• Google leak reveals a list of past privacy mishaps, from recording children’s voices to exposing user addresses in Waze, according to new report

    Google CEO Sundar Pichai.
    Google CEO Sundar Pichai.

    • A Google leak exposed thousands of privacy incidents, according to a 404 Media report.
    • The information obtained from an anonymous tipster details incidents flagged by employees.
    • It's the second Google leak in the last week, and it highlights how the giant manages data.

    A leaked copy of an internal Google database revealed thousands of privacy-related incidents from 2013 to 2018, according to a report from 404 Media published Monday.

    The leaked information, sent to 404 Media by an anonymous tipster, reveals flagged instances where Google's privacy guardrails may have failed. Business Insider has not been able to view the leaked information.

    The incidents were reported by employees between six and nine years ago, a Google spokesperson said. All the incidents have been reviewed and resolved, meaning any private information has been deleted, a Google spokesperson told Business Insider.

    Some of the instances listed in the leaked information included a blurring mishap on YouTube that exposed the uncensored versions of images and a Waze Carpool incident that shared users' home addresses.

    In one incident, a Google speech service logged audio of an estimated 1,000 children for about an hour, the report said. Another situation involved Google's Street View saving license plates due to an algorithm that detected text in images, according to the 404 Media report citing the leaked information.

    According to Google, several flags detailed in the 404 Media report and shared with the tech giant were not incidents at all, or they involved issues from third-party platforms.

    For example, some were internal security team simulations aimed at enhancing product protections or false alarms on product bugs, according to Google. The company said others were third-party issues from a vendor Google used for employee travel and a WiFi network scam attempt at an industry conference.

    The list of incidents is the second internal leak in the last week; 2,500 documents were released on May 27, appearing to reveal secrets to how Google organizes the web. The leak sent SEO experts into a fury, with some claiming that Google hadn't always been honest about how it ranks sites.

    While the previous incident resulted in distrust from website owners and SEO experts, this leak threatens Google's reputation with everyday users. The leak also comes during a time when Google's reliability is already in question after inaccurate responses from AI Overviews forced them to scale back the feature.

    The latest leak also sheds light on how Google deals with these incidents. Few of the documented incidents were publicly reported, according to 404 Media. Rather, they entailed an employee flagging them and giving them priority rating before the relevant response team investigated them.

    Since Google prioritizes improving products, it encourages employees to file internal incident reports, and they're taken seriously, according to the company. But Google said this often results in reports labeled as high priority not matching the ratings determined by the security response team.

    Google told Business Insider it implemented hundreds of new and additional protections over the last six years to ensure user security and privacy. For example, it updated YouTube's policy around kids and data protection in 2019, limiting data collection on videos made for kids to only what is needed to support the service.

    Google said its products also regularly undergo independent verification of security, privacy, and compliance controls to achieve global standards.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • My ASX share portfolio has two giant weeds in it. Should I pull them out?

    boy holding a jar watching growth of a plant

    I am fortunate enough to have a few winning shares in my ASX share portfolio. It has certainly made the many years I have been investing in ASX shares worthwhile.

    But I am certainly not an infallible investor, and have found my fair share of absolute stinkers within my portfolio over the years as well.

    Whilst I have sold most of my bad investments for a subsequent loss, there are still a couple of giant weeds that remain in my ASX share portfolio, spoiling what I otherwise consider to be a good-looking garden.

    As we’ve already established, you always have to option to ‘pull’ your seeds out of the garden by selling them. Whether you should do so or not is the question.

    So today, let’s talk about two weeds in my ASX share portfolio ‘garden’ and whether or not I’m going to sell them.

    Weeding an ASX share portfolio

    First up is A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX: A2M). I bought A2 Milk shares back in 2021 when the company was hit hard by projections that its past growth rates wouldn’t continue. At the time, I thought that the market’s reaction to this bad news was overdone. I was wrong.

    Those shares are still in my ASX share portfolio today, nursing a significant loss on my initial investment.

    I’ve come close to selling out of this position before. But I do think this company can turn things around, if slowly. A2’s February half-year earnings report showed the company had increased its revenues over the period by a decent 3.7%, leading to an even more impressive 15.6% spike in net profits.

    If this report had shown falls in revenues or profits, it probably would have been enough to have me sell out. But I’m confident things can keep improving from here, and as such, I’m not pulling out the A2 Milk weed out of my ASX share portfolio just yet. Hopefully, it can evolve into a flower over time.

    Adairs: Weed or sapling

    Secondly, we have ASX 200 homewares retailer Adairs Ltd (ASX: ADH). Adairs was another 2021 purchase (it probably wasn’t my best year). At the time, I believed this was a high-quality company, which is a view I still hold. My problem was that I paid a share price that was too high.

    Over subsequent years, Adairs suffered from the post-COVID ‘return to normal’ that many other companies have also been through.

    However, I have been watching this investment closely and have been encouraged by what I’ve seen over the past 12 months.

    February’s half-year earnings showed Adairs continuing to navigate difficulties. Revenues and profits fell compared to the previous year. But I was encouraged to see gross margins and cash flows grow, while the company’s debt fell. The resumption of dividend payments was also an encouraging sign.

    I’ll continue to hold my Adairs shares for now, as I think there’s a good chance the company will continue to recover. Hopefully, this weed will also grow into a flower over time.

    Foolish takeaway

    Pulling the weeds out of your ASX share portfolio is never a fun task. For one, you are crystalising a loss and abandoning hope that an investment can turn things around. There are also psychological factors at play – selling an investment is tantamount to confirming that you’ve made a mistake. Additionally, if your weed can pull off a recovery after you’ve sold out, you’ll feel even worse.

    But it’s my view that one of the best habits you can learn in the investing world is to act decisively on a weed if you’re investing thesis is broken. After all, a 30% loss is much better than an 80% one down the track. That’s why A2 Milk and Adairs remain in my ASX share portfolio, while WAM Global Ltd (ASX: WGB) and Zoom Video Communications, for example, got the boot long ago.

    The post My ASX share portfolio has two giant weeds in it. Should I pull them out? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in The A2 Milk Company Limited right now?

    Before you buy The A2 Milk Company Limited shares, consider this:

    Motley Fool investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and The A2 Milk Company Limited wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that may be better buys…

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of 5 May 2024

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has positions in A2 Milk and Adairs. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Adairs and Zoom Video Communications. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Adairs. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended A2 Milk and Zoom Video Communications. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

  • 3 ASX shares that can rise 25%+ in 12 months

    a young woman raises her hands in joyful celebration as she sits at her computer in a home environment.

    There are a lot of options for investors to choose from on the Australian share market. So many, that it can be hard to decide which ASX shares to buy above others.

    But don’t worry because analysts have done the hard work for you and picked out ones that they think offer decent returns.

    I have then gone a step further by narrowing things down to three ASX shares that analysts think have the potential to rise more than 25% from current levels.

    To put that into context, a $10,000 would turn into at least $12,500 in 12 months if analysts are accurate with their recommendations for these ASX shares.

    With that in mind, here’s what you need to know about them:

    IDP Education Ltd (ASX: IEL)

    This language testing and student placement company’s shares could have been severely oversold according to analysts at Goldman Sachs.

    Particularly given its belief that “IEL’s structural growth outlook and business quality remain unchanged” despite some temporary headwinds.

    Goldman Sachs currently has a buy rating and $25.30 price target on the ASX share. This implies potential upside of 60% for investors over the next 12 months.

    Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1)

    Another ASX share that could offer investors major upside potential is Megaport. It is a network as a service company that offers scalable bandwidth for public and private cloud connections, metro ethernet, data centre backhaul, and internet exchange services.

    Megaport has been growing at a rapid rate in recent years thanks to the cloud computing boom. The good news is that Macquarie thinks that this strong form can continue.

    In light of this, the broker recently put an outperform rating on Megaport’s shares with a price target of $18.30. This implies potential upside of 36% for investors from current levels.

    Webjet Limited (ASX: WEB)

    Finally, the team at Morgans thinks that Webjet could be an ASX share to buy. It is an online travel booking provider and business to business (B2B) hotel technology company.

    Its analysts are feeling very positive about the company’s outlook and see it as a “high-quality growth stock.” This is due largely to its rapidly growing WebBeds B2B business and the “significant market share still up for grabs.”

    Last month, Morgans put an add rating and $11.20 price target on Webjet’s shares. Based on its current share price, this suggests that upside of over 26% is possible for investors between now and this time next year.

    The post 3 ASX shares that can rise 25%+ in 12 months appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Idp Education right now?

    Before you buy Idp Education shares, consider this:

    Motley Fool investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Idp Education wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that may be better buys…

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of 5 May 2024

    More reading

    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, Idp Education, Macquarie Group, and Megaport. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Macquarie Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Megaport. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

  • Down 6% in a week. Are Fortescue shares carrying an iron anchor?

    Female miner standing next to a haul truck in a large mining operation.

    The Fortescue Ltd (ASX: FMG) share price has dropped over 6% in the past week, as shown on the chart below. Market sentiment about the ASX iron ore share is usually influenced by the commodity price, which appears to be the cause right now.

    Demand for iron ore is largely driven by China because of how much of the commodity the Asian superpower purchases. When demand in China weakens, it can lead to a decline for the iron ore price.

    The most recent data from China has not been encouraging.

    Weak Chinese demand

    According to reporting by The Australian, Singapore iron ore futures dropped 3.5% to a near six-week low of US$111.45 per tonne after China’s monthly manufacturing PMI (purchasing managers’ index) for May dropped back to a level that indicates “contraction”, suggesting a weak Chinese outlook.

    There has been a rapid decline in iron ore futures; on Thursday, the price reached a three-month high of US$123 per tonne.

    The Australian also reported that the value of new home sales in China from the 100 biggest real estate companies showed a 34% year-over-year decline in May. It was also reported that the level of iron ore inventory at China’s ports reached a two-year high.

    Chinese officials recently reiterated the country’s stance on continuing to control crude steel output in 2024, according to reporting by Mining.com. China is aiming to reduce its level of carbon dioxide emissions by 1% compared to 2023’s national total.

    China is planning to strengthen its control over steel output and capacity. Analysts from Sinosteel Futures were quoted by Mining.com, who said:

    It remains unclear whether steel output this year will be flat on year or be lowered; such details are worth monitoring further.

    Is there any positivity for the iron ore price and Fortescue shares?

    Some analysts are optimistic about where the iron ore price can go from here.

    Global bank HSBC‘s chief economist Paul Bloxham believes there could be a surge in demand that will support the iron ore price and keep it relatively high for the next 12 months, according to reporting by the ABC.

    Bloxham suggests the iron ore ice will average US$105 per tonne in 2025, which is stronger than what other analysts are forecasting. Goldman Sachs thinks it could be US$95 per tonne in 2025.

    While there is weakness in the Chinese real estate market, HSBC suggests an increase in renewable energy manufacturing in China and globally can compensate for any shortfall. The US Inflation Reduction Act funding could indirectly help boost iron ore demand. Bloxham said:

    It’s a big policy measure there that has been taken to support investing in capacity to make the energy transition.

    It’s happening in Europe, it’s happening in Japan. Australia of course has followed as well to support our energy transition.

    That’s driving a lot of the demand for the increase in the products that go into electric vehicles, solar panels, batteries, and wind farm equipment.

    Fortescue share price

    When the iron ore price falls, Fortescue receives less revenue for the same amount of production but pays the same amount for the mining costs. This hurts its net profit after tax (NPAT).

    That’s why a lower iron ore price is bad news for the Fortescue share price, which is down 15% since the start of 2024.

    The post Down 6% in a week. Are Fortescue shares carrying an iron anchor? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Fortescue Metals Group right now?

    Before you buy Fortescue Metals Group shares, consider this:

    Motley Fool investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Fortescue Metals Group wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that may be better buys…

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of 5 May 2024

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has positions in Fortescue. 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.

  • Conspiracy theory-fueled newspaper Epoch Times grew revenue 4x thanks to CFO’s crypto crime proceeds, feds say

    The Epoch Times
    The Epoch Times

    • The Epoch Times, a media company linked to China's Falun Gong movement, has grown massively.
    • It says its pro-Trump, conspiracy theory-heavy editorial content has won donations and subscriptions.
    • But federal prosecutors say its growth was fueled largely by its CFO's pandemic-era cybercrime spree.

    The Epoch Times, a US media company linked to Chinese dissidents that seemingly shot to success by embracing Donald Trump and conspiracy theories, significantly funded its growth with proceeds of cybercrime, according to federal prosecutors.

    The Justice Department said the company's CFO, Weidong "Bill" Guan, was arrested on June 2 and charged with money laundering in New York. The DOJ indictment claims that he and others "used cryptocurrency to knowingly purchase tens of millions of dollars in crime proceeds" and plowed it into the Epoch Times starting in 2020.

    The Epoch Times wasn't named in court records, and the Justice Department said the case had nothing to do with its editorial slant. The indictment only mentioned a "multinational media company headquartered in Manhattan." However, the outlet could be identified because Guan is listed online as its CFO and because the financial numbers in the complaint come close to what the Epoch Times has reported to the IRS.

    According to the indictment, most of Guan's criminal activity mentioned in the indictment took place in 2020, 2021, and 2022, but prosecutors say that up until last month, Guan helped launder "at least $67 million."

    The time period overlaps with a period of major growth for Epoch Times, whose revenue grew from $15.5 million in 2019 to more than $70 million in 2020 and over $120 million a year in 2021 and 2022, according to its nonprofit tax returns.

    According to prosecutors, Guan and the Epoch Times' offshore "Make Money Online" team, or MMO team, used cryptocurrency to buy prepaid debit cards loaded with proceeds of fraud, like unemployment insurance fraud, starting in April 2020. They used the prepaid cards and financial accounts that were opened with stolen personal information to plow millions of dollars into the Epoch Times' bank accounts, prosecutors say.

    "When banks raised questions about the funds, Guan allegedly lied repeatedly and falsely claimed that the funds came from legitimate donations to the media company," US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams said in a press release.

    The Epoch Times didn't respond to a comment request.

    NBC News reported last year that the Epoch Times, which is linked to members of the Falun Gong group that has been repressed by China's government, grew by sending out free physical copies of its newspaper to hundreds of thousands of people and that it has focused on conservatives over age 60. The publication claims it's the fourth-largest newspaper in the US by subscriber count, but unlike other media outlets, its circulation figures aren't audited.

    Other outlets have noted the Epoch Times' willingness to play up stories about vaccine injuries and to traffic in conspiracy theories, like the idea that the Biden administration is trying to reduce food production and force Americans to eat bugs

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • How to turn $10,000 into $100,000 with ASX shares

    A smiling woman with a handful of $100 notes, indicating strong dividend payments

    If you are wanting to grow your wealth, then the share market and ASX shares could be the way to do it.

    That’s because thanks to the power of compounding, a single investment has the potential to grow materially in value.

    But how could you turn $10,000 into $100,000 with ASX shares? Let’s take a look and see.

    Growing your wealth with ASX shares

    As I mentioned above, compounding is your best friend when it comes to investing.

    It is what happens when you generate returns on top of returns. It essentially supercharges your returns the longer you leave it.

    For example, historically, the share market has delivered an average total return of 10% per annum.

    There’s no guarantee that this will happen again in the future, but I think it is reasonable to base our assumptions on this level of return for the purpose of this exercise.

    If you were to invest $10,000 into ASX shares and generated a 10% return per annum, your investment would become $11,000 after one year and then approximately $26,000 after 10 years.

    You’re still only a quarter of the way there. So, let’s keep going and let compounding do its thing.

    If we fast forward another 10 years, your investment would have grown to just over $67,000 if it continued to compound by 10% per annum.

    You’re now getting very close to your goal. In fact, with compounding now going into overdrive, it would take just a touch over four more years for your portfolio of ASX shares to become worth $100,000.

    All in all, that’s approximately 24 years of investing to reach your goal.

    Getting there quicker

    If you can beat the market, which is no easy feat, you could get there sooner.

    For example, a $10,000 investment in ASX shares that compounds by 13% per annum would get to $100,000 in 19 years.

    But how can you beat the market? Well, one person that has beaten the market consistently since the 1960s is Warren Buffett.

    His penchant for buying high quality companies with sustainable competitive advantages and fair valuations has been one of the keys to his success.

    And the good news for Aussie investors is that the VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF (ASX: MOAT) has been designed to allow investors to invest their hard-earned money into the type of shares that Buffett would buy.

    Over the last 10 years, the index the fund tracks has generated a market-beating return of 17.06% per annum. This would have turned a $10,000 investment into $48,000. Clearly it pays to follow Buffett’s investment style.

    The post How to turn $10,000 into $100,000 with ASX shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Vaneck Investments Limited – Vaneck Vectors Morningstar Wide Moat Etf right now?

    Before you buy Vaneck Investments Limited – Vaneck Vectors Morningstar Wide Moat Etf shares, consider this:

    Motley Fool investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Vaneck Investments Limited – Vaneck Vectors Morningstar Wide Moat Etf wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that may be better buys…

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of 5 May 2024

    More reading

    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 recommended VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

  • Buy Rio Tinto and these ASX dividend stocks for 5%+ yields

    A businessman looking at his digital tablet or strategy planning in hotel conference lobby. He is happy at achieving financial goals.

    The average dividend yield on the Australian share market usually sits at around 4%.

    While this is a nice yield, income investors don’t have to settle for it. Not when there are some high quality ASX dividend stocks out there with notably better forecast yields.

    Let’s take a look at three that are expected to provide dividend yields greater than 5% this year and next:

    Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO)

    If you’re not averse to investing in the mining sector, then Rio Tinto could be worth considering.

    Goldman Sachs is feeling very positive about the mining giant and has a buy rating and $138.90 price target on its shares.

    As for dividends, the broker is forecasting fully franked dividends per share of US$4.29 (A$6.42) in FY 2024 and then US$4.55 (A$6.81) in FY 2025. Based on the latest Rio Tinto share price of $128.52, this will mean yields of approximately 5% and 5.3%, respectively.

    Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS)

    Goldman Sachs also thinks that income investors should consider buying Telstra shares while they are down.

    Although the broker was quite disappointed with its recent trading update, it still sees significant value in the telco giant’s shares at current levels and is forecasting some attractive yields from its shares in the coming years.

    Goldman currently has a buy rating and $4.25 price target on the ASX dividend stock.

    As for income, its analysts are now expecting fully franked dividends of 18 cents per share in FY 2024 and then 18.5 cents per share in FY 2025. Based on the current Telstra share price of $3.47, this equates to dividend yields of 5.2% and 5.3%, respectively.

    Transurban Group (ASX: TCL)

    A third ASX dividend stock that could be a buy this month according to analysts is Transurban. It manages and develops urban toll road networks in Australia and the United States. In Australia, this includes the Cross City Tunnel, the Eastern Distributor, and Westlink M7.

    Citi is a fan of the company and currently has a buy rating and $15.50 price target on its shares.

    As well as plenty of upside, its analysts are expecting some great yields from its shares in the coming years. For example, the broker is forecasting dividends per share of 63.6 cents in FY 2024 and then 65.1 cents in FY 2025. Based on the current Transurban share price of $12.59, this will mean dividend yields of 5% and 5.2%, respectively.

    The post Buy Rio Tinto and these ASX dividend stocks for 5%+ yields appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Rio Tinto Limited right now?

    Before you buy Rio Tinto Limited shares, consider this:

    Motley Fool investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Rio Tinto Limited wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that may be better buys…

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of 5 May 2024

    More reading

    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 and Transurban Group. 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.

  • 4 high quality ASX 200 growth shares to buy in June

    A smiling businessman in the city looks at his phone and punches the air in celebration of good news.

    Are you wanting to add some ASX 200 growth shares to your portfolio this month?

    If you are, then it could be well worth checking out the four buy-rated options listed below. Here’s what you need to know about these high quality stocks:

    NextDC Ltd (ASX: NXT)

    Goldman Sachs thinks that NextDC is an ASX 200 growth share to buy. It is one of the region’s leading colocation service providers from its growing collection of world-class data centres.

    It likes the company due to “the rapid growth in cloud adoption, which has been supported by the continued evolution of the enterprise telecommunications market, and the significant demand by both public and private investors for digital infrastructure assets.”

    Goldman currently has a buy rating and $18.59 price target on its shares.

    ResMed Inc. (ASX: RMD)

    Another ASX 200 growth share that could be a buy in June is ResMed. It is a sleep treatment-focused medical device company with an industry-leading portfolio of hardware and software solutions.

    It has been tipped to grow strongly over the long term. This is thanks largely to the quality of its products and huge market opportunity. In respect to the latter, management estimates that there are 1 billion people impacted by sleep apnoea worldwide. However, only ~20% of these sufferers are believed to have been diagnosed.

    Macquarie is bullish on ResMed and has an outperform rating and $34.85 price target on its shares.

    Treasury Wine Estates Ltd (ASX: TWE)

    A third ASX 200 growth share that could be a buy is Treasury Wine. It is one of the world’s largest wine companies and the owner of a collection of very popular brands. The jewel in the crown is of course Penfolds.

    Morgans rates the wine giant highly and believes its recent US acquisition could prove to be a great addition. It notes that the addition of DAOU Vineyards “is in line with TWE’s premiumisation and growth strategy and will strengthen a key gap in Treasury Americas (TA) portfolio.”

    The broker currently has an add rating and $14.03 price target on its shares.

    Xero Limited (ASX: XRO)

    A final ASX 200 growth share that could be a buy in June is Xero. It is a cloud accounting platform provider with ~4.16 million subscribers globally.

    But if you thought this number was close to peaking, think again. Management estimates that its addressable market is 45 million subscribers, which means it has only captured a small slice of its market so far.

    Goldman Sachs thinks its market opportunity could be even larger. Its analysts “see Xero as very well-placed to take advantage of the digitisation of SMBs globally, driven by compelling efficiency benefits and regulatory tailwinds, with >100mn SMBs worldwide representing a >NZ$100bn TAM.”

    The broker has a buy rating and $164.00 price target on Xero’s shares.

    The post 4 high quality ASX 200 growth shares to buy in June appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Nextdc Limited right now?

    Before you buy Nextdc Limited shares, consider this:

    Motley Fool investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Nextdc Limited wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that may be better buys…

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of 5 May 2024

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Nextdc, ResMed, Treasury Wine Estates, and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Goldman Sachs Group, Macquarie Group, ResMed, and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Macquarie Group, ResMed, and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Treasury Wine Estates. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

  • This ASX share is projected to pay a huge yield of 16% in 2026!

    A woman and two children leap up and over a sofa.

    ASX share Adairs Ltd (ASX: ADH) paid its shareholders big dividends before inflation hit the Australian economy, and the Commsec forecast implies sizeable dividends could be on their way again.

    A leading retailer of homewares in Australia, Adairs also sells furniture through its Mocka and Focus on Furniture businesses.

    The ASX share may not seem like an obvious candidate for sizeable passive income, but there are a couple of important factors to focus on. The first mention goes to the company’s now very low price.

    Extremely low valuation

    Two inputs decide what a company’s dividend yield will be. There’s the dividend payout ratio – how much of its annual profit it pays to shareholders. There’s also the price/earnings (P/E) ratio – the multiple of earnings the business trades at.

    ASX retail shares typically trade on a lower earnings multiple than some other sectors, such as technology. However, Adairs is on a particularly low P/E ratio.

    According to Commsec’s estimates, Adairs shares are valued at just 9x FY24’s estimated earnings and around 6x FY26’s estimated earnings. As a comparison, the JB Hi-Fi Ltd (ASX: JBH) share price is valued at 15x FY24’s estimated earnings and just under 15x FY26’s estimated earnings, according to Commsec.

    It’s understandable that investors are somewhat nervous about discretionary retailers at the moment because of the cost-of-living difficulties for households. Based on the RBA’s latest comments, interest rates appear likely to stay higher for longer, which may prolong the pain for some consumers.

    Big dividend yield tipped

    Adairs’ board has shown a willingness over the years to reward shareholders with a pleasing level of investment income.

    As the chart below shows, the Adairs share price has fallen by around a third since 27 March 2024 and by around 60% since June 2021. A lower share price can raise the potential dividend yield.

    The estimate on Commsec suggests that Adairs could pay a dividend per share of 10.8 cents in FY24 and 19.8 cents in FY26. That could translate into a grossed-up dividend yield of around 9% in FY24 and more than 16% in FY26.

    Foolish takeaway

    Despite the uncertainty of the current economic environment, Adairs could be a compelling investment because it is working on several profit improvement initiatives.

    For example, the company’s transition to operating a new national distribution centre is improving its service and cost per unit dispatched. Adairs is also focused on managing its overall costs to return to an earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) margin of more than 10%.

    In addition, the ASX share is looking to open additional upsized Adairs stores, close some smaller ones, open more Focus on Furniture Stores and keep improving Mocka’s inventory, margins and costs.

    The post This ASX share is projected to pay a huge yield of 16% in 2026! appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Adairs Limited right now?

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    Motley Fool investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Adairs Limited wasn’t one of them.

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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 positions in and has recommended Adairs. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Adairs. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Jb Hi-Fi. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

  • What an extra $10,000 of superannuation in 2024 could be worth in retirement

    It’s never too early, or too late, to think about how adding to your superannuation might improve your retirement goals.

    For the purposes of this article, we’ll look at what putting an extra $10,000 into superannuation in 2024 could be worth when the time comes to hang up your hat and kick up your feet.

    Now, much of that is going to depend on your current age. And we’ll work with the assumption that you were born from 1957 onwards, meaning you’ll be 67 before you retire.

    Depending on your super balance at that stage, you may be eligible for a full pension, part pension, or none at all, providing you’ve managed to grow your retirement nest egg to a sustainable size.

    We won’t make any assumptions here about how large your overall superannuation pool will be at retirement. We’ll just look at the potential benefits off adding in that extra $10,000 this year.

    How much could this help your final superannuation balance?

    Now, aside from how much time you’ve got left before retirement, there’s another big variable at play here.

    Namely, the kind of returns you can expect from your superannuation fund.

    For a better idea of that, we turn to KPMG’s Super Insights 2024 report.

    According to the report, “With global financial market growth, Australian superannuation funds posted strong investment returns. Average returns were 8.62% for the year FY 2023.”

    This saw the total super assets under management in Australia grow to more than $3.5 trillion.

    And the good news is that management fees, which can take a big bite out of your final nest egg, have been coming down.

    According to KPMG, “Amid strong competition between super funds to attract and retain members, average fees continue to decline.” A positive trend the report says is likely to continue.

    I should note, however, that the strong FY 2023 result came after most super funds posted losses in FY 2022.

    Taking a longer-term perspective, the average return of Australian superannuation funds over the past 20 years sits at around 6.5%.

    So, working with the 6.5% annual returns, if you were to add $10,000 to your superannuation in 2024 and aimed to retire in 10 years, that extra investment would be worth $19,122.

    That’s already almost double in just 10 years.

    However, by tapping into the magic of compounding, younger workers could do far better.

    If you’re 47 and looking to retire in 20 years, that same $10,000 could balloon into $36,564.

    And if you’re 27 and not aiming to retire for 40 years, adding $10,000 to your superannuation balance in 2024 could give you an extra $133,696 to enjoy in your golden years.

    The post What an extra $10,000 of superannuation in 2024 could be worth in retirement 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.*

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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.