The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) ended the week just the way it started it – in the red. The index closed Friday’s session 0.76% lower at 7,433.7 points, marking a 1.65% week-on-week fall.

It came as the Reserve Bank of Australia issued its latest Statement on Monetary Policy. The central bank “expects that further increases in interest rates will be needed” in its battle against inflation.

Of course, that was seemingly bad news for the rate-sensitive S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ), which dropped 2% today.

The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) also struggled, falling 1.7% after energy commodities slumped overnight.

One sector rose above the chaos, however. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) lifted 0.9%, driven by the United Malt Group Ltd (ASX: UMG) share price. It gained 4.8% amid the company’s annual general meeting.

But it was outperformed by one of its ASX 200 peers. Let’s take a look at the stock posting the index’s biggest gain on Friday.

Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown

The Imugene Limited (ASX: IMU) share price took out the ASX 200’s top spot today, rising 7.4% to close at 14.5 cents.

Its gains came on the announcement of a new United States patent.

These shares made today’s biggest gains:

ASX-listed company	Share price	Price change
Imugene Limited (ASX: IMU)	$0.145	7.41%
United Malt Group Ltd (ASX: UMG)	$3.72	4.79%
Johns Lyng Group Ltd (ASX: JLG)	$5.58	3.53%
Arena REIT No 1 (ASX: ARF)	$3.85	2.94%
Endeavour Group Ltd (ASX: EDV)	$6.82	2.4%
Sayona Mining Ltd (ASX: SYA)	$0.24	2.13%
Treasury Wine Estates Ltd (ASX: TWE)	$14.38	1.63%
Insurance Australia Group Ltd (ASX: IAG)	$4.71	1.29%
Metcash Limited (ASX: MTS)	$4.03	1.26%
Computershare Limited (ASX: CPU)	$24.73	0.94%

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 Friday
• Why Appen, Endeavour, Imugene, and Treasury Wine shares are pushing higher
• Treasury Wine share price climbs on China tariff hopes
• Guess which ASX 200 healthcare share is surging 5% on a new US patent?
• Here are the 3 most heavily traded ASX 200 shares on Thursday

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 Johns Lyng Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Johns Lyng Group, Metcash, and Treasury Wine Estates. 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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A number of S&P/ASX 300 Index (ASX: XKO) shares are facing weakening share prices again. Especially as inflation and rising interest rates throw up some more volatility.

When compelling businesses hit 52-week lows, that could be a good signal for investors to take advantage of lower prices.

This year could lead to a difficult economic situation for some businesses, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to last forever.

There could be an opportunity with these ASX 300 shares that could have been oversold by the market.

Dicker Data Ltd (ASX: DDR)

Earlier today, the Dicker Data share price hit a 52-week low. Over the past year, it has fallen around 40%.

For readers that haven’t heard of this business, it acts as a distributor of a wide range of products including Cisco Systems, Dell, HP, Microsoft and many more. It’s also expanding in other areas such as cybersecurity.

The ASX 300 share recently reported its result for the 12 months to December 2022. It said that revenue was up 25% to $3.1 billion, earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) went up 9.3%, operating profit before tax increased 0.8% to $106.9 million and net profit after tax (NPAT) declined 0.3% to $73.4 million.

Management said that the company suffered from higher costs, particularly higher wages and finance costs. Higher costs were incurred as the acquired businesses Exceed and Hills were integrated. It’s yet to achieve significant cost synergies with these acquisitions.

Earnings are expected to rise noticeably to FY24. Commsec numbers suggest that earnings per share (EPS) could be 52.4 cents, putting the Dicker Data share price at 17 times FY24’s estimated earnings. In that year it could pay an annual dividend per share of around 50 cents per share, translating into a grossed-up dividend yield of 8%.

Sonic Healthcare Ltd (ASX: SHL)

Sonic Healthcare is a leading global pathology business with a presence in a number of countries including Australia, the UK, the USA, Germany and so on.

It played an important part during COVID-19 by carrying out millions of tests. In October 2022 it generated $57.7 million of COVID-19-related revenue, so FY23 will also include earnings from testing.

While the ASX 200 share’s profit is likely to be lower than in FY22 because of the significantly reduced COVID-19 testing in FY23, there are still positive signs. In the four months to October 2022, base (non-COVID) revenue had increased from $2.29 billion to $2.45 billion, up 6.7%.

EBITDA in the four months to October 2022 was $621 million, up 32.7% compared to the four months to October 2019 – pre-COVID times.

I think that healthcare treatments delayed because of the pandemic will now flow through Sonic Healthcare’s financials. Despite that, the Sonic Healthcare share price is down almost 40% since the start of 2022.

According to estimates on Commsec, the Sonic Healthcare share price is valued at under 19 times FY23’s estimated earnings. It has a trailing grossed-up dividend yield of around 5%.

The post 2 quality ASX 300 shares trading at bargain-basement prices today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• These 2 ASX All Ords shares will trade ex-dividend next week
• Dicker Data share price tumbles to multi-year low. Is it too cheap to miss?
• Why AGL, Dicker Data, Megaport, and Suncorp shares are dropping
• Bargain alert? 3 high-quality ASX shares that just hit 52-week lows
• Why did ASX 300 healthcare stock Polynovo tumble 12% today?

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 Dicker Data. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Dicker Data. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Sonic Healthcare. 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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BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) shares will be in focus this month.

That’s because the mining giant is scheduled to release its half year results on 21 February.

And with prices of commodities such as coal, copper, and iron ore booming right now, another robust result is likely to be revealed.

Ahead of the release, let’s take a look at what analysts are expecting from the Big Australian.

What is expected from BHP’s half year results?

According to a note out of Goldman Sachs, its analysts expect the miner to deliver a result a touch softer than consensus estimates. It commented:

GSe underlying EBITDA US$13.7bn vs. cons US$14.3bn (difference is GS lower on met & thermal coal; US$2.7bn vs. cons US$3.0bn, lower on Nickel West). NPAT US$6.9bn vs. cons US$7.0bn.

It also feels the market may be a touch optimistic on the BHP dividend and is forecasting an interim dividend of “US88cps (65% payout NPAT) vs. cons US98cps (71% payout).”

What else should you look for?

Another thing that could have an impact on BHP shares is its outlook commentary.

Goldman revealed that it will be looking for comments on the miner’s plans for growth projects and mergers and acquisitions (M&A). It said:

We expect focus will be on growth including any update on the copper & nickel growth strategy (timing of Chile projects considering proposed fiscal changes, nickel growth/ e.g. Kabanga) & portfolio (possible further met coal divestments, further M&A), capex guidance (US$9bn for FY24, US$10bn for FY25; ~50% is copper), & decarb spend (US$4bn until FY30), and a possible increase in Samarco liability provision (balance was US$3.4bn mid-CY22). We recently took a detailed look at BHP’s copper production in Chile and assessed the 2-stage smelter at Olympic Dam and synergies with OZL.

The post Own BHP shares? Here’s what the market expects from its half year results appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Why Morgans just added these ASX 200 shares to its best ideas list
• Can the BHP share price keep rising or has it peaked?
• This little-known ASX share offers ‘inflation protection at a reasonable price’: fund manager
• With interest rates heading higher again, the risk is to the downside for these popular blue chip ASX shares
• Invest $20,000 in ASX 200 shares and get $1,500 each year without lifting a finger

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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It’s looking like the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is set to end the trading week on a low point so far this Friday. After a bumpy week, the ASX 200 has taken another turn for the worse today, and is currently down by a nasty 0.71% at just under 7,440 points.

But let’s not let this ruin our weekends. So it’s time now to take a look at the ASX 200 shares that are at the top of the share market’s trading volume charts at present, according to investing.com.

The 3 most traded ASX 200 shares by volume this Friday

New Hope Corporation Limited (ASX: NHC)

First up today is the ASX 200 coal miner New Hope. This Friday has seen a hefty 11.75 million new Hope shares exchanged on the marks today thus far. There hasn’t been any major news or announcements out of New Hope today.

But that hasn’t stopped this coal stock from tanking by a rather horrible 8.2% so far this session to $5.33 a share. As we looked into earlier today, coal shares are on the nose thanks to falling coal prices and news of possible widespread discounting in the industry.

It’s this steep fall in value that is probably to blame for the high volumes we are seeing.

Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX: WHC)

Another ASX 200 coal share is our next stock worth looking at. So far today, a sizeable 17.05 million Whitehaven shares have changed owners on the ASX boards.

As a fellow ASX 200 coal miner, Whitehaven seems to be suffering from the same trends as New Hope and has also sold off heavily.

Investors have been a little more forgiving with this one, though. The Whitehaven share price has dipped 3.23% to $7.78 at this point of the day.  Still, this is almost certainly the source of the volumes we are witnessing.

Sayona Mining Ltd (ASX: SYA)

Our third, final and most traded ASX 200 share this Friday is none other than lithium share Sayona Mining. So far this session, a whopping 23.17 million Sayona shares have been bought and sold.

Sayona has bucked both the trend of the broader market and the coal shares above. The would-be lithium producer is currently up a healthy 2.98% at 24 cents per share.

This could be a consequence of the presentation Sayona released to investors this morning. This told the markets that the company was “on track to deliver lithium production in March 2023”.

This, together with the strong gains we are seeing, looks like the cause of the elevated trading volumes on display.

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

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More reading

• Why AGL, New Hope, News Corp, and REA shares are dropping today
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• The CBA share price is trading near all-time highs. Should you cash in?
• New Hope share price dives 9% as ASX 200 coal stocks get hit hard
• This ASX All Ords fundie just dumped $300 million of Whitehaven shares. Is this a red flag?

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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When it comes to my personal share portfolio, I like to invest in a mix of individual ASX shares, international shares, and managed investments. That way, I can choose the companies that I want in my portfolio, while outsourcing some of the work to professional investors.

If my own share picks prove to be failures, at least I have some other investments, and expertise, to rely on.

Some of these managed investments are index funds. But others are actively managed.

One of the net shares I intend to buy falls into the latter camp.

When I look for actively managed investments, I like to analyse a number of factors. These include long-term investment performance, fees, and dividend potential.

The next ASX share I’m going to buy

The Plato Income Maximiser Ltd (ASX: PL8) hits all three, in my view.

The Plato Income Maximiser Fund is a listed investment company (LIC) that targets dividend income. Like all LICs, this company invests in a portfolio of shares on behalf of its shareholders.

Some of its most recent top holdings include dividend payers like BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP), Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) and QBE Insurance Group Ltd (ASX: QBE).

So let’s go through my three criteria.

Firstly, investment performance. The Plato Income Maximiser Fund has delivered a total return (including dividends and franking credits) of 9.2% per annum since its inception in 2017, net of fees. That’s well above the 7.6% per annum return of its ASX 200 benchmark. It’s also beaten the ASX 200 over the past one and three years:

In terms of dividends, this LIC pays out monthly, fully-franked dividend payments, which I find attractive. This lets me put my money to work sooner than a six-month payer. At the current share price, the Plato Income Maximiser Fund has a trailing dividend yield of 5.33%, which I think is very attractive.

Finally, let’s talk fees. The Plato Income Maximiser Fund charges an annual management fee of 0.8%. While that’s not as competitive as an index fund, I still think it’s worth paying for considering the outperformance this LIC has generated against the ASX 200.

So overall, I think the Plato Income Maximiser would make a great addition to my ASX share portfolio, and that’s why it will probably be the next ASX share that I buy.

The post Here’s the next ASX share I’m going to buy appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Two ‘top prospect’ ASX 200 dividend shares for 2023 revealed: fund manager
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Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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The Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) share price is a popular choice for many ASX 200 investors. Woolworths shares are stalwarts of the ASX 200 after all.

This company is a blue-chip supermarket operator that has been listed on the ASX for decades, with a business that most Australians would be very familiar with. Woolworths shares also pay passive income in the form of fully-franked dividends.

But just because a company is healthily profitable, pays dividends and has a mature, built-out business model doesn’t mean it is automatically a good investment.

The Woolworths share price meanwhile has had a very productive year in 2023 so far. The supermarket giant’s shares have risen by an impressive 8.32% year to date as it stands today. The company is also up an even better 11.5% or so over the past three months:

But that doesn’t necessarily mean that Woolworths shares are a buy today.

So, let’s check out what a broker is saying about Woolworths shares right now.

ASX broker rates Woolworths shares as a buy

Goldman Sachs is an ASX broker who currently has a very favourable outlook on the Woolworths share price. As we looked at earlier this week, Goldman currently rates Woolies as a buy.

But not only that, the broker has Woolworths shares on its high conviction list, with a 21-month share price target of $41.20. If realised, that would represent a share price upside of almost 15% from the $35.86 the shares are asking today (at the time of writing).

Here’s what Goldman had to say about its position:

We are Buy rated (on Conviction List) on the stock as we believe the business has one of the highest consumer stickiness and loyalty among peers, and hence has strong ability to drive market share gains via its omni-channel advantage, as well as pass through any cost inflation to protect its margins, beyond market expectations.

The stock is trading below its historical average (since 2018), and we see this as a value entry level for a high-quality and defensive stock.

But not only does Goldman think Woolies shares have plenty of capital growth in store for investors, but it is also pencilling in rising passive income from the shares in the form of dividends.

The broker reckons Woolies will pay out a fully franked $1.02 in dividends per share in FY2023, rising to $1.13 per share in FY2024.

So there are both capital gains, and dividend income walking Woolworths shareholders’ way if Goldman is on the money.

But as always, we’ll have to wait and see what the next 12 months and beyond hold in store for this company

At the current Woolworths share price, this ASX 200 blue-chip share has a market capitalisation of $43.44 billion, with a dividend yield of 2.57%.

The post Buy Woolworths shares today for 15% upside plus passive income: Goldman appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• These ASX 200 shares are buys: experts
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• Buy these growing ASX dividend shares for passive income: Goldman
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• Goldman reveals the ASX shares that could surprise to the upside (and downside) this reporting season

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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We’ve been in the thick of the February earnings season this week, and two All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) shares are already gearing up to pass their ex-dividend dates.

Indeed, anyone who isn’t already invested in the stocks will miss out on their upcoming dividends next week.

So, which ASX All Ords shares might passive income-focused investors want to check out sooner rather than later? Let’s take a look.

2 ASX All Ords shares trading ex-dividend next week

The first of the All Ords shares to pass its ex-dividend date will be computer products distributor Dicker Data Ltd (ASX: DDR).

The company will trade ex-dividend on Monday. Of course, it’s likely the Dicker Data share price will fall in line with the value of its dividend that day, as it will no longer be received by those buying the stock.

The All Ords share tumbled 10.6% when it released its full-year earnings earlier this week.

It posted $3.1 billion of revenue – a 25% year-on-year increase and a $73.4 million profit – marking a 0.3% slump.

The company’s final dividend was also 83% lower than last fiscal year’s, coming in at 2.5 cents per share.

However, its total financial year 2022 dividends came in just 0.5 cents lower year-on-year at 41.5 cents per share.

Fortunately, fellow ASX All Ords share Suncorp Group Ltd (ASX: SUN) will provide a notably higher dividend next month.

Suncorp dropped its half-year earnings on Wednesday, declaring a 33 cent per share interim dividend – marking a 43.5% year-on-year improvement.

The financials giant also boasted a $560 million profit for the period – a 44.3% jump.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, then, the All Ords share gained 4.6% on the back of the earnings update.

But those interested in getting a hold of the stock and its upcoming dividend better do so quickly. Suncorp will pass its ex-dividend date on Tuesday.

That means investors who aren’t on board come Monday will miss out on the offering.

The post These 2 ASX All Ords shares will trade ex-dividend next week appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Dicker Data share price tumbles to multi-year low. Is it too cheap to miss?
• Macquarie has these ASX 200 dividend shares in its income portfolio
• Why AGL, Dicker Data, Megaport, and Suncorp shares are dropping
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today

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 Dicker Data. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Dicker Data. 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) is trading down 0.7% to 7,438 points at the time of writing.

ASX 200 shares are experiencing a resurgence in 2023, with the index up 7.2% in the year to date.

Meantime, Australian home values are falling at their fastest and steepest rate ever, amid the most aggressive interest rate hiking cycle on record.

So, are we going to have an Aussie house price crash, and will it take the ASX 200 with it?

What’s happening with Aussie house prices?

In short, nothing good right now. At least, not for the 66% of us who own our own homes, either with a loan (35%) or outright (31%), according to 2021 census figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

We’re seeing the steepest and fastest fall in national home values on record, according to independent property research house, CoreLogic.

That record was set last month when the CoreLogic daily home value index (HVI) showed a decline of 8.4% between the market peak on 7 May 2022 and 7 January this year — and it’s still falling.

To clarify, CoreLogic measures ‘home values’ by combining all types of properties together.

Not coincidentally, May was when the Reserve Bank (RBA) began raising interest rates for the first time since 2010. It has never raised rates this much in as short a time period ever.

A fall in national home values this large and this fast hasn’t been seen in more than 40 years.

When looking back over market cycles since 1982, the previous peak-to-trough record was an 8.38% drop in national housing values over 20 months between October 2017 and June 2019.

The current 8.4% dip has occurred over just nine months.

Is the Australian housing market going to crash?

According to the Australian Financial Review (AFR), RBA modelling suggests the peak-to-trough fall could be 20%. In another AFR article, a survey of 31 economists found a median forecast fall of 15%.

According to news.com.au today, Jarden investment bank has downgraded its forecast for house prices following last week’s hawkish commentary from the RBA.

After previously tipping a peak-to-trough fall of 15% to 20%, Jarden analysts now expect 20% to 25%.

All these forecasts represent significant declines but not a crash. So, let’s move on from that scenario.

But the odds are home values will continue to fall, so will ASX 200 shares go with them?

How will falling home values impact ASX 200 shares?

The likeliest scenario is that falling home values will impact some individual ASX 200 shares, not the whole market itself.

Remember, the share market is forward-looking and nimble. It responds quickly to economic factors like rising interest rates. Conversely, the property market is slow-moving, and there’s a lag effect with rates.

If we look at the last few property downturns, we see that both home values and ASX 200 values sometimes fell simultaneously but not because of each other. They fell because of a common negative in the broader economy.

As we said earlier, home values have fallen by 8.4% between 7 May 2022 and 7 January 2023. During that same time period, the ASX 200 fell by 1.3%. The cause of both markets’ falls? A common economic negative — rising interest rates (and rising inflation had a big impact on the ASX 200 as well).

During the now second-worst property market downturn between October 2017 and June 2019, home values fell 8.38%. Meanwhile, the ASX 200 went up by about 12.5%. That property downturn was caused by lending restrictions on residential loans, so the ASX 200 was unaffected.

In the property market downturn of 2008 to 2009, home values peak-to-trough fell by 7.4%. Over those two years, ASX 200 shares went down by 25%. The culprit? Once again, a common economic negative — the global financial crisis.

Right now, we’re seeing new confidence in the share market even though the RBA has signalled clearly that there will be more rate rises to come. But probably not too many more, given the RBA reckons inflation has peaked.

So, the share market is looking beyond that already. There’s sun on the horizon. Meantime, home values are still sliding and will likely go further, so things still look gloomy there.

Which ASX 200 shares will be affected by falling home values?

Economically, the biggest impact of falling house prices is the ‘wealth effect’. People feel wealthier when home values are rising, and they’re more inclined to spend money in the economy. When they’re falling, people feel poorer — especially those who bought recently — and they’re less inclined to spend.

Plus, rising interest rates and inflation means the cost of living is going up as well. In such times, people tighten their belts, and ASX 200 consumer discretionary shares are among the first to feel the effect.

When rates are rising, fewer homes are sold as opportunistic sellers leave the market. Fewer home sales can impact several sectors of the economy, so some ASX 200 shares are likely to feel it more so than others.

Think building companies like Johns Lyng Group Ltd (ASX: JLG), whose share price is down 31% over the past 12 months. And building materials suppliers like James Hardie Industries plc (ASX: JHX), down 37%.

Then there are furniture retailers like Harvey Norman Holdings Limited (ASX: HVN), whose shares are down 19%, and appliances company Breville Group Ltd (ASX: BRG), down 26%. Shares in plumbing and bathroom fixtures company Reece Ltd (ASX: REH) have also fallen 18% over the past 12 months.

The post Could an Aussie house price crash destroy the ASX 200 in 2023? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Bronwyn Allen has positions in Harvey Norman and James Hardie Industries Plc. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Harvey Norman and Johns Lyng Group. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Harvey Norman. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Johns Lyng 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 News Corp (ASX: NWS) share price is down 5.9% in afternoon trade to $28.31 per share.

S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) investors are hitting the sell button following the release of the diversified media conglomerate’s quarterly results for the three months ending 31 December.

Here are the highlights.

News Corp share price slides as income tumbles

• Revenue of $2.52 billion, down 7% from $2.72 billion in the prior corresponding period (pcp). Quarterly revenue was negatively impacted by foreign currency fluctuations
• Net income of $94 million, down 64% from $262 million in the pcp
• Total segment earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of $409 million, down from $586 million
• Earnings per share (EPS) of 12 cents, down from 40 cents in pcp
• The board declared an unfranked dividend of 10 cents per share, up from 9.4 cents per share in the pcp

What else happened during the quarter?

The News Corp share price could be gaining some support from a steeper fall after the company reported revenues from its professional information business increased 45% in its Dow Jones segment. The company attributed the increase to its acquisitions of OPIS and CMA alongside strength in its Risk & Compliance products.

While broadcast revenues continued to decline, News Corp reported this was offset by higher streaming revenues from Foxtel’s Kayo and BINGE in its Subscription Video Services segment.

In an effort to cut costs, News Corp also announced its intention to slash its workforce by 5%, or some 1,250 positions, in the 2023 calendar year.

What did management say?

Commenting on the results sending the News Corp share price lower today, CEO Robert Thomson pointed to the “progress made in certain” of the company’s business segments.

Thomson added:

Obviously, a surge in interest rates and acute inflation had a tangible impact on all of our businesses. But we believe these challenges are more ephemeral than eternal…

In terms of portfolio optimization, as publicly reported, we have been actively engaged in discussions with CoStar Group about a potential sale of Move. Any transaction would be designed to create shareholder value and strengthen Realtor.com’s competitive position.

News Corp share price snapshot

As you can see in the chart below, with today’s intraday slide factored in News Corp shares are down 14% over the past 12 months.

The past half year has seen a better performance from the company, with shares up 8% in six months.

The post News Corp share price down 6% amid sliding earnings and planned job cuts appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

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Finishing the week in style, the JB Hi-Fi Limited (ASX: JBH) share price is strutting higher today ahead of its earnings announcement on Monday.

Shares in the consumer electronics retailer are ticking 0.53% upwards to $46.81 as we head toward mid-afternoon. Meanwhile, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is trending 0.7% lower, weighed down by tech and utilities.

It’s the last day for investors to take a stake in JB Hi-Fi before the release of its FY23 first-half results next week. That might explain the above-average volume traded today. More than 490,000 shares have been exchanged since the opening bell.

What could we see on Monday?

The reality is JB Hi-Fi shareholders already have a fairly good idea of what they’ll see on Monday. Most of the guesswork has been removed after the company posted preliminary unaudited figures roughly three weeks ago.

As a quick recap, the Aussie and New Zealand retailer defied the odds and achieved record sales and earnings in the first half.

Revenue was ratcheted up 8.6% year-on-year to $5,278.5 million, and net profit after tax (NPAT) increased 14.6% to $329.9 million. These numbers can change during auditing. Though, usually, the figures aren’t altered meaningfully.

What will be important — which was not included in the preliminary results — is guidance around the forward outlook. Undoubtedly, this will be a key driver for which direction the JB Hi-Fi share price goes.

Between the last update and now, the conversation has changed around how far the Reserve Bank of Australia will go with interest rate rises. This could be problematic for the retailer, as it could mean a harder hit to consumer spending and the economy at large.

The Australian bond market is now pricing in a peak cash rate of around 4%. Previously, the peak was expected to be closer to 3.7%. At present, the Australian cash rate sits at 3.35% following the 0.25% hike on Tuesday.

How have JB Hi-Fi shares responded in the past?

Which way the JB Hi-Fi share price goes on Monday will likely depend on how rosy the full-year guidance is from management. A particular focus will be on whether wage inflation could hurt earnings, or if rising rates are beginning to discourage spending.

While it holds little to no bearing on how the shares will respond on Monday, it can be interesting to review past share price reactions to earnings. The table below shows the JB Hi-Fi share price change amid its results.

Date	Results	Share price reaction
22 August 2022	FY22 Full Year	-1.15%
14 February 2022	FY22 Half Year	5.42%
16 August 2021	FY21 Full Year	2.50%
15 February 2021	FY21 Half Year	3.05%
17 August 2020	FY20 Full Year	4.80%
10 February 2020	FY20 Half Year	11.50%

Shares have moved to the downside on one occasion over the last three years.

The post Earnings inbound: How could JB Hi-Fi shares respond on Monday? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Mitchell Lawler 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 Jb Hi-Fi. 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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