• Fans of Treasury Wine (ASX:TWE) shares might be surprised to learn of its NFTs

    A woman wine tasting in a bottle shop.A woman wine tasting in a bottle shop.A woman wine tasting in a bottle shop.

    Key points

    • Treasury Wine’s Penfolds brand launched its second NFT this week
    • BlockBar users can now purchase tokens representing bottles of an “ultra-rare” Penfolds wine
    • Its follows the launch of an NFT representing a barrel of Penfolds wine in November

    Owners of Treasury Wine Estates Ltd (ASX: TWE) shares might be interested to learn of the company’s foray into non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

    Indeed, one of the company’s crowning brands, Penfolds, has dipped its toes into the blockchain universe not once, but twice, launching its latest NFT earlier this week.

    That’s right, the brand offers NFTs representing real bottles of rare wines as part of its partnership with luxury drinks-focused NFT marketplace, BlockBar. Let’s take a closer look at the seemingly unlikely offering.

    At the time of writing, the Treasury Wine share price is $11.50.

    Could this be the future of luxury liquor purchases?

    Whether you’re an enthusiast of wine, NFTs, or shares, Treasury Wine has something for you.

    The company’s Penfolds brand offers NFTs representing bottles of rare wines or, for true connoisseurs, an entire barrel of an exclusive vintage.

    For those who might not be across NFTs, they are unique digital tokens representing ownership over something. Often, they represent ownership of a digital artwork or the like.

    However, a Penfolds NFT represents a bottle of wine, stored by BlockBar and ready to be redeemed by its owner.

    Penfolds’ latest token represents an “ultra-rare” bottle of Penfolds Magill Cellar 3 cabernet sauvignon shiraz from the 2018 vintage. Only 14 barrels of the wine were ever made and bottles aren’t available for retail purchase.

    Those looking for a larger – or, perhaps, more interesting – liquor investment, might be interested in a barrel of Penfolds Magill Cellar 3 shiraz cabernet from the 2021 vintage.

    The barrel was Penfolds’ first NFT. It launched in November, with one lucky buyer being randomly selected to buy the token for US$130,000.

    Excitingly, the barrel NFT won’t be around for long. As of October, the real-world barrel will be bottled and the NFT replaced by 300 bottle NFTs.

    Whoever is holding the barrel NFT at the time of bottling will receive a keepsake barrel head and several exclusive experiences.

    Then, from October 2023, anyone who owns one of the 300 bottle NFTs can redeem their rare wine.

    BlockBar allows the purchase of NFTs using Ethereum (CYRPTO: ETH) or a credit card.

    Treasury Wine share price snapshot

    Sadly, 2022 hasn’t been kind to the Treasury Wine share price so far.

    Year to date, its shares’ value has fallen 8%. However, they’re still trading for 24% more than they were this time last year.

    The post Fans of Treasury Wine (ASX:TWE) shares might be surprised to learn of its NFTs appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Treasury Wine right now?

    Before you consider Treasury Wine, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Treasury Wine wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that are better buys.

    *Returns as of January 13th 2022

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor Brooke Cooper has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns and recommends Ethereum. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Treasury Wine Estates 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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  • What do rising bond yields mean for the Bank of Queensland (ASX:BOQ) share price in 2022?

    Happy couple at Bank of Queensland ATM machine.Happy couple at Bank of Queensland ATM machine.Happy couple at Bank of Queensland ATM machine.

    Key points

    • ASX financials are doing slightly better than the benchmark index in 2022
    • The Bank of Queensland share price is performing well against other banking majors
    • Most brokers covering Bank of Queensland have it as a buy right now

    ASX financials are off to a shaky start in 2022 as the market undergoes another systematic correction from near all-time highs. Still, the financial sector is holding up slightly better than the ASX 200 benchmark.

    While the S&P/ASX 200 index (ASX: XJO) is down 3.54% since January 1, the S&P/ASX 200 Financials index (ASX: XFJ) has slipped 3.22%.

    The financials sector is faring better than other pockets of the market. For instance, the S&P/ASX 200 All Technology index (ASX: XTX) has plunged 11.5% in 2022. It is facing several systematic headwinds going forward.

    Within the ASX financials group is the Bank of Queensland Limited (ASX: BOQ). Its share price has collapsed by 22% from its most recent high of $9.84 in October. At the time of writing, the Bank of Queensland share price is $8.03.

    Central to the market’s troubles in the new year is the pressure of rising bond yields and the current level of inflation within the real economy. Both factors heavily influence interest rates, which tend to follow trends within the bond markets – particularly US Treasury bonds.

    With this in mind, several leading brokers reckon that Bank of Queensland is poised to unlock shareholder value in 2022, and rate it as a buy.

    Let’s take a look at what rising bond yields mean for the Bank of Queensland and see what the experts think.

    What’s in store for the Bank of Queensland share price in 2022?

    Yields on US Treasury bonds have been rising since December and are now at their highest levels since March 2021.

    In response, investors are flocking to defensive asset classes like financials. They’re doing this in order to protect capital and ensure a rate of return that beats inflation.

    Inflows into financial-themed ETFs have spiked this month, as investors fly to quality and look for pricing power in response to a shift in bond yields and, potentially, interest rates.

    For instance, the iShares US Financials ETF (NYSEARCA: IYF) saw a 5% year on year gain in inflows in the last week of December.

    The Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSEARCA: XLF) saw inflows of $2.34 billion in the first week of January – the highest of any ETF product.

    Research from JP Morgan shows financial stocks had the highest correlation to changing bond yields over the past 5 years. This could bode well for the sector should bond yields continue rising, the broker says.

    Not only that, but JP Morgan reckons the shift in bond yields will benefit Bank of Queensland‘s lending revenue. It sees $507 million in cash earnings for FY22 for the bank, in this regard.

    Goldman Sachs notes that the Bank of Queensland’s deposit book is more rate-sensitive than the other banking majors. Strengths here are sure to offset any weakness in net interest margins, Goldman reckons.

    Looking at broker sentiment for Australian banking majors, Bank of Queensland appears to have the most bullish weight behind it.

    Both Goldman and JP Morgan rate it as a buy and value the bank at $9.67 and $9.80 respectively. The pair are joined by 9 other firms in a list of analysts provided by Bloomberg Intelligence. They set a consensus price target of $9.75.

    Putting it all together, most brokers seem to think that the shift in bond yields will be a net positive for Bank of Queensland. Or at least, the bank can weather any storm created by this shift.

    In the past 12 months, the Bank of Queensland share price has climbed by less than 1%. It is down by more than 3% in this past week of trading.

    The post What do rising bond yields mean for the Bank of Queensland (ASX:BOQ) share price in 2022? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Bank of Queensland right now?

    Before you consider Bank of Queensland, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Bank of Queensland wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that are better buys.

    *Returns as of January 13th 2022

    More reading

    JPMorgan Chase is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. 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.

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  • 2 strong ASX shares profiting from the e-commerce boom

    Key points

    • Booming e-commerce conditions are helping some ASX shares
    • Goodman is benefiting from the huge demand of e-commerce industrial properties
    • Brickworks is involved with a big pipeline of industrial real estate like distribution warehouses

    E-commerce has boomed over the last two years. Some ASX retail shares have directly profited from this. Whilst other strong stocks are profiting indirectly.

    There are several ways to benefit from the huge rise in online shopping. Businesses don’t need to have a website selling products to profit to profit from e-commerce..

    Some other businesses are also offering services like distribution centres or e-commerce support services.

    Here are two ASX shares benefiting from e-commerce:

    Goodman Group (ASX: GMG)

    Goodman is one of the world’s largest industrial integrated property groups with operations in Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Europe, the UK, North America and Brazil. It owns, develops and manages industrial properties.

    The business says that well-located industrial real estate is recognised as essential infrastructure for the digital economy, making it a highly sought-after asset class. Significant rental growth is expected to support valuation growth in FY22.

    At 30 September 2021, it had $62 billion of assets under management (AUM). Goodman is expecting AUM to continue growing to around $70 billion by June 2022. It revealed rental income growth of 3.2% when it released its update for the three months to September 2021.

    The high demand is helping the ASX share’s occupancy remain high at 98.4% as customers seek to improve their supply chains.

    Project completions and deployment of capital into increased development activity is expected to support additional growth in earnings. At the end of September 2021, work in progress (WIP) was $12.7 billion, with an annual production rate for the year expected to average approximately $6.8 billion.

    Pre-commitments have a long weighted average lease expiry (WALE) of 14 years. The WIP has a forecast yield on cost of 6.8%.

    Citi currently rates it as a buy, with a price target of $26.

    Brickworks Limited (ASX: BKW)

    Brickworks may be well-known for its bricks, roofing and other building products. It could also be famous for its long-term shareholding of investment conglomerate Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co. Ltd (ASX: SOL).

    However, the business is making a lot of progress with its joint venture industrial property trust which it shares with Goodman.

    This trust is where Brickworks sells excess land no longer needed by the building products division into the trust. Goodman then prepares the land for a quality industrial property to be built on it. Once a lease pre-commitment is secured, the serviced land can then be used as security with debt funding to cover the cost of constructing the facilities.

    Brickworks says that it has seen strong demand and sustained growth in the value of the property trust over a number of years. Management believe the COVID-19 pandemic has only fuelled this growth, by accelerating industry trends towards online shopping and increasing the importance of well-located distribution hubs and sophisticated supply chain solutions.

    The ASX share should have recently completed one of Australia’s biggest warehouses for one of the world’s biggest e-commerce companies – Amazon. Brickworks is also building a huge distribution warehouse for Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL). The Coles facility is expected to be completed towards the end of 2022.

    In the last several months, a number of new tenants have pre-committed to facilities at the Oakdale West industrial estate. That includes a 35,500 square metre facility for Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW), a 32,000 square metre facility for Australia Post and an 11,000 square metre warehouse for Xylem.

    The completion of these facilities, and the long pipeline of other pre-committed developments, will result in an increase in leased assets of around $1.2 billion and an increase of gross rent of $50 million within the property trust over the next two years.

    The post 2 strong ASX shares profiting from the e-commerce boom appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Goodman Group right now?

    Before you consider Goodman Group, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Goodman Group wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that are better buys.

    *Returns as of January 13th 2022

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison owns Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns and has recommended Brickworks and Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns and has recommended Brickworks, COLESGROUP DEF SET, and Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company 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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  • Own Sydney Airport (ASX:SYD) shares? Here’s how the company is tracking in the skies

    Plane taking off from Sydney airport with CBD in backgroundPlane taking off from Sydney airport with CBD in backgroundPlane taking off from Sydney airport with CBD in background

    Key Points

    • Sydney Airport share price slightly down 0.12% to $8.64
    • Slow recovery in travel market, affected by COVID-19
    • Year to date numbers have not improved

    The Sydney Airport (ASX: SYD) share price is edging lower today, dragged down by the broader market.

    Earlier this morning, the company released its monthly traffic update for December along with a brief outlook for 2022.

    At the time of writing, the airport operator’s shares are down 0.12% to $8.64. In contrast, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (XJO) is 0.07% lower to 7,327.3 points.

    How is Sydney Airport travelling?

    The Sydney Airport share price is struggling today following the release of its passenger traffic performance for last month.

    In its update, the company advised that total passenger traffic numbers stood at 1.2 million, down 69.7% on December 2019 levels.

    Furthermore, domestic passenger traffic figures were 949,000 last month, down 56.9% from exactly two years ago.

    In terms of international passengers, 248,000 people passed through Sydney Airport for the final month of 2021. This reflected a loss of 84.5% when compared to the December 2019 traffic report.

    The latest results failed to meet management’s expectations of a quick recovery across the sector. A surge in Omicron cases impacted traveller demand which led to cancellations and lower load factors. 

    Fast-forward to 2022, the first 15 days of January indicate a drop off in both international and domestic passenger traffic. Provisional data suggests a loss of 85% and 58%, respectively when compared against the December 2019 report.

    Sydney Airport is blaming the stunted growth on tightly-controlled inbound international travel, entry requirements and restrictions into overseas markets, and the recently announced domestic flight cancellations.

    Sydney Airport share price summary

    Since accelerating on the back of a takeover offer in July 2021, the Sydney Airport share price has gradually ascended.

    Over the last 12 months, its shares are up by more than 40% for investors, but are flat year to date. Nonetheless, this year’s share price marks the highest it has been since the pandemic began in February 2020.

    Sydney Airport commands a market capitalisation of roughly $23.32 billion, ranking it as the 18th largest company on the ASX.

    The post Own Sydney Airport (ASX:SYD) shares? Here’s how the company is tracking in the skies appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Sydney Airport right now?

    Before you consider Sydney Airport, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Sydney Airport wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that are better buys.

    *Returns as of January 13th 2022

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor 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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  • Leading broker tips the QBE (ASX:QBE) share price to ‘advance’ in 2022

    A young female investor sits in her home office looking at her ipad and smiling as she sees the QBE share price risingA young female investor sits in her home office looking at her ipad and smiling as she sees the QBE share price risingA young female investor sits in her home office looking at her ipad and smiling as she sees the QBE share price rising

    Key points

    • After a period of gut-wrenching volatility, the QBE share price is up by almost 6% over the past month
    • Citi forecasts strong revenue growth for the insurer’s full-year results to be announced on 18 February
    • This result could lead to a further share price “advance” for QBE investors, Citi says

    Shares in QBE Insurance Group Ltd (ASX: QBE) are down 0.33% today to $12.04. However, the QBE share price has had a great month of trading and is up 5.99%.

    After a 3-month period of gut-wrenching volatility, during which time QBE shares closed as high as $12.41 and as low as $11.29, the stock appears to be regaining strength.

    With the onboarding of new CEO Andrew Horton in September 2021, the team at investment bank Citi is feeling positive. Citi is eagerly awaiting the insurer’s next earnings announcement for the full year ending 31 December. This is currently scheduled for 18 February.

    Let’s take a look.

    Why is Citi bullish on QBE?

    After a robust outperformance in 2021, when the QBE share price climbed 33%, momentum slowed in December.

    However, it has regained steam in the new year and is inching closer to its 52-week high of $12.72.

    Citi notes the price change is likely underpinned by QBE’s fundamentals, which are backed by the current macroeconomic climate.

    The broker reckons that QBE’s new chief will keep it simple for his first results announcement. They expect Horton to focus on key numbers like revenue growth and the group’s combined operating ratio.

    In its own modelling, Citi forecasts strong revenue growth flowing through to lift the pressure off margins down the P&L.

    Citi says: “Overall we are optimistic a strong FY result should lead to further share price advance”.

    Citi is joined by Macquarie and Morgans, who are each bullish on the QBE share price. Both rate it as a buy.

    Macquarie, for instance, recently upgraded QBE to outperform on a $13.90 valuation. It estimates a 92% operating ratio in the insurer’s upcoming results.

    Morgans also sees a period of revenue growth that is expected to impact positively on margins.

    The broker also notes that QBE has grown its top line at around 9% in recent times. It likes QBE’s valuation and has a price target of $13.70.

    QBE share price sentiment

    In a list provided by Bloomberg Intelligence, 92% of analysts covering QBE say buy. Only 1 says hold.

    The consensus price target on QBE is $14.70, which indicates a 22% margin of safety.

    Credit Suisse is most bullish and values QBE at $16.60 per share.

    The post Leading broker tips the QBE (ASX:QBE) share price to ‘advance’ in 2022 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in QBE Insurance Group right now?

    Before you consider QBE Insurance Group, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and QBE Insurance Group wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that are better buys.

    *Returns as of January 13th 2022

    More reading

    Citigroup is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. 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 recommended Macquarie Group Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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  • Westpac (ASX:WBC) share price wobbles, bank predicts 5 rate hikes in 2022-24

    A piggy bank balances on a ribbon, indicating a wobbly share priceA piggy bank balances on a ribbon, indicating a wobbly share priceA piggy bank balances on a ribbon, indicating a wobbly share price

    Key points

    • Shares in banking giant Westpac Banking Corporation are edging lower today.
    • The bank’s chief economist, Bill Evans posted a research note outlining its changes to interest rate forecasts.
    • The RBA reckons there is close to zero probability of a rate hike occurring any time in 2022.
    • In the last 12 months, the Westpac share price has fallen over 2% in the red.

    Shares in banking giant Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) are edging lower today and now trade less than 1% in the red at $21.05.

    Whilst there’s been no market-sensitive news released out of the major’s camp today, the bank’s chief economist, Bill Evans posted a research note outlining its changes to interest rate forecasts. Let’s take a closer look.

    What’s Westpac saying about interest rates in 2022-24?

    Evans expects the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) central bank will begin tightening interest rates in August this year, ahead of previous estimates of a February 2023 hike.

    “Developments since then have now prompted us to bring forward that tightening date to the meeting on August 2, 2022”, Evans noted in the report.

    The economist reckons the central bank will kick things off with a 15 basis point hike in August due to hot-running inflation, followed by another 25 basis points increase in October.

    In fact, in the research note released today, Evans explained that he forecasts 5 rates by the RBA from 2022 through until 2024, a step above previous expectations, and above his estimates for the US Federal Reserve.

    This revised timing for the first move “is still well short of market pricing which is for the first hike to occur in June”.

    The RBA isn’t so sure. Governor Phillip Lowe, who heads up the RBA outfit, reckons there is close to zero probability of a rate hike occurring any time in 2022.

    In fact, the RBA alluded to a period of flat wages growth and mediocre inflation until 2023, a direct contrast from other viewpoints on the direction of the economy.

    With respect to inflation, Evans notes that Westpac forecasts underlying inflation to reach 2.4% in 2021 and 2.9% by midway through 2022.

    This is important, according to Evans, as it means that “by the time of the August [RBA monthly] meeting the [RBA] board will have observed three consecutive quarters in which annual underlying inflation has achieved or exceeded its target (around the mid-point of the 2-3% range)”.

    How did he get here? Using the latest figures outlining payroll data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Evans notes that wage growth is occurring faster than the RBA recognises.

    For instance, the most recent payrolls report out of the ABS showed the total wage bill grew 9% year over year in December, implying a circa 6% lift in the wage price index.

    But the data also excludes key metrics like bonuses, hours worked and changes in the workforce, and the “sharp increase in this annual growth measure in recent months certainly bears consideration”, according to Evans.

    “We expect quarterly growth in the Wage Price Index to increase from 0.6% in the September quarter to 0.7% in the December quarter, to be followed by 0.8% in the March quarter”.

    Concluding the report, Evans noted:

    Our forecast revisions reflect a much faster lift in inflation and wages growth than envisaged last June. While we have shaved our growth rate in 2022 due to the omicron-related contraction in consumer spending in January we do not see that as being significant for our wages/inflation/ employment profile. The FOMC has now acknowledged that the conditions for a tightening of policy have arrived and, while less urgent, we think the RBA will do the same by August.

    In the last 12 months, the Westpac share price has fallen over 2% in the red, after sliding another 1% from January 1.

    The post Westpac (ASX:WBC) share price wobbles, bank predicts 5 rate hikes in 2022-24 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Westpac , you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Westpac wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that are better buys.

    *Returns as of January 13th 2022

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor 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 recommended Westpac Banking Corporation. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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  • Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to sell today

    Keyboard button with the word sell on it.

    Keyboard button with the word sell on it.Keyboard button with the word sell on it.

    On Wednesday, we looked at three ASX shares that brokers have given buy ratings to this week. Unfortunately, not all shares are in favour with brokers right now.

    Three ASX shares that have just been given sell ratings by brokers are listed below. Here’s why they are bearish on them:

    Ramsay Health Care Limited (ASX: RHC)

    According to a note out of Morgan Stanley, its analysts have retained their underweight rating and cut their price target on this private hospital operator’s shares to $61.00. The broker has been looking over the healthcare sector and picked out its winners and losers. It feels investors should avoid Ramsay and focus on healthcare shares that are more reasonably priced. The Ramsay share price is trading at $66.15 this afternoon.

    Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO)

    A note out of UBS reveals that its analysts have retained their sell rating and $80.00 price target on this mining giant’s shares. This follows the release of a fourth quarter update that fell a touch short of the broker’s expectations. In addition, the broker was disappointed with Rio Tinto’s guidance for FY 2022. This was particularly the case with its aluminium and iron ore guidance. UBS also sees downside risk to iron ore prices, which could weigh on its performance. The Rio Tinto share price is fetching $112.93 today.

    Sandfire Resources Ltd (ASX: SFR)

    Analysts at Goldman Sachs have downgraded this copper miner’s shares to a sell rating with a $6.10 price target. According to the note, the broker believes Sandfire’s shares are overvalued at 1.2x net asset value. In addition, the broker feels the company’s current valuation implies a long run copper price of US$4.8 per pound, which is notably higher than its forecast of US$4.1 per pound. The Sandfire share price is trading at $7.29 on Thursday afternoon.

    The post Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to sell today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

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

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

    *Returns as of January 12th 2022

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Ramsay Health Care 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 Nico Resources (ASX:NC1) share price just surged 93% on second day of trade

    A group of people in suits and hard hats celebrate the rising BHP share price with champagne.A group of people in suits and hard hats celebrate the rising BHP share price with champagne.A group of people in suits and hard hats celebrate the rising BHP share price with champagne.

    Key points

    • The Nico Resources share price debuted on the ASX on Wednesday after raising $12 million in its IPO
    • The ASX newbie’s stock is currently trading 55% higher than yesterday’s close at 56 cents
    • That’s 195% higher than its offer price of 20 cents

    The Nico Resources Ltd (ASX: NC1) share price is continuing its breathtaking rally in its second day of trading on the ASX.

    The nickel and cobalt explorer floated at midday yesterday (AEDT) after an initial public offering (IPO) that saw its shares sold for 20 cents apiece.

    At the time of writing, the Nico Resources share price is 59 cents, 63.89% higher than its previous close and 195% higher than its offer price.

    However, earlier today it was trading at a new record high of 69.5 cents – representing a 93% gain on its previous close and a 247.5% gain on its offer price.

    Let’s take a closer look at how the company has performed on the ASX so far.

    Nico Resources share price continues its upwards momentum

    The Nico Resources share price is taking off once more as the market continues to warmly welcome its newest face.

    Since its ASX debut, 16 million of the company’s shares have swapped hands. For context, Nico Resources expected to list with around 91 million outstanding shares.

    It seems many in the market are as optimistic about Nico Resources as its management. Talking on the company’s float, its CEO and managing director Rod Corps commented:

    Nico Resources is well placed to be able to partner with some of the largest end users in the world to create a long-term supply option for the rapidly growing EV sector…

    The board believes that with the increasing demand for both nickel and cobalt associated with the battery minerals sector requires a substantial increase in environmentally and ethically sustainable nickel production.

    The company’s Wilgellina Project, located within its Central Musgrave Project, is a large undeveloped nickel deposit.

    As of its first close, Nico Resources had a market capitalisation of around $31.4 million, according to CommSec.

    Assuming it does indeed have 91 million shares on offer, the current Nico Resources share price would leave the company with a valuation of around $53 million.

    The post The Nico Resources (ASX:NC1) share price just surged 93% on second day of trade appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Nico Resources right now?

    Before you consider Nico Resources, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Nico Resources wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that are better buys.

    *Returns as of January 13th 2022

    More reading

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

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  • Will ASX big four bank ANZ (ASX:ANZ) raise its dividend in 2022?

    Calculator next to money.

    Calculator next to money.Calculator next to money.

    As one of the famous big four ASX bank shares, investors have come to expect a lot out of Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ASX: ANZ) when it comes to dividends and franking credits. The banks are perhaps the most famous dividend-paying shares on the ASX. That reputation has been honed by decades of strong and fully franked yields that have flowed out of ANZ shares, as well as the other banks like Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA).

    But, as many banking investors would remember, 2020 was a horrid year for ASX banks. Not only did the big four, including ANZ, experience nasty share price drops. But that year also saw dividends from the ASX banking sector all but dry up – largely thanks to the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. Take ANZ. It managed to fork out $1.60 in dividends per share in 2019. But only 60 cents per share made its way into investors’ bank accounts in 2020.

    Fortunately, this drought didn’t last much longer than a year. Last year in 2021, we saw ANZ boost its dividends dramatically. May saw an interim dividend of 70 cents per share doled out to investors. While November recorded ANZ’s final dividend of 72 cents per share. That’s a 2021 total of $1.42 in dividends per share. Not quite back to the glory days of yore. But certainly a large improvement on 2020’s dismal payouts.

    What kinds of dividends will the ANZ share price yield in 2022 and beyond?

    So now that we’ve put 2021 behind us, what might ANZ have up its sleeve for income investors in 2022? Well, of course, we don’t yet know for sure. But, we can have a listen to what one ASX broker is predicting.

    As my Fool colleague James covered earlier this week, broker Morgans is currently bullish on ANZ shares, partly due to an expectation of higher dividends going forward. Morgans has rated ANZ as an ‘add’, with a 12-month share price target of $31. That implies a potential future 12-month upside of around 9% on current pricing.

    This broker reckons ANZ will pay out a total of $1.47 in fully franked dividends per share in FY2022. As well as $1.64 per share, also fully franked, in FY2023. The latter would exceed ANZ’s 2019 dividend, and as such would be presumably very welcome to shareholders if it came to pass. A $1.61 per share payout would give the ANZ share price a forward yield of roughly 5.66% on current pricing. So there you have it. At least one broker is expecting dividend rises from ANZ in 2022 and into 2023.

    As it stands today, ANZ shares currently have a market capitalisation of $80.08 billion, with a trailing dividend yield of 4.99%. 

    The post Will ASX big four bank ANZ (ASX:ANZ) raise its dividend in 2022? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider ANZ, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and ANZ wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that are better buys.

    *Returns as of January 13th 2022

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen 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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  • Why is the Macquarie (ASX:MQG) share price falling this week?

    Sad investor watching the financial stock market crash on his laptop computer.Key points

    • The Macquarie Group share price is down almost 5% this week
    • All ASX bank shares have fallen in the past 48 hours
    • The S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index is in the red today

    The Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG) share price has been a standout performer on the ASX in the past year, but this hasn’t been a good week.

    Shares in the investment bank are currently trading at $196.61, down 4.89% so far this week. The company’s shares are down 1.3% today.

    Let’s take a look at what may be impacting the company this week.

    Wall Street woes

    The Macquarie share price may be falling this week, but it is not alone. Most of this fall has taken place within the last 48 hours. Since market close on January 18, the company’s shares have fallen 4.95%.

    In the same time frame, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) share price has fallen 3.02%, National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) shares have dropped 2.32%, the Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) share price has slumped 1.64% and Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ASX: ANZ) has dropped 1.01%.

    The performance of financial shares in the United States appears to have weighed on Australian bank shares including Macquarie. The Dow Jones US Financial Index fell 1.53% overnight and has fallen 3.31% in the past two days.

    Goldman Sachs Group (NYSE: GS) fell 8.79% in the first two days of trading in the US this week. Investors reacted to the company’s profit dropping 13% on the previous year, the New York Times reported.

    There has also been speculation that the US Federal Reserve is considering fast-tracking interest rate rises due to inflation concerns. This has the potential to affect ASX shares, as the Reserve Bank of Australia can take its lead from the US.

    Back home, the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) is 1.05% in the red today and has dropped 2.31% since market close on 18 January.

    Macquarie bumped Westpac to become Australia’s third-largest Aussie bank on Wednesday last week. However, at the time of writing, Westpac has edged out Macquarie Bank again with a higher market capitalisation.

    Macquarie share price snapshot

    The Macquarie share price has soared 41.95% in the past year but is down 4.32% this year to date.

    In contrast, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has returned about 8% in the past year.

    Macquarie Group has a market capitalisation of about $76.4 billion based on its current share price.

    The post Why is the Macquarie (ASX:MQG) share price falling this week? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Macquarie , you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Macquarie wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that are better buys.

    *Returns as of January 13th 2022

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor Monica O’Shea has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Macquarie Group Limited 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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