• ASX dividend windfall continues but it’s not just Woodside and ASX 200 energy stocks splashing the big cash

    A business woman holding a wad of cash celebrates a dividends windfallA business woman holding a wad of cash celebrates a dividends windfall

    1) In a welcome relief to the recent battering, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is trading higher on Tuesday with energy stocks powering the benchmark index northwards.

    This came despite United States markets again heading lower overnight Monday, albeit modestly so compared to Friday night’s violent sell-off, where the S&P 500 lost 3.4% and the NASDAQ slumped 3.9%.

    Doing the damage late last week was US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell saying:

    While higher interest rates, slower growth, and softer labour market conditions will bring down inflation, they will also bring some pain to households and businesses. These are the unfortunate costs of reducing inflation.

    So much for the economic soft landing so hoped for by the stock market bulls. The bond market, as demonstrated by an inverted yield curve, is signalling recession. The stock market is shooting first, asking questions later.

    The best case scenario could be for a mild US recession, with a commensurate mild stock market correction. The S&P 500 index is already down 16% so far in 2022, having been down as much as 23% in June. Those lows could come back into play as Powell brings “some pain”, starting with the next interest rate hike – either 50 or 75 basis points – on 20-21 September.

    2) Here in Australia, the ASX 200 is down only 6% so far in 2022. 

    It could have been far worse were it not for energy stocks, primarily coal and oil.

    The Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX: WHC) share price is up over 200% year to date, with the New Hope Corporation Limited (ASX: NHC) share price also burning higher, up 124% so far this year.

    The Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) share price has also had a stellar 2022, up 63%. Not bad for a company with a market capitalisation of $67 billion!

    Powering Woodside shares higher today is a bumper set of results, including declaring its largest interim dividend since 2014. The dividend is US$1.09 per share, well up on the 30 US cents paid in FY21. On a trailing basis, Woodside shares trade on a dividend yield of 8.5%.

    The Australian Financial Review (AFR) declared earnings season a “windfall” for ASX dividend share investors, saying Australian companies are on track to pay out more than $100 billion in dividends in the 2023 financial year.

    So much for a recession here in Australia.

    3) It’s not just energy companies that trade on very attractive dividend yields. 

    The Best & Less Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: BST) share price is up 5% today to $2.75 after the discount retailer reported a “resilient trading performance” with revenue down just 6% despite 11% lost trading days.

    Discretionary retailers are often hardest hit during periods of economic slowdown as consumers tighten their belts. 

    Exhibit A is the Premier Investments Limited (ASX: PMV) share price, down 33% so far in 2022, a highly unusual experience for shareholders in arguably one of the country’s leading retailers.

    Exhibit B is the City Chic Collective Ltd (ASX: CCX) share price, down 33% since reporting lacklustre results just last week, and down a very painful 70% year to date. 

    Retailing is a tough and fickle business at the best of times, let alone in times of lockdowns, supply chain challenges, staff shortages, rising inflation, and an economic slowdown. Good luck fighting those gale-force headwinds.

    But Best & Less is powering forward, saying: “As we move further into an uncertain economic environment, with rising interest rates and cost-of-living pressures placing families under increasing financial strain, we expect an acceleration in the migration to value that is already underway.”

    With 90% of items sold being priced under $20, Best & Less says it expects Australian families facing cost of living pressures to increasingly prefer its specialty value offer.

    Best & Less declared a fully franked final dividend of 12 cents per share, bringing the full year dividend to 23 cents. With Best & Less shares currently $2.75, they trade on a fully franked dividend yield of 8.4%. 

    4) Best & Less is one of those rare recent initial public offerings (IPOs) that is trading above its issue price, having raised $60 million at $2.16 per share. 

    Spare a thought for shareholders in well-and-truly-busted recent IPOs, Booktopia Group Ltd (ASX: BKG) and Adore Beauty Group Ltd (ASX: ABY), down 88% and 76% respectively from their 2020 issue prices.

    Always on the lookout for a bargain, I’ve been sniffing around for anything that I think might have been a baby thrown out with the bathwater.

    After experiencing a modicum of success in the June sell-off, the unforgiving market has recently dealt me some punishment, handing me back some of my short-lived gains, sometimes with interest. 

    Stock picking can be a very humbling endeavour. 

    5) One recent IPO that I don’t own, but looks interesting in more than just name, is BirdDog Technology Ltd (ASX: BDT). The company describes itself as a global video technology company that enhances the quality, speed, and flexibility of video.

    The BirdDog Technology share price is down 72% from its 65-cent IPO issue price in November 2021, some of it deservedly so given a financial performance that has been underwhelming. But with a host of new video technology products, and an acceleration of key strategic partnerships, BirdDog looks to be well placed to deliver strong organic growth in the coming year.

    The BirdDog share price trades at 18 cents and the company is capitalised at just $36 million. Of that, as at 30 June 2022, $23 million was in cash and $18 million was in current inventory. 

    With the company trading at around breakeven in Q4, the downside looks to be limited, to say the least. 

    The post ASX dividend windfall continues but it’s not just Woodside and ASX 200 energy stocks splashing the big cash appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Wondering where you should invest $1,000 right now?

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for over ten years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* Scott just revealed what he believes could be the “five best ASX stocks” for investors to buy right now. These stocks are trading at near dirt-cheap prices and Scott thinks they could be great buys right now

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of August 4 2022

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    Motley Fool contributor Bruce Jackson has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended Adore Beauty Group Limited and Booktopia Group Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Adore Beauty Group Limited and Premier Investments 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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  • Hoping to bag the next Wesfarmers dividend? You’d better be quick

    An excited male ASX investor looks at some Australian bank notes held in his hand with a surprised and astounded look on his face representing strong dividends being paid to himAn excited male ASX investor looks at some Australian bank notes held in his hand with a surprised and astounded look on his face representing strong dividends being paid to him

    Shares in Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES) have remained steady since the company reported its full-year results on 26 August.

    Despite delivering a mixed financial scorecard, the Wesfarmers share price shrugged off the negative sentiment on the ASX that day.

    This is because the conglomerate’s earnings beat the consensus estimate among a number of brokers.

    At the time of writing, the conglomerate’s shares are 0.72% higher to $47.74 apiece for the day.

    Wesfarmers shares gear up to trade ex-dividend

    As the market reels from its heavy losses, investors are sending the Wesfarmers share price into positive territory.

    It appears that investors are eager to quickly secure the Wesfarmers dividend as the ex-dividend date fast approaches.

    In case you weren’t aware, you’ll have till the end of the day to buy the company’s shares and lock in the dividend.

    Although, you can expect the share price to fall tomorrow as when a company reaches its ex-dividend day, investors tend to offload their holdings for a quick profit.

    When is payday for Wesfarmers shareholders?

    For those who lock in the upcoming Wesfarmers dividend, you’ll receive a payment of $1 per share on 6 October.

    The dividend is fully franked and is 11.1% higher than the previous corresponding period (90 cents per share).

    This brings the total FY 2022 dividend to $1.80 per share, representing a slight increase on last year’s total $1.78 per share dividend.

    Wesfarmers acknowledged that a key component of total shareholder return is the dividends paid to shareholders. After all, investors are highly drawn to quality blue-chip shares that pay dividends.

    Wesfarmers’ dividend distributions are based on franking credit availability, current earnings, cash flows, future cash flow requirements and targeted credit metrics.

    In that respect, management said that the final dividend reflects a strong second-half net profit after tax result.

    It is also the highest final dividend to be paid since September 2018.

    Furthermore, shareholders can elect for the dividend reinvestment plan (DRP) which will add a portion of shares to their portfolio instead.

    There is no DRP discount rate and the last election date for shareholders to opt in is on 2 September.

    Wesfarmers share price snapshot

    In 2022, the Wesfarmers share price has fallen 20% on the back of tough macroenvironmental conditions in recent months.

    The company’s shares reached a year-to-date low of $40.03 on 17 June, before treading higher in the following weeks.

    Wesfarmers commands a market capitalisation of roughly $53.74 billion and has a dividend yield of 3.55%.

    The post Hoping to bag the next Wesfarmers dividend? You’d better be quick appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Wesfarmers Limited right now?

    Before you consider Wesfarmers Limited, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Wesfarmers Limited wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that are better buys.

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of August 4 2022

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    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 positions in and has recommended Wesfarmers 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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  • Why is the Beach Energy share price lagging its sector on Tuesday?

    Two businesspeople in suits run, one chasing the other.Two businesspeople in suits run, one chasing the other.

    It’s been a day of modest gains for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) so far this Tuesday. At the time of writing, the ASX 200 has gained 0.55% to just over 7,000 points. But one ASX sector, in particular, is doing far better than the broader markets today – ASX energy shares.

    For one, the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) is vastly outperforming the ASX 200 today. It’s currently up a pleasing 1.67%. And we can see this playing out in the share prices of many ASX oil shares.

    Take Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS).

    Investors are salivating at this oil share’s FY22 earnings that were reported this morning, and have sent Woodside shares up a healthy 1.70% so far today. Likewise, Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) shares have gained a pleasing 1.97%.

    But we can’t quite say the same for the Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) share price. Beach shares closed at $1.74 a share yesterday. But this oil share is only trading at $1.75 so far today, up a seemingly paltry 0.43%.

    So why are investors leaving Beach shares out in the cold today?

    Why is the Beach Energy share price underperforming?

    Well, it isn’t really. See, there is something else going on with the Beach share price today. This energy share has just traded ex-dividend for its upcoming final dividend payment.

    When Beach revealed its FY22 earnings results back on 15 August, it also announced that its final dividend for FY22 would come in at 1 cent per share, fully franked. Beach has consistently paid both an interim and final dividend of 1 cent per share since 2017, so this dividend does nothing to break that mould.

    But investors needed to own Beach shares yesterday if they wish to receive this dividend, given that today is the company’s ex-dividend date.

    An ex-dividend date cuts off any new shareholders from the upcoming dividend. It usually coincides with a share price drop (or, in this case, a depressed share price gain).

    This drop reflects the value of the upcoming dividend leaving the company’s share price, seeing as it is now unavailable for newer investors, making the shares nominally less attractive.

    This explains why Beach shares are underperforming the company’s peers in the energy sector so dramatically today.

    Beach Energy investors can now look forward to receiving the 1 cent per share dividend payment on 30 September.

    At the current Beach Energy share price, this ASX 200 oil share has a dividend yield of 1.14%.

    The post Why is the Beach Energy share price lagging its sector on Tuesday? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Wondering where you should invest $1,000 right now?

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for over ten years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* Scott just revealed what he believes could be the “five best ASX stocks” for investors to buy right now. These stocks are trading at near dirt-cheap prices and Scott thinks they could be great buys right now

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of August 4 2022

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

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  • Why is the Paladin Energy share price up 6% today?

    A worker with a clipboard stands in front of a nuclear energy facilityA worker with a clipboard stands in front of a nuclear energy facility

    The Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN) share price is in the green today, surging higher from the open on Tuesday.

    Shares of the uranium miner currently trade for 81.2 cents each. Earlier today, they hit an intraday high of 85.5 cents apiece, an 11% increase on yesterday’s closing price.

    Other uranium shares are also making gains today, with Alligator Energy Ltd (ASX: AGE) up almost 16% to 6.6 cents a share and Bannerman Energy Ltd (ASX: BMN) up 20.50% to $2.35 each at the time of writing.

    There has been no news from Paladin today yet its shares remain buoyant along with many of its peers in the uranium industry. So what’s going on?

    Let’s recap some of the events over the last week to see if we can make sense of it.

    What is going on with the Paladin Energy share price?

    There have been positive developments for uranium in the use of nuclear energy over the last few days.

    Today, there was the report Australians could see nuclear reactors in their states before the end of the decade, thanks to miniaturised nuclear reactors.

    Speaking to The Australian, NuScale technologies said modular reactors could power 700,000 homes in Australia, each contributing around 924 megawatts of electricity. The company made these comments after it received approval to build the first modular reactor for commercial application in the United States.

    Although nuclear power is currently banned in Australia, the energy crisis may have revealed the fragility of the system. It remains to be seen whether Australia will follow the US lead in adopting the nuclear option to meet emissions targets.

    My Fool colleagues in the US also reported that Japan is restarting some of its nuclear reactors and will build additional nuclear facilities.

    Further afield, some European countries, such as France, are looking to do the same as they contend with massive gas shortages due to Russia’s initiation of war in Ukraine. As well, India is also joining the nuclear ranks as it seeks cleaner energy sources.

    Paladin share price snapshot

    The Paladin Energy share price is down 15% year to date although it’s around 58% higher in the last 12 months.

    By comparison, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is around 8% lower in 2022 so far and down 6.7% from this time last year.

    Paladin’s current market capitalisation is approximately $2.4 billion.

    The post Why is the Paladin Energy share price up 6% today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Wondering where you should invest $1,000 right now?

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for over ten years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* Scott just revealed what he believes could be the “five best ASX stocks” for investors to buy right now. These stocks are trading at near dirt-cheap prices and Scott thinks they could be great buys right now

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of August 4 2022

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

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  • Bannerman share price explodes 24% as ASX uranium explorers soar

    Man with rocket wings which have flames coming out of them.Man with rocket wings which have flames coming out of them.

    The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index is rising 1.75% today, but one ASX uranium share is soaring far higher.

    The Bannerman Energy Ltd (ASX: BMN) share price is soaring 24% today and is currently trading at $2.415.

    Let’s take a look at what is going on with the Bannerman share price.

    ASX Uranium shares lift

    The Bannerman share price may be lifting today, but it is not alone among ASX uranium shares. The Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN) share price is rising 6%, while Deep Yellow Limited (ASX: DYL) is soaring 14%. Meanwhile, Alligator Energy Ltd (ASX: AGE) shares are rising 18%.

    This follows global uranium shares rocketing ahead overnight. The Uranium Energy Corp (NYSE: UEC) share price soared 14%, while Centrus Energy Corp (NYSE: LEU) lifted 17% and Ur-Energy Inc. (NYSE: UEC) surged 12.4%.

    Uranium shares are lifting amid multiple European countries pushing back plans to close nuclear reactors.

    Belgium is planning to keep two of its nuclear reactors open for a further 11 years, while Germany is also reconsidering a plan to shut down all nuclear reactors by 2022.

    As my Foolish colleague Bernd reported last week, Japan is also looking to boost nuclear power generation. Japan is planning to restart seven more nuclear reactors. Japanese Prime minister Fumio Kishida said:

    Nuclear power and renewables are essential to proceed with a green transformation. Russia’s invasion changed the global energy situation

    Elon Musk has also recently weighed in on the nuclear energy debate. In a recent tweet, he said “countries should be increasing nuclear power generation”.

    https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

    Meanwhile, small modular nuclear reactor (SMR) designer NuScale Power (NYSE: SMR) has told The Australian that small nuclear reactors could power nearly 700,000 homes in Australia by 2027. The first SMR recently received approval from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. However, Australia currently has a ban on nuclear energy.

    Nationals Senator Matt Canavan today called for an “end” to the nuclear ban in Australia. He said on Sky News:

    We’re the only developed country, only G20 country in the world that actually bans nuclear energy.

    Bannerman Energy share price snapshot

    The Bannerman Energy share price has soared 51% in the past year, while it has fallen nearly 11% year to date.

    In the past week alone, Bannerman Energy shares have soared 41%.

    This ASX uranium share has a market capitalisation of about $361 million based on the current share price.

    The post Bannerman share price explodes 24% as ASX uranium explorers soar appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Bannerman Resources Limited right now?

    Before you consider Bannerman Resources Limited, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Bannerman Resources Limited wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that are better buys.

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of August 4 2022

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    Motley Fool contributor Monica O’Shea has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended NuScale Power Corporation. 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 under-the-radar Apple business is growing by leaps and bounds

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

    a-customer-checking-out-with-apple-pay

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

    There’s little question the iPhone remains both the flagship product and the chief money maker for Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL). The device accounted for roughly 52% of the tech giant’s sales over the past 12 months, just as it did during the prior-year period. The popularity of the iPhone makes it difficult for any other product or service to move the needle for the company.

    That said, Apple has an under-the-radar service that has quietly, and without much fanfare, become one of the company’s fastest-growing revenue streams.

    How do you want to pay for that?

    Most investors don’t even give Apple Pay a second thought, yet the iPhone’s digital payment method has risen from relative obscurity when it was introduced in late 2014 to being indispensable for a large and growing number of iPhone users.

    Consider this: About 10% of iPhone users had activated Apple Pay by 2016, according to research provided by venture capital firm Loup Ventures. That percentage doubled in 2017 and again in 2018. By 2020, activations had risen to 50%. The need for touch-free payment methods during the pandemic drove a surge of use, pushing activations to 75%. It’s worth noting that just because Apple Pay is activated doesn’t necessarily mean it’s being used, but the trend is undeniable.

    Apple Pay is also much more widely accepted now than it was in the early days. When it was introduced, only about 3% of retailers had the technology necessary to accept contactless payments. Now roughly 90% of merchants in the U.S. accept Apple Pay. 

    Perhaps more importantly, Apple Pay is the leading payment app among teens, outpacing even PayPal‘s Venmo, according to Piper Sandler‘s semiannual Taking Stock With Teens survey. This suggests that Apple Pay could become even bigger as members of Generation Z — the largest demographic yet — become the primary breadwinners. 

    Move the needle? Not bloody likely.

    So what does this mean for Apple in terms of revenue? The truth is that given the massive size of its iPhone business — which generated more than $200 billion in sales over the last 12 months — it’s unlikely that any other single business will move the needle for Apple, but the numbers are compelling nonetheless. Apple Pay generates billions of dollars in revenue for the iPhone maker. 

    Apple’s total revenue amounted to more than $387 billion over the trailing 12-month period. The company doesn’t provide specific details regarding Apple Pay’s contribution, but estimates suggest it accounts for roughly 1% of the total, or $3.88 billion, according to Loup Ventures. 

    That’s not all. While the U.S. has long lagged other developed nations in contactless payments, its overall adoption has reached a tipping point. This is thanks in part to pandemic-related safety protocols and greater acceptance of touchless payments by consumers.

    A bigger piece of a growing pie

    In its first-quarter earnings call, Visa (NYSE: V) revealed that it is “nearing 20% tap-to-pay penetration with key metro cities showing even stronger growth.” The company said that a host of large cities, including Los Angeles, Miami, and Seattle, all exceeded 25% penetration. San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland had surpassed 30%, and New York topped the list at 45%. This suggests that the overall adoption of touch-free payments is growing and Apple is well-positioned to reap the rewards.

    Apple’s influence isn’t limited to the U.S. Early last year, the company reported it had a base of more than 1 billion active iPhones worldwide, a number that has no doubt increased in the year and a half since. Furthermore, Apple Pay is supported in 73 countries and regions around the world, a list that grows larger each year.

    The iPhone will remain Apple’s primary breadwinner for the foreseeable future. That said, Apple Pay is just one piece of a large and growing puzzle that should help drive Apple stock higher for years to come.

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

    The post This under-the-radar Apple business is growing by leaps and bounds appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Wondering where you should invest $1,000 right now?

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for over ten years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* Scott just revealed what he believes could be the “five best ASX stocks” for investors to buy right now. These stocks are trading at near dirt-cheap prices and Scott thinks they could be great buys right now

    See The 5 Stocks *Returns as of August 4 2022

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    Danny Vena has positions in Apple and PayPal Holdings and has the following options: long January 2024 $95 calls on PayPal Holdings. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Apple, PayPal Holdings, and Visa. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended the following options: long March 2023 $120 calls on Apple and short March 2023 $130 calls on Apple. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Apple and PayPal Holdings. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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



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  • 3 ASX 200 energy shares smashing multi-year highs on Tuesday

    A female coal miner wearing a white hardhat and orange high-vis vest holds a lump of coal and smiles as the Whitehaven Coal share price rises todayA female coal miner wearing a white hardhat and orange high-vis vest holds a lump of coal and smiles as the Whitehaven Coal share price rises today

    The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is bouncing back after yesterday’s disastrous 2% tumble, and energy shares are in the lead.

    The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) is up 1.85% right now, beating the broader market’s 0.47% gain.

    And three ASX 200 energy shares are making the most of the sector’s day in the green, leaping to their highest prices in years.

    3 ASX 200 energy shares rocketing to long-forgotten heights

    Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS)

    ASX 200 energy giant Woodside saw its shares surge to a high of $36.68 earlier today – the highest it’s traded in more than three years.

    The company also posted its earnings for the first half of 2022 this morning, in which it declared a whopper dividend. It’s US$1.09 interim dividend is more than three times what it offered investors this time last year.

    The company also reported a 417% increase in after-tax profits, coming in at US$4.16 billion.

    Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX: WHC)

    Speaking of earnings, it’s still less than a week since Whitehaven Coal dropped its results for financial year 2022. The ASX 200 energy share leapt to $8.17 earlier today, marking a new all-time high.

    Like its ASX 200 peer, the coal producer posted a huge jump in profits in its latest earnings, bringing in $1.9 billion after-tax in financial year 2022.

    It’s trading in the green today despite coal futures slipping 1% to US$422.75 a tonne overnight. Though, that’s not far from the commodity’s record high.

    New Hope Corporation Ltd (ASX: NHC)

    The final ASX 200 energy share posting a multi-year high on Tuesday is coal giant New Hope Corporation Limited (ASX: NHC). It surged to trade at $5.18 earlier today – the highest it’s been since 2012.

    The last time the market heard from the company was on last Monday when it dropped its latest quarterly earnings, detailing a 29% boost in production.

    The post 3 ASX 200 energy shares smashing multi-year highs on Tuesday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Wondering where you should invest $1,000 right now?

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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 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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  • Is the Bank of Queensland share price undervalued compared to other ASX banks?

    A woman sits at her computer in deep contemplation with her hand to her chin and seriously considering information she is receiving from the screen of her laptop regarding the Xero share priceA woman sits at her computer in deep contemplation with her hand to her chin and seriously considering information she is receiving from the screen of her laptop regarding the Xero share price

    The Bank of Queensland Ltd (ASX: BOQ) share price could have some additional upside potential, according to a broker note posted this morning.

    Shares of the Queensland bank currently trade for $6.96 each, up 0.71%, after closing yesterday at $6.91 a share.

    Let’s look into why these shares could be undervalued.

    Regional banks could be undervalued compared to major banks

    UBS analyst John Storey said regional banks, such as Bank of Queensland, are currently undervalued due to their positive fundamentals and the selloff in their share prices, as originally reported by The Australian.

    Storey gave Bank of Queensland a price target of $22 per share — that’s a 216% upside at the time of writing.

    The rationale behind his analysis was that regional banks could see a 50-100 basis points increase in their return on equity (ROE) forecasts from higher leveraged balance sheets. ROE is a key ratio of how effectively companies generate profits from their existing assets, such as capital.

    The Bank of Queensland share price has lost 13% over the last six months, taking a particularly steep fall in June when it crashed 11% in a single month. This makes it potentially undervalued relative to its previous trading levels, assuming there have been no changes in its fundamentals.

    Bank of Queensland share price snapshot

    Shares in Bank of Queensland are currently down 16% year to date. Meanwhile, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is down around 8% over the same period.

    The company’s current market capitalisation is around $4.5 billion.

    The post Is the Bank of Queensland share price undervalued compared to other ASX banks? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Bank Of Queensland Limited right now?

    Before you consider Bank Of Queensland Limited, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Bank Of Queensland Limited wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that are better buys.

    See The 5 Stocks
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    Motley Fool contributor Matthew Farley has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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  • 3 ASX All Ords shares lifting on full-year results

    a man sits at his computer screen scrolling with his fingers with a satisfied smile on his face as though he is very content with the news he is receiving.a man sits at his computer screen scrolling with his fingers with a satisfied smile on his face as though he is very content with the news he is receiving.

    The All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) is in the green so far today. At the time of writing, it’s 0.52% higher at 7,231 points.

    Earnings season has been a busy one with plenty of mixed results. Here are three ASX All Ordinaries standouts that are lifting on their earnings today.

    Helloworld Travel Ltd (ASX: HLO)

    Shares of Helloworld are up 5.67% to $2.05 apiece at the time of writing.

    Investors have rallied the share price higher following a robust set of FY22 results that saw the company return to operational profitability.

    This translated to a full-year EBITDA loss from continuing operations of $10.6 million compared to $24.5 million in FY21.

    Despite this, the momentum towards the back end of FY22 gave Helloworld confidence in providing FY23 guidance.

    It expects a FY23 EBITDA profit of $22-$26 million.

    Helloworld shares are up 20% in the past 12 months of trade.

    Wisr Ltd (ASX: WZR)

    Shares of Wisr were on the move in early trade and have since levelled back to trade in-line with yesterday’s closing price.

    The non-bank lending company delivered a 118% year-on-year gain in operating revenue with total new loan originations increasing 67% to $611 million.

    This saw loan book growth of 103% for the 12 months to $780 million.

    As a result, cash EBITDA saw an improvement of 30% to a loss of $7 million, ahead of last year’s loss of $10 million.

    Zooming out, Wisr shares are down 74% in the past 12 months.

    Alcidion Group Ltd (ASX: ALC)

    Shares of Alcidion are also cruising along in afternoon trade today, currently up 3.33% to 15.5 cents apiece.

    Following its FY22 results, the company that specialises in digital software for healthcare providers has caught a bid as investors evaluate the company’s growth trends.

    Full year revenue was up 33% year on year to $34 million with total contract value (TCV) of $57.7 million.

    This momentum sees Alcidion enter FY23 with more than $28 million in contracted revenue, an 87% gain on the same time last year.

    Alicidion shares are down more than 55% for the year to date.

    The post 3 ASX All Ords shares lifting on full-year results appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Wondering where you should invest $1,000 right now?

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for over ten years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* Scott just revealed what he believes could be the “five best ASX stocks” for investors to buy right now. These stocks are trading at near dirt-cheap prices and Scott thinks they could be great buys right now

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of August 4 2022

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    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 positions in and has recommended Alcidion Group Ltd and Helloworld Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Helloworld Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Alcidion Group 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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  • Could this tiny development add even more fuel to ASX uranium shares?

    ASX uranium shares represented by yellow barrels of uranium

    ASX uranium shares represented by yellow barrels of uraniumASX uranium shares are booming today.

    It’s a decent day for the markets overall, with the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) posting a nice rebound following yesterday’s sell-off, up 0.5% as we head into the lunch hour.

    ASX energy shares are doing even better, as witnessed by the 1.6% intraday gain on the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ).

    But ASX uranium shares are leaving those gains far behind.

    Here’s how some of the top stocks in the sector are tracking at the time of writing:

    • Boss Energy Ltd (ASX: BOE) shares are up 6.7%
    • Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN) shares are up 7.8%
    • Bannerman Energy Ltd (ASX: BMN) shares are up 23.1%
    • Deep Yellow Limited (ASX: DYL) shares are up 14.7%
    • Alligator Energy Ltd (ASX: AGE) shares are up 21.1%

    What’s driving investor interest in ASX uranium shares?

    Investors have been considering the likely growth in demand for uranium, following decades when the radioactive energy source was out of favour.

    With the world looking to rapidly slash carbon emissions – and coming to the realisation that renewables are unlikely to fully fill the void left by coal, gas and oil – nations across the globe are turning their attention back to a nuclear-powered future.

    Last week, Japan’s government announced its intention to ramp up the nation’s nuclear power generation. Japan plans to reopen seven currently shuttered plants and is looking to develop new generation nuclear power plants. That news saw ASX uranium shares charging higher.

    But it’s not just Japan.

    While the nuclear conversation is ongoing in Australia, Belgium and Germany are both looking at extending the lives of their nuclear plants amid a crushing energy shortage exacerbated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

    Meanwhile, France revealed it intends to build 14 new nuclear plants later this decade. And India is also looking at expanding its nuclear power capacity. Nuclear energy is currently the fifth largest source of electricity in the world’s second most populous nation.

    And when it comes to driving interest in ASX uranium shares, let’s not forget Elon Musk.

    On Saturday the world’s richest man tweeted, “Countries should be increasing nuclear power generation! It is insane from a national security standpoint & bad for the environment to shut them down.”

    Could this tiny development offer further tailwinds?

    With plenty of tailwinds already behind them, ASX uranium shares could be getting an extra boost from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

    On 29 July the NRC gave the green light (with a few formalities pending) to a tiny modular nuclear reactor designed by Oregon based NuScale.

    As Popular Mechanics reports, this is only the seventh reactor design to ever be approved within the US and the first modular one. The reactor is about the size of two city buses, tiny compared to conventional plants.

    According to Diane Hughes, vice president of marketing and communications for NuScale:

    Especially while the global community is suffering from crises like volatile energy prices and climate-driven extreme weather events, the need for carbon-free energy solutions like NuScale’s small modular reactors has never been greater…

    Potential customers from numerous countries have expressed interest in our technology, and we currently have 18 signed and active memorandums of understanding with customers in 11 countries interested in, and considering, a deployment of a NuScale power plant.

    With that kind of growth in interest, ASX uranium shares could see a sustained, long-term boost in the demand for their product.

    How have these ASX uranium shares been tracking?

    We looked at today’s price action above.

    Here’s how these top ASX uranium shares have performed over the past 12 months compared to the 7% loss posted by the All Ordinaries.

    • Boss Energy Ltd (ASX: BOE) shares gained 1,365%*
    • Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN) shares gained 60%
    • Bannerman Energy Ltd (ASX: BMN) shares gained 48%
    • Deep Yellow Limited (ASX: DYL) shares gained 47%
    • Alligator Energy Ltd (ASX: AGE) shares gained 123%

    (*Note, ASX uranium share Boss Energy underwent a share consolidation on 29 November. This saw the number of shares reduced by a factor of eight. The actual share price increase for Boss Energy is 85% over 12 months.)

    The post Could this tiny development add even more fuel to ASX uranium shares? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Wondering where you should invest $1,000 right now?

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for over ten years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* Scott just revealed what he believes could be the “five best ASX stocks” for investors to buy right now. These stocks are trading at near dirt-cheap prices and Scott thinks they could be great buys right now

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of August 4 2022

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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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