Category: Stock Market

  • Is the Liontown share price ready for next week’s numbers?

    Lion holding and screaming into a yellow loudspeaker on a blue background, symbolising an announcement from Liontown.Lion holding and screaming into a yellow loudspeaker on a blue background, symbolising an announcement from Liontown.

    Only eight days stand between investors and the latest half-year results from Liontown Resources Ltd (ASX: LTR). The share price will undoubtedly be in focus as the market gets a deeper peek into how the lithium project developer is tracking.

    The company is slated to release its first-half report on 15 March. It’ll be a high-stakes day for shareholders.

    But before that day comes, what can we expect to see from the roaring lithium name?

    Preview before the big day

    Unlike many other companies who have reported this earnings season, Liontown is in its pre-revenue phase. That means the pressure is off the lithium hopeful to deliver specific revenue or net profit after tax (NPAT).

    Instead, the focus will likely be on construction progress at its Kathleen Valley project, funding, and any insight into expectations surrounding production.

    On 26 February, Liontown Resources presented at the BMO global metals, mining and critical minerals conference. In its presentation, the company reiterated it was on track for first production in mid-2024 — which is only around four months away now.

    Regarding funding, $517 million in cash sat at the bank as of 31 December 2024. Management expects this pool of cash to cover all construction activities needed to reach revenue generation from the Kathleen project.

    Furthermore, Liontown said it was ‘advancing on a range of funding options to support ramp-up’ last month. It was noted that an update would be provided on this by the end of the March 2024 quarter. That might mean investors could get additional information on future funding arrangements in this report.

    What about lithium’s effect on the Liontown share price

    Much of the ASX lithium sector has been dragged from pillar to post in a bruising stoush. Investors’ conviction is being tested as more producers decide to adjust their output amid weak prices.

    The price and profit of a commodity are closely linked to the prosperity of a resource company. So, it goes without saying that when the outlook shifts negatively for a material — such as lithium — so too does its associated companies.

    As my colleague, James Mickleboro, shared yesterday — analysts at Goldman Sachs estimate further weakness from current lithium prices in 2025. As a result, those jumbo profits once witnessed might become a distant memory.

    Ultimately this doesn’t bode well for the Liontown share price. As a result, shareholders will look for more promising signs when the company reports next week.

    The post Is the Liontown share price ready for next week’s numbers? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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    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 over ten years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    Scott just revealed what he believes could be the ‘five best ASX stocks’ for investors to buy right now. We believe these stocks are trading at attractive prices and Scott thinks they could be great buys right now…

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of 1 February 2024

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    Motley Fool contributor Mitchell Lawler 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.

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  • DroneShield share price down 36% in 6 days. Should you buy the dip?

    People sit in rollercoaster seats with expressions of fear, terror and exhilaration as it goes into a steep downward descent representing the Novonix share price in FY22People sit in rollercoaster seats with expressions of fear, terror and exhilaration as it goes into a steep downward descent representing the Novonix share price in FY22

    The DroneShield Ltd (ASX: DRO) share price is tanking today, down 15.11% to 59 cents per share.

    In fact, the defence technology business has lost 36% of its market capitalisation in six trading days.

    This represents a dramatic change after an impressive 56% upward sweep between 1 January and last Wednesday, when the ASX stock traded at a new all-time high.

    What’s gone wrong?

    Let’s take a look at the news affecting the Droneshield share price over the past six days.

    What’s driving the DroneShield share price down?

    The DroneShield share price closed at a new record high of 93 cents last Wednesday, 28 February.

    That was the day the company released its full-year results for FY23 and an investor presentation.

    The company revealed an inaugural profit after tax of $9.3 million, up from a $900,000 loss in FY22.

    ASX investors were impressed, and the Droneshield share price lifted 22.4% to its new peak.

    Then on Thursday, the ASX small-cap stock plunged 25.8% to 69 cents per share. This was despite no news from the company.

    That same day, the S&P/ASX Small Ordinaries Index (ASX: XSO) lifted 1.02%.

    This indicates some investors may have celebrated the record high with some profit-taking.

    On Friday, we learned that Droneshield would be added to the S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) in the S&P Dow Jones Indices quarterly rebalance.

    This will take effect on 18 March.

    Being added to an index like the ASX All Ords or ASX 200 is usually a good thing, as it prompts many passive index funds to automatically buy more stock to match the rebalanced weighting.

    About twice the average volume of Droneshield shares were traded that day, but the price remained steady at 69 cents.

    On Monday, the Droneshield share price dropped by 10.14% to 62 cents, then recovered completely on Tuesday back to 69 cents.

    The next piece of news hit yesterday.

    Directors sell millions of Droneshield shares

    There was a series of notices published yesterday pertaining to Droneshield directors selling a stack of shares. We’re talking millions of them.

    They were sold between 29 February (the day after the record high) and 5 March.

    The biggest sell-off came from managing director Oleg Vornik, who sold more than 10 million Droneshield shares for just over $7 million.

    The company explained that 4,450,000 were loan-funded shares issued previously as part of the Incentive Option Plan.

    Droneshield also said $1,597,500 of the proceeds represented the loan repayment, and therefore cash receipts for the company.

    Vornik retains 15,000,000 unlisted and unvested performance options, vesting if certain performance milestones are met, each exercisable at $0.00 per option, expiring on 19 January 2029.

    Droneshield said:

    The sale of shares represents 41.07% of the total Director’s holding on a fully diluted basis.

    A substantive reason for the sale is to realise liquidity on some of his holdings, following a number of years of being involved with the Company.

    Investors don’t typically like seeing directors sell shares, but the Droneshield share price lifted 1.45% to 70 cents anyway.

    But today, it’s tanking by more than 15% on no news at all.

    By comparison, the ASX Small Ords is up 2.8%.

    Should you buy the dip?

    This is one of those situations where nothing fundamentally bad has happened to make the stock dive by 36% over the past six days. And it’s the sort of scenario that long-term investors love!

    This is because it enables them to pick up more stock at a lower price. It’s called buying the dip, and it’s a great way of dollar-cost averaging to achieve a lower average price for your entire Droneshield holdings.

    But before you buy, are you missing anything?

    Not according to broker Bell Potter.

    On Tuesday, the broker announced it was upgrading its rating on Droneshield to buy specifically due to the share price drop.

    The broker reckons the Droneshield share price can get to 90 cents within the next 12 months.

    Based on today’s price, this represents a potential 52% upside for investors who buy the Droneshield dip today.

    The post DroneShield share price down 36% in 6 days. Should you buy the dip? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Wondering where you should invest $1,000 right now?

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for over ten years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    Scott just revealed what he believes could be the ‘five best ASX stocks’ for investors to buy right now. We believe these stocks are trading at attractive prices and Scott thinks they could be great buys right now…

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of 1 February 2024

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    Motley Fool contributor Bronwyn Allen 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 DroneShield. 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.

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  • Are Challenger shares becoming a top ASX dividend pick?

    Modern accountant woman in a light business suit in modern green office with documents and laptop.Modern accountant woman in a light business suit in modern green office with documents and laptop.

    Challenger Ltd (ASX: CGF) shares are proving to be an appealing pick for dividends.

    This business is the largest annuity provider in Australia, allowing retirees to turn capital into a guaranteed source of income.

    Regaining its dividend status

    The company has increased its dividend each year since the COVID-19 cut in 2020.

    COVID-19 saw a lot of businesses cut their payouts, but Challenger has recovered well from that difficult year.

    The Challenger FY24 first-half result saw the business grow its interim dividend by 8% to 13 cents per share.

    That result, being the first six months of FY24, saw normalised net profit before tax (NPBT) growth of 16% to $290 million, while assets under management (AUM) grew by 18% to $117 billion.

    Annuity sales are seeing strong growth – life sales amounted to $5.3 billion, with “very strong” lifetime annuity sales of $1.1 billion – up 190%. There were new business annuity sales of $1.9 billion, up 19%.

    The projections on Commsec suggest the dividends can continue to grow in FY24 (25.1 cents per share), FY25 (27 cents per share) and FY26 (29 cents per share).

    That means the grossed-up dividend yield could be 5.3% in FY24, 5.7% in FY25 and 6.1% in FY26.

    Can growth continue?

    We can’t know for sure what’s going to happen, particularly with an ASX financial share like Challenger that can be impacted by market crashes.

    However, the higher interest rate environment is improving the appeal of annuities as they now offer stronger returns. Challenger’s products are attracting a lot of fund inflows.

    In the FY24 first-half result, it reaffirmed its FY24 normalised net profit before tax guidance, which is now expected to be in the top half of its $555 million to $605 million guidance range.

    If its group AUM keeps increasing, then this gives the company the potential to earn stronger underlying profit.

    Ageing demographics and growing superannuation balances are pleasing tailwinds to help Challenger’s annuity sales in the future.

    According to the estimate on Commsec, the Challenger share price is valued at under 13 times FY24’s estimated earnings.

    Dividends aren’t guaranteed, but the ASX dividend share is building an appealing payout history.

    The post Are Challenger shares becoming a top ASX dividend pick? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Wondering where you should invest $1,000 right now?

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for over ten years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    Scott just revealed what he believes could be the ‘five best ASX stocks’ for investors to buy right now. We believe these stocks are trading at attractive prices and Scott thinks they could be great buys right now…

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of 1 February 2024

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    Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Challenger. 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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  • Is it too late to buy Soul Patts stock?

    Man smiling at a laptop because of a rising share price.

    Man smiling at a laptop because of a rising share price.

    Is it too late to buy Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co Ltd (ASX: SOL), or Soul Patts for short, stock in March of 2024? Good question.

    ASX shares and the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) have been on a tear over the past few months. But over the last year, the gains have been more muted. Since the start of November, the ASX 200 has added a compelling 14.2% to its value. But over the past 12 months, the gain stands at 5.2% today.

    In contrast, Soul Patts stock is up a whopping 23.13% since this time last year. Yep, one year ago, you could have bought this ASX 200 investing house for $28.68 a share. But today, those same shares are trading for $35.31 each at present.

    As regular readers might know, Soul Patts is one of my favourite ASX investments. It’s currently a major constituent of my portfolio, and I’ve been lucky to own these shares for many years now.

    But thanks to this, the average price that I bought this company at is a lot lower than what it is today. That’s great and all, but it does raise the question: Is it too late to buy or add Soul Patts shares now that they’re 23% more expensive than a year ago?

    Is it too late to buy Soul Patts shares in 2024?

    This is a difficult question to answer, thanks to the unique nature of how this company turns a profit. Soul Patts is not your regular ASX 200 stock. Rather than owning and running a single business, Soul Patts instead owns a vast portfolio of other shares and assets, which it manages on behalf of its shareholders.

    Last month, we did a deep dive into this portfolio, so if you’re curious about how it’s made up, make sure to check that out.

    But this fact makes it difficult to come up with a compelling valuation for the business ourselves, in turn meaning it is hard to determine whether the company is relatively cheap or expensive at any given share price.

    I must admit, the recent run up in the Soul Patts stock price has made me more reluctant than usual to add to my existing position of late. After all, the company’s portfolio has averaged a return of 12.5% per annum for the 20 years to 31 July 2023. So the past year’s return is well above average.

    However, if you don’t already own a decent chunk of this quality company, I’ll defer to the legendary Warren Buffett. Buffett once said, “It’s far better to buy a wonderful company at a fair price, than a fair company at a wonderful price”.

    Soul Patts shares are certainly not at a wonderful price right now. At least in my view. But I think this wonderful company is still at a valuation that makes a long-term investment worthwhile.

    The post Is it too late to buy Soul Patts stock? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Wondering where you should invest $1,000 right now?

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for over ten years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    Scott just revealed what he believes could be the ‘five best ASX stocks’ for investors to buy right now. We believe these stocks are trading at attractive prices and Scott thinks they could be great buys right now…

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of 1 February 2024

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    Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has positions in Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. 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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  • 3 ASX All Ords shares rocketing over 10% today

    A man clenches his fists in excitement as gold coins fall from the sky.

    A man clenches his fists in excitement as gold coins fall from the sky.

    The ASX All Ordinaries index is having a decent session. In afternoon trade, the index is up 0.3%.

    While this is positive, it is nothing compared to some of the gains being made on the index on Thursday.

    Here’s why these ASX All Ords shares are up over 10% today:

    Chalice Mining Ltd (ASX: CHN)

    The Chalice Mining share price is up 12% to $1.36. This is despite there being no news out of the mineral exploration company on Thursday.

    However, it is worth highlighting that the ASX All Ords share has been hammered over the last 12 months. So, this could mean that bargain hunters are swooping in today.

    In addition, short sellers have been targeting its shares. It’s possible that some short sellers are buying shares to close their positions.

    Magnetic Resources NL (ASX: MAU)

    The Magnetic Resources share price is up 12% to $1.09. Investors have been buying the gold developer’s shares following the release of the pre-feasibility study (PFS) from the 100% owned Lady Julie Gold Project in Western Australia.

    As you might have guessed from the share price reaction, the study has delivered strong results.

    According to the release, the PFS confirms that Lady Julie is a financially robust project with low-cost, high margin gold production of 720,000 ounces over a nine-year life of mine.

    Management estimates that this will generate total EBITDA of A$982 million at a gold price of A$2,800 per ounce. Furthermore, this increases to A$1,191 million based on current spot prices.

    Zip Co Ltd (ASX: ZIP)

    The Zip share price is up 13% to $1.32. This has been driven by the release of a broker note out of UBS this morning.

    According to the note, the broker has upgraded Zip’s shares to a buy rating with a $1.43 price target from just 36 cents.

    UBS has been impressed with Zip’s improving profitability and user growth in the key United States market. It also believes that its margins can improve from cost control efforts and new product launches.

    The post 3 ASX All Ords shares rocketing over 10% today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Wondering where you should invest $1,000 right now?

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for over ten years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    Scott just revealed what he believes could be the ‘five best ASX stocks’ for investors to buy right now. We believe these stocks are trading at attractive prices and Scott thinks they could be great buys right now…

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of 1 February 2024

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    Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Zip Co. 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.

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  • Cash kings: 2 top ASX dividend shares that pay quarterly

    Beautiful young couple enjoying in shopping, symbolising passive income.Beautiful young couple enjoying in shopping, symbolising passive income.

    ASX dividend shares are capable of paying big dividend yields. Some investors may be looking for regular payments, so I’m going to talk about two stocks that pay every quarter.

    Term deposits are a safe form of investment, protecting us from capital losses, but they lack the potential of capital gains, and we have to wait a long time for an annual payout.

    I think the stocks below have the potential to deliver great quarterly income and good growth, particularly when interest rates start to be cut.

    Charter Hall Long WALE REIT (ASX: CLW)

    This real estate investment trust (REIT) owns a variety of properties, including pubs and bottle shops, telecommunication exchanges, service stations, grocery and distribution, food manufacturing, Bunnings properties and so on.

    In the first half of FY24, its weighted average lease expiry (WALE) was 10.8 years, giving it long-term income security. It also had an occupancy rate of 99.9%, which means the property portfolio is generating almost as much rental income as it possibly can.

    The ASX dividend share has rental increases built into its contracts, with just over half linked to CPI inflation and the rest having a fixed annual increase.

    It’s currently paying a quarterly dividend of 6.5 cents per share and expects to pay a distribution per security of 26 cents for FY24, which is a distribution yield of 7%.

    GQG Partners Inc (ASX: GQG)

    GQG is one of the biggest fund managers listed on the ASX. It recently reported its funds under management (FUM) had reached US$137.5 billion at the end of February 2024. This was up from US$120.6 billion at December 2023, and significantly more than the average FUM of US$101.9 billion during 2023.

    The ASX dividend share has committed to a dividend payout ratio of 90% of distributable earnings.

    Its funds’ impressive performance and ongoing inflows – US$3 billion of net inflows in the first two months of 2024 – give me belief that the company can deliver dividend growth in 2024 and beyond.

    The business is paying a dividend every quarter. In 2024, the Commsec projection is that it could pay a dividend per share of 18.2 cents, which is a forward dividend yield of 8.25%.

    The post Cash kings: 2 top ASX dividend shares that pay quarterly appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Wondering where you should invest $1,000 right now?

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for over ten years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    Scott just revealed what he believes could be the ‘five best ASX stocks’ for investors to buy right now. We believe these stocks are trading at attractive prices and Scott thinks they could be great buys right now…

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of 1 February 2024

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    Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has 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.

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  • 2 fantastic ASX ETFs to buy for global investing in March

    Image of a woman holding a model of earth on a green backdrop.

    There’s a whole world of opportunities when it comes to investing, you don’t just have to have a portfolio filled with Australian companies.

    The good news is that the emergence of exchange traded funds (ETFs) has made investing globally so much easier.

    That’s because there are plenty of ASX ETFs out there that provide investors with easy access to large groups of international stocks in one fell swoop.

    This could make them great complements of a portfolio that is made up predominantly of ASX shares.

    But which ASX ETFs could be good options for global investing? Two that tick a lot of boxes are listed below. Here’s what you need to know about them:

    Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS)

    The first ETF for investors to look at is the Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF.

    It is a very popular fund with Australian investors and has net assets of just under $7 billion.

    Investors appear attracted to the ETF due to it offering exposure to around 1,400 of the world’s largest listed companies from 23 developed countries. This includes the U.S, Japan, U.K, Canada, France, and Switzerland.

    The fund manager, Vanguard, highlights that investing internationally offers greater access to sectors such as technology and health care that aren’t as well represented in the Australian share market.

    Among the ETF’s largest holdings are high quality names such as Apple, ASML, Novo Nordisk, Nestle, Nvidia, and Tesla.

    Vanguard All-World ex-U.S. Shares Index ETF (ASX: VEU)

    Another ASX ETF that could be a top option for global investing is the Vanguard All-World ex-U.S. Shares Index ETF.

    It provides investors with access to approximately 3,500 companies listed in developed and emerging markets across the globe but excludes the United States.

    This means it could be a good option if you already have a lot of exposure to the US market with a fun like the Betashares Nasdaq 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ).

    Its largest country allocations (in order) are Japan, United Kingdom, France, China, and Canada, with Australia accounting for approximately 51% of its portfolio.

    Among its holdings you’ll find a diverse group of shares such as Royal Bank of Canada, LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, Sony, and Taiwan Semiconductor.

    The post 2 fantastic ASX ETFs to buy for global investing in March appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Wondering where you should invest $1,000 right now?

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for over ten years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    Scott just revealed what he believes could be the ‘five best ASX stocks’ for investors to buy right now. We believe these stocks are trading at attractive prices and Scott thinks they could be great buys right now…

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of 1 February 2024

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    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 ASML, Apple, BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF, Nvidia, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, and Tesla. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended Nestlé and Novo Nordisk. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended ASML, Apple, 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.

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  • A 10% dividend yield from Westpac shares? Here’s how these income investors achieved it!

    A man sits thoughtfully on the couch with a laptop on his lap.A man sits thoughtfully on the couch with a laptop on his lap.

    Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) shares hit new 52-week highs today.

    At time of writing on Thursday afternoon, shares in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) bank stock are up 0.1% trading for $26.96 apiece.

    That sees shares up 28% in just the past six months.

    And the big four bank stock could get more support amid the ongoing $1.5 billion on market share buyback.

    Atop from the potential for these kinds of outsized capital gains, Westpac shares are also popular among passive income investors for their reliable, twice yearly fully franked dividends.

    Westpac paid an interim dividend of 70 cents per share on 27 June. And the bank delivered a final dividend of 72 cents per share on 19 December, just in time for Christmas!

    Pleasingly for passive income investors, the full year’s $1.42 per share payout was up 13.6% from the prior year.

    At the current share price, this sees Westpac shares trading on a fully franked trailing yield of 5.3%.

    So, how are some income investors earning a dividend yield of almost 10%?

    Buying Westpac shares when fear grips the markets

    The answer lies in their timing.

    Specifically, in buying stock when everyone else was gripped by fear during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Atop involving a significant element of luck, this also required some very serious bravery from investors who grabbed Westpac shares after the brutal six week sell off in February and March 2020.

    Now, trying to time the market and get in on the lows can easily backfire.

    Many investors might find the stock they thought had reached its lows will continue to fall far more. Hence the term ‘catching a falling knife’.

    Others might find themselves still sitting on the sidelines long after the stock has bottomed and is on its way towards new highs.

    But for investors who bought Westpac shares on 27 March 2020, the rewards have been ample.

    Having crashed 42% in a month, the ASX 200 bank stock closed the day trading for $14.89 a share.

    That means investors who bought on the day will now be earning a fully franked dividend yield of 9.5% from those shares.

    Not to mention that they’ll have watched their bargain basement Westpac shares gain 81% since then.

    The post A 10% dividend yield from Westpac shares? Here’s how these income investors achieved it! appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Wondering where you should invest $1,000 right now?

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for over ten years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    Scott just revealed what he believes could be the ‘five best ASX stocks’ for investors to buy right now. We believe these stocks are trading at attractive prices and Scott thinks they could be great buys right now…

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of 1 February 2024

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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 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.

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  • Is 60 too old to start buying ASX shares?

    Three generations of male family members enjoy the company as they plan future financial goals together on a trek outdoors.

    Three generations of male family members enjoy the company as they plan future financial goals together on a trek outdoors.

    If you’ve gone your whole life without buying and investing in ASX shares, by the time you get to age 60, you might be thinking, ‘What’s the point’.

    After all, you’ll often hear people, including the legendary Warren Buffett, talk about the amazing power of compounding, and how the magic of the share market only becomes apparent after decades of patient investing.

    So let’s talk about a hypothetical would-be investor who has just turned 60 and is wondering whether it’s worth beginning an ASX share investing journey.

    We’ll assume our 60-year-old has paid off most or all of their house and has amassed a decent pile of cash. Let’s say it’s $150,000 in their bank after four decades in the workforce. We’ll also assume that this person is intending to retire at age 67.

    So we have someone with seven years until retirement.

    Let’s compare the benefits of investing in ASX shares against leaving cash in the bank.

    Is 60 too late to buy ASX shares?

    As we discussed this afternoon, the returns of ASX shares over long periods of time simply dwarf those available from ‘safe’ investments like cash and term deposits.

    Last year, our chief investment officer, Scott Phillips, discussed how an investment in a simple ASX shares index fund returned an average of 9.2% per annum over the 30 years to 31 July 2023. That was enough to turn a $10,000 investment into $138,778 over those 30 years, with no additional investments (apart from the reinvestment of dividends).

    In contrast, leaving that money in the bank would have seen your $10,000 grow to just $34,737. That’s with an average return of 4.2% per annum.

    If our 60-year-old would-be investor kept their life savings in the bank with those cash returns (plus an additional $500 a month), they could expect to have just under $250,000 by the time they hit 67.

    But if they choose to invest by buying ASX shares instead, that final sum would look more like $343,000.

    That’s enough to make a real positive impact on our investors’ retirement plans.

    However, there are some caveats we need to discuss. As most of us know, the share market is a volatile place.

    Yes, its long-term returns are compelling. But there’s no guarantee whatsoever that our investor will net 9.2% per annum over the next seven years.

    It could be more. But it could also be less. Particularly if there is a nasty market crash or correction thrown into the mix. Past returns are never a certain indicator of future ones.

    Because our investor are so close to retirement age, it might be prudent to keep some of their money in cash, and invest the rest in shares. That way, they can ride out any major market crashes in relative comfort.

    Foolish takeaway

    We can’t pretend that anyone would be far better off starting their ASX share investing journey at age 30 or 20 than at age 50 or 60. Compounding does become exponentially more powerful with each passing year.

    However, there’s also no age where it’s too late to buy ASX shares, and their benefits can’t be harnessed to your advantage.

    The post Is 60 too old to start buying ASX shares? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Wondering where you should invest $1,000 right now?

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for over ten years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    Scott just revealed what he believes could be the ‘five best ASX stocks’ for investors to buy right now. We believe these stocks are trading at attractive prices and Scott thinks they could be great buys right now…

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of 1 February 2024

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    Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen 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.

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  • 3 ASX 200 REITs receiving broker upgrades today

    Increasing blue arrow with wooden property houses representing a rising share price.Increasing blue arrow with wooden property houses representing a rising share price.

    Top brokers say these three ASX 200 real estate investment trusts (REITs) are the real estate shares to buy today.

    As reported in The Australian, here are their 12-month price targets on the stocks.

    Buy these ASX 200 REITs, say brokers

    Arena REIT No 1 (ASX: ARF)

    Barrenjoey has upgraded its rating on the Arena REIT to overweight.

    The broker has placed a 12-month price target of $3.75 on the ASX 200 real estate share.

    The ASX 200 REIT is currently changing hands for $3.46 per share, down 0.57% for the day.

    Charter Hall Group (ASX: CHC)

    CLSA has raised its rating on the Charter Hall REIT to accumulate.

    The broker has a 12-month price target of $13.74 on Charter Hall.

    These ASX 200 real estate shares are currently selling for $12.54, down 0.52% on Thursday.

    That leaves a potential 9.5% upside for investors buying this ASX 200 REIT today.

    Ingenia Communities Group (ASX: INA)

    CLSA has also upped its rating on another ASX 200 REIT — this time Ingenia Communities.

    The new rating is accumulate.

    These ASX 200 real estate shares are currently trading for $5 apiece.

    The broker sees value here given its 12-month price target of $5.51.

    This implies a potential 10% upside for investors buying today.

    The post 3 ASX 200 REITs receiving broker upgrades today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Wondering where you should invest $1,000 right now?

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for over ten years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    Scott just revealed what he believes could be the ‘five best ASX stocks’ for investors to buy right now. We believe these stocks are trading at attractive prices and Scott thinks they could be great buys right now…

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of 1 February 2024

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    Motley Fool contributor Bronwyn Allen 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.

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