The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is going through another bumpy day of trading so far on Wednesday. At the time of writing, the ASX 200 has lifted by 0.28% and is closing in on 6,830 points, despite a big plunge into the red just before midday today.

But let’s delve deeper into these market moves and take a look at 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 Wednesday

South32 Ltd (ASX: S32)

As has become common in recent weeks, our first share today is none other than mining company South32. This diversified ASX 200 resources share has had a hefty 11.28 million of its shares trade hands as it currently stands.

There hasn’t been any news out of South32 so far today. However, the company has been in the spotlight this week after the release of a well-received quarterly update on Monday. Today, South32 shares have outperformed the market with a gain of 0.68% to $3.70 a share.

Newcrest Mining Ltd (AX: NCM)

Next up this Wednesday, we have ASX 200 gold miner Newcrest. Today has seen a sizeable 23.26 million Newcrest shares bought and sold on the markets thus far. We haven’t had any news out of Newcrest today either.

So it looks like the nasty share price fall we have seen with this gold share is responsible here. Newcrest shares have had a shocker. The company is currently down 0.88% at $18.515 a share after touching a new 52-week low of $18.42 this afternoon.

Zip Co Ltd (ASX: ZIP)

Finally today is ASX 200 buy now, pay later (BNPL) share Zip. This Wednesday has seen a whopping 51.41 million Zip shares trade on the share market. This is almost certainly a byproduct of the massive share price boost we have seen Zip enjoy today.

The company’s share price has rocketed by 19% at the time of writing and is trading at $1.22. Earlier today, Zip shares hit an intraday high of $1.28 a share, a 25% jump on yesterday’s closing price. This is despite a complete absence of any news out of the company today.

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

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More reading

• Why I think Coles shares are a compelling buy today
• Why Alcidion, Betmakers, BrainChip, and Zip shares are racing higher
• ASX 200 shares lift as inflation hits highest level in 20 years
• Why are Zip shares getting the attention of investors today?
• Looking for value: The ASX shares this fundie is holding amid rising inflation

Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has positions in Newcrest Mining Limited. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended ZIPCOLTD FPO. 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 crazy day – nay, week – for the Sezzle Inc (ASX: SZL) share price. The stock launched a whopping 95% to trade at 70.5 cents this afternoon before being placed in a trading halt.

Its intraday high of 79 cents – representing a near-120% gain – also marked a two-month high for the stock.

For context, the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) is up 0.3% right now and has traded relatively flat over the last three sessions.

So, what might be driving the ASX buy now, pay later (BNPL) share sky-high this week? Let’s take a look.

The Sezzle share price has leapt 135% this week

The Sezzle share price has well and truly picked itself up by the bootstraps after a poor start to the week.

It’s more than overcome the 13% tumble it recorded on Monday, launching 38% on Tuesday before rocketing into the freezer today.

The company has since announced its unexpected trading halt will precede a further announcement to the market. No further details are currently known.

Today’s incredible gains came despite the company maintaining its silence. In fact, the market hasn’t heard word from the company since it abandoned its planned merger with Zip Co Ltd (ASX: ZIP).

And while the BNPL favourite’s gains are comparatively extreme, it isn’t alone in the green. The Zip share price posted a 20% gain yesterday and is up another 19% today.

Though, not all ASX BNPL giants are enjoying a resurgence this week. Stock in Afterpay owner Block Inc (ASX: SQ2) is down 4% right now after slipping around 3% yesterday.

Impressively, the Sezzle share price is currently frozen more than 280% higher than the all-time low of 18.5 cents it inked less than two weeks ago.  

However, it’s still a long way off its previous highs. The stock has slumped 77% since the start of 2022. It’s also trading 94% lower than the all-time high it reached in mid-2020.

The post Sezzle share price rockets 95% before being frozen. What’s going on? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Why are ASX buy now, pay later shares rocketing higher today?
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• How to beat the market with ‘boring’ ASX shares: fundie
• 3 ASX All Ords shares sidestepping the selling today
• Penny-pincher: Where Sezzle shares could be heading from here

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 Block, Inc. and ZIPCOLTD FPO. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Block, Inc. 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 All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) is down a slender 0.04% in late afternoon trading, having made up some larger earlier losses following the release of Australia’s latest inflation figures.

Within the index of top 500 stocks, three ASX All Ordinaries shares have notched up new 52-week highs today.

This ASX All Ordinaries share just hit more than 9-year highs

The first ASX All Ordinaries share hitting more than one-year highs today is Silex Systems Ltd (ASX: SLX).

The technology company is focused on commercialising its laser enrichment technology for uranium production and enrichment for nuclear power, as well as silicon enrichment for silicon quantum computing applications.

Although it slipped into the red in afternoon trade, the Silex share price traded for $3.54 in morning trade. That’s the highest level since November 2012.

The most recent price-sensitive news released by the company came out last Wednesday regarding its Zero-Spin Silicon project.

As my Fool colleague Brooke Cooper reported at the time, “A stage 3 demonstration plant has been constructed to verify the commercial production capability for the quantum computing material.”

Also trading at 52-week plus highs

Chorus Ltd (ASX: CNU) is another ASX All Ordinaries share notching up 52-week plus highs with no fresh news out in the markets.

Earlier today the New Zealand based telecommunications infrastructure company hit $7.16 per share, the highest price since March 2021.

That gives the company a market cap of some $3.2 billion.

And rounding off the list of ASX All Ordinaries shares hitting one-year plus highs today we have Neuren Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: NEU), which also hit the new milestone without releasing any new price-sensitive news today.

The biopharmaceutical company is up 2.2% at the time of writing and traded as high as $5.25 during the lunch hour. That’s the highest price shareholders will have realised since November 2007.

The post 3 ASX All Ordinaries shares hitting new 52-week highs on Wednesday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Rocks and lasers: 2 ASX All Ords shares securing new multi-year highs on Wednesday

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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What a year it has been for the Liontown Resources Limited (ASX: LTR) share price. As it currently stands, Liontown shares are trading at $1.19 each, down 1.65% so far today. But over the past 12 months, Liontown has traded as high as $2.19 and as low as 80 cents a share.

In April, Liontown was up more than 20% year to date in 2022. But as of today, this ASX 200 lithium stock has now lost 32% year to date. It’s fair to say that this is a company that is no stranger to volatility.

But it has still been a lucrative investment for many shareholders. Even after the falls we have seen in 2022, Liontown shares remain up a healthy 41.7% over the past 12 months and an incredible 11,800% since August 2017.

But given this history, many investors might be wondering where Liontown shares are heading next.

Is the Liontown Resources share price a buy today?

Well, there is one ASX broker who thinks Liontown has at least another 50% rise left in its tank for the next 12 months.

Last week, my Fool colleague James covered the opinions of brokers at Macquarie on Liontown. Macquarie has retained an outperform rating on Liontown shares, complete with a 12-month share price target of $1.85 per share.

On today’s price of $1.19, that would indeed represent a potential upside of just over 55% if this came to pass.

Macquarie highlights the appointment of Lycopodium Limited (ASX: LYL) to assist with engineering and construction at Liontown’s Kathleen Valley Lithium Project. The broker reckons that this is an important move to make sure the project remains on schedule.

So no doubt this very sunny outlook on the future of the Liontown Resources share price will be welcomed by Liontown shareholders today. But, as always, we shall have to see if what the brokers at Macquarie predict does indeed come to pass.

In the meantime, the current Liontown Resources share price gives this ASX 200 lithium stock a market capitalisation of $2.6 billion. That comes with a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 54.95.

The post Top broker tips 55% upside for Liontown share price appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today
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• Here are the top 10 ASX shares today

Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Macquarie 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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Despite its wild price swings in 2022, the Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN) share price has surged 300% over the past five years.

The company has benefited immensely from the lithium boom which has generated bumper revenues from 2017 to 2021.

Subsequently, Mineral Resources ramped up its dividends to investors over the period – even during COVID-19.

Below, we take a look to see how much Mineral Resources has distributed in dividends to shareholders since 2017.

Recap on the Mineral Resources dividend

Here’s a brief summary of all the dividends paid out by Mineral Resources over the last five years.

• September 2017 – 33 cents (final)

• March 2018 – 25 cents (interim)

• September 2018 – 40 cents (final)

• April 2019 – 13 cents (interim)

• October 2019 – 31 cents (final)

• March 2020 – 23 cents (interim)

• September 2020 – 77 cents (final)

• March 2021 – $1.00 (interim)

• September 2021 – $1.75 (final)

When adding the above amounts, Mineral Resources has paid a total of $5.17 in dividends since September 2017.

You may have noticed that the board elected not to pay a dividend this year which shocked shareholders.

The company reported a significant reduction in iron ore revenue due to weakening Platts and wider discounts. This led it to register an underlying net loss of $36 million, a mammoth difference compared to the $430 million net profit after tax (NPAT) in H1 FY21.

Investors will have to wait until 29 August when Mineral Resources is expected to release its FY22 financial results.

Mineral Resources share price snapshot

Despite its astronomical gains over the long term, the Mineral Resources share price has had trouble replicating its success in 2022.

Tumbling iron ore prices and a break in the lithium market have led the company’s shares to record volatile swings.

Year to date, Mineral Resources shares are down 13%.

Based on today’s price, the company commands a market capitalisation of around $9.2 billion and has a dividend yield of 3.74%.

The post How much has Mineral Resources paid in dividends over the last 5 years? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• How I’m preparing for brighter days in the stock market
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• 3 ASX lithium shares that flew in FY22, and 1 that sank

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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Investors that are looking for dividend options might want to check out the two ASX shares listed below.

Both of these ASX dividend shares have recently been tipped as buys with attractive forecast yields. Here’s why analysts are bullish:

Charter Hall Social Infrastructure REIT (ASX: CQE)

The first ASX dividend share to look at is the Charter Hall Social Infrastructure REIT.

It is a real estate investment trust with a focus on social infrastructure properties such as bus depots, police and justice services facilities, and childcare centres. Demand has been so strong for these properties that the company has a 100% occupancy rate and a weighted average lease expiry of 14.6 years.

Goldman Sachs is a very big fan of the company. It currently has a conviction buy rating and $4.24 price target on its shares

We make no changes to our investment thesis or Buy rating (on CL) and continue to believe the REIT is positioned for a solid growth outlook given the sector’s positive fundamentals and CQE’s strong balance sheet with ample headroom and liquidity to pursue investment opportunities, particularly government assets.

The broker is also expecting generous dividends in the coming years. It is forecasting dividends per share of 17.2 cents in FY 2022 and 18.3 cents in FY 2023. Based on its current share price of $3.68, this implies yields of 4.7% and 5%, respectively.

QBE Insurance Group Ltd (ASX: QBE)

Another ASX dividend share that could be in the buy zone right now is insurance giant QBE.

The team at Morgans are very positive on the company due to its cheap valuation, cost cutting plans, and positive rate outlook.

Morgans currently has an add rating and $14.76 price target on the company’s shares. The broker commented:

With strong rate increases still flowing through QBE’s insurance book, and further cost-out benefits to come, we expect QBE’s earnings profile to improve strongly over the next few years. The stock also has a robust balance sheet and remains relatively inexpensive overall trading on ~14x FY22F PE.

In respect to dividends, its analysts have pencilled in a 41.4 cents per share dividend in FY 2022 and then a 66.3 cents per share dividend in FY 2023. Based on the latest QBE share price of $11.73, this equates to yields of 3.55% and 5.7%, respectively

The post 2 quality ASX dividend shares rated as buys by brokers appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Baby Bunting. 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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Many of Australia’s top brokers have been busy adjusting their financial models again, leading to the release of a large number of broker notes this week.

Three ASX shares brokers have named as buys this week are listed below. Here’s why they are bullish on them:

Corporate Travel Management Ltd (ASX: CTD)

According to a note out of UBS, its analysts have retained their buy rating but trimmed their price target on this corporate travel specialist’s shares to $26.35. Although the broker notes that industry feedback is pointing to strong demand for corporate travel, its analysts have reduced their earnings estimates slightly to reflect inflationary and labour pressures. Nevertheless, it still sees plenty of value in its shares at the current level even after doing so. The Corporate Travel Management share price is trading at $17.80 today.

Domino’s Pizza Enterprises Ltd (ASX: DMP)

A note out of Ord Minnett reveals that its analysts have retained their buy rating but cut their price target on this pizza chain operator’s shares to $88.00. Ord Minnett acknowledges that Domino’s is facing a number of headwinds such as a weak Japanese yen and inflation. However, it believes these are understood by the market and factored into its share price. In light of this, the broker continues to see a lot of value in its shares, particularly in comparison to peers. The Domino’s share price is fetching $68.46 this afternoon.

Nitro Software Ltd (ASX: NTO)

Analysts at Goldman Sachs have retained their buy rating with a reduced price target of $2.05 on this document productivity software company’s shares. While disappointed with the company’s quarterly update and guidance reduction, Goldman is keeping the faith. It continues to see Nitro as an undervalued global growth opportunity for investors. The Nitro share price is trading at $1.16 on Wednesday.

The post Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Corporate Travel Management Limited, Dominos Pizza Enterprises Limited, and Nitro Software 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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Invested in Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES) shares? Two of the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) conglomerate’s cornerstone retailers have reportedly switched off part of their security systems amid an investigation by Australia’s information watchdog.

The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) has launched investigations into the retailers’ information-handling practices following their implementation of facial recognition technology.

Let’s take a closer look at what’s going on with Bunnings and Kmart.

Bunnings and Kmart under investigation

Wesfarmers shares have traded relatively flat over the last two months. Meanwhile, two of the company’s hallmark retail brands have found themselves in the headlines.

Wesfarmers fans might remember last month’s report by Choice questioning the use of facial recognition technology by multiple retailers, including some Kmart and Bunnings stores.

The consumer advocacy group said most customers weren’t aware the retailers were using technology capable of capturing and storing unique biometric information such as facial features.

Choice’s Kate Bower also noted their collecting of biometric data could constitute a breach of The Privacy Act. Well, the consumer group may not have been the only one concerned about such a breach.

Its findings sparked an investigation by Australia’s information watchdog earlier this month.

The investigation has, in turn, pushed Wesfarmers’ hallmark retailers to halt their use of the controversial security system, The Guardian reported this week.

Bunnings CEO Simon McDowell has previously said the retailers’ use of the facial recognition technology was “consistent with The Privacy Act”.

However, managing director Mike Schneider confirmed Bunnings has stopped using the technology in the face of the investigation, adding:

When we have customers berate our team, pull weapons, spit, or throw punches – we ban them from our stores. But a ban isn’t effective if it’s hard to enforce. Facial recognition gives us a chance to identify when a banned person enters a store so we can support our team to handle the situation before it escalates.

[A]n individual’s image is only retained by the system if they are already … banned or associated with crime in our stores. We don’t use it for marketing or customer behaviour tracking, and we certainly don’t use it identify regular customers who enter our stores.

Wesfarmers share price snapshot

The Wesfarmers share price has struggled to gain traction this year.

It has fallen 22% since the start of 2022 and 26% over the last 12 months.

Meanwhile, the ASX 200 has dumped 10% year to date and 8% since this time last year.

Wesfarmers had not responded to The Motley Fool Australia’s requests for comment at the time of publication.

The post Own Wesfarmers shares? Here’s why Bunnings and Kmart are under investigation by the information watchdog appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Broker names 2 blue chip ASX shares to buy now
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• Can ASX dividend shares deliver during earnings season?
• Could ASX earnings season be ‘a lot better than what the market is positioned for’?
• ASX 200 retail shares rise as consumer confidence improves

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 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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The price of gold has been sliding into the red since peaking at US$2,052 per troy ounce on 8 March 2022 to now trade at US$1,716/t.oz.

Pressure from a strong USD and rising interest rates has seen demand for bullion drop to new lows, reports say.

“[G]old prices remained about 16% off the year to date high as higher interest rates and a relatively strong dollar continued to pressure bullion demand,” Trading Economics wrote.

The opportunity cost of holding gold increases with rising yields as the yellow metal pays no interest/yield.

Meanwhile, shares of key ASX gold player Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) have settled higher this week after drifting to 52-week lows of $6.76 on 19 July.

The gold price and Northern Star share a tight relationship in directional movement, as seen on the chart below, displaying both instruments since November 2020.

What’s in store for Northern Star shares?

The gold mining giant recently posted its Q4 FY22 earnings and results came in line with expectations.

It sold a total of 1,561 thousand ounces (koz) of gold at an all-in sustaining cost (ASIC) of $1,633/oz, within guided ranges.

Northern Star also provided FY23 guidance in its report. It forecasts gold sales of 1,560-1,680koz gold to be sold on an ASIC of A$1,630-1,690/oz.

Meanwhile, the downward slide in gold doesn’t appear to have impacted the outlook from brokers.

Exactly 100% of analysts covering the company rate it either a buy or strong buy right now, according to Refinitiv Eikon data.

The consensus price target from this extensive list is $10.94, suggesting there is more upside to come if the analysts are correct.

Northern Star has a debt to asset ratio of 5.5% and is expected to increase its capital expenditures in FY23.

It also generated an above-average return on invested capital (ROIC) last half of 19.7% and printed $152 million in company-reported free cash flow. Investors realise a 1.8% yield on this.

Aside from that, Northern Star shares trade at 6.4 times trailing price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) and a 15.7% earnings yield, whilst leaving shareholders a 2.7% trailing dividend yield.

Even still, the market has punished Northern Star these past 12 months. It is now down 25% in that time, or 22% this year to date.

The post Gold is at multi-year lows. What does this mean for Northern Star shares? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Wednesday
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
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• Northern Star share price edges higher following ‘strong’ quarterly performance

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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Both headline and core inflation continue to push higher in Q1 FY23, the latest economic data shows.

Over the 12 months to June 30, the consumer price index (CPI) rose 6.1%, according to data released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

That’s a full 100 basis points up from 5.1% year on year in the previous quarter.

The most significant price increases last quarter were new home purchases by owner-occupiers, automotive fuel, and furniture, the data shows.

However, year on year, the highest price increases are in transport (up 13%) and housing (up 9%), with food costs also 6% higher over the year.

Australia’s inflation rate is now at its highest mark in more than 20 years and, before that, its highest level since 1997, as seen below.

What does this mean for ASX retail shares?

As inflation continues to erode company margins downstream, the ability to pass through costs on to the end consumer is paramount.

Hence, companies with this ability will shine due to their earnings and margin resilience.

Further, with price increases in areas such as retail and furniture, there’s also the prospect of higher earnings for companies exposed to these industries.

As such, it’s unsurprising to see analysts at Macquarie rate Nick Scali Limited (ASX: NCK) highly on the radar. The furniture company recently acquired the Plush-Think Sofa business.

The broker rates Nick Scali a buy and values the company at $12.70 per share. It currently trades at $9.18 apiece after its share price gained 10% this past month.

Meanwhile, retail players are getting rewarded on the back of the inflation data as well.

The Temple & Webster Group Ltd (ASX: TPW) share price is currently 5.4% higher at $3.71. Investors are bidding the share up on a volume more than 50% of its four-week trading average.

Both of these shares have been heavily punished in 2022 so far with Temple & Webster, in particular, incurring a 70% loss over the last 12 months.

But it will take sustained gains for both to recover to their previous highs, as shown on the chart below.

The post Take a seat: What inflation data might mean for ASX retail shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Why I think these 2 ASX growth shares could keep marching upwards
• 3 ASX All Ordinaries shares going great guns on Thursday
• Why is the Temple and Webster share price up 7% today?
• Temple & Webster share price jumps 11% after hitting recent lows
• Does the FY23 outlook make ASX retail shares look like bargains?

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 Temple & Webster Group Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Temple & Webster 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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