The Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (ASX: VAS) is the most popular ASX-listed exchange-traded fund (ETF). Is it the right choice for beginners?

The ETF is $14.6 billion in size, there are a lot of people who have some money allocated to this investment fund.

As a reminder, an ETF is a fund that allows people to buy a basket of shares in a single investment. This means we don’t need to go and buy hundreds of businesses ourselves. Fewer transactions save on a lot of brokerage fees, which is a great benefit. We also don’t need to worry about all the buying and selling of the companies in the portfolio.

If you’re a beginner looking for more information about money, investing and the ASX share market, then don’t miss The Motley Fool Australia’s free Financial Literacy Week coming up soon.

The reasons why the VAS ETF is so popular also explain why it could be a good choice for beginner investors.

Very low management fees

Not everyone wants to spend a lot of time looking at the share market, so delegating the investing could be a good idea.

Investment fees can make a big difference to our wealth over time. The VAS ETF has an annual management fee of 0.07%, whereas plenty of fund managers charge a fee of at least 1%.

A 10% gross return would become a 9.93% net return after a 0.07% fee. If we assume the same gross return of 10%, the net return would be 9% after a 1% fee. The difference of less than 1% may not seem that much in one year, but it can cause a large difference in dollar terms over a number of years.

$10,000 growing at an average of 9.93% per year would become $25,773 after ten years.

$10,000 growing at an average of 9% per year would become $23,674 after ten years.

That’s a difference of more than $2,000!

Diversification

Owning the Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF comes with underlying exposure to a lot of different businesses, which is good for beginner investors.

It tracks the return of the S&P/ASX 300 Index (ASX: XKO), which represents 300 of the largest businesses on the ASX.

Owners of VAS ETF units get exposure to the 300 holdings, with holdings like BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP), Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA), CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL), Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES) and Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS).

A lot of different sectors are represented in the portfolio, including ASX financial shares, ASX mining shares, ASX healthcare shares, ASX retail shares and so on. However, more than half is invested in financials and miners, which is less diversified than other share markets (such as the global share market).

Decent returns

The Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF isn’t full of large, fast-growing technology companies, so its long-term return hasn’t been as strong as the Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS) or the iShares S&P 500 ETF (ASX: IVV).

Having said that, the rate of returns and compounding is still good enough to enable good growth.

Over the past decade, the VAS ETF has achieved total returns per annum of 8.29%, which saw average passive income returns of 4.54% per year and average capital growth returns of 3.75%. These numbers don’t include the benefit of franking credits.

I think Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF is a good option for beginner investors, but I’d suggest it play just a part in a portfolio, with a substantial portion invested in global shares as well. The ASX only makes up around 2% of the global share market.

The post Is the Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (VAS) a good buy for beginners? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Retirees: Here’s how to boost your pension in 2024
• Thinking about buying the Vanguard Australian Shares ETF (VAS)? Here’s what you’re really buying
• Transform $50 into monthly income: The best ASX dividend stocks under $50
• Shares vs. property: Beginner investors choosing Aussie shares, ASX ETFs and rentvesting
• 5 ASX shares to buy and hold forever in your investment portfolio

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 CSL, Wesfarmers, and iShares S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended CSL, Vanguard Msci Index International Shares ETF, and iShares S&P 500 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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There have been some big moves on the ASX 300 index on Wednesday following the release of results.

Two ASX 300 tech shares which are heading in very different directions are listed below. Here’s what they reported:

Codan Ltd (ASX: CDA)

The Codan share price is up 10% to $9.30. This follows the release of the electronic products company’s half-year results.

The ASX 300 tech share reported a 26% increase in group revenue to $265.9 million and a 24% lift in net profit after tax to $38.1 million.

This was driven by strong growth across its Communications and Metal detection businesses. Communications revenues increased 12.5% to $153.6 million whereas Metal detection revenues were up 49% on the prior corresponding period.

And with its Communications order book sitting pretty at $183 million (+12% versus 30 June), the second half is looking promising.

Iress Ltd (ASX: IRE)

The Iress share price is heading the other way and was down as much as 11% to $7.75 at one stage.

The financial technology company’s shares have recovered somewhat since then but remain down 6% at the time of writing.

Investors were selling the ASX 300 tech share following the release of its full year results for FY 2023. The company reported a 2% increase in operating revenue to $625.7 million but a 12% decline in underlying EBITDA to $128.3 million.

One positive is that the company’s underlying EBITDA margin improved during the second half. It went from 18.9% in the first to 22.2% in the second. This sets up the company nicely going into FY 2024.

In fact, management advised that its exit run-rate implies underlying EBITDA of $160 million to $180 million in FY 2024. This would be an increase of 24.8% to 40% on FY 2023’s result.

The post 2 ASX 300 tech shares making huge moves on earnings updates appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Should you buy BHP shares following the miner’s half-year results?
• Woolworths share price dives 7% following Banducci bombshell
• Corporate Travel share price plunges 18% despite tripling net profits
• NAB shares hit 52-week high on first-quarter earnings beat
• Santos share price slips on 42% profit drop in FY23 result

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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BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) shares are under pressure on Wednesday.

At the time of writing, the mining giant’s shares are down over 3% to $44.04.

Why are BHP shares falling?

Investors have been hitting the sell button today after the price of iron ore tumbled during overnight trade.

As we covered here, the spot benchmark iron ore price fell 5% overnight to US$120.85 a tonne in response to concerns over weak economic growth in China.

Is this a buying opportunity?

The team at Goldman Sachs is likely to see this as a buying opportunity for investors.

This morning, the broker responded to BHP’s half-year results release by retaining its buy rating and $49.40 price target on its shares.

Based on the current BHP share price, this implies potential upside of approximately 12% over the next 12 months.

In addition, the broker is forecasting fully franked dividends of US$1.45 per share (A$2.21 per share) in FY 2024. This equates to a 5% dividend yield based on where its shares trade at present.

Commenting on the results, the broker said:

BHP reported a broadly in-line 1H FY24 result with underlying EBITDA/NPAT of US$13.9bn/US$6.6bn, -3%/-3% vs. our estimates but broadly in-line with Visible Alpha consensus. The interim div of US72c (56% payout) was broadly in line with GSe at US74c (55% payout). Net debt of US$12.6bn was pre-guided and was in-line with our US$12.7bn estimate. FY24 production & cost guidance is unchanged and medium-term capex guidance of US$11bn was reaffirmed.

And while the miner’s capex spending for the Jansen Potash project was higher than expected, Goldman highlights that management is being disciplined with its spending. This includes deferring its spending on the new concentrator at Escondida by one to two years. It adds:

BHP provided the capex profile for both stages at Jansen, with capex front end loaded vs expectations over the medium term at US$2-2.5bn pa in FY25-27 vs GSe/Cons at c.US$1.5bn pa. So whilst the Escondida concentrator deferral is a surprise, it shows BHP remains disciplined within its US$11bn pa capex target. Deferral may also alleviate the execution risk that may emerge with trying to deliver a major project at a time when peers have seen major challenges.

All in all, the broker believes that BHP shares have an “attractive valuation” and retains its buy rating.

The post Should you buy BHP shares following the miner’s half-year results? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Wednesday
• Here’s everything you need to know about the latest BHP dividend
• BHP shares fall after disappointing first-half earnings miss
• BHP share price on watch amid 86% profit decline and dividend cut
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday

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

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The Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) share price is taking a beating today.

Shares in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) supermarket giant closed yesterday trading for $35.87. In late morning trade on Wednesday, shares are swapping hands for $33.48 apiece, down 6.7%.

For some context, the ASX 200 is down 0.4% at this same time.

Here’s what’s spooking investors today.

ASX 200 investors hitting the sell button

ASX 200 investors are pressuring the Woolworths share price today following the release of the company’s half-year results (1H FY 2024) and the unexpected departure of CEO Brad Banducci.

First, a look at those financials.

On the plus side, revenue increased by 4.4% from 1H FY 2023 to $34.64 billion.

And the fully franked interim dividend of 47 cents per share was up 2% from last year’s interim dividend.

On the negative side of the ledger, losses after significant items came in at $781 million. That compares to a profit of $845 million in 1H FY 2023. Most of those losses relate to the $1.5 billion non-cash write-down of the supermarket’s New Zealand business.

Woolies alerted the market to that write-down last month, though the half-year losses are larger than consensus expectations.

Also likely spooking investors today was the company’s warning that sales over the first seven weeks of 2024 (2H FY 2024) have continued to moderate. Management noted that consumers are becoming more cautious, which could see ongoing pressure on the company’s sales.

Woolies says goodbye to Banducci

In a bombshell announcement that’s also likely throwing up headwinds for the Woolworths share price today, CEO Brad Banducci will step down from his role after more than 13 years with the company and more than eight years at its helm.

Banducci will stay on until 1 September. Amanda Bardwell, who’s been leading WooliesX will replace Banducci as the new CEO of Woolies.

“Amanda is a proven leader, business builder and modern retailer. Most recently, under her leadership, WooliesX has gone from infancy in 2015 to a $7bn market leading business,” Woolworths chair Scott Perkins said.

As for Banducci’s departure, Perkins added:

The test of any CEO is to leave the business in much better shape than when they started. On that simple metric, history will judge Brad to have been one of Woolworths Group’s finest leaders.

Woolworths share price snapshot

With today’s big intraday fall factored in, the Woolworths share price is down 11% in 2024.

Longer-term, shares are up 38% over five years, not including the company’s dividend payouts.

The post Woolworths share price dives 7% following Banducci bombshell appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Woolworths shares on watch after CEO exit and $781 million loss
• If I invest $10,000 in Woolworths shares, how much dividend income will I receive in 2024?
• ASX blue chip shares: The best of the best for February 2024
• Buy these top ASX 200 stocks for 18%+ returns
• Will these ASX 200 shares help you retire rich?

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 Corporate Travel Management Ltd (ASX: CTD) share price is falling off a cliff on Wednesday amid its FY24 first-half results.

Shares in the travel management solutions company are down 18.5% to $16.18 this morning. At one point the share price reached $15.82 soon after opening, equating to a 20% fall.

Corporate Travel share price craters on mirky results

• Revenue up 25% from the prior corresponding period to $363.7 million
• Underlying EBITDA up 96% to $100.7 million
• Underlying net profit after tax (NPAT) up 162% to $57.9 million
• Statutory NPAT up 222% to $50.4 million
• Interim unfranked dividend of 17 cents per share, up from 6 cents

What happened in the first half?

For the six months ended 31 December 2023, Corporate Travel Management enjoyed a self-described record half.

Despite a minimal recovery in the global travel market, the company notched up its revenue by 25%, mainly from market share gains. For example, $630 million worth of new clients were won, outpacing the industry.

The outsized growth in earnings relative to revenue was achieved through ‘improving efficiency and controlling costs’.

Looking at the performances of the different regions that Corporate Travel Management operates in, it quickly becomes apparent there were some mixed results.

Revenue growth was subdued in North America and Australia and New Zealand (ANZ). Meanwhile, Europe and Asia experienced exceptional increases, with both regions posting record EBITDA. According to the report, Europe operations benefit from the company’s proprietary technology in over 90% of online transactions.

Outlook for the company

Corporate Travel Management laid out a couple of items that are expected to impact its previous forecasts. With a combination of ‘macro issues’ and material underperformance of its United Kingdom Bridging contract, the company is eyeing a $40 million EBITDA headwind in FY24, as shown below.

As a result, FY24 guidance has been updated to the following:

• Revenue between $730 million to $760 million, suggesting a 15% increase at the midpoint
• Underlying EBITDA between $210 million to $230 million, suggesting a 31.7% increase at the midpoint
• Underlying NPAT between $125 million to $140 million

Importantly, it was noted the above detracting factors are out of the company’s control.

What else?

Lastly, a five-year growth plan was unveiled in today’s results. The newly devised strategy aims to double FY24 profits organically by FY29. To do this, Corporate Travel Management plans to apply the following five priorities:

• Revenue growth of more than 10% per annum over five years
• Client retention of 97% per annum
• Further improvements to productivity and innovation
• EBITDA growth above revenue growth, converting 50% of new revenue into EBITDA
• Acquisitions to provide growth in addition to organic goals

The Corporate Travel Management share price is down 9% compared to a year ago.

The post Corporate Travel share price plunges 18% despite tripling net profits appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• 3 exciting ASX growth shares Bell Potter rates as buys

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 Corporate Travel Management. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Corporate Travel Management. 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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National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) shares are pushing higher on Wednesday morning.

At the time of writing, the banking giant’s shares are up 1% to a 52-week high of $33.85

Why are NAB shares rising?

Investors have been buying the bank’s shares this morning after responding positively to its first-quarter update.

For the first quarter, NAB reported cash earnings of $1.8 billion, which represents a 16.9% decline compared to the prior corresponding period.

However, this was better than the market was expecting, which explains why its shares are rising today.

Goldman Sachs was pleased with the update, noting that NAB is on course to at least deliver on its estimates during the first half of FY 2024. It said:

NAB has released its 1Q24 trading update, with unaudited cash earnings from continuing operations of A$1.8 bn, down -3% on the 2H23 quarterly average, but run-rating in-line with what was implied by our prior 1H24E forecasts. PPOP was 1% ahead of what was implied by our prior 1H24E forecasts, driven by lower expenses, and while BDDs were also lower, this was offset by a higher tax rate.

In response to the update, the broker has reiterated its buy rating with an improved price target of $33.73 (from $31.17). Though, it is worth noting that NAB shares have just pushed beyond this price target.

Goldman concludes:

We reiterate our Buy on NAB given: i) while lending competition remains, it has been skewed more heavily towards housing as opposed to business, which should benefit NAB’s relative earnings mix, ii) NAB has delivered the highest levels of productivity over the last three years and its investments continue to yield benefits (A$400 mn of productivity expected in FY24E), which we think leaves it well positioned for an environment of elevated inflationary pressure, which was evidenced in 1Q24, and iii) despite being overweight SME lending, which is inherently riskier than housing, NAB remains well provisioned (CP/RWA ratio above peer levels) and asset quality remains strong, which management attributed to the quality of its book and its security.

The post NAB shares hit 52-week high on first-quarter earnings beat appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• NAB share price on watch following Q1 update
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Wednesday
• Own NAB shares? Here’s how much profit to expect in Q1
• Which ASX 200 large-cap shares offer the best dividend yields in 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 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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The Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) share price has slipped into the red after the ASX oil share reported its FY23 result on Wednesday morning. Shares are trading down 1% at $7.33 at the time of writing.

Santos share price falls after weak result

• Sales revenue dropped 24% to US$5.9 billion
• EBITDAX (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, depletion, exploration, evaluation and impairment) down 28% to US$4.1 billion
• Free cash flow from operations down 42% to US$2.1 billion
• Underlying net profit after tax (NPAT) down 42% to US$1.4 billion
• Statutory NPAT declined 33% to US$1.4 billion
• Final dividend of US 17.5 cents, up 16%

Santos advised that total revenue declined due to lower volumes and realised prices for its production. It also reported its unit production costs rose by 11% to US$7.61 per barrel of oil equivalent.

What else happened in FY23?

Santos reported that the Barossa gas project was now 67% complete, with the first gas expected in the third quarter of 2025. The pipeline that will deliver gas from the field to Darwin LNG was 68% complete, and more than 50% of the pipe had been laid.

The first Barossa well has been completed, and the second well is underway. Initial well flow rates are “in line with expectations”.

When complete, Barossa is expected to add 1.8 million tonnes per annum to the company’s LNG portfolio. The Santos share price has been affected by various stages of the Barossa project’s progress and environmental attention.

Regarding the Pikka project, Santos said phase one was now more than 40% complete, with first oil expected in the first half of 2026.

The ASX oil share also said that phase one of the Moomba carbon capture and storage project “remains on track” for the first injection in mid-2024.

What did Santos management say?

Santos managing director and CEO Kevin Gallagher said:

Today’s results demonstrate the capability of Santos to generate strong cash flow, develop major projects and deliver sustainable shareholder returns.

Our critical fuels are a necessary component in the energy security of Australia and Asia, and will be required to provide affordable and reliable energy whilst the world transitions to lower-carbon alternatives.

What’s next for Santos?

The ASX oil share provided guidance for 2024. It expects to produce between 84 to 90 million barrels of oil equivalent (mmboe). Sales volume is expected to be between 87 to 93 mmboe.

Santo expects capital expenditure related to sustaining capital, including decommissioning, to be around US$1.25 billion. Major project capital expenditure, including Santos Energy Solutions, is expected to be around US$1.6 billion.

The company’s guides for unit production costs are between US$7.45 to US$7.95 per barrel of oil equivalent.

Santos share price snapshot

Prior to today’s movements, the Santos share price had climbed 8.7% over the past year, compared to a 3.8% rise for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO).

The post Santos share price slips on 42% profit drop in FY23 result appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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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Passive income is a key goal of mine, and I’m now receiving a sizeable sum of annual dividends.

However I started with $0 several years ago, and it took time to grow.

It has been a volatile journey, and there were some dud investments along the way. But, I’m pleased with how things are going.

I’d say there are three things that have helped get me to more than $5,000 of annual passive income.

Regularly investing

It takes money to make money, including with the ASX share market. Compounding is a powerful tool, but I needed to add snow to the money snowball which can make it grow faster.

I’ve tried to invest in the ASX share market every month, with the size of the investment depending on how my household’s income and expenses play out each month.

Everyone’s finances are different, but let me demonstrate what investing $1,500 per month can do – if the portfolio returns an average of 10% per annum and grows for 10 years, the portfolio would become worth $287,000. My portfolio is worth nowhere near as much as that, but I can see how much growth can help my portfolio’s returns in the future.

A $287,000 portfolio with a 5% dividend yield would make $14,350 of annual dividends.

Choose businesses with growing passive dividend income

I have filled my portfolio with businesses that can deliver dividend growth and hopefully capital growth themselves. By making those picks, I believe that will mean I need to contribute less of my own money.

For example, in my portfolio, I own ASX dividend shares like Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co. Ltd (ASX: SOL), Brickworks Limited (ASX: BKW) and L1 Long Short Fund Ltd (ASX: LSF), which have been building a reputation for passive income growth.

Long-term dividend growth is an attractive feature. Annual dividend income of $100 which grows by 10% thanks to a dividend increase reaches $110 next year. That doesn’t sound like much.

Fast forward to receiving $5,000 of annual income – a 10% rise would take that to $5,500. That’s a lot of extra cash flowing in for one year.

That’s why I like looking at businesses that have a habit of delivering good dividend growth.

Investing during market dips

As I’ve mentioned, I do regularly invest every month. I’ve significantly increased the size of my investments when share prices drop heavily.

Low share prices can boost the dividend yield from ASX dividend shares. For example, if an investment has a 5% dividend yield and the share price drops 30%, the yield (for new investors) is boosted to 6.5%.

I invested heavily during the 2020 COVID-19 crash and during 2022 to supercharge my dividend income, with a particular focus on the listed investment company (LIC) WAM Microcap Limited (ASX: WMI). I like the growth potential of ASX small-cap shares, and the LIC normally pays a large dividend yield to shareholders.

Recently, I have been investing in a number of S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) shares that I think have long-term (passive dividend income) potential.

The post How I built $5,000 of passive income starting with $0 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has positions in Brickworks, L1 Long Short Fund, Wam Microcap, and Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Brickworks and Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Brickworks and 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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Earnings season has gone up a gear on Wednesday with a large number of results being released to the market.

Four results from the ASX 200 REIT sector that have dropped today are summarised below. Here’s how they performed during the half:

Charter Hall Group (ASX: CHC)

The Charter Hall share price is down 0.5% to $12.01. This morning, the property company reported operating earnings of $195.1 million and operating earnings per share of 41.2 cents. This was broadly in line with expectations, which has allowed management to reaffirm its guidance for FY 2024 operating earnings per share of 75 cents per share. Charter Hall is paying an interim distribution of 22.1 cents per share.

National Storage REIT (ASX: NSR)

The National Storage share price is down 0.5% to $2.31. This self-storage provider released its half-year results and reported a 6% increase in underlying earnings per share to 5.6 cents. This has allowed the company to reaffirm its FY 2024 underlying earnings per share guidance of at least 11.3 cents. Management has also reaffirmed its plan to distribute 90% to 100% of underlying earnings this year.

Scentre Group (ASX: SCG)

The Scentre share price is up 2% to $3.04. This morning, this shopping centre operator released its full-year results and reported a 2% increase in revenue to $2,510.3 million and a 16.7% lift in profit after tax to $1,069 million. In 2023, the company welcomed 512 million customer visits to its Westfield destinations and its business partners achieved sales of $28.4 billion. Scentre is paying a final dividend of 8.35 cents per share.

Stockland Corporation Ltd (ASX: SGP)

The Stockland share price is up 0.5% to $4.63. This follows the release of the ASX 200 REIT’s half-year results. Stockland reported statutory profit of $102 million, compared with $301 million a year earlier. In addition, the company’s funds from operations (FFO) came in at $266 million versus $353 million in the prior corresponding period. This reflects the material skew in Masterplanned Communities (MPC) settlement volumes to the second half. Stockland is paying a first-half distribution per share of 8 cents.

The post Here are 4 ASX 200 REITs results catching the eye on Wednesday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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 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 WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC) share price is charging higher today.

Shares in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) tech stock closed yesterday trading for $79.85. In morning trade on Wednesday, shares are swapping hands for $86.50, up 8.3%.

For some context, the ASX 200 is down 0.5% at this same time.

This follows the release of WiseTech’s half-year financial results for the six months ending 31 December (1H 2024).

WiseTech share price leaps on earnings boost

• Revenue of $500 million, up 32% from 1H 2023
• Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of 230 million, up 23% year on year
• Underlying net profit after tax (NPAT) of $128 million, up 5% from 1H 2023
• Interim fully franked dividend of 7.7 cents per share, up 17%

What else happened during the first half for WiseTech?

One of the biggest events during the half-year was WiseTech’s acquisition of MatchBox Exchange in October. The company notes this has further enhanced its CargoWise Landside Logistics.

And the WiseTech share price may be getting a boost from the 40% year on year increase in CargoWise revenue, which reached $421 million for the six months. This was driven by recent M&A as well as customer growth, including new Large Global Freight Forwarder (LGFF) rollouts.

In other strong financial metrics, the EBITDA margin of 46% came in ahead of expectations.

And the company reported a 13% increase in free cash flow from the prior corresponding half-year to $155 million.

As at 31 December, WiseTech had a total liquidity of $445 million from cash and undrawn debt facilities.

And the logistics software provider boosted its R&D investments by 54% year on year to $178 million, or 35% of total revenue. This helped deliver 576 new product enhancements over the six months.

On the cost front, WiseTech’s efficiency program was reported to be on track to deliver $15 million in net savings in FY24. The company is aiming for $40 million in annual savings.

What did management say?

Commenting on the results lifting WiseTech share price today, CEO Richard White said:

We continue to focus on enhancing our core CargoWise platform in pursuit of our vision to be the operating system for global logistics. Innovation remains a critical driver of our growth.

We have increased our investment in research and development over the last five years, investing over $1 billion to deliver more than 5,500 product enhancements which creates substantial value for our customers and underpins revenue growth…

Adding to our list of Top 25 Global Freight Forwarders, we have secured a CargoWise global rollout with Sinotrans, bringing our penetration of the Top 25 Global Freight Forwarders to 13, which is more than half of the Top 25. We also secured large global freight forwarder rollouts with APL Logistics and Yamato Transport, taking us to 49 LGFFs overall.

What’s next?

Looking at what might impact the WiseTech share price in the months ahead, the company reaffirmed its FY 2024 guidance range for revenue of $1.04 billion to $1.10 billion, an annual growth rate of 27% to 34%.

FY 2024 EBITDA is forecast to be in the range of $455 million to $490 million, with an annual growth rate of 18% to 27%.

And WiseTech lifted its full year EBITDA margin guidance range to between 44% and 46%, following on the EBITDA margin strength of the half year just past.

“Our highly cash-generative business model and strong liquidity continue to provide a solid platform to fund long-term sustainable growth,” White said.

WiseTech share price snapshot

The WiseTech share price is up 55% in 12 months.

So far, in 2024, the ASX 200 tech stock has gained 13%.

The post WiseTech share price leaps 8% today as revenues surge appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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