Three ASX mining shares with tiny market capitalisations are rocketing this afternoon, helping to lift the materials sector into the green on Monday.

The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) is one of the best performers today, up 0.48% at the time of writing.

Investors might hope that positive developments like these and others will help give the broader market some buoyancy, as the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is currently slipping 0.12%.

Let’s cover which small-cap companies are helping to boost today’s sentiment to higher levels.

Tempus Resources Ltd (ASX: TMR)

The Tempus Resources share price is up 8.47% trading at 6.4 cents at the time of writing today.

This morning the gold exploration company announced that it had intersected 1,572 grams of gold per tonne at its Elizabeth Project in Southern British Columbia.

The company advised that drill-hole EZ-22-09 returned “bonanza” grades including the “best intersection ever encountered at Elizabeth Gold Project”. It has found high-grade assays over widths of up to 1.05m in multiple intersections.

Tempus Resources CEO Jason Bahnsen commented on the results:

Assays announced today confirm the presence of more high and bonanza grade gold in the Blue Vein. The visible gold observed in the core for drill-hole #9, as reported on 7 July, has assayed approximately 50oz of gold per tonne over 0.20 metres, our highest grade intersection from the project to date.

This drill hole intersected the vein approximately 15 metres below the previously announced EZ-22-03 drill hole, showing vertical continuity of the high grade zone. All seven drill holes reported today intersected the Blue Vein at multiple points further supporting the model for stacked vein mineralisation throughout the Blue Vein structure.

The company has completed 30 drill holes to date, with a further 20 pending assay results.

Meeka Metals Ltd (ASX: MEK)

The Meeka Metals share price is also having a good run today after a recent discovery.

Shares in the rare earth miner are up 2.9% at 7.1 cents after touching an intraday high of 7.5 cents in early trading. This comes after the company posted assay results from its Circle Valley site in Western Australia, which included high grades of neodymium (NdPr) and scandium (Sc).

Meeka Metals managing director Tim Davidson had this to say about the discovery:

Results continue to show a shallowing cover profile at the northwest of Circle Valley, corresponding with a +1,000ppm high-grade component of the rare earth mineralisation, rich in NdPr magnet rare earth elements.

This shallow high-grade mineralisation appears to trend northwest into an undrilled part of Circle Valley, which will be a focus for Mineral Resource infill drilling commencing in early 2023.

Sarytogan Graphite Ltd (ASX: SGA)

Shares in Sarytogan are up 2.5% trading at 41 cents apiece in afternoon trading.

The graphite exploration company posted drilling results from its Sarytogan Graphite Deposit located in Kazakhstan this morning.

“Thick-high grade graphite intercepts” were reported, which included 133.9 metres of graphite mineralisation at its ST-71 hole.

The company advised further assay results were pending, with drilling at the site on track to be completed by November this year.

Sarytogan managing director Sean Gregory commented:

These exceptional drilling results are continuing to expand what is already a giant graphite deposit. Sarytogan’s systematic approach is characterising the entire deposit area to identify the best location to be selected for future mining studies.

The post 3 tiny ASX mining shares leaping higher on new discoveries appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

(function() {
function setButtonColorDefaults(param, property, defaultValue) {
if( !param || !param.includes(‘#’)) {
var button = document.getElementsByClassName(“pitch-snippet”)[0].getElementsByClassName(“pitch-button”)[0];
button.style[property] = defaultValue;
}
}

setButtonColorDefaults(“#0095C8”, ‘background’, ‘#5FA85D’);
setButtonColorDefaults(“#0095C8”, ‘border-color’, ‘#43A24A’);
setButtonColorDefaults(“#fff”, ‘color’, ‘#fff’);
})()

More reading

• Here are the 3 most heavily traded ASX 200 shares on Monday
• 3 ASX mining shares going gangbusters on Monday
• 3 ASX energy stocks up more than 100% so far this year
• Here’s why the Australian Pacific Coal share price is sinking 15% today
• Qantas share price dips despite performance lift

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.

from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/epWMEYO

The ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) is lifting 0.66% today, but three ASX mining shares are rocketing far higher.

Demetallica Ltd (ASX: DRM), Lake Resources N.L. (ASX: LKE) and Petratherm Ltd (ASX: PTR) shares are all rising.

So why are these ASX mining shares surging?

Demetallica

The Demetallica share price is exploding 40% today on the back of takeover news. AIC Mines Limited (ASX: A1M) is proposing to acquire Demetallica. AIC Mines is offering Demetallica shareholders one AIC Mines share for every 1.5 Demetallica shares.

Demetallica’s Jericho deposit at the Chimera Polymetal Project is adjacent to AIC Mines’ Eloise copper mine. AIC Mines managing director Aaron Colleran said “combining these assets will provide the quickest and most efficient means of developing and mining the Jericho deposit”.

Lake Resources

Lake Resources shares are soaring 13% today. The lithium miner’s shares are rocketing following news of the Kachi Lithium Project in Argentina. Following a recent dispute on key milestones with project partner Lilac Solutions, Lake advised all parties are now confident that on-site operations will be successful.

Dry commissioning of the demonstration plant started last Wednesday. Wet commissioning is expected by this Thursday, while onsite processing of Kachi brines is forecast to start in the first week of October. Lake is also advancing offtake discussions, with new appointments to the Lake board also at the final stages of consideration.

Petratherm

Petratherm shares are soaring nearly 19% today. Petratherm is exploring multiple projects including the Comet Rare Earth Element (REE) and gold project and Muckanippie REE project in South Australia.

Petratherm has not released any price-sensitive news today. However, the company has re-released its company presentation, “critical mineral portfolio positioned for growth” with a slight modification. In the presentation, Petratherm highlights its recent exploration results and projects. Petratherm said:

The company is in a strong position with the discovery of major high-grade rare earth occurrences at shallow depth in the Northern Gawler Craton of South Australia and is working towards defining initial JORC Resources over the coming months.

The post 3 ASX mining shares going gangbusters on Monday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

(function() {
function setButtonColorDefaults(param, property, defaultValue) {
if( !param || !param.includes(‘#’)) {
var button = document.getElementsByClassName(“pitch-snippet”)[0].getElementsByClassName(“pitch-button”)[0];
button.style[property] = defaultValue;
}
}

setButtonColorDefaults(“#0095C8”, ‘background’, ‘#5FA85D’);
setButtonColorDefaults(“#0095C8”, ‘border-color’, ‘#43A24A’);
setButtonColorDefaults(“#fff”, ‘color’, ‘#fff’);
})()

More reading

• Here are the 3 most heavily traded ASX 200 shares on Monday
• 3 ASX All Ordinaries shares having a cracking Monday
• Why is the Lake Resources share price rocketing 19%?
• Here are the 10 most shorted ASX shares
• Here are the 3 most heavily traded ASX 200 shares on Friday

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 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.

from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/pKkaOtI

It’s been the year to be invested in energy with global events sending energy commodity prices soaring. And plenty of ASX energy stocks have benefited from their rise.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine saw oil, gas, and coal prices rocket as many nations placed sanctions on exports from the major energy producer.

Now, European nations are stocking up on energy resources ahead of the upcoming winter while India aims to fill its coal inventories, as my Fool colleague Aaron reports.

All this, and more, has seemingly bolstered sentiment for ASX energy stocks.

Indeed, the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) is the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO)’s top-performing sector of the year so far. It’s gained 29% compared to the broader index’s 11% fall.

But which shares have received the most love from the market? Here are three that have more than doubled since the start of this year.

These ASX energy stocks have gained more than 100% in 2022

Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX: WHC)

The Whitehaven Coal share price has taken off in 2022, rocketing to new all-time highs.

At the time of writing, stock in the ASX energy giant is trading at $8.39. That’s 221% higher than it was at the start of the year – certainly nothing to scoff at.

The company also posted $4.92 billion in revenue for financial year 2022 – a 216% year-on-year improvement – while its after-tax profits surged to a record $1.95 billion.

Yancoal Australia Ltd (ASX: YAL)  

Takeover target Yancoal has also seen its share price surge 121% since the start of 2022. It’s trading at $6.14 at the time of writing. And there’s been plenty of drama in the company’s camp this year.

On top of outside influences, Yancoal has battled a takeover offer flagged by its parent company and majority shareholder Yankuang Energy Group. The Chinese company said it intended to put forward a bid worth $5.07 per share in May.

The company’s board hit back, saying it wouldn’t support such an offer. After a period of back and forth, the bid was binned.

Yancoal’s earnings also surged 677% in the first half to reach approximately $3.1 billion while its after-tax profits rocketed a whopping 1,247% to $1.7 billion.

New Hope Corporation Limited (ASX: NHC)

In its peer’s footsteps, the New Hope share price has lifted 146% year to date to trade at $5.48 today.

The ASX energy stock is a pure-play coal producer. Thus, the same tailwinds that have driven stock in Whitehaven and Yancoal have likely inflated its wings as well.

The post 3 ASX energy stocks up more than 100% so far this year appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

(function() {
function setButtonColorDefaults(param, property, defaultValue) {
if( !param || !param.includes(‘#’)) {
var button = document.getElementsByClassName(“pitch-snippet”)[0].getElementsByClassName(“pitch-button”)[0];
button.style[property] = defaultValue;
}
}

setButtonColorDefaults(“#43B02A”, ‘background’, ‘#5FA85D’);
setButtonColorDefaults(“#43B02A”, ‘border-color’, ‘#43A24A’);
setButtonColorDefaults(“#fff”, ‘color’, ‘#fff’);
})()

More reading

• 5 ASX energy shares powering portfolios with the highest dividend yields
• Own Whitehaven shares? Here’s some good news on your dividends
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Why are ASX 200 coal shares breaking records yet again?
• Whitehaven share price rallies to new all-time high 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 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.

from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/HgxWwOi

The Australian Pacific Coal Ltd (ASX: AQC) share price is sinking 15.32% lower in afternoon trade on Monday.

Shares in the mining and exploration company were soaring 10% higher earlier in the day, though started to tread lower from midday.

The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) has also had a positive start to the week, up 0.6%.

Australian Pacific Coal’s shares are faltering amid an update on its non-binding indicative proposal with Tetra Resources and Javelin Private Capital, originally announced on 14 September.

If it goes as planned, the proposal will see Tetra Resources and Australian Pacific Coal have a 40% and 60% split of the Dartbrook coal project. The agreement also involves a debt moratorium agreement with Australian Pacific Coal and its major shareholder, Trepang Services Pty Ltd, and a marketing agreement between Javelin and the joint venture participants.

Let’s cover the highlights of what was announced today.

Trepang Services greenlights Dartbrook joint venture proposal

Australian Pacific Coal announced that Trepang Services has approved the proposal for its Dartbrook joint venture, which was one of the prerequisites for moving forward.

It was also announced that Trepang is ready to place a moratorium on Trepang’s associates’ (Trepang Parties’) outstanding debts and that the debt funding will continue for Australian Pacific Coal.

One caveat for the debt moratorium is that the joint venture moves ahead as planned. Trepang will reportedly withdraw its moratorium offer and further debt funding if the agreement falls apart.

Australian Pacific Coal described the offer as “restrictive” and is currently weighing its options. The company notes that it believes progression with the Pacific Premium Coal proposal would be better for shareholders.

Australian Pacific Coal received an offer from Pacific Premium Coal on 7 September. The proposal would see approximately $100 million raised through a 5.83 for 1 pro-rata entitlement offer, with shares offered at 34 cents apiece.

What did management say?

The offer received from the Trepang Parties is therefore restrictive since it does not, amongst other things, provide the Company with the opportunity to consider all of the other proposals before it (including the Pacific Premium Coal proposal) which may be, if they were able to be progressed, in the best interests of shareholders.

The Company is currently considering its position with respect to the advice provided by the Trepang Parties. The Company also still awaits a formal response from the Trepang Parties regarding the Pacific Premium Coal proposal.

Australia Pacific also said:

The Board does have a general concern that the Tetra/Javelin Proposal would see the Company or its Dartbrook project being burdened with additional debt, without its existing debt being paid off first. The Company has engaged a third-party financial adviser who is assisting the Board in their independent assessment of proposals that have been received.

Another bid for its Dartbrook coal project was received on August 24, which was put forth by Naveko Pty Ltd. The offer included an equity subscription of 19.97% of Australian Pacific Coal’s shares for a total of $3.78 million and a takeover bid for 30 cents per share.

Australian Pacific Coal share price snapshot

The Australian Pacific Coal share price is up 250% year to date. Meanwhile, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is down 9.6% over the same period.

The company’s market capitalisation is $31.3 million.

The post Here’s why the Australian Pacific Coal share price is sinking 15% today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

(function() {
function setButtonColorDefaults(param, property, defaultValue) {
if( !param || !param.includes(‘#’)) {
var button = document.getElementsByClassName(“pitch-snippet”)[0].getElementsByClassName(“pitch-button”)[0];
button.style[property] = defaultValue;
}
}

setButtonColorDefaults(“#0095C8”, ‘background’, ‘#5FA85D’);
setButtonColorDefaults(“#0095C8”, ‘border-color’, ‘#43A24A’);
setButtonColorDefaults(“#fff”, ‘color’, ‘#fff’);
})()

More reading

• Australian Pacific Coal share price soars 331% in a month. What’s going on?
• Here are 2 ASX mining shares that went absolutely gangbusters today
• Australian Pacific Coal share price surges 28% on takeover news
• Why has this ASX energy share surged 196% since the start of the week
• Guess which little-known ASX coal share just rocketed 100%

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.

from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/Y9ajOby

The Qantas Airways Limited (ASX: QAN) share price is having an underwhelming start to the week.

In afternoon trade, the airline operator’s shares are down 1% to $5.25.

What’s going on with the Qantas share price?

Investors appears to have been selling down the Qantas share price on Monday due to weakness in the US airline industry on Friday night amid recession concerns.

The likes of American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines all dropped deep into the red on Wall Street at the end of last week.

It is worth noting that it isn’t just Qantas that is falling today. The Air New Zealand Limited (ASX: AIZ) share price is down 2% at the time of writing.

Unfortunately, this industry weakness has offset the release of a positive update by Qantas this morning.

What did Qantas announce?

According to the release, Qantas’ operational performance has continued to improve towards pre-COVID levels, with flight delays, cancellations, and mishandled bag rates all falling in the first two weeks of September.

The release reveals that the company’s on time performance has improved from 52% of flights on time in July, to 67% in August, and now 71% between 1-14 September.

Another positive is that flight cancellations have reduced to just 2% during the month so far. This is down from 7.5% in June, 6.2% in July, and 4% in August. Importantly, the current figure is below pre-COVID levels.

Finally, mishandled bags are at 6 per 1000 passengers overall and at 5 per 1000 for domestic flights, which is at pre-COVID levels. That’s despite there being an increase in the average number of bags checked in per passenger compared to pre-COVID, reflecting the strong rebound in leisure travel.

However, Qantas acknowledges that with school holidays, long weekends, and football finals coming up, its performance will be tested by high levels of demand at peak times.

The post Qantas share price dips despite performance lift appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

(function() {
function setButtonColorDefaults(param, property, defaultValue) {
if( !param || !param.includes(‘#’)) {
var button = document.getElementsByClassName(“pitch-snippet”)[0].getElementsByClassName(“pitch-button”)[0];
button.style[property] = defaultValue;
}
}

setButtonColorDefaults(“#43B02A”, ‘background’, ‘#5FA85D’);
setButtonColorDefaults(“#43B02A”, ‘border-color’, ‘#43A24A’);
setButtonColorDefaults(“#fff”, ‘color’, ‘#fff’);
})()

More reading

• Qantas share price outperforms as Virgin eyes merger opportunities
• How this fundie is beating the ASX 300 without fossil fuels
• Qantas share price lifts 3% following Wednesday’s rout
• While the Qantas share price is stalling, Rex is surging 5%. What’s happening?
• What’s the growth runway for Qantas shares in the coming year?

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.

from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/UjoPXw0

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.

With the stock market falling throughout much of 2022, investors are rediscovering the risk involved in investing. The unfortunate truth is that your money is always at risk of some sort of loss, whether it’s invested or not. As a result, it’s critically important to put parts of your money to work in different ways in order to create an end-to-end portfolio that works better for you. You can’t eliminate risk entirely, but you can manage it in a way that improves your overall chances for success.

If you want to make your overall portfolio more resilient, you need to put some sort of risk management front and center in your plan. Individually, the investments called out below may not seem like much, but together, these three choices get your overall portfolio that much closer to unstoppable, even in this market.

No. 1: Cash

It might seem strange to consider cash unstoppable, particularly in an era when inflation keeps running hot. Despite that challenge, cash has one key advantage over other asset classes: It’s what you use to pay your bills. On top of that, it’s the yardstick against which other assets are measured. As a result, as awful as cash’s performance has been when measured against inflation this year, it has far beaten investing in the stock market.

Of course, if cash beats stocks over the long haul, then we all have much bigger things to worry about. As a result, while it’s important to have some cash, it’s also important to not overdo it. A good guideline is to have enough cash to pay your bills, plus about three to six months’ worth of costs in an emergency fund in case you face one of those unfortunate “life happens” moments.

Much more than that, and you’ll be at risk of having too much of your money over-exposed to inflation. Much less, and you’ll be at greater risk of being forced to sell your stocks while they’re down to cover an unexpected expense.

No. 2: High-quality bonds

If you’ve got bills you expect to pay from your portfolio within the next five or so years, stocks can be an incredibly dangerous place for that money. After all, if the market goes down (like it has in 2022) and you’re depending on selling your stocks to cover your bills, then you’ll be forced to liquidate that many more shares to cover your costs.

For money you’ll need in the near term, bonds have some key advantages over stocks. First, typical bonds have predictable payments — regular interest payments at published dates, followed by a principal repayment at maturity. That makes bonds far more suitable than stocks for duration matching — turning an investment into cash just before you need it.

In addition, bond payments take priority over stocks. If a company fails to make a scheduled bond payment, it typically leads to bankruptcy — and potentially the company’s assets being turned over to those bond holders. As a result, if a company can make its bond payments, it is likely that it will make its bond payments.

Still, a company’s ability to make its bond payments depends on a combination of its balance sheet strength and its ability to generate cash. So keep an eye out on those, and stick with companies that look capable of continuing to make those payments to improve your chances of your bond investments being truly unstoppable.

Of course, the key downside of bonds is that with generally fixed cash flows and a known lifespan, their total returns are typically limited as well. As a result, while they can often provide better returns than cash for those near-term needs, bonds are not often great long-term wealth-building tools.

No. 3: Broad-based stock index funds

Despite the challenges we are seeing in 2022, there are good reasons to believe that stocks will continue to provide a great vehicle for building wealth over the long term. When it comes to stock investing, over time, low-cost, broad-based stock index funds tend to outperform actively managed mutual funds. That makes broad-based stock index funds an incredibly powerful investment choice for long-term money.

Nevertheless, as 2022 reminds us, the stock market can go down as well as up. That’s why stocks — as unstoppable as they may be over the long haul — aren’t where you want to keep money you need to spend in the near term.

Put them all together for a far stronger portfolio

On their own, cash, bonds, and stocks each have trade-offs and risks that mean they’re not really suited to be the only investment vehicle you use. Put them together with an eye toward when you need the money you’re saving, however, and they each become foundational elements of a much more unstoppable portfolio.

If you’re ready to put the pieces together for yourself, there’s no time like the present to get started. Make it a priority today, and accelerate the date that your end-to-end portfolio has a better chance of meeting your needs when you need it to.

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

The post 3 unstoppable investments everyone needs in their portfolio appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

(function() { function setButtonColorDefaults(param, property, defaultValue) { if( !param || !param.includes(‘#’)) { var button = document.getElementsByClassName(“pitch-snippet”)[0].getElementsByClassName(“pitch-button”)[0]; button.style[property] = defaultValue; } } setButtonColorDefaults(“#43B02A”, ‘background’, ‘#5FA85D’); setButtonColorDefaults(“#43B02A”, ‘border-color’, ‘#43A24A’); setButtonColorDefaults(“#fff”, ‘color’, ‘#fff’); })()

More reading

• Here’s why the Australian Pacific Coal share price is sinking 15% today
• Qantas share price dips despite performance lift
• 5 ASX energy shares powering portfolios with the highest dividend yields
• NAB shares: Boring or beautiful?
• Why is the Arafura share price rocketing 8% today?

Chuck Saletta 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.

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

from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/4pBYb25

You’d have to have been living under an ASX investing rock to have not noticed what has been going on with ASX energy shares this year. 2022 has been a rough year for ASX shares in general. The All Ordinaries (ASX: XAO) remains down a painful 12.2% year to date.

But it’s been a whole different story for the energy sector. Even though ASX shares have suffered through a tough year, the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) is up an extraordinary 29.3% in 2022 so far.

Record commodity prices have largely been to thank for this. Global inflation, tight supply chains, and the ongoing war in Ukraine have played havoc with energy markets this year. While this has been bad news for motorists and households paying energy bills, it has been a blessing for energy shares.

Rocketing profits have also fuelled record dividends in this sector this year. So today, let’s look at five ASX energy shares powering up portfolios with massive dividend yields.

5 ASX energy shares rocking monstrous dividend yields

The first is Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX: WHC). While oil prices tend to get the most attention, this year has also seen coal climb to historically high levels. We can see this reflected in the valuation and dividends of ASX coal shares like Whitehaven.

Whitehaven has just paid out one of the highest dividends in years. In March, the company forked out an interim dividend of 8 cents per share. But just last week, investors were treated with a final dividend worth a whopping 40 cents per share, fully franked. That gives Whitehaven shares a trailing yield of 5.7% today.

We see a similar story with Whitehaven’s fellow coal miner New Hope Corporation Limited (ASX: NHC). New Hope has also been cashing in on the high coal prices. The company doled out a final dividend of 7 cents per share last year.

But this May saw the dial turned up. New Hope paid out an interim dividend of 17 cents per share, alongside a special dividend worth 13 cents per share. This gives New Hope shares a yield of 4.4% today, or 6.23% if we include the special dividend.

From coal to oil

Turning from coal to oil, we have oil refiner Viva Energy Group Ltd (ASX: VEA). As Whitehaven and New Hope have benefitted from higher coal prices, so too has Viva from higher oil prices. The company has broken the mould when it comes to dividends this year.

In 2021, Viva doled out just 4.1 cents per share in dividends. But this year has seen a March final dividend of 3.2 cents per share and a whopping interim dividend of 13.7 cents per share that investors will receive this week. This will give the Viva Energy share price a yield of 6.38%.

Oil is the theme of our next ASX energy share in Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS). Woodside has also used higher oil prices to dial up its dividends. 2021 saw a total of 56.3 cents per share in dividends from Woodside.

But March’s final dividend of $1.4616 and next month’s interim dividend of $3.199 per share is a gamechanger. This will result in a total of $4.661 in dividends per share for 2022, and will give Woodside shares a yield of 9.38%.

Our final share is certainly one to write home about in Yancoal Australia Ltd (ASX: YAN). March saw Yancoal return to paying dividends with a bang. It announced both a final dividend of 50 cents per share and a special cash dividend of 20.4 cents per share.

This month, the coal miner will fork out an interim dividend worth another 52.71 cents per share. This all gives Yancoal a monstrous dividend yield of 16.49% on current pricing, or an even more stupendous 19.76% if we include the special dividend. 

The post 5 ASX energy shares powering portfolios with the highest dividend yields appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

(function() {
function setButtonColorDefaults(param, property, defaultValue) {
if( !param || !param.includes(‘#’)) {
var button = document.getElementsByClassName(“pitch-snippet”)[0].getElementsByClassName(“pitch-button”)[0];
button.style[property] = defaultValue;
}
}

setButtonColorDefaults(“#0095C8”, ‘background’, ‘#5FA85D’);
setButtonColorDefaults(“#0095C8”, ‘border-color’, ‘#43A24A’);
setButtonColorDefaults(“#fff”, ‘color’, ‘#fff’);
})()

More reading

• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Monday
• Why is the Woodside share price having such a woeful end to the week?
• Own Whitehaven shares? Here’s some good news on your dividends
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Friday
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today

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

from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/NQnkH6D

Shares of banking major National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) have left plenty to be desired in 2022.

In what’s traditionally a supportive economic climate for banks – higher interest rates, strong historical mortgage growth, downturn in business cycle – NAB hasn’t managed to step up to the plate this year.

Instead, the share has covered a large range and only secured around a 3% gain year to date.

What’s to like about NAB?

The banking major secured a strong first-half performance, growing interest income to $7.1 billion with total revenue of $8.23 billion, each up roughly 2% from the previous half.

Meanwhile, the return on equity (ROE) was 11.1%, around 60 basis points higher than the six months prior.

Hence, the bank enters the remainder of 2022 both well capitalised and in a profitable position.

Not to mention, on its current market capitalisation of $94.7 billion, NAB certainly has the size factor that may help smooth volatility for equity investors’ portfolios.

It also trades on a trailing 4.7% dividend yield and is forecast to deliver a $1.50 per share dividend in FY23 and $1.70 per share in FY24, according to analysts at Goldman Sachs.

At the current market cap, this represents a 5% and 5.7% forward dividend yield, respectively.

There are also no questions over the bank’s financial health either. NAB’s capital adequacy ratios – Tier 1, Core Tier 1, and Tier 2 figures – are within satisfactory ranges with no volatility in recent years.

It’s not all so rosy…

So, the above illustrates that NAB is perhaps a great company [on financial reporting metrics] but we are investors and need to understand if the great company is also a great investment.

One important factor to consider is the bank’s corporate value, made up of its earnings and investments. We record these in shorthand using ratios.

Below is a table that compares National Australia Bank to the other banking majors:

Name	P/E	Estimated Forward P/E	Dividends Per Share (DPS)	Div. Yld (%)	Price to Book	Price to Sales
National Australia Bank Ltd	15.93	13.97	2.00	6.68	1.51	5.58
Sector average	11.15	9.55	1.15	9.48	2.96	3.07
Group median	11.27	9.13	0.60	8.91	1.05	2.88
Commonwealth Bank of Australia	17.40	17.62	5.50	5.84	2.20	6.35
National Australia Bank Ltd	15.93	13.97	2.00	6.68	1.51	5.58
Westpac Banking Corp	15.63	10.83	1.73	8.03	1.05	3.51
Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd	11.55	9.90	2.04	8.67	1.11	3.68
Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Ltd	10.96	10.48	0.76	8.91	0.72	2.81
Bank of Queensland Ltd	10.98	8.85	0.63	9.16	0.72	3.42
NAB’s Premium/Discount to Group	41.4%	53.0%	not comparable	-25.1%	44.1%	93.5%

As can be seen, the share trades at a premium to peers within its peer group based on the metrics above.

It’s fair to ask what kind of bang NAB investors are getting for their buck as, ideally, one would like to be paying a discount to access the bank’s strengths, not a premium.

There are also macroeconomic headwinds that must be considered in the investment debate. There is no denying that a downturn in the Australian economy could spell further losses for NAB shares, particularly given the bank’s significant exposure to the domestic mortgage market.

This is coupled with higher lending rates from the banks. Although that should theoretically lift net interest income, given increased competition within the Australian mortgage market, the margin on this income has thinned.

In terms of valuation, NAB shares are trading at a premium to the bank’s peers (unjustifiably so), however, recent earnings trends to date have been strong.

Meanwhile, the NAB share price is floating today and is currently down 0.63% to $29.77.

The post NAB shares: Boring or beautiful? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

(function() {
function setButtonColorDefaults(param, property, defaultValue) {
if( !param || !param.includes(‘#’)) {
var button = document.getElementsByClassName(“pitch-snippet”)[0].getElementsByClassName(“pitch-button”)[0];
button.style[property] = defaultValue;
}
}

setButtonColorDefaults(“#43B02A”, ‘background’, ‘#5FA85D’);
setButtonColorDefaults(“#43B02A”, ‘border-color’, ‘#43A24A’);
setButtonColorDefaults(“#fff”, ‘color’, ‘#fff’);
})()

More reading

• Looking to buy CBA shares? Here’s how the bank’s balance sheet stacks up
• The NAB share price has gained 10% in 3 months. Too late to buy?
• Which ASX 200 bank share will win the great tech battle?
• Why has the NAB share price tanked 3% today?
• Macquarie shares bear the brunt of bank sell-off amid inflation bomb

Motley Fool contributor Zach Bristow has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Westpac Banking Corporation. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/VKubWa8

The Arafura Resources Limited (ASX: ARU) share price is among one of the best performers on the ASX today.

This comes despite the company not releasing any announcements to the market since its presentation at the Emerging Leaders Conference.

At the time of writing, the rare earth developer’s shares are up 8.22% to a 3-month high of 39.5 cents.

Let’s take a look at what is driving this charge behind Arafura shares.

What’s pushing Arafura shares into positive territory?

In a sea of red across the ASX Indices, the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) is heading the opposite direction to climb 0.88%.

A number of ASX shares in the lithium and critical minerals industry are gaining ground because of the quarterly rebalance that takes effect today.

The S&P Dow Jones Indices announced the S&P/ASX Indices changes at the beginning of this month.

The inclusion of Arafura in the S&P/ASX 300 Index provides a much-welcomed boost for the company’s shares.

This is because fund managers must abide by their investing mandate which permits them to only buy shares included in specific indices.

Each index comprises a number of companies that have the largest market capitalisation of that group.

Arafura share price recap

From September 2021 to March this year, the Arafura share price moved in circles trading in the mid-teens range.

However, its shares rocketed by more than 130% in the following days of the company being granted a government award.

After hitting a multi-year high of 50 cents in June, Arafura shares have come back down to trade around under 40 cents.

Year-to-date, the share is up 83%.

Based on today’s price, Arafura presides a market capitalisation of approximately $629.47 million.

The post Why is the Arafura share price rocketing 8% today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

(function() {
function setButtonColorDefaults(param, property, defaultValue) {
if( !param || !param.includes(‘#’)) {
var button = document.getElementsByClassName(“pitch-snippet”)[0].getElementsByClassName(“pitch-button”)[0];
button.style[property] = defaultValue;
}
}

setButtonColorDefaults(“#43B02A”, ‘background’, ‘#5FA85D’);
setButtonColorDefaults(“#43B02A”, ‘border-color’, ‘#43A24A’);
setButtonColorDefaults(“#fff”, ‘color’, ‘#fff’);
})()

More reading

• 3 ASX All Ordinaries shares having a cracking Monday
• The Arafura Resources share price is down 7% this morning
• Why investors might be getting excited about Arafura shares
• Arafura defies sell-off in ASX mining shares to stay buoyant. Is this why?
• 3 ASX mining shares that rocketed more than 15% on Monday

Motley Fool contributor Aaron Teboneras 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.

from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/BkOVJDd

ASX lithium shares continue to draw massive investor interest.

Just how much interest?

Well, Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS), as one example, has seen trades worth more than $110 million go through today already, just halfway through the lunch hour.

With more buyers than sellers, that trading action puts the Pilbara Minerals share price back into new all-time high territory, even as the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) dips into the red.

Pilbara shares closed on Friday trading for $4.59 and are currently fetching $4.81 apiece, up 4.8%. That takes out the previous all-time (closing) high of $4.74, which the miner hit on 13 September last week.

With today’s gains factored in, the Pilbara Minerals share price is up a stellar 134% over the past 12 months.

And Pilbara is just one of three ASX lithium shares notching new record highs today.

Also hitting intraday record highs today

Iris Metals Ltd (ASX: IR1) shares are also at new all-time highs in mid-day trading.

The ASX lithium share closed Friday at $2.12 and is currently trading for $2.38, up 12.3%. Iris hit a fresh record only two trading days ago, closing for $2.17 per share on 15 September. Investors with the foresight to buy shares this time last year will now be sitting on eye-popping gains of 1,020%.

And the third ASX lithium share which, briefly, shot into new record high territory today is Global Lithium Resources Ltd (ASX: GL1).

Global Lithium closed on Friday trading for $2.78. Investors bid the Global Lithium share price up to $2.94 in the first hour of trade, taking out the previous closing high of $2.93 set on 15 September.

However, the tide turned for this ASX lithium share in later trade, and it’s since fallen to $2.69. Don’t feel too bad for long-term shareholders though. The Global Lithium share price is still up 587% over the last 12 months.

What’s driving investor interest in ASX lithium shares?

None of the three companies mentioned above has released any price-sensitive information today.

And the lithium price, while still trading right near its own record highs, also hasn’t shot higher.

So, today’s investor interest in ASX lithium shares is likely driven by the strong, long-term outlook for lithium prices. Atop some bargain hunting following Friday’s broad sell-off.

Lithium is a key element in the batteries that power electric vehicles (EVs). And with the global EV market growing fast, and forecast to continue booming amid the global push to decarbonise, demand for the lightweight, conductive metal is likely to remain robust.

The post 3 ASX lithium shares smashing new, all-time highs on Monday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

(function() {
function setButtonColorDefaults(param, property, defaultValue) {
if( !param || !param.includes(‘#’)) {
var button = document.getElementsByClassName(“pitch-snippet”)[0].getElementsByClassName(“pitch-button”)[0];
button.style[property] = defaultValue;
}
}

setButtonColorDefaults(“#0095C8”, ‘background’, ‘#5FA85D’);
setButtonColorDefaults(“#0095C8”, ‘border-color’, ‘#43A24A’);
setButtonColorDefaults(“#fff”, ‘color’, ‘#fff’);
})()

More reading

• Can the Pilbara Minerals share price continue stretching higher?
• ASX lithium mania: Is the ‘incredible amount of interest’ sustainable?
• Here are the 3 most heavily traded ASX 200 shares on Friday
• ASX lithium shares take a beating on Friday
• Why is the Pilbara Minerals share price in reverse today?

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.

from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/pBZDMox