• Here’s what the latest jobs data could mean for interest rates and the Aussie stock market

    A group of executives crowd around a laptop hoping and praying with their fingers crossed that the Lynas share price will go up

    A group of executives crowd around a laptop hoping and praying with their fingers crossed that the Lynas share price will go up

    The Australian community was treated to an interesting piece of economic data yesterday. As revealed by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Australia’s national unemployment rate rose from 3.6% to 3.7% in April.

    One could be forgiven for thinking that this was bad news. After all, more people not working doesn’t seem like a good thing. Yet the ASX stock market seemed to get a bit of a boost when this news was revealed yesterday.

    Why was this the case? Well, the latest jobs data wasn’t the only piece of economic news we were treated with this week. As my Fool colleague Bernd covered on Wednesday, we also saw the latest wages data revealed that day as well. This revealed that wages for the March quarter rose by 0.8%. That was slightly below the forecast of 0.9%.

    So we have higher unemployment and slower wage growth than what was expected. Again, not entirely good news, it would appear.

    What does unemployment have to do with the stock market?

    Well, not so fast. The number one concern for investors right now is arguably inflation. For the past 12 months or so, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has been battling to bring rampant inflation under control. That’s why the RBA has raised interest rates 11 times over 2022 and 2023 thus far.

    The RBA keeps a watchful eye over economic data such as wage growth and unemployment numbers. And what lower-than-expected growth and higher-than-expected unemployment indicates is a slowing economy. This is exactly what the RBA wants to see, as it indicates that inflation is slowing as well.

    As such, there is now a lower chance that interest rates will continue to rise over the rest of the year. Yesterday, Abhijit Surya from Capital Economics said as much when speaking to the Australian Financial Review (AFR). Here’s some of what he said:

    …we expect labour market conditions to continue to slacken going forward, as economic activity slows sharply. Indeed, falling job vacancies point to the unemployment rate continuing to climb higher in the coming months.

    Because of this, Capital Economics is predicting that the ” jobs report combined with yesterday’s wages data should keep the Reserve Bank from raising rates any further”.

    If that is indeed the case, it would be good news for the stock market and ASX shares. When rates rise, it lowers the attractiveness of non-cash assets like shares. Thus, if rates are no longer expected to keep going up, it is theoretically good news for the Aussie stock market. That’s probably why ASX shares have had such a strong showing over both yesterday’s and today’s sessions.

    If rates have indeed hit their peak, it would be unquestionably good news for ASX shares and the share market. That is not yet a foregone conclusion — next month’s data could show wages picking up and unemployment falling.

    But the more data that comes out that points to falling inflation, the better the odds that the stock market keeps going up.

    The post Here’s what the latest jobs data could mean for interest rates and the Aussie stock market appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in S&P/ASX 200 right now?

    Before you consider S&P/ASX 200, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and S&P/ASX 200 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 are better buys.

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of April 3 2023

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

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  • $10k invested in Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF (VGS) 5 years ago is worth how much?

    International share market best vs ASX diversification

    International share market best vs ASX diversification

    Over the last decade, exchange traded funds (ETFs) have exploded in popularity with investors.

    One of the most popular ETFs out there with $5.8 billion in assets under management is the Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS).

    Vanguard highlights that the ETF provides exposure to many of the world’s largest companies listed in major developed countries. This provides low-cost access to a broadly diversified range of securities that allow investors to participate in the long-term growth potential of international economies outside Australia.

    Clearly this is something that investors want based on the amount of investor funds that are under management.

    But is the popularity justified? Let’s take a look and see what a $10,000 investment in the Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF five years ago would be worth today.

    Has the Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF been a good investment?

    The good news is that the Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF has been a market-beater over the last five years.

    During this time, its units have provided investors with an average gross return of 11.4% per annum. This compares to the benchmark return of 11.1% over the same period.

    In light of this, if you had invested $10,000 into this ETF five years ago, you would have seen the value of your investment grow to approximately $17,160 today. That’s a very nice 71.6% return on investment!

    And while there’s no guarantee that it will do the same over the next five years, if it were to do so, your investment would start to mushroom thanks to the power of compounding.

    Five more years of 11.4% per annum returns would see your investment grow to just under $30,000. That’s would mean the approximate tripling of your investment in just 10 years. Not bad!

    The post $10k invested in Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF (VGS) 5 years ago is worth how much? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Vanguard Msci Index International Shares Etf right now?

    Before you consider Vanguard Msci Index International Shares Etf, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Vanguard Msci Index International Shares 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 are better buys.

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of April 3 2023

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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 Vanguard Msci Index International Shares ETF. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Vanguard Msci Index International Shares ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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  • Brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy now

    a man sits at his desk wearing a business shirt and tie and has a hearty laugh at something on his mobile phone.

    a man sits at his desk wearing a business shirt and tie and has a hearty laugh at something on his mobile phone.

    It has been another busy week for Australia’s top brokers. This has led to the release of a large number of broker notes.

    Three broker buy ratings that you might want to know more about are summarised below. Here’s why brokers think these ASX shares are in the buy zone:

    Aristocrat Leisure Limited (ASX: ALL)

    According to a note out of Morgans, its analysts have retained their add rating on this gaming technology company’s shares with a slightly trimmed price target of $45.00. Morgans was pleased with the result, noting that its profits came in ahead of expectations despite a soft performance from its digital business. And while it suspects the latter could continue its soft performance for the next 12 months, Morgans remains bullish due to the positive outlook of Aristocrat’s land-based operations. The Aristocrat share price is trading at $38.62 today.

    Nufarm Ltd (ASX: NUF)

    A note out of Bell Potter reveals that its analysts have retained their buy rating on this agricultural chemicals company’s shares with an improved price target of $7.35. This follows the release of a half-year result that was ahead of expectations. Looking ahead, the broker believes Nufarm is well-placed to deliver on its medium term revenue goals. This is thanks partly to its opportunity in omega3. The Nufarm share price is fetching $5.80 on Friday.

    Xero Limited (ASX: XRO)

    Analysts at Goldman Sachs have retained their buy rating on this cloud accounting platform provider’s shares with an improved price target of $130.00. Goldman Sachs was impressed with Xero’s full-year results and expects more of the same in FY 2024. The broker also believes that Xero’s expense ratio target of 75% is achievable based on its second half performance. The Xero share price is trading at $107.24 this afternoon.

    The post Brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy now appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

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

    Scott just revealed what he believes could be the ‘five best ASX stocks’ for investors to buy right now. These stocks are trading at near dirt-cheap prices and Scott thinks they could be great buys right now…

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of April 3 2023

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    Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Xero. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Xero. 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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  • Here are the 3 most heavily traded ASX 200 shares on Friday

    Three male athletes sprint on an athletics track with the sun low on the horizon behind them representing the race between ASX lithium shares to outperform

    Three male athletes sprint on an athletics track with the sun low on the horizon behind them representing the race between ASX lithium shares to outperform

    The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) looks like it is on track to end the week on a high note after several red days this week.

    After partially reversing Tuesday and Wednesday’s losses yesterday, the ASX 200 has taken back all of the lost ground and then some today. At the time of writing, the index is currently up by a happy 0.58% at just under 7,280 points.

    What a way to start the weekend! But time now to take a deeper dive into these gains by taking a look at the shares presently at the top of the ASX 200’s share trading volume charts, according to investing.com. We seem to have a bit of a theme today.

    The 3 most traded ASX 200 shares by volume this Friday

    Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS)

    First up this Friday is the ASX 200 lithium share Pilbara Minerals. So far this session, a hefty 24.04 million Pilbara shares have been swapped on the ASX. We still haven’t had any fresh news out of Piblara at all this month. So it looks like this volume could be a result of the company’s share price movements themselves.

    Pilbara has had a pretty decent trading day so far. The shares are currently up by a pleasing 1.22% at $4.98 each but rose as high as $5.03 earlier this afternoon. This gain probably explains why Pilbara is making an appearance on this list today.

    Core Lithium Ltd (ASX: CXO)

    Next, we have another ASX 200 lithium share to check out in Core Lithium. Today’s trading has seen a sizeable 25.6 million Core Lithium shares find a new ASX home thus far. We have some news here that could explain this high volume. This morning, Core Lithium announced that its board has approved $45 to $50 million for a new mine at the company’s Finniss lithium project.

    Investors seem to approve, with the Core Lithium share price up a notable 5.43% so far today to $1.16 a share. This news, plus this rather large gain, is the most likely reason we are seeing the trading volume figures that we are.

    Sayona Mining Ltd (ASX: SYA).

    Our third, final and most traded ASX 200 share this Friday is yet another lithium stock in Sayona Mining. We’ve seen a whopping 29 million Sayona shares bought and sold on the stock exchange at this point of today’s session.

    All has been quiet on the Sayona news front. But that hasn’t stopped this lithium share from having a rather bouncy day. Sayona shares opened at 23 cents each, but have fluctuated between 23.5 cents and 22.5 cents a share all day. Right now, the company is back to where it started, at a flat 23 cents. All of this bouncing around is probably why Sayona is topping our most traded shares list this Friday.

    The post Here are the 3 most heavily traded ASX 200 shares on Friday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

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

    Scott just revealed what he believes could be the ‘five best ASX stocks’ for investors to buy right now. These stocks are trading at near dirt-cheap prices and Scott thinks they could be great buys right now…

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of April 3 2023

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

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  • Why Dusk, Impedimed, Nufarm, and Weebit Nano shares are falling

    A man looks down with fright as he falls towards the ground.

    A man looks down with fright as he falls towards the ground.

    In afternoon trade, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is on course to end the week on a positive note. At the time of writing, the benchmark index is up 0.6% to 7,278.9 points.

    Four ASX shares that have failed to follow the market higher today are listed below. Here’s why they are falling:

    Dusk Group Ltd (ASX: DSK)

    The Dusk share price is down 16% to $1.27. Investors have been hitting the sell button after this specialist retailer released a disappointing trading update. Dusk revealed that it expects FY 2023 sales of $135 million to $137 million and EBIT of $16 million to $17 million. This compares to FY 2022’s figures of $138.4 million and $26.5 million.

    Impedimed Limited (ASX: IPD)

    The Impedimed share price is down almost 12% to 13.7 cents. This has been driven by the announcement of a $20 million institutional placement. Impedimed intends to raise the funds at a 16.1% discount of 13 cents per share. Proceeds will be used to accelerate its Private Payor opportunity.

    Nufarm Ltd (ASX: NUF)

    The Nufarm share price is down 4.5% to $5.78. This may have been driven by profit taking after a strong gain yesterday following the release of its half-year results. In addition, Morgans gave its results a lukewarm reaction. It retained its hold rating with a lowered price target of $6.64.

    Weebit Nano Ltd (ASX: WBT)

    The Weebit Nano share price is down a further 2.5% to $5.59. Investors have been selling this meme stock this month amid rising short interest and its sky-high valuation on zero revenue. The Weebit Nano share price is now down by over a quarter since this time last week.

    The post Why Dusk, Impedimed, Nufarm, and Weebit Nano shares are falling appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    4 ways to prepare for the next bull market

    It’s a scary market. But staying in cash when inflation is surging likely won’t do investors any good either.

    And when some world-class companies have pulled back considerably from their recent highs… All while their fundamentals remain unchanged…

    It begs the question…

    Do you have these 4 stocks in your portfolio?

    See The 4 Stocks
    *Returns as of April 3 2023

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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 recommended Dusk Group. 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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  • Why AUB, Austal, Core Lithium, and Xero shares are pushing higher

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

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

    The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) looks set to end the week in style. In afternoon trade, the benchmark index is up 0.7% to 7,286.1 points.

    Four ASX shares that are rising more than most today are listed below. Here’s why they are pushing higher:

    AUB Group Ltd (ASX: AUB)

    The AUB share price is up 7% to $27.77. Investors have been buying the insurance broker’s shares after it completed an institutional placement. While a capital raising usually sends a share crashing lower, this one has had the opposite effect. Investors appear pleased with an earnings guidance upgrade which accompanied the announcement and the reason behind the capital raising.

    Austal Ltd (ASX: ASB)

    The Austal share price is up 25% to $1.99. This has been driven by news that the shipbuilder has been awarded a major contract by the US government. The cumulative value of the contract would come to US$3.2 billion (AU$4.8 billion) if all options are exercised. This is a major confidence boost given the recent indictment of three former Austal USA employees by the United States Department of Justice.

    Core Lithium Ltd (ASX: CXO)

    The Core Lithium share price is up 6% to $1.17. This morning, the lithium miner announced that its board has approved the capital expenditure for the early works of the BP33 underground project. Core Lithium expects to spend a total of $45 million to $50 million on the early development of the next proposed mine at the Finniss project.

    Xero Limited (ASX: XRO)

    The Xero share price is up a further 4% to $106.97. This cloud accounting platform provider’s shares have been on fire since the release of its full-year results. They have also been given a boost today from a few bullish broker notes. One of those came from Goldman Sachs, which has retained its buy rating with an improved price target of $130.00.

    The post Why AUB, Austal, Core Lithium, and Xero shares are pushing higher appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

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

    Scott just revealed what he believes could be the ‘five best ASX stocks’ for investors to buy right now. These stocks are trading at near dirt-cheap prices and Scott thinks they could be great buys right now…

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of April 3 2023

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    Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Xero. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Austal and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Aub Group. 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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  • Neutralised? What it means for ANZ shares and their reinvested dividends

    A male investor sits at his desk looking at his laptop screen with his hand to his chin pondering whether to buy Origin sharesA male investor sits at his desk looking at his laptop screen with his hand to his chin pondering whether to buy Origin shares

    Do you own ANZ Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: ANZ) shares? You might have noticed talk about ‘neutralisation’ from the bank lately.

    It relates to its upcoming interim dividend. Specifically, the dividend reinvestment plan (DRP) offered to investors.

    Under a DRP, investors can opt to receive their dividends in the form of shares, rather than in cash.

    So, what does it mean and how might it impact shareholders? Let’s take a look.

    Right now, ANZ shares are trading for $23.99, 1.48% higher than its previous close.

    Comparatively, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is up 0.7% at the time of writing.

    ANZ embarks on ‘neutralising’ shares issued through DRP

    ANZ is about to embark on a mission to buy back a number of its new shares. Approximately $327 million worth, in fact, as the ASX 200 bank revealed today.

    But it’s not a means to return capital to shareholders, like most on-market share buybacks.

    Instead, ANZ’s new buyback will aim to neutralise the impact of shares handed to investors engaging with the company’s DRP for its upcoming interim dividend.

    That means no new shares are expected to be created for the purpose, therefore the bank will avoid diluting its earnings over additional stocks.

    That’s good news for investors. A fitting visualisation of share dilution for a Friday afternoon is one offered by my Fool colleague Mitch earlier this week. He wrote:

    Like enjoying a bottle of red among friends… if another glass turns up, that means less red going into yours …

    If an ASX stock you own continuously increases the share count over time, your share of earnings will grow smaller and smaller. And, where earnings per share (EPS) goes, the share price will eventually be sure to follow.

    ANZ has appointed UBS Australia to execute its planned $327 million on-market buyback.

    Further, the pricing period for the DRP has kicked off today. The ANZ share price over the 10 trading days ended 1 June will determine how many shares an investor receives in return for their dividends.

    ANZ declared its 81 cents per share, fully franked, interim dividend earlier this month. It’s expected to hit shareholders’ accounts from 3 July.

    The post Neutralised? What it means for ANZ shares and their reinvested dividends appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Australia And New Zealand Banking Group right now?

    Before you consider Australia And New Zealand Banking Group, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Australia And New Zealand Banking 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 are better buys.

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of April 3 2023

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    Motley Fool contributor Brooke Cooper 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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  • Why is the Newcrest share price sitting at 6-week lows?

    A woman holds a gold bar in one hand and puts her other hand to her forehead with an apprehensive and concerned expression on her face after watching the Ramelius share price fall todayA woman holds a gold bar in one hand and puts her other hand to her forehead with an apprehensive and concerned expression on her face after watching the Ramelius share price fall today

    It looks as though the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is heading for a pleasant end to what has been a bumpy week. So far today, the ASX 200 has added a healthy 0.63%.

    But the same can’t be said of the Newcrest Mining Ltd (ASX: NCM) share price. Newcrest shares are having a shocker today. In early trade, the ASX 200 gold miner hit a low of $26.82.

    Not only is that a significant slump, but it drags the Newcrest share price to a six-week low. Yep, the last time Newcrest was under $7 a share was back in early April. Right now, Newcrest shares have clawed back a little ground but are still down 1.71%, trading at $27.04 a share.

    Since Newcrest’s latest 52-week high, which occurred only just last month, Newcrest shares have lost around 10%.

    So what’s going on with this gold miner that has caused such a change of sentiment? After all, it has only been a few days since investors were buoyed by the news that Newcrest’s takeover by the US gold mining giant Newmont got the green light.

    Why is the Newcrest share price at a six-week low?

    Well, it seems the culprit is a falling gold price. Earlier this month, gold looked like it was about to break its all-time record high of US$2,075 an ounce. Gold topped out at around SU4,050 an ounce in early May. But it has been falling steadily ever since. Today, the yellow metal is asking just over US$1,970 an ounce.

    It appears that the prospect of higher interest rates in the United States might be to blame for this fall in value.

    This explains why the Newmont bid isn’t coming to the Newcrest share price’s rescue. The deal is an all-scrip one, which will see Newcrest shareholders given 0.4 shares of Newmont for every Newcrest share owned. Since the Newmonth share price also depends on the gold price itself, both companies have been losing value in recent weeks.

    Even so, Newcrest shares still remain up a pleasing 29.75% year to date, despite the near-10% drop we have seen recently.

    The post Why is the Newcrest share price sitting at 6-week lows? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    FREE Beginners Investing Guide

    Despite what some people may say – we believe investing in shares doesn’t have to be overwhelming or complicated…

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    *Returns as of April 3 2023

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    Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has positions in Newcrest Mining. 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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  • AMP share price rockets despite scandal triggering massive fine

    A man holds his hand under his chin as he concentrates on his laptop screen and reads about the ANZ share priceA man holds his hand under his chin as he concentrates on his laptop screen and reads about the ANZ share price

    The share price for AMP Ltd (ASX: AMP) is climbing Friday, in spite of the Federal Court handing down a massive penalty against the financial giant.

    On Friday afternoon AMP shares were up 1.39%, trading at $1.10.

    This was all while the Federal Court found four businesses within the AMP group had illegally charged life insurance premiums and advice fees from the superannuation accounts of 2,000 dead customers.

    The court ordered two of those entities, AMP Life and AMP Financial Planning, to pay a fine totalling $24 million.

    According to Australian Securities and Investments Commission deputy chair Sarah Court, the “misconduct represents a fundamental breach of trust between a customer and their financial services provider”.

    “Customers, and their beneficiaries, expect financial services providers to have the proper systems in place to ensure, once notified, deceased customers are no longer charged,” she said.

    “These systems were inadequate, and customers were let down.”

    Dead customers were ‘vulnerable’

    AMP, in an announcement to the ASX, acknowledged the court’s decision.

    “AMP apologises to all beneficiaries of those affected by this matter,” said AMP group general counsel David Cullen.

    “We have made strong progress in becoming a customer-focused and purpose-led organisation, and this historical matter is not reflective of the AMP we are today.”

    He added that “significant changes” had been made to the company’s systems to avoid such an incident.

    The ASIC investigation found that AMP received more than $500,000 in insurance premiums and more than $100,000 in advice fees from deceased customers.

    Both AMP Life and AMP Financial Planning admitted the revenue was accepted even though there were “reasonable grounds” to believe that services could not be provided.

    The court found all four AMP businesses had failed to act “efficiently, honestly and fairly”, as required by their financial services licences.

    Justice Lisa Hespe described AMP’s behaviour as “serious, wrongful”.

    “The deceased members affected were vulnerable, obviously unable to monitor their accounts and were entirely reliant on the representatives of their estates,” she said.

    “The beneficiaries of those estates involved individuals who may be expected to have been emotionally vulnerable and unlikely to be familiar with the terms of a policy not issued to them or on their behalf.”

    The wrongdoing did little to improve company performance anyway. AMP shares have sunk a horrific 72% over the past five years.

    The post AMP share price rockets despite scandal triggering massive fine appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Amp Limited, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Amp 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 are better buys.

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of April 3 2023

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    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 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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  • Why BHP shares made our headlines this week

    An old-fashioned news boy stands on a stool and yells through a microphone in an open field.An old-fashioned news boy stands on a stool and yells through a microphone in an open field.

    BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) shares have recouped their morning losses and are up 0.2% at the time of writing.

    The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) iron ore miner is currently trading for $44.32 per share. That’s up 1.9% from last Friday’s closing price.

    That’s the latest price action for you.

    Now, here’s why BHP shares made our headlines this week.

    What’s been happening with BHP shares?

    The ASX 200 iron ore giant popped into The Motley Fool headlines on Monday after Ben Cleary, portfolio manager for the Tribeca Global Natural Resources Fund, said BHP shares could trade for $100 apiece over the longer term. That’s 126% higher than the current price.

    Cleary said that supply constraints for industrial metals were looming, despite fears of a global recession and some slower-than-expected short-term demand from China.

    He noted that there’s been a “decade of underinvestment in new projects, while demand is continuing to build amid the transition to a decarbonised world”.

    And he pointed to ongoing strong credit growth in China as likely to fuel demand for iron ore.

    “We just think it’s a great time to be adding exposure to the sector, and we have been, despite the uncertain environment we’re in,” Cleary said.

    Indeed, on Thursday BHP shares were back in our headlines as the miner outpaced the ASX 200, closing the day up 1.2%.

    That came on the back of a 2.8% overnight increase in the price of iron ore, to US$110 a tonne.

    Why did the price of the steel-making metal lift-off?

    Well, mostly thanks to China, where new home prices increased 0.3% across 70 cities in April.

    “The market is hoping this is a harbinger to a pick-up in steel output,” ANZ economist John Bromhead said.

    “Optimism was further fuelled after China’s NDRC pledge to keep boosting loans to the manufacturing sector,” he added.

    Let’s not forget the juicy BHP dividends

    BHP shares also made our headlines this week thanks to the miner’s fully franked dividends.

    The ASX 200 miner currently trades on an 8.8% trailing yield.

    And Goldman Sachs believes BHP shares will continue to deliver above-average dividend yields over the next two years.

    The broker is forecasting the miner will pay dividends of $3.08 in FY23 and $2.45 in FY24.

    At the current share price, that comes out to a yield of 7% in FY23 and 5.5% in FY24.

    Goldman also has a $49.90 12-month price target on BHP shares. That’s 12.6% above the current price.

    The post Why BHP shares made our headlines this week appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Bhp Group, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Bhp 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 are better buys.

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of April 3 2023

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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 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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