On Wednesday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) was well and truly out of form and sank deep into the red. The benchmark index fell 1.05% to 7,352.2 points.

Will the market be able to bounce back from this on Thursday? Here are five things to watch:

ASX 200 expected to rebound

The Australian share market is expected to rebound on Thursday following a relatively positive night of trade on Wall Street. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 27 points or 0.4% higher this morning. In late trade in the United States, the Dow Jones is down 0.1%, the S&P 500 has risen 0.1% and the NASDAQ has pushed 0.75% higher.

Telstra half-year results

The Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS) share price will be on watch when the telco giant releases its half year results. According to a note out of Goldman Sachs, it is tipping Telstra to positively surprise with its results. It said: “We expect TLS to deliver a solid result (GSe +2% vs. 1H23 VA Consensus EBITDA), with top line momentum more than offsetting the higher costs.” This will mean EBITDA of $3.9 billion compared to the consensus estimate of $3.82 billion. Goldman also expects an 8.5 cents per share interim dividend.

Oil prices edge higher

ASX 200 energy shares Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) and Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) could have a decent session after oil prices rose on Wednesday night. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is up 0.1% to US$79.10 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is up 0.3% to US$85.80 a barrel. A positive demand outlook offset news of a build-up of US inventories.

NAB Q1 update

The National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) share price will be hoping for a better session on Thursday after falling 4% yesterday. The banking giant is releasing its first quarter update today and investors will no doubt be looking for signs that its net interest margin has not peaked as many now fear after the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) results.

Gold price falls to one-month low

ASX 200 gold shares Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) and Regis Resources Limited (ASX: RRL) could have a poor session after the gold price dropped overnight. According to CNBC, the spot gold price is down 0.95% to US$1,847.8 an ounce. The precious metal has hit a one-month low after the US dollar strengthened.

The post 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Will ASX 200 shares crash in 2023?
• Here are the 3 most heavily traded ASX 200 shares on Wednesday
• Should I buy Endeavour shares following the ASX 200 company’s stellar results?
• ASX 200 in freefall as CBA’s prediction of a soft landing might have just been torpedoed by huge interest rate call
• Why CBA, Corporate Travel Management, Treasury Wine, and Westpac shares are dropping

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 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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If you’re building a retirement portfolio, you’ll no doubt be wanting to fill it with quality ASX shares that pay dividends and have positive long term outlooks.

Well, two ASX shares that tick these boxes are listed below. Here’s why analysts rate them as buys:

Charter Hall Long WALE REIT (ASX: CLW)

The first ASX share for investors to consider for a retirement portfolio is the Charter Hall Long Wale REIT.

This is a property company that invests in high quality real estate assets that have long weighted average lease expiries (WALEs). These properties are leased mainly to corporate and government tenants and had a WALE of 11.8 years and a 99.9% occupancy rate when it reported its half year results this month.

That result went down well with analysts at Citi. In response, the broker has retained its buy rating with a $5.00 price target. It commented:

We re-iterate our Buy rating on CLW, with rising inflation providing a tailwind to revenue, a 6.1% FY23 dividend yield, and a- 25% discount to NTA (book value), despite c. 50% of income linked to inflation (meaning some protection to book values).

Citi expects this to underpin dividends per share of 28 cents in FY 2023 and 29 cents in FY 2024. Based on the current Charter Hall Long Wale REIT unit price of $4.59, this will mean yields of 6.1% and 6.3%, respectively.

Transurban Group (ASX: TCL)

Another ASX share for investors to consider for a retirement portfolio is Transurban.

It is a leading toll road operator with a portfolio of important roads in Australia and North America, as well as a significant project pipeline. The latter could be very supportive its growth in the future.

It also recently released its first half results and revealed that its roads are booming again after a difficult time during the pandemic. The company commented:

Record traffic volumes with Average Daily Traffic (ADT) exceeding 2.5 million trips for the first time in November 2022. Traffic volumes were supported by record traffic in Sydney and Brisbane, freight traffic and weekend travel

Macquarie was pleased with what it saw and retained its outperform rating with an improved price target of $14.51.

In addition, the broker is now forecasting dividends per share of 57 cents in FY 2023 and then 61 cents in FY 2024. Based on the current Transurban share price of $13.93, this will mean yields of 4.1% and 4.4%, respectively.

The post 2 excellent ASX shares to buy for a retirement portfolio: experts appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy next week
• Analysts say these growing ASX 200 dividend shares are top buys for income investors
• Guess which ASX 200 giant is aiming to grow its dividends by 39% in FY23
• 2 ASX 200 REITs on the rise following earnings updates
• Expect big yields from these ASX 200 dividend shares in 2023: analysts

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

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The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) followed Tuesday’s pop with an 1.06% drop on Wednesday, falling to close at 7,352.2 points.

It came amid a deluge of earnings from some of the market’s biggest names including Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES), Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA), Cochlear Limited (ASX: COH), and Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG).

Weighing on the market today was the massive S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ). It tumbled 3.4% as the big four banks weighed heavily, led by the CBA share price’s 5.7% fall.

The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) also had a rough session, dropping 1.4%.

Meanwhile, the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) was among the top-performing sectors today, rising 0.5% with earnings from Wesfarmers and GUD Holdings Limited (ASX: GUD).

And I can tell you today’s top-performing ASX 200 stock is at home on the consumer discretionary section. Let’s take a look at what drove it sky-high on Wednesday.

Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown

Today’s biggest gains came from casino operator Star Entertainment Group Ltd (ASX: SGR). Its share price rocketed 14.4% in a partial recovery from recent losses.

The stock dived 20.8% on Monday on the back of a disappointing earnings update. It followed that up with a 13.5% tumble yesterday.

These shares made today’s biggest gains:

ASX-listed company	Share price	Price change
Star Entertainment Group Ltd (ASX: SGR)	$1.47	14.4%
GUD Holdings Limited (ASX: GUD)	$8.94	8.1%
Cochlear Limited (ASX: COH)	$225.28	7.75%
Magellan Financial Group Ltd (ASX: MFG)	$9.45	7.14%
New Hope Corporation Ltd (ASX: NHC)	$5.73	5.91%
Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX: WHC)	$8.19	3.54%
Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN)	$0.79	3.27%
Collins Foods Ltd (ASX: CKF)	$8.58	3.13%
Reliance Worldwide Corporation Ltd (ASX: RWC)	$3.49	2.95%
Healius Ltd (ASX: HLS)	$2.82	2.92%

Our top 10 shares countdown is a recurring end-of-day summary to let you know which companies were making big moves on the day. Check in at Fool.com.au after the weekday market closes to see which stocks make the countdown.

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

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More reading

• Here are the 3 most heavily traded ASX 200 shares on Wednesday
• Star Entertainment share price rebounds 8% on Wednesday
• 3 ASX 200 shares on the move amid strong earnings updates
• The Magellan share price is surging 7%. Is it time to buy back in?
• Why Cochlear, GUD, Netwealth, and Wesfarmers shares are charging higher

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 positions in and has recommended Cochlear, Collins Foods, and Reliance Worldwide. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Cochlear, Collins Foods, and Reliance Worldwide. 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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After a breathtaking run over January, the BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ) has been taking a bit of a breather of late. BetaShares Nasdaq 100 units rose from $24.60 in late December to $28.32 by 8 February – a gain of more than 13.5% in just over a month.

But since 8 February, investors have cooled off a little on this ASX exchange-traded fund (ETF). As it stands today, the BetaShares Nasdaq ETF is currently at $27.95 per unit, down more than 1.3% from its early February high:

So does this fall in value make the Nasdaq 100 ETF a no-brainer buy for ASX investors today?

Tech, tech and more tech

Well, let’s backtrack a little. The BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF is an index fund. But it doesn’t hold or track ASX shares. Instead, it holds 100 of the largest US shares listed on the American NASDAQ stock exchange. The NASDAQ is known for being the exchange that most tech companies choose to list on.

As such, its largest holdings are the US tech giants we all know and may, or may not, love. These include Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL), Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT), Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ: AMZN), and Netflix Inc (NASDAQ: NFLX). Not to mention the likes of Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ: GOOG)(NASDAQ: GOOGL), Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA), and Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ: SBUX).

So the performance of the BetaShares Nasdaq ETF largely rides or dies on the performance of these companies.

Some of these names have indeed had a rough February thus far. There was the interesting debacle that was Alphabet’s artificial intelligence display last week, which has seen the company lose around 12% of its value over the past week for one.

But Amazon has also seen its share price cool off this month. It’s probably these two US tech giants that are responsible for the pullback we have seen in the unit price of the BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF.

So this brings us to the question of whether this ETF is in the buy zone today.

Why the BetaShares Nasdaq ETF’s pain is our gain

Well, I think it is. An investment in the NASDAQ is an investment in American tech. And American tech has led the way for global innovation over the past two to three decades. I think companies like Apple, Tesla, Netflix, Alphabet, and Amazon will be larger, healthier, more dominant and more profitable in ten years’ time than they are today.

I can’t see a scenario where a competitor comes in and takes Apple’s place at the top of the world’s consumer electronics market.

Or dents the incredible market share that Alphabet’s Google has in search.

Or Amazon’s incredibly dominant e-commerce platform (not to mention its cloud-based AWS division).

An investment in the BetaShares Nasdaq ETF would have been incredibly lucrative ever since this ETF was first listed. Since its inception in 2015, investors have enjoyed an average annual return of 15.65% per annum.

In my view, all of this adds up to a buying opportunity for the BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF today.

The post Does the BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF share price fall make it a no-brainer buy? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• These top ETFs could be great options for beginner ASX investors
• Top ASX ETFs to buy in February 2023
• 2 fantastic ETFs for ASX investors to buy and hold
• The smartest ASX shares to buy with $20 right now
• How I’d invest $300 a month in ASX shares to target an extra income of $20,000 per year

Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has positions in Alphabet, Amazon.com, Apple, Microsoft, Netflix, Starbucks, and Tesla. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Alphabet, Amazon.com, Apple, BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF, Microsoft, Netflix, Starbucks, and Tesla. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended the following options: long March 2023 $120 calls on Apple, short April 2023 $100 calls on Starbucks, and short March 2023 $130 calls on Apple. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Alphabet, Amazon.com, Apple, Netflix, and Starbucks. 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) share market is facing an uncertain time for the rest of 2023.

While the market fell in 2022, it essentially recovered all of that lost ground in January 2023 after gaining 6%.

But, since early February, ASX 200 shares have been drifting lower.

Let’s look at some of the opposing thoughts on the situation.

Optimistic case for ASX 200 shares

I think that when the market becomes scared, the sell-off usually happens when uncertainty is at its highest. By uncertainty, I don’t mean how bad things are, I mean when it’s not clear how bad things will become.

For example, the worst of the COVID-19 crash was in March 2020, even though deaths and lockdowns persisted for a long time after that.

Last year, the ASX 200 hit lows in June 2022 and at the end of September 2022. But, even though interest rates are much higher than in June and September, the share market has recovered. Investors have already gotten used to the high inflation story and are now focusing on the recovery.

Over time, many ASX 200 shares have shown they can grow profit to new records, which makes me believe plenty of them can grow profit into the future. This thought can help investors remain positive.

Investing is a long-term endeavour, so the short term isn’t that important. But businesses like Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES) and JB Hi-Fi Limited (ASX: JBH) are still reporting sales growth in January 2023. The Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) result also showed another increase in net profit after tax (NPAT) thanks to stronger lending profits.

With the ASX 200 being weighted to banks like CBA and resource businesses like BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP), the index could be protected in 2023 by the banks’ higher lending profits and strong resource prices (thanks to Chinese demand).

Bearish case

On the other hand, there’s no guarantee that the ASX 200 will continue to perform.

On the resource side of things, China is reportedly not seeing a major upswing with its economy (yet), despite ending lockdowns. CNBC reported that there has been a “sharp drop in loans to households” year over year. The chief China economist of financial group Nomura, Ting Lu, said: “The mixed data send a clear message that markets should not be too bullish about growth this year.”

With how important mortgage demand is for the construction sector in China, which uses a lot of steel/iron, it could imply that the iron ore price has risen too far.

Another negative factor could be that interest rates could continue to rise, further than some ASX 200 share investors are expecting.

The Australian Financial Review reported on Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) governor Philip Lowe’s comments to Senate estimates that people on fixed-rate loans who didn’t use low rates to build up savings are in for “a lot more difficulty”.

In the latest RBA monthly interest rate increase, Dr Lowe said that Australian CPI inflation for the three months to December 2022, in underlying terms, was 6.9%, which was higher than expected. The RBA board expects that “further increases in interest rates will be needed over the months ahead”.

In the US, inflation rose in January by 0.5% after a 0.1% increase in December, according to reporting by CNBC. This was also more than expected. The Dallas Fed President Lorie Logan said:

We must remain prepared to continue rate increases for a longer period than previously anticipated, if such a path is necessary to respond to changes in the economic outlook or to offset any undesired easing in conditions.

Higher interest rates could be bad news for a number of sectors like retailers, property-linked businesses, and so on.

ASX bank shares could also suffer if a lot more households start getting into arrears.

Foolish takeaway

I don’t think that the overall ASX 200 share market is going to crash, the worst of the decline may have been seen last year.

However, if some businesses report weaker-than-expected numbers, then this could lead to a plunge in share prices, such as we’ve seen with Temple & Webster Group Ltd (ASX: TPW) and JB Hi-Fi Limited. But I think that the declines are opening up long-term opportunities.

The post Will ASX 200 shares crash in 2023? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Here are the 3 most heavily traded ASX 200 shares on Wednesday
• Should I buy Endeavour shares following the ASX 200 company’s stellar results?
• ASX 200 in freefall as CBA’s prediction of a soft landing might have just been torpedoed by huge interest rate call
• Why CBA, Corporate Travel Management, Treasury Wine, and Westpac shares are dropping
• 4 ASX 200 stocks smashing new 52-week highs on Wednesday

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 Temple & Webster Group. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Wesfarmers. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Jb Hi-Fi and 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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If you’re looking for exposure to the gold sector, then De Grey Mining Limited (ASX: DEG) shares could be the way to do it.

That’s the view of analysts at Bell Potter, which rate the ASX 200 gold share very highly.

Why buy this ASX 200 gold share?

De Grey Mining is a gold exploration and development company in one of the world’s strongest tier 1 mining jurisdictions.

It owns the Mallina Gold Project in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The key discovery at the project has been the near surface Hemi discovery, which management believes is rapidly moving the company towards its goal of defining a tier 1 project with true district-scale potential.

Bell Potter appears to agree with this view and has put a speculative buy rating and $1.83 price target on its shares. Based on the current De Grey Mining share price of $1.37, this implies potential upside of 33% for this ASX 200 gold share over the next 12 months.

Bell Potter is bullish due to the significant potential of the Mallina Gold Project and its potential to be an acquisition target. It explained:

DEG is advancing its 100%-owned Mallina Gold Project (MGP) located 60km south of Port Hedland in WA. Mineral Resource for the MGP are 251Mt at 1.3g/t gold containing 10.6Moz of gold. Based on the PFS outcomes and our own modelling, we believe the MGP can support a large-scale, long life production asset with operational flexibility and robust margins in one of the world’s top mining jurisdictions. We view the MGP as a rare opportunity that is attractive as both a foundation production asset for DEG or as a meaningful acquisition for any of the world’s top gold production companies.

The post Broker tips 33% upside for this ASX 200 gold share appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Why De Grey, Elders, Maas, and Nuix shares are charging higher today
• 3 ASX mining shares on the move after quarterly updates
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• These are the best ASX mining shares to buy in 2023: experts

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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Well, love didn’t last. At least for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO). After bouncing for Valentine’s Day yesterday, the ASX 200 has turned back around and is once again heading down so far this Wednesday. At the time of writing, the ASX 200 Index has lost a nasty 0.97% and is back down to just under 7,360 points.

But let’s not let all of that get us down. So instead of dwelling, let’s now turn to the shares that are currently topping the ASX 200’s share trading volume charts, according to investing.com.

The 3 most traded ASX 200 shares by volume this Wednesday

Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS)

Our first share experiencing large trading volumes worth checking out today is the ASX 200 telco Telstra. So far this Wednesday, a substantial 13.27 million Telstra shares have been exchanged on the markets. We haven’t gotten any new news from Telstra for a while now. So this volume probably has something to do with the company’s share price performance this session.

Telstra is pleasingly defying the gloom of the broader markets and has held its ground today. The telco is presently flat at $4.14 a share, but rose as high as $4.17 earlier this morning, before falling into red territory and recovering to where we see the shares at now. All of this volatility has probably resulted in the high volumes we are seeing here.

Star Entertainment Group Ltd (ASX: SGR)

ASX 200 gaming and casino company Star Entertainment is next up this Wednesday. This session has seen a chunky 25.65 million Star shares fly across the ASX skies. This is almost certainly a result of the big recovery the Star share price has staged so far today.

After a disastrous start this week following a poorly-received guidance update, the Star share price has bounced today. It’s currently up by a pleasing 9.34% at $1.40 a share. With a bounce this big, it’s no surprise to see so many shares flying around.

Sayona Mining Ltd (ASX: SYA)

Our last share this Wednesday is the ASX 200 lithium stock Sayona Mining. At this point of the trading day, a large 31 million Sayona shares have found a new ASX home. There’s been no news out of Sayona today. But that hasn’t stopped this company from sliding by a nasty 6.52% to 22 cents per share.

This dramatic loss of value is almost certainly behind the elevated trading volumes on display. Perhaps investors are getting spooked over the heightened short-selling of Sayona shares that my Fool colleague Brooke discussed 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

• Should I buy Endeavour shares following the ASX 200 company’s stellar results?
• Star Entertainment share price rebounds 8% on Wednesday
• 4 ASX 200 stocks smashing new 52-week highs on Wednesday
• 4 ASX 200 lithium shares being targeted by short sellers
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Wednesday

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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The BrainChip Holdings Ltd (ASX: BRN) share price is tumbling today despite no news being released from the technology company.

So far today, the BrainChip share price has reached an intraday low of 50 cents. That’s a 15.25% fall from yesterday’s close and a new 52-week trough for the small-cap ASX technology share.

BrainChip shares are currently trading for 51.5 cents, down 12.7%.

The price movement triggered an ASX price query but BrainChip said it could not explain the crash.

The company confirmed insiders had no information that has not been announced to the market that might explain the share price crash or high trading volumes.

According to the ASX website, more than 23.2 million BrainChip shares have changed hands today.

That is almost three times BrainChip’s average 30-day trading volume of 7.96 million shares.

BrainChip share price volatility continues

As you can see from the chart below, the BrainChip share price is highly volatile. Its performance over the past year probably represents the heartbeat of many shareholders, with erratic ups and downs.

Let’s take a look at what’s happening at BrainChip and how its share price has been travelling.

Over the past 12 months, the BrainChip share price has trended down from a high of $1.54 to a low of 50 cents today. Over the period, the shares have lost more than 60% of their value.

The last time we heard any price-sensitive news was on 30 January when the company released a quarterly update.

Over the three months to 31 December, BrainChip continued to operate at a loss with a cash outflow of US$1.9 million. It reported cash receipts from customers of US$1.164 million.

It ended the period with a cash balance of US$23.1 million. The BrainChip share price tumbled 2.3% on the day.

Yesterday, my colleague James outlined the bull and bear case for investors on BrainChip shares.

What does BrainChip do again?

BrainChip is an ASX artificial intelligence (AI) share.

The company has developed the world’s first commercial neuromorphic processor, called Akida.

As my colleague Kate reports, Akida is a spiking neural network that can be integrated into computer chips to deliver AI reasoning and conclusions from sensor-captured data. 

It can be used in vision and audio applications in various industries, including automotive, robotics, aerospace, and cybersecurity. 

BrainChip shipped its first production chips in 2021 and is now seeking to manufacture at volume.

BrainChip has a market capitalisation of just over $1 billion.

The post Why is the BrainChip share price crashing 15% on Wednesday? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• BrainChip shares: The bull and bear case
• Could 2023 be the year these ASX AI stocks come roaring back?
• Why has the BrainChip share price crashed 19% in 2023?
• Why Brainchip, Core Lithium, IAG, and Nick Scali shares are dropping today
• These are the 10 most shorted ASX shares

Motley Fool contributor Bronwyn Allen 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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CSL Limited (ASX: CSL) shares have been caught up in the broad market weakness on Wednesday.

In afternoon trade, the biotherapeutics giant’s shares are down almost 1% to $304.97.

This means CSL’s shares have given back the gains they made yesterday in response to a solid half year update.

Should you buy CSL shares?

The team at Morgans has been running the rule over the result and has given it the thumbs up.

In response, the broker has retained its add rating and lifted its price target by 8% to $337.92. This implies potential upside of approximately 11% from current levels.

What did the broker say?

While Morgans believes that CSL’s half year result was a touch mix, it has seen enough to remain very positive on the company. It commented:

1H results were mixed, with underlying constant currency (cc) profit a little light (+9%), but on strong, in-line revenue growth (+25%). Record plasma collections (+36%) propelled plasma products (Ig, +19%) and Behring sales (+11%), while Seqirus posted high-single digit growth despite reduced immunisation rates, and newly acquired Vifor was solid (+15%).

Underlying earnings were driven mainly by Behring (US$1,875m; 55% of op income) as plasma collections increased (+36%) and now stand >10% above preCOVID levels, driving plasma-based product sales (Immunoglobin (Ig) +19%; Albumin +11%), but some non-plasma-based products managed to perform much better (Hemophilia recombinants +22%; Specialty peri-op bleeds +8%).

Looking ahead, the broker has upgraded its earnings estimates following this update and its valuation accordingly. It concludes:

Our FY23-25 earnings increase modestly (up to c3%), mainly on lower net interest expense, higher Behring and Vifor sales, partially offset by lowered GM. We roll forward multiples, with our blended DCF, PE and EV/EBITDA based price target increasing to A$337.92 (A$312.21 previously).

The post Are CSL shares a buy following the ASX 200 giant’s latest results? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Everything you need to know about the boosted CSL dividend
• CSL share price lifts on half-year earnings beat
• CSL share price on watch amid US$1.6b profit
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday
• How I’d generate a $10,000 second income from CSL shares

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in CSL. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended CSL. 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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Investors looking for a high yielding S&P/ASX 300 Index (ASX: XKO) dividend share may want to investigate Adairs Ltd (ASX: ADH).

The leading home furnishings specialist retail stock has three store brands – Adairs, Mocka and Focus on Furniture.

As you can see in the chart below, the Adairs share price has been a strong performer so far in 2023, up 8.2% since the closing bell on 30 December.

At the current share price of $2.38, the ASX 300 company has a market cap of $405 million and pays a trailing, fully franked dividend yield of 7.6%.

With the tax benefits offered via the franking credits, that could work out to a grossed-up dividend yield of 11%, depending on an investor’s other income and tax obligations.

Is this the greatest ASX 300 dividend share bargain?

Adairs isn’t the only quality ASX 300 share with high-yielding dividends.

But I believe it’s well worth considering for investors seeking potential share price growth and a historically reliable passive income stream.

Since listing on the ASX in June 2015, the retailer has made two annual dividend payments every year.

The company has a strong record of value creation, with experienced management and a growing e-commerce footprint. One which served it well during the pandemic lockdowns.

In the current financial year, the company announced at its annual general meeting (held in late 2022) that sales during the first four months of the 2023 financial year had increased 7.6% year on year.

And the growth outlook looks solid.

The ASX 300 dividend share plans to open two or three new Focus stores and four to six new Adairs stores in FY23.

What are the risks?

Of course, no investment is without risk.

One of the biggest potential tailwinds could come if inflation remains above expectations and the RBA is forced to continue increasing interest rates aggressively.

That could see consumers cut back on discretionary spending, including home furnishings. That, in turn, could see the ASX 300 dividend share book smaller profits and reduce its dividend payouts.

Indeed, at the end of January, Goldman Sachs downgraded Adairs from a buy to a neutral rating.

Still, the broker’s analysts have a positive outlook for the business, saying, “We view the core ADH business as well-placed to deliver solid medium-term growth and should prove resilient given a highly loyal customer base.”

And despite the neutral rating, Goldman has a target price of $3.15 for Adairs’ shares. That’s a whopping 32% above the current price.

Which makes Adairs a potentially great ASX 300 dividend share bargain.

The post 11% dividend yield! Is this the greatest ASX 300 bargain? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• 2 ASX dividend shares that could generate $1,000 annual income with just $10,000
• This ASX 300 dividend share is projected to pay a 14% yield by 2025
• Here’s how I’d start building a second income this February, for $30 a week
• How I’d invest $200 a month in ASX shares to make a $20,000 passive income for life
• Which ASX dividend shares I’d buy now to target $50,000 of annual passive income

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 Adairs. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Adairs. 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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