Shares for conglomerate Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES) largely went sideways for all of this year, until about a week ago.

Over the past eight days, the stock has risen 9%.

So is this a buy signal? Are other investors aware of something you’re not?

Let’s see what’s going on:

Why has the Wesfarmers share price risen?

There seem to be a couple of reasons for the recent arousal in the Wesfarmers share price.

First is that the market received the company’s half-year results positively last week.

The Motley Fool’s James Mickleboro reported that Wesfarmers’ net profit after tax was up 3% to $1.4 billion despite tough conditions for the retail sector.

“This was driven largely by the Kmart Group business, which posted a 26.5% increase in earnings for the six months. 

“Management advised that its record result reflects the positive customer response to Kmart’s lowest price positioning.”

The second factor was the announcement that it would pay out a 91 cent dividend, which is the largest seen since April 2019.

Is it too late to buy?

So that’s all fantastic, but is it still worth buying Wesfarmers this late?

Opinion among the professional community is mixed.

According to broking platform CMC Invest, only two out of 17 analysts currently rate Wesfarmers shares as a buy.

A majority of 10 professionals recommend a hold, while five are urging investors to sell out.

So the answer to those considering buying Wesfarmers shares is… probably not.

Perhaps the recent price rise has made it even less attractive. 

After all, if you go back to June 2022, the Wesfarmers share price has amazingly rocketed 55%. That’s during a period when the Reserve Bank put interest rates up 13 times.

However, The Motley Fool’s Sebastian Bowen is one that doesn’t mind committing to the conglomerate now with a long-term horizon.

“Wesfarmers is a holding that I’ve been hoping to add to for a while now and just might after the company’s latest earnings. 

“Given the rising cost of living and stubborn interest rates, I think this is a great result for a company that would traditionally be described as cyclical and discretionary.”

The post The Wesfarmers share price is rising again. Should I buy the stock now? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Wesfarmers shares walk back from 52-week highs without dividend
• Retirees: Here’s how to boost your pension in 2024
• Why I’d put Wesfarmers shares in my ultimate ASX dividend income portfolio in 2024
• If I could buy only one ASX stock this February earnings season, it would be…
• Everything you need to know about the new Wesfarmers dividend

Motley Fool contributor Tony Yoo 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 Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Wesfarmers. 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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Of course, here at The Motley Fool we always recommend investors practise proper diversification to manage investment risk.

But there’s nothing wrong with fantasising about wild riches from a single ASX stock. It’s just good, clean fun.

Besides, such examples demonstrate that just one or two winners can send an entire diversified portfolio into profit by cancelling out the losers.

It’s actually an advertisement for diversification.

Let’s now take a look at the journey of Telix Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: TLX) and how wealthy this healthcare stock could have made you by now:

What does Telix Pharmaceuticals do?

Telix Pharmaceuticals develops diagnostic and therapeutic products for different types of cancer.

When COVID-19 first spread around the globe, financial markets understandably went into meltdown.

After all, no one knew back then whether this disease would kill half the world’s population or whether we’d be forced to live in lockdown forever.

In the worst depths of the market crash, in March 2020, you could buy Telix shares for 87 cents apiece.

Imagine that you had the wisdom to buy $20,000 worth at that point.

Over the next four years, you would have watched proudly as Telix Pharmaceuticals ticked off one milestone after another.

Perhaps the biggest achievement over that time was attaining commercial approval for its ​​prostate cancer imaging product Illuccix. This took Telix from a pre-revenue startup to one that makes its own money.

While Illucix is bringing in valuable revenue, Telix has been able to work on future products for other types of cancer, such as kidney, brain, and bone marrow.

The hero healthcare stock

This rapid growth and enormous future potential have forced the market to sit up and take notice of the healthcare stock.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the Telix stock price was trading at $11.19, which makes it an almost 13-bagger since you bought those 87 cent shares one Olympic cycle ago.

So that $20,000 you invested? It’s now worth $257,241.

Amazing.

Check out how this one winner could have supercharged a diversified portfolio.

At the time you bought the $20,000 batch of Telix shares, say you also bought five other stocks in other industries and geographies to spread your risk.

Then imagine that those five businesses all went through absolute devastation and have now shrunk to $0.

That portfolio would now be more than double what the original $120,000 outlay.

Ladies and gentlemen, right there is the power of ASX shares and diversification.

The post If you’d put $20,000 in this ASX healthcare stock during COVID-19, you’d have $257,000 now appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• The market is placing ‘zero value’ on this ASX 200 stock’s booming pipeline
• 2 ASX stock picks with explosive potential
• 2 top ASX growth shares to buy right now and hold for the long term

Motley Fool contributor Tony Yoo has positions in Telix Pharmaceuticals. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Telix Pharmaceuticals. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Telix Pharmaceuticals. 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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S&P/ASX 100 Index (ASX: XTO) and S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) shares offer a rich hunting ground for passive income investors.

ASX dividend shares are particularly appealing because, unlike the majority of their international peers, many come with franking credits.

That’s especially true amongst ASX 100 and ASX 200 dividend shares, with a lot of the top companies delivering 100% franked dividends. This means I should be able to hold onto more of my passive income at tax time.

So, here are three ASX 100 and ASX 200 shares I’d buy now for a $1,820 passive income in 2024.

But first…

Yields and diversification with ASX share portfolios

Before we dive into the three ASX passive income stocks, don’t forget the importance of diversification.

While we’ll look at three ASX 100 and ASX 200 stocks below, a properly diversified income portfolio should hold at least 10 companies. Ideally, these will operate across different sectors and varying geographic ranges, helping reduce the overall risk to my portfolio.

Also, bear in mind that the yields you generally see quoted are trailing yields. Future yields may be higher or lower depending on a range of company-specific and macroeconomic factors. But via diversification, I’m hoping that any dip in yields from one stock will be countered by a rise from another.

With that said, here are the three ASX 100 and ASX 200 stocks I’d buy now for $1,820 passive income in 2024.

Tapping the ASX 100 and ASX 200 for passive income

First up we have ASX 100 bank stock Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ASX: ANZ).

ANZ paid a fully franked interim dividend of 81 cents per share on 3 July. The bank paid a final dividend of 94 cents per share, franked at 56%, on 22 December. That equates to a total passive income payout of $1.75 per share.

At Wednesday’s closing price of $28.10, ANZ trades on a partly franked trailing yield of 6.2%.

With an eye on diversification, the next ASX 200 share I’d invest in today for passive income is Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS).

The energy stock paid a fully franked final dividend of $2.154 per share on 5 April. Woodside delivered the interim dividend of $1.243 per share on 28 September. That works out to a full-year (rounded) payout of $3.40 per share.

At Wednesday’s closing price of $30.25, this ASX 200 stock trades on a fully franked trailing yield of 11.2%.

Rounding out the list, I’d also invest in ASX 100 mining giant BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) to secure my $1,820 in passive income for 2024.

BHP paid a fully franked final dividend of $1.251 per share on 28 September. Earlier this week the ASX 100 miner declared an interim dividend of 72 US cents per share (AU$1.10 per share at current exchange rates).

BHP shares trade ex-dividend on 7 March, and I can expect that payout to hit my bank account on 28 March.

Working with the current exchange rate, BHP has (or will soon have) paid $2.35 per share in dividends over 12 months. At Wednesday’s closing price of $44.47, that equates to a fully franked yield (part pending, part trailing) of 5.3%.

To the maths!

If I invest an equal amount in each of these ASX 100 and ASX 200 shares, I can reasonably aim for a yield of 7.6%.

So, to generate my $1,820 in passive income in 2024, I’d need to invest $24,053 across these three companies today.

And, as always, I’ll be hoping they deliver some solid share price gains across the year as well!

The post 3 ASX 100 and ASX 200 shares I’d buy now for a $1,820 passive income in 2024! appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today
• Should you buy BHP shares following the miner’s half-year results?
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Wednesday
• Is the 11.3% dividend yield on Woodside shares for real?
• Why ARB, Bravura, Hub24, and Suncorp shares are storming higher

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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The Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO) share price will be one to watch on Thursday.

That’s because the mining giant has released its full-year results after the market close today.

Rio Tinto share price on watch following results

• Revenue down 3% to US$54,041 million
• Underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) down 9% to US$23,892 million
• Underlying earnings per share down 12% to US$7.25
• Free cash flow down 15% to US$7,657 million
• Fully franked final dividend per share up 14.7% to US$2.58 per share

What happened in FY 2023?

For the 12 months ended 31 December, Rio Tinto reported a 3% decline in revenue to US$54,041 million and a 9% decline in underlying EBITDA to US$23,892 million. This reflects solid growth from the company’s iron ore operations, which was fully offset by weaker performance across the rest of its operations due to lower commodity prices and higher costs.

The star of the show was Rio Tinto’s Iron ore operation, which reported a 4% increase in revenue to US$32,249 million and a 7% increase in underlying EBITDA to US$19,974 million.

Elsewhere, Copper revenue was flat in FY 2023 at US$6,678 million with underlying EBITDA down 26% to US$1,904 million. Aluminium revenue was down 13% to US$12,285 million with underlying EBITDA down a sizeable 38% to US$2,282 million. Finally, Minerals revenue dropped 12% to US$5,934 million with underlying EBITDA down 42% to US$1,414 million.

Rio Tinto’s profit after tax fell 19% to US$10,058 million and its underlying earnings per share reduced 12% to US$7.25. This led to the company’s board cutting its full-year dividend by 12% to US$4.35 per share.

Management commentary

Rio Tinto’s Chief Executive, Jakob Stausholm, was pleased with the company’s performance. He said:

We are making clear progress as we shape Rio Tinto into a stronger and even more reliable company. By focusing on our four objectives, we are building a portfolio that is fit for the future – including our Oyu Tolgoi underground copper mine in Mongolia and the Simandou iron ore project in Guinea.

We have taken significant steps over the past month towards our target to halve our global Scope 1 & 2 carbon emissions this decade with agreements to contract future renewable wind and solar power for our Gladstone operations.

How does this compare to expectations?

The bad news for the Rio Tinto share price is that this result has fallen short of the market’s expectations.

The consensus estimate was for underlying EBITDA of US$24,500 million, whereas Rio Tinto delivered US$23,892 million.

On the plus side, its final dividend of US$2.58 per share was slightly ahead of expectations.

Outlook

The company is guiding to largely flat production in FY 2024.

For example, iron ore shipments are expected to be 323Mt to 338Mt (from 331.8Mt), Aluminium is expected to be 3.2Mt to 3.4Mt (from 3.3Mt), and copper is expected to be 660kt to 720kt (from 620kt).

One thing that is expected to increase is the company Pilbara iron ore unit cash costs. It is guiding to a cost of US$21.75 to US$23.50 per tonne (from US$21.50).

The Rio Tinto share price is flat over the last 12 months.

The post Rio Tinto share price on watch following FY 2023 earnings miss appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Why Corporate Travel Management, Iress, Rio Tinto, and Woolworths shares are crashing
• Rio Tinto shares tumble despite massive renewable power agreement
• ASX mining shares up amid Labor plan to spend multibillions on renewables revolution
• Buy Rio Tinto and this ASX dividend stock
• Which major ASX mining share will pay the biggest dividend this year?

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.

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The post Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• CSR shares rocketed 17% before trading halt on acquisition speculation
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• 4 All Ords ASX dividend shares going gangbusters on results

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 positions in and has recommended Cochlear and WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Ansell and Cochlear. 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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The CSR Ltd (ASX: CSR) share price jumped 17% before entering a trading halt on a potential takeover deal.

CSR is one of Australia’s biggest building product companies, with products like Gyprock plasterboard, Bradford insulation, Cemintel fibre cement, Hebel autoclaved aerated concrete panels, PGH Bricks, Monier roof tiles and AFS walling systems.

Takeover talk

According to reporting by The Australian, CSR shares have entered a trading halt following reports by Bloomberg that French business Saint-Gobain is thinking about a possible deal to buy CSR. They have reportedly held initial talks.

CSR shares climbed 17.4% to $7.95 before the trading was paused.

The French business is a giant in the industry and has the scale to afford the deal. It made €51.2 billion in revenue in 2022 and has 168,000 employees across 75 countries. It can trace its history back to 1665 from the creation of the Manufactory of Mirror Glass – it has been operating for over 350 years.

Is CSR a tempting target?

It’s an interesting time to be considering an acquisition considering the CSR share price was, before today, close to its multi-year high. It hasn’t been at this current level since the GFC.

CSR is looking at uncertainty in the short term amid all of the inflation, interest rate rises and increased insolvencies in the construction industry.

Nonetheless, the FY24 half-year result showed solid profitability, with underlying net profit after tax (NPAT) of $94 million, down 15% year over year. Strong growth in the building products division was offset by a lower contribution from property and aluminium.

For its outlook, it said there was still a good pipeline of work for the building products division. However, the aluminium business is forecast to see a loss in the range of between $15 million to $30 million. It also recently announced settlement of stages 3A and 3B of Horsley Park, the location of its former brick plant.

CSR share price snapshot

In the past year, the CSR share price has climbed over 60%, including today’s gain.

The post CSR shares rocketed 17% before trading halt on acquisition speculation appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
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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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The performance of the GQG Partners Inc (ASX: GQG) share price in recent weeks has been nothing short of extraordinary.

At the start of 2024, GQG shares were asking $1.69 each. But today, those same shares are going for $2.09 at the time of writing. That puts the asset management company up 23.7% year to date, and up 21.5% over the past month alone.

The GQG share price is also up an even more impressive 44.14% over the past 12 months. So investors have done exceptionally well owning these shares in recent times. However, performance has been a little more muted since GQG’s ASX debut back in October 2021. Since then, the company’s shares are up a far milder 3.5%.

Today, the company has gone backwards, currently down 0.95% for the day. But seeing as GQG has just traded ex-dividend for its upcoming (and sizeable) final dividend of 9.1 US cents per share, investors arguably don’t have too much to complain about on this front.

But perhaps those investors are wondering if GQG shares have any room left to grow. After all, we have seen a pretty significant revaluation of this company in recent months.

What’s next for GQG shares?

Well, two ASX experts reckon GQG’s future is bright.

GQG shares were recently named as one of the best-performing stocks in the Blackwattle Small Cap Quality Fund. This managed fund‘s managers, Robert Hawkesford and Daniel Broeren, discussed their thoughts on GQG’s future in Blackwattle’s recent January fund update. Here’s what they had to say:

A strong finish for equity markets at the end of the calendar year in combination with consistent inflows and fund performance led to Funds Under Management (FUM) upgrades. At 11x P/E paying a >7% dividend, GQG still screens cheaply vs the market and listed peers with less favorable business momentum.

So GQG is a business with momentum that is trading cheaply, and, partly as a consequence, with a compelling dividend yield. That seems to be the conclusion of Hawkesford and Broeren.

No doubt GQG shareholders will appreciate these insights.

At the current GQG share price, this asset manager is trading on a dividend yield of 6.55%.

The post Up 21% in a month: Can GQG shares climb even higher? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• This ASX passive income all-star just increased its dividend by 17%
• Why Fletcher Building, GQG, Pilbara Minerals, and Tyro shares are climbing today
• Up 55% in a year, GQG share price charging higher again on surging revenue results
• 2 cheap and ‘attractive’ ASX shares to buy now that you’ve not thought of
• What can owners of GQG shares expect in the upcoming FY23 result?

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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The Fortescue Metals Group Ltd (ASX: FMG) share price has dropped 10% since the end of January. Some investors may be wondering whether this is the right time to invest.

Indeed, the share prices of BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) and Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO) have both fallen in February 2024 as well, with each ASX mining share dropping by at least 5% this month.

What’s going on with the iron ore price?

It’s understandable why there is volatility in the market for some miners. The iron ore price has seen a sizeable fall – according to Trading Economics it’s now down to US$124.50 per tonne, after starting the month at around US$133 per tonne.

The current price still leaves plenty of room for Fortescue and the other ASX iron ore shares to make large profits, but it does cut into profitability.

Remember, mining costs don’t usually change much each month, so extra revenue dollars from a higher commodity price largely translate into extra net profit (before tax) dollars on that production. But, the reverse is true when the iron ore price falls – it largely cuts into net profit.

Making good profits is usually what investors focus on, so a fall in potential monthly profits is going to have an impact.

Is it time to buy Fortescue shares?

The Fortescue share price is down more than 3% today. But, it’s still up by more than 30% in the last six months.

I think this business is one of the best in the world at what it does, with low operating costs and a compelling future in green hydrogen, green ammonia and industrial batteries.

I’m a long-term Fortescue shareholder and I believe in the company’s future.

However, I’m also a believer that iron ore is a very cyclical commodity. There’s no rule that says when the iron ore price will go higher or lower, it’s very unpredictable. We don’t know when Chinese demand will increase or decrease.

I don’t think it makes sense to invest (much) when the iron ore price is above US$120 per tonne. Within the last 12 months, the iron ore price has been below US$100 per tonne.

I’d suggest being patient and waiting for a time when the iron ore price is lower, which I believe will send the Fortescue share price lower, as we’ve seen over the past few weeks.

The dividend yield could be appealing though. According to the projection on Commsec, Fortescue could pay a grossed-up dividend yield of 11.25% in FY24. But, it wouldn’t be helpful for new investors if the Fortescue share price fell by more than that.

The post The Fortescue share price is down almost 10% in February, time to buy? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Will Fortescue stock be worth more than CBA by 2026?
• ASX mining shares up amid Labor plan to spend multibillions on renewables revolution
• Which ASX 200 large-cap shares offer the best dividend yields in 2024?
• 16% gross yield: The 3 hottest high-dividend ASX stocks to buy right now
• How to build a bulletproof ASX 200 passive income portfolio with just $10,000

Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has positions in Fortescue. 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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The Sonic Healthcare Ltd (ASX: SHL) share price has reached a fresh 52-week low today.

In late afternoon trading, shares in the blood-testing beast are 0.6% lower at $29.06 apiece. This is roughly on par with the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO), which is 0.7% worse for wear on Wednesday.

Sonic, a $14 billion company, recorded a new 12-month low early in the session. The share price fell as much as 3.86% at one point, hitting $28.11.

Sonic Healthcare share price targets get carved up

After posting a disappointing result yesterday for the first half of FY2024, the pain continues to spill over into today’s session. However, this time, the negative move is not attributable to news directly from the company.

Instead, there’s a good chance investors are looking less favourably on Sonic Healthcare shares as analysts revise their price targets. Following yesterday’s results, two brokers have amended their targets.

Firstly, analysts at Citi downgraded their rating on Sonic from a buy to neutral. Accompanying the downgrade was a cut price target from $33.00 to $31.00 per share. This suggests only a 6% upside from yesterday’s closing price.

Likewise, the team at Jefferies slashed their Sonic Healthcare share price target by 12.4% to $28.90.

Weak results call for valuation worry

Generally, Sonic’s profits underwhelmed market spectators in the first half. While a reduction in earnings was expected, the 47% reduction in net profit after tax (NPAT) to $202 million was worse than most had prepared for.

The latest set of numbers remained impeded by reduced COVID-19 testing revenue. While the base business experienced revenue growth of 15%, COVID-19 revenue created a $340 million drag on the company.

All the murkiness makes it difficult to value Sonic Healthcare shares. Is the current price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 20 times reasonable? What is a likely growth rate for earnings from moving forward? These are challenging questions to find answers to as the company continues to cycle a period of elevated COVID-19 business.

RBC Capital is a broker with a less bearish take on Sonic post-earnings. Despite reducing its forward earnings expectations, the broker maintains a positive view of its future. Moreover, the team mentioned robust organic growth, cost reduction initiatives, and recent acquisitions as encouraging factors.

Still, RBC Capital also cut its Sonic Healthcare share price target from $37 to $34.

The post Sonic Healthcare shares hit 52-week low as analysts take a scalpel to targets appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Mitchell Lawler has positions in Sonic Healthcare. 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 Sonic Healthcare. 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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We got a couple of blockbuster earnings reports this Wednesday as ASX earnings season rolls on this February. And investors in WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC) will no doubt be delighted with what this ASX 200 tech stock had in store.

We of course heard some dramatic news from supermarket giant Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW). You can read more about that here.

But today, let’s discuss the remarkable statistics coming out of the logistical solutions company WiseTech.

So, as we covered this morning, WiseTech reported an astonishing 32% rise in revenues to $500 million. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) came in at $230 million. That was up 23% year on year. Underlying net profits after tax (NPAT) were up 5% to $128 million.

But perhaps most remarkable was WiseTech’s dividend announcement.

The company revealed to investors that its next interim dividend would be worth a fully-franked 7.7 cents per share.

This is a remarkable metric for a number of reasons. Firstly, it is a pleasing 17% rise on the 6.6 cents per share interim dividend investors got last year.

But secondly, this shareholder payment is the fifteenth dividend increase in a row since WiseTech began funding dividend payments back in 2017.

Yes, ever since April 2017, every interim and final dividend WiseTech has declared has been a year-on-year increase over the payment that preceded it.

WiseTech’s first two dividend payments from 2017 were an interim dividend of 1 cent per share, and a final dividend worth 1.2 cents per share.

In 2023, WiseTech doled out that interim dividend of 6.6 cents per share, as well as a final dividend of 8.4 cents. This means that over the past seven years, WiseTech investors have seen their shareholder income soar almost 600%.

The nuts and bolts of the record WiseTech interim dividend

WiseTech shares are scheduled to trade ex-dividend for this latest shareholder payment next month on 8 March. So 7 March will be the last day that investors will be able to buy WiseTech shares with the rights to this latest dividend attached. Payday is then set for 5 April.

WiseTech will be running a dividend reinvestment plan (DRP) for this payment. Investors who’d prefer to receive WiseTech shares instead of the usual cash payment will need to enrol in the DRP before the close of business on 12 March.

At the current Wisetech share price of $88.02, this tech stock has a trailing dividend yield of 0.17%. The company now has a new forward dividend yield of 0.18%.

The post WiseTech increases dividend for 15th time in a row. Here’s what you need to know appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Why Codan, Domino’s, Lottery Corp, and Wisetech shares are storming higher today
• WiseTech share price leaps 8% today as revenues surge
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• I’d grow my wealth by buying these so-called ‘expensive’ ASX stocks
• Why are ASX 200 tech shares taking a beating today?

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 positions in and has recommended WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended WiseTech Global. 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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