• Why is the Flight Centre share price lagging the ASX 200 on Monday?

    A corporate-looking woman looks at her mobile phone as she pulls along her suitcase in another hand while walking through an airport terminal with high glass panelled walls.

    A corporate-looking woman looks at her mobile phone as she pulls along her suitcase in another hand while walking through an airport terminal with high glass panelled walls.

    The Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd (ASX: FLT) share price is on course to start the week with a decline.

    In afternoon trade, the travel agent giant’s shares are down 2% to $18.45.

    Why is the Flight Centre share price falling?

    There could be a few reasons for the weakness in the Flight Centre share price on Monday.

    This includes high levels of short interest, weakness in the travel sector, and the completion of its share purchase plan (SPP).

    In respect to the latter, this morning Flight Centre revealed that it received strong demand for its SPP from eligible retail shareholders. So much so, the company elected to increase the size of the plan from $40 million to $60 million.

    Why is Flight Centre raising funds?

    The proceeds from the SPP will be used to support the acquisition of United Kingdom-based luxury travel specialist Scott Dunn.

    These funds were raised at an issue price of $14.60, which was in line with what institutional investors paid at the end of January.

    It’s possible that some retail investors are selling their SPP shares today for a quick profit. Especially given that the Flight Centre share price was trading at a 29% premium to the issue price.

    Flight Centre’s managing director, Graham Turner, was pleased with the news. He said:

    We are delighted with the very strong demand and we thank eligible shareholders for their support. By increasing the SPP offer to $60million, we have provided our shareholders with the opportunity to secure a more meaningful stake in their company with a view to benefitting to a larger degree as its post-COVID recovery gains momentum.

    We see the Scott Dunn acquisition as an exciting opportunity and a strong addition to our diverse, global brand network. The acquisition will significantly strengthen our northern hemisphere leisure footprint and fast-track our plan to develop a global luxury collection of travel brands operating in a highly resilient sector of the industry.

    The post Why is the Flight Centre share price lagging the ASX 200 on Monday? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Flight Centre Travel Group Limited right now?

    Before you consider Flight Centre Travel Group 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 Flight Centre Travel Group 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 March 1 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 Flight Centre Travel 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 Neuren, Northern Star, Race Oncology, and Westgold shares are storming higher

    A young woman wearing overalls and a yellow t-shirt kicks one leg in the air showing excitement over the latest ASX 200 shares to hit 52-week highs

    A young woman wearing overalls and a yellow t-shirt kicks one leg in the air showing excitement over the latest ASX 200 shares to hit 52-week highs

    The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has started the week in a subdued fashion. At the time of writing, the benchmark index is off its lows but down 0.2% to 7,130.1 points.

    Four ASX shares that are not letting that hold them back today are listed below. Here’s why they are rising:

    Neuren Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: NEU)

    The Neuren Pharmaceuticals share price is up 18% to $9.07. Investors have been buying this biotech company’s shares after its treatment for Rett’s Syndrome was granted US FDA approval. The company has a deal in place with its partner Acadia Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ACAD) that could result in significant revenue generation.

    Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST)

    The Northern Star share price is up 7% to $11.29. This has been driven by a strong rise in the gold price thanks to demand for safe haven assets. It isn’t just Northern Star that is rising today. The S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Gold index is up 5.4% this afternoon.

    Race Oncology Ltd (ASX: RAC)

    The Race Oncology share price is up 2% to $2.03. This morning, this oncology company has made appointments to support observational stage of a Phase 1/2b clinical trial of Zantrene (bisantrene) in breast cancer patients treated with doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide and who have two or more cardiovascular risk factors.

    Westgold Resources Ltd (ASX: WGX)

    The Westgold share price is up 12% to $1.05. Investors have been buying this gold miner’s shares following the rise in the gold price and the release of an announcement. The latter reveals that its flagship Big Bell mine at Cue in Western Australia continues to exceed design outputs. It delivered 8,447 ounces of gold in January and 7,895 ounces in February. Drilling results have also exceeded expectations.

    The post Why Neuren, Northern Star, Race Oncology, and Westgold shares are storming higher appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    FREE Investing Guide for Beginners

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

    For over a decade, we’ve been helping everyday Aussies get started on their journey.

    And to help even more people cut through some of the confusion “experts’” seem to want to perpetuate – we’ve created a brand-new “how to” guide.

    Yes, Claim my FREE copy!
    *Returns as of March 1 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 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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  • 2 ASX gold ETFs hitting record highs today

    a woman wearing a sparkly strapless dress leans on a neat stack of six gold bars as she smiles and looks to the side as though she is very happy and protective of her stash. She also has gold fingernails and gold glitter pieces affixed to her cheeks.a woman wearing a sparkly strapless dress leans on a neat stack of six gold bars as she smiles and looks to the side as though she is very happy and protective of her stash. She also has gold fingernails and gold glitter pieces affixed to her cheeks.

    Overall, it’s been a pretty negative day for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) and ASX shares so far this Monday. At the time of writing, the ASX 200 has lost around 0.46% of its value. Investors have probably been a little shocked by what happened with the US-listed SVB Financial Group (Silicon Valley Bank) over the weekend.

    But when investors are spooked, one area that tends to perform well is gold.

    As the classic ‘safe haven’ asset, gold prices tend to appreciate during events that dent investor confidence. And lo and behold, it is gold that is shining on the ASX today.

    As my Fool colleague flagged this morning, gold prices charged 1.8% higher on the US markets on Friday night (our time), with the spot gold price climbing to over US$1,867 per ounce. Right now, the precious metal is asking more than US$1,876 per ounce.

    This has predictably led to some gains with most ASX gold shares today. The ASX 200’s largest gold miner Newcrest Mining Ltd (ASX: NCM) has gained a healthy 3.79% so far this Monday.

    Other gold shares are doing even better with Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) up more than 6.64%, and Ramelius Resources Ltd (ASX: RMS) up more than 9.84%:

    But let’s talk about two gold exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that have just hit new all-time record highs today.

    Rising gold price lifts gold ETFs to new highs

    The first is the VanEck Gold Bullion ETF (ASX: NUGG). This gold ETF represents an investment in gold bullion, backed by physical gold bars produced by Australian gold miners.

    Units of this ETF have ballooned today. This ETF is currently up 1.76% at the time of writing to $28.38 per unit, but rose as high as $28.50 per unit earlier this morning. That’s a new record high.

    The second is the Global X Physical Gold ETF (ASX: GOLD). This ETF functions in a similar manner to the VanEck Gold Bullion ETF, holding physical gold bullion on behalf of its investors.

    The Physical Gold ETF has lifted by 2.1% at present to $26.27 per unit, but climbed as high as $26.49 earlier this morning – the fund’s new all-time high.

    So it just goes to show that some ASX shares and ETFs can prosper on the back of bad news. That’s why many investors love gold and gold investments for their portfolios. Let’s see how the rest of the week treats these ETFs — we could well see even more fresh highs if gold continues to rally.

    The post 2 ASX gold ETFs hitting record highs today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Etfs Metal Securities Australia Limited right now?

    Before you consider Etfs Metal Securities Australia 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 Etfs Metal Securities Australia 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 March 1 2023

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    SVB Financial provides credit and banking services to The Motley Fool. Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has positions in Newcrest Mining. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended SVB Financial. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended SVB Financial. 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 Atlantic Lithium, Arafura, Brainchip, and Core Lithium shares are falling

    a group of business people sit dejectedly around a table, each expressing desolation, sadness and disappointment by holding their head in their hands, casting their gazes down and looking very glum.

    a group of business people sit dejectedly around a table, each expressing desolation, sadness and disappointment by holding their head in their hands, casting their gazes down and looking very glum.

    In afternoon trade, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is on course to start the week with a decline. At the time of writing, the benchmark index is down 0.4% to 7,113.1 points.

    Four ASX shares that are falling more than most today are listed below. Here’s why they are dropping:

    Atlantic Lithium Ltd (ASX: A11)

    The Atlantic Lithium share price has dropped a further 9% to 45.5 cents. Investors have been selling this lithium developer’s shares following a short attack from Blue Orca last week. It alleges that Atlantic Lithium obtained key Ghana mining licenses by making secret payments and promises of payment to the immediate family of a high-level Ghana politician. Atlantic Lithium has denied these allegations.

    Arafura Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: ARU)

    The Arafura share price is down 3.5% to 56.5 cents. This rare earths developer’s shares have come under pressure this month amid comments out of Tesla at its investor day. The electric vehicle giant revealed that it plans to drop the use of rare earths in its future electric vehicle models.

    Brainchip Holdings Ltd (ASX: BRN)

    The Brainchip share price is down almost 4% to 50.5 cents. Short sellers have been increasing their positions in this struggling semiconductor company. They don’t appear to believe that its sales performance will improve in the near term and justify its crazy valuation. Breaking into the semiconductor market and having big companies trust your largely unproven tech is no easy feat.

    Core Lithium Ltd (ASX: CXO)

    The Core Lithium share price is down 4% to 90.7 cents. This morning, analysts at Goldman Sachs reiterated their sell rating and 90 cents price target on this lithium developer’s shares. Goldman has been looking at the lithium market and notes continued weakness in spot prices.

    The post Why Atlantic Lithium, Arafura, Brainchip, and Core Lithium shares are falling appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Our pullback stock hit list…

    Motley Fool Share Advisor has released a hit list of stocks that investors should be paying close attention to right now…

    As the market continues to sell off, we think some stocks have become extreme buying opportunities.

    In five years’ time, we think you’ll probably wish you’d bought these 4 ‘pullback’ stocks…

    See The 4 Stocks
    *Returns as of March 1 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 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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  • Should I buy Woolworths shares at $37?

    Woman thinking in a supermarket.Woman thinking in a supermarket.

    The Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) share price has been a good performer in the 2023 calendar year to date. It’s up by almost 10%. That compares to just a 1% rise for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO)

    I don’t think Woolworths shares are going to keep outperforming the S&P 200 by 9% per month this year. But the supermarket business could still represent a good opportunity at this level.

    With that in mind, let’s have a look at one expert’s view on the company.

    The Woolworths share price is ‘fully valued’

    Writing on The Bull, Arthur Garipoli from Seneca Financial Solutions pointed out that the recent FY23 half-year result was “marginally ahead of analyst forecasts”.

    He noted that group sales were $33.17 billion, before significant items – this represented an increase of 4% on the prior corresponding period. Earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) grew by 18.4% to $1.64 billion. Garipoli said that food sales were up and the performance of the Big W store performance “improved”.

    The supermarket business also pointed out that underlying earnings per share (EPS) grew by 11.7% while the dividend per share went up by 17.9% to 46 cents per share.

    While food sales only increased by 2.5%, the food EBIT jumped 18.2%. This was boosted by a 48 basis point (0.48%) increase in the gross profit margin to 30.7% and a 30 basis point decline (0.3%) in the cost of doing business (CODB).

    In other words, Woolworths has been able to achieve higher margins on the products it’s selling, despite inflation impacts, and reduce its costs thanks to lower COVID costs.

    After analysing these numbers, Garipoli said:

    In our view, the company is fully valued at this point.

    Outlook

    Sometimes, outlook comments can have a sizeable impact on the Woolworths share price.

    The Woolworths CEO Brad Banducci said that the business had a strong start to the FY23 second half.

    Operating conditions have “continued to stabilise and sales growth has been robust”, he said.

    In Australian food, the company reported Woolworths’ sales for the first seven weeks of the second half had increased by 6.5%.

    Cost growth in the FY23 second half will “also benefit from the non-recurrence of COVID costs”. It’s also making “good progress on regaining momentum” with its productivity agenda. However, cost inflation in areas like “wages, energy, and supply chain” remains “material and well above recent history”.

    Woolworths share price snapshot

    At the current valuation, the supermarket business has a market capitalisation of $45 billion according to the ASX.

    The post Should I buy Woolworths shares at $37? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    One “Under the Radar” Pick for the “Digital Entertainment Boom”

    Discover one tiny “”Triple Down”” stock that’s 1/45th the size of Google and could stand to profit as more and more people ditch free-to-air for streaming TV.

    But this isn’t a competitor to Netflix, Disney+ or Amazon Prime Video, as you might expect…

    Learn more about our Tripledown report
    *Returns as of March 1 2023

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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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  • Here’s how much I’d need to invest in Telstra shares to generate a $200 monthly income

    A woman smiles widely while using an old fashioned hand set telephone with dial.

    A woman smiles widely while using an old fashioned hand set telephone with dial.

    The ASX 200 telco Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS) has a long history on the ASX as a source of dividend income. Telstra shares have been a staple holding of anyone seeking income from the share market for decades. That reputation continues today.

    Over the past few years, the dividends that Telstra has paid out have been remarkably consistent. Unlike many other ASX 200 blue chip shares, Telstra kept its dividends uncut during the tough years of the pandemic.

    Telstra paid out the same level of dividends in 2020 as it did in 2019, and did so again in 2021. And in 2022, investors were treated to the first dividend raise that Telstra has given to its investors since 2016. Shareholders received an 8.5 cents per share final dividend last year.

    In 2023 so far, Telstra has upped its dividend game again. An interim dividend of 8.5 cents per share will be coming investors’ way later this month. That represents a 6.25% increase over 2022’s interim dividend of 8 cents per share. It also matched the raised final dividend that investors were treated to in September 2022.

    So Telstra is a solid ASX dividned share. But how much would you have to have invested in Telstra shares to get a monthly income of $200? Let’s figure it out.

    How many Telstra shares would get you to $200 a month in dividends?

    Let’s start with the basics: a monthly income of $200 would translate into an annual income of $2,400.

    As we’ve just been through, Telstra shares have paid out a total of 17 cents per share over the past 12 months. So in order to receive a total of $2,400 in dividend income over the past year, investors would have needed to own 14,118 Telstra shares (14,118 multiplied by 17 cents per share equates to just over $2,400 in dividend payments).

    At today’s Telstra share price of $4.11 per share (at the time of writing), buying 14,118 shares of Telstra would set an investor back approximately $58,025.

    So that’s how much an investor would have to spend today to secure a monthly income of $200 from Telstra. That’s assuming the telco doesn’t cut its dividends going forward, of course.

    But if our investor bought that same number of shares a year ago, it would have only cost them $55,060 at a share price of $3.90.

    At today’s Telstra share price, this ASX 200 telco has a trailing dividend yield of 4.15%.

    The post Here’s how much I’d need to invest in Telstra shares to generate a $200 monthly income appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Telstra Corporation 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 Telstra Corporation 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 March 1 2023

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    Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has positions in Telstra Group. 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 Telstra 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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  • Down 15% in 2023, why AGL shares could continue to disappoint

    A woman wearing a hard hat holds two sparking wires together as energy surges between them. representing the rising Li-S Energy share price today

    A woman wearing a hard hat holds two sparking wires together as energy surges between them. representing the rising Li-S Energy share price today

    The AGL Energy Limited (ASX: AGL) share price has been well and truly out of form in 2023.

    The energy giant’s shares have lost 15% of their value since the start of the year.

    This compares to unfavourably to a modest 0.9% gain by the ASX 200 index over the same period.

    Why is the AGL share price under pressure?

    The main driver of this weakness has been the release of its half-year results from last month.

    AGL reported underlying net profit after tax of $87 million, which was a 55% decline on the prior corresponding period. And on a statutory basis, the company posted a loss after tax of $1.1 billion. This includes $706 million of impairment charges from the company’s accelerated decarbonisation plans.

    This poor first-half performance led to AGL downgrading its FY 2023 underlying net profit after tax guidance to between $200 million to $280 million from between $200 million and $320 million.

    Pain may not be over

    A recent note out of Morgans reveals that its analysts are wary about AGL’s performance in the second half and are doubting its ability to achieve its guidance.

    It notes that the company’s full-year EBITDA is skewed 46% to the first half and 54% to the second half. However, in the three years prior to COVID, it was skewed the opposite way.

    In light of this, it has been named among a collection of shares that could disappoint in August when they release their results. Morgans commented:

    Consensus industrial estimates suggest a second half earnings skew (49%:51%) which is curious given the economic backdrop and is at odds with the typical preCOVID first half skew (56%:44%). More specifically, 49% of companies are expected to be skewed to 2H, well above the 25% in pre-COVID times.

    Morgans currently has a hold rating and $6.89 price target on AGL’s shares.

    The post Down 15% in 2023, why AGL shares could continue to disappoint appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Agl Energy 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 Agl Energy 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 March 1 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 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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  • Warren Buffett is invested in IAG shares, should you be?

    Woman looking at her smartphone and analysing share price.

    Woman looking at her smartphone and analysing share price.

    The Insurance Australia Group Ltd (ASX: IAG) share price is an interesting investment proposition in the current environment.

    It claims to be the largest general insurance business in Australia and New Zealand. Its businesses underwrite over $13 billion of premiums per annum, selling insurance through a number of different brands.

    In Australia, its brands include NRMA Insurance, CGU, SGIO, SGIC, Swann Insurance, WFI and ROLLiN’, while in New Zealand it owns the brands NZI, State and AMI.

    As reported by my colleague Brooke Cooper, IAG created a strategic relationship with Berkshire Hathaway in 2015. Berkshire Hathaway invested $500 million for a 3.7% stake and agreed with IAG its stake would remain between 3.7% to 14.9%. However, it was recently announced that the strategic relationship agreement and equity ownership subscription previously they had made won’t continue.

    However, a lot of the whole of account quota share (WAQS) was renewed with Berkshire Hathaway, while most of the rest was renewed with other reinsurers.

    Berkshire Hathaway is also allowed to offer reinsurance to other competitors in the Australian industry.

    Time to buy IAG shares?

    The FY23 half-year result showed growth in a number of financial metrics. Gross written premium (GWP) grew by 7.5% to $7 billion. The net earned premium increased by 3.8% to $4.1 billion. IAG’s net profit after tax (NPAT) jumped 170.5% to $468 million, while cash earnings increased 26.7% to $223 million.

    In FY23, the company is expecting to achieve FY23 GWP growth of around 10%. Last year it was expecting mid-to-high single-digit growth of GWP.

    However. The business is only expecting its FY23 reported insurance margin to be around 10%, compared to the previous range of 14% to 16%. IAG put this largely down to the expected higher natural perils costs from the Auckland flood event.

    I think IAG shares are in a good place at the moment, with rises in insurance premiums and the benefit that its bond investment portfolio gets from higher interest rates.

    The business is currently trading at 14 times FY24’s estimated earnings with a dividend yield of 5.6% excluding the effect of franking credits.

    On the one hand, I think it probably could be a good investment today. But, I’m wary of how often a damaging storm or an investment crash can hurt its earnings, so it’s not the type of business that I’d look at as a long-term holding with compounding potential.

    The post Warren Buffett is invested in IAG shares, should you be? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Insurance Australia Group Limited right now?

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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 Berkshire Hathaway. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Berkshire Hathaway. 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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  • I reckon these are 2 of the best ASX income stocks to buy in March

    A sophisticated older lady with shoulder-length grey hair and glasses sits on her couch laughing while looking at her phone

    A sophisticated older lady with shoulder-length grey hair and glasses sits on her couch laughing while looking at her phone

    The great thing about falling share prices is that it boosts the dividend yield on offer from ASX income stocks.

    Choosing the right businesses could lead to a resilient cash flow for investors during uncertain times.

    Dividends and distributions are not guaranteed, but some look more stable to me than others.

    With that in mind, I like the look of these two income stocks.

    Rural Funds Group (ASX: RFF)

    Rural Funds is one of the most interesting real estate investment trusts (REITs) in my opinion.

    It owns a portfolio of farms across Australia. Diversification is important, so it’s good to know that the farms are diversified across climactic conditions and by farm type. It owns almond farms, macadamias, cattle, vineyards and cropping (sugar and cotton).

    The Rural Funds share price has dropped around 30% since early June 2022, which has pushed up the prospective distribution yield.

    Rural Funds expects to pay a total distribution of 12.2 cents per unit in FY23. That translates into a forward yield of 5.7%.

    The ASX income stock has a goal to increase its distribution by 4% per year for investors. This growth is funded by a combination of organic rental increases at the farms and productivity improvement investments at the farms.

    It’s currently trading at a 23% discount to the adjusted net asset value (NAV) of $2.78 at 31 December 2022, which gives investors a good margin of safety.

    Nick Scali Limited (ASX: NCK)

    Nick Scali has been hit very hard since it reported its half-year earnings in early February this year, down 26%. Shares in the furniture retailer have also fallen more than 40% since November 2021.

    The ASX income stock reported a 70% increase of earnings per share (EPS) to 74.8 cents, while the interim dividend per share increased 14.3% to 40 cents per share.

    But, for January 2023, Nick Scali said that its Nick Scali brand written sales orders were 12.1% below January 2022 and 22.9% above pre-COVID-19 January 2020.

    The company expects to open four new Nick Scali stores in the second half of FY23, in addition to the two that opened in the first half of FY23.

    I think the business has a number of positive tailwinds including a store rollout, range expansion and growth of profitable online sales.

    It’s not a surprise to think that sales and profit are going to be lower in the 2023 calendar year compared to 2022. But, I don’t think pessimism will be widespread forever, so I think this time of fear is a good time to consider investing.

    Commsec numbers suggest Nick Scali could pay a total dividend of 59 cents per share in FY24, translating into a grossed-up dividend yield of 9.2% despite expectations of a large cut.

    The post I reckon these are 2 of the best ASX income stocks to buy in March appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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    *Returns as of March 1 2023

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    Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has positions in Rural Funds Group. 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 Rural Funds 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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  • S&P 500 futures lift as regulators shore up SVB deposits

    Happy man at an ATM.

    Happy man at an ATM.

    US futures, including S&P 500 Index (INDEXSP: .INX) futures, have jumped in response to a plan to save depositors of the failed Silicon Valley Bank (SVB)

    Readers unfamiliar with the recent SVB collapse can check out today’s article from the Motley Fool’s Scott Phillips article here.

    Basically, SVB is a United States-based bank with a niche working with tech companies and others of that nature. It also provided loans to start-ups. It reportedly worked with about half of US venture-backed tech and life science businesses.

    SVB was one of the largest 20 banks in the US. Last week, the bank collapsed and US officials took over its operations. This reportedly represents the largest US bank failure since the GFC.

    Investor confidence returns

    According to reporting by CNBC, futures – which give an indication of whether the share market is going to open up or down – have reacted positively to the news that all depositors of SVB are going to get their money back. S&P 500 futures are up 1.4%.

    All the SVB depositors will get access to their funds on Monday, according to a joint statement from the Treasury Department, Federal Reserve and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).

    In order to provide confidence to the rest of the banking system, regulators are making additional funding available to other banks with a new bank term funding program. It will offer loans of up to one year to banks, savings, saving associations, credit unions and other associations, according to CNBC.

    Regulators also stepped in to close Signature Bank – reportedly one of the main banks for the cryptocurrency industry. At 31 December 2022, it had US$110.4 billion in total assets and US$88.6 billion in total deposits.

    Depositors of Signature Bank will get their money as well. But, it was noted by regulators that no losses would be borne by taxpayers.

    In other words, shareholders and bondholders at both Signature Bank and SVB are being “wiped out”, according to a Treasury official, CNBC said.

    Early ASX share market reaction

    The Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) share price is up around 0.3%, while other ASX bank shares have dipped slightly in mid-morning trade.

    At the time of writing the National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) share price is down 0.17, the Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) share price has slipped 0.32% and the ANZ Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: ANZ) share price is 0.59% lower.

    As a whole, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is down around 0.6%.

    It will be interesting to watch whether other small-to-mid US banks are facing similar issues. Various stakeholders will want to understand why SVB collapsed, and so rapidly.

    The post S&P 500 futures lift as regulators shore up SVB deposits 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 recommended Westpac Banking. 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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