ASX 200 healthcare company CSL Limited (ASX: CSL) has a drug candidate in its pipeline that could be a ‘blockbuster’ in the future, Citi analysts believe.

The CSL share price climbed 1.47% today and closed at $290.75. For perspective, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) fell 0.07% today.

Let’s take a look at what could be ahead for this ASX 200 healthcare company.

What’s ahead

CSL is an ASX biotech giant that develops a huge range of biotherapies and vaccines to save and improve lives.

CSL’s drug candidate for reducing secondary heart attacks is a major positive for the company, according to analysts.

Commenting on CSL112, a drug currently at the phase three clinical trial stage, Citi analysts, quoted by The Age, said:

If approved, CSL112 has the potential to become blockbuster drug for CSL.

In an update in November, CSL said recruitment for this trial is on track for “Last Patient In” (LPI) by the end of the year.

Launch of CS112 is on track for the fourth quarter of 2025, according to CSL.

As my Foolish colleague James reported recently, Citi has a buy rating and a $340 price target on the CSL share price. Analysts said:

Our $340 TP includes $22.40 for the R&D portfolio (down from $23 on delays) – the main asset remains CSL112 (cardiovascular) at $20/share on which we will get Phase 3 data in Q1 CY24. Maintain Buy, $340 TP.

Meanwhile, Morgans is also impressed with Citi’s research and development pipeline, including CSL112. Morgans placed an add rating and $312.20 price target on the company’s share price.

CSL share price snapshot

The CSL share price has fallen 6% in the past year, while it has climbed 0.1% in the year to date.

For perspective, the ASX 200 has fallen 4.40% in the past year.

CSL has a market capitalisation of about $140.2 billion based on the current share price.

The post The drug with the ‘potential to become a blockbuster’ for this ASX 200 healthcare company: Citi appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Can the CSL share price crack $300 before the year’s out?
• 3 ASX shares to buy in a sector ready to explode: expert
• Why is the CSL share price smashing the ASX 200 on Thursday?
• Are CSL shares a good buy right now?
• 2 big name ASX companies ready for a ‘share price recovery’: experts

Motley Fool contributor Monica O’Shea 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 CSL Ltd. 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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Australia may or may not plunge into a recession, but with steeply rising interest rates starting to bite there will be some sort of economic slowdown.

It’s not far-fetched to say that some businesses fare better than others when consumers start closing their wallets.

Two such sectors are fast food and healthcare.

With money tight, consumers will rely more on quick-service restaurants rather than their fancier white-table cloth rivals. 

Then maybe their tummy starts cramping after too many burgers and they will seek medical assistance. 

Healthcare is well known as an industry that still sees strong demand through economic slowdowns. Australians will consider health a priority spend, even when times are tough.

So considering this, here is a pair of ASX shares experts have picked to buy for the coming storm:

‘A cheap entry point for a quality defensive stock’

Catapult Wealth portfolio manager Tim Haselum admitted to The Bull that the COVID-19 testing boom has well and truly passed Healius Ltd (ASX: HLS).

But the post-pandemic era would bring its own tailwinds.

“We expect the pathology arm to perform well as elective surgery restrictions are ending.”

And Healius shares are currently ripe for the picking, with the price down 15.6% since early August.

“We believe the company offers a cheap entry point for a quality defensive stock with a decent yield,” said Haselum.

“The company’s share price has fallen from $5.17 on January 4 to trade at $3.355 on November 10.”

The dividend yield that Haselum referred to is now at a tidy 4.7%.

According to CMC Markets, only four out of 15 analysts currently rate Healius shares as a buy. Nine professionals recommend holding.

Growing sales while passing on higher costs

Kentucky Fried Chicken franchisor Collins Foods Ltd (ASX: CKF) is Wilsons investment advisor Peter Moran’s pick at the moment.

He especially likes the company’s pricing power in times of rampant inflation.

“The KFC owner is positioned to grow sales volumes while passing on higher costs and retaining margins,” he said.

“KFC Australia has recently increased prices and there’s room for more once new poultry contract pricing is set at a later date.”

Fried chicken isn’t the only game in town though, with a different part of the business also providing Collins Foods a possible catalyst.

“The continuing rollout of Taco Bell franchises in Australia provides an additional growth stream. We have an overweight rating.”

The Collins share price is down 23.7% year to date. But the stock has enjoyed a nice revival since 21 October, rocketing up more than 20%.

The dividend yield now stands at 2.6%.

The post Chicken and health: Experts reveal 2 ASX shares to pounce on now appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday
• Which ASX All Ords shares could perform well in a recession?

Motley Fool contributor Tony Yoo has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Collins Foods Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Collins Foods Limited. 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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This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) has operated outside of North America for nearly 25 years, but the company is still losing tons of money abroad.

Its international segment, which is primarily made up of e-commerce sales outside of North America, has lost $5.5 billion through the first three quarters of 2022, and has been in the red for much of its history.

At a time when Amazon stock seems to be in freefall, it’s easy to place the blame on the international business and the other unprofitable businesses like it. The company has long prized growth above profitability, and founder Jeff Bezos instilled a culture of managing the business for the long term, placing relatively little value on short-term profits. 

However, there’s more to the international business than meets the eye. Although the segment is losing money, it’s not as if Amazon is failing in every country it operates in. In fact, there’s an opportunity for the company to significantly boost its profitability by streamlining its business in international markets, and the market seems to be ignoring it.

A mix of markets

Amazon operates local sites in over a dozen countries, but some international markets are much more mature than others. 

For example, it has operated in the UK since 1998, but it just launched a local site in Belgium in the third quarter. On the earnings call, CFO Brian Olsavsky explained why the company is losing so much money this year in the international segment:

[I]nternational is always a mix of profitability in more established countries of Europe and Japan, offset by emerging countries and investments in Prime benefits. I think the biggest issue quarter over quarter, [is that] the increase in losses versus Q2 was tied to some additional operating costs in Europe. We’ve seen higher fuel costs there, even more certainly in the United States.

He also said that Prime Day sales tend to lead to losses, as the company sells a lot of devices for the shopping holiday, which it generally sells at cost to then create a profit stream through selling content on those devices.

But it’s worth taking stock of Olsavsky’s statement. Amazon isn’t profitable because it’s incapable of turning a profit abroad. Instead, the company continues to invest in growth by adding Prime benefits in these countries and pouring billions into emerging markets like India, which Bezos sees as a generational bet.

Is it time for restraint?

Although Amazon has more control over its international business than it might seem, that doesn’t change the fact that it has still lost more than $5 billion from the segment this year, and much more than that over its history.

With overall revenue growth slowing to single digits and its core e-commerce businesses losing money in both the North America and International segments, Amazon is tightening its belt like never before. The company has paused hiring in divisions, including corporate retail and Amazon Web Services. It’s also pulling the plug on experiments like Amazon Care, its telehealth and in-person healthcare initiative, and Scout, its delivery robot. 

With the international segment burning $2.5 billion in the most recent quarter, it may be time for some belt-tightening abroad as well. 

Amazon has built a huge business outside of North America, with revenue on track to top $100 billion this year, but it’s not worth much if it can’t turn a profit there. Whether its investments in countries like Belgium and India will pay off still remains to be seen.

It may not be so easy for Amazon to flip the profitability lever in the international sector, as it’s not going to pull out of the markets it’s already operating in. But finding a way to improve the bottom line in the international segment would go a long way toward improving the company’s overall financial picture.

The good news is the company is in the middle of a cost-cutting review that’s likely to slash at least some expenses in international markets, which seems ripe for such an opportunity. With Amazon already losing over $5 billion in that segment this year, cutting billions in expenses could send the stock soaring, especially as it’s down 50% from its peak last year.

With that in mind, investors would be wise to buy the stock now before the impact of those moves shows up on the bottom line.

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

The post Don’t be fooled. Amazon’s international business is more profitable than you think appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Amazon is set for major layoffs. Here’s what it means for the stock
• Move over ASX dividend share traps, a new investing pitfall could now be luring profit seekers
• Why Amazon stock finished lower today
• Why Amazon stock dropped last week
• Should investors buy the dip on Amazon stock?

John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Jeremy Bowman has positions in Amazon. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Amazon. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Amazon. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

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I think we’re very lucky to have a wide array of choice for ASX dividend shares that can help us make passive income in retirement.

For me, if I were in retirement, I’d be thinking about how reliant I am on that passive income cash flow. It’s no use if the dividends disappear precisely when I need them.

I’m not in retirement now. But, I am building a portfolio of ASX dividend shares that seem like they can maintain and grow their dividends over the long term.

Three of the below businesses are in my portfolio. Hopefully, one day my portfolio can generate $50,000 of annual dividends, or more.

Rural Funds Group (ASX: RFF)

Rural Funds is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that owns a diversified agricultural property portfolio across areas such as cattle, almonds, vineyards, macadamias, and cropping (sugar and cotton).

This business aims to grow its distribution by 4% each year, which I think is a solid growth rate and can compound nicely over time.

Rural Funds benefits from growing rental income. Some of the rent is linked to inflation (which is getting a boost), while most of the rest has a fixed annual increase. Plus, there are occasional market reviews.

The ASX dividend share is also able to grow rent by investing in its farms, either by making them more productive or changing them to another farm type, generating more rental profit.

It’s expected to pay a total distribution of 12.2 cents in FY23, translating into a forward yield of 4.9%.

Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co. Ltd (ASX: SOL)

This is an investment company that has been operating for decades. It’s invested in sectors such as building products, telecommunications, property, financial services, agriculture, resources, and so on.

With its focus on defensive, uncorrelated assets, the ASX dividend share receives good (and growing) cash flow from its investment portfolio and then uses the majority of that cash flow to pay a growing dividend.

It has grown its dividend every year since 2000. This is the longest-running dividend growth record on the ASX.

Using the ordinary annual dividend of 72 cents per share from FY22, it has a grossed-up dividend yield of 3.6%.

Metcash Limited (ASX: MTS)

This business has three pillars.

The food pillar is about being the supplier to independent supermarkets, predominantly IGAs.

Metcash also has a liquor business, where it supplies independent liquor retailers such as Cellarbrations, The Bottle-O, IGA Liquor, Porters Liquor, Thirsty Camel, Big Bargain Bottleshop, and Duncans.

Finally, the third pillar is hardware. It owns the brands Mitre 10, Total Tools, and Home Timber & Hardware.

I like the defensive parts of the business – food and liquor – which can offer resilient earnings. Additionally, I think the hardware business offers the most potential to deliver higher margins and earnings growth.

Metcash aims to pay out 70% of its underlying net profit as a dividend. In FY22, it paid an annual dividend of 21.5 cents per share, which translates into a grossed-up dividend yield of 7.8%.

Brickworks Limited (ASX: BKW)

Brickworks is another ASX dividend share with an impressive record. It hasn’t cut its dividend for more than four decades.

It is one of the largest building product manufacturers in Australia, with a leading position in bricks, and it also has other divisions such as roofing. Brickworks has also managed to achieve a market-leading position in the northeast of the US through acquisitions.

Brickworks also owns a sizeable chunk of Soul Pattinson, so it’s benefiting from the diversification and growing dividends from the investment company.

Finally, it has investments in property, including a growing industrial property trust that it owns half of, along with Goodman Group (ASX: GMG). The property trust is building quality industrial properties on excess Brickworks land. This can help grow rental profit and help fund higher dividends.

The current Brickworks grossed-up dividend yield is 4.3%.

The post How I’d invest in ASX dividend shares now to make a $50k passive income in retirement appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• How I’d aim to generate a growing passive income from dividend shares
• 4 ASX 200 shares trading ex-dividend next week
• 2 dirt cheap high yield ASX dividend shares to boost your income: analysts
• Out of all the ASX shares I own, this is my favourite. Here’s why
• Experts name 2 ASX dividend shares to buy with great yields

Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has positions in Brickworks, RURALFUNDS STAPLED, and Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Brickworks and Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Brickworks, RURALFUNDS STAPLED, and Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Metcash Limited. 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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On Tuesday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) fought hard to stay in positive territory but ended the day in the red. The benchmark index fell 4.7 points to 7,141.6 points.

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

ASX 200 expected to fall

The Australian share market looks set to edge lower on Wednesday following a volatile night on Wall Street. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 6 points or 0.1% lower this morning. In late trade on Wall Street, the Dow Jones is flat, the S&P 500 is up 0.7%, and the Nasdaq is up 1.4%. The Dow was up over 1% at one stage after US inflation came in softer than expected again.

Oil prices rise

Energy producers Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) and Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) could have a good day after oil prices pushed higher overnight. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is up 1.9% to US$87.47 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price has risen 1.5% to US$94.57 a barrel. Oil prices rose amid hopes that easing inflation could support demand.

Aristocrat results

The Aristocrat Leisure Limited (ASX: ALL) share price will be on watch today when the gaming technology company releases its full year results. According to a note out of Goldman Sachs, its analysts are expecting Aristocrat to deliver revenue of $5,654.2 million and a net profit of $1,072.0 million.

Gold price edges higher

Gold miners Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) will be on watch after the gold price edged higher overnight. According to CNBC, the spot gold price is up 0.1% to US$1,777.9 an ounce. Gold rose thanks to another softer than expected inflation reading.

CBA rated as a sell

Despite Australia’s largest bank delivering a stronger than expected first quarter update on Tuesday, Goldman Sachs still believes the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) share price is overvalued. This morning the broker reiterated its sell rating with an improved price target of $90.98. Goldman said: “Strong franchise not sufficiently differentiated to justify premium.”

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

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More reading

• Stressed about your ASX share portfolio? I’d take these 3 dead-simple steps to sleep easy
• Why did the Treasury Wine share price crack a new multi-year high on Tuesday?
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• It’s not all bad news for ASX All Ords shares on Tuesday. Here are some major winners
• ASX 200 bank shares: fundie picks winners and losers of the big four

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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“Investing is simple, but not easy.” Anyone who has attempted to add to their portfolio this year will likely have felt these words uttered by Warren Buffett deeply.

Even after the recent market rally, Australia’s pre-eminent benchmark — the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) — is down 6% since 21′ ticked over to 22′. Only 58 companies of the top 200 have escaped the red-painted perils of scorching hot inflation, blistering rate rises, and tectonic sentiment shifts. That means 71% of the biggest and most-established companies the ASX has to offer have delivered a negative return in 2022 so far.

What is most unsettling is that even highly regarded companies have experienced share price falls in excess of 20% during this time. Take the likes of REA Group Limited (ASX: REA), Sonic Healthcare Limited (ASX: SHL), and Domino’s Pizza Enterprises Ltd (ASX: DMP), which have descended by around 27%, 28%, and 48% respectively.

Sadly, these are the circumstances that can lead to restless nights. Hours lying awake, staring at the ceiling, pondering the possibilities of more financial pain. This is a telltale sign that some changes should be made to your ASX share portfolio.

Here are my three downright cinch ways to get the best shut-eye in a volatile market.

My 3 steps to sleeping like a baby in an ASX share sell-off

Ideally, these three actions would be taken prior to the share market being engulfed by selling. However, the second-best time is now.

1. Reassess your risk

Generally, if your ASX share portfolio is keeping you up at night there’s a good chance there’s a mismatch between the risk you’re comfortable with and the risk present in your investments.

It can be difficult, but the most valuable decision one can make in investing is to have an honest conversation with oneself. When it comes to understanding your risk tolerance, there are two important questions: What is your time horizon? And how much are you willing to lose?

Many will be tempted to overestimate their risk tolerance, justifying a higher potential return. However, it is critical to think about the answers honestly and sincerely. It can be helpful to pose the question differently, asking: if I invested X amount and it fell by Y percent, what difference would that make to my life, and am I okay with that?

Keep analysing those hypothetical scenarios until you reach one where you would be comfortable with the potential downside — your ASX share portfolio should reflect this.

2. Spread your portfolio

The temptation to go all-in on one or two supposed ‘guaranteed’ 100X ASX shares is always alluring. However, taking such an approach to investing greatly reduces the chances of capturing the magic of compounding.

In my opinion, there are two types of investors in the world: those who occasionally pick big losers, and those who don’t admit they do. The odds are you will experience a bad investment. Your mission is to ensure it doesn’t undo all your progress overall.

No matter how ‘sure’ of a moneymaker one ASX share might appear to be, diversification is of paramount importance. In short, avoid holding a significant portion of your personal wealth in any one equity investment.

Now, a ‘significant portion’ will differ from person to person, but a good rule of thumb is keeping a single position below 25%, for even the most risk-tolerant investors.

3. Lose the leverage, get rich slow

Leverage… Some people love it, some people hate it. I personally think that the expeditious path is rarely ever worth its associated risks.

If your ASX share portfolio is keeping you up at night, it’s probably a good time to do away with the debt. Not using leverage? Don’t even consider it if your non-geared portfolio is already giving you night terrors. Ultimately, the choice is yours. I can’t offer personal financial advice — though, I’d quote Buffett for my view here:

Never risk what you have and need for what you don’t have and don’t need.

Enjoy a more restful night!

The post Stressed about your ASX share portfolio? I’d take these 3 dead-simple steps to sleep easy appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Why did the Treasury Wine share price crack a new multi-year high on Tuesday?
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• It’s not all bad news for ASX All Ords shares on Tuesday. Here are some major winners
• Here are the 3 most traded ASX 200 shares on Tuesday
• Why is the Pilbara Minerals share price tumbling 10% on Tuesday?

Motley Fool contributor Mitchell Lawler has positions in Sonic Healthcare Limited. 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 Dominos Pizza Enterprises Limited, REA Group Limited, and Sonic Healthcare Limited. 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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This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

Facebook rebranded itself as Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) on Oct. 28, 2021. Since that fateful day, Meta’s stock declined more than 60% as it repeatedly disappointed its investors with its sluggish growth, feverish spending, and opaque plans for the future. Rising interest rates and other macro headwinds exacerbated that painful sell-off.

That crash stunned many investors who considered Meta to be reliable blue-chip tech stock. Let’s compare the main reasons to buy, sell, and hold Meta to see if this out-of-favor tech giant will finally bounce back in 2023.

The main reasons to sell Meta

Before we discuss Meta’s turnaround potential, we should review why its stock collapsed over the past year. First, the growth of its core advertising business stalled out for three main reasons: 1. Apple‘s (NASDAQ: AAPL) iOS update crippled its targeted ads; 2. ByteDance’s TikTok lured users and advertisers away from Facebook and Instagram; and 3. The macroeconomic headwinds disrupted the growth of the broader advertising market.

Meta aggressively invested in the expansion of Instagram Reels to counter TikTok, but it warned that those short videos would be more difficult to monetize than its Feed-based ads. But instead of streamlining its business to offset those costs, Meta doubled down on expanding its Reality Labs segment, which houses its virtual reality products. That segment’s revenue rose less than 3% year over year to $1.43 billion in the first nine months of 2022, but its operating loss widened from $6.89 billion to $9.44 billion. During last quarter’s conference call, Meta’s CFO Dave Wehner warned that the Reality Labs division’s operating losses would still “grow significantly year over year” in 2023 as it rolls out its next Quest headset. Wehner also estimated that Meta’s total expenses would rise from $85 billion-$87 billion in 2022 to $96 billion-$101 billion in 2023.

That toxic mix of slowing growth and rising expenses drove away the bulls. Analysts expect its revenue and earnings to drop 2% and 33%, respectively, this year. For 2023, they expect its revenue to rise 5% — but for its earnings to tumble another 15% as its expenses continue to climb. We should take those estimates with a grain of salt, but we should also recall that Meta’s insiders sold nearly four times as many shares as they bought over the past 12 months.

The main reasons to buy or hold Meta

The bulls believe Meta’s stock is a screaming bargain at 12 times forward earnings. That makes it the cheapest FAANG stock by a wide margin. They’ll also note that Meta’s recent decision to lay off 13% of its staff, or about 11,000 employees, indicates CEO Mark Zuckerberg is finally ready to make some tough calls to stabilize its near-term margins. In an open letter to his employees, Zuckerberg said Meta needed to “become more capital efficient” to cope with the “macroeconomic downturn, increased competition, and ads signal loss.” In addition to those layoffs, Zuckerberg said Meta was also “scaling back budgets, reducing perks, and shrinking our real estate footprint” as it prioritized the growth of its core businesses.

Those statements suggest that Meta will pour a lot less cash into its money-losing Reality Labs division while prioritizing the development of better first-party data mining services (which could reduce its dependence on third-party data from Apple or other operating system providers) and the expansion of Instagram Reels to keep pace with TikTok.

During Meta’s last conference call, Dave Wehner said the company was “working to close” the monetization gap between Reels and its higher-value Feed and Stories, but that it could take another 12 to 18 months to do so. That process could be accelerated significantly if the U.S. Government finally bans TikTok over its ties to the Chinese government.

Meta’s growth will likely remain sluggish over the next few quarters, but the worst-case scenario has arguably been priced in. Meanwhile, the potential tailwinds for the tech giant — including a revival of its ad business with first-party data, the downsizing (or complete shutdown) of Reality Labs, and a national ban on TikTok — aren’t reflected in its current valuation yet. If the market merely values Meta at 18 times forward earnings, its stock price could easily rise about 50%.

Which argument makes more sense?

I personally think it’s too late to sell Meta at these levels, especially if cooler inflation drives stocks higher over the next few months. Meanwhile, investors who already own Meta’s stock should probably simply hold it for a few more quarters and see if its business improves or deteriorates. However, I also think it’s still too risky to buy Meta’s stock before a few green shoots actually appear. Therefore, I believe Meta will be a stock to hold — instead of being too bearish or bullish on — in 2023.

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

The post Meta Platforms stock: Buy, sell, or hold in 2023? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Leo Sun has positions in Apple and Meta Platforms, Inc. Randi Zuckerberg, a former director of market development and spokeswoman for Facebook and sister to Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Apple and Meta Platforms, Inc. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended the following options: long March 2023 $120 calls on Apple and short March 2023 $130 calls on Apple. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Apple and Meta Platforms, Inc. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

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The AVZ Minerals Ltd (ASX: AVZ) share price was scheduled to return from its six-month suspension on Tuesday.

However, the lithium developer has still not finalised the legal wrangle that is holding up the finalisation of the mining and exploration rights for the Manono Lithium and Tin Project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

As a result, the company has requested that its shares remain suspended for a further 30 days. It commented:

The Company advises that the subject of the initial trading halt request remains incomplete and requests a further extension to the voluntary suspension until the commencement of trade on 15 December 2022 or an earlier announcement to the market regarding its mining and exploration rights for the Manono Project.

What’s actually happening?

AVZ is currently facing arbitration proceedings from China’s Jin Cheng Mining in relation to an ownership dispute.

Jin Cheng claims it owns a portion of the Manono Project, whereas AVZ denies this.

The company provided an update on matters last month. That update revealed that the DRC Tribunal granted a request by Dathomir Mining Resources for the interim suspension of the sale of a 15% interest in the Manono Lithium Project to AVZ.

AVZ believes this action is incorrect, stating: “AVZI duly completed each of the Dathomir SPAs in August 2021, including payment within the required time period, and thereby legally acquired a further 15% interest in Dathcom.”

Furthermore, as far as management is concerned, it “retains legal title to a 75% interest in the Manono Project and its pre-emptive rights over the balance of the Project.”

What’s next for AVZ?

On Thursday, the company is holding its annual general meeting in Perth.

It certainly will be interesting to see how shareholders vote on items such as the remuneration report.

Stay tuned for that!

The post AVZ Minerals trading halt extended again. What is going on? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• The trading halt on AVZ Minerals shares has been extended again. Here’s the latest
• 3 ASX mining shares that turned a $10,000 investment into $500,000
• AVZ share price remains on ice following legal update

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 Qantas Airways Limited (ASX: QAN) share price suffered some turbulence today. It managed to finish 0.2% higher, however, at one point it was down around 1.4%. But, it recovered during the afternoon.

To put that in context, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) ended the day down 0.1%.

Looking at some of the other air-related ASX shares, the Air New Zealand Limited (ASX: AIZ) share price rose by 0.7% and the Auckland International Airport Limited (ASX: AIA) share price climbed 0.6%.

I think it’s also interesting to note what happened with the oil and gas ASX shares because a higher oil price is a good thing for the oil businesses but not so good for the airlines, and vice versa when the oil price goes lower. Today, the Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) share price fell 1.4% and the Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) share price declined 0.3%.

Trouble ahead for the Qantas share price?

According to reporting by The Australian, the ASX travel share warned that existing “marginal” flight routes and services may be shut down if the current proposed industrial relations reform is passed. It was reported that Qantas claimed the change would “destroy demand” for flying because of higher costs.

In a submission to the Senate inquiry, Qantas said it would plunge the aviation sector back 40 years, which would mean a “cascade” of job losses and less flying. The airline said:

The Bill places at risk a vigorously competitive, efficient and innovative Australian aviation industry.

For the Qantas Group, it will almost certainly mean less flying because costs will rise and demand will be destroyed – particularly on marginal routes. This will result in less investment and fewer jobs in aviation, with a flow on effect for communities and tourism.

This is not catastrophising because we have seen a version of this before under Australia’s centralised wage-fixing model in the 1970s.

The airline suggested that multi-employer bargaining would essentially become industry-wide agreements that would “undermine the viability of many enterprises” according to reporting by The Australian.

Recent movements

Over the past month, the Qantas share price is flat. However, since the start of the year, the airline has seen a rise of 13%.

The post Why did the Qantas share price face headwinds today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Why did the Qantas share price have such a lousy start to the week?
• Are ASX share investors getting their mojo back?
• How does a weak Aussie dollar impact Qantas shares?
• Macquarie tips $800m buyback for Qantas shares
• Qantas boss says ‘we’re back’, but should you buy the ASX airline share?

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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Three ASX mining shares defied the sell-off in the materials sector on Tuesday.

The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) was today’s second-worst-performing sector index, losing 1.01% by market close. ASX 200 lithium shares were hit particularly hard, with the Core Lithium Ltd (ASX: CXO) share price dumping a massive 15.82% by the day’s end.

But back to our big-moving little miners, which also outperformed the broader market by a large margin. The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) didn’t move much at all today, finishing the session with a 0.07% loss.

Let’s uncover why these mining shares were off to the races on Monday.

Victory Goldfields Ltd (ASX: 1VG)

The Victory Goldfields share price finished Tuesday’s trade up by a sizeable 30.56%.

Earlier in the session, shares of the gold junior exploded over 70% after the company posted news regarding a new discovery of not gold, but rare earths (REE).

Victory Goldfields revealed the drilling results from its North Stanmore REE project located in Western Australia, which included high-grade heavy rare earth oxide (HREO) yields.

The discovery was described as being ‘significant’ as it’s up to 350% more valuable than previously reported deposits.

Victory Goldfields executive director Brendan Clark commented that the discovered grades and ratios “potentially make the discovery one of the most valuable ionic clay hosted rare earth systems compared to our peers based on our high basket price.”

Lycaon Resources Ltd (ASX: LYN)

The Lycaon Resources share price also gained an impressive 32.26% on Tuesday.

The mineral explorer announced this morning it had entered into a binding heads of agreement to acquire the Stansmore Carbonatite Project located northwest of Alice Springs.

Elements explored at the site are niobium and rare earths.

The company’s technical director, Thomas Langley, described the news as “an exciting opportunity for Lycaon”.

Lycaon Resources is a microcap ASX mining share with a market cap of just $14.5 million.

BBX Minerals Ltd (ASX: BBX)

Finally, BBX Minerals ended Tuesday’s trade up by 23.68%.

There was no news from the company today, but shares could be surging higher on the euphoria of yesterday’s announcement.

The mineral explorer reported that recent bioleaching test work had delivered impressive results. BBX Minerals reported that there was a “significant increase in reported precious metals following [the] bioleaching process”.

Further studies are underway that will include assay results using a larger sample size.

The technology will reportedly help with “metal extraction from low-grade ores and mineral concentrates”.

The post 3 ASX mining shares that surged over 20% Tuesday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Guess which ASX gold share just exploded 70% on a new rare earths find
• 3 tiny ASX shares that exploded over 30% on big news today

Motley Fool contributor Matthew Farley 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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