• Why is the Evolution share price sinking 4% today?

    plummeting gold share priceplummeting gold share price

    Shares in Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) are trading down today and are now 4% in the red. At the time of writing, the Evolution Mining share price is resting at $4.40 apiece.

    Despite announcing its quarterly results, and in addition, a “thick basement gold intersection” at its Cue joint venture (JV) with Musgrave Minerals Ltd (ASX: MGV), investors are selling off Evolution Mining shares today.

    Evolution Mining reduces costs, bumps gold production

    Highlights for the quarter include:

    • All-in Sustaining Cost (AISC) reduced by 27% from the prior quarter to $990 per ounce (US$717/oz)
    • Operating mine cash flow of $268.9 million, up 33% on the prior quarter
    • Net mine cash flow increased by 135% to $124.5 million after mine capital investment of $143.6 million
    • Gold production of 148,787 ounces
    • Returned $54.9 million to shareholders via 18th consecutive dividend
    • No change to sector leading AISC guidance ($1,135 – $1,195 per ounce) or capital guidance

    What else happened this quarter?

    Gold production for the quarter was 148,787 ounces, up from 148,048oz the previous quarter. Production was realised on a “sector leading AISC of $990/oz”, down 27%.

    It also printed mine operating cash flow of $268.9 million during the quarter, a record for the company.

    Whereas the company had a mine capital investment of $143.6 million, with most of this allocated to the Cowal Underground and Red Lake.

    Evolution says it had cash in the bank of $537.8 million and net debt of $1,295 million when exiting the quarter.

    The company also affirmed its guidance at Cowal, ensuring that 25% of its workforce were Covid-positive at one point during the quarter.

    Production is expected to be around 650,000 ounces, revised down from previous guidance of 670,000oz, due to “the extreme rainfall events and COVID-19 impacts”.

    What else did Evolution Mining announce today?

    The company reported more assay results from its diamond and aircore drilling programs at the on the Cue JV. The project is located in Western Australia’s Murchison district.

    It was started alongside Musgrave Minerals back in 2019, as an exploration agreement to cover large areas of Lake Austin and surrounds.

    According to Evolution, it can earn a 75% interest in the JV area, if it were to solely fund $18 million on exploration over a 5 year term.

    From its latest assay results, the company has added to its dataset compiled from previous drilling.

    “Diamond drilling continues to intersect potential ore grade intersections over wide thicknesses in basement rocks at the West Island Prospect,” the company advised.

    “[Whereas] aircore drilling results continue to extend the large regolith gold mineralisation footprint at the West Island Prospect and identify new zones for follow-up basement drill testing,” it added.

    In the last 12 months the Evolution mining share price has fallen 7% into the red.

    The post Why is the Evolution share price sinking 4% today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Evolution Mining right now?

    Before you consider Evolution Mining, 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 Evolution Mining 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

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  • QBE share price riding on these 3 ‘macro tailwinds’, analysts say

    A team of people giving the thumbs up sign representing a number of brokers backing the QBE share price to riseA team of people giving the thumbs up sign representing a number of brokers backing the QBE share price to rise

    Shares in QBE Insurance Group Ltd (ASX: QBE) are trading at $12.26 apiece, up 1.49% on Thursday.

    After some fairly widely-dispersed pricing, QBE stock has managed to thrust itself off a low of $10.08 in March and race higher to its current levels.

    Analysts are constructive on the company and reckon it’s well-positioned to benefit from a slew of macro catalysts. Let’s take a look.

    TradingView Chart

    QBE share price to benefit from macro tailwinds

    Analysts at UBS have chimed in on the investment debate for QBE in a recent note to clients. They note the insurer is benefitting from a number of industry-specific and macroeconomic tailwinds, making it the preferred insurance share for UBS.

    Writing to clients, UBS analyst Scott Russell said factors such as stronger crop pricing are feeding additional income to QBE via gross written premiums from crop insurance customers.

    Not only that, but rising bond yields have the potential to send QBE shares higher, he says.

    Meanwhile, analysts at JP Morgan have tied QBE’s outlook to recent events in the bond markets and a strengthening phase in the insurance cycle.

    “As a global commercial insurer, QBE is subject to the vagaries of the insurance cycle and volatile natural catastrophes,” the broker wrote.

    “Trends in the cycle are currently improving, and there could be further upside from premium rates, providing a tailwind for earnings growth, with investment yields a headwind.”

    UBS and JP Morgan each rate QBE as a buy. They value QBE at a price of $15 and $15.50 per share respectively.

    Meanwhile, Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Matt Ingram reckons market sentiment has improved for QBE based on its improved climate-risk outlook and its ‘brilliant basics’ program.

    He says this could reflect “consensus fiscal 2023 profit that’s more than double mean earnings for the last decade”.

    “The higher earnings reflect underwriting and efficiency improvements thanks to the firm’s “brilliant basics” program and better risk selection in the U.S. and European businesses,” he wrote earlier this month.

    “The 1.3x price/book ratio represents a 25% discount to IAG, the tightest it has been since 2011, reflecting IAG’s climate-related costs and QBE’s optimism. It remains more expensive than Suncorp despite the latter’s superior profitability,” he added.

    What’s the consensus on QBE?

    QBE has a consensus valuation of $14.41 per share, according to Bloomberg data. About 91% of analysts covering it rate it a buy right now.

    In the past 12 months, the QBE share price has climbed 26%. It is also 9% higher this past month.

    The post QBE share price riding on these 3 ‘macro tailwinds’, analysts say appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in QBE Insurance Group right now?

    Before you consider QBE Insurance Group, 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 QBE Insurance Group 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

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    JPMorgan Chase is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. 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 owns and has recommended Insurance Australia Group Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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  • Is Netflix Stock a buy after its spectacular fall from grace?

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

    Happy family watching Netflix together.

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

    Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) stock plunged in dramatic fashion on Wednesday, losing roughly a third of its value overnight. The catalyst that had investors running for the exits was news that the streaming pioneer actually lost subscribers during the first quarter, something that hasn’t happened in more than 10 years.

    Factoring in today’s decline, Netflix is down more than 67% since November. Given its spectacular fall from grace, is Netflix stock a buy?

    It’s complicated

    Like so many things, the answer isn’t the same for every investor, but there are a number of factors that suggest Netflix still has plenty of growth ahead.

    Management estimates password-sharing is taking place in more than 100 million households. While Netflix doesn’t mind this within families, it plans to crack down on friends and exes, introducing paid-sharing plans. Additionally, recent supply chain issues have slowed adoption of smart TVs, which is temporarily weighing on subscriber growth.

    Netflix plans to continue its focus on quality programming, with recent hits like Squid Game, Bridgerton, Inventing Anna, and The Adam Project as examples, as well as expanding its personalized local-language content to continue growing its international audience.

    CFO Spencer Neumann cited several macro factors, including the war in Eastern Europe, inflation, and seasonality, as the biggest contributors to churn, though these issues should abate over time. Furthermore, Netflix shed 700,000 customers when it withdrew its service from Russia. If not for that, it would have added 500,000 subscribers.

    One of the biggest revelations is that Netflix is, at long last, considering a lower-cost, ad-supported tier. Co-CEO Reed Hastings has long balked at the idea, but has had a change of heart, as evidenced by his comments during the company’s conference call to discuss the results:

    One way to increase the price spread is advertising on low-end plans and to have lower prices with advertising. … I’ve been against the complexity of advertising and a big fan of the simplicity of subscription. But as much I’m a fan of that, I’m a bigger fan of consumer choice.

    The bottom line? There’s no question the streaming pioneer will need to make some adjustments to its business and that won’t happen overnight. But given the levers the company can pull to reaccelerate its growth and its success at reinventing itself over the years, I believe Netflix stock is a buy. 

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

    The post Is Netflix Stock a buy after its spectacular fall from grace? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Netflix , 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 Netflix 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

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    Daniel Vena owns Netflix. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns and has recommended Netflix. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Netflix. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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

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  • Here’s why the BHP share price is tumbling lower today

    a man in high visibility shirt and hard hat with full beard looks downcast with eyes lowered as though he is disappointed or sad.

    a man in high visibility shirt and hard hat with full beard looks downcast with eyes lowered as though he is disappointed or sad.

    The BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) share price has come under pressure on Thursday.

    At the time of writing, the mining giant’s shares are down almost 3% to $50.86.

    Despite this, the BHP share price is still up by a sizeable 20% since the start of the year.

    Why is the BHP share price falling today?

    Investors have been selling down the BHP share price today in response to the release of the Big Australian’s third quarter operational update.

    That update revealed that many of BHP’s operations have been impacted by temporary labour constraints due to COVID-19. This led to the mining giant reporting softer than expected quarterly production and forced a downgrade to its guidance for some commodities.

    In case you missed it, BHP reported:

    • Iron ore production was flat quarter on quarter at 59.7Mt
    • Copper production up 1% to 369.7kt
    • Nickel production down 13% to 18.7kt
    • Metallurgical coal production up 20% to 10.6Mt
    • Energy coal production down 13% to 2.6Mt
    • Petroleum production dropped 6% to 24.1 MMboe

    How does this compare to expectations?

    According to a note out of Goldman Sachs, its analysts were expecting a much better performance from BHP.

    It had pencilled iron ore shipments of 67.2Mt, copper production of 413kt, petroleum production of 25.7 MMboe, and metallurgical coal production of 9.4Mt. The latter was beaten comprehensively, which is a positive given the sky high prices the steel making ingredient is commanding.

    What else?

    Also weighing on the BHP share price was management’s outlook.

    Although it has reaffirmed its FY 2022 production guidance for iron ore, metallurgical coal, and energy coal, it has lowered its copper and nickel production guidance.

    BHP’s full year total copper production guidance has been lowered to between 1,570 and 1,620 kt, reflecting lowered production guidance for Escondida. Whereas its full year nickel production guidance has been lowered to between 80 and 85 kt due to COVID-19 related labour constraints.

    Positively, management reaffirmed its full year unit cost guidance for WAIO, Escondida, and Queensland Coal. And while it has increased its guidance for New South Wales Energy Coal, this reflects a targeted increase in the proportion of higher quality coal. This is so BHP can capture more value from the record high prices for higher quality thermal coal.

    The post Here’s why the BHP share price is tumbling lower today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider BHP, 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 BHP 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

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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 Bruce Jackson.

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  • Qantas share price climbs 3% as international travel garners speed

    Two adults and a child look happy as they walk through airport with child sitting on suitcase.Two adults and a child look happy as they walk through airport with child sitting on suitcase.

    The outlook for Qantas Airways Limited (ASX: QAN) shares seems to have improved, with investors driving the airline’s share price 9% higher over the past month.

    Today, the Qantas share price has climbed 3.13% to $5.60 amid strengthening conditions in the travel industry and a winding back of global pandemic restrictions, sources say.

    TradingView Chart

    Qantas better positioned to fly high once again

    In recent months, there’s been a slew of macro catalysts weighing on global airline stocks, not least the extension of global pandemic restrictions. More recently, oil shocks have been a headwind.

    However, airline stocks, including the Qantas share price, have rallied as oil prices begin to level off and global travel pathways remove COVID-19 mandates.

    “Asian airline stocks follow their overseas peers higher after oil prices fell and most major US carriers dropped their mask requirements for domestic and some international flights,” Bloomberg reported today.

    Not only that, but Qantas’ financial health appears to have improved as well, according to the credit rating agency Moody’s.

    The agency recently affirmed Qantas’ long-term credit ratings and changed its outlook to ‘stable’ from ‘negative’ after two years, in a vote of confidence for the airline.

    “Qantas is well-positioned to restore its credit profile over the next 12 to 18 months…The stable outlook reflects the rating agency’s expectation that Qantas’ leverage will revert to and be maintained within the range set for its rating,” Moody’s commented.

    The significant reduction in leverage will arise as “domestic capacity increases” during 2023 to more than 100% of its pre-pandemic levels, Moody’s said.

    Qantas share price snapshot

    Qantas shares have soared since mid-April, when a loosening of pandemic restrictions specifically relating to travel began to make its way around the globe.

    As such, shares are up 10% in the past week, and four-week trading volume has crept up to more than 6.3 million shares on average.

    In the last 12 months, the Qantas share price has gained almost 12%.

    The post Qantas share price climbs 3% as international travel garners speed appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Qantas Airways right now?

    Before you consider Qantas Airways, 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 Qantas Airways 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.

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  • ASX 200 midday update: BHP, Megaport, and Zip release Q3 updates

    A happy man and woman sit having a coffee in a cafe while she holds up her phone to show him the ASX shares that did best today

    A happy man and woman sit having a coffee in a cafe while she holds up her phone to show him the ASX shares that did best todayAt lunch on Thursday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is on course to extend its winning streak. The benchmark index is currently up 0.2% to 7,582.1 points.

    Here’s what is happening on the ASX 200 today:

    BHP third quarter update disappoints

    The BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) share price is trading lower following the release of the mining giant’s third quarter update. That update revealed that COVID-19 related disruptions have been weighing on its operations. And while the Big Australian has reaffirmed most of its production and unit cost guidance for FY 2022, it was forced to make some downgrades.

    Zip Q3 update

    The Zip Co Ltd (ASX: ZIP) share price is edging higher today following the release of the buy now pay later provider’s third quarter update. Zip’s update was a bit of a mixed bag. Although it delivered solid top line growth, this was still a touch slower than the market expected. Furthermore, while Zip reported an improvement in its cash margin, it also revealed the worsening of credit losses.

    Megaport share price crashes

    The Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1) share price is crashing today after the network as a service provider’s third quarter update disappointed the market. Megaport reported only modest third quarter on quarter revenue growth of 5% to $27.9 million. This appears to have left the company with an uphill struggle to achieve the market’s full year expectations.

    Best and worst ASX 200 performers

    The best performer on the ASX 200 on Thursday has been the Challenger Ltd (ASX: CGF) share price with an 8%. This follows the release of the annuities company’s third quarter update. Going the other way, the Megaport share price is the worst performer with a disappointing 17% decline.

    The post ASX 200 midday update: BHP, Megaport, and Zip release Q3 updates 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.

    *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. owns and has recommended MEGAPORT FPO and ZIPCOLTD FPO. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Challenger Limited and MEGAPORT FPO. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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  • Do AFIC shares trade at a discount right now?

    cheap stocks represented by open brief case with golden light shining from it

    cheap stocks represented by open brief case with golden light shining from itThe Australian Foundation Investment Co. Ltd (ASX: AFI) share price, or AFIC for short, has kicked off this Thursday’s trading session with a loss thus far. AFIC shares are currently down by 0.12% at the time of writing at $8.31 a share. That stands in contrast to the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO), which has recorded a modest gain of 0.2% so far today. 

    But as a Listed Investment Company (LIC), AFIC’s share price is only one of the metrics new and existing investors have to weigh up. That’s because a LIC is one of the few ASX investment options that can transparently trade at a different price than what the shares are actually worth. A LIC is essentially a company that only invests in other companies. Thus, like many ASX investors, AFIC has a portfolio of shares of its own. This portfolio is managed by the company for the benefit of all shareholders.

    Conveniently, AFIC tells us what the value of its share portfolio is every month, down to the cents. That means ASX investors can easily work out how much AFIC shares are really worth. And this metric is often quite different to its actual share price. Thus, if AFIC shares are being priced above what its portfolio is worth, we can say that AFIC is trading at a premium. The opposite is true if the portfolio is being undervalued by the market, and AFIC shares are trading at a discount.

    Are AFIC shares at a discount right now?

    So what’s going on right now with AFIC’s valuation? Are the shares trading at a premium or a discount to what they are really worth on paper?

    Earlier this month, AFIC released its updated net tangible asset (NTA) backing as of 31 March. This is essentially how valuable the company’s underlying share portfolio is on a per share basis. AFIC told us that, as of 31 March, its share portfolio was worth a value of $7.43 per share. That was up substantially from the $7.04 per share that the company recorded on 28 February.

    It is also, however, substantially below AFIC’s current share price of $8.28. That means that AFIC shares are decisively trading at a premium to their underlying NTA value right now. Specifically, that premium is worth around 11.84%. So no discount today.

    In fact, the last time AFIC shares were trading below their NTA value was back in 2019. So it’s been a while since investors could buy AFIC shares for a discount to their NTA.

    At the current AFIC share price, this ASX LIC has a market capitalisation of $10.23 billion, with a dividend yield of 2.9%.

    The post Do AFIC shares trade at a discount right now? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider AFIC, 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 AFIC 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

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

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  • This ASX mining share just rocketed 135% on a major gold discovery

    a man wearing a gold shirt smiles widely as he is engulfed in a shower of gold confetti falling from the sky. representing a new gold discovery by ASX mining share OzAurum Resourcesa man wearing a gold shirt smiles widely as he is engulfed in a shower of gold confetti falling from the sky. representing a new gold discovery by ASX mining share OzAurum Resources

    ASX mining share OzAurum Resources Ltd (ASX: OZM) is shooting the lights out today, rocketing 135% and currently trading at 24 cents. In earlier trade, the shares surged 145% to 24.5 cents. By comparison, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is up 0.17% at the time of writing.

    Let’s take a look at what’s driving today’s share price movement for OzAurum Resources.

    Gold discovery

    OzAurum advised the market it has made a gold discovery at the Mulgabbie North Project near Kalgoorlie in Western Australia.

    Reverse circulation drilling intersected a “significant wide zone” of gold mineralisation within the Demag Zone.

    At drill hole MNORC 177, 1.31 grams per tonne (g/t) of gold was intersected over 56 metres. This included 18m at 2.07 g/t.

    Commenting on the results, CEO and managing director Andrew Pumphrey said:

    The new virgin gold discovery at the Mulgabbie North Demag Zone has intersected significant gold mineralisation in a number of RC drill holes.

    These excellent results further validates the potential of the Mulgabbie North Gold Project to be a significant gold discovery situated right alongside the Northern Star Carosue Dam Mil.

    Other highlights included:

    • 26m at 1.79 g/t of gold from 136m at drill hole MNORC 176
    • 28m at 1.79 g/t of gold from 72m at MNORC 174
    • 11m at 1.9 g/t of gold from 49m at MNORC 180
    • 11m at 1.13 g/t of gold from 103m at MNORC 178.

    OzAurum is planning follow-up drilling and testing at the site.

    Share price snapshot

    The OzAurum Resources share price has rocketed 30% in the past 12 months and is up 80% this year to date. In contrast, the ASX 200 has returned about 8% in the past year.

    This ASX mining share has a market capitalisation of about $12 million.

    The post This ASX mining share just rocketed 135% on a major gold discovery appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider OzAurum 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 OzAurum 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

    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.

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  • Who will have the final say on whether Ramsay Health Care leaves the ASX?

    worried doctor looking through glass door representing falling share priceworried doctor looking through glass door representing falling share price

    Excitement has returned to the Ramsay Health Care Limited (ASX: RHC) share price amid a $20 billion takeover bid.

    The news hitting the headlines yesterday was met with eagerness as investors snapped up shares in the healthcare giant. In turn, the $88 per share offer made by the KKR consortium reignited the Ramsay fuse — converting the share price from a dormant slow mover into a flaring firecracker.

    As the two conduct their due diligence, a major Ramsay shareholder is said to have already thrown their support behind the deal. However, with ASX-listed Ramsay Health Care shares having been out of the limelight for a while, onlookers might be wondering: who are the major shareholders in Ramsay Health Care?

    Let’s take a look.

    Standing in the way of a $20 billion payday

    There are plenty of hurdles to be cleared before the indicative proposal reaches Ramsay shareholders. Currently, the process is still in the first innings, with satisfactory due diligence yet to be finalised.

    However, assuming the scheme arrangement ticks all the other boxes, including approval by the Foreign Investment Review Board, then shareholders of Ramsay Health Care will have the final say. So, what does the share registry look like?

    The five largest shareholders in ASX-listed Ramsay Health Care hold roughly 30.5% of the total equity in the company. It stands to reason that these shareholders will play an important role in approving the bid.

    Notably, the largest shareholder is Paul Ramsay Holdings Pty Ltd, with an 18.88% shareholding. The holding company contains the late founder’s shares. These shares, valued at more than $3 billion, are held as a bequest to the Paul Ramsay Foundation.

    The other four largest shareholders are as follows:

    • BlackRock Inc – 5.05%
    • The Vanguard Group Inc – 3.73%
    • Michael Siddle – 1.71%
    • Norges Bank Investment Management – 1.15%

    How many retail investors hold Ramsay Health Care on the ASX?

    While it appears that the power of the decision lies in the hands of a few large investment banks and a foundation, there are still plenty of retail investors on board as well.

    At the time of writing, the general public constituted 61.5% of ownership in Ramsay Health Care. That means as a cohort, retail investors will hold more say in the final decision than the top five largest shareholders.

    As an ASX-listed investment, Ramsay Health Care shares have returned 24.5% over the past five years. This is beefed up from 12.6% thanks to the contribution made by dividends.

    The post Who will have the final say on whether Ramsay Health Care leaves the ASX? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Ramsay Health Care right now?

    Before you consider Ramsay Health Care, 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 Ramsay Health Care 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.

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  • How the federal election will impact ASX shares: top economist

    A close-up photo of a ballot box with an Australian flag in front of it and a gentleman's hands placing his vote in the 2022 election inside the boxA close-up photo of a ballot box with an Australian flag in front of it and a gentleman's hands placing his vote in the 2022 election inside the box

    With the federal election finally called for Saturday May 21, what does this mean for investing in ASX shares?

    AMP Ltd (ASX: AMP) chief economist Shane Oliver analysed what patterns have been seen in the past, and what investors can expect this time.

    Consumer and market sentiment around elections

    There is a perception that elections cause the economy to slow down as consumers put away their wallets in the face of political uncertainty.

    But this stereotype isn’t entirely backed up by hard data.

    “There is no clear evidence that election uncertainty [affects] economic growth in election years,” Oliver wrote on the AMP blog.

    “In fact, since 1980 economic growth through election years averaged 3.5%, which is greater than average growth of 3% over the whole period.”

    But as for ASX shares, Oliver said there is some evidence that the political variability causes them to drift sideways for a while.

    And there is certainly no pattern of stocks going in a particular direction after a change of government, regardless of which party wins.

    “Based on history it’s not obvious that a victory by any one party is best for shares in the immediate aftermath,” said Oliver.

    “Shares rose sharply after the 1983 Labor victory but fell sharply after their 2007 win, with global developments playing a role in both. After the 1996 and 2013 Coalition victories shares were flat to down.”

    ASX shares do not perform better because of the choice of party

    There is a stereotype that the Coalition is more “business friendly” and would therefore be better for ASX share prices.

    And Oliver concedes, since World War II, ASX shares have returned 13% per annum under Coalition governments and 10% under Labor.

    But context shows international events had more to do with that than the ruling party.

    “It may be argued that the Labor governments led by Whitlam in the 1970s and Rudd and Gillard had the misfortune of severe global bear markets,” Oliver said.

    “And the economic rationalist and reformist Hawke/Keating government defied conventional perceptions that conservative governments are better for shares. Over the Hawke/Keating period from 1983 to 1996 Australian shares returned 17.2% pa.”

    Not much economic difference this election

    Oliver reckons that the 2022 campaign, especially, shows very little difference between the economic policies of the major parties.

    Labor was burned from its 2019 experience when a distinctive stance from the Coalition cost it a win.

    “In the 2019 election, the ALP offered a radically different policy agenda focussed on a significant increase in the size of government (particularly via more spending on health and education) financed by a significant increase in taxation,” said Oliver.

    “Following its defeat at that election, with the tax agenda taking much of the blame, the ALP has adopted a less left leaning agenda going into this election.”

    Of course, the irony is that the COVID-19 pandemic then brought on a massive government under the Coalition anyway, with all the financial support handed out.

    All this means that a change of government to Labor will not have any impact on where ASX shares would have headed anyway.

    “Like the Coalition, the ALP is largely seeking to repair the budget through economic growth rather than austerity and its priority areas of energy, skills, the digital economy, childcare & manufacturing have a significant overlap with the Coalition,” said Oliver.

    “So, while there may be a little more nervousness in investment markets about Labor, it’s hard to see a big impact on markets if there is a change in government.”

    One huge risk

    So it seems the stock market’s fate is not dependent on which party wins the May election.

    But Oliver notes that there is one result that could trigger even more uncertainty on top of an already volatile investment environment.

    “The main risk for investment markets may come if neither the Coalition or Labor win enough seats to govern, forcing a reliance on minor parties or independents,” he said.

    “[This] could force a new government down a less business friendly path — such as the Greens demanding an ALP led minority government implement their proposed super profits taxes – although the Senate may act as a brake on this.”

    The post How the federal election will impact ASX shares: top economist appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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 Bruce Jackson.

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