The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) had one of its worst months in recent memory in January after investors panicked over potential rate increases in the United States. The benchmark index lost 6.4% of its value during the period and closed at 6,971.6 points.

While a good number of shares dropped lower with the market, some fell more than most. Here’s why these were the worst performers on the ASX 200 last month:

PointsBet Holdings Ltd (ASX: PBH)

The PointsBet share price was the worst performer on the ASX 200 last month with a 31.1% decline. This was driven by significant weakness in the tech sector and a subdued response to the sports betting company’s second quarter update. In respect to its update, PointsBet reported an 11% increase in group turnover to $1,326 million and net win growth of 61% to $71.9 million. However, its operating loss widened to $51.8 million.

Kogan.com Ltd (ASX: KGN)

The Kogan share price wasn’t far behind with a 29.8% decline during the period. Investors sold off the ecommerce company’s shares in response to another disappointing trading update. That update revealed that Kogan delivered a 9% lift in first half gross sales (thanks to the inclusion of the acquired Mighty Ape business) and a 58% decline in EBITDA to $21.7 million. Management blamed the weak result on supply chain challenges, higher logistic costs, and its investment in marketing.

Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1)

The Megaport share price was out of form and sank 27.8% last month. Investors were selling the elastic interconnection services provider’s shares amid weakness in the tech sector and the release of its second quarter update. According to the release, Megaport posted a quarter on quarter monthly recurring revenue (MRR) increase of $0.6 million to $9.2 million. This led to an 8% increase in second quarter revenue to $26.6 million. While its revenue was in line expectations, a number of brokers cut their valuations in response to expectations of a higher investment spend.

Pro Medicus Limited (ASX: PME)

The Pro Medicus share price was sold off and sank 27.8% during the period. Once again, weakness in the tech sector played a role in this decline. As did a broker note out of Morgans. Early in the month, its analysts downgraded the health imaging company’s shares to a reduce rating on valuation grounds. However, due to its share price weakness, the broker has since upgraded its shares twice. Firstly to a hold rating and then up to an add rating.

The post These were the worst performing ASX 200 shares in January appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• These were the best performing ASX 200 shares in January
• Why the share market pessimists are wrong
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday
• Here are the top 10 ASX shares today
• Why have ASX energy shares become such hot property in 2022?

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 Kogan.com ltd, MEGAPORT FPO, Pointsbet Holdings Ltd, and Pro Medicus Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia owns and has recommended Kogan.com ltd and Pro Medicus Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended MEGAPORT FPO and Pointsbet Holdings 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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It was a month to forget for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) in January. During the period, the benchmark index lost 6.4% of its value to close at 6,971.6 points.

Fortunately, not all shares were dragged lower by the market selloff. Some even recorded solid gains during the month. Here’s why these were the best performers on the ASX 200 in January:

Champion Iron Ltd (ASX: CIA)

The Champion Iron share price was the best performer on the ASX 200 last month with an 18.6% gain. Investors were buying the Canadian iron ore miner’s shares following the release of its third quarter update. While Champion Iron reported a 23% decline in revenue to C$253 million and a 43% reduction in EBITDA to C$122.1 million, this was ahead of expectations thanks to higher iron ore prices. Goldman Sachs was only expecting EBITDA of C$87 million for the three months.

Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT)

The Beach Energy share price wasn’t far behind with a gain of 17.5% in January. This gain appears to have been driven by rising oil prices and the release of a number of bullish broker notes in response to its quarterly update. In respect to the latter, Morgans is one of the broker’s that was pleased with its performance. Its analysts retained their add rating and increased their price target to $1.72. Morgans suspects that Beach could upgrade its guidance with its half year results.

AGL Energy Limited (ASX: AGL)

The AGL Energy share price was on form and charged 15.6% higher over the period. The catalyst for this appears to have been a broker note out of Credit Suisse. According to the note, the broker upgraded the energy company’s shares to an outperform rating with a lofty price target of $8.50. This compares to the end of month AGL share price of $7.10. It appears to believe AGL is over the worst of its issues now.

Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL)

The Woodside share price was a positive performer and recorded a 14.3% gain in January. Rising oil prices, optimism over its merger with the petroleum assets of BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP), and a strong fourth quarter update boosted its shares last month. In respect to the latter, Woodside delivered an 86% quarter on quarter increase in sales revenue to US$2,852 million. This was driven by a 22% increase in sales volume to 31.8mmboe and a 53% lift in its average realised price to US$90 per barrel of oil equivalent.

The post These were the best performing ASX 200 shares in January appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why the share market pessimists are wrong
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday
• Here are the top 10 ASX shares today
• What is green shorting and which ASX 200 shares are being targeted?
• Why have ASX energy shares become such hot property in 2022?

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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Key points

• Fortescue Future Industries (FFI) has hired a new chief technology offer
• He will be in charge of overseeing technology acquisition and investment, and the provision of key technologies to FFI
• FFI continues to build a portfolio of green tech and green energy projects

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The Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG) share price is in focus after the green division of the business, Fortescue Future Industries (FFI), hired a new chief technology officer.

For readers that don’t know, FFI wants to help develop technological solutions that help reduce emissions in hard-to-decarbonise sectors. Fortescue Future Industries is also aiming to build a global portfolio of renewable green hydrogen and green ammonia projects with a target to supply 15 million tonnes per year of green hydrogen by 2030.

Green hydrogen is hydrogen that is produced from water by using renewable energy, making it a clean source of energy.

Fortescue Future Industries’ new chief technology officer

FFI has hired Stan Knez to be the new technology officer. He reportedly has 30 years of industry experience in global technology portfolios and alliance technology partnerships.

Mr Knez’s most recent role was being the chief technology officer at Technip Energies, a business involved in the energy tranisiton to help lower carbon emissions. His job was to manage the technology portfolio, led the innovation and R&D development programs, as well as overseeing product lines.

FFI believes that Mr Knez has proven leadership skills and a strong track record in identifying early phase energy transition technologies for potential strategic positioning or investment.

His role for Fortescue Future Industries will be to oversee technology acquisition and investment, and the provision of key technologies to FFI. Mr Knez will commence work on 1 February 2022 and will be based in the US.

Why does FFI need a technology officer?

Fortescue Future Industries points out that it has a growing portfolio of technology assets. For example, last week it announced it was going to buy high-performance battery business Williams Advanced Engineering, which will be managed by FFI.

It has also made investments into a number of technology companies including Xergy (which is now called FFI Ionix), HyET Solar and HyET Hydrogen. FFI is also building a multi-gigawatt electrolyser factory in Queensland, along with Plug Power. The construction of this is due to start next month.

Comments from Fortescue Future Industries management

The FFI Chief Executive Officer Julie Shuttleworth said:

Innovation and world-leading technology are key to tackling global warming. FFI’s Chief Technology Officer will be a key contributor to FFI cementing itself as a technology leader.

FFI’s focus on technology will give us the edge in the race to decarbonise the planet and enhance our position to decarbonise heavy industry.

Fortescue Metals share price snapshot

Despite all of the volatility that has occurred since the start of 2021, Fortescue shares have now only dropped around 18% over the past six months. This is due to the Fortescue share price surging almost 40% over the past three months.

The post Fortescue (ASX:FMG) Future Industries hires new tech boss appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 2 ASX shares riding the wave of green energy and ethical investing
• Why this broker is bearish on the Fortescue (ASX:FMG) Future Industries business
• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to sell next week
• What has driven the Fortescue (ASX:FMG) share price up 40% in three months?
• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to sell 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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Key points

• BWX and AFG are two ASX shares that are highly rated by brokers
• Australian Finance Group is one of Australia’s major loan broking businesses, which is seeing significant loan volumes
• Natural beauty business BWX is rated as a strong buy by brokers, with international growth potential

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Some of the ASX’s best brokers have looked over the stock exchange for opportunities and have identified some ASX shares that could have significant upside.

There are always some businesses that are liked by individual analysts, but when multiple experts all like a business at the same time then it could be an indictor of compelling potential.

Here are two that are well-liked right now:

Australian Finance Group Ltd (ASX: AFG)

Australian Finance Group is one of the largest mortgage broking businesses in Australia.

AFG said that it finished the 2021 calendar year on a high with record volumes. It revealed residential lodgements were up 24% on the same period last year. It had lodged $24.6 billion for the three months to December 2021.

Residential lodgement volumes across the final three months of 2021 increased in Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia whilst activity in NSW slowed marginally during the quarter.

One of the highlights from AFG’s recent update showed that the big four banks of Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC), Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA), National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) and Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ASX: ANZ) have seen their combined market share drop from 57.31% to 53.55%, their second lowest market share recorded in the past 10 years. ANZ and CBA registered the biggest drops.

This ASX share is rated as a buy by at least three brokers. Morgans thinks that AFG is going to report well in February thanks to volume growth, but changing monetary policies could be a negative.

Morgans has a price target on the business of $3, suggesting upside of more than 30%.

BWX Ltd (ASX: BWX)

BWX is a leading business in the natural beauty industry with businesses like Sukin, Flora and Fauna, Mineral Fusion and Go-To.

Experts are expecting the business to report good revenue and profit growth in the February reporting season.

Citi rates it as a buy with a price target of $5.70. That’s a potential upside of more than 60% over the next 12 months, if the broker is right. Over the last month, the BWX share price has fallen by more than 20% along with many of the other ASX growth shares..

The ASX share has been busy making acquisitions in the last few years to bolster its growth potential and market share.

Flora and Fauna is one of the more recent buys. It’s a leading and fast-growing online retail platform. It complements its existing online platform business Nourished Life and adds scale, diversity and efficiency to BWX’s online offering.

A few months ago, it bought a 50.1% stake in Go-To Skincare. It’s going to expand into the North American market in 2022.

The ASX share says that natural skincare is accelerating, and BWX is building a brand-new operations and manufacturing hub in Clayton, Victoria, to meet this opportunity. Construction is nearing its final stages. This “transforms its ability to grow the business”.

Citi’s numbers suggest that the BWX share price is valued at 18x FY23’s estimated earnings.

The post Brokers rate these 2 top ASX shares as buys in February 2022 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• How does the Macquarie (ASX:MQG) dividend compare to the big four banks?
• Here’s what higher interest rates could mean for ASX bank shares
• Top broker sees 43% upside for the Westpac (ASX:WBC) share price
• Are these beaten down ASX 200 shares now too cheap to ignore?
• 2 buy-rated ASX dividend shares with big yields and huge upside potential

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 recommended BWX Limited and 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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So these are the moments when the share market bears say “I told you so” with a smirk.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has plunged 8% since the start of the year, while the S&P/ASX All Technology Index (ASX: XTX) has lost a horrifying 17%.

GMO co-founder and famous perma-bear Jeremy Granthm was at it again last week, warning that this correction was just the start of a massive crash.

“We are in what I think of as the vampire phase of the bull market, where you throw everything you have at it: you stab it with Covid, you shoot it with the end of QE and the promise of higher rates, and you poison it with unexpected inflation… and still the creature flies,” he wrote on the GMO blog.

“Until, just as you’re beginning to think the thing is completely immortal, it finally, and perhaps a little anticlimactically, keels over and dies. The sooner the better for everyone.”

He personally would escape shares, especially growth stocks.

“Speaking personally, I also like some cash for flexibility, some resources for inflation protection, as well as a little gold and silver.”

Why pessimists like Jeremy Grantham are wrong

Frazis Capital Partners portfolio manager Michael Frazis told The Motley Fool he disagrees with Grantham.

“Investors who liquidate in market crashes often get temporary relief when markets go lower, but invariably it’s the investors who buy during times like this that make the best long term returns.”

Serial pessimists like Grantham, who predict doom and gloom every year, are bound to look like geniuses every few years, just because of natural market cycles.

According to Frazis, such cynics are “doing no one any favours” by encouraging panic selling.

“Usually constant doomsayers are ignored,” he said.

“The fact Jeremy Grantham is in the headlines now says more about everyone else, and the current state of angst amongst investors, than whether he is right or wrong.”

Frazis pointed out that in retrospect, 2008 — when the global financial crisis hit — was “a great long term buying opportunity”, even though the selling continued into 2009.

“Jeremy Grantham was calling for further crashes in 2010. Similarly, many of the largest investors in the world swore off technology after the tech crash, and then missed the vast bulk of value creation over the following two decades,” he said.

“In both cases, the bearish view was vindicated in the short term, but looking back we can see how misguided that really was.”

Take a long-term view

Frazis urged investors to take a long-term view during turbulent times like now.

“This has been the largest rotation out of technology since the financial crisis, which proved to be an exceptional buying opportunity,” he told The Motley Fool.

“Right now in the middle of a market panic, long term business plans are strongly out of favour.”

According to the fund manager, some sentiment indicators are now at “10-year lows”. It is no time to crystallise paper deficits into actual losses.

“There are good reasons to be apprehensive in the very short term right now,” he said.

“But those who take a long term view and end up holding the shares of companies will end up receiving all the value those companies create in the future.”

The post Why the share market pessimists are wrong appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday
• Here are the top 10 ASX shares today
• Why have ASX energy shares become such hot property in 2022?
• Why the CSR (ASX:CSR) share price is on this broker’s top 2022 buy list
• These 3 ASX 200 shares are topping the volume charts on Monday

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

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Following a tumultuous start to the trading year, and with another earnings season about to kick off, we asked our Foolish contributors to compile a list of some of the ASX shares experts are loving in February. Here is what the team came up with.

Tristan Harrison: Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co. Ltd (ASX: SOL)

Soul Pattinson is a large investment conglomerate that has been listed on the ASX for more than 100 years. The Soul Pattinson share price has fallen by around 11% since the start of this year, boosting the company’s prospective dividend yield.

Soul Patts owns a diverse portfolio of defensive and largely uncorrelated assets including holdings of ASX shares TPG Telecom Ltd (ASX: TPG) and Brickworks Limited (ASX: BKW). Other assets span resources, agriculture, financial services, swimming schools and more.

With a market capitalisation of almost $10 billion, Soul Pattinson has plans to make more long-term investments to continue improving its portfolio. It’s looking at areas such as education, global shares, financial services, agriculture, the energy transition, and health and ageing.

The Soul Patts share price closed Monday’s session 1.04% higher at $27.31.

Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison owns shares of Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co. Ltd.

Brooke Cooper: Adore Beauty Group Ltd (ASX: ABY)  

Adore Beauty is a pure-play beauty retailer stocking more than 260 brands on its online-only store.  

In October, the company released an update for the first quarter of financial year 2022, stating its active customer count had grown to 874,000. Meanwhile, returning customers had increased 63% compared with the prior consecutive quarter. 

Things haven’t been all smooth sailing for investors in the online retailer, however. The Adore Beauty share price has slipped by around 20% since the final close of 2021, ending Monday’s session at $3.10.  

So, do these recent falls represent a buying opportunity? Some experts believe so, with brokers Morgans and UBS each having a buy rating and $6 price target on the stock. 

Motley Fool contributor Brooke Cooper does not own shares of Adore Beauty Group Ltd. 

Sebastian Bowen: BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ)

This exchange-traded fund (ETF) has been in the wars over recent weeks, falling by around 9% since the start of the year. But this is exactly why it might be worth a look in February.

The Nasdaq (the index tracked by NDQ) has not been known to give investors too many pullbacks in recent years, yet here we are. NDQ houses most of the dominant US tech shares. In it, you’ll find everything from Apple and Amazon to Netflix and NVIDIA.

As such, this ETF offers an easy way to gain investment exposure to some of the biggest and most dominant companies in the world.

Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen does not own shares of BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF.

Bernd Struben: Janison Education Group Ltd (ASX: JAN)

Janison Education provides technology-based education platforms for students and professionals around the world. The business comprises two primary segments – assessment and learning.

With its roots in Australia, some of Janison’s online assessments include the NAPLAN and ICAS tests. The company also generates some 20% of its sales outside of Australia, with a presence in around 120 countries.

The COVID-19 pandemic has served to accelerate the global transition to digital learning and assessment. Despite an easing of lockdown restrictions, this trend could see the changeover from paper-based exams to online platforms continue.

The Janison Education share price is up by more than 100% over the past 12 months, having hit a record closing high of $1.44 on 22 November. Janison shares closed Monday’s session at $1.255.

Motley Fool contributor Bernd Struben does not own shares of Janison Education Group Ltd.

Aaron Teboneras: Nearmap Ltd (ASX: NEA) 

After losing almost 14% of their value so far in 2022, Nearmap shares could be on the radar for investors this month. 

The aerial imagery specialist provided a sneak peek of its performance for the FY22 period in mid-December. Management highlighted that annualised contract value (ACV) in North America is expected to exceed that of the company’s Australia and New Zealand business for the first time.

In the same update, Nearmap also revealed a guidance range of $150 million to $160 million on a constant currency basis. This represents a potential increase of between 17% and 25% compared with the prior year.

Nearmap is scheduled to report its FY22 first-half results on 18 February. The Nearmap share price closed Monday’s session more than 7% higher at $1.34 following a stellar day for ASX tech shares.

Motley Fool contributor Aaron Teboneras owns shares of Nearmap Ltd. 

James Mickleboro: Breville Group Ltd (ASX: BRG)

Breville could be a top option for investors in February. It is the leading appliance manufacturer behind a number of popular brands including Kambrook, Sage and the eponymous Breville brand.

Breville’s products are sold in more than 50 countries across the world, with markets being added each year. This global expansion, together with favourable consumer trends and the company’s ongoing investment in research and development, has many analysts tipping Breville will grow strongly over the next decade.

One of those is Morgan Stanley. This week, the broker put an overweight rating and $36.00 price target on Breville shares. This represents possible upside of around 26% based on the Breville share price of $28.50 at the close of trade on Monday.

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro does not own shares of Breville Group Ltd.

The post Top ASX shares to buy in February 2022 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Are these 2 ASX dividend shares buys in February 2022?
• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy next week
• 3 high quality ETFs for ASX investors in February
• Are these 2 leading ETFs good buys in February 2022?
• Analysts name 2 ASX shares to buy right now

John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns and has recommended BETANASDAQ ETF UNITS, Brickworks, Janison Education Group Limited, Nearmap Ltd., and Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended Adore Beauty Group Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns and has recommended BETANASDAQ ETF UNITS, Brickworks, Nearmap Ltd., and Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Adore Beauty Group Limited, Amazon, Apple, Janison Education Group Limited, Nvidia, and TPG Telecom 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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Later today the Reserve Bank will meet to discuss the cash rate. While the outlook for rates is improving, it is still likely to be some time before the central bank brings rates up to a level that would allow income investors to generate a sufficient income from interest-bearing assets such as term deposits.

In light of this, the share market looks set to be the best place to earn a passive income for a little while to come. But which dividend shares should you consider buying? Listed below are two dividend shares analysts rate highly:

Adairs Ltd (ASX: ADH)

The first dividend share to look at is this furniture and homewares retailer. Its shares came under significant pressure last month following the release of a trading update which revealed that COVID headwinds had weighed heavily on its performance during the first half.

While the update and accompanying selloff were disappointing, the team at Morgans believe the latter has created a buying opportunity for investors.

The broker has put an add rating and $3.70 price target on its shares. This compares to the latest Adairs share price of $3.08. In addition, Morgans is now forecasting fully franked dividends of 19 cents per share in FY 2022 and 26 cents per share in FY 2023. This will mean yields of 6.2% and 8.45%, respectively.

Charter Hall Social Infrastructure REIT (ASX: CQE)

Another ASX dividend share to look at is the Charter Hall Social Infrastructure REIT. This property company invests in properties such as government facilities, healthcare buildings, and childcare centres. These are properties that are in-demand and come with ultra-long leases.

In fact, so long are the leases, that Charter Hall Social Infrastructure REIT reported a weighted average lease expiry (WALE) in excess of 15 years in FY 2021. Combined with fixed rent reviews, this bodes well for rental growth and dividends over the next decade and a half.

Speaking of dividends, Goldman Sachs expects dividends per share of 17.1 cents in FY 2022 and 17.5 cents in FY 2023. Based on its current share price of $3.84, this implies yields of 4.4% and 4.5%, respectively. The broker currently has a conviction buy rating and $4.13 price target on its shares.

The post 2 buy-rated ASX dividend shares for February appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Are these 2 ASX dividend shares buys in February 2022?
• Why analysts are bullish on these 2 ASX dividend shares
• Broker says Adairs (ASX:ADH) share price is cheap after selloff
• Why Adairs, Bigtincan, Regis Resources, and Telix shares are sinking
• 2 cheap ASX shares that value investors could love

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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Key points

• Green energy and ethical investing are getting a lot more investor attention
• Australian Ethical is benefiting from the shift of investor capital to more ethical businesses
• Fortescue Future Industries (FFI) is building a large portfolio of green energy and decarbonisation projects around the world

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There is a small but growing number of ASX shares that are benefiting from the growth of green energy and others that are being helped by the rise of ethical investing.

Investment themes may not always pan out the way that investors are thinking. Specific companies may not benefit in the expected way. But, keeping that in mind, these two ASX shares are planning to take advantage of that growth in interest and changing global views:

Australian Ethical Investments Limited (ASX: AEF)

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

The company is experiencing positive momentum as more global capital and investment funds look to tackle climate change. Australian Ethical says that an essential part of the decarbonisation process is shifting capital flows.

This ASX share is building its capability when it comes to its investment, sales and customer service teams. It’s also enhancing its product development and technology platforms. Australian Ethical is investing in growing its brand and increasing its reach in intermediated channels.

Funds under management (FUM) growth continues for the business. In the three months to 31 December 2021, FUM increased 6% to $6.94 billion. Over the half-year to December 2021, FUM rose from $6.07 billion to $6.94 billion. Half-year underlying net profit after tax is expected to be between $5 million to $5.5 million (with a mid-point increase of around 8%).

It also recently bought a minority stake of impact investment business Sentient Impact for $5.2 million.

Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG)

Fortescue is best-known for being one of Australia’s largest iron ore miners.

However, it also has a young but quickly growing green division called Fortescue Future Industries (FFI). This division is aiming to take a global leadership position in green energy and green technology with a vision to make green hydrogen the most globally traded seaborne commodity in the world.

It’s not just focused on one country or just one type of green energy. One of the first major developments is (global) green energy manufacturing centres, with the first being built in Gladstone, Queensland. The first stage of centre is an electrolyser manufacturing facility with an initial capacity of two gigawatts per annum and an investment of up to US$83 million.

The ASX share has also announced a memorandum of understanding with UK-based construction company JCB and Ryze Hydrogen for the purchase of 10% of FFI’s global green hydrogen production.

It has entered an agreement with AGL Energy Ltd (ASX: AGL) to undertake a feasibility study to repurpose infrastructure at the Hunter Valley Liddell and Bayswater coal-fired power stations to generate green hydrogen from water, using renewable energy.

Fortescue also recently announced the acquisition of Williams Advanced Engineering (WAE) for US$223 million so that it can provide critical technology and expertise in high-performance battery systems and electrification.

The post 2 ASX shares riding the wave of green energy and ethical investing appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why this broker is bearish on the Fortescue Future Industries business
• Could Australian Ethical (ASX:AEF) be about to launch a new ASX ETF?
• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to sell next week
• What has driven the Fortescue (ASX:FMG) share price up 40% in three months?
• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to sell today

Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison owns Fortescue Metals Group Limited. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns and has recommended Australian Ethical Investment Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Australian Ethical Investment Ltd. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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On Monday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) fought hard but ended the day in the red. The benchmark index fell 0.25% to 6,971.6 points.

Will the market be able to bounce back from this on Tuesday? Here are five things to watch:

ASX 200 futures flat

The Australian share market could have a good day on Tuesday despite SPI futures currently pointing to a flat day ahead. This is because Wall Street is on fire in late trade with the Dow Jones up 0.8%, the S&P 500 up 1.5%, and the Nasdaq up a sizeable 2.7%. The Reserve Bank’s impending meeting could be having some impact on sentiment.

Credit Corp half year results

The Credit Corp Group Limited (ASX: CCP) share price will be on watch today when it releases its half year results. According to CommSec, the market is expecting the debt collection company to deliver a half year profit of $42.7 million and an interim dividend of 38 cents per share.

Oil prices rise

Energy producers such as Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) and Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) could have a good day after oil prices pushed higher. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is up 1.3% to US$87.98 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price has risen 1.3% to US$91.23 a barrel. Oil prices rose on geopolitical risks and supply concerns.

Gold price higher

Gold miners Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) could have a decent day after the gold price pushed higher. According to CNBC, the spot gold price is up 0.7% to US$1,799.30 an ounce. Despite this gain, the gold price is on course to have its worst month since September.

PointsBet shares rated as a buy

The PointsBet Holdings Ltd (ASX: PBH) share price could be a bit of a bargain according to the team at Goldman Sachs. According to a note this morning, the broker has reiterated its buy rating on the sports betting company’s shares with a trimmed price target of $9.97. Goldman continues to believe that PointsBet is “on track for transformational year ahead.”

The post 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday 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. owns and has recommended Pointsbet Holdings Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Pointsbet Holdings 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 small end of the Australian share market is home to a number of companies with the potential to grow materially in the future.

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

Alcidion Group Ltd (ASX: ALC)

The first small cap share to watch is Alcidion. It is a growing informatics solutions company aiming to transform healthcare with proactive, smart, intuitive technology solutions that improve the efficiency and quality of patient care in healthcare organisations worldwide. Alcidion notes that it offers a complementary set of software products and technical services that create a unique offering in the global healthcare market.

Bigtincan Holdings Ltd (ASX: BTH)

Another small cap ASX share to look at is this leading provider of enterprise mobility software to businesses globally. Bigtincan’s software unlocks new and more effective ways for teams to perform at higher levels and deliver better business results. Management notes that its platform empowers sales and service representatives to maximise their use of sales collateral to engage with customers and prospects more effectively.

Booktopia Group Ltd (ASX: BKG)

A third small cap ASX share to watch is Booktopia. This online book retailer has been growing at an explosive rate in recent years. This has been driven by the shift to online shopping and the opening of its new distribution centre. The latter is allowing the company to capture the heightened demand and ship more books than ever. In fact, for the 12 months ending June 2021, the company sold one item approximately every 3.9 seconds and shipped approximately 8.2 million items. This averages out to be a massive 32,800 items per business day.

Whispir Ltd (ASX: WSP)

A final 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 enable organisations to improve their communications through automated workflows to ensure stakeholders receive accurate, timely, useful and actionable insights. Management estimates that it has a total addressable market of US$4.7 billion in just the United States market.

The post 4 small cap ASX shares for your watchlist appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 3 exciting small cap ASX shares to watch
• Why is the Bigtincan (ASX:BTH) share price in reverse today?
• Why Adairs, Bigtincan, Regis Resources, and Telix shares are sinking
• Earnings preview: What to expect from Bigtincan (ASX:BTH) this reporting season
• Whispir (ASX:WSP) share price wobbles as cash receipts grow 125% in Q2

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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