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Category: Stock Market
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Netflix Aims For Franchise With Record $200M Movie
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Amazon says exports from India-based sellers cross $2 billion
Amazon.com Inc’s total exports from small and medium sellers in India, part of a company programme to export products to global markets, have crossed the $2 billion mark, two company executives said on Monday. Amazon’s “Global Selling” programme was launched in India, a key growth market for the company, in 2015. The programme, also operational in other markets, has helped more than 60,000 Indian sellers export products to 15 Amazon websites, the company said.
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Did Hedge Funds Make The Right Call On BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (BCRX) ?
We know that hedge funds generate strong, risk-adjusted returns over the long run, which is why imitating the picks that they are collectively bullish on can be a profitable strategy for retail investors. With billions of dollars in assets, professional investors have to conduct complex analyses, spend many resources and use tools that are not […]
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Jack Ma’s Ant Plans Simultaneous IPOs in Hong Kong, Shanghai
(Bloomberg) — Billionaire Jack Ma’s Ant Group is kicking off its much-anticipated initial public offering, with plans to list simultaneously in Hong Kong and on China’s new tech bourse in Shanghai.The parent of China’s largest mobile payment company is marching toward what could be one of the largest listings seen in years. It was valued at $150 billion in its last funding round. Ant will pursue a dual-listing in Hong Kong and the Shanghai stock exchange’s STAR board, the Hangzhou-based company said in an emailed statement. It’s seeking a valuation of at least $200 billion, people familiar with the matter said, asking not to be identified talking about a private deal.The crown jewel of the sprawling Alibaba empire, Ant has been accelerating its evolution into an online mall for everything from loans and travel services to food delivery, in a bid to claw back shoppers lost to Tencent Holdings Ltd. The company’s Chief Executive Officer Simon Hu wants people to think of Alipay as more than just a niche provider of financial services and the payments gateway for the world’s biggest e-commerce platform. Alipay now caters to a wide array of consumer needs from groceries to wealth management, and hotel booking to loan applications.Ant generated $2 billion in profit in the fourth quarter, based on calculations made from Alibaba’s filing. The company’s goal is to derive more than 80% of revenue from local merchants and finance firms in five years via so-called technology services fees, up from about half at the end of 2019. The contribution from proprietary services, such as Ant’s own money market fund and loans, would shrink as a result.Those technology solutions would include services in cloud computing, artificial intelligence, blockchain and risk control. Ant aims to assist banks to dole out loans to consumers, and partner with brands like KFC Holding Co. and Marriott International Inc. to attract and manage customers.Hu is betting that those strategies will help Ant defend its dominance of China’s $29 trillion mobile payments space. Alipay’s share of mobile payments has increased for three consecutive quarters, rising to 55.1% in the fourth quarter, according research consultant iResearch. Tencent has 38.9% of the market.It also diversifies Ant’s business into less-sensitive areas after the firm drew regulatory scrutiny for its blistering expansion in financial services with in-house products.To mark the transformation, Ant changed its registered name to Ant Group Co. from Ant Financial Services Group at the end of May.Ant’s origins are not without controversy. In 2010, Ma hived off the six-year-old Alipay from Alibaba over the objections of shareholders including Yahoo! Inc., citing potential regulations that may curb foreign ownership of financial businesses. Alipay then expanded into loans, wealth management and consumer credit under the entity that’s now known as Ant Group. The dispute was eventually settled via an arrangement that granted Alibaba a proportion of Alipay’s income. Alibaba ended up buying a 33% stake in Ant last year.(Updates with valuation sought in second paragraph)For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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Pfizer, BioNTech Ink UK Supply Deal For 30M Covid-19 Vaccine Doses
Pfizer Inc (PFE) and BioNTech SE (BNTX) have announced an agreement with the UK to supply 30 million doses of their BNT162 mRNA-based coronavirus vaccine candidate, currently in development. The agreement is subject to clinical success and regulatory approval for the vaccine.Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed, but the terms were based on the timing of delivery and the volume of doses.“We’re harnessing our scientific expertise, and we’re marshaling our manufacturing resources to ensure that the vaccine would be available as soon as possible,” said Albert Bourla, CEO of Pfizer. “This agreement is a testament to our shared goal to have millions of doses of a vaccine against COVID-19 available before the end of the year.”The BNT162 program is based on BioNTech’s proprietary mRNA technology and supported by Pfizer’s global vaccine development and manufacturing capabilities.The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine development program is evaluating at least four experimental vaccines, each of which represents a unique combination of messenger RNA (mRNA) format and target antigen.On July 1, Pfizer and BioNTech announced preliminary data from BNT162b1, the most advanced of the four mRNA formulations. The early data demonstrate that BNT162b1 is able to produce neutralizing antibodies in humans at or above the levels observed in the plasma from patients who have recovered from COVID-19, and this was shown at relatively low dose levels. No serious adverse events were reported.Recently, two of the companies’ four investigational vaccine candidates (BNT162b1 and BNT162b2) received Fast Track designation from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This designation was granted based on preliminary data from Phase 1/2 studies that are currently ongoing in the US and Germany as well as animal immunogenicity studies.Further data from the ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical trials of the four vaccine candidates will enable the selection of a lead candidate and dose level for an anticipated large, global Phase 2b/3 safety and efficacy study that may begin as early as later this month, pending regulatory approval.If the ongoing studies are successful, Pfizer and BioNTech expect to be ready to seek Conditional Marketing Authorization or some form of regulatory approval as early as October 2020.The companies currently expect to manufacture globally up to 100 million doses by the end of 2020 and potentially more than 1.3 billion doses by the end of 2021, subject to final dose selection from the clinical trial.Shares in Pfizer are down 7.5% year-to-date, while BioNTech has exploded over 150%. Looking forward, analysts take a cautiously optimistic Moderate Buy consensus on both stocks. However, due to the recent rally, BioNTech’s average analyst price target of $60 now indicates 30% downside potential from current levels.Mizuho Securities analyst Vamil Divan has a buy rating on Pfizer and $38 price target (5% upside potential). That’s slightly under the stock’s average analyst price target of $42 (16% upside potential).“We had several discussions with investors today on the back of the initial data, with much of the discussion focused on the commercial potential for a successful SARS-CoV-2 vaccine” the analyst wrote.“The company has mentioned that it will look to price a potential vaccine in line with other commercially-available vaccines, suggesting to us a potential blockbuster commercial opportunity, depending on the vaccine’s clinical profile and the ultimate competitive landscape” he told investors, after the release of ‘encouraging’ early data.Related News: AstraZeneca Pops Ahead of Covid-19 Vaccine Data Report Due July 20 Moderna Soars 16% As Covid-19 Vaccine Shows Strong Immune Response EU In Talks With Moderna, BioNtech, CureVac For Potential Covid-19 Vaccine Deals More recent articles from Smarter Analyst: * EBay Seeks To Retain Stake in Classifieds Unit, Challenging Prosus Bid; Top Analyst Raises PT * Exelon Unit To Pay $200 Million Fine To Settle Long-Running Bribery Case * EU In Talks With Moderna, BioNtech, CureVac For Potential Covid-19 Vaccine Deals * Walgreens Partners With DoorDash For Online Delivery During Pandemic
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Why I would buy Afterpay and these exciting ASX tech shares
I think that one of the most exciting areas to invest in at the moment is the tech sector.
In this part of the market there are a large number of companies with the potential to grow strongly over the next decade and generate outsized returns for shareholders.
Three ASX tech shares that I would buy in July are listed below. Here’s why I like them:
Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT)
I think this payments company could be a great long term option. In FY 2020, Afterpay has continued to smash expectations thanks to the increasing popularity of its buy now pay later platform with both consumers and retailers. The uptake of its platform has been especially strong with younger demographics, which are turning away from credit cards and looking for better ways to budget. I expect this trend to continue for the foreseeable future and be boosted by further geographic expansion in the coming years. This could make Afterpay shares long term market beaters.
Nearmap Ltd (ASX: NEA)
Another tech share to consider buying is this aerial imagery technology and location data company. Thanks to the increasing demand for its services in both Australia and North America, Nearmap has been growing its sales at a very strong rate over the last few years. The good news is that I believe the company can continue this impressive growth for a long time to come thanks to its massive opportunity in a highly fragmented market, the launch of several exciting new products, and its potential expansion into new geographies.
Xero Limited (ASX: XRO)
A final tech share to consider buying is Xero. It is one of the world’s leading cloud-based business and accounting software providers. Xero recently reported its FY 2020 results and revealed further impressive growth in sales and operating earnings. This was driven by strong customer growth and its sky high retention rate. I believe the latter demonstrates both the quality and stickiness of its platform. Another positive is its modest market share in North America. At present it has just 241,000 subscribers in the key market. This compares to 914,000 subscribers in a materially smaller ANZ market.
We hear it over and over from investors, “I wish I had bought Altium or Afterpay when they were first recommended by The Motley Fool. I’d be sitting on a gold mine!” And it’s true.
And while Altium and Afterpay have had a good run, we think these 5 other stocks are screaming buys. And you can buy them now for less than $5 a share!
*Extreme Opportunities returns as of June 5th 2020
More reading
- Top fund manager names favourite ASX growth shares
- Why the BlueScope share price is outperforming today
- Is the Zip share price a buy after falling 20% last week?
- Zip and Openpay were among the most traded shares on the ASX last week
- 5 of the worst performing ASX shares from last week
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 Nearmap Ltd. and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of AFTERPAY T FPO. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Nearmap Ltd. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.
The post Why I would buy Afterpay and these exciting ASX tech shares appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.
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Philips Sees Improved Profitability in Second Half: CEO
Jul.20 — Frans van Houten, chief executive officer at Koninklijke Philips NV, discusses his outlook for business in the covid-19 era, earnings in the second half and ventilator production. He speaks on “Bloomberg Daybreak: Europe.”from Yahoo Finance https://ift.tt/39gMPEi
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Where to invest $5,000 into ASX shares right now
Do you have some spare cash to invest in ASX shares right now?
I believe the shares below are 2 very solid options. Here’s why they are both on my buy list right now, and how I would split a $5,000 investment across the 2 ASX shares.
BetaShares NASDAQ 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ) – $3,000
My first recommendation is actually an exchange-traded fund (ETF), rather than an individually listed company. The BetaShares NASDAQ 100 ETF invests in a basket of shares that are listed the US NASDAQ exchange. This ‘tech heavy’ ETF includes many of the tech giants that you probably familiar with, such as Apple, Amazon, Google, Facebook, Microsoft and Netflix.
What really appeals to me about this ETF is that you get exposure to a vast portfolio of US shares that you otherwise wouldn’t gain exposure to by investing on the ASX. Australia does have its own tech shares that are individually listed. However, I think it’s a great idea to also have some exposure to the massive tech market listed in the US. A number of US tech companies have become global leading brands and many also have dominant positions in their individual tech market niches.
The tech sector in the US is really booming right now. Despite strong recent gains, I believe the long annual return of this fund is likely to continue exceed the return of the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) over the next 5 to 10 years.
Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS) – $2,000
Australia’s largest telecommunications provider Telstra has had many challenges to face over the last decade. In particular, it has had to transition to a whole new telecoms world, centred around the government-owned National Broadband Network (NBN). Prior to the NBN, Telstra enjoyed margins and profit levels well above those achievable by most of its competitors. However, Telstra is now on a level playing field with the rest of the local market.
Telstra’s response has been to transition to a leaner operation under its ‘T22 strategy’ and is now well underway to achieving this goal. In addition, it is emerging as a market leader in the race to launch full scale 5G mobile services.
Telstra also currently has an attractive price-to-earnings ratio of 19 and pays a forward fully franked dividend yield of around 2.9%
Foolish takeaway
BetaShares NASDAQ 100 ETF and Telstra are 2 very different types of investments. However, I believe that both are well positioned to deliver above average shareholder returns over the next 5 years.
If I was investing $5,000 between both shares, I would lean towards investing slightly more in BetaShares NASDAQ 100 ETF, due to its higher level of market diversification.
Where to 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 are the five best ASX stocks for investors to buy right now. These stocks are trading at dirt-cheap prices and Scott thinks they are great buys right now.
*Returns as of June 30th
More reading
- Market close: ASX 200 falls 0.5%
- Why the BlueScope share price is outperforming today
- Are you a ‘risky’ investor in ASX 200 shares?
- One thing you should be doing ahead of the ASX reporting season
- 3 top Warren Buffett quotes for ASX investors this week
Phil Harpur owns shares of Telstra Limited. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of BETANASDAQ ETF UNITS. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Telstra Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended BETANASDAQ ETF UNITS. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.
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4 ASX shares I’d buy with $4,000
I think ASX shares are a great way to grow your wealth over the long-term. You just need to choose the right ideas which have long-term growth potential.
What about ASX blue chips?
If you’re thinking about investing in shares like Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) and BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) then I think you may as well go for an ultra-low-cost exchange-traded fund (ETF) like BetaShares Australia 200 ETF (ASX: A200) which has an annual management fee of just 0.07% per annum.
But I think these four ASX shares could beat the market over the shorter-term and longer-term:
Share 1: MFF Capital Investments Ltd (ASX: MFF)
MFF Capital is a leading listed investment company (LIC). MFF Capital aims to invest in overseas shares rather than ASX shares.
There are few Australian investors with the investment track record of Chris Mackay. He manages MFF Capital and has achieved very strong returns over the past five years with top share picks like Visa and Mastercard. These two businesses still make up more than a third of the portfolio. There is a long-term shift away from cash payments and towards contactless payments and eCommerce.
The LIC currently has a large pile of cash that it wants to deploy when the right investing opportunities come along. At the end of June 2020 it had 44% of its assets as net cash. I think that provides a solid base for downside protection this year as well as optionality to buy shares at beaten down prices.
At the current MFF Capital share price it’s trading at a 4% discount to the pre-tax net tangible assets (NTA) per share.
Share 2: Bubs Australia Ltd (ASX: BUB)
Bubs is an infant formula company. It specialises in goat milk products, but it also sells grass-fed organic cow milk infant formula too. It sells baby food too.
The company is on a very good course at the moment, it’s delivering strong growth. In the FY20 half-year result it reported revenue growth of 37% to $28.8 million. In the FY20 third quarter, infant formula revenue and China revenue both increased by more than 100%.
The ASX share’s gross margin continues to improve as well. I think Bubs can become a much larger business over the next few years, investors just need to be patient as it delivers on its growth potential.
At the current Bubs share price, I’d be happy to buy some shares for the long-term.
Share 3: Vitalharvest Freehold Trust (ASX: VTH)
Vitalharvest is an agricultural real estate investment trust (REIT) which owns some of the largest citrus and berry properties in Australia which are leased to Costa Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: CGC).
In the FY20 interim result the REIT reported it had a net asset value (NAV) of $0.95 per unit. At the current Vitalharvest share price it’s trading at a 16% discount to that NAV, assuming the NAV hasn’t changed since December 2019.
I’m also excited for two other reasons. First, the ASX share has a new manager that will expand the REIT’s acquisition hunting ground to include other areas of the food supply chain with properties related to the processing, storage and logistics of food.
The other reason why I’m excited is due to a potential return to good results for Costa. Vitalharvest has a profit-share agreement with Costa. A return to normal profits for Costa could give Vitalharvest a boost.
At the current Vitalharvest it’s trading with a distribution yield of 5.9%.
Share 4: Brickworks Limited (ASX: BKW)
Brickworks is one of Australia’s largest building product businesses. It sells a variety of products like bricks, precast and roofing. COVID-19 could cause a material hit to the construction industry over the next 12 months. But that’s why the Brickworks share price is down by 18% over the past six months. A downturn is a good time to buy a cyclical business like a building product ASX share in my opinion.
However, I’m particularly excited by the recent Amazon news. Brickworks owns 50% of an industrial property trust along with Goodman Group (ASX: GMG). Brickworks recently announced that the property trust had succeeded in getting Amazon to commit to building a massive distribution warehouse at its Oakdale site in Sydney. That is in addition to the big distribution warehouse that Coles Group Limited (ASX: COL) is planning to build.
I think Brickworks could actually be a fairly defensive investment. At the current share price, Brickworks offers a grossed-up dividend yield of 5%.
Foolish takeaway
I think each of these ASX shares are good value and could deliver market-beating returns over the next 12 months and the long-term. I think Bubs and MFF Capital could deliver the strongest returns over the next few years due to the focus on growth, though Vitalharvest and Brickworks look good value to me.
We hear it over and over from investors, “I wish I had bought Altium or Afterpay when they were first recommended by The Motley Fool. I’d be sitting on a gold mine!” And it’s true.
And while Altium and Afterpay have had a good run, we think these 5 other stocks are screaming buys. And you can buy them now for less than $5 a share!
*Extreme Opportunities returns as of June 5th 2020
More reading
- My ASX share of the week
- 4 ASX shares I’d buy to protect against a recession
- How to create a yearly income of $65,000 in dividends
- 2 easy ASX shares for beginners
- Top ASX dividend shares to buy in July 2020
Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison owns shares of Magellan Flagship Fund Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Brickworks, BUBS AUST FPO, and COSTA GRP FPO. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.
The post 4 ASX shares I’d buy with $4,000 appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.
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Tesserent share price leaps 28% following trading update
The Tesserent Ltd (ASX: TNT) share price gained 28% today, while also smashing its 52-week high in the process. The Tesserent share price was sent flying on the news the company has achieved its financial objectives for the year and also secured a debt facility.
What does Tesserent do?
Tesserent provides internet security to a wide range of Australian and international customers, via services such as perimeter protection, internal monitoring and alerts, secure internet connectivity and co-location. Its customers include education providers, corporate enterprises, and government organisations.
The company’s flagship Cyber 360 strategy delivers a comprehensive security service including identification, protection and 24/7 monitoring against cyber security threats. According to Tesserent, it is Australia’s largest listed dedicated cyber security company.
Trading update
The Tesserent share price skyrocketed today following news the company had achieved its previously announced FY20 financial objectives and locked in an additional $10 million in funding.
A key highlight for the company is the fact its $40 million revenue run rate was achieved. Furthermore, Tesserent announced that it is likely to become earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) and cash flow positive in June. These metrics are subject to audit, with the company providing a comprehensive business update and quarterly update later this month.
Tesserent has also managed to secure an additional $10 million debt facility. The agreement was with Tesserent’s existing debt provider, Pure Asset Management. The funds will be drawn as required to support acquisitions by the company.
Chair of Tesserent Geoff Lord commented:
[W]e’re extremely pleased to be working with PURE Asset Management who continue to support the firm’s vision and strategy. This new facility provides the funding cornerstone to continue to drive the Company’s acquisition strategy with minimal dilutionary impact on our existing shareholders.
About the Tesserent share price
The Tesserent share price has surged higher so far this year, gaining upwards of 150%. Tesserent shares have been pushed higher following the successful acquisitions of Pure Security, Rivium and North in the past year.
Cyber security is a hot topic following the recent cyber attacks on the government, with the news that cyber security is getting a $1.35 billion spending boost no doubt adding to the Tesserent share price’s impressive run.
Where to 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 are the five best ASX stocks for investors to buy right now. These stocks are trading at dirt-cheap prices and Scott thinks they are great buys right now.
*Returns as of June 30th
More reading
- Where to invest $5,000 into ASX shares right now
- 4 ASX shares I’d buy with $4,000
- Market close: ASX 200 falls 0.5%
- ASX investors were buying these 5 international shares last week
- Top fund manager names favourite ASX growth shares
Motley Fool contributor Daniel Ewing has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.
The post Tesserent share price leaps 28% following trading update appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.
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