ASX SHL) share price will be one to watch when it releases its full year results. According to a note out of Goldman Sachs, it is expecting Sonic to report revenue of $9,352 million, adjusted EBITDA of $2,578 million, and net profit of $1,327 million. This is expected to be driven largely by COVID testing demand.

    Gold price rises slightly

    Australian gold miners such as Newcrest Mining Limited (ASX: NCM) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) could start the week on a mildly positive note after the gold price edged higher on Friday night. According to CNBC, the spot gold price rose 0.1% to US$1,784.0 an ounce. Concerns over a global economic slowdown supported demand.

    NIB full year results

    The NIB Holdings Limited (ASX: NHF) share price will be on watch this morning when it releases its full year results. According to Goldman Sachs, it is expecting the private health insurer to report a 92.2% increase in net profit after tax to $171.4 million. This is expected to allow the company to declare a full year 24.5 cents per share dividend. This is up 75% year on year.

    The post 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Monday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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    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.

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    Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended NIB Holdings Limited and Sonic Healthcare 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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  • 3 exciting small cap ASX shares to watch right now

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    The small end of the Australian share market is home to a number of companies with the potential to grow materially in the future.

    Three that investors might want to get better acquainted with are listed below. Here’s why they should be on your watchlist:

    Bigtincan Holdings Ltd (ASX: BTH)

    The first small cap share to look at is this leading provider of enterprise mobility software to businesses globally. Bigtincan’s popular software unlocks new and more effective ways for teams to perform at higher levels and deliver better business results by creating more positive and efficient buying experiences.

    The company notes that its platform empowers sales and service representatives to maximise their use of sales collateral to engage with customers and prospects more effectively. Demand for its software continues to grow and is underpinning strong annualised recurring revenue (ARR) growth.

    Booktopia Group Ltd (ASX: BKG)

    The second small cap ASX share to watch is Booktopia. It is an online book retailer which has been growing at an explosive rate in FY 2021. For example, during the first half the company reported a 51.1% increase in revenue to $112.6 million and a 502.3% jump in underlying EBITDA to $8 million.

    Positively, it has since followed this up with a 53% increase in quarterly revenue during the third quarter. This positions it to deliver a stellar full year result this month.

    Booktopia notes that its strong growth is being driven by the shift to online shopping and its new distribution centre. The latter is allowing the company to ship more books than ever.

    Whispir Ltd (ASX: WSP)

    A final small cap share to watch is Whispir. It is a software-as-a-service communications workflow platform provider. Whispir provides an industry-leading software platform that allows governments and businesses to deliver actionable two-way interactions at scale using automated multi-channel communication workflows.

    Demand for its software has also been increasing strongly, leading to stellar recurring revenue growth in recent years. The good news is that it is still only scratching at the surface of its total addressable market (TAM).

    For example, at the end of the third quarter, Whispir’s ARR stood at $50.3 million, which was up 20.3% over the prior corresponding period. This compares to its TAM of US4.7 billion in the just United States.

    The post 3 exciting small cap ASX shares to watch right now appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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    Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended BIGTINCAN FPO and Whispir Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended Booktopia Group Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended BIGTINCAN FPO. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Whispir Ltd. 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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  • Analysts rate these ASX tech shares as buys

    rise in asx tech share price represented by digitised rocket shooting out of person's hand

    If you’re looking for good long term options, then the tech sector could be a place for investors to start their search.

    This is because the sector is home to a number of companies that have the potential to grow strongly over the next decade.

    Two ASX tech shares that are highly rated are named below. Here’s why analysts rate them as buys:

    Adore Beauty Group Limited (ASX: ABY)

    The first ASX tech share to look at is Adore Beauty. Australia’s leading online beauty retailer has been growing strongly in recent years thanks to the structural shift online, which accelerated during the pandemic.

    In fact, Adore Beauty is expecting to report a 43% to 47% increase in full year revenue in FY 2021 thanks to a sales surge during the height of the pandemic. And while it will be hard to deliver similarly strong growth in FY 2022, its long term growth trajectory looks very positive.

    This is because online penetration rates for beauty products are still much lower than other categories and in comparison to other Western markets.

    The company notes that the beauty and personal care (BPC) market in Australia is worth $11.2 billion and is expected to grow at a 26% CAGR through to 2024. It also notes that online sales comprise just 11.4% of the BPC market at present.

    As a result, Adore Beauty appears very well-positioned to continue its growth over the next decade. Particularly given its leadership position in the growing online market. Another positive is that the Adore Beauty Loyalty program launched in March, with sign-ups ahead of expectations.

    UBS is a fan of Adore Beauty. Its analysts currently have a buy rating and $5.60 price target on the company’s shares. UBS believes the company will benefit from structural tailwinds in the coming years.

    Xero Limited (ASX: XRO)

    Another ASX tech share to look at is Xero. It provides small and medium sized businesses with a cloud-based business and accounting solution.

    Xero was on form again in FY 2021, recording a 20% increase in subscribers to 2.74 million. This was driven by a 20% increase in ANZ subscribers to 1.56 million and a 21% lift in International subscribers to 1.18 million. The latter includes 720,000 subscribers in the UK market.

    Pleasingly, the company is still only scratching at the surface of its global market opportunity. Management estimates that it total addressable market is currently 45 million subscribers.

    In addition to this, the company’s growth should be boosted by its growing app ecosystem.

    Goldman Sachs believes that if Xero can monetise this ecosystem and execute its international expansion successfully, it has the potential to underpin strong top line growth for a long time to come.

    In light of this, the broker is very bullish on Xero and has a buy rating and $165.00 price target on its shares.

    The post Analysts rate these ASX tech shares as buys appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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    Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended Xero. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended Adore Beauty Group Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Xero. 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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