• 3 cryptocurrencies that crushed Shiba Inu in November

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

    Shiba Inu dog lying on the floor.

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

    Throughout much of 2021, cryptocurrencies have proved unstoppable. The world’s largest digital currency, Bitcoin, has nearly doubled in value from where it began the year. Further, the aggregate value of all cryptocurrencies has more than tripled to $2.62 trillion, as of Dec. 1.

    Though there are more than 15,000 cryptocurrencies now listed by CoinMarketCap.com, it’s dog-themed meme coin Shiba Inu (CRYPTO: SHIB) that’s captured the attention of investors.

    After going to the moon, Shiba Inu is now plummeting

    When the year began, a SHIB token could be purchased for a microscopic $0.000000000073. But by Oct. 27, Shiba Inu had hit an all-time high of $0.00008841. In going from 10 zeroes down to four, it delivered a peak year-to-date gain of more than 121,000,000%. This means investors who put $1 to work in SHIB at midnight on Jan. 1 would have been millionaires on Oct. 27.

    However, there’s been a shift in the tide over the past five weeks. In November, SHIB slid from $0.00006697 to $0.00004744. That works out a decline of 29% in a month.

    Why the sudden pessimism? To begin with, look to history as a guide. With the exception of Bitcoin, nearly every payment coin that’s delivered a short-term gain ranging between 20,000% and 500,000% has been met with an equally brutal reversion of 93% to 99%. Even though the Shiba Inu community has plastered message boards with hype for months, the urge to lock in gains after a run-up of 50,000,000%-plus is simply too great for many to ignore.

    Shiba Inu also lacks the utility and differentiation you’d want to see in a cryptocurrency that’s been hovering just outside the top 10, in terms of markets cap. Fewer than 375 merchants worldwide accept SHIB as payment. It’s also nothing more than an ERC-20 token built on the Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) blockchain, meaning it’s tied to the same high transaction fees and processing slowdowns that are known to hit the popular Ethereum network.

    This crypto trio ran circles around SHIB in November

    While Shiba Inu lost 29% of its value in November, most popular cryptocurrencies outperformed it. This includes Ethereum, which ended the month higher by 8%, and Bitcoin, which comparatively only lost 7%.

    But within the crypto universe there are three digital currencies that absolutely crushed SHIB in November.

    Avalanche: Up 87% in November

    First up is Avalanche (CRYPTO: AVAX), which, true to its name, buried Shiba Inu with an 87% gain last month. This increase that propelled Avalanche past Shiba Inu in market cap looks to be the direct result of excitement surrounding its high-performance blockchain, as well as the real-world utility it can offer.

    Avalanche is one of the fastest layer-1 blockchain projects in existence.  According to the development team, it operates thousands of nodes and can process north of 4,500 transactions per second (TPS), with a transactional finality of less than two seconds.  In English, this just means the sending of money, files, or data is completed in less than two seconds. Comparatively, the highly popular Ethereum network can only handle about 13 TPS, with a transactional finality of closer to six minutes.

    In addition to being fast, Avalanche’s smart contract-powered network offers compatibility that should have no problem luring decentralized finance (DeFi) and decentralized application (dApp) developers. Since the Ethereum Virtual Machine is already running on Avalanche, it seems like a no-brainer that Ethereum-based DeFi and dApp developers will consider migrating to take advantage of Avalanche’s superior transaction speeds and low fees. 

    But perhaps the most tangible reason AVAX soared in November was the mid-month strategic alliance that was formed between Ava Labs, which created the Avalanche platform, and Deloitte. The newly created “Close As You Go” cloud-based platform is designed to help state and local officials streamline eligibility and reimbursement applications following a disaster. 

    The real-world application of Avalanche’s platform compared to Shiba Inu’s almost nonexistent real-world appeal is night and day.

    The Sandbox: Up 332% in November

    Another cryptocurrency that completely ran circles around Shiba Inu in November is The Sandbox (CRYPTO: SAND). It might have a playful name, but it wasn’t playing around last month. SAND tokens, which are the primary token of the platform, more than quadrupled.

    The primary reason SAND gained 332% in November can be traced to investors’ insatiable appetite for anything having to do with the metaverse. The metaverse describes the next iteration of the internet that allows people to interact in a 3-D virtual environment. The Sandbox is a gaming platform focused on the metaverse that intends to reward gamers for creating virtual worlds. In essence, it’s a play-to-earn platform.

    The buzz surrounding SAND spiked last month following Meta Platforms(NASDAQ: FB) announced name change on Oct. 28.  Meta is likely best known for its social media subsidiary Facebook and its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg. Zuckerberg has been crystal clear that Meta will step up investments in the metaverse over the coming year and well beyond. This effectively puts The Sandbox at the heart of one of the buzziest and potentially fastest-growing global trends.

    What’s more, unlike traditional gaming platforms, The Sandbox allows virtual creators to own their assets in the form of non-fungible tokens (NFTs). These NFTs can be used within a game or even monetized on The Sandbox’s marketplace.

    It’s tough to say if the hype surrounding the metaverse will pay off anytime soon, but it certainly looks to be a more intriguing project than what Shiba Inu offers.

    Crypto.com Coin: Up 227% in November

    A third cryptocurrency that completely crushed Shiba Inu in November is Crypto.com Coin (CRYPTO: CRO), the protocol token of Crypto.com Chain (a decentralized blockchain developed by the Crypto.com company). After nearly hitting $1 per CRO, it pulled back to finish last month higher by “only” 227%.

    There look to be a trio of reasons to explain Crypto.com Coin’s stellar November. Without question, the biggest catalyst was the mid-month announcement that Crypto.com would pay $700 million for the naming rights of the Staples Center over the next 20 years. Beginning later this month, the home of the Los Angeles Lakers (NBA), Los Angeles Clippers (NBA), Los Angeles Kings (NHL), and Los Angeles Sparks (WNBA), will now be known as the Crypto.com Arena. Owning the naming rights of an incredibly popular sports venue should help Crypto.com’s mission of increasing digital currency usage. 

    Second, Crypto.com launched a television advertising campaign featuring actor Matt Damon on Oct. 28. Similar to landing the naming rights of the Staples Center, Matt Damon adds identifiable star power that could coerce additional users to join Crypto.com’s financially focused platform. The company’s cryptocurrency app and Visa card currently serve about 10 million customers. 

    Lastly, Crypto.com Coin hodlers can probably thank inflation for their big gains. Users have the ability to stake their Crypto.com Coin to earn up to 12% annual interest.  Considering that October’s U.S. inflation rate of 6.2% hit a 31-year high, the ability to earn a real return, far above the rate of inflation, could be viewed as highly attractive right now. 

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

    The post 3 cryptocurrencies that crushed Shiba Inu in November appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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    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.

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    Sean Williams owns shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. Randi Zuckerberg, a former director of market development and spokeswoman for Facebook and sister to Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended Meta Platforms, Inc, Bitcoin and Ethereum. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Meta Platforms, Inc. 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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  • Oil Search (ASX:OSH) share price edges higher on merger update

    3 things to know

    The Oil Search Ltd (ASX: OSH) share price is pushing upwards today following a positive update by the energy producer.

    At the time of writing, Oil Search shares are up 0.76% to $3.97 apiece. In contrast, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is down 0.28% to 7,220.7 points.

    What did Oil Search announce?

    In today’s statement, Oil Search advised that it has received approval from the Papua New Guinea Securities Commission regarding its merger with Santos Ltd (ASX: STO).

    This is just one of the conditions of the merger implementation deed that needed to be satisfied.

    However, there are still a few hurdles to overcome. This includes clearance from the Independent Consumer and Competition Commission of Papua New Guinea as well as approval by Oil Search shareholders at the scheme meeting to be held tomorrow.

    The Oil Search board unanimously recommends that its shareholders vote in favour of the scheme in the absence of a superior proposal.

    In addition, other court approvals and the satisfaction or waivers of certain other customary conditions is required.

    Both Oil Search and Santos are hoping to create the largest oil and gas company listed on the ASX. In essence, this would give the super-company a diversified portfolio of long-life and low-cost assets with significant growth options.

    The offer consists of Oil Search shareholders receiving 0.6275 new Santos shares for each Oil Search share held. Upon completion, this would give Oil Search shareholders a 38.5% stake in the newly merged entity. Santos shareholders will retain the remaining 61.5% interest.

    Oil Search share price summary

    Since this time last year, Oil Search shares have gained more than 5%, with year-to-date growth hovering just under 7%. The company’s share price has moved sideways for most of 2021, amid uncertainty in the global economic recovery.

    Based on today’s price, Oil Search commands a market capitalisation of roughly $8.2 billion, and has 2 billion shares outstanding.

    The post Oil Search (ASX:OSH) share price edges higher on merger update appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Oil Search right now?

    Before you consider Oil Search, 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 Oil Search wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for nearly 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 August 16th 2021

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    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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  • Why ANZ Bank (ASX:ANZ) is losing market share to other big ASX banks

    ANZ Bank share price 2021 man attempting to pull tired woman over finish line in running race

    The Australia and New Zealand Banking GrpLtd (ASX: ANZ) share price is on track to exit 2021 on a positive note. But investors will be left wondering if its shares could be soaring higher if the bank wasn’t losing the mortgage war.

    ANZ Bank is the only one of the big four ASX banks to lose share of the mortgage market in October, reported the Australian Financial Review.

    ANZ Bank losing mortgage market share

    The data from the Reserve Bank of Australia and the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) showed that ANZ Bank’s market share dropped another 8 basis points to 13.09% in October.

    Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) also underperformed on this front in October, but it still managed to grow its loan book.

    There are a few possible reasons to explain ANZ Bank’s poor performance in winning new mortgagees.

    ANZ Bank share price is a silver-lining

    To be sure, this isn’t a new issue for the bank either. This is why supporters can still hold their head high as the ANZ Bank share price is up over 18% since January 2021.

    In contrast, the S&P/ASX 200 Index’s (Index:^AXJO) gain for the year is half that of the bank.

    Further, ANZ Bank isn’t the worst performing big ASX bank share. The wooden spoon goes to the Westpac share price as it’s only 7% above breakeven.

    The increase in the ANZ Bank share price also matches that of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) share price. CBA is widely regarded as the premium ASX bank share, so matching its share price performance is still a notable feat.

    Why ANZ is losing the mortgage battle

    But investors can only ponder how much higher the ANZ Bank share price could be trading if wasn’t losing out on the mortgage market.

    The bank’s long lead-time in processing mortgages is one big reason for this, according to the AFR. ANZ Bank takes 51 days (median) to process third-party applications.

    Mortgage brokers would rather put their client loans through another bank with National Australia Bank Ltd. (ASX: NAB) and CBA only taking around 10 to 11 days.

    What’s more, ANZ Bank has an overreliance on mortgage brokers to generate new business. This not only explains the market share erosion, but the bank’s poorer net interest margin (NIM) and return on equity (ROE).

    Outlook for the ANZ Bank share price

    Both the NIM and ROE are key valuation measures investors use to price ASX bank shares. This helps explain why the CBA share price trades at such a hefty premium to its cohort.

    What gives CBA this edge is its investment in technology to lift productivity. The other ASX banks are playing catch up on this front, but it appears that ANZ Bank’s investment on IT isn’t paying off.

    ANZ Bank shareholders will be hoping for better news in 2022.

    The post Why ANZ Bank (ASX:ANZ) is losing market share to other big ASX banks appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

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    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.

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    Motley Fool contributor Brendon Lau owns shares of Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Limited, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, National Australia Bank Limited, and Westpac Banking Corporation. 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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  • This crypto could be the Moderna of 2022

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

    A man in a blue collared shirt sits at his desk doing a single fist pump as he watches his Neometals shares rising on his laptop

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

    Moderna has been one of this year’s stock market stars. The biotech company has been on everyone’s radar screen as it commercialized its coronavirus vaccine and generated billions of dollars in revenue and profit. It’s a story of a small player reaching the major leagues.

    And in 2022, there’s a cryptocurrency that may follow a similar path. It may progress from being a new hopeful to a crypto that’s proven itself. I’m talking about Solana (CRYPTO: SOL). The platform launched in the spring of 2020 and has been gaining ground ever since.

    Starting small, finishing big

    Of course, Solana’s price increase this year already has topped that of Moderna and just about every other stock. It’s soared 13,600%. But in my comparison, I’m focusing on the idea of starting small and finishing the year as a major, established player. Moderna has done that. And if Solana can do it too, the crypto may extend 2021’s increase.

    So… why Solana? The blockchain stands out for a few reasons. The first one is speed. Solana uses a proof of history method for validating transactions on the platform. This involves marking each block of data with a timestamp of sorts. The process makes it easier and quicker for validators to do their job. In the end, Solana processes about 50,000 transactions per second. And the way Solana was designed means the platform eventually may process more than 700,000 transactions per second. That by far surpasses the speed potential of market leader Ethereum. That platform aims to process as many as 100,000 transactions per second after an upgrade set for next year.

    Now speaking of other players, the cool thing about Solana is it’s working with them. Here’s what I mean: Solana developed a bridge that allows the transfer of assets across networks. This bridge — called Wormhole — works with Ethereum, Polygon, Terra, and Binance Smart Chain. This clearly will boost use of Solana because it means users don’t have to choose between Solana and other players. Instead, they can use them all.

    Making progress in decentralized applications

    Another point to note about Solana is the progress it’s made in the development of decentralized applications. The platform hosts more than 350 projects from non-fungible tokens to finance to games. This variety of applications running on Solana shows the real-world utility of the platform. Ethereum still remains ahead of Solana when it comes to number of projects. And that blockchain has the first-to-market advantage. But there is room for more than one player in this field. So, it’s possible for Solana and Ethereum both to be key actors on this stage in the future.

    Solana has had a tremendous year when it comes to price performance. But next year could be even more important. Because Solana will prepare the terrain for the long term. Like Moderna, it could progress from risky, newish player to one that shows it has what it takes to lead in its field well into the future — and progressively find its way into more and more investment portfolios. 

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

    The post This crypto could be the Moderna of 2022 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 more than eight 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.

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    Adria Cimino owns shares of Ethereum. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended Ethereum. 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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  • The Nearmap (ASX:NEA) share price has dived 35% in a month. What now?

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

    The Nearmap Ltd (ASX: NEA) share price has declined by around 35% over the last month.

    Tech shares are taking a bit of a beating right now. At the time of writing, the Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) share price is down 4.6%, the Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P) share price is down 5.8% and the Xero Limited (ASX: XRO) share price is down around 2%.

    Whilst Nearmap is currently down 4.2%, it just adds to the rest of the decline that the aerial imaging business has experienced.

    The heavy decline started around the time that the company gave an update about FY22.

    FY22 performance

    Nearmap gave its update at the annual general meeting (AGM).

    At the AGM, the company provided guidance that its annual contract value (ACV) was expected to end FY22 at between $150 million to $160 million on a constant currency basis.

    Management said that the business had continued to deploy capital-raised funds in line with its FY22 guidance to increase investment in the business and use approximately $30 million of net cash in FY22.

    Those funds are being allocated towards previously identified growth initiatives as it scales the business for growth.

    Nearmap revealed that after a number of successfully completed tests of custom designed components in aerial flight, the company remains on track to manufacture and commence the roll-out of its next iteration of aerial camera systems, HyperCamera3 in FY22.

    Outlook

    Sometimes share prices, like the Nearmap share price, can be affected by what the company says about its future.

    Nearmap said that it will continue to target ACV growth of between 20% to 40% in the medium-term to long-term and to maintain its underlying retention above 90%.

    The company also said:

    The combination of a healthy balance sheet and strong FY21 incremental ACV growth means Nearmap remains fully funded for the foreseeable future.

    Optimistic expectations for the Nearmap share price

    Two of the latest broker notes on Nearmap have price targets that are significantly higher than where it is today.

    Citi has a price target of $2.20 on the business. At the time of the note release, it was ‘neutral’ on the business with thoughts that a legal battle in the US with Eagleview (part of the competition) could cost millions of dollars in legal fees.

    Morgan Stanley rates the business as a buy with a price target of $3.20. That’s more than double where Nearmap is trading at right now. The broker thinks Nearmap will deliver at least to expectations.

    The post The Nearmap (ASX:NEA) share price has dived 35% in a month. What now? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Nearmap, 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 Nearmap wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for nearly 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 August 16th 2021

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    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 shares of and has recommended AFTERPAY T FPO, Nearmap Ltd., Xero, and ZIPCOLTD FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended AFTERPAY T FPO, Nearmap Ltd., and Xero. 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 the Zip (ASX:Z1P) share price is sinking 9% to a 52-week low

    an exhausted shopper slumps on an outdoor seat with various coloured shopping bags either side of her.

    The Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P) share price is out of form again on Monday. In early afternoon trade, the buy now pay later (BNPL) provider’s shares are down over 9% to a 52-week low of $4.37.

    This means the Zip share price is now down 22% since the start of the year.

    This is particularly disappointing given that in March its shares were up 160% year to date to a record high of $14.53. From top to bottom, this represents a decline of 70% for the Zip share price.

    Why is the Zip share price falling again today?

    Investors have been hitting the sell button on Monday amid broad weakness in the tech sector and particularly within the BNPL industry.

    For example, the Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) share price is down almost 5%, the Sezzle Inc (ASX: SZL) share price is down 10%, the Affirm share price fell 6% on Friday night, and the Square share price also dropped 6% on Friday.

    This follows a poor night of trade on the tech-focused Nasdaq index on Friday, which saw the famous index drop 1.9%. At the time of writing, the S&P/ASX All Technology Index is down 2%.

    Outside this, criticism of Zip’s integration with Microsoft’s Edge browser could also be weighing on sentiment a touch.

    Is this a buying opportunity?

    While opinion remains divided on the Zip share price in the broker community, one leading broker is very positive.

    According to a recent note out of Morgans, its analysts have an add rating and $8.56 price target on its shares. This implies potential upside of 96% for investors over the next 12 months.

    Morgans likes the Zip share price due to its attractive valuation in comparison to its peers. The broker also continues to “see longer term upside if Z1P can continue to execute on its ambitions of becoming a global payments player.”

    The post Why the Zip (ASX:Z1P) share price is sinking 9% to a 52-week low appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Zip, 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 Zip wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for nearly 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 August 16th 2021

    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. owns shares of and has recommended AFTERPAY T FPO, Square, and ZIPCOLTD FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended AFTERPAY T FPO. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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  • The Pro Medicus (ASX:PME) share price has dropped 8% in 3 days. What’s going on?

    A female health professional has a wide-eyed shocked expression on her face, even behind the face mask.

    Shares in Pro Medicus Limited (ASX: PME) have had a poor run these past few days after falling off a high of $62.48 on 30 November.

    There’s been no market-sensitive information out of the Pro Medicus camp in this time. But that hasn’t stopped investors selling off shares violently. The company opened Monday’s session at $55.93 after pre-market trading.

    What’s up with Pro Medicus shares?

    Despite the recent weakness, shares in the health imaging IT provider were a standout performer in November. They closed out the month 17% in the green – well ahead of most healthcare majors.

    However, the dip in Pro Medicus shares is accompanied by a sector-wide sell-off. This sell-off has been in situ since we rolled into December.

    For instance, the S&P/ASX 200 Health Care Index (XHJ) has slipped 5% since the end of November, and shows no sign of slowing from the open today.

    Concern around the Omicron COVID-19 variant and frothy share markets around the world has many investors taking risk off the table and seeking more defensive positions in safer assets, according to recent analysis from Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan.

    Goldman has even lowered its 2022 US GDP forecasts from 4.2% to 3.8%, citing risks and potential impacts of the new strain, according to reporting from Bloomberg Intelligence.

    This activity appears to have boded poorly for ASX health care shares, Pro Medicus included.

    Although, the team at investment bank Citi reckons the pullback in the company’s share price is warranted.

    The firm rates Pro Medicus a sell at $45/share and reckons that investors could be overly optimistic in their growth projections for the company.

    Citi notes the presence of many substitute products from Pro Medicus’ competitors that could originate in future. This poses a threat to the company’s profits and could compress its margins going forward, the broker says.

    In the absence of any price-sensitive information out of the company’s camp lately, it appears that weakness in the wider sector has spilled over into names like Pro Medicus as a negative catalyst to its share price.

    Pro Medicus share price snapshot

    In the past 12 months the Pro Medicus share price has climbed more than 90%. Pro Medicus shares have rallied 67% this year to date.

    However, they have taken a backward step in the last month and are almost 7% in the red. The Pro Medicus share price has fallen 6.65% in just the last week of trading.

    The post The Pro Medicus (ASX:PME) share price has dropped 8% in 3 days. What’s going on? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Pro Medicus right now?

    Before you consider Pro Medicus, 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 Pro Medicus wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for nearly 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 August 16th 2021

    More reading

    The author has no positions in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended Pro Medicus Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Pro Medicus Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended SDI Limited and Sonic Healthcare 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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  • Here’s why the Coda Minerals (ASX:COD) share price is rocketing 18% today

    asx share price increase represented by golden dollar sign rocketing out from white domes of lithium

    The Coda Minerals Ltd (ASX: COD) share price is rocketing today, up 18% at time of writing to $1 per share.

    Below we take a look at the latest drilling results that look to be driving investor interest in the ASX resource explorer.

    What drilling results were announced?

    The Coda Minerals share price is surging after the company reported “significant preliminary results” at its Elizabeth Creek Project, located in South Australia.

    The results come from its ongoing iron oxide copper gold (IOCG) drilling program at Emmie Bluff Deeps. That’s part of Elizabeth Creek, which Coda is exploring along with its joint venture partner on the project, Torrens Mining Ltd (ASX: TRN). The Torrens share price is up 5% today.

    According to the release, 4 new holes had hit thick copper-sulphide mineralised intercepts. This now extends the mineralised envelop to the north, east and south. The company highlighted that one hole struck zones “dominated by bornite, a high-grade copper sulphide”. The core of that mineralised zone has been extended 70 metres and remains open to the south.

    The Coda Minerals share price could be getting an extra boost from the company’s statement that historical data “indicates the potential for significant extension in multiple directions” across the project.

    Commenting on the results, Coda Mineral’s CEO, Chris Stevens said:

    We have now had an outstanding run of nine holes from this and the previous drilling program. All have returned materially important intersections and we are beginning to demonstrate a clear trend of increasing thickness and tenor of mineralisation as we systematically follow the bornite-dominant zone to the south-east.

    In particular, the results from EBD3W3B are exceptional. Once confirmed by assays, this hole will not only materially extend the known bornite-dominated zone but should also give us one of our thickest sulphide intersections to date.

    Stevens said Coda had a cash balance of $17.8 million as at 30 September, leaving the company well-funded to continue its “ambitious ongoing exploration program” well into 2022.

    Citing delays at assay laboratories that are impacting everyone in the industry, Coda expects to receive assay results for the 5 holes before Christmas.

    Stay tuned.

    Coda Minerals share price snapshot

    It’s been a banner year for the Coda Minerals share price, up 211% since 4 January. For some context, the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) has gained 8% year-to-date.

    Over the past month shares, in Coda Minerals are up 12%.

    The post Here’s why the Coda Minerals (ASX:COD) share price is rocketing 18% today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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  • Why is the Magellan (ASX:MFG) share price slipping today?

    A businessman slips and spills his coffee.

    The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is having a bumpy start to the trading week this morning. The ASX 200 is currently down by 0.21%% at 7,244 points after a brief dive and rebound just after market open today. But one ASX 200 share is still very much in the red so far. That would be the Magellan Financial Group Ltd (ASX: MFG) share price.

    Magellan shares are, at the time of writing, down a nasty 3.61% at $31.20 a share. Not only that, this ASX fund manager dipped as low as $30.15 a share earlier in the trading day. That’s a new 52-week low for Magellan shares. It’s also the lowest pricing this company has seen since early 2019.

    So what’s gone so wrong for Magellan today?

    It’s likely to do with the funds under management (FUM) update the company released to the markets before open this morning.

    Magellan, as a fund manager, releases its FUM every month, including its specific inflows and outflows. Today’s release covered the month of November.

    Magellan share price slumps on FUM numbers

    So Magellan told investors that its total FUM stood at $116.413 billion (as of 30 November). That’s up 1.41% from the $114.8 billion the company recorded on 31 October.

    Retail FUM decreased slightly over the month, falling from $30.31 billion on 31 October to $20.23 billion on 30 November. However, institutional FUM rose from $84.5 billion to $86.18 billion over the same period.

    All three of Magellan’s fund divisions saw rises. Global Equities rose from $85.14 billion to $86.27 billion. Infrastructure Equities was up from $19.97 billion to $20.45 billion, while Australian Equities rose from $9.69 billion to $9.7 billion.

    Saying that, the Australian dollar had quite a fall between 31 October and 30 November. Magellan tells us that the Aussie was buying 75.11 US cents as of its October numbers, but had fallen to 70.9 US cents by November. As you can tell from the above figures, the vast majority of Magellan’s FUM is invested in international assets, most of which would be priced in US dollars.

    As such, it’s very possible that on a constant currency basis, Magellan’s FUM would have actually fallen over the month just gone, or at least not look quite as rosy as it does with the drop included.

    This could be one of the reasons why investors seem to have reacted so negatively to this announcement this morning.

    Whatever the real reason for investors’ harsh reaction today, no doubt many of Magellan’s investors will be disappointed.

    At the current Magellan share price, this company has a market capitalisation of $5.79 billion, a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 21.6 and a trailing dividend yield of 6.77%

    The post Why is the Magellan (ASX:MFG) share price slipping today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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    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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  • ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) midday update: Metcash jumps, Kogan and Zip sink

    a woman checks her mobile phone against the background of illuminated share market boards with graphs and tables.

    At lunch on Monday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is following the lead of US markets and trading lower. The benchmark index is currently down 0.2% to 7,225.7 points.

    Here’s what is happening on the ASX 200 today:

    Metcash half year results impress

    The Metcash Limited (ASX: MTS) share price is charging higher today after delivering a strong half year result. For the six months ended 31 October, Metcash reported a 1.3% increase in revenue to $7.2 billion and underlying profit after tax growth of 13.1% to $146.6 million. As a comparison, Ord Minnett was expecting a net profit of $141 million for the six months. In addition, Metcash revealed that the second half has started strongly.

    Kogan and Redbubble sink

    It has not been a good start to the week for ecommerce companies Kogan.com Ltd (ASX: KGN) and Redbubble Ltd (ASX: RBL). Both ASX shares are tumbling today amid weakness in the tech sector and news that they are being dumped from the ASX 200 index at the next quarterly rebalance. They will leave the index along with four other shares on 20 December.

    Bapcor CEO kicked out

    The Bapcor Ltd (ASX: BAP) share price has continued its slide after revealing that its CEO will now exit immediately instead of in February. The auto parts retailer advised that since announcing the retirement of Darryl Abotomey as its CEO, there has been a marked deterioration in the relationship between him and the Board. As a result, “Mr Abotomey’s position as MD and CEO has become untenable.” This led to the Board making the unanimous decision to exercise its rights to bring forward his retirement immediately.

    Best and worst ASX 200 performers

    The best performer on the ASX 200 on Monday has been the Metcash share price with a gain of almost 6% following its half year results. The worst performer has been the Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P) share price with a 7.5% decline amid broad weakness in the tech and BNPL markets today.

    The post ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) midday update: Metcash jumps, Kogan and Zip sink appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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    Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended Kogan.com ltd and ZIPCOLTD FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Kogan.com ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Bapcor. 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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