The Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P) share price has taken another tumble on Monday.

During morning trade, the buy now pay later (BNPL) provider’s shares dropped almost 6% to $1.62.

When the Zip share price hit that level, it was down approximately 62% since the start of the year.

Is this a buying opportunity?

While there have clearly been far more sellers than buyers recently, it is worth noting that a couple of notable people have been doing their bit to support the buy side over the last couple of trading sessions.

According to a release this morning, Zip’s co-founders have taken advantage of recent weakness in the Zip share price to top up their already sizeable holdings.

The announcement reveals that co-founders Larry Diamond and Peter Gray purchased approximately $1.5 million of Zip shares between 4 March and 7 March. While it is unclear whether this is in total or if they have each bought $1.5 million worth of shares, what is clear is that that both remain positive on the company’s future.

The company commented: “While market factors and external conditions have impacted the fintech and broader technology sector in recent months, the co-founders continue to believe that the market opportunity to deliver transparent, fair, and innovative financial products remains significant. The founders remain committed to the successful execution of Zip’s strategy and in delivering long-term value creation for all shareholders.”

In addition, the release highlights that a number of other non-executive directors, including chair Diane Smith-Gander, also purchased Zip shares at the end of last week.

Is the Zip share price in the buy zone?

Opinion remains largely divided on the future direction of the Zip share price.

The team at Morgans, for example, has an add rating and $3.94 price target on its shares, which implies more than 100% upside.

Whereas the team at UBS slapped a sell rating and lowly $1.00 price target on its shares last week.

The post Bargain hunting: Zip (ASX:Z1P) co-founders snap up $1.5 million of shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Has Zip (ASX:Z1P) got this key metric wrong in the Sezzle takeover?
• ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) midday update: AGL rejects new takeover offer, Appen makes strategic investment
• These are the 10 most shorted ASX shares
• What on earth happened to the Zip (ASX:Z1P) share price last week?!
• 5 ASX shares making big news this week

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 ZIPCOLTD FPO. 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.

from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/Q6GXBZW

The Block Inc (ASX: SQ2) share price is under pressure, with the tech sector taking the hardest blow in investor sentiment today.

Investors remain wary of the lingering uncertainty as conflict rages on across Ukraine. Consequently, focus has shifted to risk-off assets and constricted commodities. Meanwhile, the S&P/ASX 200 Info Tech Index (ASX: XIJ) is failing to attract buyers, falling 5.57% so far today.

At the time of writing, Block shares are down 11.02% to $136.09, on pace with some of the worst performers on the market for its size.

What is going on with the Block share price?

There are a couple of factors that could be weighing down the Block share price on Monday, though the most obvious is a widespread disinterest in tech shares.

In recent months, a powerful combination of inflation worries, Ukraine-Russia tensions, and market volatility has resulted in investor appetite for risk waning.

As shown in the chart below, gold miners such as Newcrest Mining Ltd (ASX: NCM) have outperformed compared to the likes of Block. This is telling of how market participants are feeling at the moment.

Given the uncertainty, many people are feeling less confident in those companies that are reliant on a continuation in strong growth to validate their high multiples.

Additionally, the Block share price could be getting trampled due to its removal from the S&P/ASX 20 Index. This was announced after the market had closed on Friday, leaving investors to react to the information today.

Rough run on the block

Since joining the ASX, the Block share price has not been a breadwinner for its shareholders. During this time, the company’s shares have fallen 23%.

It hasn’t exactly been an ideal time for the broader Aussie market either. However, the ASX 200 has experienced a less severe fall, slipping 4.4% over the same time frame.

The post Why is the Block (ASX:SQ2) share price sinking 11% on Monday? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Here’s why ASX shares are set for a shakeup this month
• Why did the Block (ASX:SQ2) share price sink 9% today?
• ASX tech shares take a hammering on Friday
• ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) midday update: Block, Zip tumble, QBE’s asset sale
• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today

Motley Fool contributor Mitchell Lawler owns Block, Inc. 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.

from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/26f9Zlv

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.”

—

ASX coal shares are flying high on investors’ radars as the price of fossil fuels is rocketing.

In today’s action alone, the S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) is up 4.8% while the broader S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is down 0.8%.

And some of the top ASX 200 coal shares are leading the charge higher for the Energy Index.

The Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX: WHC) share price, for example, is up 4.5%, while New Hope Corporation Limited (ASX: NHC) shares have gained 5.6% today.

Meanwhile, rival ASX 200 coal share, Yancoal Australia Ltd (ASX: YAL), has enjoyed a 6.6% boost to its share price in intraday trading.

What’s boosting ASX coal shares today?

While many factors determine a coal company’s share price (management, balance sheet, quality of assets, etc.), the price of the coal they dig from the ground is a major factor.

And coal prices have climbed rapidly recently alongside oil and gas, offering strong tailwinds to ASX coal shares.

Energy prices were already trending higher late last year as the world’s pandemic reopening picked up pace. This saw a sharp increase in the demand for energy for both travel and manufacturing outpacing any additional supply growth coming online.

But fossil fuel prices have really taken off in the last month as Russia first massed troops on Ukraine’s border and then launched an all-out assault.

Now Western nations are getting serious about imposing sanctions on Russian oil, gas and coal exports.

That’s critical here because Russia is the second largest oil exporter and third largest coal exporter in the world. The prospect of removing that much supply, or even a significant slice of it, has sent crude oil prices to 13-year highs today and coal surging to another all-time high of some US$420 per tonne.

Aussie coal to the rescue?

Somewhat ironically for an industry that’s taken so much flack for the ‘dirty energy’ it provides, nations the world over are turning to Australia to potentially help fill any void left by a ban on Russian coal.

As The Australian reports, despite Poland relying on Russia for 90% of its coal needs, “the country’s government has led the European charge to impose sanctions“.

Poland is among the countries that may be getting a lifeline in the form of additional shipments supplied by ASX coal shares. “Industry sources say officials also sought information on whether coal supplies could be made available to customers in South Korea and Japan.”

According to Resources Minister Keith Pitt (quoted by The Australian) the Aussie government is “facilitating access to Australian thermal coal producers to interested parties as they seek alternative supplies from Russia. Australian producers have indicated they are willing to help our friends and allies if they can.”

But ramping up coal mining isn’t as simple as turning up the tap.

With most ASX coal shares already producing near their production peak, it will take some time before capacity can be significantly ramped up. Which could see the price of coal remain elevated.

How have these ASX coal shares been tracking?

All 3 of the ASX coal shares mentioned above have trounced the benchmark index of late.

Over the past month alone, the New Hope share price is up 24.5%, Whitehaven shares have leapt 46%  and the Yancoal share price has rocketed an eye-popping 71.5%.

To put that into context, the ASX 200 is down 1.4% over the past month.

The post Why the Ukraine crisis is shining the spotlight on ASX coal shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 3 reasons why Soul Pattinson (ASX:SOL) is a strong ASX dividend share idea
• These were the best performing ASX 200 shares last week
• 5 ASX shares making big news this week
• Here are the top 10 ASX shares today
• 2 ASX 200 shares cracking new 52-week highs today

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.

from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/TxmaiC7

The Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P) share price hasn’t been having a great time of it lately. Zip shares are today trading at $1.65 at the time of writing, down a nasty 4.07%. That’s after the buy now, pay later (BNPL) share hit yet another 52-week low this morning of $1.62.

2022 has certainly been a year to forget for Zip shares. Even though it’s only March, Zip is now down a painful 61.5% year to date as it stands today. Over the past 12 months, the company has lost more than 82% of its value.

But it’s not as if Zip hasn’t had anything to give investors recently. Last month, the company made waves when it announced that it would be merging with its fellow BNPL provider Sezzle Inc (ASX: SZL). If all goes to plan, Sezzle shareholders will receive 0.98 shares of Zip for every Sezzle share owned when the deal is done.

But investors seem to have taken a strong dislike to these merger plans. That’s going off of the fact that the Zip share price has descended more than 20% since the announcement was made public.

It’s not unclear why investors might not be too keen on this deal. But one analyst has an idea.

According to reporting in the Australian Financial Review (AFR), an analyst at broker Citi has taken umbrage with some of the assumptions that Zip is making with its merger deal.

Zip share price: Analysts struggle to find value in Sezzle merger

The report quotes a research note from analyst Siraj Ahmed, which claims that the 25% customer overlap between the two companies is higher than what Citi is estimating. Citi only reckons the two businesses have a 15% overlap. That would directly affect the revenue synergies that the two companies are factoring in with their deal. Here’s some of what Ahmed said on these concerns and more:

While we would assign a (relatively) high probability on the cost synergies being delivered, we see the Sezzle acquisition as an expensive customer acquisition strategy and remain concerned on whether revenue yield of 6%-7% is sustainable over the medium-term.

But Ahmed and Citi aren’t the only ones expressing concerns over some of these metrics. The report also claims that analysts at Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG) have similar concerns. Macquarie’s analysts concluded that “this appears to be a merger out of necessity rather than one to create long-term shareholder value”.

Hardly a vote of confidence from these brokers. Saying that, not all analysts have been as negative. My Fool colleague James had a look at some analyst views last week that were markedly more positive on the Zip-Sezzle marriage. But only time will tell what might play out in this space. For now, it seems investors have yet to be convinced it’s a good idea.

At the current Zip share price, this ASX 200 BNPL share has a market capitalisation of $1.11 billion.

The post Has Zip (ASX:Z1P) got this key metric wrong in the Sezzle takeover? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• The oil price just hit a 13-year high, and these ASX 200 shares are surging
• ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) midday update: AGL rejects new takeover offer, Appen makes strategic investment
• Here’s why ASX shares are set for a shakeup this month
• Payday? Here’s why the CSL share price is sliding this morning…
• These are the 10 most shorted ASX shares

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

from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/RBiLed6

Shares in Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) are on the march today. The gold miner’s shares now trade 6.27% higher at $10.76.

The Northern Star share price is unfaltering on Monday despite the wave of macro-economic crosscurrents currently crashing into equity markets around the world.

As investors fly to more quality, less volatile asset classes like gold amid the calamity, gold miners like Northern Star are set to benefit as demand for the yellow metal soars and prices follow.

Why are Northern Star shares roaring today?

The price of gold has shot up since 30 January from US$1,789 per troy ounce. Gold now trades at US$1,998 per troy ounce.

After trading sideways for the good part of a year around the US$1,800/oz mark, recent geopolitical tensions and a reset of global equity markets has seen investors revel in the rally gold has staged in the past 30 days.

It is now up more than 18% for the past 12 months, and 9% in the past month alone.

Northern Star’s share price closely tracks the price of gold (shown below). Northern Star shares are hypersensitive to movements in the precious metal – a common feature among ASX gold mining shares.

In fact, as gold has driven northwards during the past month, Northern Star shares have spiked 26%. That’s well ahead of both inflation and the benchmark indices in 2022.

The price of gold itself has charged north with authority in the past two months. This is a sign investors are seeking to hedge out both inflation and what is known as ‘systematic risk’, the risk of the economic ‘system’ turning down. Most commonly, this occurs during a recession.

As such, it has staged an impressive rally and now fetches its highest price on record since being de-pegged from the US dollar back in the 1970s.

With the conflict in Europe adding more weight to the selling pressure on traditional equity markets, the stage looks set for gold to continue its popularity as a safe-haven asset.

Given these strengths in the gold markets, the Northern Star share price has a number of sector-specific and macro-economic tailwinds behind it right now. Hence the 6% gain on Monday.

Northern Star share price snapshot

In the last 12 months the Northern Star share price has gained more than 13% and is soaring 14% this year to date.

Prior to the wave of government lockdown directives in 2021, Northern Star had peaked at an all-time high of $16.56 in November 2020.

The post Northern Star Resources (ASX:NST) share price sparkles as gold spikes 9% in a month appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Monday
• Northern Star (ASX:NST) share price is shining 17% brighter than a month ago
• Here’s why ASX gold shares are having another stellar day
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Wednesday
• Here’s why ASX gold shares just had their best month in 2 years

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

from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/YcPGnC5

The Argosy Minerals Limited (ASX: AGY) share price is racing higher following an update on its Rincon Lithium Project.

At the time of writing, the lithium miner’s shares are up 4.69% to 33.5 cents.

Let’s take a closer look and see what Argosy reported to the ASX market this morning.

Argosy progresses on Rincon development works

Investors are bidding up the Argosy share price following the company’s latest positive developments.

According to its release, Argosy advised it has completed the brine systems work at the Rincon Lithium Project.

Argosy currently holds a 77.5% interest in the Rincon Lithium Project, located in Salta Province, Argentina. The mine is situated within the “lithium triangle” – the world’s dominant source of lithium production.

The work conducted on the brine system includes the following:

• Expansion of the pumping station and construction of associated equipment
• Piping installation
• Plant settling ponds
• Establishing the brine production wells into the brine operations circuit

The remaining construction works to bring the project online are on budget and schedule.

Argosy is anticipating that first production of lithium carbonate will be achieved from mid-2022.

Once attained, management will focus on ramping up operations to mine 2,000 tonnes per annum of lithium carbonate later this year.

Argosy managing director Jerko Zuvela touched on the company’s 2022 goal, saying:

The Company’s Puna operations team have achieved another significant milestone, with the brine systems works now complete, as we head toward commencing the 2,000tpa lithium carbonate production operation at our Rincon Lithium Project.

We are committed to achieving our upcoming targets and becoming only the 2nd ASX- listed battery quality lithium carbonate producer and progressing toward the next stage 12,000tpa scale operations and beyond.

Argosy share price summary

In the last 12 months, the Argosy share price has returned 240% to shareholders, with year to date up 6%.

On valuation grounds, Argosy has a market capitalisation of roughly $446.41 million, with 1.31 billion shares on issue.

The post ‘Significant milestone achieved’: Argosy (ASX:AGY) share price accelerates on Rincon update appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Argosy (ASX:AGY) share price buzzes 8% higher on lithium project news
• Argosy (ASX:AGY) shares climb on ‘significant milestone’ at Rincon

Motley Fool contributor Aaron Teboneras owns Argosy Minerals 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.

from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/YtoAmbL

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 the war in Ukraine.”

---

A few S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) shares are soaring as the oil price just hit a 13-year high.

The brent crude oil price went to almost US$140 as the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine continues, with impacts flowing onto various markets such as oil.

These are some of the ASX 200 shares that are seeing big rises today:

The Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) share price is up 8%.

The Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) share price is up 5.1%.

A slightly smaller reaction is from the Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) share price, which has gone up more than 3%.

What’s going on with the brent crude oil price?

Oil prices have surged in recent weeks amid geopolitical events, as the West seeks to punish Russia for its invasion.

According to reporting by various media, including the Australian Financial Review, the US and others are now considering putting an embargo on Russian oil supplies. The global oil market is an example of the law of supply and demand.

The West wants to isolate Russia and do what it can to halt the attacks and bombardment of Ukraine’s cities.

Russia is one of the world’s largest suppliers of oil to the world, so an embargo could have a material impact.

Other countries are also adding to the pressure pushing up oil prices. For example, according to reporting by the AFR and Bloomberg, Saudi Arabia has increased the price of its main crude blends, whilst Libya’s production is dropping because of a “political crisis”. Saudi Arabia has increased the price of the Arab Light crude oil to US$4.95 more than the benchmark it uses.

The International Monetary Fund has said that the situation could have a very serious impact on the global economy.

Why does a higher oil price matter for these ASX 200 shares?

Woodside, Santos and Beach are all oil producers.

If the price of a commodity goes up then it can lead to higher profits for them. The cost of extracting a resource doesn’t really change when the resource price changes, so a higher oil price can largely add to bigger profits – apart from paying more tax to the government.

Investors often like to value businesses based on the expected profit potential.

However, the Qantas Airways Limited (ASX: QAN) share price is down close to 7%.

The post The oil price just hit a 13-year high, and these ASX 200 shares are surging appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) midday update: AGL rejects new takeover offer, Appen makes strategic investment
• Here’s why ASX shares are set for a shakeup this month
• Why Woodside (ASX:WPL) shares are ‘best placed’ to benefit from the energy crisis: expert
• Payday? Here’s why the CSL share price is sliding this morning…
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Monday

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.

from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/rqhjmW9

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

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

When it comes to building an investment portfolio, you have choices. You could load up on index funds, or you could buy individual stocks.

The benefits of choosing index funds is getting to own a whole bunch of different companies with a single investment. If you buy shares of an S&P 500 index fund, for example, you’ll effectively own 500 different companies.

Index funds are great because they take a lot of guesswork out of investing, and they don’t require the same intense research individual stocks do. But if there’s one clear drawback to index funds, it’s that they won’t let you beat the broad market. That’s because their goal is to match the market’s performance, not exceed it.

If you have loftier goals, hand-picking stocks may be your best bet. But before you add your next stock to your portfolio, you should make a point to run through these key questions.

1. Do I see myself owning this company for 10 years or longer?

It can take a fair amount of time for a company’s stock to gain significant value, or for a stock to recover from a bad earnings report or bout of unfavorable news. That’s why, as a general rule, you should really only buy a given stock if you intend to hold onto it for many years. If you’re not sure you want to commit to that time frame, then it may be that the stock in question isn’t right for you.

2. Does this company have an edge over its competitors?

There are plenty of businesses that do a good job of generating revenue, maximizing cash flow, and limiting debt. But that alone doesn’t necessarily make a given company a good buy.

Before adding a stock to your personal investment mix, consider whether the company at hand brings something to the table that its competition doesn’t. It may be that the company has a savvy management team or an unmatched ability to innovate. Those are good reasons to choose one company over another.

3. Does this company lend to diversity in my portfolio?

Maintaining a solid level of diversity in your portfolio could help you grow a lot of wealth over time. It could also provide some degree of protection during periods of market turbulence.

Index funds do a great job of helping investors diversify. But if you’re more focused on individual stocks, the next time you’re tempted to buy one, figure out whether it will help you create or maintain a nice mix of assets. If you already own seven or eight healthcare stocks, for example, you may not want to buy another healthcare company if your plan is to limit your portfolio to 20 stocks in total.

Ask the right questions

Buying stocks isn’t something you should do on a whim. Rather, you should put a lot of thought into the process. By running through these important questions, you may be less likely to regret your stock-buying decisions — and end up wealthier in the long run.

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

The post Ask yourself these 3 questions before buying your next stock appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• ‘Significant milestone achieved’: Argosy (ASX:AGY) share price accelerates on Rincon update
• The oil price just hit a 13-year high, and these ASX 200 shares are surging
• Strike Energy (ASX:STX) share price slips 7% despite ‘significant upside’ find
• Here’s why the Bendigo Bank (ASX:BEN) share price is sliding 5% today
• Up 22% in a month, why the Evolution (ASX:EVN) share price is surging again today

The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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

from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/tfMwEyh

The Strike Energy Ltd (ASX: STX) share price is sliding today amid the company releasing details of a gas discovery.

The oil and gas explorer’s shares are swapping hands at 28 cents today, a 6.67% fall. In comparison, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is down 0.68% today.

Let’s take a look at what the company reported to the market.

Gas discovery

Strike announced it has made a “high quality conventional gas discovery” at the Kingia Sandstone in its South Erregulla-1 well.

The gas project is located in the North Perth Basin in Western Australia. Strike has 100% ownership of the well.

Logging and petrophysical interpretation of Kingia Sandstone found net pay of 14 metres in a gross 52-metre gas column. Porosity is up to 20.2%, while the reservoir pressure is about 6800 psia.

Commenting on the results, managing director and CEO Stuart Nicholls said:

The completion of South Erregulla marks the end of a very successful exploration campaign for the company. The results of this campaign, will, via Walyering, bring the company’s first cashflows forward. And, with South Erregulla, release significant upside through the integration of value-added, domestically focussed and low carbon downstream activities.

Strike entered a trading halt on 3 March, pending the release of this announcement. The company emerged from its trading pause this morning.

Strike noted it has been pursuing many milestones at Project Haber in the past 18 months. Nicholls said:

With this new resource confidence, Strike will now look to execute several pending workstreams that will see the development of the project accelerate substantially.

Strike Energy share price review

The Strike Energy share price has slipped around 12% over the past year although it has surged 36% this year to date.

In the past month, Strike Energy shares are up 12%, gaining almost 10% in the past week alone.

For perspective, the benchmark ASX 200 has returned 5% over the past year.

Strike Energy has a market capitalisation of about $567 million based on its current share price.

The post Strike Energy (ASX:STX) share price slips 7% despite ‘significant upside’ find appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• The Strike Energy (ASX:STX) share price isn’t cooking with gas today. Here’s why
• Here’s why the Strike Energy (ASX:STX) share price has struck out this morning
• Here’s why the Strike Energy (ASX:STX) share price is edging lower today
• Here’s why the Strike Energy (ASX:STX) share price is 6% higher today

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.

from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/SNRAiOg

The Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Ltd (ASX: BEN) share price is heading south during trade on Monday.

This comes despite the regional bank not releasing any market-sensitive news today.

At the time of writing, Bendigo Bank shares are down 5.26% to $9.09 apiece.

Why are Bendigo shares falling today? 

Following the company’s half-year results released on 14 February, investors are eyeing Bendigo Bank shares as they go ex-dividend today.

This means that investors who bought the company’s shares on Friday will be eligible for the latest dividend. Anyone who purchases the shares today will miss out as the seller has secured the dividend.

Historically, when a company reaches its ex-dividend day, its shares tend to fall in proportion to the dividend paid out.

When can Bendigo Bank shareholders expect payment?

For those eligible for Bendigo Bank’s interim dividend, shareholders will receive a payment of 26.5 cents per share on 31 March. The dividend is fully franked which means that investors will receive tax credits from this.

The latest dividend is a 12.8% increase when compared against the prior corresponding period (23.5 cents per share in H1 FY21).

The above payout figure represents an annualised dividend yield of 5.98%.

Management expects the dividend payout ratio target of 60% to 80% of cash earnings to be at the low end in FY22.

Are Bendigo Bank shares a buy now?

Following the company’s H1 FY22 results, a number of brokers weighed in on the Bendigo Bank share price.

The team at Morgan Stanley upgraded its outlook on the bank’s shares to equal-weight from underweight. In addition, it raised its 12-month price target by 1.1% to $9.60. Based on the current share price, this implies an upside of roughly 5%.

Jarden analysts have a similar view for Bendigo Bank shares, lifting its take by 4.3% to $9.80.

However, the most bullish brokers came from Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan. They improved their price targets by 5.1% to $10.53, and 5.2% to $10.10, respectively. This represents an upside of between 11% and 15% from were Bendigo Bank shares are trading today.

About the Bendigo Bank share price

Due to today’s significant drop, the Bendigo Bank share price is now down by 11% over the last 12 months.

On valuation grounds, Bendigo Bank commands a market capitalisation of around $5.1 billion, with approximately 560.82 million shares outstanding.

The post Here’s why the Bendigo Bank (ASX:BEN) share price is sliding 5% today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Time is running out to secure the Bendigo Bank (ASX:BEN) dividend. Here’s why
• Up 11% in two weeks. What’s been driving the Bendigo Bank (ASX:BEN) share price lately?
• To buy, or not to buy, that is the question: Analysts are indecisive on Bendigo Bank (ASX:BEN) shares after mixed earnings
• Why are ASX 200 bank shares getting so much love today?
• Why Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, Crown, JB Hi-Fi, and Newcrest are pushing higher

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 owns and has recommended Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/Gre63Wj