• Why the Australian Ethical share price has tumbled 7%

    A green-caped superhero reveals their identity with a big dollar sign on their chest.

    A green-caped superhero reveals their identity with a big dollar sign on their chest.

    The Australian Ethical Investment Limited (ASX: AEF) share price is down around 7% after the ethically-focused fund manager gave its quarterly update to investors.

    Australian Ethical describes itself as Australia’s leading ethical investment manager. It aims to give investors investment products that align with their values and provide competitive returns.

    Quarterly funds under management (FUM) numbers

    At 31 March 2022, Australian Ethical had a total of $6.83 billion of FUM. This represented a slight decline of 1.6% from the $6.94 billion of FUM at 31 December 2021.

    The company attributed the decline to the “highly volatile market conditions” such as the conflict in Europe, inflation expectations, as well as supply chain disruptions.

    However, Australian Ethical noted that the FUM movement for the 2022 financial year to date is still positive. FUM has grown by 13% in FY22 since 30 June 2021.

    While the business suffered an overall decline in FUM during the period, it still achieved total net inflows of $0.24 billion. It was the $0.35 billion negative effect of ‘market and other’ movements that hurt the FUM in the three months to 31 March 2022.

    Australian Ethical said that positive net flows for the quarter were driven by “continuing strong” superannuation contributions, which includes the consistent superannuation guarantee contributions together with rollovers from new customers joining. Superannuation net flows amounted to $0.18 billion for the quarter.

    Managed fund net flows were positive but were impacted by “cautious market sentiment” related to overall market volatility.

    The ASX share said that 5,191 customers joined Australian Ethical during the quarter, taking total customers to 79,909. This was an increase of 4% from 31 December 2021.

    Since the start of FY22, Australian Ethical has benefited from $0.84 billion of net flows.

    Recent profit result

    FUM changes can have an influence on the profit and Australian Ethical share price.

    In the first six months of FY22, Australian Ethical generated $5.4 million of underlying net profit after tax (NPAT), which was an increase of 12%. Total revenue rose by 35%.

    With the release of that result, the Australian Ethical CEO John McMurdo discussed the impact of significant growth for genuinely ethical investment funds:

    As Australia’s original and leading ethical investor, this puts us in an enviable position to capture our natural and achievable share of a rapidly growing addressable market.

    In our full-year results, we outlined our ambitious high growth strategy which is already yielding meaningful results. We’ve successfully launched new products, won multiple awards and fast-tracking our strategic plans by acquiring a minority stake in Sentient Impact Group.

    Australian Ethical share price snapshot

    Since the start of the year, Australian Ethical shares have fallen by 54%.

    The post Why the Australian Ethical share price has tumbled 7% appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Australian Ethical right now?

    Before you consider Australian Ethical, you’ll want to hear this.

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

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

    *Returns as of January 13th 2022

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns and has recommended Australian Ethical Investment Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Australian Ethical Investment Ltd. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

    from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/hKCDRH3

  • Down 13% in a month, is the Vulcan share price a buying opportunity?

    Young man in shirt and tie staring at his laptop screen watching the Paladin Energy share price tank todayYoung man in shirt and tie staring at his laptop screen watching the Paladin Energy share price tank today

    Shares in Vulcan Energy Resources Ltd (ASX: VUL) are tracking lower after sliding down from the open of trade on Thursday.

    At the time of writing, the Vulcan share price is at $9.06, down 1% on the day, extending losses to almost 13% for the year to date.

    TradingView Chart

    Is Vulcan a buying opportunity?

    With the recent volatility and pullback, the gates have opened for investors interested in Vulcan.

    Shares have glided down from a previous high of $15.90 in September last year, and there’s been volatility along the way.

    Even still, according to Bloomberg data, three-out-of-three analysts covering the stock have it as a buy right now.

    With that, the consensus price target is $19.07 per share, although Canaccord Genuity values the company at $23 per share.

    One factor that could drive the Vulcan share price higher is a shift away from Russian energy imports, one broker says.

    “Overall, we expect the conditions for Vulcan to receive a further impetus not only due to the conflict, but also due to the fulfilment of climate targets,” wrote Alster Research in a recent note.

    Nevertheless, it still values Vulcan at $20 per share – an upside potential of 78% if the firm is right on its conviction.

    It is confident that Vulcan can be a “provider of renewable energy and lithium with a zero-carbon footprint” resulting in a buy rating.

    With most other majors in energy, utilities and materials booming in 2022, Vulcan is down 13%, yet this hasn’t seemed to deter these brokers.

    In the last 12 months, the Vulcan share price has jumped 22% but has crept down by more than 13% this past month.

    The post Down 13% in a month, is the Vulcan share price a buying opportunity? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    These 5 Cheap Shares Could Be Set For Huge Gains (FREE REPORT)

    We hear it over and over from investors, “I wish I had bought Altium or Afterpay when they were first recommended by The Motley Fool. I’d be sitting on a gold mine!” And it’s true.

    And while Altium and Afterpay have had a good run, we think these 5 other stocks are screaming buys. And you can find out the names of these stocks in the FREE stock report.

    *Extreme Opportunities returns as of February 15th 2021

    More reading

    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 Bruce Jackson.

    from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/NkzZbjt

  • Why is the AMP share price having such a top run on Thursday?

    Smiling man sits in front of a graph on computer while using his mobile phone.Smiling man sits in front of a graph on computer while using his mobile phone.

    Shares of AMP Ltd (ASX: AMP) are edging forwards today and now rest more than 2% in the green at $1.07.

    Traders drove AMP shares high early on in the session before prices levelled off, and have been consistent throughout the day since.

    TradingView Chart

    AMP share price drivers

    AMP has been making headlines amid reports it has been in talks with a list of investors regarding the potential sale of assets under Collimate Capital.

    As TMF reported last week, “Collimate Capital is the new name of the company’s private markets business, which AMP is currently in the process of demerging. It is a global asset manager and a leader in real assets.”

    Given its decision, there’s likely to be a shift in earnings and cash flows if a sale goes through.

    Analysts at Macquarie were quick to note their uncertainty on a potential sale yesterday in a release to clients.

    “Should Dexus acquire the platform on an attractive valuation to adjust for the earnings risks, it could more than double the funds management platform, which we view as undervalued by the market,” the broker commented.

    Meanwhile, analysts at Bloomberg Intelligence are looking to other market transactions in order to help value AMP in its parts.

    “Pendal’s rejection of Perpetual’s $2.4 billion takeover offer because it “significantly undervalues” the business may remind the market that AMP Capital alone may be worth $3.7 billion vs. AMP Ltd.’s $3.2 billion market valuation,” Bloomberg analyst Matt Ingram wrote in a recent note.

    “The gap implies the market ascribes minimal value to AMP’s wealth-management and banking businesses, despite their combined $240 million in 2021 profit.”

    In the last 12 months, the AMP share price has slipped around 11% into the red. However, this year to date it has gained 6% as macro conditions improve for ASX financials.

    The post Why is the AMP share price having such a top run on Thursday? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in AMP right now?

    Before you consider AMP, you’ll want to hear this.

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

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

    *Returns as of January 13th 2022

    More reading

    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 Bruce Jackson.

    from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/EY4Wi6Z

  • The Flight Centre share price just surged to a 6-month high. Here’s why

    A woman wearing casual holiday attire stands with her head thrown back and her arms outstretched as if celebrating as she stands on board an empty plane with its rows of seats in the background.A woman wearing casual holiday attire stands with her head thrown back and her arms outstretched as if celebrating as she stands on board an empty plane with its rows of seats in the background.

    The Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd (ASX: FLT) share price hit a 6-month high after reaching $22.54 today. This comes despite the travel agent not releasing any price-sensitive announcements today.

    At the time of writing, Flight Centre shares are swapping hands at $22.46, up 2.84%.

    Flight Centre lifts on reopening of tourism industry

    As more countries begin to relax their COVID-19 restrictions, ASX investors have become increasingly confident in the sector.

    Subsequently, this has driven the Flight Centre share price higher due to pent-up demand across the travel market.

    A two-year hiatus from international travel has seen a flurry of passengers dust off their suitcases and head overseas.

    Flight Centre has been in the hot seat as market conditions have improved.

    In its FY22 half-year results, management noted that gross total transaction value (TTV) has increased quarter-on-quarter throughout the pandemic.

    Notably, Flight Centre has become a much leaner and more efficient cost base model.

    And with the Omicron variant decreasing in key markets, this is likely to lead to a bumper performance for the company.

    In the strongest sign of a return to normalcy, Australia, the United Kingdom, Europe and the United States are now almost free of travel restrictions.

    Countries such as Denmark and Sweden have completely removed restrictions and are accepting life with the virus.

    While this all points to a rosy outlook now, it’s worth remembering that the market can quickly change.

    As such, Flight Centre has not provided any specific FY22 profit guidance. This is due to the lack of visibility around the likely time frames for recovery and government reactions to future variants.

    Flight Centre share price summary

    It’s been a rollercoaster 12 months for Flight Centre investors, with its shares up 26% over the period.

    When looking at this time last month, the travel agent’s shares have risen by 18% on positive investor sentiment.

    In contrast, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) index has gained 4% over the same time frame.

    Based on valuation grounds, Flight Centre has a market capitalisation of around $4.49 billion.

    The post The Flight Centre share price just surged to a 6-month high. Here’s why appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Flight Centre right now?

    Before you consider Flight Centre, you’ll want to hear this.

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

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

    *Returns as of January 13th 2022

    More reading

    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 recommended Flight Centre Travel Group Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

    from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/3ybsQPh

  • Why is the Lake Resources share price beating its sector today?

    A man clenches his fists with glee having seen his investment go up on the computer screen in front of him.A man clenches his fists with glee having seen his investment go up on the computer screen in front of him.

    The Lake Resources N.L. (ASX: LKE) share price is outperforming on Thursday following the release of the company’s quarterly activities and cashflow report.

    The lithium developer had a busy 3 months ended 31 March, and the market is reacting positively to its report.

    At the time of writing, the Lake Resources share price is flat with its previous close, trading at $2.20. However, earlier today, it reached a high of $2.35, representing a 6.8% gain.

    Additionally, while the broader market is enjoying a day in the sun – the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) and the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) have gained 0.34% and 0.41% respectively – many of the lithium stock’s peers are struggling.

    The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) is slumping 0.91% right now.

    So, what’s driving the lithium developer’s share price to outperform its sector? Let’s take a look.

    Lake Resources share price up on quarterly report

    The Lake Resources share price is doing well after the company released its report for a busy March quarter.

    Over the period, Lake Resources signed offtake agreements with Ford Motor Company and Japan’s Hanwa, doubled the production base of its Kachi Lithium Project, and made progress on the project’s demonstration plant.

    The company also pushed on with drilling to bring forward the development of its lithium brine projects at Olaroz, Cauchari, and Paso, in Argentina.

    On top of that, it launched its TARGET 100 Program. The program aims to see Lake Resources produce 100,000 tonnes of lithium annually from the projects by 2030.

    Finally, the company continued progressing discussions that could see debt finance provided for Kachi by UK Export Finance and Export Development Canada. The finance could provide around 70% of the cash needed for Kachi’s expanded production.

    As of 31 March, Lake Resources held $111 million of cash and no debt. Its strong cash position was helped along by a $39 million capital raise performed in March.

    That sees it financed through to the final investment decision and construction finance phase.

    The Lake Resources share price gained 98% last quarter.

    The post Why is the Lake Resources share price beating its sector today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

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

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

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

    *Returns as of January 13th 2022

    More reading

    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 Bruce Jackson.

    from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/C7ofWzb

  • Westpac share price lifts despite $12 million ASIC fine

    An older man wearing glasses and a pink shirt sits back on his lounge with his hands behind his head and blowing air out of his cheeks as he reads about the Crown share price and anticipated AUSTRAC fines on his laptopAn older man wearing glasses and a pink shirt sits back on his lounge with his hands behind his head and blowing air out of his cheeks as he reads about the Crown share price and anticipated AUSTRAC fines on his laptop

    Shares in Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) are shifting higher on Thursday as the company shrugs off reports it will be fined $12 million for overcharging customers on credit card interest rates.

    At the time of writing, the Westpac share price is $24.64, up 1.13% on the day. It raced to these levels in early trade and has held the line since.

    TradingView Chart

    What happened to Westpac today?

    Recall that the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) began proceedings against Westpac in November last year. In total, the regulator launched six actions against the bank, and today’s outcome resolves just one of those.

    The Federal Court has found that Westpac charged customers interest rates higher than it was contractually allowed to and then onsold this debt to institutional fixed-income investors.

    As a result of the conduct, ASIC alleged that more than 16,000 Westpac customers – who were allegedly already in financial distress – were likely impacted.

    Justice Jonathan Beach of the Federal Court handed down his judgment and was unreserved in his assessment findings.

    “Undoubtedly, the customers impacted by Westpac’s conduct were likely to be customers who could least afford to be overcharged with interest and who faced financial hardship. Clearly, the extended consequences of Westpac contraventions were serious to say the least,” he said, cited by Business News Australia.

    “It appears that the contraventions were not brought about by deliberate or reckless conduct on the part of Westpac and they were not commercially motivated.

    “The $12 million penalty reflects the seriousness and impact of the contraventions on a large number of vulnerable consumers.”

    Not just today

    The finding builds on the Federal Court ordering Westpac to pay a separate $20 million earlier this month for incorrect insurance charges. The Westpac share price ended that day almost flat.

    Just prior to that, the bank was ordered to pay $1.5 million for misleading consumers with both credit card and insurance policies.

    As ASIC reported on 7 April:

    The Federal Court has ordered Westpac Banking Corporation pay a $1.5 million penalty for mis-selling consumer credit insurance with its credit cards and Flexi Loans to customers who had not agreed to buy insurance policies.

    ASIC has identified consumer credit insurance to be a poor value product that leads to poor outcomes for consumers. In this case, customers were charged for insurance policies they had not agreed to buy and therefore were unlikely to use. The sale of these products benefitted the bank and not the consumer.

    Westpac share price snapshot

    The Westpac share price has soared to a 15% gain this year to date. It is also up 4% over the past month.

    However, it has fallen 2.4% into the red over the past year.

    The post Westpac share price lifts despite $12 million ASIC fine appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Westpac right now?

    Before you consider Westpac , you’ll want to hear this.

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

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

    *Returns as of January 13th 2022

    More reading

    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 recommended Westpac Banking Corporation. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

    from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/zCAhc1V

  • Oil boom: Santos share price climbs following record quarter

    An oil refinery worker stands in front of an oil rig with his arms crossed and a smile on his face as the Santos share price climbs todayAn oil refinery worker stands in front of an oil rig with his arms crossed and a smile on his face as the Santos share price climbs today

    The Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) share price is in the green today amid the company releasing quarterly results.

    At the time of writing, Santos shares are trading at $8.32, a 1.09% gain.

    Let’s take a look at what the company reported today.

    Santos share price heads north following quarterly update

    Highlights included:

    • Record production of 26 million barrels of oil equivalent (mmboe)
    • Sales revenue of US$1.9 billion, 25% more than the previous quarter
    • Sales revenue up 99% on prior corresponding period (pcp) of Q1 2021
    • Free cash flow of US$865 million, a 186% boost on pcp.

    What happened during the quarter?

    Santos reported record production, sales revenue, and free cash flow in the first quarter of 2022.

    Sales volumes were higher due to the completion of the Oil Search merger in December 2021. This was partially offset by lower domestic gas volumes in Western Australia.

    Sales revenues were higher due to both the merger and higher gas, LNG, and oil prices.

    The average realised LNG price for the quarter was US$13.77 per metric million british thermal unit (mmBtu), up nearly 1% from the prior quarter. However, it was more than double the US$6.12 price realised in the pcp.

    Santos sold 13 LNG cargoes in the first quarter. Santos also delivered the 2022 Climate Change Report outlining the company’s vision for a cleaner energy future.

    Between 1 January and 31 March, the Santos share price gained 17.1%.

    Management commentary

    Commenting on the results, managing director and CEO Kevin Gallagher said:

    Today’s results demonstrate that our business has the size, scale and cash flows to enable Santos to deliver stronger shareholder returns.

    By designing our portfolio to provide strong cash flows throughout the commodity price cycle, our disciplined, low-cost operating model has positioned us to take full advantage of the increase in commodity prices.

    Our goal is to deliver superior shareholder returns while being a global leader in the transition providing cleaner energy and clean fuels that are affordable and reliable.

    What’s next for Santos?

    Santos has maintained its guidance for 2022. This includes production of 100 to 110 millions mmboe and sales volumes of 110 to 120 mmboe. Upstream production costs are expected to be $8 to $8.50 per barrel of oil equivalent (boe).

    The company is on track to achieve US$90 to US$115 million of synergies per year from the merger.

    Commenting on the future outlook, Gallagher said the next stage of growth will be disciplined and phased. He added:

    The Barossa project is 33 per cent complete and making excellent progress, while the Moomba carbon capture and storage project will deliver a step-change in our emissions profile when it comes online in 2024.

    Santos share price snapshot

    The Santos share price has surged 19% in the past 12 months. It has gained 26% in the year to date.

    In comparison, S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has returned 8% in the past year.

    Santos has a market capitalisation of about $28 billion based on the current share price.

    The post Oil boom: Santos share price climbs following record quarter appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Santos Ltd right now?

    Before you consider Santos Ltd, you’ll want to hear this.

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

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

    *Returns as of January 13th 2022

    More reading

    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 Bruce Jackson.

    from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/Bv6YKqa

  • Zip share price higher at last: Here are key takeaways from its Q3 update

    two computer geeks sit across from each other with their laptop computers touching as they look confused and confounded by what they are seeing on their screens.

    two computer geeks sit across from each other with their laptop computers touching as they look confused and confounded by what they are seeing on their screens.

    The Zip Co Ltd (ASX: ZIP) share price is heading in the right direction at long last on Thursday.

    In afternoon trade, the buy now pay later (BNPL) provider’s shares are up just over 1% to $1.22.

    Why is the Zip share price rising today?

    Investors have been bidding the Zip share price higher in response to the release of the company’s third quarter update.

    For the three months ended 31 March, Zip reported quarterly transaction volume growth of 27% year on year to $2.1 billion and quarterly revenue growth of 39% to $159.2 million. This was underpinned by a 78% year on year jump in active customers to 11.4 million and a 90% lift in merchants to 86,200.

    How does this compare to expectations?

    Despite what you might think by the performance of the Zip share price today, this top line growth appears to have actually fallen short of the market’s expectations.

    For example, a note out of the extremely bearish UBS highlights that Zip’s transaction volume growth of 27% is tracking well short of consensus second half estimates of 53%. As a result, it will now need a stellar fourth quarter to hit these estimates.

    This softer growth appears to have been driven by lower usage among its customer base. For example, during the quarter, Zip reported 5.6 million transactions in the US. However, it has 6.6 million active customers in the country. This means at least 1 million customers were inactive during the period.

    And while transactions per customer are still more than 3x in the ANZ market, transactions fell by almost a quarter during the three months despite customer numbers increasing.

    UBS believes this is a sign that there are a lot of soon to be inactive customers among its customer base.

    It said: “We see this as further evidence that there is a tail of inactive customers that have not yet fallen out of Zip’s base.”

    Credit losses worsen

    Another area of concern which has analysts talking, but hasn’t stopped the Zip share price from climbing today, is its worsening credit losses.

    Management revealed that due to a combination of both internal and external factors, credit losses increased outside the company’s target range during the quarter.

    Zip is now executing on adjustments to its risk settings to drive down credit losses towards target levels, while still maintaining top line growth. It notes that this will be done the rollout of new machine learning models and comprehensive diagnostic analysis.

    And while it is already having a positive impact in the US with new customer cohorts, it isn’t quite hitting its target just yet.

    One positive, which may be helping the Zip share price today, is management accelerating its path to profitability. It is aiming to achieve this by downsizing its workforce. The company sees potential savings of over $30 million in FY 2023.

    Time will tell how these initiatives turn out.

    The post Zip share price higher at last: Here are key takeaways from its Q3 update appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Zip right now?

    Before you consider Zip, you’ll want to hear this.

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

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

    *Returns as of January 13th 2022

    More reading

    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. owns 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 Bruce Jackson.

    from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/SO6p7BI

  • Here’s why the Brambles share price is soaring 7% today

    a man sits back from his laptop computer with both hands behind his head feeling happy to see the Brambles share price moving significantly higher todaya man sits back from his laptop computer with both hands behind his head feeling happy to see the Brambles share price moving significantly higher today

    The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is having a pleasant day of mild gains so far this Thursday. At the time of writing, the ASX 200 is up a mild 0.37% at around 7,597 points. So it might come as a nice surprise for investors in Brambles Limited (ASX: BXB) to find their company’s share price is doing far better.

    At the time of writing, Brambles shares are up a very pleasing 7.09% at $10.73. This decisive move upwards is almost enough to erase the packaging company’s dreary year-to-date performance.

    So what’s behind Brambles’ move to the upside today?

    Brambles share price rises after quarterly trading update

    Well, it appears to be a response to the company’s quarterly trading update released to investors this morning before the ASX market open. This update covers the first nine months of the 2022 financial year. That’s 1 July 2021 to 31 March 2022. So let’s see what Brambles had to show for these nine months.

    To kick things off, the company reported that it has received US$4,067 million in sales revenue for the period. That represents a 7% increase on the prior corresponding period, or 8% at constant foreign exchange rates. According to Brambles, this increase “reflected ongoing strong price realisation to recover cost-to-serve increases in all regions, including sustained high levels of input cost inflation and increased capital cost of pallets”.

    The Americas was Brambles’ strongest-performing segment over the nine months, recording a sales revenue increase of 11%. The Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) segment was next with a 6% increase. Asia-Pacific recorded a 5% rise.

    But perhaps most pleasingly for investors, Brambles also used these numbers to upgrade its earnings guidance for the full 2022 financial year. For the 12 months to 30 June 2022, Brambles is now expecting sales growth of 8-9% (up from 6-8%). It’s also anticipating underlying profit growth of 6-7% (up from 2-5%). Finally, free cash flow after dividends at a net outflow of US$300-$350 million (down from approximately US$350 million).

    CEO upbeat on new numbers

    Here’s some of what Brambles CEO Graham Chipcase had to say on these numbers:

    Strong sales revenue momentum continued in the third quarter resulting in year-to-date growth of 8%. The sales performance in the third quarter was driven by pricing actions in response to operating cost inflation, pallet scarcity and increased pallet costs driven by extraordinary lumber inflation…

    Despite all these headwinds, the success of pricing and business efficiency initiatives supports the upgrade of our FY22 guidance for sales, earnings and Free Cash Flow after dividends. This upgrade reflects our focus on recovering the increased cost-to-serve and generating appropriate returns on the capital investments needed to service our customers and support future growth…

    Together with our asset efficiency and sustainability initiatives, we are confident the investments being made to transform our business will deliver a step change in customer value creation, profitability and cash flow generation over the medium term.

    Brambles share price recap

    Brambles has a market capitalisation of $15.4 billion and a current dividend yield of 2.74%.

    The post Here’s why the Brambles share price is soaring 7% today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Brambles right now?

    Before you consider Brambles, you’ll want to hear this.

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

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

    *Returns as of January 13th 2022

    More reading

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

    from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/f2FJc46

  • Own AGL shares? Experts weigh in on outage fallout

    Man restores power on a circuit breaker after electricity outage.Man restores power on a circuit breaker after electricity outage.

    The AGL Energy Limited (ASX: AGL) share price is bouncing back on Thursday as experts offer their two cents on the latest failure at Loy Yang A.

    The company updated the market on a fault at the coal-fired power station yesterday.

    The cause of the issue – said to be an electrical fault – is still under investigation. However, the company has warned it could see Loy Yang A – which supplies 30% of Victoria’s electricity – operating one generator down until August and AGL facing a bill.

    Experts also reportedly believe the outage could throw a spanner into the works of the company’s demerger plans.

    At the time of writing, the AGL share price is $8.71, 2.23% higher than its previous close.

    For context, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is also in the green on Thursday, up 0.28% at the time of writing.

    Let’s take a closer look at why experts are particularly worried about the outage at the coal-fired power station.

    Experts concerned by Loy Yang A outage

    The AGL share price is in the green amid reports experts are concerned about the fallout that might come from Loy Yang A’s second failure in three years.

    As long-term market watchers might remember, a unit at Loy Yang A faulted back in 2019.

    That fault saw it shut down for seven months and ultimately cost the company $105 million. That expense was later reimbursed through insurance.

    However, Morgan Stanley analyst Rob Koh is warning the outage might not have such a silver lining this time around. Koh was quoted by the Australian Financial Review as saying:

    AGL recovered those losses from business interruption insurance, however AGL is now self-insured.

    We view a repeat of this scenario as a worst case.

    Meanwhile, Barrenjoey downgraded the company’s stock to ‘underweight’, slapping it with an $8.02 price target, in the wake of the outage, reports The Australian.

    The broker also reportedly believes the outage could bring a $70 million – or $20 million to $30 million per month – hit to AGL’s earnings.

    It’s also said to think the outage could see the company being forced to buy energy from the pool. That could cost it between approximately $115 and $138 per megawatt-hour over the coming months.

    The publication quoted Barrenjoey analyst Dale Koenders as saying:

    We see potential for material recovery of earnings in [financial year 2024/financial year 2025], when current higher electricity prices likely pass through the [one to three year] rolling hedge program – assuming Loy Yang A returns to service.

    But Loy Yang adds to uncertainty around demerger (dyssynergies, transfer pricing, funding, guidance, etc), which we think needs to be resolved before investors consider whether to pay for these future earnings.

    Owners of AGL shares are expected to get the chance to vote on the demerger in July. If agreed upon, the split should occur shortly after.

    AGL share price snapshot

    This year has been a good one so far for the AGL share price.

    Right now, the energy producer and retailer’s stock is 38% higher than it was at the start of the year. Though, it’s slipped 4% over the last 12 months.

    The post Own AGL shares? Experts weigh in on outage fallout appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in AGL Energy right now?

    Before you consider AGL Energy, you’ll want to hear this.

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

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

    *Returns as of January 13th 2022

    More reading

    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 Bruce Jackson.

    from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/7tmc8PE