• Why Adairs, Betmakers, Magellan, and Northern Star shares are dropping

    Red arrow going down, symbolising a falling share price.

    Red arrow going down, symbolising a falling share price.

    In afternoon trade, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is on course to record a small decline after giving back its morning gains. At the time of writing, the benchmark index is down slightly to 7,291.5 points.

    Four ASX shares that are falling more than most today are listed below. Here’s why they are dropping:

    Adairs Ltd (ASX: ADH)

    The Adairs share price is down 1% to $2.92. This decline has been driven by the furniture and homewares retailer’s shares trading ex-dividend this morning. In fact, if you take the company’s 8 cents per share fully franked interim dividend out of the equation, the Adairs share price would be trading higher today.

    Betmakers Technology Group Ltd (ASX: BET)

    The Betmakers share price has continued its slide and is down a further 2% to 66 cents. As I mentioned earlier today, this betting technology company’s shares are one of the most shorted shares on the ASX. In fact, it has been speculated that major shareholder, Tom Waterhouse, could be lending his shares to short sellers.

    Magellan Financial Group Ltd (ASX: MFG)

    The Magellan share price is down 2.5% to $15.32. Investors have been selling this embattled fund manager’s shares after its founder, Hamish Douglass, resigned as a director with immediate effect. Douglass took indefinite leave from the role as Chairman last month following a period of intense pressure and focus on both his professional and personal life.

    Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST)

    The Northern Star share price is down 2.5% to $10.37. This follows weakness in the gold price at the end of last week as demand for safe haven assets softened. It isn’t just Northern Star’s shares that are falling on Monday. At the time of writing, the S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Gold index is down by a sizeable 1.9%.

    The post Why Adairs, Betmakers, Magellan, and Northern Star shares are dropping 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 ADAIRS FPO and Betmakers Technology Group Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia owns and has recommended ADAIRS FPO. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Betmakers Technology Group 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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  • ‘Rapidly increasing demand’: DroneShield (ASX:DRO) shares jump 5%

    rising asx share price represented by drone flying in the airrising asx share price represented by drone flying in the air

    The DroneShield Ltd (ASX: DRO) share price is lifting off in mid-afternoon trade. This comes after the defence contractor announced another contract award.

    At the time of writing, DroneShield shares are swapping hands for 18 cents apiece, up 5.88%.

    DroneShield secures defence contract

    Investors are buying up DroneShield shares after the company updated the market with a positive release.

    In a statement to the ASX, DroneShield advised it has received an order for several of its systems from an ‘international government agency’.

    The deal, valued at around $2 million, represents ongoing commitments from government agencies, which have sought DroneShield products in the past.

    The funds will be received across the March 2022 and June 2022 quarters.

    The order consists of an upfront purchase of $2 million with an additional recurring subscription element. Although, DroneShield stated that the latter cannot be estimated at this time, but is expected to be material.

    DroneShield CEO, Oleg Vornik commented:

    As drones continue to be increasingly used in modern warfare, we are seeing rapidly increasing demand for the DroneShield equipment. With the substantial investment in inventory over the last 12 months, ability to rapidly fulfil orders remains critical in current environment, and we are well placed.

    What does DroneShield do?

    DroneShield specialises in drone security technology. The company designs and develops detection systems that use specialised technology to protect people, organisations and critical infrastructure.

    Its multi-layered products are centred around detection and disruption from unmanned aerial systems (UAS).

    Its key product is the DroneGun, which is a hand-held, lightweight portable weapon that is highly effective against drones.

    DroneShield share price summary

    Over the past 9 months, DroneShield shares have been moving in a sideways channel from 16.5 cents to 19 cents.

    In 2022, the company’s share price is up almost 3% and up 9% in the last month alone.

    With a market capitalisation of $75.28 million, DroneShield has room to grow and cement itself as a leading defence contractor.

    The company holds more than 418.22 million shares on its registry.

    The post ‘Rapidly increasing demand’: DroneShield (ASX:DRO) shares jump 5% appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider DroneShield, 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 DroneShield 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 Aaron Teboneras has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns and has recommended DroneShield Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended DroneShield 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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  • Why Block, Core Lithium, Liontown, and Qube shares are rising

    In afternoon trade, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has given back its morning gains and dropped into the red. At the time of writing, the benchmark index is down slightly to 7,291.5 points.

    Four ASX shares that aren’t letting that hold them back are listed below. Here’s why they are rising:

    Block Inc (ASX: SQ2)

    The Block share price is up 9% to $184.25. At one stage today, the payments giant’s shares jumped 11% to reach their highest level since listing on the Australian share market. It also meant that Block’s shares were up a whopping 60% in less than a month. This follows a strong night of trade for its NYSE shares on Friday night.

    Core Lithium Ltd (ASX: CXO)

    The Core Lithium share price is up 8% to $1.22. A number of lithium shares are hurtling higher today amid bullish sentiment in the sector. Core Lithium, which recently signed a supply agreement with Tesla, saw its shares hit a record high this morning.

    Liontown Resources Limited (ASX: LTR)

    The Liontown share price is up 6% to $1.76. This morning the lithium developer advised that it has received all assays from the recently completed drilling campaign at the Buldania Lithium Project in Western Australia. Liontown revealed that results included shallow extensions to the Anna deposit as well as regional geochemical/geological targets within the Northwest prospect.

    Qube Holdings Ltd (ASX: QUB)

    The Qube share price is up almost 1.5% to $3.05. Investors have been buying this logistics facilities company’s shares after it announced a $400 million off market share buyback. Qube decided to undertake a share buyback following a strong performance during the first half and the completion of the Moorebank Logistics Park transaction.

    The post Why Block, Core Lithium, Liontown, and Qube shares are rising 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 Block, Inc. The Motley Fool Australia owns and has recommended Block, Inc. 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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  • Cha-ching! The NAB share price just hit a multi-year high

    Rising arrow on a piggy bank with a woman holding it and smiling.

    Rising arrow on a piggy bank with a woman holding it and smiling.

    The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has had a bit of a wild day so far in this week’s start to trading. At the time of writing, the ASX 200 is down, but only just, having lost 0.02% at just under 7,300 points. But we have already seen some significant volatility, with the index swinging from some healthy gains back to a loss, then a gian, and now a loss. But the National Australia Bank Ltd. (ASX: NAB) share price has arguably been even wilder. 

    NAB shares opened at $31.20 this morning, slightly below where they closed at last week. But then we saw a decisive pop in the NAB share price, which took it as high as $31.46 a share. That happens to be a new 52-week high for this ASX 200 big four banking share. 

    But not only have we seen a new 52-week high, but that price is also the highest NAB shares have been in several years. In fact, the last time we saw NAB approaching $31.50 a share, it was way back in November 2017, meaning NAB has just had a 4-year high. 

    NAB share price hits new 4 year-high, only to fade away

    Unfortunately, this new high seemed to burn out bright. Upon reaching this high, NAB shares promptly fell back to earth. The company is now going for just $30.95 a share, down 0.83% for the day and 1.6% from its new 52-week benchmark.

    The other major ASX bank shares have seen similar pricing patterns (without new 52-week highs in between though). Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) and Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ASX: ANZ) are the only banks to still be in the green today. Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) has joined NAB in the red after initially popping this morning as well.

    It’s unclear what has sparked this volatility with ASX bank shares today, but it doesn’t seem confined to this sector, given what has happened with the ASX 200 as well.

    At the current NAB share price, this ASX 200 banking giant has a market capitalisation of $99.85 billion, with a dividend yield of 4.1%. 

    The post Cha-ching! The NAB share price just hit a multi-year high appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider NAB, 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 NAB 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 owns National Australia Bank 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 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.

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  • ‘Highly improbable’: Why Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO) shares are in focus again

    The Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO) share price is in focus again as the miner faces some pushback from one of the larger shareholders of the Mongolian Oyu Tolgoi mine.

    Right now, Rio shares are trading for $110.10 each, down 0.22% on the day.

    The ASX mining share is trying to increase its exposure to copper by taking complete control of Turquoise Hill Resources. It has owned just over half of Turquoise Hill Resources for the last decade.

    What is Oyu Tolgoi?

    According to Turquoise Hill Resources, Oyu Tolgoi is one of the world’s largest new copper-gold mines, located in the South Gobi region of Mongolia. It reportedly has the potential to operate for approximately 100 years from five known mineralised deposits.

    A second deposit, Hugo North (lift 1), is under development as an underground operation and is scheduled to begin sustainable production in 2022. The other three deposits — Hugo North (lift 2), Hugo South, and Heruga — are not yet scheduled for development.

    Acquisition hits a hurdle

    According to the Australian Financial Review, the American investment fund Pentwater Capital owns 9.36% of Turquoise Hill Resources. It’s reported the fund’s boss Matt Halbower was not impressed by Rio Tinto’s offer for the business, saying it was “a fraction” of what the business was worth.

    Halbower said:

    In Pentwater’s opinion it is highly improbable that Rio will be successful at its current bid price and equally improbable that Turquoise Hill shares will ever fall back to the levels they traded at prior to Rio’s offer now that Rio’s true intentions are known.

    Pentwater would be pleased to purchase part of Rio Tinto’s stake in Turquoise Hill for that price.

    Another shareholder of Turquoise Hill Resources has also indicated that the offer was not enough.

    Pentwater believes the cost overruns of the expansion of the Oyu Tolgoi mine, and Rio’s push for a capital raising to fund the extra costs, has led to the Turquoise Hill Resources share price trading for less than it’s actually worth.

    It was only a couple of months ago that Rio Tinto Turquoise Hill agreed to forgive debts relating to the Mongolian government. The government owns around a third of the mine but couldn’t afford its share of the construction costs, according to the AFR.

    Is the Rio Tinto share price a buy?

    The broker Morgan Stanley thinks Rio is a buy with a price target of $126.50. That implies a potential upside of more than 10% over the next 12 months.

    It likes the potential deal for Rio Tinto to buy 100% of Turquoise Hill. The broker thinks that the Mongolian government’s approval makes the deal worthwhile, even though copper is priced very highly right now.

    The Rio Tinto share price is up 1.27% for the year, gaining more than 10% year to date.

    The post ‘Highly improbable’: Why Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO) shares are in focus again appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Rio Tinto right now?

    Before you consider Rio Tinto, 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 Rio Tinto 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 Tristan Harrison 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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  • Rollercoaster! Zip share price pops then drops

    people with crazy faces of fear, terror and exhileration clutch at a rollercoaster as it goes into a steep downward descent

    people with crazy faces of fear, terror and exhileration clutch at a rollercoaster as it goes into a steep downward descent

    It’s been a pretty tame day for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) thus far this Monday. At the time of writing, the ASX 200 is down by an anaemic 0.04% at just under 7,300 points.

    But we can’t call what has happened to the Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P) share price today anything close to tame.

    Zip shares opened at $1.70 this morning after closing at $1.60 last week. That’s a pop of 6.25%, not bad! But it hasn’t been smooth sailing for Zip shares during today’s intra-day trading.

    The buy now, pay later (BNPL) share is currently going for $1.62 a share, still up a healthy 1.2%. But then again, that’s less than a third of the gain we saw at market open.

    So what’s going on with Zip today?

    Zip share price: snap, crackle and pop

    Well, we can’t be sure. The company itself hasn’t made any news or announcements to speak of so far today. Nor has it been directly affected by the latest round of ASX 200 (and other ASX index) rebalancing that went into effect today.

    But if we look to some of Zip’s peers, it makes for an interesting contrast. So alongside Zip’s big moves today, we’ve also seen some major movements in both the Block Inc (ASX: SQ2) and the Sezzle Inc (ASX: SZL) share prices.

    Sezzle shares are currently up a more enthusiastic 2.39% at $1.50 each. But it’s Block shares that have really taken off today. The Block share price is presently sitting at $184.9, up a very pleasing 9.5% so far today.

    Block shares have consistently traded higher so far, while Sezzle has had a milder version of that ‘pop then drop’ that Zip has seen.

    There’s not really a solid explanation for all of these sharp moves, other than to blame it on the inherent volatility that seems to permeate BNPL and tech shares like Zip, Block and Sezzle these days.

    At the current Zip share price, the ASX 200 BNPL share has a market capitalisation of $1.07 billion.

    The post Rollercoaster! Zip share price pops then drops appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Zip Co, 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 Co 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. owns and has recommended Block, Inc. and ZIPCOLTD FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns and has recommended Block, Inc. 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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  • Surging again: Why has the Sayona (ASX:SYA) share price rallied 46% in a month?

    A wide-smiling businessman in suit and tie rips open his shirt to reveal a green t-shirt underneath

    A wide-smiling businessman in suit and tie rips open his shirt to reveal a green t-shirt underneath

    The Sayona Mining Ltd (ASX: SYA) share price has continued its impressive run on Monday.

    In afternoon trade, the lithium developer’s shares are up 6% to 17.5 cents.

    This means the Sayona share price is now up 46% in the space of a month.

    Why is the Sayona share price surging higher?

    Investors have been bidding the Sayona share price higher this month following a very positive announcement relating to the company’s North American Lithium (NAL) and Authier projects.

    According to the release, the two projects now have a combined measured, indicated, and inferred mineral resource of 119.1 million tonnes at 1.05% lithium oxide.

    This upgrade represents the doubling of its mineral resource from management’s previous estimates. In light of this, Sayona can stake the claim as having the largest spodumene resource in Canada.

    Management was delighted with the news, particularly given how high lithium prices are right now.

    Sayona’s Managing Director, Brett Lynch, commented: “This expansion is a major achievement for Sayona as we further enlarge our leading lithium resource base in North America. Since the start of 2020, we have now grown our Québec resource base nearly six times and with further increases expected soon from Moblan.”

    “With lithium prices surging on the back of an increasing structural supply deficit, our upcoming definitive feasibility study for an integrated NAL‐Authier operation, expected in coming weeks, is set to show significantly enhanced profitability for the benefit of shareholders,” he added.

    The post Surging again: Why has the Sayona (ASX:SYA) share price rallied 46% in a month? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Sayona, 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 Sayona 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. 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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  • Own South32 (ASX:S32) shares? Boss says ‘future-facing metals’ now 85% of revenue

    a woman on a green background points a finger at graphic images of molecules, a rocket, light bulbs and scientific symbols as she smiles.a woman on a green background points a finger at graphic images of molecules, a rocket, light bulbs and scientific symbols as she smiles.

    The South32 Ltd (ASX: S32) share price is outperforming after the company’s CEO painted a bullish outlook and a top broker forecasted “material upside to shareholder returns”.

    Shares in the diversified mining group jumped 2.7% to a two-week high of $4.95 during lunchtime trade.

    In contrast, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is down 0.06% at the time of writing. The BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) share price and Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO) share price are also lagging, with gains of 0.72% and 0.05% respectively.

    South32 share price powers up for the future

    South32’s chief executive Graham Kerr credits the group’s repositioning as a supplier of future-facing metals for the market interest, reported The Australian.

    “We had a very large exposure on a revenue basis to a lot of the bulks: the energy coal, the met coal, the manganese,” he said.

    “If you look at the transactions we have done over the last couple of years and if you normalise met coal price, our exposure to forward-facing metals such as copper, aluminium, zinc now makes up roughly 85 per cent of our revenue stream.”

    Getting the mix right

    South32 has come a long way since it was spun out of BHP in 2015. Back then, many called it “Crap Co” as BHP dumped commodities it didn’t want into the separately listed entity.

    But under the stewardship of Kerr, the miner acquired a number of mines to gain increased exposure to copper, nickel and other metals.

    “We have developed the pre-feasibility study on Taylor, which is a zinc deposit in Arizona,” explained Kerr.

    “We bought Sierra Gorda in Chile to get copper exposure, we’ve increased what we have in nickel in Columbia and we have Ambler Nickels going on at the moment in Alaska.”

    “That transformation, not only in commodity but also country risk has helped us push forward.”

    Bullish outlook for the South32 share price

    Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, war in Ukraine, the electric vehicle (EV) revolution, and the transition to a low carbon world, South32’s earnings have surged. The miner posted a record first-half net profit of over $1.4 billion last month.

    What is also helping sentiment towards the South32 share price is a bullish note by Macquarie Group.

    The broker noted that South32 shares have outperformed their iron-ore dominated peers since the start of January.

    This is due to South32’s favourable mix of metals that has caught the imagination of ASX investors.

    What are South32 shares worth?

    “Our base-case forecast sees S32 return a free cash flow yield of 11% in FY22E, increasing to 25% in FY23E, the highest amongst large-cap peers,” said the broker.

    “Using a [free cash flow] payout ratio of 90%, total shareholder return could amount to ~US$800m, 45% higher than our base-case forecast.”

    Macquarie is recommending the South32 share price as “outperform”. The bank’s 12-month price target on the shares is $7.

    The post Own South32 (ASX:S32) shares? Boss says ‘future-facing metals’ now 85% of revenue appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in South32 right now?

    Before you consider South32, 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 South32 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 Brendon Lau owns BHP Billiton Limited, Rio Tinto Ltd., and South32 Ltd. 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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  • Are 2021’s monster dividends from ASX 200 mining shares sustainable in 2022?

    A person is weighed down by a huge stack of coins, they have received a big dividend payout.

    A person is weighed down by a huge stack of coins, they have received a big dividend payout.S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) dividend shares are in sharp focus in 2022 following a surge in payouts last year.

    And ASX 200 mining shares led the dividend charge.

    Some big special dividend payouts saw BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP), Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO), and Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG) all rank among the top 10 dividend-paying stocks in the world in 2021.

    Indeed, the biggest of the ASX 200 mining shares, BHP, came in as the number 1 dividend payer on the globe last year. (That’s in terms of total payout, mind you, not dividend yield.)

    According to a report from Janus Henderson, all told, Aussie dividends came in at $63.3 billion in 2021, aided by exchange rates. That’s the third largest total dividend payout in the world last year.

    If you’re wondering, shares in the United States market came in first, followed by shares in the United Kingdom.

    What can investors expect in 2022?

    With multi-year or even record highs amongst commodity prices in 2021, the mining sector delivered more than 25% of the increase in dividend payouts.

    But what can investors expect from the ASX 200 mining shares in 2022?

    Janus Henderson forecasts that “global dividends will reach a new record of $1.52 trillion, up 3.1% on a headline basis, or 5.7% in underlying terms.”

    As for ASX 200 mining shares, the global asset manager cautions, “The mining sector may not be able to repeat the record level of payments witnessed in 2021, given the moves in some commodity prices.”

    According to the report:

    The big unknown for 2022 is what will happen in the mining sector. Iron ore prices are a significant driver and, despite recovering some lost ground recently, are lower at present than during most of 2021…

    Given the reliance of profits and therefore dividends on commodity prices, there is a significant degree of uncertainty about the level of mining payouts. It is reasonable to assume they will fall from the record levels of 2021, at least in the reduction or elimination of one-off special payments.

    How have these ASX 200 mining shares been tracking?

    Aside from delivering outsized dividend payouts, 2 of the ASX 200 mining shares have also handily outpaced the benchmark this year.

    While the ASX 200 is down 3.9% this year, the BHP share price has gained 10%, while Rio Tinto shares are up 11.1%.

    The Fortescue share price has gone the other way, down 4.7% in the new year.

    The post Are 2021’s monster dividends from ASX 200 mining shares sustainable in 2022? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Wondering where you should invest $1,000 right now?

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for over ten years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    Scott just revealed what he believes could be the five best ASX stocks for investors to buy right now. These stocks are trading at near dirt-cheap prices and Scott thinks they could be great buys right now.

    *Returns as of January 12th 2022

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    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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  • 25% upside and healthy yield: Why this broker is bullish on the Westpac share price

    a man in a business suit sits at his laptop computer at his desk and smiles broadly in an office setting, giving an air of optimism and confidence.a man in a business suit sits at his laptop computer at his desk and smiles broadly in an office setting, giving an air of optimism and confidence.

    One broker is optimistic the Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) share price has the potential to surge significantly.

    Westpac shares are currently swapping hands at $23.59, down 0.3%. The S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) is also in the red 0.23% at the time of writing.

    So why do analysts think the Westpac share price can climb?

    What is the outlook for the Westpac share price?

    The team at Morgans says Westpac is a buy with a $29.50 price target. The broker is optimistic on the bank’s margin outlook and predicts it can achieve its cost-cutting targets.

    Morgans has also made a prediction on dividends. The broker predicts Westpac will offer a fully-franked dividend of $1.19 per share in FY 2022. By 2023, Morgans predicts a dividend of $1.60.

    Commenting on the outlook for Westpac, Morgans described the bank as “our preferred major bank”. It said:

    We believe WBC offers the most compelling valuation of the major banks. In terms of quality of overall risk profile, we believe WBC is a close second to CBA. 

    On credit risk, we believe WBC is positioned relatively defensively due to its loan book being more skewed to Australian home lending.

    Westpac reported an unaudited statutory net profit of $1.82 billion in 1Q 22, up 80% on the quarterly average for 2H21. Cash earnings also grew 74% to $1.58 billion. The bank announced it would bring forward simplification plans and changes to its operating structure.

    In other news from the bank, Westpac recently appointed a new executive Yianna Papanikolaou. As the chief transformation officer, Papanikolaou is responsible for major change, investment programs, and customer outcomes.

    Westpac share price summary

    The Westpac share price has dropped nearly 4% in the last year but has surged nearly 11% year to date.

    For perspective, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has returned almost 9% over the past year.

    The company has a market capitalisation of about $82.6 billion.

    The post 25% upside and healthy yield: Why this broker is bullish on the Westpac share price 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.

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    *Returns as of January 13th 2022

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    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.

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