Looking for a growth share or maybe two to buy? If you are, you may want to look at the two listed below.

Here’s why these ASX growth shares are rated highly right now:

Temple & Webster Group Ltd (ASX: TPW)

The first ASX growth share that analysts are bullish on is Temple & Webster.

It is Australia’s leading online retailer of furniture and homewares. It operates largely through a drop-shipping model, which is complemented by a private label range sourced directly by management.

While a weaker than expected trading update with its half-year results spooked the market last month, Goldman Sachs believes the selloff that ensued has created a buying opportunity. Particularly given its belief that the soft update reflects “the lapping of omicron rather than a deterioration in underlying trends.”

In light of this, the broker has put a buy rating and $6.50 price target on the company’s shares. It adds:

The long term structural growth opportunity is unchanged: we forecast a 21% 10-yr EBITDA CAGR driven by consolidation of market share and growing online penetration.

Xero Limited (ASX: XRO)

Another ASX growth that has been named as a buy is Xero. Xero is a global small business platform which provides its 3.3 million global subscribers with a core accounting solution, as well as payroll, workforce management, expenses and projects solutions.

In addition, Xero provides access to financial services, an ecosystem of more than 1,000 connected apps, and more than 300 connections to banks and other financial institutions.

Citi is a fan of the company and is forecasting very strong growth over the coming years. And while the current operating environment is not ideal, the broker believes that things are actually better than expected. It commented:

Our analysis of company insolvency and formation data points to normalising trends, with insolvency increasing and new business formation slowing in the Dec quarter across most markets except for the UK. However, except for NZ, the increase in insolvencies in 2H23e to date is tracking below our 2H23e churn assumptions. Website visits and app downloads are slowing across most markets; however, we see this as less correlated with subscriber growth but do note that add-on app downloads (Xero Me, Planday) are seeing good growth, which is positive for ARPU.

Citi has a buy rating and $92.40 price target on the company’s shares.

The post Analysts say these exciting ASX growth shares are buys this month appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Why are ASX 200 tech stocks like Xero having such a stellar start to the week?
• 2 ASX growth shares to buy: Goldman Sachs
• These are the ASX 200 shares to buy in March: experts
• 3 incredible ASX 200 growth shares to buy: analysts
• These are my top ASX 200 growth shares to buy today

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 Temple & Webster Group and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Temple & Webster 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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Many of Australia’s top brokers have been busy adjusting their financial models again, leading to the release of a number of broker notes this week.

Three ASX shares brokers have named as buys this week are listed below. Here’s why they are bullish on them:

Core Lithium Ltd (ASX: CXO)

According to a note out of Macquarie, its analysts have retained their outperform rating on this lithium miner’s shares with an improved price target of $1.50. This follows news that the company’s drilling activities have led to the more than doubling of the Finniss Lithium Project mineral resource estimate. The Core Lithium share price is trading at 96.7 cents this afternoon.

Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corporation Ltd (ASX: FPH)

A note out of Goldman Sachs reveals that its analysts have retained their conviction buy rating and $27.00 price target on this medical device company’s shares. Fisher & Paykel Healthcare remains Goldman’s top pick in the healthcare sector. The broker believes the company is now on the correct side of an earnings inflection cycle. This is being driven predominantly by demand, but importantly compounded by a lower-risk margin recovery profile. The Fisher & Paykel Healthcare share price is fetching $24.31 today.

IGO Ltd (ASX: IGO)

Analysts at Citi have retained their buy rating and $17.10 price target on this battery materials miner’s shares. Although the broker suspects that lithium shares could struggle in the near term due to lithium price weakness, it remains positive on IGO due partly to its attractive valuation. In addition, the broker believes that lithium prices could rebound when industry restocking picks up in the coming months. The IGO share price is trading at $13.38 on Wednesday.

The post Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Broker gives its verdict on the Core Lithium share price
• Here are the 3 most heavily traded ASX 200 shares on Monday
• Why Block, BrainChip, Core Lithium, and Life360 shares are racing higher
• Why is the Core Lithium share price soaring 11% today?
• Here are the 10 most shorted ASX shares this week

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Nextdc. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Harvey Norman and Tyro Payments. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Harvey Norman. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Tyro Payments. 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 offer investors an impressive dividend yield. It’s one of the biggest dividend payers on the ASX. But, how much would an investor need to put into the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) bank share to receive $200 per month? I’ll answer that in this article.

Owning NAB for passive income could be a better idea than Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) because of the relative valuation difference between the two, resulting in a stronger yield for NAB shareholders.

I’ll show you what I mean.

According to Commsec, the NAB share price is valued at under 12 times FY23’s estimated earnings, whereas CBA shares are priced at more than 16 times FY23’s estimated earnings.

CBA is projected to pay an annual dividend of $4.40 per share in FY23, which translates into a forward grossed-up dividend yield of 6.4%, according to Commsec numbers.

NAB shares could pay an annual dividend per share of $1.72. This translates into a potential grossed-up dividend yield of 8.35%.

Monthly dividend income goal

NAB doesn’t pay a dividend every month. Instead, it pays a dividend every six months.

So, I think it’s better to think of the goal of $200 per month as an annual target of $2,400, which can then be divided into 12 equal amounts.

I’m also going to ignore the effect of franking credits for this scenario because franking credits can have a different impact on different investors, depending on their tax situation. For low-income earners, the franking credits would be a bonus.

To receive $2,400 of dividend income in 2023, using the current projections, I’d need to own 1,396 NAB shares.

At the current NAB share price of around $29.40, an investor would need to allocate around $41,000 to receive the desired amount.

NAB is currently predicted to increase its dividend each year to FY25. By the 2025 financial year, the ASX 200 bank share could be paying an annual dividend per share of $1.78. If an investor owned 1,396 NAB shares, that would mean an annual cash dividend income of $2,485. As a monthly amount, that would translate into $207.

Getting a high dividend yield and income growth seems like a good combination to me.

Foolish takeaway

Looking at all of the ASX 200 bank shares on offer, and the valuations, NAB is one of my preferred names in the industry.

I like some of the other banks as well, but I particularly appreciate the job that NAB’s CEO Ross McEwan has done since taking over the leadership role. He has gotten the bank to succeed at the basics while being focused on the future.

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

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More reading

• Own NAB shares? Here’s why the ASX 200 bank is facing Federal Court action
• ASX 200 bank shares slump could continue: Morgan Stanley
• Buy NAB and this ASX passive income share: analysts
• Should I buy NAB shares at $29?
• Watch out CBA: This ASX 200 bank share is rapidly growing

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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Due to recent market volatility, there are potentially quite a few bargains on the Australian share market right now.

One of those bargains could be Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) shares based on what brokers are saying.

Are Westpac shares a bargain buy?

At present, there are a large number of brokers that are recommending Australia’s oldest bank as a buy. This includes the likes of Citi, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Morgans, and UBS.

And while these brokers exhibit varying degrees of bullishness, each of their price targets imply potential upside of greater than 15% from current levels.

And that’s not including the dividends that Westpac’s shares will provide over the next 12 months. According to CommSec, the consensus estimate is for a dividend of $1.38 per share in FY 2023.

Based on the current Westpac share price of $22.08, this will mean a 6.25% fully franked yield for investors.

Even greater upside potential

One of the more bullish brokers is Goldman Sachs. It currently has a conviction buy rating and $27.74 price target on Westpac’s shares. This implies potential upside of almost 26% for investors from current levels.

Its analysts recently highlighted that the bank’s shares are “trading at a 22% 12-month forward PER discount to peers.” Whereas historically they have traded at just a 2% discount. This is despite the bank having arguably one of the strongest outlooks in the sector at present. Goldman adds:

We are Buy-rated (on CL) and continue to see WBC as our preferred exposure to the A&NZ Financials reflecting: i) its strong leverage to rising rates, ii) despite WBC revising its FY24E cost target to A$8.6 bn (from A$8.0 bn), the bank’s performance on cost management remains strong in this inflationary environment with a 9% step down in costs expected over the next two years, iii) the business is still investing effectively in its franchise, and iv) we note the stock is trading at a notable discount to peers, versus the historical average discount of 2%.

All in all, Goldman appears to believe this could make Westpac shares a bargain buy right now.

The post Why Westpac shares are a smart buy for ASX bargain hunters appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• ASX 200 bank shares slump could continue: Morgan Stanley
• How I would invest in ASX shares to retire rich
• Buy Westpac and this high-yield ASX dividend share: analysts
• Top ASX dividend shares to buy in March 2023
• Westpac predicts 7 interest rate cuts from 2024, but…

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Westpac Banking. 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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National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) shares are down 0.9% in afternoon trade, broadly in line with the wider market decline. 

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) bank stock closed yesterday trading for $29.71 per share. Shares are currently changing hands for $29.44 apiece.

That’s how NAB shares are moving on Wednesday.

Now, here’s why the big bank is facing Federal Court action. 

How much unpaid overtime is ‘reasonable’?

In news that doesn’t appear to be having a material impact on NAB shares today, The Australian Financial Review reports that the Finance Sector Union (FSU) is launching a Federal Court action against the bank today.

The union is acting on behalf of four managers who allege their work weeks stretched to as much as 55 to 80 hours, with no extra pay for the overtime. The managers are seeking unspecified compensation.

According to FSU national secretary Julia Angrisano:

While they are nominally employed to work 38 hours a week, their actual hours can range between 10 and 16 hours a day, every day of the week, in order to meet excessive workload demands.

Angrisano added that many NAB managers have to do “unpaid work on weekends to complete assigned tasks or risk being sacked”.

The excessive hours, she said, are negatively impacting “their health, their relationships, the time available to spend with their families and their overall quality of life”.

According to NAB’s enterprise agreement, the managers are classified amongst a group that’s not entitled to overtime penalties, and their normal 38 hours work week allows for “reasonable overtime”.

It will be up to the courts to pass judgement on this tricky situation.

But if the union’s action on the four managers’ behalf is successful, NAB shares could face some headwinds, as the penalty may be significant.

“If we win this case, the FSU will be demanding the bank compensate up to 10,000 staff who are also subject to similar levels of excessive unpaid work,” Angrisano said (quoted by the AFR). The union is also seeking “substantial” punitive penalties against NAB.

And the FSU has other big fish in its crosshairs as well.

“This case is just the start,” Angrisano said. “We know the culture of the big banks exploits workers and we will be going after them as well.”

How have NAB shares been tracking?

As you can see in the chart below, NAB shares have been in decline over the past month, but remain up 3% since this time last year.

The post Own NAB shares? Here’s why the ASX 200 bank is facing Federal Court action appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• ASX 200 bank shares slump could continue: Morgan Stanley
• Buy NAB and this ASX passive income share: analysts
• Should I buy NAB shares at $29?
• Watch out CBA: This ASX 200 bank share is rapidly growing
• Why did the NAB share price tumble 6% in February?

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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It’s turning out to be a bit of a mid-week slump for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) so far this Wednesday. At the time of writing, the ASX 200 has lost a rather nasty 0.95%, putting the Index at just under 7,300 points.

So much for a happy hump day. But rather than dwelling on all of that, let’s instead check out the ASX 200 shares that are at the top of the share market’s trading volume charts right now, according to investing.com. 

The 3 most traded ASX 200 shares by volume this Wednesday

Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS)

First up today is a frequenter of this list in ASX 200 lithium stock Pilbara Minerals. So far this session, a decent 15.39 million Pilbara shares have found a new ASX home.

There’s been no fresh news out of this leading lithium producer today, so we have to assume this volume is stemming from the movements of the company’s shares themselves. And Pilbara has indeed had a big day. At present, the company has lost a meaty 1.56% and is down to $4.095 a share.

Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS)

From PLS to TLS! Next up we have the ASX 200 telecommunications giant Telstra. Telstra has seen a chunky 18.34 million of its shares taken to the exchange at this point of the trading day. We haven’t had any recent news out of the telco either.

So again, let’s check out the Telstra share price. Telstra is bucking the market very pleasingly so far this Wednesday. Right now, this blue-chip share has gained a healthy 0.61%, which lifts its shares to $4.125 each.

That’s a decent 1.65% outperformance or so of the broader market. This seems to be why we are seeing elevated trading volumes today.

Sayona Mining Ltd (ASX: SYA)

Third and finally this Wednesday, we have another ASX 200 lithium share in Sayona Mining. At this point of the session, a meaningful 45.19 million Sayona share shave been bought and sold. Sayona has had a very big week, only returning from a trading halt yesterday.

Then, we saw investors clamouring to buy Sayona shares after it was revealed the company had successfully pulled off a share placement at a premium price. But today, investors seem to be thinking twice and have sent this company down by a sobering 4.08% to 23.5 cents each. That’s despite Sayona reporting that it has produced its first batch of lithium spodumene concentrate this morning.

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

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More reading

• Is now the time to buy Telstra shares for passive income?
• 3 good reasons I’m avoiding CBA shares at all costs!
• Why is the ASX 200 taking a tumble today?
• Why is the Woodside share price wilting 7% on Wednesday?
• Sayona Mining share price dips despite first lithium production

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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In afternoon trade, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is out of form and has dropped deep into the red. At the time of writing, the benchmark index is down 1% to 7,294.4 points.

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

Nuix Ltd (ASX: NXL)

The Nuix share price is down almost 16% to $1.08. Investors have been selling this investigative analytics and intelligence software provider’s shares after its former CEO appealed a recent court decision. Nuix is now being sued for $61 million plus interest.

Smartgroup Corporation Ltd (ASX: SIQ)

The Smartgroup share price is down over 5% to $6.29. The majority of this decline is attributable to the fleet management company’s shares trading ex-dividend this morning for its 29 cents per share fully franked final dividend. Eligible shareholders can now look forward to receiving this dividend on 23 March.

Ventia Services Group Ltd (ASX: VNT)

The Ventia share price is down over 5% to $2.19. This follows news that CIMIC and Apollo have each sold approximately 93 million shares. Following the sale, the two parties will each hold approximately 21.9% of the issued share capital in the infrastructure services company. They have agreed to a customary 90 day escrow period in respect of their remaining Ventia shares.

Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS)

The Woodside share price is down over 7% to $34.87. This has also been driven by its shares trading ex-dividend on Wednesday. Last month, the energy giant declared a massive 211.3 cents per share fully franked final dividend. This will now be paid to eligible shareholders in a touch under a month on 5 April.

The post Why Nuix, Smartgroup, Ventia, and Woodside shares are dropping today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• 6 ASX 200 shares trading ex-dividend today
• Nuix share price dives 16% on new legal battle with former CEO
• Why is the Woodside share price wilting 7% on Wednesday?
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Wednesday
• Why did the Woodside CEO just sell off over $200,000 worth of shares?

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 positions in and has recommended Smartgroup. 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 ASX 200 funeral services provider InvoCare Ltd (ASX: IVC) has exploded back onto the ASX’s centre stage this week. Yesterday, the company revealed that it had received a takeover approach from private equity firm TPG Asia.

After news came out that TPG Asia and the Singapore-based Blue Eternal had amassed a significant quantity of Invocare shares, the company revealed that it had received a preliminary, non-binding indicative offer to acquire Invocare in full at a share price of $12.65.

As a result, the Invocare share price has rocketed by close to 35% this week. Today, it is going for a flat $12 a share at the time of writing.

But Invocare has been listed on the ASX for a very long time – more than 20 years in fact. And it has been a well-known share for income investors for years, driven by the sobering fact that death, (and funerals), is one of life’s only certainties.

So today, let’s examine how much passive income in the form of dividend payments Invocare shares have spun out to investors over the past five years.

Passive income from Invocare shares? Here’s this company’s dividend history

Well, sadly for dividend investors, the income that Invocare shares have been paying out has been deteriorating in recent years. The company’s dividend high watermark came back in 2018 when investors banked total annual dividend payments worth 45 cents per share.

But by 2021, this had fallen to just 16.5 cents per share. Last year, Invocare upped its game a little by sending out a total of 25 cents per share. But let’s plot the whole course.

So here is Invocare’s dividend history since 2018:

Year	Annual Invocare dividends per share
2018	45 cents per share
2019	37 cents per share
2020	29 cents per share
2021	16.5 cents per share
2022	25 cents per share

That’s a total of 152.5 cents per share since 2018. On today’s share price, that works out to be a cumulative yield of around 12.71%. Yet the Invocare share price has fallen by 15.4% over the past five years.

So although the dividends have put a big dent in these capital losses for investors, they haven’t been enough to erase the losses investors have endured over this period.

Invocare has declared a final dividend of 11 cents per share to kick off 2023. The cash will be arriving in investors’ bank accounts on 6 April next month. This dividend will be a 4.35% drop from the 11.5 cents per share payout shareholders received in 2022.

At the current Invocare share price, this ASX 200 funeral services company has a trailing dividend yield of 2.04%.

The post How much passive income have InvoCare shares provided over the last 5 years? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Wednesday
• Why InvoCare, Pentanet, Sayona Mining, and Weebit Nano shares are storming higher
• ASX 200 stock InvoCare rallies 37% on takeover approach
• 2 ASX shares crumbling over 7% on results announcements
• Why Appen, Downer, Fortescue, and Invocare shares are crashing today

Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has 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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Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS) shares are in the green, up 0.61% to $4.13 at the time of writing.

The communications sector is leading the market today. The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is down 0.94% while the S&P/ASX 200 Communication Index (ASX: XTJ) is up 0.3%.

Telstra shares are the top stock in the communications services sector by market capitalisation.

Why buy Telstra shares for passive income?

Telstra is known as an ASX dividend stock, not an ASX growth stock. Let’s look at why.

If we look back 20 years, Telstra closed at $4.06 on 7 March 2003. That means they’re up by a measly 1.35% over that entire two-decade period. So yeah, growth ain’t why people buy Telstra shares.

Instead, investors buy for dividends, or in other words, passive income.

This is why Telstra shares have been a classic cornerstone holding in retirees’ portfolios for decades.

It’s an obvious yield share to own because the company provides essential services that Australians will always want. That means it has relative stability in terms of income, making it a great inflation hedge.

Here is a 20-year chart showing the 12-month trailing dividend yield of Telstra shares.

Remember, the dividend yield is always expressed as a percentage of the share price at the time.

The yield is shown in aqua blue and the Telstra share price is shown above in navy blue.

Telstra pays two dividends per year, so about 40 separate 12-month trailing yield points are shown.

As of 31 December 2022, Telstra was paying an annual dividend yield of 4.29%.

But it’s worth noting that Telstra has paid much higher dividends at many points.

The highest dividend yield during this 20-year period was 9.69% back in 2011.

Telstra also paid 8.4% in 2018.

Those are very appealing levels of passive income for a non-ASX mining share and a non-ASX bank share.

What are the brokers forecasting for Telstra dividends?

As we recently reported, top broker Macquarie has put Telstra shares at the top of its example income portfolio for new investors.

Macquarie’s ‘model portfolio’ only includes ASX stocks that provide higher comparative earnings certainty, strong cash flows, and “tax-effective” dividend income, which means franking credits.

Telstra dividends are 100% franked, which means investors get the full 30% company tax benefit.

So, this is clear evidence that Macquarie likes Telstra shares for passive income above all other ASX shares. In fact, Telstra has an 8.8% weighting, which is a very big chunk of the model portfolio.

Will the Telstra dividend go higher?

Macquarie forecasts that Telstra shares will pay a fully franked full-year dividend of 17 cents per share in FY23. Another top broker, Goldman Sachs, is tipping the same for FY23.

Based on the current Telstra share price, this represents a dividend yield of 4.11%.

Looking ahead, Goldman thinks the Telstra dividend will go 5.9% higher in FY24 to 18 cents per share (cps).

It also tips an 11.1% boost to the Telstra dividend in FY25 to 20 cps.

Morgans is tipping 16.5 cps worth of passive income for Telstra investors in both FY23 and FY24.

Telstra shares went ex-dividend last Wednesday. The company will pay investors 8.5 cps on 31 March. This was up from 8 cps last year and ahead of consensus estimates of 8.2 cps.

Is there any share price growth on the horizon?

As discussed, growth is not why people buy Telstra shares. Having said that, there’s some good news on this front.

Morgans has an add rating on Telstra shares and a 12-month price target of $4.70. That means a potential 13.8% capital gain for investors who buy today.

Macquarie has an outperform rating on Telstra with a 12-month price target of $4.64.

Goldman also has a buy rating on Telstra shares with a price target of $4.60.

The post Is now the time to buy Telstra shares for passive income? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Bronwyn Allen has positions in Macquarie Group. 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 positions in and has recommended Macquarie Group and 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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The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has followed Wall Street’s lead and sunk deep into the red. In afternoon trade, the benchmark index is down 1% to 7,295.1 points.

Four ASX shares that aren’t letting that hold them back today are listed below. Here’s why they are charging higher:

Mesoblast Ltd (ASX: MSB)

The Mesoblast share price is up 18% to $1.09. This morning, this biotech company revealed that the US FDA has accepted its Biologics License Application resubmission for remestemcel-L in the treatment of children with steroid-refractory acute graft versus host disease (SR-aGVHD). This isn’t approval but does guarantee that the FDA will make a decision on the treatment by 2 August.

Polynovo Ltd (ASX: PNV)

The PolyNovo share price is up 3% to $2.29. This is despite there being no news out of the medical device company today. However, it is worth noting that S&P Dow Jones Indices recently announced that PolyNovo will be added to the ASX 200 index on 20 March.

Pushpay Holdings Ltd (ASX: PPH)

The Pushpay share price is up 3% to $1.16. This morning, the payments company revealed that Pegasus Bidco is looking into making a new takeover offer after shareholders rejected a NZ$1.34 per share proposal at a recent scheme meeting.

Weebit Nano Ltd (ASX: WBT)

The Weebit Nano share price is up 6% to $7.88. Investors have been buying this memory technology company’s shares this week after it announced the availability of its resistive RAM (ReRAM) IP in SkyWater Technology’s 130nm CMOS process. This means that SkyWater customers can now integrate Weebit’s non-volatile memory in their system-on-chip designs, if they wanted to.

The post Why Mesoblast, PolyNovo, Pushpay, and Weebit Nano shares are charging higher appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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setButtonColorDefaults(“#fff”, ‘color’, ‘#fff’);
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More reading

• Mesoblast share price rockets 23% on FDA news
• Why InvoCare, Pentanet, Sayona Mining, and Weebit Nano shares are storming higher
• Weebit Nano share price just surged 7% on product commercialisation news
• These ASX shares are being dumped from the ASX 200 index this month
• These 4 ASX shares could rocket this month: Here’s why

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 PolyNovo and Pushpay. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Pushpay. 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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