Category: Stock Market

  • 2 ASX shares I’d buy if the ASX crashes again

    asx growth shares

    There are at least two ASX shares I’d buy if the ASX crashes again.

    I’m not expecting that the ASX will crash again. But I think it’s a good idea to have your investment targets lined up so you know what you’d do if the opportunity presented itself.

    Some of the smaller-to-medium sized shares on the ASX have performed very well since the coronavirus low in March. If the share market pulls back, I know I’d love to jump on these two long-term winners:

    Share 1: Altium Limited (ASX: ALU)

    Altium is a leading electronic software business which is aiming for global market leadership by 2025. The ASX share is aiming to achieve this with 100,000 Altium designer subscribers.

    The Altium share price has been a strong performer since the initial crash started in February 2020. It has risen by 38% since 23 March 2020. It was up even more before the Aussie dollar strengthened compared to the US dollar. Altium reports in US dollars, so its earnings are worth less in Australian dollar terms as the US dollar weakens.

    I’d like to buy more Altium shares because I think it’s one of the best ASX growth shares around.

    The company has attractive and growing profit margins as it scales. It has excellent management with a long-term focus. The ASX share has a good amount of cash on the balance sheet with no debt. It even has a growing dividend.

    There is a lot to like about Altium. But with the company warning of tougher conditions in the short-term, I’d prefer to buy more shares at a lower price than today. However, at a share price of $34 I think investors could still do quite well over the next five years.

    Share2: A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX: A2M)

    A2 Milk is another ASX share that has done very well since its March low. The A2 Milk share price is up 25.8% since 16 March 2020.

    I have been very impressed with A2 Milk’s performance since it listed on the ASX five years ago. It has already generated big returns for long-term investors.

    It’s one of the few ASX shares that is seeing even faster growth during this unfortunate period. People are looking to stock up on quality products to ensure their family’s needs are met.

    A2 Milk is one of those quality businesses that is able to invest for growth, keep building its cash balance and maintain an attractive earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) margin. It can be hard to balance those things.

    I think it would be a costly mistake to assume A2 Milk has already achieved most of its growth. I’m not expecting returns of over 1,000% over the next five years. But A2 Milk still has a long growth runway. It has barely begun growing in the US and it’s planning to start generating earnings in Canada.

    There are plenty of other countries for A2 Milk to keep growing its market share.

    Foolish takeaway

    I think both of these ASX shares are among the best quality businesses we can buy. Sadly, the market is pricing them highly. I wouldn’t mind buying a small parcel of each today. But it would be even better to buy them if their prices were at least 15% lower. Who knows if that will happen though?

    In any case, the best ASX growth shares on are on sale. I’d rather buy these top ASX shares.

    3 “Double Down” Stocks To Ride The Bull Market

    Motley Fool resident tech stock expert Dr. Anirban Mahanti has stumbled upon three under-the-radar stock picks he believes could be some of the greatest discoveries of his investing career.

    He’s so confident in their future prospects that he has issued “double down” buy alerts on each of these three stocks to members of his Motley Fool Extreme Opportunities stock picking service.

    *Extreme Opportunities returns as of June 5th 2020

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    Tristan Harrison owns shares of Altium. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of Altium. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of A2 Milk. 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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  • ASX growth companies including Zip Co cash in on the rise of e-commerce

    Man holding smartphone with shopping cart icon

    A strong side effect of the social restrictions imposed to fight the spread of the coronavirus has been the rise of e-commerce. With many confined to their homes, completing everyday shopping online has become the ‘norm’. This has seen the likes of ASX growth companies, Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT), Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P) and digital retailer, Kogan.com Ltd (ASX: KGN) benefit from the surge in online shopping.

    And even as restrictions ease, it could be a long time before brick and mortar foot traffic reaches pre-coronavirus levels. In fact, the crisis could have brought about a permanent change in the way people shop. 

    Let’s look into how this digital retailer and the buy now, pay later companies are benefitting from the shift.  

    Kogan.com

    The coronavirus crisis has turned promising e-commerce player Kogan.com into a bona fide market darling. Its share price raced to an all-time high of $13 last week, on the back of a string of positive business updates throughout the crisis.

    With many traditional brick and mortar retailers closed and people confined to their homes during lockdowns, rates of online shopping increased dramatically. With one month still to go in the FY20 fourth quarter, Kogan has already recorded gross sales growth of 100%, and gross profit growth of 130%.  

    The company is hoping to use this unique opportunity to pursue further growth. Kogan shares were placed into a trading halt on Wednesday, 10 June after the company announced a $100 million capital raising. Kogan hopes to use the cash injection to take advantage of any ‘value accretive opportunities’. This could mean company acquisitions are on the horizon.

    Afterpay

    Since falling to a 52-week low of just $8.01 at the height of the market selloff in late March, shares in Afterpay have soared an astonishing 580% to a new all-time high of $54.69.

    Investors initially flocked to Afterpay after the company announced it had continued to perform strongly throughout the March quarter. Underlying sales were $2.6 billion for the quarter, a 97% increase over the FY19 third quarter. Unsurprisingly, March notched up the company’s third-highest monthly underlying sales total on record.

    Afterpay has since reached another milestone: 5 million active users in the US. This is a significant achievement as it gives Afterpay a foothold in a lucrative new market. This comes just two years after launching in the region. It is even more interesting now in light of the Quadpay acquisition by Afterpay’s key competitor, Zip. It will be fascinating to watch as the two major Australian players battle it out in the US market.

    Zip Co

    The share price of ASX buy now, pay later company, Zip skyrocketed recently after it announced plans to acquire New York-based fintech Quadpay Inc. Quadpay is one of the leading buy now, pay later platforms in the US. It has total transaction volumes for the most recent quarter of $225.1 million and revenues of $17.8 million.

    Zip claims that once the acquisition is complete, it will be one of the leading global players in the buy now, pay later space with close to $250 million in annualised revenues. The company’s share price soared to an all-time high price of $6.79 on the back of the news.

    Before you go, don’t miss the opportunity to check out some shares with great potential through the free Fool report below.

    3 “Double Down” Stocks To Ride The Bull Market

    Motley Fool resident tech stock expert Dr. Anirban Mahanti has stumbled upon three under-the-radar stock picks he believes could be some of the greatest discoveries of his investing career.

    He’s so confident in their future prospects that he has issued “double down” buy alerts on each of these three stocks to members of his Motley Fool Extreme Opportunities stock picking service.

    *Extreme Opportunities returns as of June 5th 2020

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    Rhys Brock owns shares of AFTERPAY T FPO, Kogan.com ltd, and ZIPCOLTD FPO. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of AFTERPAY T FPO and ZIPCOLTD FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Kogan.com 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 ASX growth companies including Zip Co cash in on the rise of e-commerce appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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  • 3 ASX 200 shares I’d buy for 2020 and beyond

    Investing ideas

    S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) shares are great place to look for long-term investment opportunities.

    Plenty of ASX 200 shares are market leaders in their industry. Owning the largest, best business in an industry can help generate stronger returns for our portfolios.

    The best way to generate long-term returns is to invest for the long-term. So, here are three shares I think are opportunities for this year and beyond:

    Share 1: REA Group Limited (ASX: REA)

    REA Group is the owner of Australia’s most popular real estate portal. The REA Group share price is still down 7% from where it was on 21 February 2020. That’s despite the lower interest rate. 

    The ASX 200 share has a strong market position as the clear property leader in Australia. Potential property buyers will go to the site with the most properties for sale. Potential sellers will want to list on the site with the biggest buying audience. It’s a very beneficial loop for REA Group.

    There wasn’t much volume of property listings during the worst period of the coronavirus lockdowns. But now there’s more activity. Once jobkeeper ends in September there could be forced sellers, so more properties could come onto the market.

    Over the long-term I’m excited by REA Group’s stakes in overseas property sites in regions where the population is much higher than Australia. One property site services the US. 

    Share 2: Service Stream Limited (ASX: SSM)

    Service Stream is an ASX 200 share that specialises in network infrastructure. It’s involved in the designing, construction, maintenance and operation of networks like telecommunications, electricity, gas, water and ‘new energy’.

    The company had been consistently growing its earnings over the past few years before COVID-19. It’s expecting to report another solid result in FY20. Federal, state governments and businesses plan to continue spending on infrastructure over the coming years which should be good for Service Stream. The construction of the new 5G networks should be helpful for earnings too.

    Service Stream has also been steadily growing its dividend. The ASX 200 share offers a grossed-up dividend yield of 6.8%. That looks pretty good to me. The Service Stream share price is down 27% since 5 February 2020.

    Share 3: Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co. Ltd (ASX: SOL)

    Soul Patts is my favourite ASX 200 share, so I had to include it. It’s an investment conglomerate that takes long-term stakes in a variety of businesses like Brickworks Limited (ASX: BKW), TPG Telecom Ltd (ASX: TPM) and Bki Investment Co Ltd (ASX: BKI). It’s also invested in unlisted businesses like swimming schools and agriculture.

    The investment house itself makes long-term investment decisions, so I think it’s easy to be a long-term investor in Soul Patts.

    I like that it’s a conservative investor, and contrarian when there are unloved opportunities. Investing in agriculture during one of Australia’s worst droughts is the sort of brave investing that Soul Patts has done.

    I believe Soul Patts has a great chance of outperforming the ASX 200 over the longer-term. The TPG merger is compelling. Brickwork’s expansion into the US is exciting. Soul Patts is about to start investing in regional data centres in Australia.

    Foolish takeaway

    I think each of these ASX 200 shares have a great future. Service Stream could be the strongest performer over the next 18 months if Australia’s economy keeps rebounding. But Soul Patts would be the share I’d buy today if I wanted a share to hold for many, many years.

    These aren’t the only ASX shares I’d love to buy. I also think these top shares can generate great growth…

    3 “Double Down” stocks to ride the bull market higher

    Motley Fool resident tech stock expert Dr. Anirban Mahanti has identified three stocks he thinks can ride the bull market even higher, potentially supercharging your wealth in 2020 and beyond.

    Doc Mahanti likes them so much he has issued “double down” buy alerts on all three stocks to members of his Motley Fool Extreme Opportunities stock picking service.

    *  Extreme Opportunities returns as of June 5th 2020

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    Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison owns shares of Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Brickworks and Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended REA Group Limited and Service Stream Limited. 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 3 ASX 200 shares I’d buy for 2020 and beyond appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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  • A $10,000 investment in the Zip Co IPO would be worth $350,000 today

    Zip Co share price

    Recently I’ve been looking at how investments in the IPOs of a number of ASX shares have fared.

    Today, I thought I would turn my attention to one of the most popular shares on the market at present – Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P).

    Zip Co is a fast-growing payments company which competes with Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) in the buy now pay later market.

    The Zip Co IPO.

    It has been almost five years since Zip Co listed on the Australian share market.

    Its shares hit the ASX boards in September 2015 after raising $5 million through the issue of 20 million shares at 20 cents per share.

    This means that if you had invested $10,000 into its IPO, you have would have received 50,000 shares.

    Since then the company has gone from strength to strength thanks to the increasing popularity of buy now pay later with both consumers and retailers globally.

    Consumers, particularly those in the millennial and Gen Z demographic, are turning to platforms like Afterpay and Zip Co instead of credit cards. This has led to Zip Co delivering stellar underlying sales growth over the last few years.

    This has continued during the pandemic. After smashing expectations in the third quarter, Zip Co’s explosive growth continued in April when it delivered monthly transaction volume of $181.6 million. This was an 86% increase on the prior corresponding period.

    The good news is that this is still only scratching at the surface of its overall market opportunity. Especially now it is expanding into the $5 trillion U.S. retail market via the acquisition of QuadPay.

    It is largely because of this strong form and acquisition that the Zip Co share price hit a record high of $6.97 this morning.

    When its shares hit that level, the 50,000 shares you would have received by investing in its IPO would have been worth a massive $348,500. That certainly is an impressive return in less than five years, right?

    Looking for the next Zip Co? Then don’t miss the exciting shares recommended below…

    5 stocks under $5

    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

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    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 AFTERPAY T FPO and ZIPCOLTD FPO. 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 A $10,000 investment in the Zip Co IPO would be worth $350,000 today appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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  • What is the ASX impact of a fall in house prices?

    model house and reducing stacks of coins with percentages, house prices asx

    I don’t know about you but I’m starting to get a feeling in my bones that our febrile ASX is headed for trouble. For me, the market seems to have recovered too quickly and the cynics are starting to become very loud. Moreover, I think real estate is likely to be the bellwether sector. From retail to housing to commercial real estate, the indicators lie somewhere between confusing and concerning. So if there is a fall in commercial property values and residential house prices, how will this impact the ASX?

    The retail sector

    GPT Group (ASX: GPT) yesterday downgraded the value of its seven directly held retail assets by $476.7 million. This is approximately 8.8% of book value at 31 December 2019. This resulted from an independent valuation. GPT’s Chief Executive Officer Bob Johnston explained the revaluation as resulting from the effects of COVID-19. He held up reduced foot traffic, reduced rental growth, as well as increasing vacancy and abatement rates as contributing factors. 

    The recent release of the Australian Bureau of Statistics official retail data for April painted a further bleak picture. The report contained the strongest seasonally adjusted fall ever published from the retail trade survey.

    Scentre Group (ASX: SCG) and Vicinity Centres (ASX: VCX) also have high exposure to the same retail headwinds.

    The housing sector

    The third-quarter update from Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) forecasts a fall in the Australian house price index, a proxy for house prices, of between 11% to a worst-case scenario of 32%. REA Group Limited (ASX: REA) also reported a 33% slide in residential real estate listings during April.

    According to its 2019 portfolio report, Stockland Corporation Ltd (ASX: SGP) has a development pipeline of 76,000 lots of residential real estate. The company estimates this has an end market value of $21.4 billion. In the event of falling house prices, the negative financial impact on this ASX 200 company is inevitable, in my view. 

    Of course the impact of falling house prices spreads a lot wider than just ASX listed real estate investment trusts (REITs) and developers. Boral Limited (ASX: BLD), for example, is likely to see the impact of a real estate downturn on its earnings, among its other issues. Furthermore, the major banks will also likely see a reduction in lending, with CBA being the country’s largest mortgage lender.

    Commercial real estate

    The commercial real estate market is still very uncertain. It remains to be seen what the impacts of the ‘work from home model’ and widespread business closures will be on this sector. GPT Group also has significant exposure in this sector as it has 41% of its funds invested in premium office space. 

    Another major participant in the commercial real estate sector is DEXUS Property Group (ASX: DXS). Dexus is a ‘pure play’, Australian office REIT. It has around $15 billion invested in office real estate across central Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth.

    Foolish takeaway

    A real estate downturn is likely to weigh heavily across many sectors on the ASX. However, I believe Vicinity Centres has the balance sheet to withstand this disruption. I also feel that with all major REITs on the ASX underperforming the market since the 23 March trough, they should still see high share price growth once the market stabilises.  If you can withstand the near-term volatility, the Vicinity Centres share price is currently selling at a P/E ratio of 5.42.

    If you are looking for other bargain shares in less volatile sectors, be sure to download our free report.

    5 ASX stocks under $5

    One trick to potentially generating life-changing wealth from the stock market is to buy early-stage growth companies when their share prices still look dirt cheap.

    Motley Fool’s resident tech stock expert Dr. Anirban Mahanti has identified 5 stocks he thinks are screaming buys. And you can buy them now for less than $5 a share!

    *  Extreme Opportunities returns as of June 5th 2020

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    Motley Fool contributor Daryl Mather has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended REA Group Limited and Scentre Group. 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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  • Tesla (TSLA): Don’t Believe the Hype, Says Analyst

    Tesla (TSLA): Don’t Believe the Hype, Says AnalystElectric car giant Tesla (TSLA) is at the top of its game, hitting another all-time high on Wednesday, and reaching the long-ballyhooed $1,000 mark. The latest surge ensued when a memo from CEO Elon Musk telling employees it was "time to go all out" on the production of the Tesla Semi, began making the rounds.But Tesla’s latest rally picked up steam earlier this week, when reports came out that demand for Model 3s in China has accelerated. News outlets focused on the 11,095 Model 3s that zoomed out of Tesla’s Shanghai Giga 3 factory last month and are now sitting pretty outside a new home.However, GLJ Research analyst Gordon Johnson argues the celebrations are premature and, in fact, the figures are misleading.“The China May 2020 Sales numbers released yesterday, which have been covered by nearly every news outlet, were from China Passenger Car Association (“CPCA”)… Stated more clearly, the numbers from CPCA yesterday, according to CPCA, were just an estimate, and have not been confirmed,” Johnson said.According to Johnson, the figures to look out for are those released by the China Automotive Technology and Research Center (CATARC) or the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC).Ok, so where are they? “Those numbers are not yet available,” Johnson added, “So all the Reuters and Bloomberg articles from yesterday are wrong. Also, the many analysts commenting on these numbers today on TV are also wrong.”While TSLA’s production number of 11,501 is not disputed by the analyst, Johnson believes “we do not yet know how many cars TSLA sold in May in China.”What we do know, Johnson adds, are Tesla’s EU sales figures. “They were pretty bad,” he said.Down by 5.2% month-over-month and 33% year-over-year, as it happens. Additionally, through June 8, quarter-to-date, 2Q20 sales dropped by 54% quarter-over-quarter and 75% year-over-year in “Norway + the Netherlands + Spain, which accounted for 47% of all of TSLA’s EU sales in 2019.”“But,” Johnson summed up, “Who cares about numbers/facts when Ron Barron is on TV nearly monthly saying TSLA’s stock will increase 10x with no supporting details – and also saying he wants to buy more, despite the fact he’s been selling… why won’t the media focus on the numbers vs. perpetually having people on to give their opinions on what Tesla will do in 2025? what about 2020?”Unsurprisingly, Johnson rates Tesla shares a Sell, without suggesting a price target. (To watch Johnson’s track record, click here)While not quite as flummoxed as Johnson, the Street appears out of sync with Tesla’s ascent, too. 9 Buys, 9 Holds and 10 Sell ratings add up to a Hold Consensus rating. With an average price target of $633.95, the analysts expect Tesla stock to drop by 38% over the next 12 months. (See Tesla stock analysis on TipRanks)To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks’ Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks’ equity insights.

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  • Why the Keytone Dairy share price opened 9% higher this morning

    Glass of milk

    The Keytone Dairy Corporation Ltd (ASX: KTD) share price is racing higher this morning on the back of a sales update.

    Keytone Dairy is a manufacturer and exporter of formulated dairy products in Australia and New Zealand.

    The company manufacturers its own products under its KeyDairy, KeyHealth and FaceClear brands. These products include premium milk and nutrition powders and health supplement capsules for the treatment of acne. 

    Additionally, Keytone is a production partner for leading retailers and supermarket chains, undertaking contract packing operations for brands around the world.

    Headquartered in the heart of New Zealand’s South Island, Keytone Dairy floated on the ASX in July 2018 at an offer price of 20 cents. With a share price of 29 cents at the time of writing, the company’s market capitalisation currently sits at around $74 million.

    Why is the Keytone Dairy share price surging?

    This morning, Keytone Dairy revealed that it has received its largest follow-on order from Nouriz to date.

    Nouriz is a related party of China Animal Husbandry Group, a China state-owned enterprise, that orders whole and skim milk powders from Keytone for its Nouriz private label.

    The large purchase order announced today is priced at $1.39 million and is significantly higher than Nouriz’s recent orders and forecasts. More specifically, this latest order is around 11.3 times and 1.6 times greater than Nouriz’s first and second orders, respectively.

    The order will be manufactured in Keytone’s New Zealand facilities in August 2020.

    Commenting on today’s update, Keytone CEO Danny Rotman said:

    “These significant follow-on orders from strategic clients of the business are increasing in both frequency and size. With the New Zealand second manufacturing facility online, Keytone is well equipped to service these growing orders from Nouriz and other key strategic clients of the business and will continue to work closely with these clients, growing the product offering and volumes.”

    Recent developments

    Today’s announcement follows another positive update in late May regarding a new licensing agreement. The agreement gives Keytone a distribution license for a range of Baileys ready-to-drink dairy products products in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

    Additionally, the next day, Keytone announced its full-year financial results for the 12 months ending 31 March 2020.

    Headline results include total sales revenue of $22.53 million, up 799% from $2.51 million in the prior year, and cash receipts of $24.68 million. However, the company reported a full-year statutory loss of $7.45 million, up from a loss of $3.29 million in the prior year.

    5 stocks under $5

    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

    Motley Fool contributor Cathryn Goh 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 Why the Keytone Dairy share price opened 9% higher this morning appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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  • 3 great shares to buy now if you’re an ASX 200 investor in your 20s

    blocks trending up

    S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) investors in their 20s have a unique set of advantages over other share investors. Primarily, younger people have much more time before their retirement. This group of investors are in a fantastic position to take on more risk in search of outperforming the share market, more so than their older counterparts.

    ASX 200 investors in their 20s

    As investors, we’re a motley crew. We all have motley goals, motley resources and motley risk appetite. Because of this, it is important to understand your own personal circumstances and invest accordingly. The below ASX shares may be fantastic options for most investors in their 20s, but not for all. 

    I am in my 20s myself and am passionate about wealth creation through share investing. As a result, I spend a lot of my time analysing the share market, economics and my portfolio. But I know that not everyone in their 20s is interested or in a position to invest. But you, just by reading this article, are already ahead of your peers when it comes to investing knowledge and potential returns. Potential returns that are all thanks to the power of time and compound interest.

    3 best ASX 200 shares to buy now

    EML Payments Ltd (ASX: EML)

    The EML share price is still down from its 14 February high of $5.66. Shares are trading for $4.17 at the time of writing. EML is a financial services company providing solutions for payouts, gifts, incentives and rewards, and supplier payments. Although the company is exposed to mall-based retail through its prepaid cards, it also has digital solutions. The company has done a good job at diversifying through the acquisition of Prepaid Financial Services. This acquisition gives EML exposure to banking as a service (BaaS).

    Pointsbet Holdings Limited (ASX: PBH)

    Pointsbet shareholders have had a wild ride. The share price went from $6.65 in January, down to $1.12 in March to be at a high of $7.45 at the time of writing. That’s a whopping 80% decline followed by a 565% gain! I’m personally kicking myself for not buying during the dip, but I don’t think it’s too late to pick up shares. During the coronavirus pandemic, the company did well to continue its US licence expansion and is in a good position to grow long term once all sports are back to normal.

    Volpara Health Technologies Ltd (ASX: VHT)

    Volpara has done a great job at growing market share in the US. The company has built an installed software base covering over 27% of US women screened for breast cancer. The 31 March full-year results were impressive with total revenue up 153% and subscription revenue up 106%. The gross margin also increased from 83% to 86% year-on-year. What’s more, Volpara shares are significantly down from their late November high of $2.17, currently trading at $1.36 at the time of writing.

    Foolish bottom line

    These ASX 200 shares are smaller, fast-growing businesses. They offer huge potential returns, but with added risk. If you’re an ASX 200 investor in your 20s, they could be great long-term market beaters.

    Below, us Fools share a few other growth shares to help you outperform the ASX 200.

    3 “Double Down” Stocks To Ride The Bull Market

    Motley Fool resident tech stock expert Dr. Anirban Mahanti has stumbled upon three under-the-radar stock picks he believes could be some of the greatest discoveries of his investing career.

    He’s so confident in their future prospects that he has issued “double down” buy alerts on each of these three stocks to members of his Motley Fool Extreme Opportunities stock picking service.

    *Extreme Opportunities returns as of June 5th 2020

    More reading

    Lloyd Prout owns shares in EML Payments Limited and expresses his own opinions. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of Emerchants Limited, Pointsbet Holdings Ltd, and VOLPARA FPO NZ. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Emerchants Limited, Pointsbet Holdings Ltd, and VOLPARA FPO NZ. 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 3 great shares to buy now if you’re an ASX 200 investor in your 20s appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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  • Why the Kogan share price jumped 11% to a record high today

    shares high

    The Kogan.com Ltd (ASX: KGN) share price has returned from its trading halt and zoomed higher.

    At the time of writing the ecommerce company’s shares are up 11% to a record high of $13.77.

    Why was the Kogan share price in a trading halt?

    Kogan requested a trading halt on Wednesday in order to undertake a $115 million capital raising.

    This capital raising comprises a $100 million fully underwritten placement at $11.45 per share and a non-underwritten share purchase plan to raise up to $15 million. The placement price represents a 7.5% discount to its last close price.

    This morning Kogan revealed that its placement has completed successfully and was oversubscribed with strong investor demand from domestic and international institutions.

    Kogan’s Chair, Greg Ridder, commented: “We would like to thank our existing shareholders for their strong support for this capital raising, and also recognise the overwhelming interest from new investors.”

    “We recognise the significant trust placed in our management team to deliver a strong return on your capital, and we have every confidence the team will rise to the challenge. To all our shareholders, your company has gone from strength to strength since listing and, with the capital we have raised this week, your company is now stronger than ever,” he added.

    Why is Kogan raising capital?

    Kogan chose to raise capital in order to provide it with the financial flexibility to act quickly on future value accretive opportunities.

    These opportunities are ones that it feels broaden its offering, expand its customer base, or enhance its operating model. Much like its acquisition of replica furniture and homewares retailer Matt Blatt for $4.4 million last month.

    While the company has not revealed what it has its eyes on, management notes that multiple opportunities are presenting themselves already.

    And judging by its share price reaction today, investors appear confident that Kogan will spend these funds wisely and drive further strong growth in the coming years.

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    Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Kogan.com 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.

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  • Johnson & Johnson to Begin Coronavirus Vaccine Clinical Trial in July

    This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

    Gloved hands holding COVID-19 vaccine syringe

    This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

    Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) announced on Wednesday that it expects to begin a phase 1/2a clinical trial of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate Ad26.COV2-S, recombinant, in the second half of July. The company previously projected that the early-stage clinical study would begin in September.

    In February, Johnson & Johnson established a partnership with BARDA (the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority) to develop a COVID-19 vaccine candidate at an accelerated pace. Chief Scientific Officer Paul Stoffels noted that the strong preclinical data observed thus far and the company’s discussions with regulatory authorities were key in allowing it to speed up the development program.

    The early-stage clinical trial will be conducted in the U.S. and in Belgium. Johnson & Johnson plans to enroll 1,045 healthy adults between the ages of 18 to 55, plus adults aged 65 and over.

    Johnson & Johnson is also talking with the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases about the possibility of starting a phase 3 study of its COVID-19 vaccine sooner if the early-stage studies produce positive results. The healthcare giant is ramping up manufacturing capacity for the experimental vaccine even before clinical testing is completed, with a goal of being able to supply over 1 billion doses next year if the vaccine proves safe and effective.

    This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

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    Keith Speights has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. recommends Johnson & Johnson. 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 Johnson & Johnson to Begin Coronavirus Vaccine Clinical Trial in July appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

    This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

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