Category: Stock Market

ASX tech shares could be a smart place to look for opportunities. There are some great businesses that might be quality ideas to own for the coming years.

Technology businesses are often the ones introducing new services into our lives and typically have good gross profit margins as well.

Xero Limited (ASX: XRO)

Xero is a leading cloud accounting business which offers subscribers a wide array of time-saving tools and easy-to-understand reporting. A key advantage of the offering is that users can access it anywhere on any device.

The ASX tech share continues to see its subscriber base grow in both size and diversity. In FY21 the total number of Xero subscribers increased by 20% to 2.74 million. Subscribers are becoming increasingly valuable as the average subscriber sticks around for longer – Xero’s total lifetime value of subscribers went up 38% to $7.65 billion in FY21.

Xero has a very strong market position in New Zealand and Australia. But it’s also growing quickly in other locations. In FY21, UK subscribers increased 17% to 720,000, North American subscribers rose 18% to 285,000 and ‘rest of the world’ subscribers grew 40% to 175,000.

The business has a very high gross profit margin. In FY21 it had increased to 86%, up from 85.2%.

But Xero’s net profit isn’t soaring yet – it’s still heavily investing for long-term growth because it sees a lot of opportunities around the world in the business and accounting software space.

Betashares Nasdaq 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ)

This is a leading ASX tech share that is actually an exchange-traded fund (ETF) which invests in 100 of the biggest non-financial businesses on the NASDAQ. That’s a stock exchange in the US where most of the West’s biggest tech companies are listed.

For an annual management fee of just 0.48% per annum, investors get a lot of exposure to names like Apple, Microsoft, Amazon.com, Alphabet, Facebook, Tesla, Nvidia, PayPal and Adobe. These are some of the strongest technology businesses in the world.

A large proportion of the ETF is invested in tech and tech-like investments, but there are some other businesses in there for a bit of diversification such as Costco, PepsiCo and Moderna.

Past performance is not an indicator of future performance. But, since inception in May 2015, it has returned an average of 22.5% per annum.

MNF Group Ltd (ASX: MNF)

MNF offers a number of different services for clients. It enables providers to deliver their services using phone or mobile numbers that are local to their customers. MNF’s product suite includes a range of resale-ready white-label services that communication providers can rebrand and sell.

It enables companies like Zoom, Google and Twilio to launch and scale communication services.

The FY21 half-year result saw a large amount of growth for the business. HY21 recurring revenue increased 15% to $55.7 million, earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose 16% to $19.6 million, underlying net profit rose 30% to $8.4 million and earnings per share (EPS) jumped 62% to 7.83 cents.

The ASX tech share is expecting its EBITDA to be within the top half of its EBITDA guidance of $40 million to $43 million.

According to Commsec, the MNF share price is valued at 23x FY22’s estimated earnings.

The post 3 great ASX tech shares that might be good buys appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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. owns shares of and has recommended BETANASDAQ ETF UNITS, MNF Group Limited, and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended BETANASDAQ ETF UNITS, MNF Group Limited, and 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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The Galaxy Resources Limited (ASX: GXY) share price and the Orocobre Limited (ASX: ORE) share price will be ones to watch next week.

This follows the release of an update on their planned merger after the market close.

What was announced?

This afternoon Galaxy announced that the requisite majorities of its shareholders voted in favour of its proposed merger with Orocobre.

According to the release, 96.94% of Galaxy shareholders present voted in favour of the merger, with 98.69% of the votes cast in its favour.

What now?

With Galaxy’s shareholders voting in favour of the merger, its completion is close to being a formality.

The release explains that Galaxy will now seek approval of the scheme of arrangement by the Supreme Court of Western Australia. This will be at a hearing scheduled for 13 August 2021.

If the court approves the scheme at the hearing, Galaxy intends to lodge a copy of the orders with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission on 16 August 2021. At that point, the scheme will become effective.

If this occurs, Galaxy shares will be suspended from trading with effect from the close of trade on 16 August 2021. After which, implementation of the scheme is expected to occur on 25 August 2021, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the remaining conditions precedent.

Finally, the new Orocobre shares will then commence trading on ASX on a normal settlement basis on 26 August.

Why merge?

Both companies expect the merger to create value for shareholders and leave the merged entity well-placed to benefit from increasing demand for lithium.

Back in April, Galaxy’s Chairman, Martin Rowley, commented: “This transaction has the potential to be a significant value-creating opportunity for Galaxy and Orocobre shareholders. The Scheme provides shareholders of Galaxy with the opportunity to share in the significant benefits of being part of a larger diversified group and the synergies expected to be available to help enhance and progress our portfolio of world class assets. The merged entity’s growth opportunities in both brine and hard rock position it uniquely to take advantage of expected rising EV demand for lithium.”

Investors certainly appear to agree. Since the announcement in April, the Galaxy share price is up 34% and the Orocobre share price is up 37%.

The post Galaxy (ASX:GXY) shareholders vote in favour of Orocobre (ASX:ORE) merger appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro owns shares of Galaxy Resources Limited. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia 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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It’s been an eventful year for the Bingo Industries Ltd (ASX: BIN) share price.

Following a successful takeover offer, shares in Bingo were de-listed from the ASX exchange earlier last month. The company’s removal from the official list was carried out at the close of trading today.

Let’s recap on what happened to the Bingo share price this year.

But first, a quick take on the company

Bingo is a recycling and waste management company with a network of resource recovery and recycling centres across NSW and Victoria.

The company operates more than 300 trucks in Sydney and Melbourne and is heavily geared towards the construction industry.

Since listing on the ASX in 2017, the Bingo share price had grown to become part of the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO).

The acquisition

The Bingo share price launched into 2021 with a bang. Media reports swirled around a potential acquisition proposal for the waste management business.

Bingo’s management confirmed the interest, acknowledging that the company had received an offer of $3.50 per share from a private equity consortium.

The consortium — headed by CPE Capital and including Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets (MIRA) — launched the bid valued at $2.3 billion.

At the time, shares in Bingo were trading at around $2.75 per share.

The buyout proposal was made at a multiple of almost 20 times earnings estimates.

Initially, the company acknowledged that it was considering the takeover bid. Bingo noted that the buyout proposal also involved an alternative structure involving cash and unlisted scrip.

The Bingo share price stayed below the $3.50 per share proposal as the consortium conducted its due diligence.  

Three months after the initial takeover offer, Bingo announced that it had entered into a Scheme Implementation Deed with MIRA.

The company noted that shareholders would receive $3.45 per share less any special dividend declared.

After remaining stagnant for more than 5 months, the Bingo share price was revived in mid-July as 18.26 million shares were exchanged.

The catalyst came from the company announcing that 97% of Bingo shareholders had voted in favour of the proposed takeover.

Following court approval and payment of a special dividend, shares in Bingo ceased trading on the ASX on the 16th of July.

More on Bingo

During the takeover period, Bingo released its earnings report for the first half of FY21, noting a 3.1% decline in revenue for the 6 months of $241.1 million.

Underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) also declined 20.5% for the period to $65.2 million.

Bingo cited the poor performance on a softening of the addressable market due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The post Here’s what happened to the Bingo (ASX:BIN) share price appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Nikhil Gangaram 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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The Lake Resources NL (ASX: LKE) share price has soared into the green today, extending its long run into the money.

At the closing bell, Lake Resources shares were exchanging hands at 66 cents apiece, an approximate 15% gain from the market open.

Here we cover some of the tailwinds behind Lake Resources shares over the last month or so.

Drilling, options and happy results

Last month, Lake revealed drilling had commenced at its flagship lithium brine project in Argentina.

According to the release, the new drill testing regime increases capacity of lithium production by around double the current amount.

Moreover, Lake also realised more favourable sampling and testing results from assays conducted at the Argentinian site.

In addition, Lake recently announced it was granting a bonus issue of options to eligible shareholders, granting one free bonus option for every 10 Lake Resources shares on the books.

The options can be exercised on or before their expiry of 15 October at a strike price of 35 cents. However, Lake is sweetening the deal for its shareholders.

For every option that is exercised, Lake will then issue a second option to the investor. In effect, this gives shareholders the right – but not obligation – to exercise their option at a strike price of 75 cents.

The designated strike price on these options represents a 13.6% premium on the current Lake Resources share price.

Finally, Lake Resources released its quarterly results on 2 August, detailing a number of progress points achieved.

Most notably, Lake received a wealth of interest to finance its Kachi Lithium project, based on its “exceptional quality” product with low carbon footprint. The company also refreshed its pre-feasibility study on the site, to reflect lithium market dynamics.

This fundamental momentum has carried through into the company’s growth engine over the past month.

Lake Resources shares have climbed 80% into the green over this time. For comparison, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has posted a return of about 3%.

Lake Resources share price snapshot

The Lake Resources share price has posted a year-to-date gain of 804%. It has also soared 1,733%. over the past 12 month.

These returns have far outpaced the broad index’s return of around 25% over the past year. Over the past week alone, Lake Resources shares have climbed 53.5%.

The post Why the Lake Resources (ASX:LKE) share price is up 80% in a month appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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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The banking sector has been on form this year and, along with the mining sector, has helped drive the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) notably higher.

Positively for investors, analysts are still seeing plenty of value in the sector, particularly for those in search of income.

For example, two ASX bank shares that have recently been given buy ratings are listed below. Here’s what you need to know about them:

Australia and New Zealand Banking GrpLtd (ASX: ANZ)

The first ASX bank share to look at this month is Australia’s fourth largest bank, ANZ.

ANZ has rebounded very strongly from the pandemic. For example, during the first half, the company 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.

This appears to have impressed analysts at Morgans. The broker currently has an add rating and $34.50 price target on its shares. This compares to the latest ANZ share price of $28.50.

As for dividends, Morgans is forecasting fully franked dividends per share of 145 cents in FY 2021 and 165 cents in FY 2022. This implies potential yields of 5.1% and 5.8%, respectively.

Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC)

Another ASX bank share that has been performing strongly in FY 2021 is Westpac. Like ANZ, it reported a significant increase in profits during the first half of its financial year.

For the six months ended 31 March, Australia’s oldest bank reported cash earnings of $3,537 million. This was a 256% increase over the prior corresponding period and a 119% lift over the second half of FY 2020.

Goldman Sachs has been pleased with its performance. So much so, it currently has a buy rating and $29.03 price target on its shares. This compares favourably to the current Westpac share price of $25.12.

The broker is also forecasting generous dividend yields in the near term. Based on where its shares trade today, Goldman expects yields of ~4.7% and ~5% in FY 2021 and FY 2022, respectively.

The post 2 ASX 200 bank shares rated as buys appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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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The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) rose by around 0.4% today to 7,538 points.

Here are some of the highlights from the ASX:

Betmakers Technology Group Ltd (ASX: BET)

The Betmakers Technology share price jumped around 13.5% today after making an announcement to the market.

Betmakers pointed out that New Jersey in the US has officially legalised fixed odds betting on horse racing. It is the first state in the US to do so.

A bill to authorise fixed odds wagering on horse races through a fixed odds wagering system was passed unanimously in both the Senate and General Assembly in New Jersey on 21 June 2021. This has been signed by the Governor of New Jersey to become law.

Betmakers has an exclusive 10-year fixed odds agreement on thoroughbred horse racing in New Jersey with New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen Association and Darby Development LLC, the operator of the Monmouth Park racetrack.

The Betmakers CEO Todd Buckingham said:

The introduction of fixed odds betting on horse racing by law in New Jersey is a historic moment for wagering in the United States and a landmark achievement for Betmakers.

Betmakers also said that it sets a precedent legal framework that is relevant for discussions with other States in the US.

REA Group Limited (ASX: REA)

The REA Group share price fell around 5% after releasing its FY21 result.

The ASX 200 share reported that revenue increased by 13% to $928 million. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) including associates rose by 19% to $565 million.

Net profit after tax (NPAT) grew by 18% to $318 million and earnings per share (EPS) went up 21% to 247 cents.

The full year dividend increased by 19% to $1.31 per share.

Owen Wilson, the CEO of REA Group, said:

This has been a defining year for REA, successfully navigating the pandemic to deliver an excellent financial result and emerge an even stronger business.

Our flagship site realestate.com.au delivered stellar results, extending its position as the clear market leader in digital real estate and it is now Australia’s eighth largest online brand overall.

However, lockdowns are hurting the performance in FY22, though this may be mitigated by price increases. July listing volumes were down 3% year on year. Melbourne listings were up 3%, but Sydney listings were down 22%.

ResMed Inc (ASX: RMD)

The ResMed share price edged higher after releasing its fourth quarter and FY21 results.

Fourth quarter revenue increased by 14% to $876.1 million and underlying profit grew 7%.. It produced underlying EPS of $1.35. The quarterly dividend increased by 8% to $0.42 per share.

This brought FY21 revenue to $3.2 billion, an increase of 8%. Underlying profit grew 12%. It generated underlying EPS of $5.33, an increase of 12%.

ResMed said it’s seeing the ongoing recovery of core sleep apnea and COPD patient flow across the business.

The ASX 200 business was able to produce growth in the final quarter of FY21 despite the COVID-related ventilator sales in the prior corresponding period. However, there were also tailwinds from a competitor’s quality issue.

ResMed CEO Mick Farrell said:

Looking ahead, we are confident in our ability to grow steadily through our fiscal year 2022 and to deliver for all our stakeholders. We’re driving accelerated adoption of digital health solutions in sleep apnea, COPD, and out-of-hospital care, accelerating our ResMed 2025 strategy.

The post ASX 200 rises, Betmakers soars, REA Group drops appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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. owns shares of and has recommended Betmakers Technology Group Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended ResMed. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Betmakers Technology Group Ltd, REA Group Limited, and ResMed Inc. 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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Reporting season is well underway with household S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) shares including REA Group Limited (ASX: REA) and ResMed Inc (ASX: RMD) announcing FY21 results on Friday.

Company results can make or break the share price. However, these 2 ASX 200 shares have already run off into record territory.

ASX 200 shares trading at all-time highs

Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES)

The Wesfarmers share price has rallied almost 24% year-to-date to a record close of $63.95 on Friday.

Wesfarmers is truly a diversified conglomerate. It made headlines with its interest in acquiring Australian Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (ASX: API). Additonally, it gained ministerial approval to commence construction and project development for its Mt Holland lithium project.

ASX 200 shares in the lithium sector have been running hot in the past couple of months. Heavyweights Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) and Galaxy Resources Limited (ASX: GXY) have cruised to triple-digit year-to-date returns.

With the approvals in place, this means Wesfarmers, which investors typically associate as the owner of Bunnings and Officeworks, will also emerge as a lithium hydroxide producer in the second half of 2024.

While Wesfarmers has exciting plans to diversify its business operations, investors will likely be fixated on its upcoming full-year results. Additionally, they will look at how its core retail businesses have performed over the past financial year.

Wesfarmers is expected to deliver its earnings on Friday, 27 August.

Goodman Group (ASX: GMG)

The Goodman share price has rallied strongly ever since it broke above the $20 level in early June.

Shares in the industrial real estate investment trust (REIT) have rallied 10% in the past month. They are also up 20.6% year-to-date.

In the company’s third-quarter update, group CEO Greg Goodman described the company’s portfolio. He said: “We have concentrated our portfolio in high barrier to entry markets where land is scarce and use is intensifying.

“With a focus on long-term customer requirements, we are developing to meet demand in these consumer markets, providing essential real estate infrastructure for our customers.”

According to Goodman’s website, the company is expected to report its full-year FY21 results on 12 August.

Goodman’s third-quarter update reaffirmed its FY21 guidance of $1.2 billion in operating profit. This represents earnings per share growth of 12% on FY20 figures.

The post 2 ASX 200 shares lifting to record highs before full-year results appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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 recommended ResMed. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Wesfarmers Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended REA Group Limited and ResMed Inc. 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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Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) slightly underperformed the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) today.

The CBA share price finished the day flat at $103.41, compared to a gain of 0.36% on the ASX 200.

Tuesday was the only day the CBA share price retraced, closing down 0.2%. Over the past 5 days, CommBank shares are up 2.8%.

Here’s what investors were keeping an eye on this week.

How the banks are making the most of low interest rates

The current record low interest rates have thrown up some difficulties for banks, who find their lending margins squeezed by the lack of wiggle room before hitting 0%.

However, it’s precisely these rock bottom rates that are driving surging Aussie housing prices. Which, in turn, is helping support the CBA share price.

According to data from CoreLogic, Aussie house prices leapt 1.6% higher in July. That brought the year-to-date price gains to 14.1% and the 12-month increase to 16.1%.

CoreLogic’s research director, Tim Lawless pointed to record low mortgage rates as fuelling the price surge.

That same surge has seen a big lift in Aussie banks’ mortgage balances. Reserve Bank (RBA) data indicates the month-on-month growth in June of 0.7% is the fastest growth rate since 2010.

Over the past 12 months, CommBank’s own mortgage book grew by 6.7%.

CBA share price in the spotlight ahead of FY21 results

Next Wednesday, 11 August CommBank is set to deliver its 2021 financial year results.

With that in mind, this past Wednesday the Motley Fool looked at what the market can expect from the CBA share price following the results.

According to a note out of Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS), those results should be strong. CommBank is expected to finish FY21 with significant surplus capital. However, Goldman’s forecast falls a bit below the current market consensus.

The broker also retained its current sell rating with a price target of $81.87 per share. That’s well below the current CBA share price of $103.38.

The post What’s moving the CBA (ASX:CBA) share price this week appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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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The Atomo Diagnostics Ltd (ASX: AT1) share price bolted more than 8% at one point during today’s session.

The medical device company finished the day up 4.55% at 23 cents.

Atomo shares have seen greater interest as Australia battles to control a new wave of COVID-19 infections.

Here’s why the Atomo share price is getting extra attention today.

Atomo share price up on COVID-19 rapid testing

The Atomo share price has come under the spotlight as the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to get out of hand in Australia.

Although Atomo has not released any price-sensitive news today, an article in The Australian could explain why shares in the biotech are racing higher.

The article highlighted the benefit of rapid antigen testing for COVID-19, as the outbreak in Australia worsens.

Australia has largely relied on pathology testing to detect positive cases and assist contact tracers.

However, given the rapid spread of the recent COVID-19 outbreaks, the need for rapid antigen testing has grown.

According to the article, rapid antigen tests can detect COVID-19 in as little as 10 minutes. By comparison, pathology testing can take up to three days to deliver a result.

In particular, the article highlighted the rapid COVID-19 test produced by Atomo.

The article noted that Atomo’s rapid tests have been supplied to various Olympic and sporting teams.

The tests have also been supplied to aged care providers.

The article also highlighted that Atomo has been supplying tests to the Australian Defence Force and mining and oil companies.

In the article, Atomo’s Chief Executive John Kelly said:

“And the problem is exacerbated by the fact that to get a product accepted in the state healthcare systems it really needs to be reimbursed. It’s been extremely difficult, nigh impossible, for point-of-care diagnostics to get reimbursement in Australia.”

More on the Atomo share price

Atomo is a medical device company that supplies rapid diagnostic test devices to the global diagnostic market. The company’s patented devices simplify testing procedures and enhance useability for professional users.

Of particular interest is Atomo’s CareStart EZ COVID-19 test.

CareStart EZ COVID-19 is a rapid antibody test, developed by Atomo in conjunction with its partner Access Bio.

Most recently, the Atomo share price received a boost after announcing that Access Bio received Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for point-of-care use of its CareStart EZ COVID-19 test.

Shares in the medical device company hit an intraday high of 24 cents today.

The post Here’s why the Atomo (ASX: AT1) share price flew 4% higher today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Nikhil Gangaram 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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ASX investors have been keeping a keen eye on inflation figures these past months.

And for good reason.

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, governments and central banks across the globe sprang into action to stave off an economic depression.

This saw interest rates fall to historic lows, quantitative easing (QE) ramp up to historic highs, and government stimulus packages reaching into the trillions of dollars.

These coordinated actions have been successful at limiting economic hardships from lockdowns and border closures.

However, many analysts are concerned that the flood of easy money is priming the pump for inflation to run hot.

Why is rising inflation a concern to ASX investors?

Modest annual price rises have long been baked into the economic pie.

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has an official target level of 2-3% annual inflation.

But problems arise when inflation begins to exceed these levels. To keep prices from running high too fast, central banks resort to increasing interest rates. That in turn sees your own bank bumping up its rates.

While higher interest rates can indicate a healthy economy, they also increase the cost of money.

That’s a potential concern to ASX investors, as share markets tend to thrive on low rates. When rates do go higher, other assets – like bonds and bank term deposits – become relatively more attractive to shares.

In addition, highly leveraged ASX shares will come under more pressure if their borrowing costs increase.

Now, to date, many analysts believe that the recent jump in inflation we witnessed in Australia is a temporary issue. One related to the big pullback in costs from last year.

If that’s the case, ASX shareholders can cross one worry off their lists.

Adding to that view, the latest data out of Japan appears to indicate that massive central bank bond purchases and staggering levels of government debt may not be the inflationary bugbears we feared.

Record debt to GDP ratio amid deflation

According to data from Statista, Japan’s debt to GDP ratio in 2020 stood at 256%. That’s the highest of any developed nation. A position Japan has held for more than a decade now.

Almost half of this debt is currently held by the country’s central bank. The Bank of Japan (BOJ) set the bar high with its big spending QE program in the early 2000s. And the BOJ is still going strong on bond purchases.

Yet despite all of that, as Bloomberg reports, Japan is again looking at a period of negative inflation, or deflation.

This comes as the nation restructures the weighting of items it counts in the consumer price basket. With mobile phones no longer considered a luxury but a necessity, phone charges (which have been falling) will be among the items to get an increased weighting.

Yoshiki Shinke, chief economist at Dai-Ichi Life Research Institute said, “It’s very likely inflation will fall back into negative territory.”

Economists believe June will see deflation of -0.1%, “extending the run of falls to at least 12 months”.

According to Bloomberg, “Softer prices will also likely add to the view that the Bank of Japan will keep its stimulus in place for years to come despite the inflation fears experienced elsewhere in the world.”

Of course, this doesn’t mean that Australia’s own inflation path will be equally benign.

But if it is, the ASX could benefit from an extended run of easy money.

The post Why ASX investors worried about inflation should look to Japan appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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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