Category: Stock Market

Liontown Resources Ltd (ASX: LTR) shares were on fire on Tuesday.

The lithium developer’s shares ended the day 7% higher at 95.5 cents.

The catalyst for this was news that the company has secured a US$250 million convertible note (CN) investment and 10-year offtake extension from foundational partner, LG Energy Solution.

Broker reaction

Bell Potter was pleased with the news and highlights that the company is now funded to steady-state production. It said:

The CN increases LTR’s cash liquidity by $129m; it replaces the $550m debt facility announced in March 2024, of which $300m was allocated to repay a debt facility with offtake partner Ford. LTR will now retain the $300m Ford debt facility which has a 5-year tenor and BBSW+1.5% rate. LTR reiterated that Kathleen Valley remains on schedule for first production by the end of July 2024. With the CN, LTR will have available cash of $501m and remaining capex of around $120m to first production. LTR expects the $381m balance to fund Kathleen Valley to steady-state production, even under current depressed lithium pricing.

The broker was pleased with the agreement and feels it was the right thing for management to do. Its analysts add:

The LG CN funding is a pragmatic solution to remove the onerous terms associated with traditional bank debt and increase the company’s cash liquidity headroom. LTR’s 100% owned Kathleen Valley lithium project remains highly strategic with initial production imminent, a long mine life and tier-one location. LTR has offtake contracts with top tier EV and battery OEMs (Ford, LG Energy Solution and Tesla). Under our modelled assumptions, we expect that LTR is fully funded to free cash flow.

Should you buy Liontown shares?

If you have a high tolerance for risk, then Bell Potter thinks you should be considering an investment in Liontown’s shares. Especially if you are looking for exposure to the lithium industry.

In response to this update, the broker has reaffirmed its speculative buy rating and $1.85 price target on the lithium developer’s shares. Based on its current share price of 95.5 cents, this implies potential upside of almost 95% for investors over the next 12 months.

To put that into context, a $5,000 investment could turn into approximately $9,750 by this time next year if Bell Potter is on the money with its recommendation.

Though, the broker warns: “LTR is an asset development company; our Speculative risk rating recognises this higher level of risk.”

The post Should you buy Liontown shares after its update? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Is it time to buy FY24’s worst-performing ASX shares?
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Wednesday
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Liontown share price roars 17% higher on funding update and ‘tremendous endorsement’
• Why are Liontown shares in a trading halt today?

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has 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 Scott Phillips.

There are a lot of ASX 300 dividend shares to choose from on the Australian share market.

To narrow things down for income investors, I have picked out two that brokers have named as top buys recently.

Let’s see what they are saying about these shares:

Dexus Industria REIT (ASX: DXI)

Over at Morgans, its analysts think that Dexus Industria could be an ASX 300 dividend share to buy this month. It is a real estate investment trust with a focus on industrial warehouses.

The broker believes the industrial property company is well-placed due to solid demand, its development pipeline, and the positive rental growth outlook. It explains:

The portfolio is valued at $1.6bn across +90 properties with 89% of the portfolio weighted towards industrial assets (WACR 5.38%). The portfolio’s WALE is around 6 years and occupancy 97.5%. Across the portfolio 50% of leases are linked to CPI with the balance on fixed increases between 3-3.5%. While we expect cap rates to expand further in the near term, DXI’s industrial portfolio remains robust with the outlook positive for rental growth. The development pipeline also provides near and medium-term upside potential and post asset sales there is balance sheet capacity to execute.

In respect to income, the broker is forecasting dividends per share of 16.4 cents in FY 2024 and then 16.6 cents in FY 2025. Based on the current Dexus Industria share price of $2.84, this will mean dividend yields of 5.8% and 5.85%, respectively.

Morgans has an add rating and $3.20 price target on its shares.

Rural Funds Group (ASX: RFF)

Analysts at Bell Potter think that Rural Funds could be an ASX 300 dividend share to buy. It is the owner of a portfolio of high-quality agricultural assets. This includes orchards, vineyards, water entitlements, cropping, and cattle farms.

The broker believes that its shares are too cheap at current levels and sees this as a buying opportunity for income investors. It explains:

RFF trades at a historical high discount to its market NAV per unit ($2.78 pu) at ~28%. While we are in general seeing large discounts to NAV in ASX listed farming and water assets to market NAV, the discount that RFF is trading appears excessive and we are seeing a valuable opportunity in RFF. While the timing of that value discount closing is difficult to call, investors are likely to be rewarded with a ~6% yield to hold the position until such a time as the asset class rerates. Furthermore, RFF aims to achieve income growth through productivity improvements, conversion of assets to higher and better use along with rental indexation which is built into all of its contracts with its tenants.

As for dividends, Bell Potter is forecasting dividends per share of 11.7 cents in both FY 2024 and FY 2025. Based on the current Rural Funds share price of $2.00, this will mean yields of 5.85% for investors.

The broker has a buy rating and $2.40 price target on its shares.

The post Brokers says these ASX 300 dividend shares are top buys appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• 3 ASX dividend shares to buy with 5%+ yields
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• Bell Potter says these ASX dividend shares are top buys this month

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Rural Funds Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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

Reports of the demise of electric vehicle (EV) sales appear to have been exaggerated. At least that’s the conclusion that investors are drawing after Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) reported its second-quarter EV delivery numbers today.

After the EV leader reported stronger-than-anticipated vehicle deliveries, Tesla shares led the S&P 500 gainers for the second straight day. As of 10:55 a.m. ET, the stock was up by 8.6% after jumping by more than 6% yesterday. Tesla stock was a beneficiary yesterday ahead of its report after several Chinese EV makers reported strong sales data. But there was even more to like than most anticipated from Tesla’s update today.

Not just about EV sales

Tesla delivered nearly 444,000 EVs in the second quarter. Investors had been reducing expectations throughout the period resulting in a consensus estimate of 439,000 units, according to FactSet. The reported figure was almost 5% lower than the year-ago period, but there were some positive facets of the report that investors may be focused on.

In addition to beating estimates, the second quarter featured a drawdown in inventories as deliveries outpaced the 410,831 EVs it produced. A buildup of inventories due to lower perceived demand was a fear that helped drive Tesla’s share price down earlier this year. But the stock has now rebounded with a nearly 30% gain over just the last month.

The good news from today’s report didn’t end there, either. The company noted a record 9.4 GWh (gigawatt hours) of energy storage products deployed in the three-month period. That more than doubled the previous record of 4.1 GWh reported in the first quarter.

There’s been a surge in interest in energy storage products to smooth out power supply as renewable energy sources are installed for applications including growing data center construction.

That surge in deployments bodes well for yet another source of revenue for Tesla. Investors will look for even more updates from the company when it reports full second-quarter financials on July 23 and provides an update on its self-driving technology on Aug. 8.

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

The post Why Tesla stock continued to surge higher today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Why Tesla stock popped ahead of second-quarter deliveries
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The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended FactSet Research Systems and Tesla. Howard Smith has positions in Tesla. 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 Scott Phillips.

Normally, the phrases ‘40% return’ and ‘bank shares’ aren’t uttered in the same sentence. ASX bank shares like National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) are known for many things.

Fat, fully franked, market-leading dividends would be the obvious choice. Stable, mature business models and multi-decade presences on the ASX could also be thrown around.

But 40% returns in 12-month periods? That’s certainly a new one.

Yet that’s exactly what NAB shares have delivered for their investors over the financial year just gone. Yep, NAB shares rose by a whopping 35.6% over the 2024 financial year.

Want proof? Well, NAB shares started FY24 at $26.37 each. But by the time trading wrapped up last Friday, those same shares closed at $36.23. That’s a capital gain of 37.39% alone.

If you want visual proof, just check out the graph below:

But then we have to factor in NAB’s hefty dividend payments as well. Over the financial year that’s just passed us by, NAB doled out two fully franked dividend payments. As is the bank’s typical habit.

Last July saw an interim dividend worth 83 cents per share paid out. Then we had December’s final dividend, worth 84 cents per share.

Together, this $1.67 in dividends per share would have resulted in investors enjoying an additional yield of 6.33% over FY24, going off the bank’s FY24 starting price. So all up, investors have bagged a massive 43.7% in total gains from NAB shares last financial year.

What about NAB shares in FY25?

So NAB has had a phenomenal FY24. But what about the now-current financial year? Can investors expect another 40%-plus windfall from their NAB shares?

Unfortunately, it doesn’t look good, at least according to some ASX experts.

Last month, my Fool colleague Tristan covered the views of ASX broker UBS. UBS did note that it expects NAB to grow profits over both FY24 and FY25, which bodes well for NAB’s dividend payments. However, that wasn’t enough for UBS to hold back in issuing a ‘sell’ rating on the NAB share price.

The broker simply sees NAB as “fully valued” at its current pricing, and gives the bank a 12-month share price target of $30. If realised, that would see investors take a 16% haircut from where the shares are today.

Just over a month ago, we also looked at the view of another broker in Goldman Sachs. Goldman voiced similar concerns, noting that NAB “trades well above its 15-year average” and that all ASX banks are “close to record expensive”.

Goldman gave NAB shares a neutral rating at the time, with a share price target of $34.04.

So it seems most ASX experts aren’t liking what they see with NAB shares at the current price. That’s certainly something for investors to keep in mind after such a bumper FY24.

The post Own NAB shares? You just got a 44% return in FY24 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Why APA Group, Immutep, NAB, and Immutep shares are sinking

Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has positions in National Australia Bank. 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 Scott Phillips.

Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) shares have taken quite a beating over the past 12 months.

Shares in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) lithium stock closed yesterday trading for $2.97 apiece. That sees the stock down more than 41% since this time last year, when shares were swapping hands for $5.06 each.

That’s a far cry from the performance we witnessed in 2021, when the lithium miner’s shares leapt 288% over the calendar year.

But things began heading downhill in late 2023. That’s when lithium prices fell off a cliff as surging supply growth began to outpace global demand growth for the battery-critical metal.

For longer-term investors, however, the big selldown in Pilbara Minerals shares could represent a buying opportunity. One with a potential upside of more than 66%.

That’s according to Richard Coppleson, director of institutional sales and trading at Bell Potter.

According to Coppleson (quoted by The Australian Financial Review), “I own this and like it a lot. I think it’s a super buy at these levels. When lithium does recover, this is back to $5; only question is when will that be?”

When will lithium prices recover?

Like most market analysts, Coppleson is confident lithium prices will recover. Until then, though, it’s unlikely that Pilbara Minerals shares will rocket back to $5.

On Tuesday, lithium carbonate was trading for US$12,800 a tonne.

As for the outlook for global lithium prices, Citi forecasts that fast-building lithium inventories are likely to further pressure prices.

“This high and rising low-shelf-life chemical inventories should see lithium prices fall another 15% to 20% to $US10,000 a tonne,” Citi global head of commodities research Max Layton said.

But Citi expects lithium prices could begin to pick back up in 2025. According to Layton:

A low-price environment over the next three to six months would force supply curtailments, driving physical markets to rebalance… Lithium consumption is expected to accelerate from 2025 onwards once the current negative EV sentiment fades.

Advantage Pilbara Minerals shares?

One advantage Pilbara Minerals shares could have over some of the miner’s rivals is the company’s comparatively low costs.

“Pilbara’s relatively low unit costs have so far seen the company withstand softer pricing, providing a competitive advantage over others in the sector,” CEO Dale Henderson said when Pilbara reported its half-year results in February.

And the company’s balance sheet remains strong, despite revenue dropping 27% year-on-year to $192 million in the March quarter. Management noted that fall reflected “a 28% decline in average realised price partly offset by a 3% increase in sales volume”.

Pilbara Minerals had a cash balance of $1.8 billion as at 31 March.

The post Top broker says Pilbara Minerals shares are ‘a super buy at these levels’ appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Is it time to buy FY24’s worst-performing ASX shares?
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• Pilbara Minerals shares hit 22-month low. Are short-sellers holding tight?
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Citigroup is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. Motley Fool contributor Bernd Struben 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 Scott Phillips.

With the end of a financial year and the beginning of a new one this week, it’s pertinent to look back on some of our share market’s best and worst stocks over the past 12 months and assess whether we should buy these ASX shares.

On the weekend, my Fool colleague James named the worst-performing shares for FY24. They included Fletcher Building Ltd (ASX: FBU), Healius Ltd (ASX: HLS), Star Entertainment Group Ltd (ASX: SGR) and IGO Ltd (ASX: IGO). However, the worst performer on the index over FY24 was lithium stock Liontown Resources Ltd (ASX: LTR).

These shares were dastardly performers over the 12 months to 30 June 2024. Liontown, in particular, lost its investors a painful 68%.

As it happens, Liontown shares rallied more than 10% yesterday before news of a funding deal halted the shares. Still, this move comes too late to save the company from taking out the crown of thorns as the worst ASX 200 stock of FY24.

But the more value-inclined investors out there might be sizing up these FY24 laggards today. After all, it was the legendary Waren Buffett who famously told us to “be greedy when others are fearful”. And investors were clearly mighty fearful of Fletcher Building, Healius, Star Entertainment, IGO and Liontown last financial year.

Well, the good news for these value investors is that most of these shares are currently being eyed off by some ASX experts for their value potential.

ASX experts rate some of the worst ASX shares of FY24 as a buy

As reported in the Australian Financial Review (AFR) this week, Richard Coppleson, director of institutional sale and trading at Bell Potter, reckons the lithium sector is undervalued. Coppleson’s pick in lithium is the poor FY24 performer Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) rather than Liontown:

I own this and like it a lot… I think it’s a super buy at these levels – when lithium does recover, this is back to $5 – only question is when will that be?

Star Entertainment is another beaten-down stock that has an enthusiastic backer. Atlantic Pacific Capital is reportedly a big fan of Star shares at their recent pricing. Fund manager Nicolas Bryon recently stated:

If one were to read popular media, social media or the anonymous on chat forums, you would be convinced that this is potentially the worst decision in the world…

Often those who don’t understand distressed investing will dump positions. This is true of institutional and retail investors alike … ultimately these assets are premium entertainment precincts. If operated well, they can earn above their cost of capital.

Atlantic Pacific Capital joins other fund managers like Cooper Investors and L1 Capital in holding Star shares.

Healius also has some fans amongst the ASX professional investing class. Maple-Brown Abbott, Perpetual Ltd (ASX: PPT) and Argo Investments Ltd (ASX: ARG) all retain significant stakes in Helius within their portfolios.

But before we go, it’s worth keeping in mind another one of Warren Buffett’s best quotes:

Mr. Market [the stock market] is there to serve you, not to guide you. It is his pocketbook, not his wisdom, that you will find useful. If he shows up some day in a particularly foolish mood, you are free to either ignore him or to take advantage of him, but it will be disastrous if you fall under his influence.

Just because a share has had a disastrous year doesn’t mean it will bounce back in value. Sure, some beaten-down shares will end up getting oversold and might represent buying opportunities. But others are sold off for a very good reason and might end up being value traps.

So make sure you follow Buffett’s advice and avoid getting ‘guidance’ from the share market. As he says, letting it guide our investing decisions is a path to disaster.

The post Is it time to buy FY24’s worst-performing ASX shares? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Top broker says Pilbara Minerals shares are ‘a super buy at these levels’
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Wednesday
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Liontown share price roars 17% higher on funding update and ‘tremendous endorsement’
• Why Lovisa, Mayne Pharma, Pilbara Minerals, and RPMGlobal shares are falling today

Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has positions in Berkshire Hathaway. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Berkshire Hathaway. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Berkshire Hathaway. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

If you are trying to decide which ASX dividend stocks to add to your income portfolio, then it could be worth looking at three listed below that analysts are bullish on.

Here’s what you need to know about these income options:

Healthco Healthcare and Wellness REIT (ASX: HCW)

Analysts at Bell Potter think that Healthco Healthcare and Wellness REIT could be an ASX dividend stock to buy. It is a property company with a focus on health and wellness assets. This includes hospitals, aged care facilities, and primary care properties.

The broker believes it is well-positioned to provide investors with some big dividend yields in the coming years. It is forecasting dividends per share of 8 cents in FY 2024 and then 8.3 cents in FY 2025. Based on the current Healthco Healthcare and Wellness REIT unit price of $1.08, this will mean yields of 7.4% and 7.7%, respectively.

Bell Potter has a buy rating and $1.50 price target on its shares.

Stockland Corporation Ltd (ASX: SGP)

Another ASX dividend stock that has been tipped as a buy is Stockland. It is Australia’s largest community creator, delivering a range of masterplanned communities and medium density housing in growth areas across the country.

Citi is positive on the company and sees a lot of positives from its plan to acquire the communities business of Lendlease Group (ASX: LLC). It expects the addition to give Stockland’s earnings a boost in the near term.

For now, though, the broker is forecasting dividends per share of 26.2 cents in FY 2024 and 26.6 cents in FY 2025. Based on the current Stockland share price of $4.17, this will mean yields of 6.3% and 6.4% yields, respectively.

Citi has a buy rating and $5.10 price target on its shares.

Woolworths Limited (ASX: WOW)

Analysts at Goldman Sachs think that supermarket giant and Big W owner Woolworths could be an ASX dividend stock to buy. In fact, the broker is so positive on the retailer that it has its shares on its coveted conviction list.

Goldman believes Woolworths’ shares are undervalued at current levels. Particularly given its belief that the company is positioned to deliver solid earnings and dividend growth in the coming years.

In respect to the latter, the broker is forecasting fully franked dividends per share of $1.07 in FY 2024 and $1.13 in FY 2025. This equates to dividend yields of 3.2% and 3.4%, respectively.

Goldman has a buy rating and $40.20 price target on its shares.

The post Buy Woolworths and these ASX dividend stocks appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Can Wesfarmers shares keep beating the ASX 200 index?
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Citigroup is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Goldman Sachs Group. 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 Scott Phillips.

In the last financial year the ASX 200 index delivered a return of 7.8% before dividends.

While this was a great performance, there were a number of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that achieved market-beating returns over the 12 months.

For example, the three ASX ETFs listed below all made their unitholders smile in FY 2024. And the good news is that they could continue this trend long into the future. Here’s why:

BetaShares NASDAQ 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ)

This hugely popular ASX ETF continued its winning ways in the last financial year. During the 12 months, the BetaShares NASDAQ 100 ETF delivered a return of approximately 30%.

This was driven by strong performances from many of its 100 holdings during the period. One of those was of course Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA), which almost tripled in value during the year. This made the graphics processing units company the largest on Wall Street at one stage with a market capitalisation above US$3 billion.

Looking to the future, this ETF looks well-positioned thanks to the positive long-term outlooks of many of the companies held by the fund. These are the tech behemoths that provide the search engines, streaming services, mobile phones, spreadsheets, electric vehicles, and online shopping platforms we use daily.

Betashares Global Quality Leaders ETF (ASX: QLTY)

Another ASX ETF that beat the market in the last financial year was the Betashares Global Quality Leaders ETF.  It achieved a return of 23% over the 12 months.

It seems that the fund’s focus on investing in the highest quality companies in the world is working wonders for investors. Betashares’ chief economist, David Bassanese, will no doubt be pleased with this return. He recommended the ETF last year.

At present, there are approximately 150 companies included in the fund. These companies rank highly on four key metrics: return on equity, debt-to-capital, cash flow generation, and earnings stability. Given its success last year, it wouldn’t be surprising if this ETF continues its strong form

Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS)

The popular Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF outperformed with a gain of almost 19% during the last financial year.

It isn’t hard to see why this ASX ETF delivered the goods for investors. That’s because it is focused on buying 1,500 of the world’s largest listed companies from major developed countries.

This means that you are buying a slice of high-quality global giants from a range of industries. This includes Apple, Johnson & Johnson, JP Morgan, Nestle, and Visa.

The post Buy these market-beating ASX ETFs in FY25 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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JPMorgan Chase is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF, JPMorgan Chase, Nvidia, and Visa. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended Johnson & Johnson and Nestlé. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Nvidia and Vanguard Msci Index International Shares ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

On Tuesday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) had another poor session and dropped into the red. The benchmark index fell 0.4% to 7,718.2 points.

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

ASX 200 expected to rebound

It looks set to be a good day for the Australian share market on Wednesday after a positive session in the United States. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 20 points or 0.25% higher. On Wall Street, the Dow Jones was up 0.4%, the S&P 500 pushed 0.6% higher, and the Nasdaq climbed 0.85%.

Oil prices fall

ASX 200 energy shares Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) and Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) could have a poor session after oil prices dropped overnight. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is down 0.4% to US$83.04 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is down 0.15% to US$86.47 a barrel. This may have been driven by profit taking after oil hit a two-month high.

Buy Liontown shares

The Liontown Resources Ltd (ASX: LTR) share price is undervalued according to analysts at Bell Potter. In response to its funding news, the broker has retained its speculative buy rating and $1.85 price target on the lithium developer’s shares. It said: “The LG CN funding is a pragmatic solution to remove the onerous terms associated with traditional bank debt and increase the company’s cash liquidity headroom. […] Under our modelled assumptions, we expect that LTR is fully funded to free cash flow.”

Gold price relatively flat

ASX 200 gold shares Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) will be on watch following a flat night for the gold price. According to CNBC, the spot gold price is up a fraction to US$2,339.5 an ounce. This follows an update from the US Federal Reserve which revealed that it isn’t ready to cut rates yet.

BHP rated as a buy

Analysts at Goldman Sachs think BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) shares would be a good option for investors. This morning, the broker has reaffirmed its buy rating and $48.40 price target on the mining giant’s shares. Goldman notes that BHP’s shares have an “attractive valuation, but at a premium to RIO. Although we believe this premium can be partly maintained due to ongoing superior margins and operating performance.”

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

More reading

• Shares vs. property: Which delivered the best growth in FY24?
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Liontown share price roars 17% higher on funding update and ‘tremendous endorsement’
• Could beaten-up Woodside shares offer ‘Safe buying with limited downside’?
• What the RBA minutes imply for the ASX 200 and higher interest rates

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Woodside Energy Group. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Goldman Sachs Group. 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 Scott Phillips.

The Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS) share price just closed out a financial year to forget.

Shares in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) telco ended FY 2023 trading for $4.30 apiece. On Friday, the final trading day of FY 2024, shares closed at $3.62.

That saw the Telstra share price down a painful 15.8% over the 12 months.

For some context, the ASX 200 gained 7.8% over this same period.

Now, shareholders will have gotten some reprieve from the two fully franked dividends the company paid out over the year. Telstra shares currently trade on a trailing yield of 4.85%.

Here’s what put the ASX 200 telco under pressure in FY 2024.

Why did the Telstra share price go backwards in FY 2024?

Among the headwinds hitting the Telstra share price over the financial year just past is ongoing inflationary pressure.

In February, Telstra CEO Vicki Brady indicated that sticky inflation was making the company’s cost reduction plans more difficult.

“While our cost reduction ambition is being challenged by high inflation, we still expect to achieve the large majority of this by FY25,” she said.

Telstra since revealed its plans to cut as many as 2,800 employees as part of that cost-cutting initiative. And in a move that’s divided analysts, the ASX 200 telco has said it will no longer increase its monthly mobile charges in line with inflation, as it has been doing.

Investors also appeared displeased when Telstra announced on 17 August that it would not sell its holdings in InfraCo Fixed.

“After thoroughly examining alternatives, we have concluded that the greatest value to be created for shareholders is by maintaining the current ownership structure of InfraCo Fixed, for at least the medium term,” Brady said.

Some analysts had expected the asset sale to unlock additional value for the company. The Telstra share price closed down 2.8% on the day.

Investors also didn’t react positively to Telstra’s half-year results, released on 15 February. Despite the company reporting a 1.2% year on year increase in income to $11.7 billion, and an 11.5% boost in net profit after tax, which came in at $1.0 billion for the six months to 31 December, the Telstra share price closed down 2.3% on the day.

The selling was spurred by the underperformance of the telco’s NAS (network applications and services) business, which negatively impacted its guidance.

Brady said on the day:

Given the performance in our NAS business, we are tightening our FY24 underlying EBITDA guidance range to $8.2 to $8.3 billion. FY24 guidance across other measures is reaffirmed.

Prior guidance was for earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) to be between $8.2 billion and $8.4 billion.

As for the new financial year, Telstra finished trading on the second day of FY25 yesterday at $3.61.

The post How come the Telstra share price crashed 16% in FY 2024? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Bernd Struben 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 positions in and has recommended Telstra Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.