The Nine Entertainment Co Holdings Ltd (ASX: NEC) share price is up 9% to $2.18 in Thursday trading after the media company reported full-year revenue up 15% to $2.69 billion and net profits after tax up 35% to $373.5 million.

The company declared a fully franked final dividend of 7 cents per share, taking total FY22 dividends to 14 cents per share, an increase of 33% compared to FY21.

The Nine Entertainment final dividend will be paid to eligible shareholders on 20 October 2022. Nine Entertainment shares go ex-dividend on 9 September 2022. 

Based on the Nine Entertainment share price today, the stock trades at more than 10.6 times earnings and on a fully franked dividend yield of 6.4%.

Looking ahead, Nine Entertainment said: “The new year has started on a positive note in terms of audiences, across all platforms, and while broader economic conditions have become more uncertain, the advertising market to date, has remained resilient.”

Over the past 12 months, Nine Entertainment shares have lost 19%, compared to a fall of 6% in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO). By contrast, fellow media company Seven West Media Ltd (ASX: SWM) shares have gained 5% in the last year.

The post Nine Entertainment hikes full-year dividend by 33% as profits surge higher appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Domino’s share price sinks 7%, giving back most of Wednesday’s gains
• What’s going on with the Qantas dividend in 2022?
• Flight Centre shares fall back to earth after $378 million loss
• Guess which ASX 200 share just upped its dividend by 108%
• Nine Entertainment share price takes off after 71% profit boost and ‘record’ dividend

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 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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In afternoon trade, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is on form again and charging higher. At the time of writing, the benchmark index is up 0.8% to 7,051.7 points.

Four ASX shares that are climbing more than most today are listed below. Here’s why they are racing higher:

Deep Yellow Limited (ASX: DYL)

The Deep Yellow share price is up a further 13% to 86.5 cents. This uranium explorer’s shares have been on fire this week. This appears to have been driven by reports that Japan is considering building new nuclear plants to stabilise its energy supply. This would likely be a big boost to demand for uranium.

IDP Education Ltd (ASX: IEL)

The IDP Education share price is up 6% to $28.50. This follows the release of a strong full year result from the language testing and student placement company. IDP reported a 50% increase in revenue to $793 million and a 159% jump in net profit after tax to $102.6 million. This was driven by record IELTS testing volumes and record student placements.

Pendal Group Ltd (ASX: PDL)

The Pendal share price is up 8% to $5.27. Investors have been scrambling to buy this fund manager’s shares after it received another takeover approach from rival Perpetual Limited (ASX: PPT). The latter has offered one Perpetual share for every 7.5 Pendal shares owned and $1.976 per share. This equated to an offer of $6.54 per share at the time. Though, the Perpetual share price has sunk on the news, lowering the value of the offer.

Qantas Airways Limited (ASX: QAN)

The Qantas share price is up 6% to $4.81. Investors have been buying this airline operator’s shares following the release of its full year results for FY 2022. Although, as expected, the company reported a significant loss, it surprised the market with a $400 million share buyback.

The post Why Deep Yellow, IDP, Pendal, and Qantas shares are soaring today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Why are ASX uranium shares going gangbusters on Thursday?
• What’s going on with the Qantas dividend in 2022?
• Pendal share price soars 15% on takeover news
• IDP Education share price leaps 11% as revenue surges in FY22
• The Qantas share price just flew 8% higher on $400 million share buyback

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 Idp Education Pty Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is having another fabulous day on the ASX boards this Thursday so far.

At the time of writing, the ASX 200 is up a healthy 0.79% at just over 7,050 points. But the same can’t be said of the Domino’s Pizza Enterprises Ltd (ASX: DMP) share price.

Domino’s shares are having a clanger today. The pizza company was down a nasty 7.67% at $66.63 a share in early afternoon trade. This might surprise investors, given Domino’s shares rocketed by a similar amount (7.57%) yesterday upon the release of the company’s full-year earnings for FY2022.

As we covered yesterday, Domino’s reported a 4.6% rise in global sales to $3.92 billion. Revenues were also up by 4.1% at $2.29 billion. But that wasn’t enough to stop Domino’s from reporting a 10.5% decline in underlying earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) to $262.9 million.

Underlying net profit after tax (NPAT) also slumped by 12.5% to $165 million. While underlying earnings per share (EPS) fell by 12.6% to 190.6 cents per share.

The pizza slinger announced a final dividend of 68.1 cents per share. That will come partially franked at 70%. That left its full-year dividend for FY22 at $1.565 per share, a 9.8% drop on last financial year’s dividend total.

Why are Domino’s shares giving back yesterday’s gains?

So perhaps investors thought these numbers would be even worse yesterday, given the size of the gains that Domino’s enjoyed by the end of the trading session. But it seems that investors have gotten a major case of ‘cold feet’ today.

There are no other news or announcements out of Domino’s, so this seems to be the most likely explanation as to why the company’s shares are falling so dramatically this Thursday.

At the current Domino’s Pizza share price, this ASX 200 share has a market capitalisation of $5.78 billion, with a dividend yield of 2.6%.

The post Domino’s share price sinks 7%, giving back most of Wednesday’s gains appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• What’s going on with the Qantas dividend in 2022?
• Flight Centre shares fall back to earth after $378 million loss
• Guess which ASX 200 share just upped its dividend by 108%
• Perpetual share price tumbles on full-year earnings and takeover news
• South32 share price gains ground on record FY22 earnings and special dividend

Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Dominos Pizza Enterprises 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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The Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) share price is up 2.7% to $7.93 in afternoon trading on Thursday.

It has gained 13.45% over the past month of trade, including a significant surge from 18 August.

As oil markets continue to cool down, investors have been shy about rewarding resource players such as Santos. However, natural gas futures remain buoyant.

Brent Crude oil now trades up 2.3% over the month. European and United Kingdom gas contracts are up 65% and 71% respectively.

Returns for Santos investors over the past 12 months are seen on the chart below.

Are Santos shares still worth buying?

Santos recently delivered an impressive set of results that saw free cash flow expand alongside net profit after tax (NPAT).

However, the market overlooked this with impatience growing on the oil and gas giant’s pace of promised asset sell-downs.

Yet, Santos also trades at a relative discount to peers in the GICS Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels sector.

For instance, Santos trades on a trailing price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 10.8x. It also trades at 1.3x the book value of its equity (price-to-book (P/B) ratio).

Looking at the largest 25 names in the sector, both of these multiples are below the sector median. The median scores are 21x trailing P/E and 2.8x P/B respectively, according to Refinitiv Eikon data.

As such, it could be argued that the Santos share price is still relatively cheap compared to its peers based on these two ratios. The question is, whether this discount is justified, or if the company is undervalued.

What else is there to consider?

Looking ahead, the market has given us some additional colour.

It has Santos priced at a forward P/E (next 12 months) of 13.7x, well ahead of the sector’s 2x forward P/E.

This means that looking ahead, investors are expecting an above-sector result from Santos in terms of earnings and/or share price.

Aside from that, other measures of corporate value for Santos are arguably promising as well. The oil and gas giant did generate more than $1 billion in free cash flow (FCF) net of dividends in the six months to June 2022.

That’s nearly double the $565 million in semi-annual FCF recorded back in December. It’s also miles ahead of the $325 million in FCF recorded by June 2021.

Santos also generated a return on invested capital (ROIC) of 9% at its last earnings. It also booked a return on equity (ROE) of nearly 14%. Again, both of these are above the sector median.

These certainly aren’t weak numbers, hence, the company definitely isn’t lagging fundamentally. The case can therefore be made for Santos based on relative valuation.

What do the experts think of the Santos share price?

Analysts covering Santos like the share price, too. At the moment, 16 out of 16 have it rated as a buy, according to Refinitiv.

This comes after UBS, Credit Suisse, and Barclay Pearce Capital each reiterated their buy ratings in late August.

The consensus price target from all brokers is $9.51 per share. This suggests there could be more upside yet to be priced in should the group be correct.

Therefore, it appears the market is looking for more than just free cash flow and profitability in Santos, and analyst sentiment is still bullish.

The Santos share price is up 20% this year to date and 29% in the past 12 months of trade.

The post Up 13% in a month, is the Santos share price still attractive? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Earnings highs and lows, and energy policy in focus. Scott Phillips on Nine’s Late News
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Wednesday
• Is the Santos share price a buy following the company’s monster profit?
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday

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 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 Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) share price is backtracking today following the release of the company’s full-year results.

The retail conglomerate reported a resilient financial performance despite an extremely challenging operating environment.

Nonetheless, the group achieved a 9.2% increase on total sales to $60,849 million. This was driven by an improved trading momentum in the second half as the business recovered from supply chain disruption and product availability challenges.

On the bottom line, Woolworths delivered a 0.7% increase in net profit after tax (NPAT) to $1,514 million.

This led the board to declare a fully franked final dividend of 53 cents per share.

While this is a very brief summary of the results, read below if you’d like to know more regarding the latest dividend.

Woolworths share price dips following dividend cut 

A catalyst for the Woolworths share price sinking 3.85% to $35.96 on Thursday could be the board’s decision to slash its final dividend.

For the second half of FY2021, the company paid out a final dividend of 55 cents per share. 

However, the FY2022 final dividend represents a cut of 3.6% over the prior corresponding period.

This brings the total dividends declared for the 2022 financial year to 92 cents per share.

The ex-dividend date for the final dividend is on 31 August 2022, meaning you have until next Tuesday to buy Woolworths shares.

If you manage to add them to your holding in time, you’ll receive a dividend payment on 27 September.

In addition, you may wish to opt-in to the company’s dividend reinvestment plan (DRP).

The last date to participate in the DRP is on Friday 2 September.

There’s no DRP discount, and the reinvestment price will be decided upon the volume weighted average price (VWAP) between 5 September to 9 September.

The shares will be also issued on 27 September.

Based on today’s price, Woolworths commands a market capitalisation of $45.40 billion and has a dividend yield of 2.48%.

The post Everything you need to know about the latest Woolworths dividend appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Woolworths share price wilts today amid ‘volatile and challenging’ outlook
• Woolworths share price on watch as sales leap 9% to $61 billion
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday
• Earnings preview: Here are the ASX shares reporting today
• Looking to buy Woolworths shares? Here’s what to watch in this week’s earnings results

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.

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The Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd (ASX: FLT) share price is sliding on the back of the company’s full-year earnings today, and there’s still been no word on dividends from the travel share.

Indeed, the last time the market heard dividend-related news from the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) travel giant was more than two years ago.

But its ASX 200 travel peer Corporate Travel Management Ltd (ASX: CTD) is back on the beat, offering investors a 5-cent unfranked dividend for financial year 2022 (FY22) earlier this month.

So, when might those invested in Flight Centre shares next see a dividend? Let’s take a look.

Right now, Flight Centre shares are swapping hands for $16.46 apiece, marking a 5% tumble.

When will Flight Centre shares pay a dividend?

As the COVID-19 pandemic took hold of the globe in March 2020, Flight Centre offered investors a 40-cent dividend. Who would have guessed that would be the last pay-out shareholders would receive from the company for years to come?

Of course, there’s a simple reason as to why the ASX 200 travel agency hasn’t been paying out a portion of its profits in the form of dividends in that time. It’s because it hasn’t turned a profit.

Well, that’s not entirely true. Flight Centre announced this morning that it returned to the green in the second half, recording a $35 million underlying profit for the final quarter of FY22.

That helped buoy its full-year results, in which the company posted an underlying after-tax loss of $272.6 million. While it can be argued that no loss is a good loss, today’s result marks a significant year-on-year improvement. It recorded a $364 million underlying loss for FY21.

Meanwhile, Corporate Travel posted a $17.5 million underlying after-tax profit for FY22. That allowed the company to pay out a portion of such profits in the form of dividends.

While Flight Centre isn’t quite there yet, the start of FY23 has brought even brighter skies for the ASX 200 travel share. Though, it hasn’t offered earnings guidance.

Here’s hoping its upwards trajectory will continue and Flight Centre shareholders can recognise a dividend sometime in the near future.

The post Corporate Travel has resumed paying them, so when can we expect Flight Centre dividends? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Flight Centre shares fall back to earth after $378 million loss
• Flight Centre share price in focus as full-year revenue surpasses $1 billion
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday
• Is the Flight Centre share price a buy ahead of Thursday’s FY 2022 earnings report?
• Looking to buy Webjet shares? Here’s what we’ve learned about the travel sector in August

Motley Fool contributor Brooke Cooper has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Corporate Travel Management Limited and Flight Centre Travel Group 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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The Hipages Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: HPG) share price is falling today after the company released its results for the year ending 30 June (FY22).

Hipages shares were sinking by as much as 9% in early trading but have since partially recovered and are currently down 2.68% at $1.45 apiece.

Let’s get the measuring tape out and see what unfolded in FY22 for the ASX-listed tradies services platform.

What did Hipages report for FY22?

• Revenue of $61.9 million, up 11% from $55.8 million in FY21
• Operating expenses of $51.1 million, up 15% from $44.3 million in FY21
• Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) before significant items of $10.7 million, down 8% from $11.7 million in FY21
• EBITDA margin of 17%, down from 21% in FY21
• Net loss after tax of $0.91 million, compared to a profit of $1.2 million in FY21

Across Hipages’ key operations, it recorded higher monthly recurring revenue of 5% to $5.5 million. The number of jobs processed on the Hipages platform also lifted 6% to 1.63 million. The average revenue per user surged 11% to $1,707 compared to $1,536 in FY21.

The jump in operating expenses was due to greater investment in headcount and marketing. Marketing expenditure went up from $16 million to $18.8 million, in particular building its brand through the sponsorship of The Block.

In terms of employees, Hipages invested in its tech team to support growth and strategic execution.

Despite the reversal in Hipages’ bottom line, it managed to improve its operating cash flow slightly from $12.5 million in FY21 to $12.7 million in FY22.

Hipages, which only listed in November 2020, appears to be in a sound financial position with cash and funds on deposit of $13.2 million and no debt.

What else occurred in FY22?

Hipages rolled out its job management solution, which plays a crucial role in transitioning to a software-as-a-service model. Tradie subscribers can now use the platform to schedule and personalise documentation with self-service options.

The tradie marketplace business also acquired Builderscrack, a similar business based in New Zealand. This enabled Hipages to achieve its goal of becoming the leading tradie marketplace across the trans-Tasman.

In addition, the company acquired a 25% stake in Bricks & Agent, one of Australia’s leading property management technology platforms.

Management commentary

Speaking on the results, Hipages co-founder and CEO Roby Sharon-Zipser said:

In FY22 we faced a perfect storm for a marketplace business, with supply constricted by our tradie customers being unable to work due to COVID restrictions, then facing an unprecedented backlog of jobs driven by strong consumer demand.

In this environment, the strength of our subscription model shone through, enabling us to deliver growth in revenues, subscription tradies and ARPU, while executing our strategy and consolidating our position as the #1 online tradie marketplace in both Australia and New Zealand.

What’s ahead for Hipages?

Management expects H1 FY23 revenue growth to stay in line with H2 FY22 and then accelerate to the mid-teens in the second half of FY23.

The EBITDA margin for FY23 is expected to be ahead of FY22.

The company advises there is a clear path towards free cash flow after recording positive free cash flow in its most recent quarter for FY22.

Commenting on the outlook, Sharon-Zipser said:

Looking ahead, I am very excited about the future for hipages Group. The countercyclical nature of our model means that we are well positioned to benefit from economic uncertainty in the near-term, while the opportunity in our existing markets and new adjacencies is significant.

Our efficient operating model gives us the confidence to continue to invest with a clear pathway to ongoing positive free cash flow. We remain highly focused on executing our strategy and investing to build the foundations for long-term profitable growth.

Hipages share price snapshot

The Hipages share price has copped a hammering alongside other ASX growth stocks over the last 12 months, dropping 52%. It has also fallen 62% this year to date. However, it has rallied in the past month, up 28%.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) hasn’t been as erratic, falling 6% in the past year and then climbing up 4% in the last month.

Hipages has a market capitalisation of around $195 million.

The post Hipages share price sinks as ‘perfect storm’ hits profit appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Goldman Sachs names 2 small cap ASX shares to buy with 80%+ upside
• ‘Power and resilience’: Hipages share price leaps 14% on revenue boost

Motley Fool contributor Raymond Jang 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 Hipages Group Holdings Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Hipages Group Holdings 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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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.

Investing in cryptocurrencies can be an intimidating endeavor. There are tens of thousands of options, making it a daunting task to narrow down the list. And while most digital assets aren’t worth even a penny of your savings, the top crypto, Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC), deserves a much closer look. 

That said, here are three of the most important factors investors need to consider before buying Bitcoin. 

Bitcoin is extremely volatile 

This probably goes without saying, but Bitcoin is extremely volatile, even more so than growth tech stocks. Daily price swings of 10% are par for the course. And worse, major bear markets are a usual occurrence. In 2021, Bitcoin’s price fell more than 50% from peak to trough at one point, only to shoot back up. And currently, Bitcoin is off about 69% from its all-time high of nearly $69,000 achieved in November last year. 

For anyone looking to put some money into Bitcoin, understand that you must be able to stomach the inevitable ups and downs. Otherwise, you’ll be inclined to sell quickly after any major price move and lose out on the potential for monster returns over the very long term. Volatility is normal in this situation. In fact, it should be expected for such a new (Bitcoin is 13 years old), still-developing, and nascent asset. 

If Bitcoin keeps gaining widespread adoption as a legitimate store of value, it won’t be in a straight line. That’s because it will continue to fall in and out of favor with investors based on various factors, like the macroeconomic environment, any regulatory updates, and their own personal finances. Therefore, it’s best to only allocate to Bitcoin what you’re willing to lose, say 1% to 2% of a well-diversified portfolio. 

Bitcoin runs a proof-of-work consensus mechanism 

Unlike Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) after “The Merge,” as well as Cardano (CRYPTO: ADA) and Solana (CRYPTO: SOL) currently, Bitcoin operates what is known as a proof-of-work consensus mechanism. This means that large amounts of electricity are needed to solve complex math problems to validate new transactions and create new Bitcoin, a process known as mining. Bitcoin naysayers argue that the network is awful for the environment, often citing data showing that it consumes the same amount of energy as a small country.  

However, Bitcoin mining flows to the cheapest sources of energy, like wind and solar. And not only does Bitcoin support the development of renewable energy, but it can also help to balance out a power grid. When excess energy is produced, instead of it being wasted, it can be used to mine Bitcoin. And during times of peak power demand, say during a major heat wave, miners can quickly turn off their machines and sell energy back to the grid. This is an incredible feature that most people don’t consider. 

The next time someone tries to tell you that Bitcoin is inefficient and bad for our planet, just remember the quirks you just saw. We could get to a point in the future when Bitcoin is entirely powered by green energy while acting as a demand-balancing portion of the power grid. That one-two punch would certainly be viewed favorably by society. 

Bitcoin aims to change money 

While Web3 and its potentially disruptive applications garner a lot of attention, primarily from venture capitalists, Bitcoin is attacking arguably the biggest addressable market in the world — money. Sure, its use as a medium of exchange is essentially nonexistent today, and it is mainly being viewed as a store of value like digital gold. 

Bitcoin’s network is only able to process fewer than five transactions per second (TPS), and every new block is created on average every 10 minutes. On the other hand, Visa (NYSE: V), the largest payments network in the world, has the capacity to handle a whopping 65,000 TPS. It’s strikingly clear that for Bitcoin to be used in daily transactions, something needs to change. 

Luckily, developers are working hard on a layer-2 solution, known as the Lightning Network, that runs on top of Bitcoin’s main blockchain. The idea is that different parties can open payment channels with each other, allowing transactions to be instant with almost zero fees. For example, I could open a channel with my local coffee shop, with my balance decreasing (and the coffee shop’s balance increasing) every time I make a purchase. Once a month, or at any frequency for that matter, this channel can be closed, and the ending balance is settled up on the main Bitcoin network, thus reducing congestion on the main blockchain.  

Bitcoin could fundamentally change the nature of money, which today is heavily controlled and manipulated by the actions of governments and central banks. To be fair, it will be a long and bumpy road for Bitcoin to achieve mainstream adoption, but the potential is definitely there. 

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

The post 3 top things to look at before buying Bitcoin appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Neil Patel has positions in Bitcoin and Ethereum. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and Visa. 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.

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ASX uranium shares are shining bright today.

While the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) is putting in a solid day, up 0.8% as we head into the lunch hour, leading ASX uranium shares are rocketing far higher.

For example:

• Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN) shares are up 12.9%
• The Deep Yellow Limited (ASX: DYL) share price is up 13.1%
• Bannerman Energy Ltd (ASX: BMN) shares are up 17.0%
• The Alligator Energy Ltd (ASX: AGE) share price is up 8.8%

So, what’s piquing investor interest today?

What’s driving investor interest?

Investors are snapping up ASX uranium shares following on news that Japan is actively seeking to ramp up its nuclear power generation.

It’s been more than 11 years now since Japan shuttered all of its nuclear reactors.

As we’re sure you’ll recall, that came in the wake of the tsunami-driven disaster at its Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in March 2011. Uranium prices and ASX uranium shares fell hard over the following months, with most only beginning to rebound in 2021.

Currently, Japan only has 10 nuclear plants online, with nuclear energy providing around 7% of its electricity in 2021.

But that number looks set to grow.

With Japan heavily reliant on energy imports (coal, oil and gas), Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has spurred the country into revisiting nuclear power. All the more so following soaring energy demand during the northern summer heatwave, alongside the goal of reducing carbon emissions.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced that Japan will look into developing next generation nuclear power plants and reopen a number of closed plants.

As Bloomberg reports, Japan wants to restart seven more nuclear reactors. That would see the nation with 17 online reactors out of 33 in operational status, news that looks to be driving ASX uranium shares higher today.

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

How have these ASX uranium shares been tracking longer term?

Though many have retraced in 2022, the ASX uranium shares listed above are all well into the green over the past 12 months.

Since this time last year, the Paladin share price is up 69%; Deep Yellow shares are up 27%; Bannerman shares have gained 42% and the Alligator Energy share price is up 107%.

The All Ordinaries comes in far behind these ASX uranium shares, having lost 7% over the 12 months.

The post Why are ASX uranium shares going gangbusters on Thursday? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Up 26% in a month, is the Paladin Energy share price on the comeback trail?
• The ASX shares with 30% to 50% upside: fundie
• Why did the Paladin Energy share price rocket 28% in July?
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares 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.

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The JB Hi-Fi Limited (ASX: JBH) share price is falling wayside on Thursday despite no announcements from the company.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is up 0.78% during midday trade, but can’t seem to get JB Hi-Fi shares over the line.

At the time of writing, the retailer’s shares are swapping hands at $41.81, down 4.57%.

Let’s take a look at what is causing the share to fall today.

What’s going on with JB Hi-Fi shares?

Following the retailer’s full-year results last week, investors are selling off JB Hi-Fi shares as they go ex-dividend today.

This means if you purchased the company’s shares yesterday or before and owned them at today’s market open, you’ll be eligible for the latest dividend.

When a company reaches its ex-dividend day, its shares tend to fall in proportion to the dividend paid out. This is because after securing the dividend, investors try to make a quick profit.

For those who are set to receive JB Hi-Fi’s final dividend, a payment of $1.53 per share will be made on 9 September. The dividend is also fully franked.

This brings the FY2022 dividend to $3.16 per share, reflecting a 10.1% increase compared to the prior corresponding period.

The board has adopted a policy of monitoring the dividend payout ratio and targeting a payout ratio of 65% of NPAT. Whilst ensuring adequate capital is retained for the growth of the business, it also aims to deliver shareholder returns.

Are JB Hi-Fi shares a buy?

Following the company’s 2022 financial scorecard, a number of brokers updated their outlook on JB Hi-Fi shares.

According to ANZ Share Investing, Jefferies downgraded its rating to underperform from hold. In addition, the broker cut its price target by 14% to $38.50 per JB Hi-Fi share. Based on the current price, this implies a downside of 8%.

On the other hand, Macquarie and Citi raised their price targets by 1% to $41.30, and 6.4% to $50, respectively.

Citi’s bullish broker note implies an upside of almost 20% from where JB Hi-Fi trades today.

JB Hi-Fi share price snapshot

For the first half of 2022, the JB Hi-Fi share price travelled sideways before sinking to a 52-week low of $36.69 in June. While there has been some recovery of late, it’s still 36% off its all-time high of $56.85.

JB Hi-Fi has a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 10.13 and commands a market capitalisation of approximately $4.57 billion.

The post Why is the JB Hi-Fi share price slumping today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• 3 ASX 200 shares going ex-dividend tomorrow
• Why are ASX 200 retail shares having such a stellar run today?
• 2 surprisingly ‘robust’ ASX shares to buy in current climate: expert
• JB Hi-Fi share price dips as full-year dividend jumps 43%
• Could this ASX 200 share be heading for a short squeeze?

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.

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