The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) broke a four-day losing streak with a slight gain on Thursday. The index closed 0.19% higher at 7,135.7 points.

That was despite a poor performance from both the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) and the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ). The former posted a 1.2% fall while the latter slipped 2% amid lower oil prices.

The Brent crude oil price fell 1.1% to US$92.86 a barrel overnight while the US Nymex crude oil price slipped 1.5% to US$85.59 a barrel.

Fortunately, the sectors’ falls were offset by gains elsewhere.

The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) led the way, gaining 1.9%. The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) also posted a solid rise, lifting 1.2%.

All in all, nine of the ASX 200’s 11 sectors ended in the green today. But which stock outperformed all others? Keep reading to find out.

Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown

The top-performing stock on the iconic index today was Pendal Group Ltd (ASX: PDL). It soared 10.5% on news of its planned takeover by Perpetual Limited (ASX: PPT).

A court ruled that Perpetual could be liable for more than the $23 million ‘break fee’ if it were to walk away from the transaction.

Today’s biggest gains were made by these shares:

ASX-listed company	Share price	Price change
Pendal Group Ltd (ASX: PDL)	$4.93	10.54%
Webjet Limited (ASX: WEB)	$6.19	10.14%
Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corp Ltd (ASX: FPH)	$18.41	3.89%
De Grey Mining Limited (ASX: DEG)	$1.23	3.8%
AUB Group Ltd (ASX: AUB)	$22.82	3.4%
St Barbara Ltd (ASX: SBM)	$0.61	3.39%
Lovisa Holdings Ltd (ASX: LOV)	$25.68	3.22%
Nanosonics Ltd (ASX: NAN)	$4.52	2.96%
Bega Cheese Ltd (ASX: BGA)	$3.40	2.72%
Blackmores Ltd (ASX: BKL)	$69.80	2.66%

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

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

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More reading

• Here are the 3 most heavily traded ASX 200 shares on Thursday
• Why Altium, Pendal, Terracom, and Webjet shares are pushing higher
• Why ASX 200 ‘investors should brace for impact’: Morgan Stanley
• Why did the Perpetual share price just plummet 14%?
• Worried about a stock market crash? I’d buy these 5 rock-solid ASX shares to ride it out

Motley Fool contributor Brooke Cooper has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Lovisa Holdings Ltd and Nanosonics Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Nanosonics Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Austbrokers Holdings Limited, Blackmores Limited, Lovisa Holdings Ltd, and Webjet Ltd. 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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Oh how the mighty have fallen. That might be the sentiment that comes to mind when checking out the Novonix Ltd (ASX: NVX) share price of late.

Novonix shares used to be something of a market darling. This ASX battery company was all the rage last year and going into 2022. 2021 saw the Novonix share price gain a whopping 659.5%, rising from $1.21 a share all the way up to $9.19.

It also hit an even higher record of $12.47 in November 2021. But alas, it was not to last. Today, the Novonix share price has closed at $2.50 a share.

That represents a year-to-date loss of 76.2% and a 12-month loss of 74.6%. Since Novonix’s all-time high of $12.47, the shares have now gone backwards by 80%. Ouch.

It could be worse though. It was only last month that Novonix shares hit a new 52-week low of $1.66. The shares are actually up a very pleasing 50.6% since Novonix hit that low only a few weeks ago.

So are ASX investors losing faith in Novonix shares?

Well, they have certainly got more faith in the company today than they did last month. But there’s no doubt that Novonix is still a bit on the nose with investors if its price action over the past year is anything to go by.

There’s little doubt that rising interest rates have hurt the Novonix share price in 2022. Unprofitable companies are usually hit hardest by rising rates, and Novonix, unfortunately, falls into this category. With interest rates rising almost monthly over 2022 thus far, Novonix has certainly felt the pain there.

Matters were not helped last month with the release of Novonix’s first-quarter update for FY2023. This revealed that the company had burned through $25.3 million over the three months to 30 September 2022.

But last month, new Novonix chair Robert Natter also said this:

As a Board and management team, we cannot control the share price. What we can control are the decisions we take to ensure we have a sound strategy and that management is executing that strategy to deliver on our long term goals.

If we continue to deliver against our key operating milestones, the share price will respond appropriately.

No doubt investors are hoping the company can live up to its end of this deal.

The post Are investors losing faith in Novonix shares? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Why is the Novonix share price surging 10% on Friday?
• What’s boosting the Novonix share price on Wednesday?
• Why are Novonix shares listed on the Nasdaq as well as the ASX?
• Why did the Novonix share price jump 50% in October?
• Why is the Novonix share price gaining 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.

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The ASX 50 index is home to many of the highest quality companies that the Australian share market has to offer.

And while not all shares in the index are necessarily in the buy zone right now, two that could be are listed below.

Here’s why analysts rate these ASX 50 shares as buys:

CSL Limited (ASX: CSL)

The first ASX 50 share to consider is CSL. It is one of the world’s leading biotechnology companies, comprising the CSL Behring, CSL Vifor, and Seqirus businesses.

As well as having a portfolio filled to the brim with high quality therapies, CSL invests 10%-11% of its sales back into research and development activities each year. This ensures that the company has a large number of potentially lucrative therapies under development, supporting its future growth.

Citi is positive on CSL and currently has a buy rating and $340.00 price target on its shares.

Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS)

Another ASX 50 share that is rated highly is telco giant Telstra.

For some time, this telco giant was going backwards with its earnings. However, thanks to the success of its T22 strategy, Telstra returned to underlying growth at long last in FY 2022. And with its new strategy aiming to deliver strong and sustainable earnings growth over the coming years, Telstra’s outlook is arguably the best it has been in over a decade.

Morgans is positive on the company and believes that its shares are undervalued at the current level. Especially given its restructure, which aims to unlock value from its assets.

Morgans currently has an add rating and $4.60 price target on Telstra’s shares.

The post Experts name 2 ASX 50 shares to buy appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Which stocks are in the Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (VAS) right now?
• How to have your ASX 200 dividend cake and eat it too
• Here’s how much dividend income $20,000 worth of Telstra shares will get you today
• 3 passive ASX income machines to help fund your retirement
• Looking to buy CSL shares? Why this fundie is tipping ‘double-digit earnings growth’

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in CSL Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended CSL Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Telstra Corporation 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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A fund manager has outlined why he has been buying up ASX airline Qantas Airways Limited (ASX: QAN) shares.

Qantas shares are lifting 1.72% today. For perspective, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is 0.1% in the green today.

So what does this fundie have to say about Qantas?

COVID recovery

Qantas shares may benefit from the COVID-19 travel recovery, according to this portfolio manager.

Stuart Welch, portfolio manager at Alphinity Investment Management revealed this week his team has bought up Qantas shares.

Explaining this, Welch said:

Despite a more difficult outlook for the consumer, I do think there is a COVID recovery story at play here, which after a few fits and spurts is actually underway.

October travel data, released by the ABS on Tuesday, shows overseas arrivals to Australia surged 13% on the previous month to more than 1.2 million. Overseas departures descended 1.9% to 1.02 million. The ABS noted this data is provisional.

Speaking on the travel recovery, Welch said:

It was led by visiting friends and family, but it has expanded into leisure, business travel and even more recently into the international side.

Back in September 2021, only 18,850 people arrived in Australia while 30,330 left the country. Australia opened its international borders in February this year.

Qantas shares have had a turbulent week amid proposed Federal Government industrial relations reforms.

Qantas is arguing potential changes would “destroy demand” for flying due to higher costs. The airline said:

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.

Qantas share price snapshot

Qantas shares have surged nearly 18% in the year to date, while they have climbed 5% in a year.

For perspective, the ASX 200 has fallen 3% in the past year.

Qantas has a market capitalisation of about $11.1 billion based on the current share price.

The post Why this fundie has been buying up Qantas shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Buy these ASX 200 shares now before the market wakes up: fund manager
• Why did the Qantas share price face headwinds today?
• 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?

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.

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It’s been a big week of earnings and plenty of S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) shares have made the most of the action, with some declaring whopping dividends. One stock even upped its full-year dividends by an enormous 200%.

So, how much can shareholders look forward to receiving and how can market watchers get in on the action?

Here’s all you need to know about the ASX 200 dividend shares revealing monster payouts this week.

3 ASX 200 shares upping their dividends this week

There have been earnings from plenty of ASX 200 shares this week, but these three stunned the market with soaring dividends.

First out the gates is agriculture company GrainCorp Ltd (ASX: GNC).

It doubled its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) year-on-year, coming in at $703 million. On top of that, the company’s after-tax profit jumped 174% to $380 million. It likely comes as no surprise then, that the ASX 200 share also upped its dividend significantly.

Astoundingly, its full-year dividends tripled, coming in at 54 cents per share – up from 18 cents per share in financial year 2021.

GrainCorp doesn’t trade ex-dividend until 29 November. That means interested market watchers still have time to jump on board and receive the offering.

Next up is Aristocrat Leisure Limited (ASX: ALL).

The ASX 200 staple posted a 20% jump in normalised EBITDA, coming in at $1.85 billion, and a 31% increase in normalised after-tax profits, lifting to $1 billion in financial year 2022.

The company also posted a notably larger full-year dividend, coming in at 52 cents per share. That marks a 27% jump on financial year 2021’s 41 cents per share.

Aristocrat Leisure trades ex-dividend on 30 November.

Finally, ASX 200 crop protection and seed technology company Nufarm Ltd (ASX: NUF) more than doubled its full-year dividends this week.

Its underlying EBITDA soared 24% last financial year to $447 million while its profit jumped 65% to $107.4 million.

Meanwhile, the ASX 200 company offered investors 10 cents per share of dividends for the period – up 150% from financial year 2021’s 4 cents per share.

The stock will be the first of the three to trade ex-dividend. New investors will miss out on the payout from 24 November.

The post 3 ASX 200 shares that announced supersized dividends this week appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Dig this! Look how many of the top-performing ASX 200 shares today are miners
• Why Aristocrat, CBA, Core Lithium, and GrainCorp shares are dropping today
• Why Arafura, Nufarm, Pilbara Minerals, and Whitehaven Coal are charging higher
• This ASX 200 company just supersized its dividend by 200% So, why is its share price falling?

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.

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It’s been a positive, if bumpy, day for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) so far this Thursday.

After three straight sessions of losses, it looks as though the ASX 200 might just eke out a gain this session. At the time of writing, the index has gained 0.1% to 7,129 points.

But let’s now delve a little deeper into these market moves by checking out the shares currently at the top of the ASX 200’s share trading volume charts, according to investing.com.

The 3 most traded ASX 200 shares by volume this Thursday

Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS)

Our inaugural share today is none other than the ASX 200 lithium producer Pilbara Minerals. A decent 16.3 million Pilbara shares have swapped hands as it currently stands. Unlike many mining shares, Pilbara is currently enjoying some gains today, with the shares up an uninspiring 0.2% at $4.93.

This comes after the company announced its latest lithium auction results last night after market close. Pilbara was able to net even more for its product in this auction than what it received for the previous month. No wonder investors are impressed. This is the most likely explanation for the elevated volumes we are witnessing.

South32 Ltd (ASX: S32)

Our next ASX 200 share worth taking a look at today is the mining giant South32. So far this Thursday, a chunky 17.18 million South32 shares have been swapped on the ASX boards.

There’s been no fresh news or announcements out of South32 itself today. But that hasn’t stopped the company losing a depressing 5%, putting its shares at $4.01 at present.

As my Fool colleague Brooke dug into this morning, this could be due to rumours the government is considering bringing in a new mining tax. We can probably thank this steep drop in share price for the high volumes we are seeing out of South32.

Core Lithium Ltd (ASX: CXO)

Finally this Thursday, we have the ASX 200 lithium share Core Lithium. This session has had a weighty 25.44 million Core Lithium shares exchanged so far. This looks to be a consequence of the nasty sell-off Core Lithium continues to wade through.

Today, the lithium producer has had another 4% wiped off its value, leaving it at $1.42 a share. Core Lithium has now fallen by a nasty 24% since just Monday. This could be in response to some tough love from an ASX broker.

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

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More reading

• Why ASX 200 ‘investors should brace for impact’: Morgan Stanley
• Why Core Lithium, Creso Pharma, Nickel Industries, and Perpetual shares are dropping
• ASX lithium shareholders rejoice! Expert tips lithium price to hit $100K
• Why did these ASX 200 shares just crack new, multi-year highs?
• Why is the Pilbara Minerals share price pushing higher 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.

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The Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (ASX: VAS) is the most popular exchange-traded fund (ETF) on the ASX by a large margin. So we know from the name itself that this ETF invests in Australian ASX shares. But which ones exactly? Time for a deep dive into the Vanguard Australian Shares ETF.

So the Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF is an index fund at its core, as the name suggests. Instead of the more pervasive S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO), this ETF instead follows the S&P/ASX 300 Index (ASX: XKO).   

Thus, every share in the ASX 300 is also found in the underlying portfolio of the Vanguard Australian Shares ETF.

The ASX 300 is similar to the ASX 200, but instead of following the top 200 ASX shares on the share market by market capitalisation, it includes an additional 100 shares from the lower end of the market. This adds diversification and scope at the expense of weightings towards the top end of the ASX.

For example, the ASX’s largest share, BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP), would have a weighting of around 10.4% in an ASX 200 ETF today. But in Vanguard’s ASX 300 ETF, BHP only represents 9.02% of the portfolio at present. A small but significant difference.

Which ASX stocks make up the Vanguard Australian Shares ETF?

But let’s get into the weeds of the Vanguard Australian Shares ETF. So as of 31 October, these were the top ten holdings of the fund and their weightings in the fund’s portfolio:

1. BHP with a portfolio weighting of 9.02%
2. Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) with a weighting of 8.53%
3. CSL Limited (ASX: CSL) with a weighting of 6.45%
4. National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) with a weighting of 4.91%
5. Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) with a weighting of 4.03%
6. Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ASX: ANZ) with a weighting of 3.65%
7. Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) with a weighting of 3.26%
8. Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG) with a weighting of 2.94%
9. Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES) with a weighting of 2.46%
10. Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS) with a weighting of 2.16%

So that’s the top ten. But following these companies, there are names like Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW), Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO), Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG) and Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL) all in the top 20.

Like all index funds, constituents in the Vanguard Australian Shares ETF depend on the weightings of the index itself. So if a company does badly and its share price falls, its weighting in the index (and thus, the ETF) will also fall. Conversely, shares that are doing well will also rise over time.

That’s why NAB, for example, is now the second-largest ASX bank share, where it was in fourth place just a few years ago. This makes an index ETF like this one a perfect ‘bottom drawer’ investment since it requires very little diligence from the investors themselves.   

The post Which stocks are in the Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (VAS) right now? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Why is the Westpac share price tumbling on Thursday?
• This fund manager prefers NAB shares over the other ASX 200 banks. Here’s why
• Goldman says these ASX 200 bank shares can deliver 12%+ returns for three years
• How to have your ASX 200 dividend cake and eat it too
• What’s going on with ASX 200 mining shares on Thursday?

Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has positions in CSL Ltd., National Australia Bank Limited, and Telstra Corporation Limited. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended CSL Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended COLESGROUP DEF SET, Telstra Corporation Limited, and Wesfarmers Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Macquarie Group Limited and Westpac Banking Corporation. 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 Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) share price is on course to end the day in the red.

In afternoon trade, the banking giant’s shares are down 2.5% to $23.25.

Why is the Westpac share price dropping?

The good news for shareholders is that the weakness in the Westpac share price today is not because something bad has happened.

In fact, it’s actually for a good reason! This morning Westpac’s shares traded ex-dividend for its upcoming final dividend payment.

This means that the rights to this dividend remain with whoever was the owner of the shares at yesterday’s close. So, if you buy a parcel of shares today, you’ll not receive this dividend when it is paid and the seller will receive it instead.

Clearly, you don’t want to pay for something that you won’t receive. So, to account for this, the Westpac share price has dropped to reflect it.

Actually, had its shares not traded ex-dividend this morning, they would likely be trading higher today. That’s because the Westpac share price has dropped by 59 cents, but its dividend payment is even greater.

The Westpac dividend

Earlier this month, Westpac declared a fully franked final dividend of 64 cents per share. This was up from 60 cents per share a year earlier.

If you didn’t take part in the bank’s dividend reinvestment plan, you can look forward to receiving these dividends in your nominated bank account in just over a month on 20 December. Just in time for some last minute Christmas shopping if you’re celebrating the holiday season!

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

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• Goldman says these ASX 200 bank shares can deliver 12%+ returns for three years
• Why is Wilsons selling down its ASX 200 bank shares?
• Hoping to bag the latest Westpac dividend payment? Here’s what you need to know
• 2 ASX dividend giants to buy now: brokers
• ASX 200 bank shares: fundie picks winners and losers of the big four

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Westpac Banking Corporation. 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 Corporation. 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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ASX lithium share Winsome Resources Ltd (ASX: WR1) has rocketed 220% since this time last month.

Yep, that’s no typo. It’s also up 25% so far today.

So, what’s driving investor interest in the lithium stock?

Why has this ASX lithium share soared 218% in a month?

The Winsome Resources share price has been a clear beneficiary of the rocketing demand for lithium. As nations around the world ramp-up electric vehicle production, the price of the battery-critical metal is trading at all-time highs.

And, according to a report by the Australian government, investors can expect lithium prices to charge even higher into 2023 before moderating in 2024 as supply begins to catch up with demand.

While that’s benefited most ASX lithium shares, Winsome Resources has gained far more than the average.

The explorer’s share price really took off on 28 October. That came after the company reported it has identified significant pegmatite intercepts in a drilling campaign at its Adina and Cancet lithium projects, located in Canada.

As additional promising data from the exploratory drilling came in over the following days, the ASX lithium share continued to power higher.

Why is Winsome Resources raising capital?

If you tried to buy or sell shares in Winsome Resources recently, you may have noticed the company was in a trading halt on Friday and Monday.

Shares began trading again on Tuesday when the explorer announced a $6.8 million capital raise.

The funds will be raised via the “Flow-Through Shares” provisions under Canadian tax law at $1.67 per share. That’s 54% higher than the current share price of $1.09.

Winsome said the new shares in the ASX lithium explorer “will be immediately on-sold through a block trade agreement to select high-quality domestic and offshore institutional investors”.

Commenting on the capital raise, Winsome Resources managing director Chris Evans said:

This capital raise comes at an ideal time for the Company and allows us to secure funds under a very attractive arrangement facilitated through the Canadian Government’s generous tax incentives for mining exploration companies. It allows us to raise capital at a premium price without the level of dilution that would occur via a standard, share placement offer.

Winsome Resources share price snapshot

Winsome Resources listed on the ASX just under a year ago, on 30 November 2021.

Since then, the ASX lithium share has gained 193%. Over that same period, the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) has lost 3%.

The post Why has ASX lithium share Winsome Resources rocketed 220% in a month? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

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The Altium Limited (ASX: ALU) share price has been a strong performer on Thursday.

In afternoon trade, the electronic design software company’s shares are up 3% to $37.60.

Why is the Altium share price rising?

Investors have been bidding the Altium share price higher on Thursday following the release of the company’s annual general meeting update.

As you might have guessed from the performance of its shares today, management revealed that it has started FY 2023 strongly.

Altium’s CFO, Richard Leon, commented:

[T]hrough the first four months of FY23 we have seen very good performance. For our PCB business, average revenue per user, or “ARPU” is trending upward as our mainstream customers continue to adopt Pro-level platform subscriptions. Adoption of Altium 365, our cloud platform, also continues to grow, as does the count of users per account, creating a network effect.

Leon revealed that the only thing that isn’t going in the company’s favour is the strong US dollar, which is causing foreign exchange headwinds. Nevertheless, the CFO believes is “entirely manageable” and not holding Altium back from achieving its half or full year objectives.

Speaking of which, Leon provided some colour on what to expect for FY 2023. He revealed that Altium is on track to achieve its guidance, stating:

We expect total revenue to be between $255 and $265 million USD, with both our PCB software business and cloud platform business growing nicely. And, we expect underlying EBITDA margin to be between 35 and 37% for the full year in FY23.

Long term goals

The company’s chairman, Sam Weiss, also provided the market with an update on its longer term goals.

As some readers will be aware, Altium has set itself the goal of achieving revenue of US$500 million and subscribers of 100,000 by 2026.

However, it has now amended this slightly. While it continues to target revenue of US$500 million, it believes it will only need a base of 75,000 to 90,000 subscribers to hit this goal. This is based on an average price of between $3,000 and $3,500 per subscriber.

The post Why is the Altium share price charging higher? 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 positions in and has recommended Altium. 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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