2022 has been a milestone year for the share price of battery metals focused ASX newbie Belararox Ltd (ASX: BRX).

The minerals explorer only recently listed on the index, floating on 28 January after offering its shares for 20 cents apiece under its initial public offering (IPO).

That means initial investors have likely had their socks blown off between then and now.

At the time of writing, the Belararox share price is $1.20 – 500% more than the company’s IPO offer price.

That’s despite the stock suffering a 14.48% tumble in Friday’s session and slipping another 2.82% today.

So, what’s the latest news from the battery metals explorer? Let’s take a look.

What’s been going on with this ASX battery metals share?

The Belararox share price has had a rollercoaster performance over the last few days.

The stock surged through the middle of last week, amping up its performance on Wednesday and Thursday, gaining approximately 18% on both days.

Then, on Friday, it suffered a downturn, tumbling around 14.5%.

So, what’s been driving the zinc, copper, gold, silver, nickel, and lead explorer’s stock over the last few sessions? It appears to be news of Belararox’s Belara Project.

The company announced it had mapped potentially significant new targets at the project on Wednesday.

The additional targets seemingly support the company’s expectation that the project is home to greater resources than previously noted.

The project was previously found to house copper, lead, zinc, silver, and gold.

A gradient array IP survey was responsible for finding the new targets.

They include the potential for extensions to the massive sulphide mineralisation at the project’s Belara and Native Bee mines. The survey also identified a new kilometre-long anomaly to the south of Native Bee.

The ASX-listed battery metals explorer’s managing director Arvind Misra said the newly identified strike extensions and targets will be tested by drilling. Misra continued:

The intention of our maiden drill campaign is to upgrade the existing resource at Belara. We feel there is immense inherent value within Belara that is not currently encapsulated by the historical resource, and we look forward to systemically exploring to reveal that potential. It appears our drill rigs will remain busy beyond the current program.

Belararox share price snapshot

The Belararox share price is back in the red today despite the broader market’s gains.

Right now, the ASX battery metals explorer’s stock is trading at $1.20, 2.8% lower than its previous close.

Meanwhile, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has gained 0.21% and the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) is up 0.17%.

The post This ASX battery metals share has been taking investors on a wild ride of supercharged gains and falls. Here’s why appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 3 timeless Warren Buffett lessons to apply right now
• The BHP dividend is being paid today. Here’s what you need to know
• Woolworths (ASX:WOW) share price higher on bullish broker note
• How big will the Fortescue (ASX:FMG) dividend be in 2022?
• Here’s why Macquarie just upgraded the Santos (ASX:STO) share price

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.

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

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

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A) (NYSE: BRK.B) has gotten a lot of attention as of late, and for good reason. Despite Buffett’s long-term outperformance, Berkshire Hathaway had been underperforming the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite in recent years due to Berkshire’s lack of technology stocks that have been responsible for the bulk of the market’s gains.

But so far in 2022, Berkshire Hathaway stock is up 16%, while the S&P 500 is down for the year — largely thanks to the recent success of value stocks relative to growth stocks. What’s more, Berkshire Hathaway stock hit a new all-time high on Monday.

Short-term results aside, here are three Warren Buffett lessons that have proved invaluable over time and ring especially true today. 

1. Don’t follow the crowd

If there’s one thing we’ve learned over the last two years, it’s that following the crowd is a fantastic way to lose money.

After the COVID-19-induced stock market sell-off of spring 2020, meme stocks, unprofitable growth stocks, and pandemic-related stocks took center stage. Companies like Zoom Video Communications and Peloton Interactive produced monster gains, while the energy sector, financials, and real estate stocks got crushed. In 2021, the exact opposite was true, as many of these pandemic winners lost money while the energy sector was the best-performing sector in all of the S&P 500.

Fast-forward to 2022, and several top large-cap growth stocks have seen major drawdowns while value stocks and stable dividend payers have been the real winners. The lesson here is that jumping in and out of what is working or not working in a given time period is a bad idea. For years, Warren Buffett and his team were scrutinized for keeping a large cash position and not buying more stocks. But in the end, Buffett’s patience paid off, as Berkshire has had plenty of dry powder to pounce on opportunities, as evidenced by its recent acquisition of Alleghany. 

2. Invest in what you know

Buffett is a proponent of investing in what you know so that you have an advantage in the stock market. It’s a simple enough task, but it’s actually pretty hard to execute in practice.

Times change, and the economy is becoming more digitalized than ever before. Investors who may not understand technology-focused companies could follow Buffett’s footsteps and basically ignore the sector or invest in a relatively easy-to-understand business like Apple.

However, another option is to learn about a business and listen to the quarterly earnings calls. It requires more work but will also give you the tools you need to hold a company through tough times and let the investment thesis play out. And if the investment thesis begins to change or the company loses its edge over the competition, you’ll be better positioned to exit the position and avoid a falling knife.

3. Greed and fear

Typing it all together is Buffett’s famous quote to “be fearful when others are greedy, and greedy when others are fearful.” The advice applies perfectly to buying the dip in the U.S.-China trade war-induced sell-off at the end of 2018, the 2020 sell-off, and probably will apply well to the current sell-off we are in now. However, the advice to be fearful when others are greedy is also worth discussing.

Many growth companies saw their valuations pole-vault to astronomical levels that weren’t based on fundamentals or even the most optimistic forecasts. When that happens, Buffett’s advice is to be fearful, as it could be a sign of an unhealthy stock market.

Buffett has been a big believer in finding value where others aren’t looking. In many ways, the oil and gas industry was chock-full of high-yield dividend stocks and value stocks that investors were ignoring in favor of renewable energy and flashier names. Carbon neutrality is the future. But the world still runs on fossil fuels. Buffett’s ability to take criticism and invest in “ugly” stocks allowed him to make brilliant buys, such as the acquisition of some of Dominion Energy‘s energy infrastructure assets in July 2020, the gradual accumulation of Chevron stock, and other investments made through Berkshire Hathaway Energy, the conglomerate’s energy arm. 

Keep your cool when times are tough

When your screen is painted red and stocks keep falling with no end in sight, it’s easy to panic and make a decision you might later regret. By relying on timeless investing lessons, investors have a few tools they can pull out when times are tough. Instead of downplaying the emotional side of investing, it’s often better to accept the associated emotions and just try and make the best decision you can with what you know.

One of the most comforting facts to fall back on is the long-term performance of the U.S. stock market. That track record teaches us that every sell-off proved to be a great long-term buying opportunity. 

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

The post 3 timeless Warren Buffett lessons to apply right now appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• This ASX battery metals share has been taking investors on a wild ride of supercharged gains and falls. Here’s why
• The BHP dividend is being paid today. Here’s what you need to know
• Woolworths (ASX:WOW) share price higher on bullish broker note
• How big will the Fortescue (ASX:FMG) dividend be in 2022?
• Here’s why Macquarie just upgraded the Santos (ASX:STO) share price

Daniel Foelber has the following options: long January 2024 $145 calls on Zoom Video Communications, long January 2024 $45 calls on Peloton Interactive, short January 2024 $150 calls on Zoom Video Communications, and short January 2024 $50 calls on Peloton Interactive. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns and has recommended Apple, Berkshire Hathaway (B shares), Peloton Interactive, and Zoom Video Communications. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended Dominion Energy, Inc and has recommended the following options: long January 2023 $200 calls on Berkshire Hathaway (B shares), long March 2023 $120 calls on Apple, short January 2023 $200 puts on Berkshire Hathaway (B shares), short January 2023 $265 calls on Berkshire Hathaway (B shares), and short March 2023 $130 calls on Apple. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Apple, Berkshire Hathaway (B shares), and Zoom Video Communications. 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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The BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) share price is edging higher amid the company’s eligible shareholders being rewarded today.

The mining company’s shares are currently up 1.24% to $50.39 apiece. This means its shares have surged almost 10% in the past week, and 13% in a month.

In context, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is climbing higher during Monday’s morning trade. The benchmark index is up 0.2% to 7,421.3 points.

BHP pays out record interim dividend

BHP reported strong growth across key metrics in its results for the first half of the 2022 financial year.

In summary, profit from continuing operations rose 57% year-on-year to US$9,715 million. Higher sale prices across commodities, new record production at Western Australian Iron Ore (WAIO) and favourable exchange rate movements underpinned the result.

Management noted that despite the strong performance, this was partially offset by a number of factors. This includes planned maintenance across its assets, expected copper grade decline at Escondida, significant wet weather at Queensland Coal, and inflationary pressures.

Nonetheless, the board declared a record fully franked interim dividend of US$1.50 per share to be paid on 28 March (today). This represents a significant increase on the H1 FY21 dividend of US$1.01 and more than double the H1 FY20 dividend of US 65 cents.

When calculating against the current share price, BHP is trailing on a forecast fully franked dividend yield of 5.46%. In addition, the payout ratio is calculated to be 78% of the mining outfit’s profits, or US$7.6 billion.

It’s worth remembering that the company has paid relatively consistent dividends over the last 18 months, totalling US$22 billion.

BHP share price snapshot

Adding to its impressive gains, the BHP share price has surged around 11% in the last 12 months. When looking specifically at year to date, its shares are up 21%.

BHP has a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 26.03 and commands a market capitalisation of roughly $251.95 billion.

The post The BHP dividend is being paid today. Here’s what you need to know appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Monday
• How much is the next BHP dividend?
• BHP share price higher on broker upgrade
• ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) midday update: Premier’s record dividend, BHP upgraded

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

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The Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) share price is pushing higher on Monday morning.

At the time of writing, the retail giant’s shares are up almost 1% to $36.56.

Why is the Woolworths share price rising?

Investors have been bidding the Woolworths share price higher today following the release of a broker note out of Goldman Sachs.

According to the note, the broker has initiated coverage on the company’s shares with a buy rating and $40.50 price target.

Based on the current Woolworths share price, this implies potential upside of almost 11% for investors over the next 12 months.

Goldman is also forecasting a 93 cents per share fully franked dividend in FY 2022 and then 111.4 cents per share in FY 2023. Adding the former into the equation brings the total return on offer to approximately 13.5%.

What did the broker say?

Goldman is positive on the Woolworths share price due to three key reasons. These are its digital consumer strategy, alternative revenue streams, and its defensive qualities in an inflationary environment.

In respect to its digital strategy, Goldman commented: “We expect the transition to omni-channel sales to be a critical next step in competition, even after COVID. Per our proprietary “Digital Readiness Scorecard”, WOW is the most advanced in its digitalization efforts, as evidenced through its online penetration (~10% as of FY22) and 13.3m Everyday Rewards Members and significant ~12m digital traffic weekly, materially outperforming peers.”

As for alternative revenue streams, the broker believes media services could be a major source of revenue in the future.

It explained: “Media services, where retailers’ digital assets (including APP, website, email etc.) can act as ad platforms for its vendor brands, is one such potential, with early success seen in US peers (Walmart and Kroger). As long as the retailer can provide the brands with a target audience and high quality touch points with personalized media exposure and measured returns (with higher ROI than other mass media allocation), brands will likely shift spend onto the platform. As part of our DCF, we forecast that by 2030, WOW will be able to deliver A$1B revenue at ~30% EBIT margin for the Media business, which appears conservative compared to Walmart and Kroger delivering ~60% EBIT margin.”

Finally, Goldman is positive on the Woolworths share price due to the company’s defensive qualities in an inflationary environment.

It said: “WOW, being the largest grocer in Australia at ~35% market share as of FY21, has demonstrated historical success in managing through commodity inflation via a series of levers including price pass-through, mix improvement and cost efficiency initiatives. We expect that it will have strong pricing power and scale advantage to manage well through this cycle.”

The post Woolworths (ASX:WOW) share price higher on bullish broker note appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• The Woolworths (ASX:WOW) share price has been struggling in 2022. Could it be set for a turnaround?
• Cheap ASX share better than Woolworths (ASX:WOW)– and it pays dividends
• Why expert says this supermarket ASX share is a better bet than Woolworths (ASX:WOW)
• The Woolworths (ASX:WOW) share price has only added $4 in 8 years. Have the dividends been worth it?
• Top broker tips Woolworths (ASX:WOW) share price to rise 13%

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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Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG) is a significant dividend payer. The 2022 dividend isn’t predicted to be as big as the 2021 dividend, but how big will it be?

Fortescue is one of the world’s biggest iron ore mining companies, alongside peers such as Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO) and BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP).

FY21 saw the business pay out a $3.58 dividend per share, up 103% from $1.76, after generating US$10.3 billion of net profit after tax (NPAT), which was up 117% from the previous year.

At the current Fortescue share price, the FY21 annual dividend translates to a grossed-up dividend yield of 26.5%.

What do we know about Fortescue’s 2022 dividend so far?

Fortescue has a capital allocation framework and a stated intent to target the top end of its dividend policy to pay out 50% to 80% of full-year net profit after tax. In FY21 it had a dividend payout ratio of 80%, and in FY20 the dividend payout ratio was 77%.

In the FY22 half-year result, the interim dividend was cut by 41% to 86 cents per share. This represented a dividend payout ratio of 70%, which was a reduction from the 80% payout ratio in the first half of FY21.

While a reduction in the payout ratio was partly responsible for the dividend reduction, Fortescue also suffered a 32% drop in net profit after tax to $2.8 billion in the first six months of FY22.

In HY22, the amount of ore shipped and sold increased (by 3% and 2%, respectively), but the average revenue per dry metric tonne of iron ore fell 16% to US$95.58. The C1 cost (the ‘direct’ production costs of iron ore) increased by 20% to US$15.28 per wet metric tonne.

So, the market has already a significant cut. But what are analysts expecting with the dividend?

Dividend expectations

Commsec currently has an estimate of an annual dividend of $1.74 in FY22 from Fortescue. At the current Fortescue share price, that would translate into a grossed-up dividend yield of 12.9%.

There are some estimates out there that are both larger and smaller than Commsec’s. Morgans’ FY22 dividend estimate for the miner puts the grossed-up dividend yield at 14.25%.

However, the Credit Suisse annual dividend estimate puts the Fortescue grossed-up dividend yield at 11.5%.

While the estimates are quite varied, all of them seem to suggest that the FY22 annual dividend yield will be more than 10%.

Is the Fortescue share price a buy?

Brokers’ recommendations are mixed on the company at the moment.

Credit Suisse calls it a sell (‘underperform’), with a price target of just $14 because it seems expensive compared to other miners.

Ord Minnett rates it a hold with a price target of $21. It recognises the strong price that iron ore miners are seeing.

Morgans also rates the Fortescue share price as a hold, with a price target of $19.10.

The post How big will the Fortescue (ASX:FMG) dividend be in 2022? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to sell next week
• BHP share price higher on broker upgrade
• The Fortescue (ASX:FMG) share price has gained 11% since early last week. What’s been happening?
• What do Fortescue (ASX:FMG), kinetic energy, and Formula One have in common?
• Why is the Fortescue (ASX:FMG) share price underperforming BHP today?

Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison owns Fortescue Metals Group Limited. 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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The Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) share price is up 0.5% in early trade despite a retrace in oil prices overnight.

Santos shares closed on Friday at $7.94 and are currently trading for $7.98.

While that already represents a 20% gain year-to-date, on the back of soaring oil and gas prices, Macquarie just upgraded its Santos share price target well beyond the current level.

Why is Macquarie bullish on the ASX 200 energy giant?

It’s not rocketing oil prices that has Macquarie upping its target for the Santos share price. Rather it’s the significant oil discovery announced last week at the company’s Bedout Basin project in Western Australia.

Santos holds the project in a joint venture with Carnarvon Energy Ltd (ASX: CVN). Prior to last week’s new discovery, the Bedout Basin already held proven reserves of some 200 million barrels of liquids and 1.1 trillion cubic feet of gas, according to data from Carnarvon.

Commenting on the new discovery, Santos CEO, Kevin Gallagher said, “With the global oil and gas markets seeing increased volatility, low-CO2 oil and gas resources at Dorado and Pavo add significantly to Australia’s national energy security. It is also very encouraging for the next exploration well in the current campaign.”

Macquarie analysts say the discovery increases the value of the joint venture Dorado project.

As reported by The Australian, “Macquarie factors an increase of 2-5% in earning per share for Santos on increased near-term production.”

Macquarie has an outperform rating on the ASX 200 energy stock, increasing its target for the Santos share price from $7.89 to $10.50.

That’s 32% above the current level.

Santos share price snapshot

The Santos share price has been a clear beneficiary of soaring oil and gas prices.

Though Brent crude oil slipped 2.8% overnight to US$117 per barrel, it’s still up 50% from the US$78 per barrel it was worth on 1 January this year.

That’s helped propel the Santos share price 26% higher year-to-date with shares up 11% over the past month.

But comparison, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is down 2% in the new year.

The post Here’s why Macquarie just upgraded the Santos (ASX:STO) share price appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Monday
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• Santos (ASX:STO) share price lower despite ‘significant oil discovery’
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Wednesday
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday

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

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

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

What happened

One of the most prominent — if not the most prominent — Dogecoin (CRYPTO: DOGE) bulls in the world was helping the cryptocurrency move higher on Saturday. Earlier in the day, Tesla CEO Elon Musk reacted positively to a tongue-in-cheek suggestion about the meme that inspired the token. 

When Elon makes a remark even remotely related to Dogecoin, the crypto world tends to listen. The coin was up by over 3% in late afternoon trading. 

So what

Saturday morning, Musk tweeted yet another of his musings on Twitter, the messaging platform he seems to have a heavy love/hate relationship with.

“Given that Twitter serves as the de facto public town square, failing to adhere to free speech principles fundamentally undermines democracy. What should be done?” he wrote.

Since he’s a high-profile Twitter user and has over 79 million followers, many answered with recommendations. A user called The Chairman had one off-the-wall suggestion: “just buy twitter and change the bird logo to a doge.”

Off-the-wall suggestions frequently resonate with Musk, so he answered this one with a tweet answering “Haha that would be sickkk.”

Investors likely took this as a fresh endorsement of Dogecoin, a coin Musk has held and, at times, plugged as a viable and valuable investment. Earlier this month, in response to yet another tweet, Musk stated that “I still own & won’t sell my Bitcoin, Ethereum or Doge[coin] [for what it’s worth].”

Now what

It almost goes without saying that no investor should ever buy, hold, or sell any asset based on the pronouncements — direct or otherwise — of a famous person.

That said, Musk’s bullishness is indicative of the passion and the belief certain Dogecoin holders have in their cryptocurrency — which due to its origin and character is frequently derided as something of a joke token. But with a large pack of bulls behind it, it might just have a stronger base than many doubters believe. 

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

The post Why Dogecoin was rising on Saturday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Why Ethereum, Solana, and Dogecoin are surging higher today
• What’s driving Ethereum, Dogecoin, and THORChain higher today?
• Shiba Inu vs. Dogecoin: Which pupcoin’s more bite than bark? 
• Why Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Dogecoin dropped today

Eric Volkman owns Bitcoin and Ethereum. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns and has recommended Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tesla, and Twitter. The Motley Fool Australia owns and has recommended Bitcoin and Ethereum. 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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Once a week I like to look at ASIC’s short position report to find out which shares are being targeted by short sellers.

This is because I believe it is well worth keeping a close eye on short interest levels as high levels can sometimes be a sign that something isn’t quite right with a company.

With that in mind, here are the 10 most shorted shares on the ASX this week according to ASIC:

• Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd (ASX: FLT) remains the most shorted ASX share with short interest of 17.6%. Short sellers appear to believe the market is too optimistic with the travel market recovery.
• Betmakers Technology Group Ltd (ASX: BET) has seen its short interest remain flat at 12.8%. Sky high multiples and concerns over rising cash burn in the sports betting industry appear to be weighing on sentiment.
• Nanosonics Ltd (ASX: NAN) has short interest of 11.9%, which is flat week on week. This infection prevention company’s shares have come under pressure after it announced a major and disruptive change to its sales model in the United States.
• Webjet Limited (ASX: WEB) has short interest of 10.2%, which is down slightly week on week. Volatile travel markets and rising oil prices continue to weigh on sentiment.
• Polynovo Ltd (ASX: PNV) has seen its short interest rise to 9.1%. This medical device company’s underperformance appears to be attracting short sellers. Especially with its shares trading on high multiples.
• Kogan.com Ltd (ASX: KGN) has seen its short interest remain flat again at 9%. Short sellers appear concerned by its weakening sales, high marketing costs, and Amazon growing its Australian market share rapidly.
• EML Payments Ltd (ASX: EML) has seen its short interest remain steady at 8.7%. Short sellers may have concerns over the payments company’s valuation as rates rise and financial models are reassessed.
• Omni Bridgeway Ltd (ASX: OBL) is back in the top ten with short interest of 8.3%. The litigation funder’s shares could be in the crosshairs of short sellers due to the Government wanting to overhaul class action laws.
• AMA Group Ltd (ASX: AMA) has also returned to the top ten with 8.2% of its shares held short. Last month this crash repair company reported a loss of $46.3 million for the first half of FY 2022.
• Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P) has returned to the top ten despite its short interest easing to 7.8%. This buy now pay later provider’s shares have fallen heavily this year amid concerns over rising competition and increasing cash burn.

The post These are the 10 most shorted ASX shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• 2 high-growth ASX shares to buy today: brokers
• 3 ASX growth shares down more than 50% in a year
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• Why is the Flight Centre share price soaring today?
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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 Betmakers Technology Group Ltd, EML Payments, Kogan.com ltd, Nanosonics Limited, POLYNOVO FPO, and ZIPCOLTD FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns and has recommended EML Payments, Kogan.com ltd, and Nanosonics Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Betmakers Technology Group Ltd, Flight Centre Travel Group Limited, and Webjet Ltd. 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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The AMP Ltd (ASX: AMP) share price is on the slide on Monday.

At the time of writing, the financial services company’s shares are down 1% to 94.5 cents.

Why is the AMP share price falling?

Investors have been selling down the AMP share price today in response to the release of an announcement.

According to the release, AMP has successfully completed the sale of its Global Equities and Fixed Income (GEFI) business to Macquarie Asset Management (MAM), which is part of Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG).

This sale, which was first announced in July 2021, will see assets under management (AUM) of ~A$47 billion transfer from AMP Capital to MAM, subject to unitholder approvals.

How much will AMP receive?

As for AMP, following the completion of the transaction, it will receive a net completion amount of approximately A$63 million in cash from MAM.

This is down from a previous estimate of A$110 million, which management advised reflects the expected post completion adjustments. It further explained that this reduction from the total potential proceeds reflects reductions in AUM and client pricing changes since the sale agreement.

Nevertheless, AMP still remains eligible for the further cash earn-out up to A$75 million, payable after the second anniversary of transaction completion. This is subject to certain conditions including revenue targets. Though, it warned that the amount remains uncertain with the retention of AUM being the main driver.

AMP Capital’s Chief Executive, Shawn Johnson, commented: “The completion of the GEFI transaction is a key milestone in Collimate Capital’s separation from AMP and preparation for demerger. Our teams have been actively working to ensure a smooth transition of funds and clients and we’re confident that MAM, and our talented teams who are transferring, will deliver great outcomes for them. We would like to thank the Macquarie team for the partnership through the transaction and wish our people joining their team every success.”

The post AMP (ASX:AMP) share price lower on asset sale news appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Macquarie 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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This month is proving to be a good one for the Origin Energy Ltd (ASX: ORG) share price. The energy producer and retailer’s stock has gained a whopping 15% since 1 March.

At that time, it closed at $5.49. But, since then, the Origin share price has gained 89 cents. It finished Friday’s session at $6.38 after hitting a multi-year high in intraday trade.  

So, what’s been boosting the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) energy company’s stock higher? Let’s take a look.

What’s been driving the Origin share price lately?

The Origin share price has been performing well this month. Its strong gains likely led the company’s shareholders to breathe a sigh of relief after the stock’s nail-biting February.

Origin released its earnings for the first half of financial year 2022 in mid-February.

Over the 6-month period, its underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) fell 4.8%, despite its underlying net profit after tax (NPAT) increasing 18%.

That led the company to announce a net after-tax loss of $131 million, an improvement on the prior comparable period’s $183 million loss.

Also within its results, Origin announced its plans to close its Eraring coal-fired power station 7 years early.

The Origin share price recorded a slight gain on the day the company released its half-year earnings. However, the market appeared to reassess the news overnight, as Origin’s stock plunged 8% the following day.

It didn’t manage to regain that loss before the end of last month.

Fortunately, that slip has since been forgotten. The stock won back the loss this month with the help of a new strategy and on-market buyback.

On 9 March, Origin announced it will be undertaking a $250 million on-market share buyback. The buyback will begin next month.

Additionally, the company released its plans to lead the way to decarbonisation while simultaneously cutting costs.

In fact, it’s aiming to reduce its financial year 2018 baseline cash costs by between $200 million and $250 million by financial year 2024.

Another catalyst for Origin’s stock’s recent gains could have been rising energy commodities. Oil and gas prices have been impacted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Origin share price snapshot

This month’s strong performance has helped the Origin share price to significantly outperform the market in 2022. It has gained 22% year to date.

For comparison, the ASX 200 has slipped 2.4% since the start of 2022.

The energy company’s stock has also gained 35% over the last 12 months. Meanwhile, the ASX 200 has increased 8.8%.

The post The Origin (ASX:ORG) share price has surged 15% since the start of March. Could this be why? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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 Bruce Jackson.

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