• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Friday

    a woman holds her hands to her temples as she sits in front of a computer screen with a concerned look on her face.

    a woman holds her hands to her temples as she sits in front of a computer screen with a concerned look on her face.

    On Thursday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) gave back its early gains to end the period in the red. The benchmark index fell 0.15% to 6,591.1 points.

    Will the market be able to bounce back from this on Friday and end the week on a high? Here are five things to watch:

    ASX 200 expected to sink

    The Australian share market looks set to end the week deep in the red following a very poor night of trade on Wall Street. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 130 points or 2% lower this morning. In the US, the Dow Jones was down 2.4%, the S&P 500 fell 3.25%, and the Nasdaq sank 4.1%. Investors were selling equities amid concerns that the Federal Reserve’s aggressive approach toward taming inflation could bring the economy into a recession.

    GUD downgrades profit guidance

    The GUD Holdings Limited (ASX: GUD) share price could come under extra pressure today after the diversified products company downgraded its earnings guidance. GUD now expects underlying operating earnings to be $147 million in FY 2022. This is down from its previous guidance of $155 million to $160 million. Management advised that supply chains remain volatile, and, in some cases, pressures have intensified.

    Oil prices rise

    Energy producers including Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) and Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) could avoid the market selloff today after oil prices pushed higher. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is up 1.5% to US$117.09 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is up 0.7% to US$119.29 a barrel. Tight supplies continue to keep oil prices high.

    TechnologyOne rated as a buy

    The TechnologyOne Ltd (ASX: TNE) share price could be heading higher from current levels according to Bell Potter. This morning the broker reiterated its buy rating with a slightly trimmed price target of $12.50. Bell Potter sees “potential for uplift in growth rate/guidance next year.”

    Gold price rebounds

    Gold miners Newcrest Mining Ltd (ASX: NCM) and St Barbara Ltd (ASX: SBM) could have a positive finish to the week after the gold price pushed higher overnight. According to CNBC, the spot gold price is up 2% to US$1,857.4 an ounce. A softer US dollar boosted the safe haven asset.

    The post 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Friday 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 January 12th 2022

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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 TechnologyOne 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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  • Is a recession coming to Australia this year?

    A woman sits at her computer with her hands clutched her the bottom of her face as though she may be biting her fingermails with a worried expression in her eyes and frown lines visible.A woman sits at her computer with her hands clutched her the bottom of her face as though she may be biting her fingermails with a worried expression in her eyes and frown lines visible.

    Share markets and the general public are still catching their breath after massive interest rates increases this month.

    Inflation is rampant, and monetary authorities here and around the world are wrestling to get it back under control.

    In Australia, a fortnight ago the Reserve Bank hiked its cash rate by 50 basis points, which was the biggest lift in 22 years.

    And this week, the US Federal Reserve pushed its rate upwards by a whopping 75 basis points.

    Central banks are deliberately trying to slow the economy down. But they may have left their run a bit late, meaning they have to implement more dramatic rate increases. 

    And that could spook their countries into recession.

    Recession likely in US and 40% chance in Australia

    BetaShares chief economist David Bassanese is now convinced the US is in trouble.

    “I now foresee a US recession within the next 12 months,” he said on a BetaShares blog post.

    “Indeed, US economic growth was negative in the March quarter — and there is now a reasonable chance that June quarter economic growth will be negative also, reflecting weakness in business investment and consumer spending.”

    But what about Australia?

    There is an old finance cliché that when the US sneezes, Australia catches a cold.

    And this situation is no exception, according to Bassanese.

    “Consumer sentiment has already tumbled and house prices are starting to weaken,” he said.

    “While I am still hopeful the Australian economy can avoid recession, it is at least a 40% risk in the coming 12 months.”

    What does this mean for the share market?

    The prospect of recession is unambiguously bad news for stocks.

    Bassanese expects the US to suffer from a bear market over the next year.

    “Wall Street does not yet seem priced for recession, and there seems scope for equity markets to fall further,” he said.

    “My base case is the ultimate peak-to-trough decline in the S&P 500 Index (SP: .INX) will be 35%.”

    ASX shares will not be spared from ignominy.

    “The local share market will not be immune to further Wall Street weakness, especially as we also face uncomfortably high inflation and likely aggressive RBA rate hikes in coming months,” said Bassanese.

    “Our sharemarket will likely follow the US into bear market territory, with at least a 20% peak-to-trough decline likely in coming months – that implies a decline in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) to at least 6,000.”

    The bright side is that the coming months will present “good buying opportunities”.

    “For investors, periods of US recession and associated bear markets can be difficult periods to endure,” said Bassanese.

    “But the lesson of history is that markets do eventually bounce back.”

    The post Is a recession coming to Australia this year? 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 January 12th 2022

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    Motley Fool contributor Tony Yoo 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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  • 2 blue chip ASX 200 shares Morgans rates as buys

    A female stockbroker reviews share price performance in her office with the city shown in the background through her windows

    A female stockbroker reviews share price performance in her office with the city shown in the background through her windows

    If you’re planning to invest in the market following recent volatility, then the two blue chips listed below could be worth considering.

    Both of these ASX 200 blue chip shares have recently been rated as buys by analysts at Morgans. Here’s what the broker is saying:

    QBE Insurance Group Ltd (ASX: QBE)

    Morgans is positive on this insurance giant’s shares and believes they are trading at a very attractive level at present. Particularly given its improved outlook from premium increases and cost cutting plans. 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.

    The broker has an add rating and $14.45 price target on the company’s shares.

    Treasury Wine Estates Ltd (ASX: TWE)

    Another blue chip ASX 200 share that Morgans is bullish on is Treasury Wine Estates. It is the wine giant behind brands including 19 Crimes, Beringer, Penfolds, and Wolf Blass.

    Morgans is a fan of the company due to its strong brands, attractive valuation, and positive outlook. The broker explained:

    TWE owns much loved iconic wine brands, the jewel in the crown being Penfolds. We rate its management team highly. The company recently reported an impressive 1H22 result despite facing several material headwinds. The foundations are now in place for TWE to deliver strong double-digit growth from 2H22 over the next few years. Trading at a material discount to our valuation and other luxury brand owners, TWE is a key pick for us.

    Its analysts have put an add rating and $13.93 price target on the company’s shares.

    The post 2 blue chip ASX 200 shares Morgans rates as buys 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 January 12th 2022

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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 Treasury Wine Estates 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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  • Brokers name 2 exciting small cap ASX shares to buy with 80%+ upside

    happy investor, share price rise, increase, up

    happy investor, share price rise, increase, up

    While the pain at the small side of the market may not be over just yet, when it is, there are likely to be some major bargains for investors.

    For example, two small cap ASX shares that have been rated as buys with major upside potential are listed below. Here’s what you need to know about them:

    Catapult Group International Ltd (ASX: CAT)

    The first small cap to look at is Catapult. It is a global sports technology company that provides elite sporting organisations with real time data and analytics to monitor and measure athletes.

    It was a strong performer in FY 2022. Catapult’s recently released full-year results revealed a 54% increase in revenue to US$77 million and a 19.7% lift in annual contract value (ACV) to US$63.9 million. The latter was supported by a ridiculously low ACV churn rate of 3.4%.

    Pleasingly, more of the same is expected in FY 2023. Management is guiding to ACV growth of between 20% to 25% with ACV churn in the range of 4.5% to 6%.

    The team at Jefferies currently has a buy rating and $2.00 price target on the company’s shares. This is more than double the current Catapult share price.

    Nitro Software Ltd (ASX: NTO)

    Another small cap ASX share that is rated as a buy is Nitro. It is a technology company that develops document and workflow productivity software for SME and enterprise customers. Nitro’s products include PDF editing, simple e-signature solutions, and enterprise grade e-signature and digital ID solutions.

    It has been growing its annual recurring revenue (ARR) at a strong rate in recent years and is expected to continue this trend in FY 2022. Management recently noted that its strong first quarter performance puts it on track to achieve its FY 2022 ARR guidance of $64 million to $68 million. This represents a 39% to 47% increase on FY 2021’s ARR.

    Goldman Sachs is very positive on the company and believes it has a huge market opportunity to grow into. The broker currently has a buy rating and $2.35 price target on the company’s shares. Based on the current Nitro share price of $1.27, this suggests 85% upside for investors.

    The post Brokers name 2 exciting small cap ASX shares to buy with 80%+ upside 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 January 12th 2022

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    Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Catapult Group International Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Catapult Group International Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended 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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  • 2 ASX mining shares that surged on drilling news today

    Two miners standing together with a smile on their faces.Two miners standing together with a smile on their faces.

    The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) finished slightly in the red today, but these two ASX mining shares had a better day.

    Renascor Resources Ltd (ASX: RNU) and Resolute Mining Ltd (ASX: RSG) both soared more than 10% on drilling news today.

    Let’s take a look at why these ASX explorers had a good day.

    Renascor Resources

    The Renascor Resources share price surged 14.29% today. The company reported more results from the Siviour Graphite Deposit in South Australia where high-grade graphite at the site.

    On the back of these results, the company sees potential to improve and accelerate the mining schedule. Siviour noted that the graphite market continues to be strong, with prices for the mineral surging 42% in the past 12 months.

    Managing director David Christensen said:

    These results continue to confirm that Siviour is a tier one graphite orebody and, given
    its favourable deposit geometry and location in South Australia, presents Renascor with
    an opportunity to become a globally significant low-cost producer of high-value Purified
    Spherical Graphite for use in Electric Vehicles.

    Resolute Mining

    Resolute Mining shares soared more than 10% on the market today. The company reported significant oxide and sulphide gold mineralisation at the Syama North project in West Africa.

    Resolute described this result as “some of the best gold intersections ever recorded from the Syama North area”. Gold intersections included 27 metres at 6.62 grams per tonne (g/t) from 45 metres at drill hole QVRC533 and 26m at 7.8 g/t from 180m.

    CEO Terry Holohan said: “I am very pleased with the progress over the last twelve months within both the exploration and operations teams”.

    The post 2 ASX mining shares that surged on drilling news 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 January 12th 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 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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  • Guess how much insiders have been spending on AMP shares?

    Man presses green buy button and red sell button on a graph.

    Man presses green buy button and red sell button on a graph.

    After a strong start to the year, recent market volatility has been weighing on the AMP Ltd (ASX: AMP) share price.

    This means that the financial services company’s shares have now dropped into the red in 2022.

    Is this a buying opportunity?

    While this weakness in the AMP share price is disappointing, insiders at the company appear to see it as a buying opportunity.

    A number of AMP’s directors have been buying shares on-market in recent weeks. This includes the company’s chair, Debra Hazelton, who picked up 89,687 shares at the end of May for an average of $1.115 per share. This equates to a total consideration of $100,000.

    But that wasn’t the largest purchase. Another change of director’s interest notice reveals that independent non-executive director Mike Hirst bought 100,000 shares through a couple of on-market trades at the start of June.

    Hirst paid a total of $109,700 for the parcel of shares, which equates to an average of $1.097 per share.

    Rounding things out, fellow independent non-executive directors Kate McKenzie and Michael Sammells both snapped up 50,000 shares via on-market trades recently for an average of approximately $1.10 per share.

    So, with the AMP share price currently fetching 98 cents, investors are able to purchase shares at a discount of approximately 11% to what most of these directors paid.

    Is the AMP share price good value?

    Although Citi only has a (high risk) neutral rating, the broker appears to see value in the AMP share price with its price target of $1.20.

    However, it feels that it may be a little soon to push the buy button. Citi commented:

    “AMP’s earnings outlook is becoming easier to assess but there is still a lot of transition happening and several moving parts making it still quite hard. [..] To us, it still seems a little early for AMP with meaningful earnings improvement unlikely until FY23E.”

    The post Guess how much insiders have been spending on AMP 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 January 12th 2022

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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 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 Ordinaries shares that leapt more than 10% on Thursday

    Two women jumping into the air representing the ASX All Ordinaries rebound todayTwo women jumping into the air representing the ASX All Ordinaries rebound today

    After a tough start to the week, the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) rebounded on Thursday.

    The index was up by as much as 1.2% during the session before finishing down 0.031%. But many of its constituents did far better than that.

    Let’s take a look at three ASX shares boasting gains of more than 10% today.

    3 ASX All Ordinaries shares up more than 10%

    Brainchip Holdings Ltd (ASX: BRN)

    The Brainchip share price was lifted by 10.3% to finish at 86 cents today.

    Interestingly, today’s gain marks the first day in June that the company has traded in the green. Before today, the Brainchip share price was consistently dropping, losing 31% from the end of May.

    The ASX technology business works in neuromorphic computing – a branch of artificial intelligence.

    There’s no news to explain today’s boost. However, the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) was up 2.8% at its highest point today before settling to finish flat.

    Brainchip will be included in the ASX 200 index from next week following the quarterly rebalance.

    Ioneer Ltd (ASX: INR)

    Another ASX All Ordinaries share that soared 10% or more today was Ioneer. It finished at 40 cents, up 12.7%.

    This stock has also struggled recently, falling 38% between 31 May and 15 June.

    The company is focused on its Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron Project. Ioneer was joined in the green by fellow ASX lithium share, Allkem Ltd (ASX: AKE). The Allkem share price rose by 1.5% today.

    Thus, positive market sentiment on commodities is a potential explanation for today’s gains.

    5E Advanced Materials Inc (ASX: 5EA)

    The final ASX All Ordinaries share we’ll look at is 5EA Advanced Materials, which rocketed 11.4% to a final price of $2.83.

    The company is focused on helping the world decarbonise by producing boron and lithium.

    There’s been no news to explain today’s gain.

    However, earlier this week the company announced its NASDAQ-listed stock will soon be included in the Russell 2000 Index, Russell 3000 Index, and Russell Microcap Index.

    Commenting on its inclusion, the company’s president and CEO Henri Tausch said the Russell indexes are some of the most widely cited for US companies.

    The post 3 ASX All Ordinaries shares that leapt more than 10% on Thursday 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 January 12th 2022

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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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  • Morgans tips 40% upside for the Wesfarmers share price

    A woman in a red jacket whispers in the ear of a man who has a surprised look on his face as she explains that one top broker thinks the Appen share price is a buy

    A woman in a red jacket whispers in the ear of a man who has a surprised look on his face as she explains that one top broker thinks the Appen share price is a buyThe Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES) share price could be great value at the current level.

    That’s the view of one of Australia’s leading brokers.

    Why is the Wesfarmers share price great value?

    A recent note out of Morgans reveals that its analysts have retained their add rating with a $58.40 price target.

    Based on the current Wesfarmers share price, this implies potential upside of 40% for investors over the next 12 months.

    Its analysts are fans of Wesfarmers due to their belief that it “possesses one of the highest quality retail portfolios in Australia with strong brands including Bunnings, Kmart and Officeworks.”

    The broker also highlights that “the company is run by a highly regarded management team and the balance sheet is healthy.”

    What else is the broker saying?

    In addition, Morgans believes that Wesfarmers is well-positioned for a tough retail environment. This is due to partly to its focus on value with its popular Kmart business. It explained:

    Kmart’s scale and sourcing capabilities underpin its low-cost business model, which allows it to deliver the lowest prices, driving greater demand and scale, and allows further sourcing and product development capabilities.

    With value expected to become increasingly important, we think Kmart is well-placed to benefit with the average price of an item at around $6-7. Even if price rises are needed to mitigate cost inflation, this will be small on an absolute basis (eg, a 5% increase in average selling price = ~35c) and Kmart can use its scale and supply chain flexibility to limit increases vs its competitors.

    All in all, the broker sees the company “as a long-term, core portfolio holding” and appears to believe the recent weakness in the Wesfarmers share price is a buying opportunity for investors.

    The post Morgans tips 40% upside for the Wesfarmers share price 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 January 12th 2022

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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 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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  • Here’s why the NDQ ETF is down almost 30% in 2022

    A young woman slumped in her chair while looking at her laptop and the tanking NDQ ETF share price on the ASXA young woman slumped in her chair while looking at her laptop and the tanking NDQ ETF share price on the ASX

    The BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ) used to be one of the best-performing exchange-traded funds (ETFs) on the ASX. NDQ is, at its heart, a tech-based ETF — but technically, it’s an index fund.

    This fund tracks the NASDAQ-100 Index (INDEXNASDAQ: NDX), which follows the largest 100 companies on the United States NASDAQ stock exchange.

    The NASDAQ is one of the two major stock exchanges in the US. It is the one that most prominent tech companies call home in America, which gives it a heavy bias towards tech shares.

    But 2022 has not been kind to this ETF. In fact, it’s been the worst start to a year that NDQ has ever gone through. Year to date, NDQ units are now down 28% on the ASX. That’s including the small gain that the fund managed today.

    So what’s behind this dramatic change in fortune?

    Why has the NDQ ETF had such a tough 2022 on the ASX?

    Well, the problems the BetaShares NASDAQ 100 ETF has faced this year largely stem from its largest holdings.

    It was NDQ’s exposure to tech giants like Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL), Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ: AMZN) and Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) that helped it have such a strong few years before 2022.

    But it is this same exposure that is dragging NDQ back to Earth this year.

    The ETF’s five-largest holdings are Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA) and Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ: GOOG)(NASDAQ: GOOGL). Together, these five tech giants make up more than 40% of NDQ’s portfolio weighting as it currently stands.

    What’s happening with NDQ’s top 5 holdings?

    We all know how successful these companies have been over the past few years. But 2022 has seen investors get cold feet.

    Apple shares are now down more than 25% year to date.

    Amazon shares have lost 36.8% over the same period.

    Microsoft has shed 24.8%.

    Alphabet’s Class A shares are down 24.3%, while Tesla has lost almost 42%.

    So, this is why the BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF has been suffering so much pain over the year so far.

    But consider this. Even though NDQ has been in the wars of late, this ETF has still (as of 31 May) managed to return an average of 18.15% per annum over the past five years, and 19.94% per annum over the past three.

    The post Here’s why the NDQ ETF is down almost 30% in 2022 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 January 12th 2022

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    Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has positions in Alphabet (A shares), Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, and Tesla. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Alphabet (A shares), Alphabet (C shares), Amazon, Apple, BETANASDAQ ETF UNITS, Microsoft, and Tesla. 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 positions in and has recommended BETANASDAQ ETF UNITS. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Alphabet (A shares), Alphabet (C shares), Amazon, and Apple. 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 happened to the Qantas share price today?

    A female cabin crew member on a place looks like she has a headache.A female cabin crew member on a place looks like she has a headache.

    The Qantas Airways Limited (ASX: QAN) share price descended lower today.

    Qantas shares dropped 4.03% to $4.52 in today’s trade. For perspective, the  S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) closed 0.15% in the red at 6,591.1 points.

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

    Cancelled flight route

    Qantas shares fell harder than their ASX 200 travel share peers today. The Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd (ASX: FLT) share price fell 2.18%, while Webjet Limited (ASX: WEB) dropped 0.96%.

    In contrast, US airlines had a good day on Wednesday, with American Airlines Group Inc (NASDAQ: AAL) leaping 2.78% and United Airlines Holdings Inc (NASDAQ: UAL) jumping 2.43%. Meanwhile, Delta Airlines Inc (NYSE: DAL) jumped 1.85%.

    Qantas hit headlines today amid news it will cut its flight route between Alice Springs and Perth in July, the ABC reported. This is reportedly due to low passenger numbers.

    In comments quoted by the media outlet, Tourism Australia CEO Danial Rochford described the decision as “not good news”. He added:

    …what we need from our carrier at the moment is to be backing remote Australia, not pulling out of remote Australia.

    Meanwhile, Qantas is planning to lift the mask mandate on some international flights, 9 News reported.

    A spokesperson said: “The Qantas Group intends to soon update our onboard mask policy for international flights to align with the rules at the destination.”

    In other news, it has emerged Qantas will be relying on office workers to work as baggage carriers to cope with the busy winter holiday travel season.

    A Qantas spokesperson quoted by Sky News said Qantas is preparing to seek the assistance of office staff at airports during the upcoming school holidays. They added:

    As we have done in the past during busy periods, about 200 head office staff helped at airports over Easter undertaking tasks such as handing out water, queue combing and helping in the bag room.

    We are preparing to do the same over the July school holidays.

    Qantas share price snapshot

    The Qantas share price has dumped nearly 4% in the past 12 months, while it has fallen more than 9% year to date.

    For perspective, the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has lost nearly 11% in a year.

    The post What happened to the Qantas share price 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 January 12th 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 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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