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

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Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Johns Lyng Group, PEXA Group, Pinnacle Investment Management Group, PolyNovo, and Pro Medicus. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Pinnacle Investment Management Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Johns Lyng Group and Pro Medicus. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

It’s been a fairly lacklustre day for most ASX shares this Wednesday. At the close of trading, the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) had clawed back some ground to end the day 0.14% higher.

But there were two ASX gold shares that sat out of trading this morning. Oh, and one of them clocked a 135% gain just before it was halted.

But first, let’s talk about De Grey Mining Ltd (ASX: DEG). This ASX gold share last traded yesterday, and its share price is currently frozen at yesterday’s close of $1.26.

Just before market open this morning, De Grey revealed it would conduct a capital raising program to finance its Hemi Gold Project.

De Grey will raise an estimated $600 million from this capital raise. Of that figure, approximately $343.9 million will be raised from an institutional share placement, with the remaining $256.1 million coming from an entitlement offer for existing shareholders.

De Grey plans to issue 545.5 million new shares to fund this program, which represents around 29.5% of the company’s current share count. These new ASX gold shares will be issued at a price of $1.10 each.

It will be interesting to see what the market makes of these plans when De Grey shares eventually return to trading.

But let’s get to the 135% share price spike.

How is this ASX gold share up 300%?

That’s precisely what occurred with the shares of Iceni Gold Ltd (ASX: ICL) this morning. Iceni shares closed at 2.3 cents each yesterday but opened at 3.9 cents this morning before a trading halt took effect just before 11am. By that time, this ASX gold share was trading at 5.4 cents.

After the shares were halted, Iceni revealed that the company had struck gold… literally. Iceni has made a major discovery at the gold explorer’s 14 Mile Well Project in Western Australia.

In a subsequent release, Iceni confirmed that fieldwork at the site had resulted in the discovery of “multiple spectacular gold-bearing quartz veinlets” within a small area. Iceno was able to produce a 9.5-ounce gold dore bar from just one sample at the site.

Here’s some of what Iceni managing director Wade Johnson had to say on this development:

The shallow excavation and sampling activities at Christmas Gift [within the 14 Mile Well Project]  exposing the rich gold-bearing quartz veinlets within the shear zone is an exciting development for the company.

The additional fieldwork has improved our knowledge of the host structure… but also provides a geological model that we can apply elsewhere in the Everleigh Well area.

The strike length of the structure is open, drill sites have been prepared and we are looking forward to commencing drilling shortly to evaluate the down dip extent of the structure and rapidly advance this priority target.

This afternoon, Iceni shares returned to trading, and investors haven’t been mucking around. The company exploded to a high of 11 cents before retreating to 9.2 cents on the close of trade. That’s still a whopping 300% higher than when it started the day

It’s a pretty good day to be an Iceni shareholder.

The post 2 ASX gold shares making big news today (one up 300%!) appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• 4 ASX mining shares being hammered on quarterly updates
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Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

ASX copper shares have been lighting up the boards this year amid the red metal’s bull run towards new record highs.

With demand growth outpacing supply growth, the copper price has surged from US$8,197 per tonne on 15 February to US$10,030 per tonne today.

As you’d expect, that’s offered some heady tailwinds for miners with a strong copper focus.

The Aeris Resources Ltd (ASX: AIS) share price, for example, has rocketed 189% since 15 February.

And S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) copper share Sandfire Resources Ltd (ASX: SFR) is up 39% over that same period. This is a company with a market cap of almost $4.5 billion.

The booming global demand for copper also saw now dual-listed, Canadian-based Capstone Copper Corp (ASX: CSC) begin trading on the ASX on 8 April. Since then, the ASX copper share has gained 12%.

Then there’s BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP).

While iron ore brings in the biggest slice of BHP’s revenue, copper comes in at number two. And BHP is actively looking to increase its copper exposure, lobbing a roughly $60 billion takeover bid for copper-focused Anglo American (LSE: AAL) last month.

That offer was rejected by Anglo American’s board. The market is now waiting to see if BHP comes back with a better offer.

Why ASX copper shares are enjoying near-record prices

Looming interest rate cuts from the US Federal Reserve, supply disruptions at various mines across the world, and strong demand growth have all worked to send the copper price — and ASX copper shares — skywards.

These dynamics have seen Goldman Sachs boost its year-end price target for copper to US$12,000 per tonne, up from the prior forecast of US$10,000 per tonne.

According to Goldman analyst Nicholas Snowdon (quoted by Bloomberg), “We continue to forecast a shift into open-ended and mounting metal deficits from 2024 onwards.”

Snowdon noted the possibility that global inventories could dip to very low levels in the fourth quarter of 2024.

AIs, EVs, and the great energy transition

In late April, Nick Pashias, head of Equities and portfolio manager of Antares’ High Growth Shares Fund, highlighted the range of factors driving rising global copper demand and, in turn, supporting ASX copper shares.

According to Pashias:

In an era where the world is increasingly reliant on electricity, copper emerges as a critical component in meeting the surging demand.

As the backbone of power infrastructure and a key enabler of technological advancements such as EVs, AI, and data centres, copper stands at the forefront of the energy revolution.

Highly conductive copper has benefited from the rapid increase in electricity consumption.

Addressing this unprecedented surge in electricity use, Pashias said:

Data centres, fuelled by the AI boom, have become the fastest-growing consumers of power. As AI applications continue to evolve, the demand for data processing and storage escalates, placing significant strain on power grids worldwide.

With data centres increasingly adopting AI technologies, the need for robust power infrastructure, including copper-based systems, becomes indispensable.

He noted that data centres currently consumed around 1% to 2% of total electricity production, with median forecasts suggesting “data centre energy usage will grow at 11%” every year through 2030.

And this booming demand growth comes amid limited new supplies.

“Factors such as geopolitics, production halts, delays, and aging mines contribute to a tightening supply-demand imbalance, amplifying the attractiveness of copper as an investment opportunity,” Pashias said.

So, is it too late to buy ASX copper shares like Sandfire Resources?

Putting the pieces together, I think not.

The post Is it too late to buy surging ASX copper shares like Sandfire? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• How important is copper for the future of BHP shares?
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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.

The Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES) share price reached another all-time high today, marking an impressive rise of more than 20% since the start of 2024. As we can see on the chart below, the last six months has been a period of strong growth for shareholders.

The owner of Bunnings, Kmart and Officeworks is benefiting from the overall economy remaining stronger than feared. Some households are doing it tough, so this is where the value on offer from the Kmart and Bunnings products can shine through.

However, no ASX share is a buy at any price, so investors should be cautious about paying at an increasingly high price.

Time to be cautious?

As the share price rises, it pushes up the price/earnings (P/E) ratio, making it seem more expensive (if the earnings projections aren’t also increasing).

If we look at the projections on Commsec, Wesfarmers is projected to see profit growth in each of the next three annual results. It’s predicted to grow earnings per share (EPS) to $2.26 in FY24, $2.44 in FY25 and $2.71 in FY26.

This would put the Wesfarmers share price at 31x FY24’s estimated earnings and 29x FY25’s estimated earnings. This is fairly elevated considering Wesfarmers is only projected to grow its EPS by 8% in FY25 and 11% in FY26. Ideally, an attractive investment will see the P/E ratio and earnings growth at a fairly similar number.

This comes at a time when the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) is expecting inflation (and the interest rate) to remain elevated for a while yet. We may not have seen the last of the volatility of the stock market this year.

Is the Wesfarmers share price still a buy?

I’d be less excited to buy Wesfarmers shares today than in December or January 2024.

However, it’s important to keep in mind that this business has been generally growing for decades. And what happens in 2024 is unlikely, in my mind, to disrupt the company’s long-term earnings trajectory.

Wesfarmers’ Kmart and Bunnings businesses have plenty of potential to keep growing, particularly if the Australian population keeps increasing at a good pace. More people means more potential customers and more houses required (which need construction materials).

The business is growing into other sectors such as lithium and healthcare. I think healthcare is very promising for the company – not only is it a huge market, with multiple areas of growth (eg digital healthcare, and the wellness category), but Wesfarmers can bring some of its expertise and scale to its subsidiaries in the healthcare space, such as Priceline.

While I wouldn’t call it cheap, this is the sort of quality business that could keep growing profit for a long time to come.

I’d be happy enough to start a position today and then buy more if the Wesfarmers share price falls or if the earnings can grow to reduce the P/E ratio.

The post Would I still buy Wesfarmers shares as they hit all-time highs? 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 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.

It hasn’t been a very pleasant few months for Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) shares and the investors who own them on the ASX.

This time last year, Woolworths shares were flying high above $38 each. But today, those same shares are going for just $30.96 at the time of writing, up 0.16% for the day thus far.

Not only is that down 19.9% from where those shares were 12 months ago, but it also puts Woolies down around 17.5% over 2024 to date.

Investors have also had to watch as Woolworths has retreated more than 26% from the company’s last all-time high of roughly $42 that we saw back in mid-2021.

Check that all out for yourself below:

However, as all dividend investors know, a falling share price in addition to a stable dividend produces something rather desirable – a rising dividend yield.

Falling Woolworths shares but a rising dividend yield

A company’s dividend yield is a function of two metrics. The first is the raw dividends per share that a company forks out, every six months in this case. The second is the company’s share price.

If a company’s dividend payments remain the same, but its share price drops, the dividend yield that investors enjoy on any additional share purchases rises.

To illustrate, Woolworths has paid out two dividends over the past 12 months. The first was the September final dividend worth 58 cents per share. The second was the interim dividend of 47 cents per share that investors enjoyed just last month. Both of these dividends came with full franking credits attached. They were also both increases over the previous corresponding dividend payments.

Woolworths’ last 52-week high was achieved back in June last year and saw the company hit $40.35 a share. At this share price, Woolies’ last two dividend payments would give the company’s shares a dividend yield of 2.6%.

Instead, at today’s current pricing of $30.96, Woolworths is trading on a dividend yield of 3.39%. Quite an improvement, one could argue.

So the sharp drop that Woolworths investors have endured over the past year or two has a clear silver lining for income investors who have enough capital to buy more shares at these reduced prices.

These share price drops still haven’t been enough to close the dividend yield gap that exists between Woolworths shares and those of the company’s arch-rival, Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL). Coles shares are currently trading with a dividend yield of 4.05%. But the gap is closer today than it has been for a long time.

The post Here’s the current ASX dividend yield on Woolworths shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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