Wilson Asset Management (WAM) is a fund manager that likes to search the stock market to find ASX shares that look like opportunities.

Typically, WAM likes to hunt for businesses where a catalyst could drive the company’s valuation higher.

One of the funds that it operates is the listed investment company (LIC) WAM Active Limited (ASX: WAA).

The idea behind WAM Active is to find market mispricing opportunities on the Australian market.

Since its inception in January 2008, this LIC has delivered a gross return of 11% per annum, that’s before expenses, taxes and fees.

These are the two ASX shares outlined in the most recent WAM Active update:

Steadfast Group Ltd (ASX: SDF)

Wilson Asset Management described Steadfast Group as the largest general insurance broking network and group of underwriting agencies in Australasia, with growing operations in Asia and Europe.

Last month, the insurance ASX share announced its FY22 half-year result, which beat expectations, according to WAM. The fund manager noted that Steadfast’s underlying net profit after tax (NPAT) grew by 26.4% to $76.3 million.

WAM explained that a positive environment for the pricing of commercial insurance policies and the successful integration of previous acquisitions contributed to the company beating forecasts. Explaining why Steadfast is in the WAM Active portfolio, the fund manager said:

We remain positive on the outlook for Steadfast Group and believe that a strong balance sheet can give the company the ability to continue to make earnings accretive acquisitions.

Uniti Group Ltd (ASX: UWL)

Wilson Asset Management said that this company is focused on the construction of core telecommunications infrastructure. It’s also the owner and operator of fibre cable networks across Australia.

In February 2022, the company announced its FY22 half-year result, showing a 98.4% rise in revenue to $109.5 million and a 130.3% increase in operating cash flow to $65.4 million. Uniti’s half-year earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) grew 140.3% to $70.5 million.

WAM noted that the result was in line with market expectations, yet the report disappointed the market – the Uniti share price fell following the announcement.

The fund manager thinks that Uniti has the ability to make earnings accretive acquisitions because of its “strong” balance sheet. The ASX share also recently commenced an on-market share buyback.

WAM isn’t the only investor that thought Uniti looked good value.

Uniti has entered into exclusive discussions with HRL Morrison & Co, a New Zealand asset manager. There is a non-bonding, conditional indicative proposal for an indicative price of $4.50 per share.

There is also speculation that Macquarie Group Ltd’s (ASX: MQG) Vocus Group could be interested in making a bid for Uniti.

The post 2 ASX shares with compelling futures: fund manager appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Uniti (ASX:UWL) share price climbs amid reports Vocus will make a play
• Why Austal, Contact Energy, Nanosonics, and Uniti shares are dropping
• ‘Cannot rule out new interest’: What you need to know about the Uniti (ASX:UWL) takeover bid
• Uniti (ASX:UWL) share price rockets 31% after confirming takeover approach
• Why Clinuvel, Dicker Data, Healius, and Uniti shares are rising today

Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns and has recommended Steadfast Group Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Macquarie Group Limited, Steadfast Group Ltd, and Uniti 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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The Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) share price has recorded strong gains over the past year, up 24%. This comes as Australia’s largest bank navigates its way around inflationary movements and geopolitical tensions.

Below, we calculate how much a shareholder would have made if they had made an investment in CBA 10 years ago.

What if you had invested $10,000 in CBA shares 10 years ago?

If you had invested $10,000 in CBA shares on this day 10 years ago, you would have bought them for around $48.76 each. This would have given you approximately 205 shares without factoring in any dividend reinvestments over the years.

Fast-forward to today, the current CBA share price is $106.29. This means those 205 shares would now be worth around $21,789.45. When considering percentage terms, this implies an upside of 118%.

Not a bad effort, picking a blue-chip ASX share winner and more than doubling your initial investment.

How does CBA shares compare against the ASX 200?

On average, the ASX 200 has returned a yearly average of 5.42% to shareholders in the past decade. The most significant gain was achieved in 2019 when the index grew by 23.02%.

On the other hand, the biggest fall came in 2011, down by 10.84%. You might be thinking that 2020 would be on the list due to major COVID-19 disruptions, but the ASX 200 rebounded sharply during that year.

The bank’s shares have outperformed the benchmark ASX 200, despite moving in circles in the past two years.

Overall, the company has delivered a yearly average return of 8.06% since 2012.

And the dividends?

Over the course of the last decade, CBA has made a total of 20 bi-annual dividend payments from 2012 to 2022.

Adding those 20 dividends payments gives us an amount of $39.16 per share. Calculating the number of shares owned against the total dividend payment gives us a figure of $8,027.80.

When putting both the initial investment gains and dividend distribution, an investor would have roughly $29,817.25.

In comparison, investing the same amount in the ASX 200 would have netted you a total figure of $16,959.77.

As you can see, investing in CBA would have almost doubled what you would have gotten from investing in the benchmark index. Although, placing your money in an exchange-traded fund (ETF) is considered to be a much safer alternative with less risk but less reward.

CBA share price snapshot

In 2022, the CBA share price has nudged up around 5% in value. However, when looking at this time last year, its shares have posted a 24% gain.

CBA has a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 22.44 and commands a market capitalisation of roughly $180.67 billion.

The post If you invested $10,000 in CBA shares a decade ago, here’s what it would be worth now appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Fundie tells why two-thirds of all dividends come from just 7 ASX shares. Guess which ones?
• CBA (ASX:CBA) share price on watch as CEO sells $1.4m of shares
• ASX 200 shares open with a bang following US interest rate rise
• The CBA share price has soared 8% in a week. What’s happening?
• Why ASX 200 bank shares are storming higher today

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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Blackmores Limited (ASX: BKL) shares closed down 1.63% on Friday at $75.40.

With those losses factored in, Blackmores shares are now down 18.6% since the closing bell on 23 February. That was the day before the company released its half-year financial results for the six months ending 31 December.

That fall has come despite Blackmores reporting a 14.3% year-on-year lift in revenue, to $346 million, and upping its interim dividend by 117% to 63 cents per share.

ASX investors may have been selling Blackmores shares after the company declined to provide earnings guidance for the six months ahead, citing “ongoing uncertainty” caused by COVID-19.

But that’s not holding the company back from its ambitious growth plans.

How to reach out to a billion consumers

Blackmores is aiming to expand its reach to one billion unique consumers within five years. That’s up from 500 million today.

This doesn’t mean it’s expecting a billion customers, mind you. But rather a billion people who recognise it as a leading Aussie health product provider.

“If 1% of that billion converts into a sale for Blackmores, then that enables us to achieve our financial goals. If we can reach a billion consumers, we can be one of the biggest health natural health companies in Asia Pacific,” Blackmores CEO Alastair Symington said quoted by The Australian Financial Review.

So, how is the company planning to double its reach?

First, it’s targeting expansion in China, a core existing market, as well as its other high-growth international markets in Southeast Asia, including Indonesia and India.

While Chinese sanctions have hampered some Australian exporters, like those involved in the wine or coal industries, Symington doesn’t believe his company will become a target:

We don’t expect that there’ll be any of these tougher sanctions that would come on international health products that the Chinese people would be looking for. I think the only time that that could come is if there was a legitimate alternative locally that the consumers were as comfortable with, and we don’t see that yet.

Another growth pillar that could help propel Blackmores shares higher is pet health supplements, sold under the company’s Paw brand.

As COVID-19 restrictions are rolled back people are returning to onsite work, often for the first time in two years. That may come as a relief to some workers. But many of their pets, now accustomed to fulltime stay-at-home carers, won’t agree.

Enter Blackmores’ Complete Calm, intended, as the name implies, to calm your anxious dog down.

According to Symington (quoted by the AFR):

Just in the last month or so, everybody’s changed their habits and are moving back into commuting. These pet parents have been looking after their animals for two years. The new pets have not had a situation where the pet owners have been separated from them.

Symington said online inquiries regarding anxious pets have increased by 50% since the end of January.

How have Blackmores shares been tracking?

Blackmores shares have struggled in 2022, down 17.5% since the opening bell on 4 January.

By comparison the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is down by around 4% year-to-date.

The post Own Blackmores (ASX:BKL) shares? Here’s how the company is aiming for 1 billion consumers appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 5 ASX shares trading ex-dividend next week
• Leading brokers name 3 ASX shares to sell today
• Why this broker just downgraded Blackmores (ASX:BKL) shares to a sell rating
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Monday
• Top broker gives its verdict on the Blackmores (ASX:BKL) share price

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 Blackmores 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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Many professional investors have avoided technology shares in recent months.

And it’s no wonder, with the S&P/ASX All Technology Index (ASX: XTX) losing a quarter of its value since November.

But with such depressed valuations now, some fund managers are dipping their toes back in.

One such investor is WAM Leaders Ltd (ASX: WLE) portfolio manager John Ayoub.

“We have been fairly resolute in not owning any overvalued tech stocks. [But] what we have seen recently is a slight change to that outlook,” he said in a conference call to clients this month.

“The sell-off has provided some opportunities within those sectors where we think individual stocks who have the ability to demonstrate superior earnings can grow into their multiples, and it presented opportunities over the recent past.”

Ayoub named 2 examples of such ASX shares that he’s added to the fund in recent weeks.

‘Market-leading’ tech shares

Saying that they are “market-leading franchises” and “extremely well positioned”, Ayoub revealed his team had started buying shares in REA Group Limited (ASX: REA) and Seek Limited (ASX: SEK).

“No matter what the macro backdrop provides, …there is somewhat more valuation support today,” he said.

“We think these stocks can also be drivers of the portfolio. So we have put positions within the portfolio with those — some larger than others — and we will continue to build on those positions over the next 6 to 12 months.”

REA shares have dropped almost 18% this year. But with a price-to-earnings ratio close to 50, the valuation of REA is still polarising.

According to CMC Markets, 8 of 16 analysts rate the tech stock as a “buy” but 7 of them rate it as a “hold”.

The Seek share price has shaved more than 9% off this year, and 13.6% since November.

The jobs classifieds site also divides the professionals, with 8 of 15 analysts surveyed in CMC Markets rating it as a “buy” while 7 reckon investors should hold or sell it.

‘A game of 3D chess’

Ayoub likened the current state of the portfolio as “a game of 3D chess”.

“We are juggling rate movements, we are juggling coronavirus and now we are juggling more on the Ukraine and Russia,” he said.

“It makes it awfully difficult to get a clear and confident path as to the shape of the portfolio for the next month, let alone for the next 6 to 12 months.”

The portfolio manager emphasised the importance of investors’ ability to be nimble.

“We have to adapt and we have to be ready to change as new information comes. That is really our focal point today.”

The post We stopped buying tech, but just picked up these 2 ASX shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• $20k invested in these ASX shares 10 years ago is now worth…
• You can’t pick the bottom, but these 4 ASX shares are already bargains: expert

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 recommended REA Group Limited and SEEK 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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A message from our CIO, Scott Phillips:

“G’day Fools. If you’re like us, you’re dismayed by the events taking place in Ukraine. It is an unnecessary humanitarian tragedy. Times like these remind us that money is important, but other things are far more valuable. And yet the financial markets remain open, shares are trading, and our readers and members are looking to us for guidance. So we’ll do our best to continue to serve you, while also hoping for a swift and peaceful end to war in Ukraine.”

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The oil price could go as high as US$200 per barrel, according to a resources expert.

There has already been a surge in the oil price this year after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Oil companies have seen their valuations soar. The Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) share price has gone up around 40% in 2022, the Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) share price has risen 15% and the Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) share price has surged 20%.

But what could happen next?

Oil price expected to remain high

The oil price had been steadily declining up until Thursday. But then Brent crude oil jumped 8.8% to US$106.64 per barrel.

The Australian Financial Review reported that the recent fall in the oil price was because there were signs that Russia and Ukraine may be able to agree to a ceasefire. But then, on Thursday, Russia said that reports of significant progress were wrong.

One broker, Morgan Stanley, thinks that oil prices could go higher. That’s because global oil inventories are being utilised, but inventories are already at multi-year lows, so Morgan Stanley believes this will continue to put “upwards pressure on oil prices”. The third quarter Brent crude oil price is now expected to average US$120 per barrel in the third quarter.

The AFR reported that Morgan Stanley believes Russian oil production will decline by 1 million barrels a day.

Could the oil price reach US$200 per barrel?

A French fund manager believes that it’s possible that the oil price could go to US$200 per barrel by the end of the year.

This resources expert has been performing strongly with his commodity strategies in recent years.

That fund manager is Pierre Andurand. According to the AFR, last week the Financial Times reported that one of his hedge funds, the Andurand Commodities Discretionary Enhanced Fund, had made returns of 154% in 2020, 87% in 2021 and 109% in the 2022 year to date. He said to Bloomberg’s Odd Lots podcast:

I was expecting prices to go above $US150 before the Russian invasion. I think, like [it could go] close to US$200 a barrel, so much higher than today. I feel like there’s no demand destruction at US$110 a barrel, and we’ll have to go significantly higher before demand can go down by enough.

Are petroleum ASX shares attractive opportunities?

Brokers do currently have buy ratings on Woodside. However, the price targets are above where Woodside is currently trading.

UBS has a buy rating on Woodside with a price target of $29. Credit Suisse also rates Woodside as a buy, with a price target of $30.50. However, it’s possible these price targets could change with ongoing volatility with the oil price.

Brokers are much more optimistic about the prospects of the Santos share price.

Morgan Stanley rates Santos as a buy, with a price target of $10.40. That’s more than 30% higher than today’s Santos share price.

UBS rates Santos as a buy, with a price target of $8.90. That’s close to 20% potential upside.

The post Oil price could hit US$200 per barrel this year: expert appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Here’s why the Woodside (ASX:WPL) share price is having a stellar end to the week
• Why ASX 200 energy shares are trouncing the index today
• ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) midday update: Energy shares rise on oil price jump, Megaport sinks
• Why the wild ride looks set to continue in 2022 for Santos (ASX:STO) shares
• Why brokers love these ASX mining shares

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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Are you interested in adding some ASX growth shares to your portfolio? If you are, you may want to look at the ones listed below.

Here’s what you need to know about these growth shares:

IDP Education Ltd (ASX: IEL)

The first ASX growth share to look at is IDP Education. It is a provider of English language testing and international student placement services. IDP was hit hard during the pandemic but has bounced back strongly in FY 2022. For example, last month, the company delivered a 47% increase in revenue to a record of $397 million and a 70% lift in net profit after tax to $52.9 million. This was despite parts of the company still suffering from COVID restrictions. Morgan Stanley was pleased with its performance. In response the result, the broker put an overweight rating and $40.20 price target on its shares.

NEXTDC Ltd (ASX: NXT)

Another growth share that could be a buy is NEXTDC. It is a leading data centre operator which appears well-placed to benefit from the structural shift to the cloud. This is thanks to its world class network of centres across Australia and its expansion into edge centres and the Asian market. Citi is a fan and currently has a buy rating and $14.55 price target on NEXTDC’s shares. It believes the conversion of Hyperscale customer commitments in Sydney and Melbourne will be the next key growth catalyst. It commented: “We maintain our Buy call and see the conversion of Hyperscale customer commitments in Sydney and Melbourne as the next key catalyst (likely in 1H23e).”

Nitro Software Ltd (ASX: NTO)

A final ASX growth share to look at is Nitro Software. It is aiming to drive digital transformation in organisations around the world with its Nitro Productivity Suite. This provides integrated PDF productivity and electronic signature tools to customers through a software-as-a-service solution. Goldman Sachs is very positive on its long term outlook. It commented: “We estimate Nitro can increase its TAM penetration from 0.15% to 1.4% by FY40 implying 9x uplift to Nitro’s current revenue base.” The broker has a buy rating and $2.60 price target on its shares.

The post 3 growth shares analysts are tipping to rocket higher appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Analysts name 2 ASX growth shares to buy with 40%+ upside
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• Bargain basement? 2 ASX tech shares slumping to 52-week lows today
• 2 ASX shares to buy now that are NOT mining stocks
• 3 fantastic ASX growth shares analysts rate as buys

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro owns NEXTDC Limited. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns and has recommended Idp Education Pty Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Nitro Software Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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Looking for some exchange traded funds (ETFs) to boost your portfolio? If you are, you might want to look at the ones below.

Here’s why they could be worth researching further:

BetaShares Crypto Innovators ETF (ASX: CRYP)

The first ETF to look at is the BetaShares Crypto Innovators ETF. BetaShares notes that the ETF is designed to capture the full breadth of the crypto ecosystem. It provides exposure to pure-play crypto companies (including crypto exchanges, mining companies, and mining equipment providers), those whose balance sheets are held at least 75% in crypto-assets, and diversified companies with crypto-focused business lines. Among its holdings you’ll find Coinbase, PayPal, Riot Blockchain, Robinhood, Silvergate, and Afterpay-owner, Block.

Betashares Global Sustainability Leaders ETF (ASX: ETHI)

Another ETF for ASX investors to look at is the Betashares Global Sustainability Leaders ETF. This ETF aims to track the performance of an index that includes a portfolio of large global stocks identified as “Climate Leaders.” The fund manager noted that these companies have passed screens to exclude those with direct or significant exposure to fossil fuels or activities deemed inconsistent with responsible investment considerations. Among the shares included in the fund are the likes of Apple, Nvidia, Toyota, and Visa.

VanEck Australian Resources ETF (ASX: MVR)

A final ETF to look at is the VanEck Australian Resources ETF. This ETF gives investors exposure to a diversified portfolio of ASX-listed resources shares. This includes many of the largest and most liquid ASX-listed companies that generate at least 50% of their revenues or assets from the Australian resources sector. Among the ETF’s holdings are the likes of BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP), Newcrest Mining Ltd (ASX: NCM), Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO), and Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL).

The post 3 ETFs for ASX investors to check out next week appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• 3 highly rated ETFs for ASX investors to check out this week
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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 Betashares Crypto Innovators ETF. 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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While the outlook for interest rates is becoming increasingly positive, it is still likely to be some time before rates are at a sufficient level for income investors.

In light of this, ASX dividend shares could remain the best option for them in the near term. But which dividend shares could be top options?

Two high yield options to consider are listed below. Here’s what you need to know about them:

Adairs Ltd (ASX: ADH)

The first ASX dividend share to look at is this furniture and homewares retailer. Its shares have been hammered this year due to its poor performance during the first half.

However, it is worth noting that this was driven by COVID lockdowns, which led to Adairs losing almost a third of its trading days during the period. On a like for like basis and adjusted for closures, its sales were up 2.7% year on year.

Analysts at Morgans believe now is not the time to throw the towel in. The broker thinks the sell down of Adairs shares was overdone and has created a buying opportunity. So much so, it has put an add rating and $3.50 price target on its shares.

As for dividends, it is forecasting fully franked dividends of 19 cents per share in FY 2022 and 26 cents per share in FY 2023. Based on the current Adairs share price of $2.95, this will mean yields of 6.4% and 8.8%, respectively.

South32 Ltd (ASX: S32)

Another ASX dividend share to look at is this mining giant. It has been tipped to generate strong free cash flow and pay big dividends in the coming years.

This is being supported by demand for commodities such as aluminium and the recent acquisition of a stake in the Sierra Gorda copper mine in Chile.

Analysts at Goldman Sachs expect South32 to pay fully franked dividends that equate to yields of 8% in FY 2022 and then 14% in FY 2023 and FY 2024.

The broker also sees plenty of upside for the South32 share price at current levels. It has a conviction buy rating and $5.90 price target on the miner’s shares. This compares to the current South32 share price of $4.82.

The post 2 high yield ASX dividend shares brokers rate as buys appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 5 ASX shares trading ex-dividend next week
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• These 3 ASX 200 shares are topping the volume charts on Wednesday
• Brokers name 3 ASX mining shares to buy today

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. The Motley Fool Australia owns and has recommended ADAIRS 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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The small end of the Australian share market is home to a number of companies with the potential to grow materially in the future.

Two that investors might want to get better acquainted with are listed below. Here’s why they should be on your watchlist:

Hipages Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: HPG)

The first small cap ASX share to look at is Hipages. It is a leading Australian-based online platform and software as a service (SaaS) provider connecting consumers with trusted tradies. While its first half performance was a little on the disappointing side due to the negative impact of lockdowns on tradie subscriptions, management expects a swift rebound now restrictions are easing. In addition, its performance looks set to be boosted by a recent acquisition in New Zealand and partnership with leading property management platform Bricks + Agent.

Goldman Sachs also remains confident that a post-lockdown rebound is coming. After which, the broker believes Hipages is well-placed for strong long term growth as it grows its ecosystem into a huge addressable market. Goldman has a buy rating and $3.60 price target on its shares.

Whispir Ltd (ASX: WSP)

Another small cap ASX share to watch is Whispir. It is a global scale SaaS company that provides a communications workflow platform that automates interactions between organisations and people. Its products have been in-demand with businesses across the globe, which has underpinned strong recurring revenue growth in recent years. Pleasingly, this continued in the first half of FY 2022, with Whispir reporting annualised recurring revenue (ARR) of $60 million. This was up from $47.4 million or 26.6% from a year earlier but is still only scratching at the surface of its massive addressable market.

Shaw and Partners is positive on Whispir and was impressed with its first half performance. Its analysts currently have a buy rating and $4.85 price target on its shares.

The post 2 exciting small cap ASX shares for your watchlist appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Down 35% in a month, why Motley Fool analyst Benny Ou says this ASX tech share is now a bargain buy
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• Hipages (ASX:HPG) share price plunges 6% on half-year loss

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 Alcidion Group Ltd, BIGTINCAN FPO, and Whispir Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended Booktopia Group Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Alcidion Group Ltd, BIGTINCAN FPO, and Whispir 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 S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) was in fine form last week. Over the period, the benchmark index rose a sizeable 3.3% to finish the week at 7,294.4 points.

While a good number of shares climbed higher with the market, some climbed more than most. Here’s why these were the best performers on the ASX 200 last week:

ARB Corporation Limited (ASX: ARB)

The ARB share price was the best performer on the ASX 200 last week with a gain of 13.9%. Last week the team at Morgan Stanley retained its overweight rating and $56.00 price target on the 4×4 parts manufacturer’s shares. Its analysts believe recent share price weakness has created a buying opportunity for investors.

Elders Ltd (ASX: ELD)

The Elders share price wasn’t far behind with a 13.8% gain. Investors were buying the agribusiness company’s shares after it released a trading update which revealed that business has been booming during the first half. As a result, management advised that it is expecting its underlying earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) to increase by 20% to 30% in FY 2022.

Polynovo Ltd (ASX: PNV)

The Polynovo share price was a strong performer and recorded a 13% gain last week. This was despite there being no meaningful news out of the medical device company. Though, given how its shares are still down 60% over the last 12 months even after this gain, bargain hunters could have been buying shares last week on the belief they had been oversold.

Hub24 Ltd (ASX: HUB)

The Hub24 share price was on form and rose 12.3% over the five days. Investors were buying this investment platform provider’s shares amid a rebound in the tech sector last week. It wasn’t just Hub23 rising over the week, the S&P ASX All Technology index rose 6.7% over the period.

The post These were the best performing ASX 200 share last week appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Friday
• The Polynovo (ASX:PNV) share price has lost 35% this year. Is now the time to buy?
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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 Hub24 Ltd and POLYNOVO FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns and has recommended Hub24 Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended ARB Corporation Limited and Elders 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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