It’s been another good start for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) so far this Wednesday. At the time of writing, the ASX 200 has gained another 0.3%, building on yesterday’s strong showing to climb to around 7,226 points. But the same can’t be said for the Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) share price.

Westpac shares seem to have gotten out on the wrong side of the bed this morning. The ASX 200 bank share opened at $23.75 a share this morning after closing at $23.66 yesterday. At present, the Westpac share price is down by 1% at $23.42 each.

So what’s going on with Westpac today that’s leading the ASX 200 bank to lose so convincingly to the broader market?

Well, we have had some big news out of the bank this morning that could explain investors’ pessimism. You see, Westpac held its annual general meeting today. Although the tone of the AGM was generally upbeat, it did have some big moments.

Westpac chair to retire

The first was the announcement that Westpac chair John McFarlane intends to retire following Westpac’s 2023 AGM.

Here’s what McFarlane had to say on his retirement this morning:

Given the progress in turning around your company – I have advised the Board that I intend to retire at the conclusion of the 2023 AGM in December of next year. 

This delivers on my commitment to shareholders when I first took on the role in 2020 to create a leaner, more agile, and better performing Company. 

In addition to this news, Westpac CEO Peter King also sounded less optimistic about what the future holds for the Australian economy. Here’s what he said to investors about what the bank is expecting over the next 12 months:

There is no doubt that tighter monetary policy and slowing economic growth will impact some customers in the year ahead. We are prepared for this cycle given the quality of the loan portfolio and the strength of our balance sheet and provisioning…

We expect the combination of rising interest rates and the increase in cost of living to be felt more fully by consumers and businesses after Christmas. As I indicated earlier, we’re well placed to support customers through what will be a tougher period.

So hardly filling investors with confidence over what the next 12 months might bring. This could be what is weighing on investor sentiment this Wednesday.

Further, there has been a report of disruption at Westpac’s AGM.

Do shareholders get the last laugh?

According to a report in The Australian today, the AGM was “temporarily disrupted by a laughing protest” when McFarlane and King were outlining Westpac’s initiatives on climate change.

McFarlane was making remarks that outlined Westpac’s commitment to reducing emissions when some attendees reportedly started “breaking out with laughter”.

Some attendees were then “asked to leave” when they began laughing while King was addressing the same topic.

So all in all, it seems that perhaps a combination of these events may be leading investors to shun Westpac shares today.

At the current Westpac share price, this ASX 200 bank has a dividend yield of 5.33%.

The post Why is the Westpac share price wilting on Wednesday? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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 recommended Westpac Banking. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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The infrastructure space is an interesting area of potential opportunities for investors to look at, according to a leading fund manager.

Businesses that generate “stable long-term cash flows” could help diversify returns – that’s the view of Blackrock’s global head of alternatives, infrastructure and real estate, Anne Valentine Andrews. She likes infrastructure assets even with risks such as “governments imposing artificial price caps amid political pressure”.

Infrastructure company earnings are “often less tied to economic cycles than corporate assets. Contracts can be long-term and span decades. And infrastructure assets can help hedge against inflation, with fixed costs and prices linked to inflation.”

How could infrastructure deliver growth?

Blackrock believes there are opportunities in the infrastructure space. Andrews said:

From roads to airports and energy infrastructure, those assets are essential to industry and households alike.

Infrastructure has the potential to benefit from increased demand for capital over the long-term, powered by structural trends such as the energy crunch and digitalisation.

The fund manager also pointed to how World Bank data suggests that there’s a gap of about $1.5 trillion between existing investments and what’s needed to meet global infrastructure demand over coming decades.

What ASX shares could benefit?

After Sydney Airport was taken over, there are fewer options to look at, but I’ll note a couple of investments that are available to investors.

Transurban Group (ASX: TCL) is a multi-country toll road operator, owner and developer. It has toll roads in Australia and North America. The business is seeing traffic recovering from COVID impacts and toll fees are increasing faster because they are linked to inflation, which is currently elevated. This in turn can boost the distribution to investors.

The business is also working on new toll roads, which can boost cash flow in future years.

Despite higher interest rates, the Transurban share price is up slightly in 2022.

Magellan Infrastructure Fund (Currency Hedged) (ASX: MICH) is a fund that invests in infrastructure shares around the world.

It’s invested in various infrastructure sectors like airports, communications, toll roads, rail, energy infrastructure,  gas utilities, transmission distribution, integrated power and water utilities.

The fund is geographically diverse, with 41% invested in the USA, 27% in Europe, 13% in Asia Pacific, 12% in the UK, 2% in Canada and 5% in cash.

In terms of the actual names, these were the biggest positions in the portfolio at the end of November 2022 (in alphabetical order): American Tower Corporation, Atlas Arteria Group (ASX: ALX), Ferrovial, National Grid, Norfolk Southern Corporation, Sempra Energy, Transurban, United Utilities Group Plc, Vinci and Xcel Energy.

It has been a rough time for infrastructure shares as rising interest rates affect valuations, but the Magellan Infrastructure Fund share price has been recovering in recent months as confidence returns.

The post Could this quiet pocket of the market be an ASX index outperformer through inflation? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Here’s why the Transurban share price can ‘reap the benefits’: expert

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 American Tower. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended National Grid Plc. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Magellan Infrastructure Fund. 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 Medibank Private Ltd (ASX: MPL) share price is edging higher in morning trade, up 0.8% after opening 0.2% lower.

Shares in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) healthcare stock, Australia’s largest health insurer, closed yesterday trading for $2.97. Medibank shares are currently trading for $3 apiece.

While that’s no huge lift, the Medibank share price has managed a positive move this morning. That’s despite what looks to be the commencement of a class action lawsuit in regard to the massive 12 October data breach.

What’s happening with the data breach on the legal front?

As a quick recap, in October Russian-linked cybercriminals accessed the names, dates of birth, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses of 9.7 million current and former Medibank customers. They also hacked into the health claims data for some 480,000 customers.

The Medibank share price fell more than 20% over the following weeks in the wake of the cyberattack. The health insurer did not pay the ransom demands, and much of the stolen data was published on the dark web.

This morning the company reported that class action lawyers from Maurice Blackburn have lodged a representative complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commission (OAIC).

Medibank said that the OAIC has not yet been in contact about the complaint.

“The complaint includes allegations that Medibank has breached the Australian Privacy Principles and seeks compensation for individuals whose personal information was exposed as a consequence of the cybercrime,” the health insurer stated.

Medibank said it will continue to support its customers with the impact of the cybercrime through its previously announced Cyber Response Support Program. That program includes “mental health and wellbeing support, identity protection and financial hardship measures”.

The company also reiterated that it will continue to cooperate with the OAIC in this ongoing investigation.

Medibank share price snapshot

The Medibank share price remains down 15% since October’s massive data breach was revealed. As you can see in the chart below, shares are now down 13% year to date.

The post Medibank share price resilient as class action law suit hits appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Top ASX dividend shares to buy in December 2022
• Medibank share price slumps ahead of major shutdown and cybersecurity overhaul
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• Medibank share price lifts despite latest data dump to ‘dark web’

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

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It certainly has been a good year for BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) shares.

As you can see below, the mining giant’s shares have been in fine form, rising 11% since this time last year despite demerging its petroleum assets to Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS).

Following this strong gain, investors may be wondering if it is too late to buy BHP shares. Is it?

Two reasons to buy BHP shares

One key reason why BHP shares could still be a buy is the potential yield on offer over the next 12 months.

For example, according to a recent note out of Macquarie, its analysts are expecting a fully franked $2.87 per share dividend in FY 2023. Based on the latest BHP share price of $45.86, this represents an attractive 6.2% dividend yield.

Another reason is the iron ore price. While BHP has a diverse portfolio of assets, it still generates a significant proportion of its earnings from the steel making ingredient. So, with the iron ore price trading around US$110 a tonne, the Big Australian is generating significant free cash flow at present.

Macquarie notes that if spot prices remain elevated for longer, then its estimates could prove conservative. This could ultimately mean that BHP’s dividend yield in FY 2023 is even larger than forecast.

The broker currently has an outperform rating and $50.00 price target on its shares.

Two reasons to sell

Not everyone is as positive on BHP shares as Macquarie.

For example, a number of brokers have recently downgraded the miner’s shares to the equivalent of hold ratings.

One even went a step further, downgrading its shares to a sell rating. That broker was UBS, which has put a sell rating and $40.00 price target on its shares.

The broker believes now is the time to sell after a strong rally recently. Particularly given the tough macro backdrop. It commented:

The macro backdrop is still fragile with global growth slowing and China’s reopening challenging in winter, iron ore fundamentals are still weak, and the stock is expensive at normalized commodity prices with free cash flow yield less than 5% at $80/ton iron ore and $180/ton met-coal.

Another reason that BHP shares could be a sell is the value on offer from other mining shares.

With many brokers saying that BHP share price has now peaked, they appear to believe that investors should be focusing on better value options in the sector.

For example, Morgans recently downgraded BHP to a hold rating and kept South32 Ltd (ASX: S32) on its best ideas list with an add rating and $5.30 price target. This implies potential upside of 30% for investors over the next 12 months.

That’s food for thought for investors.

The post BHP shares: 2 reasons to buy, and 2 to sell appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Why did the BHP share price get hammered on Tuesday?
• 2 ASX 200 dividend heavyweights to buy and hold until you retire
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• Top ASX dividend shares to buy in December 2022

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 in shares can be an incredibly lucrative path to wealth. Apart from property, there has been no asset class capable of delivering top-tier returns to investors over a long period of time.

But investing in shares is also a risky business. Doing it the wrong way can destroy an investor’s capital. So if you want to invest in shares, you need to be able to answer this one question: ‘Am I a long-term investor?’

At its core, buying a share means you are buying an ownership stake in a business. You aren’t trading a ticker code, you’re investing in a company.

The legendary investor Warren Buffett once said that “If you aren’t willing to own a stock for 10 years, don’t even think about owning it for 10 minutes”.

He also said, “the most important quality for an investor is temperament, not intellect”.

It’s a long-term attitude that Buffett is talking about here.

Successful ASX share investors focus on the long term

Making money from ASX shares requires an investor to ignore what the market is doing on a day-to-day, or month-to-month basis.

Shares are volatile, and the market is temperamental If you’re the kind of investor who gets spooked and sells out when your shares fall in value. It will be very hard to make money over the long term.

Buffett famously likes to ‘be greedy when others are fearful’, and he has not become a multi-billionaire by following the crowd.

This is the attitude that leads to long-term wealth creation from the share market. Remember, just leaving your cash in an ASX shares index fund has historically gotten investors around an 8% annual return over the past 20 years.

If you want that kind of return, all you have to do is buy your index fund and leave it alone. That way, you can harness the power of compound interest in all of its glory.

Yet many retail investors don’t even achieve those kinds of returns. The best way to kneecap your gains is by trying to time the markets by jumping in and out of shares.

Look at most successful share market investors, and you’ll see that the vast majority follow the rules that Buffett has set down over his very long and profitable career. So if you don’t have a long-term mindset, ASX shares are probably not the best path for you to take.

The post Don’t invest in ASX shares unless you can answer this question appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Looking for bear market bargains? 3 ASX shares to buy before 2023
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• Prediction: 2 ASX shares I think could soar 1,000% in the next 10 years
• Stock market millionaire: I’d put $500 a month into the ASX 200 to aim for 7 figures
• Analysts expect 6% yields from these ASX dividend shares in 2023

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 National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) share price is trading lower on Wednesday.

In morning trade, the banking giant’s shares are down 0.35% to $30.68.

Though, there’s a couple of reasons that shareholders won’t be too disappointed with this.

The first is that despite today’s decline, as you can see below, the NAB share price is still up 8% over the last 12 months.

This compares favourably to the the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO), which is down 2% over the same period.

NAB dividend

Another reason shareholders won’t be too downhearted today is the NAB dividend.

Last month, NAB released its full year results for the 12 months ended 30 September and reported cash earnings of $7,104 million. This represents an increase of 8.3% year over year.

Management advised that this reflects strong earnings growth from its Business & Private Banking and Corporate & Institutional Banking businesses, which offset an earnings decline from the Personal Banking business.

This robust performance allowed the NAB board to declare a fully franked final dividend of 78 cents per share, which was an increase of 16.4% over last year’s final dividend. This took NAB’s full year dividend to a fully franked 151 cents per share.

The good news for shareholders is that NAB’s fully franked final dividend of 78 cents per share should be hitting their bank accounts today. (Unless they chose to take advantage of the bank’s dividend reinvestment program.)

Should you buy shares?

Despite smashing the market this year, Goldman Sachs still sees plenty of upside ahead for the NAB share price. It currently has a buy rating and $35.41 price target on its shares.

This implies potential upside of 15.4% for investors over the next 12 months.

As for dividends, Goldman expects the NAB dividend to increase to 173 cents per share in FY 2023. This will mean a generous 5.6% fully franked yield, stretching the total potential return to 21%.

The post The NAB dividend is being dished out today. Here’s the lowdown appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Could the VAS ETF outperform the BHP share price in 2023?
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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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There are a number of ASX shares that have achieved very strong returns over the past decade. It’s hard to decide which names could go on to become large winners.

Some businesses have managed to achieve big things by becoming leading players, such as Altium Limited (ASX: ALU), Pro Medicus Ltd (ASX: PME), Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) and Australian Ethical Investment Ltd (ASX: AEF).

If I had a crystal ball, it would probably tell me that there aren’t going to be many ASX shares that go on to produce returns of 1,000% over the next decade. However, if I had to pick two that already have market caps of more than $100 million, I’d go for these two.

Airtasker Ltd (ASX: ART)

Airtasker currently has a market capitalisation of $148 million according to the ASX. This business describes itself as “Australia’s leading online marketplace for local services, connecting people and businesses who need work done with people who want to work”.

The business is growing at a strong pace in my opinion. In the first quarter of FY23, the Airtasker platform saw 36% revenue growth to $8 million. Including the acquired Oneflare marketplace revenue, it saw total revenue growth of 80% to $10.5 million.

A key part of the plan is the ASX share’s international growth. Australia is a great country, but the United Kingdom and United States represent very large addressable markets. In the first quarter of FY23, UK gross marketplace volume (GMV) jumped 68% year over year to £4.2 million annualised. While US posted tasks increased 4.7x year over year to 13,000.

I think there is a huge opportunity if Airtasker can keep growing in the US and UK at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 30% over the next decade. Markets like Canada and South Africa would be natural markets to extend into.

The business has a gross profit margin of more than 90%, so new revenue is very profitable for Airtasker. It can invest heavily for growth in the coming years thanks to that strong profit margin, hopefully enabling a strong return. An increase in average task price can also help grow revenue, so it’s an interesting idea in an inflationary environment.

With the Airtasker share price down 60% in 2022, I think it’s at a great value starting point to grow from here.

Bubs Australia Ltd (ASX: BUB)

Bubs is a nutrition business that offers a number of products including A2 beta-casein protein infant formula, organic grass-fed infant formula, goat milk infant formula, organic baby food and more.

This business is also growing revenue at an impressive rate. In the first quarter of FY23, it saw group gross revenue growth of 28% to $23.6 million. Infant formula gross revenue went up 109% year over year.

The ASX share is seeing its market share increase in Australian retail, and its growing infant formula sales come with an attractive gross profit margin.

Bubs is building retail partnerships with a number of e-commerce players, including Amazon.com which just invited Bubs to be a “direct retailer under first-party (1P) relationship”.

Chinese daigou revenue is growing at a double-digit pace and this bodes well for ongoing penetration in that huge market.

In the US, it has managed to achieve a total market share of 0.4%, or 9%, of the organic/health formula category in its first 13 weeks of operations. That’s as it tries to help address the formula shortage in that country.

I’m not expecting Bubs to become a giant business. But, with a starting market cap of $224 million, it just needs to steadily grow its geographic reach to do well, in my opinion.

The Bubs share price has fallen 54% since mid-August. Just getting back to that level would represent a rise of more than 100%.

The post Prediction: 2 ASX shares I think could soar 1,000% in the next 10 years appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Why this one top fund manager is optimistic about 2023, and one little-known IPO that has hit it out of the park
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Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended Airtasker. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Bubs Australia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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I’m sure many readers dream of becoming a millionaire.

In fact, having a seven-figure cash balance is such a popular dream, Eddie Maguire has been hosting a game show with the aim of winning a million dollars each weekday for years.

But what if you didn’t need a healthy dose of general knowledge and Eddie to reach this goal? What if you could do it yourself?

Well, the good news, sorry Eddie, is that you don’t need a game show to make a million dollars. You can do this by investing in the share market.

How much do you need to invest to make a million?

In order to grow an investment portfolio to seven figures, I would invest $500 a month into ASX 200 shares.

Doing this consistently and letting the power of compounding work its magic, would see your portfolio grow materially over a long enough period if the market generates returns in line with historical averages.

Over the last 30 years, according to Fidelity, the Australian share market has generated an average return of 9.6% per annum for investors. And while there is no guarantee that it will do the same over the next 30 years, I’m optimistic that it will.

After all, this level of return is in line with what we have seen historically on Wall Street over the last century.

Based on this level of return, you would need just a touch over 30 years to become a stock market millionaire by investing $500 a month into ASX 200 shares.

You could even get there sooner if you can beat the market return. While this is certainly no easy feat, I believe investing in high-quality companies with strong business models and positive long-term growth outlooks enhances your chances of doing so.

For this reason, I would build a diverse portfolio filled with top-quality ASX 200 shares such as Altium Limited (ASX: ALU), CSL Limited (ASX: CSL), and Xero Limited (ASX: XRO), to name just a few.

The post Stock market millionaire: I’d put $500 a month into the ASX 200 to aim for 7 figures appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• CSL share price slumps as new CEO appointed
• Is now really the time to buy ASX 200 shares?
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• CSL share price on watch as CEO announces retirement

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Altium, CSL, and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Altium, CSL, and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Xero. 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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Are you looking for dividend shares to buy? Listed below are two high yield ASX dividend shares that analysts rate highly.

Here’s why they are bullish on them:

Charter Hall Long WALE REIT (ASX: CLW)

The first high yield ASX dividend share that has been named as a buy is Charter Hall Long Wale REIT.

The Charter Hall Long Wale REIT is a property company focused on high quality real estate assets that are leased to corporate and government tenants on long term leases.

Analysts at Citi are positive on the company due to its “low risk income stream with c. 12 year WALE and 99.9% occupancy.”

The broker is also expecting Charter Hall Long Wale REIT to provide investors with some very attractive dividend yields in the near term. Citi is forecasting dividends per share of 28 cents in FY 2023 and 29 cents in FY 2024. Based on the current Charter Hall Long Wale REIT share price of $4.49, this will mean yields of 6.2% and 6.45%, respectively.

Citi currently has a buy rating and $4.70 price target on its shares.

Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC)

Another high yield ASX dividend share that has been tipped as a buy is banking giant Westpac.

Thanks to rising interest rates and the bank’s major cost cutting plans, it has been tipped to generate solid earnings growth in the coming years. This is expected to underpin some big dividends for investors.

For example, Goldman Sachs is forecasting fully franked dividends per share of 148.4 cents in FY 2023 and 160 cents in FY 2024. Based on the current Westpac share price of $23.66, this will mean yields of 6.3% and 6.75%, respectively.

Goldman also sees plenty of upside potential for the shares of Australia’s oldest bank. It currently has a conviction buy rating and $27.60 price target on them.

The post Analysts expect 6% yields from these ASX dividend shares in 2023 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

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This year has been a tough one for the Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd (ASX: FLT) share price. The stock has been weighed down amid its soaring short interest and revenue margin concerns.

Meanwhile, however, the company’s business has picked up. And leading its recovery is, well, business.

The travel agent’s corporate travel business has outperformed recently, recording record total transaction value (TTV) in September and October as its monthly revenue nears pre-COVID levels.

Global managing director of Flight Centre’s Corporate Traveller division Tom Walley believes such trends with continue in 2023. Indeed, the insider is hopeful corporations might even implement policies to encourage business travel in the new year.

Right now, the Flight Centre share price is $15.35. That’s 18% lower than it was at the start of 2022. For comparison, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has fallen 5% year to date.

In more good news for Flight Centre fans, Walley isn’t alone in his bullishness. One fundie is also tipping green skies for the travel favourite.

Eyeing Flight Centre shares? Here’s what 2023 could bring

Fans of Flight Centre shares have likely suffered a disappointing 2022. Fortunately, things might be looking up for the ASX 200 company.

Walley commented on what he expects from its corporate business in 2023, saying:

Flight Centre’s corporate divisions, including Corporate Traveller, recovered healthily in the 2022 financial year.

From next year, I’m forecasting the business travel industry will continue capitalising on its post-COVID growth and success as businesses and their employees gain more confidence to return to the office and the skies.

Such hopes might have inspired confidence in fundies.

Evans & Partners recently initiated coverage of Flight Centre shares, labelling the stock positive, The Australian reports.

What else might the travel industry face in 2023?

Beyond the company itself, Walley tips Aussie airfares to plateau then fall next year, driven by Regional Express Holdings Ltd (ASX: REX)’s entrance in the East Coast’s ‘golden triangle’.

International airfares, however, might not ease until Chinese carriers return to the skies. The insider thinks that will occur in the first half, with capacity reaching 90% of pre-COVID levels by the middle of the year.

Walley also tips business travel to return for middle management in 2023 while businesses are expected to book travel further in advance amid fewer COVID concerns.

Finally, Walley expects more ‘work from anywhere’ policies will encourage executives to take working holidays to meet other teams. The policies will likely double as a bid to retain talent amid a tight labour market, he says.

The post Looking to buy Flight Centre shares? Here’s why this insider tips 2023 to be a big year for business appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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 no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Flight Centre Travel Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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