Share markets have been jittery all year, mainly due to fears of interest rate rises.

An increase in borrowing costs undoubtedly is painful for businesses. Cash flow is diminished, and every dollar paid to suppliers costs more.

And of course, interest rate rises make other forms of investment, like bonds, more attractive. So ASX shares take a hit as capital flows out of stock markets.

But there is a sector that actually benefits from upward-moving rates: finance.

A boost in rates directly translates to an increase in earnings for companies like banks and insurance providers.

As such, here’s a pair of ASX shares in the finance industry that experts are urging investors to buy before rates actually head north:

‘Improving customer satisfaction and market share gains’

Out of the big four banks, Marcus Today portfolio manager Thomas Wegner favours National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB).

“First quarter 2022 results were ahead of expectations,” he told The Bull.

“Cash earnings grew 9.1% on the prior corresponding period.”

In a year where most ASX shares have lost ground, the NAB stock price has gained 4.6% so far. It’s climbed a stunning 11.5% over the past fortnight.

Wegner is a true believer of NAB’s turnaround narrative. 

“Improving customer satisfaction and market share gains were solid achievements given the challenging operating environment. NAB had been losing market share in the past two years,” he said.

“Management is also optimistic about the outlook and is targeting flat expenses in the 2022 financial year.”

According to CMC Markets, 11 out of 16 analysts currently rate NAB as a “buy”. The remaining 5 designate it as “hold”.

Calculated from the current stock price, NAB is paying out a tidy 4.1% dividend yield to its shareholders.

Buy the dip for this Queensland player

Financial services giant Suncorp Group Ltd (ASX: SUN) is Red Leaf Securities chief John Athanasiou’s pick.

After popping up 6% for the year-to-date earlier this month, Suncorp shares have cooled to be flat for 2022.

“The recent share price fall provides a buying opportunity,” Athanasiou said.

He acknowledged that the company’s performance in the first half of the 2022 financial year didn’t meet market expectations.

“Group net profit after tax fell 20.8% to $388 million in the first half of fiscal year 2022,” he said.

“The result was impacted by natural hazard events and operational impacts from COVID-19. This diversified financial services company is strong, and we expect performance to improve in the second half.”

Eight out of 12 analysts currently rate Suncorp shares as a “buy”, according to CMC Markets. The other 4 advise investors to “hold”.

At the current stock price, Suncorp is giving out a dividend yield of 5.5%.

The post Rate rise coming? 2 finance ASX shares to buy right now appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 2 ASX 200 dividend shares named as buys
• Why NAB (ASX:NAB) and this ASX dividend share could be buys
• The Bank of Queensland (ASX:BOQ) share price has leapt 10% in 3 weeks. How does this compare to the other big banks?
• Why did the NAB (ASX:NAB) share price smash 4-year highs today?
• Own NAB (ASX:NAB) shares? Here’s why the bank’s carbon credits scheme is attracting global interest

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.

from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/Ag9MXmj

The Starpharma Holdings Ltd (ASX: SPH) share priced closed in the red on Monday after the company released its interim report and financial results for the half-year ended 31 December 2021.

Starpharma shares finished the day 5% down at 98.5 cents.

Starpharma share price tanks amid earnings growth

Key takeaways from the company’s earnings results today include:

• Cash balance at 31 December 2021 $51.3 million, excluding $7.7million received in January 2022 for the FY21 R&D tax incentive refund
• Revenue of $1.9 million, up 200% on the prior corresponding period (pcp), including significant sales of VIRALEZE in Vietnam following the product’s launch in December 2021
• Net operating cash outflows of $11.2 million, excluding $7.7 million of R&D tax incentive refund
• Reported loss for half-year of $8.4M, 19% lower than pcp of $10.4 million

What else happened this half for Starpharma?

The company hit a number of milestones surrounding its product offerings and clinical trial momentum during the half. For example, successfully launched its Viraleze label in Vietnam following registration and signing of a sales and distribution agreement in the region.

As a result, the product is now available through a number of the largest pharmacy chains in Vietnam both in store and online. Starpharma says that, collectively, these pharmacy chains have approximately 1300 pharmacies throughout Vietnam.

The company also achieved launches for Viraleze in Italy, Saudi Arabia and New Zealand during the half, each significant milestones per the release.

“Regulatory processes are ongoing in a number of markets, including Australia and other countries in the Middle East. In the UK, dialogue continues between Starpharma and the UK regulator, MHRA”, the company remarked.

Starparma’s loss for the period of $8.4 million reduced by 19% and was underlined by increased sales of Viraleze on a lower cost base.

Management Commentary

Speaking on the announcement, Starpharma’s CEO, Dr Jackie Fairley said:

Starpharma has achieved a number of valuable milestones throughout the half-year across our DEP® portfolio. We were delighted to sign a new DEP® Research Agreement with a leading global pharmaceutical company. This
new partnership builds on our existing relationships with AstraZeneca, Merck & Co., Inc., and Chase Sun. It has also been exciting to see AstraZeneca expand the potential indications for AZD0466 through a new clinical trial in patients with advanced non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which is expected to commence shortly.

What’s next for Starpharma?

The company will endeavour to build out each of its product offerings throughout the remainder of 2022, namely through ongoing clinical trials and country launches.

Aside from that, no formal guidance was provided by the company on Monday.

Starpharma share price snapshot

The Starpharma share price has tanked more than 57% in the past 12 months and is down 26.5% this year to date as well.

In the past week it has lost 4% and after collapsing another 14% in the previous month.

The post Not enough: Starpharma (ASX:SPH) share price plunges despite 200% revenue growth appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Rate rise coming? 2 finance ASX shares to buy right now
• Australia’s borders just reopened: The ASX share set to cash in
• 2 big-cap ASX shares that even this small-cap expert recommends
• 2 ASX 200 dividend shares named as buys
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday

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. owns and has recommended Starpharma Holdings Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Starpharma Holdings 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/kE9abcS

So, on Monday, Australia’s international border was opened for the first time in two years.

When it was clear in March 2020 that the COVID-19 pandemic had taken hold in the country, the federal government sealed the borders. And during the last couple of years, Australia ended up with arguably the harshest isolation measures in the developed world, with some of its own citizens having trouble entering.

But a flight from Los Angeles landing in Sydney on Monday morning marked the teary end of Australia’s self-imposed exile, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

All fully vaccinated travellers are now allowed to enter Australia without having to serve any isolation periods.

It’s wonderful news for separated family and friends, as well as the tourism sector.

But one expert nominated an unexpected ASX-listed company that would be celebrating Australia rejoining the international community.

Who knew a non-travel company could be so dependent on open borders?

TPG Telecom Ltd (ASX: TPG) is the third-largest telecommunications company in Australia, operating recognisable brands like Vodafone, TPG, and iiNet.

Like most technology stocks, the TPG share price has taken a brutal hit recently.

The company’s shares have fallen almost 18% since their high on 4 October to close Monday at $5.97.

But for Red Leaf Securities chief executive John Athanasiou, TPG is set to increase earnings from Australia’s reopening.

“We expect TPG to benefit from increasing demand for global roaming services in response to international borders re-opening,” he told The Bull.

He’s not the only one thinking the same way. Investors Mutual Limited senior portfolio manager Simon Conn last week cited the same tailwind in marking TPG shares as a buy.

“It’s a fully integrated telecommunications business that has been impacted by COVID, with the lack of roaming, as people haven’t been travelling and overseas arrivals haven’t been coming into the country.”

Athanasiou also likes the outlook for another segment of its business.

“TPG is capable of growing its fixed wireless business, which we expect will provide further upside to its shareholders.”

Conn agreed, seeing what TPG’s bigger rival did with its infrastructure.

“Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS) just sold their towers business for 28 times EBITDA,” he said in a Livewire video.

“TPG trades at eight times and they have a similar asset base, which they could then sell and stake in to crystallise some value and pay down debt and accelerate the increase in dividends.”

The post Australia’s borders just reopened: The ASX share set to cash in appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why A2 Milk, AGL, Endeavour, and TPG shares are charging higher
• Telstra (ASX:TLS) share price rises on surprise TPG deal
• Are TPG Telecom (ASX:TPG) shares gearing up for a demerger?
• 2 ASX shares for the win in 2022
• Is now the time to rid your ASX share portfolio of COVID losers?

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 owns and has recommended Telstra Corporation Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended TPG Telecom 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/IWg5H8c

Ask A Fund Manager

The Motley Fool chats with fund managers so that you can get an insight into how the professionals think. In this edition, Red Leaf Securities chief executive John Athanasiou shows that even small-cap funds hold some large-cap ASX shares to protect against volatility.

Investment style

The Motley Fool: How would you describe your fund to a potential client?

John Athanasiou: Red Leaf Securities is a boutique brokerage firm that specialises in small-cap stocks — small Australian equities.

We follow a top-down approach to investing, so we pick the sectors that we believe will outperform the market, then do our research. And from there, we pick the best company within that sector. Essentially, our objective is to provide alpha to our clients by adding under-researched Australian companies to their portfolios, which are typically in the small-cap space.

MF: What’s your investment horizon like?

JA: It varies, but typically, we like to see a result in the small-cap space over six months to a year.

MF: The last couple of months have been a tough time for all ASX shares, but especially small caps. They’ve taken a bit of a battering, haven’t they?

JA: They certainly have, particularly in the technology sector.

We all know the two primary reasons for that: the situation in Ukraine and concerns over rising cash rates [and] inflation. We believe that this provides an opportunity to have another look into the small caps space. 

ASX shares with biggest convictions

MF: What are your two biggest holdings?

JA: Even though we specialise in small-cap stocks, we also have large-cap stocks. We want to be conservative. As I mentioned, our objective is to create alpha, so that does allow us to have an overweight position in the large-cap stocks.

One of our two biggest holdings, in light of that, is Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG).

Obviously, it’s benefitted from a low-interest-rate environment. It pays a dividend of circa 3% on a given day. And we believe in the short to medium term, it will benefit from the disruption that we’re seeing now in the energy markets.

On top of that, going forward, there is real potential for the green investment businesses to outdo their utilities and infrastructure investments. We foresee that as a potential upside going forward.

MF: A couple of months ago, Macquarie actually became one of the big four banks, didn’t it?

JA: It technically did, yes.

And talking about the big four, our other biggest investment, and it sounds really boring, is actually Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ASX: ANZ).

Their margins have slightly decreased, but we see that improving. All the big four, essentially, will benefit from rising rates. That’ll improve margins and it’ll moderate the negative impact low interest rates have had on their margins. 

In addition to that, we know that ANZ has made a lot of progress in simplifying their home loans. They’ve lost their market share, but they’ve improved their back office, their technologies.

Which means that your home loan will be approved in a far more timely fashion compared to its peers.

MF: They copped flack for lengthy loan approval times in recent years, haven’t they? So plenty of upside there?

JA: Yeah, there’s the upside. So that’s why we picked them out of the big four.

The post 2 big-cap ASX shares that even this small-cap expert recommends appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Is the ANZ (ASX:ANZ) share price a buy for the 7.3% dividend yield?
• The Bank of Queensland (ASX:BOQ) share price has leapt 10% in 3 weeks. How does this compare to the other big banks?
• Why ‘dependable and reliable dividend payers’ could be the antidote to current volatility: expert
• Macquarie (ASX:MQG) shares have rallied 34% in a year. Here’s why this fundie says there’s more to come
• Own ANZ (ASX:ANZ) shares? The bank just tipped $70m into a new ‘green’ partnership

Motley Fool contributor Tony Yoo owns Macquarie 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 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/hmn1wgY

If you’re looking to boost your income portfolio with some dividend shares, then the two listed below could be worth considering.

Here’s why these ASX 200 dividend shares could be in the buy zone right now:

BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP)

The first ASX 200 dividend share to look at is BHP. With commodity prices at favourable levels and tipped to remain this way for some time, the Big Australian is generating significant free cash flow. This is providing the mining giant with the opportunity to reward shareholders with big dividends and consider M&A activities.

Although the BHP share price has rallied strongly recently, the team at Macquarie still see scope for it to keep rising. Last week the broker retained its outperform rating and $54.00 price target.

As for dividends, Macquarie is forecasting fully franked dividends per share of ~$4.20 in FY 2022 and then ~$2.54 in FY 2023. Based on the current BHP share price of $48.24, this implies potential yields of 8.7% and 5.3%, respectively.

National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB)

Another ASX 200 dividend share that could be in the buy zone is NAB.

Thanks to its very positive performance so far in FY 2022 (12% increase in Q1 cash earnings), NAB’s shares have been strong performers this year.

The good news is that the team at Bell Potter still see value in its shares at the current level. The broker was impressed with its first quarter performance and put a buy rating and $32.00 price target on the bank’s shares.

In addition, it has pencilled in dividends per share of 132.5 cents in FY 2022 and then 134.5 cents in FY 2023. Based on the current NAB share price of $30.75, this equates to fully franked yields of 4.3% and 4.4%, respectively.

The post 2 ASX 200 dividend shares named as buys appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• ASX 200 shares stage comeback amid Russia optimism
• Why has the South32 (ASX:S32) share price rocketed 60% in 6 months?
• Own ASX dividend shares? Here are some of the payouts that have surprised so far this earnings season
• Why inflation doesn’t impact all ASX shares equally
• Fund manager reveals one key metric in finding quality ASX shares during a correction

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.

from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/iJd504x

On Monday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) overcame a tough start to record a small gain. The benchmark index rose 0.15% to 7,233.6 points.

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

ASX 200 futures pointing lower

The Australian share market is expected to open the day sharply lower this morning following a poor start to the week in Europe. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is poised to open the day 74 points or 1% lower. In Europe, the DAX dropped 3%, the CAC fell 2%, and the FTSE lost 0.4%. Wall Street was closed on Monday for the President’s Day holiday.

Coles half year results

The Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL) share price will be in focus on Tuesday when the supermarket giant releases its half year results. According to a note out of Morgans, it is forecasting a 3% reduction in earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) to $988 million. It commented: “While increased at-home consumption due to lockdowns in NSW, VIC and ACT in 1Q22 were positive for sales, higher COVID costs could have a negative impact on margins.”

Oil prices rise again

Energy producers such as Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) and Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) could have a great day after oil prices charged higher. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is up 3% to US$93.86 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price has risen 3.1% to US$96.44 a barrel. Russia-Ukraine tensions continue to support oil prices.

Gold price rises

The Russia-Ukraine tensions are also supporting the gold price, which could bode well for gold miners Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) on Tuesday. According to CNBC, at the time of writing, the spot gold price is up 0.4% to US$1,907.90 an ounce.

Nanosonics half year results

The Nanosonics Ltd (ASX: NAN) share price will be on watch today when the infection prevention company releases its half year results. According to a note out of Morgans, its analysts are forecasting revenue of $63.2 million and EBITDA of $11.3 million. The latter is ahead of the market consensus estimate of $10.3 million.

The post 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• ASX 200 shares stage comeback amid Russia optimism
• Here are the top 10 ASX shares today
• Why has the South32 (ASX:S32) share price rocketed 60% in 6 months?
• Own ASX dividend shares? Here are some of the payouts that have surprised so far this earnings season
• Here’s why ASX 200 gold shares turned sharply lower mid-day today

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns and has recommended Nanosonics Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns and has recommended COLESGROUP DEF SET and Nanosonics 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/QNdRDsk

Fortunately for growth investors, there are plenty of shares on the Australian share market with strong long term growth potential.

Two such shares are named below. Here’s why analysts are positive on them:

ResMed Inc. (ASX: RMD)

The first ASX growth share to consider is ResMed. It is focused on the development, manufacturing, distribution, and marketing of medical devices and cloud-based software applications that diagnose, treat and manage respiratory disorders.

ResMed’s product support suffers of sleep disordered breathing (SDB), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), neuromuscular disease, and other chronic diseases.

Thanks to its world class portfolio, huge (and growing) market opportunity, and wide distribution network, ResMed appears well-placed for growth again over the 2020s. Particularly given a major product recall from a key rival.

Morgans is very positive on ResMed. It believes “the company remains well-placed as it builds a unique, patient-centric, connected-care digital platform that addresses the main pinch points across the healthcare value chain.”

Its analysts currently have an add rating and $40.46 price target on its shares. This is notably higher than the current ResMed share price of $31.83.

Xero Limited (ASX: XRO)

Another ASX growth share to look at is Xero. It is a provider of a cloud-based business and accounting solution to small and medium sized businesses.

Xero has been growing strongly for many years and looks well-placed to continue this trend in the future. This is thanks to its ongoing international expansion, value accretive acquisitions, the transition to the cloud, and its burgeoning app ecosystem. The latter has significant monetisation potential according to the team at Goldman Sachs.

Goldman believes the app ecosystem could support Xero’s ARPU growth in the coming years. Which, combined with subscriber growth, is expected to underpin strong revenue growth over the 2020s.

The broker currently has a buy rating and $158.00 price target on its shares. This compares to the latest Xero share price of $101.67.

The post Analysts name 2 ASX growth shares to buy appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• The ASX 200 is awash with 52-week lows on Friday. Here are some of the biggest names growing smaller
• 3 buy-rated ASX 200 shares
• How did ASX tech shares perform today?
• 3 ASX growth shares to buy after recent market weakness
• Down 24% in 2022: Is the Xero (ASX:XRO) share price a strong buy?

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 Xero. The Motley Fool Australia owns and has recommended Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended ResMed 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/EGyOqVc

The Hansen Technologies Limited (ASX: HSN) share price was among the best performers on the All Ordinaries index on Monday.

The billing technology company’s shares ended the day 10% higher at $5.46 after the market responded positively to its half year results.

Hansen share price rockets following half year results

• Operating revenue up 5% to $148.9 million
• Underling EBITDA up 4% to $54.2 million
• Underlying net profit after tax up 13% to $23.6 million
• Partially franked interim dividend of 7 cents per share, up from 5 cents a year earlier.

What happened during the first half?

For the six months ended 31 December, Hansen reported a 5% increase in operating revenue to $148.9 million. Management advised that its global diversification, coupled with its two primary verticals, has delivered revenues from new customer delivery, digital transformation, strategic upgrades, and specific professional services initiatives.

It notes that more and more customers are looking to Hansen as a valued long-term partner as they look to secure their digital future.

As for its earnings, the company’s underlying EBITDA rose 4% to $54.2 million. This reflects a stable cost base and growth in licence revenues.

Hansen’s Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Hansen, said: “The 1H22 result was a great outcome for Hansen across all key metrics. Once again Hansen is proving its resilience and strong business fundamentals delivering strong performance in a challenging Global market.”

Outlook

Management has maintained its previous guidance, with operating revenue expected to be marginally improved over FY 2021 (excluding Telefonica) with an EBITDA margin trending towards its long-term target.

Looking further ahead, management has also reaffirmed its longer term targets. This is for revenue of $500 million by 2025, which is expected to be driven by organic revenue growth and its aggregation strategy.

In addition, it is targeting long-term EBITDA margins exceeding 30%, driven by an ongoing focus on profitability and operational leverage.

The post Hansen Technologies (ASX:HSN) share price rockets 10% on ‘strong performance’ appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Analysts name 2 ASX growth shares to buy
• OZ Minerals (ASX:OZL) share price falls despite 150% profit increase in FY21
• ASX 200 shares stage comeback amid Russia optimism
• Here are the top 10 ASX shares today
• ‘Real opportunity’: NIB (ASX:NHF) share price slips following first-half results

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 Hansen Technologies. 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/6Ek8Jhf

The OZ Minerals Limited (ASX: OZL) share price was out of form on Monday following the release of its full year results.

The copper miner’s shares ended the day 0.5% lower at $26.03.

OZ Minerals share price lower despite explosive growth

• Net revenue up 56.2% to a record of $2,095.8 million
• EBITDA jumped 92% to $1,162.4 million
• Net profit after tax surged 150% to $530.7 million
• Fully franked final dividend of 18 cents per share, bringing its full year dividend to 34 cents per share

What happened during FY 2021?

For the 12 months ended 31 December, OZ Minerals reported a 56% increase in revenue to $2,095.8 million. Management advised that this was driven by a combination of increased sales volumes of copper and gold and high copper prices.

In respect to the latter, the realised $A copper price was 42% higher than the prior corresponding period, while the realised gold price was up 1% year on year.

Whereas OZ Minerals’ earnings growth was driven by its strong revenue growth and a robust operating margin of 55%, which reflects its reliable operational and cost performance.

Management commentary

OZ Minerals’ Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Cole, said: “The past year saw us deliver net profit of $531 million on record revenue of $2.1 billion. We met our operational targets while continuing to invest in our growth strategy.”

However, Mr Coles revealed that 2022 has started off slowly, which may have weighed on the OZ Minerals share price.

He explained: “These results were delivered notwithstanding a more difficult final quarter impacted by COVID related absenteeism which has continued into 2022. When combined with an extreme rain event that affected our South Australian logistics, we are likely to see a slower start to 2022 production, building back in line with full year guidance as the year progresses.”

The post OZ Minerals (ASX:OZL) share price falls despite 150% profit increase in FY21 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Record exploration: Are ASX 200 shares gearing up for the next mining boom?
• Sandfire (ASX:SFR) share price firms after completion of $2.6b acquisition
• Time to sell? Macquarie just downgraded these 3 ASX shares from buys
• The OZ Minerals (ASX:OZL) share price has dumped 11% this week. Is it a bargain?
• OZ Minerals (ASX:OZL) share price slips despite record $2 billion revenue

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.

from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/Ip3HlX4

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) managed to recover from an early setback this morning.

By mid-morning, the ASX 200 had fallen around 0.80% to 7,160 points. But by the close of trade, the ASX 200 ended the day up 0.16% to 7,234 points. From the day’s low, there was a gain of 1.1%.

Russia optimism

Readers are probably aware of the military build-up in Eastern Europe by Russia with an invasion seemingly possible any day now.

The US President Joe Biden has said he is convinced that Russian President Vladimir Putin had decided to invade Ukraine. Russia has repeatedly denied that it was going to invade Ukraine.

But countries like the USA and Germany have warned of severe sanctions and economic consequences for Russia if it does go ahead with an operation.

So, what’s the optimism?

Today, it was reported that US President Joe Biden has agreed in principle to hold a meeting to discuss what’s going on with Ukraine. This was proposed by France. But the talks will only go ahead if Russia does not invade Ukraine.

However, the US still believes that Russia is preparing for a large attack very soon. Maxar satellite images show “multiple new field deployments of armoured equipment and troops from Russian garrisons near the border with Ukraine, indicating increased military readiness.”

How some ASX 200 shares ended the day

Share prices changes at the big end of the ASX were relatively small.

The BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) share price went up 0.6%, whilst the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) share price rose 0.35%. The CSL Limited (ASX: CSL) share price dropped 0.75%.

However, there were a few pieces of news that may have helped drive some businesses higher.

The A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX: A2M) share price jumped 11% after reporting its FY22 half-year result, with a promising outlook.

A (rejected) takeover approach sent the AGL Energy Ltd (ASX: AGL) share price up 10.6%.

Alcohol retailer and hotels business Endeavour Group Ltd (ASX: EDV) saw its share price jump profit growth in the first half of FY22.

The Chorus Ltd (ASX: CNU) share price rose almost 10% after reporting its result as well.

The post ASX 200 shares stage comeback amid Russia optimism appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Here are the top 10 ASX shares today
• Why has the South32 (ASX:S32) share price rocketed 60% in 6 months?
• Own ASX dividend shares? Here are some of the payouts that have surprised so far this earnings season
• Chorus (ASX:CNU) share price jumps 10% today amid guidance upgrade and NZ$150m buyback
• These 3 ASX 200 shares are topping the volume charts this 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. owns and has recommended CSL Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended A2 Milk. 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/lCUA3NG