The Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Ltd (ASX: BEN) share price dropped 7% in November 2021. What could be next for the regional bank?

Last month saw the challenger bank drop from $9.25 to $8.57.

What happened in November 2021 that may have impacted the Bendigo share price?

Whilst there has been significant commentary on the Omicron COVID-19 variant and inflation impacts on potential interest rates, Bendigo Bank itself did make two notable ASX announcements.

AGM

One event was the bank’s annual general meeting (AGM), where it gets to tell shareholders about the last financial year and normally comments on the outlook for the next financial year (and beyond).

Bendigo Bank noted that it has been growing its customer numbers and market share in both landing and deposits through improved productivity, speed to market, its “robust” balance sheet and digital acquisitions and investments.

Its customers numbers grew 9.6% to more than 2 million, whilst its net promoter score – a metric which measures the likelihood of customers recommending the bank to a friend or colleague – remains nearly 26 points ahead of the industry average.

The key strategic focus of the business is to reduce complexity, invest in capability and tell its story to customers so that it’s Australia’s bank of choice and drive long-term sustainable value.

It’s seeking partners that can help extend the bank’s reach and capability. This can be in a number of different areas including product providers, technology, distribution or unique partnerships.

Bendigo Bank recently acquired Ferocia to accelerate its digital strategy and Up’s growth. Up is Australia’s highest rated banking app.

Management also commented that in this year, the bank has continued to grow market share, customer numbers, total lending and deposits. Hearing about ongoing growth can have an impact on investor thoughts about the Bendigo Bank share price.

Another positive that Bendigo referred to was that the economic contraction was not as severe through the pandemic as initially expected, which has improved the forward outlook.

Digital transformation

Near the end of November 2021, Bendigo outlined its digital transformation roadmap.

In FY22 and FY23 the bank outlined that it’s going to work on loan processing automation. Between FY22 and FY24 it’s continuing broadening its in-app sales and self-service capability, as well as offering new digital propositions.

It outlined a number of targets that it wants to achieve by FY24, improving from what that metric was in FY19.

Bendigo Bank wants to improve the average time to a decision for home loans from 22 days to 1 day. The bank wants to improve the percentage of automated credit decisioning on home loans from 0% to 90%. It wants to increase the percentage of active e-banking customers from 53.9% to 90%. Finally, it wants to grow the percentage of sales by digital channels from 19.2% to 60%.

Is the Bendigo Bank share price good value?

Brokers are mixed on the regional bank. One of the most recent ratings has come from Citi, which rates it as a ‘neutral’ with a price target of $9.25.

The post The Bendigo and Adelaide Bank (ASX:BEN) share price lost 7% in November. What’s next? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Here are the 3 top-performing ASX 200 banks of November
• What’s JP Morgan saying about ASX 200 bank shares?
• Here’s why these 3 All Ordinaries shares just hit 52-week lows
• It’s a buy: Why did Jefferies just upgrade the Bendigo Bank (ASX:BEN) share price?
• Why is the Bendigo Bank (ASX:BEN) share price having such a tough time of late?

Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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 As we discussed earlier this week, the Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS) is one of the most popular exchange-traded funds (ETFs) on the share market today. According to data from CommSec, VGS is currently the sixth-most popular ETF on the ASX boards. As well as the second-most popular ETF that invests outside the ASX. 

As it stands today, this Vanguard International Shares ETF has more than $4.3 billion in funds under management (FUM).

In addition to being one of the most popular ETFs on the ASX boards, VGS is also one of the most diversified. If you think the ASX’s most popular fund – the Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (ASX: VAS) – is diversified with its 300 or so holdings, this will knock your socks off. 

As it stands today, VGS is currently invested in more than 1,500 different underlying companies, spread across more than 20 countries. Its largest weighting is by far to the United States, which commands almost 70% of this ETF’s underlying portfolio. But other advanced economies also have a meaningful presence. These include Japan, the United Kingdom, Canada, Singapore, New Zealand and a range of European countries.

Earlier this week, we covered VGS’s performance, which has been a lot better than the ASX’s over the past decade or so. Vanguard’s ASX 300 VAS ETF has averaged a return of 10.99% over annum over the past five years. In contrast, VGS has managed 15.96% per annum over the same period.

But how does VGS fare when it comes to paying out income, something that many ASX investors are perpetually interested in?

What kind of dividend income does VGS provide?

Like most Vanguard ETFs, VGS pays out a quarterly dividend distribution ito its investors. It’s last four distributions were as follows:

• 40.34 cents per unit for the quarter ending 31 December 2020
• 31.56 cents per unit for the quarter ending 31 March 2021
• 81.3 cents per unit for the quarter ending 30 June 2021
• 34.26 cents per unit for the quarter ending 30 September 2021

That adds up to a trailing annual distribution of $1.87 per unit.

On today’s present VGS unit price of $105.28, that gives VGS a trailing yield of 1.78%.

Although VGS doesn’t hold the kinds of income-spewing ASX shares at its top as VAS does, it still holds a number of formidable dividend payers in its largest holdings. These include Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL), Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT), Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) and Exxon Mobil Corp (NYSE: XOM).

The Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF charges an annual management fee of 0.18%.

The post What kind of dividend does the Vanguard International Shares ETF (ASX:VGS) pay? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• VGS vs VAS: Which ETF comes out on top?
• 2 leading ASX ETFs for excellent global diversification
• 3 ETFs for ASX investors to buy now
• Here’s why not all ASX ETFs are created equal
• Why do investors buy the Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (ASX:VAS) when they can buy individual shares?

Teresa Kersten, an employee of LinkedIn, a Microsoft subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen owns shares of Johnson & Johnson. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended Microsoft and Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Apple and Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF. 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 article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

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

This has been a tough year for ARK Invest founder and CEO Cathie Wood. Her style of investing has fallen out of favor, and many of her larger holdings have shed more than half of their peak values.

Among her funds’ holdings, Twilio (NYSE: TWLO), Zoom Video Communications (NASDAQ: ZM), and Toast (NYSE: TOST) are down by 43%, 56%, and 50%, respectively, from the all-time highs they hit earlier this year. ARK Invest added to all three positions on Wednesday.

Twilio

The best performer on this list — relatively speaking, of course — is Twilio, which has shed more than 40% of its value since peaking in February. It’s a pretty dynamic company, providing developers of some of the most popular smartphone apps with in-app communication solutions. 

What does this mean exactly? Well, if you’re hailing a ride, it’s Twilio helping you communicate with your driver. Twilio can help parties communicate by text or voice without having to leave a business’s app or reveal sensitive contact information. Its success is tethered to the success of its active customers, which now number more than 250,000. Its dollar-based net expansion rate of 131% means that its returning developer clients are, on average, spending 31% more with Twilio than they were a year ago. This is a testament to both increased usage volume and the company’s ability to “land and expand” with other platform offerings. 

Twilio’s revenue soared by 65% in its latest quarter, but acquisitions have typically padded its top line. Organic revenue rose by just 38%, and that result didn’t please the market despite it being a healthy rate of year-over-year improvement. Investors are also concerned about larger than expected losses in Twilio’s refreshed guidance, but you have to give the company the benefit of the doubt when it comes to investing in its future. 

Zoom Video Communications

Another stock that was doing poorly this year even before its latest financial update sent the shares even lower is Zoom. The videoconferencing giant erupted onto the scene early last year when people found themselves in sudden need of an intuitive videoconferencing solution that would allow them to keep learning, working, and socializing during the early months of the COVID-19 crisis. 

The public isn’t as interested in the stock these days, but the irony here is that Zoom is still growing, even as we’re now in the third quarter of lapping pandemic-era financials. Its revenue rose 35% in its most recent quarter, beating expectations and signaling that the platform’s premium subscriptions are still essential purchases. Management is guiding for growth to decelerate to 19% in the current quarter, and even a recently botched acquisition isn’t stopping the company from expanding its offerings to take advantage of its still sizable audience. 

Toast

Restaurants are Toast these days, and that capitalization isn’t a typo. More than 48,000 restaurants are leaning heavily on Toast, a cloud-based platform that manages everything from incoming orders to inventory management to customer loyalty programs. 

Revenue skyrocketed by 105% through the first nine months of this year, and that was after climbing 24% in 2020 when most eateries were running with scaled-back operations. As we venture out to our favorite restaurants again — and as Toast helps owners with the tech required to handle the boom in digital take-out and third-party delivery app orders — Toast is well-positioned as a reopening play. But the stock has shed half of its value since peaking shortly after the company went public in late September.  

Twilio, Zoom, and Toast remain viable growth stocks. They’re just a lot cheaper now than they were earlier this year, and ARK Invest’s Wood isn’t afraid to follow some of her favorite stocks lower. 

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

The post Cathie Wood goes bargain hunting: 3 stocks she just bought appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why Zoom shares plunged on Tuesday
• Is the bull market in high-growth Nasdaq stocks over?

Rick Munarriz 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 Twilio and Zoom Video Communications. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Twilio and Zoom Video Communications. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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

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The Pan Asia Metals Ltd (ASX: PAM) share price is up today after a positive drilling update from its prospect in Thailand.

The Pan Asia Metals share price is currently up 1.08% at 47 cents after surging to an intraday high of 53 cents in early trade.

Pan Asia Metals is an ASX battery metals explorer with four lithium projects in southern Thailand.

What did the company announce?

Investors have reacted positively to the company’s lithium drilling results from its Reung Kiet Lithium prospect.

In today’s release, Pan Asia Metals advised testing results from four drill holes at the mine showed strong lithium mineralisation with robust thickness and grades.

This follows promising lithium results from 6 additional drill holes at the mine, as reported in September.

Lithium is heavily used in electric vehicle (EV) battery technology, which is gaining momentum in Asia and globally.

The company noted its 4 Southeast Asian projects were close to growing EV markets, reducing shipping costs.

Management commentary

Pan Asia Metals managing director Paul Lock said:

We continue to be very satisfied with the assay results we are seeing.

Our drilling results suggest that a 10,000 tonne per annum lithium chemical plant is a realistic objective.

Pan Asia Metals share price snapshot

The Pan Asia Metals share price has surged 235.7% in the past 12 months. This compares favourably against the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO), which is up 10.17% in the past 52 weeks.

However, the company’s share price has dropped 12.9% in the past month.

The post Why did the Pan Asia Metals (ASX:PAM) share price surge 10% today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Can Wesfarmers (ASX:WES) win the battle to take over API?
• Why are people talking about Techtronic Industries shares today?
• Here’s why the Critical Resources (ASX:CRR) share price is surging 16% today
• Here’s why the Tuas (ASX:TUA) share price is leaping 10% to a record high on Friday
• How did the Macquarie (ASX:MQG) share price stack up in November?

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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Competition between Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES) and Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) has burst into an inferno as the pair go head to head to take over the owner of Priceline.

The latter retail giant lobbed a bid for Australian Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (ASX: API) yesterday. Its offer surpasses Wesfarmers’ longstanding takeover bid by 12.9%.

At the time of writing, the Wesfarmers share price is $57.38, 0.76% lower than its previous close.

For context, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is currently down 0.02%.

Wesfarmers back in the ring to take over API

Wesfarmers is once again in a surprise battle to win all API’s remaining shares despite its takeover offer having already been accepted by the pharmaceutical company.

API agreed to go ahead with Wesfarmers’ $763 million acquisition offer earlier this month after fellow pharmaceutical company Sigma Healthcare Ltd (ASX: SIG) redacted its takeover offer.

But that could all be upset now Woolworths has outbid Wesfarmers by more than $100 million.

Both companies are looking to acquire the company – which would see them owning Priceline stores. Thus, it would see the winner expanding into the growing health, wellbeing, and beauty market.

However, Woolworths’ inclusion in the battle for the pharmaceutical giant has raised the eyebrows of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia.

A spokesperson for the guild said it’s looking forward to “having many conversations with the Woolworths team as well as with Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Leader of the Opposition Anthony Albanese” regarding Woolworths’ potential takeover. They questioned:

Why is a company with interests in the alcohol, tobacco, gambling, and nightclub industries wanting to move into healthcare?

How does it hope to convince Australians that it is serious about their health and welfare?

How will it ensure the successful community pharmacy model, which is custodian of the PBS (Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme), is protected and maintained?

Woolworths Group CEO Brad Banducci has stated the company would be committed to supporting API’s community pharmacy partners. It will also ensure all Australians have access to a full range of PBS and other medicines. He also commented:

Health and wellness is a large, fast-growing category and API would be a fantastic addition to our food and everyday needs ecosystem.

All eyes will be on Wesfarmers and Woolworths – and their share prices – as the retail giants battle to get a foothold in the increasingly lucrative market.

The post Can Wesfarmers (ASX:WES) win the battle to take over API? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why API, Chalice Mining, GUD, and Worley shares are charging higher
• ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) midday update: Afterpay sinks, Woolworths bids for API
• API (ASX:API) share price rockets 16% higher after Woolworths launches takeover approach
• Why the Wesfarmers (ASX:WES) share price lost momentum in November
• Woolworths (ASX:WOW) share price falls after outbidding Wesfarmers for API

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 owns shares of and has recommended Wesfarmers 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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Have you heard whispers of a company called Techtronic Industries Co. Ltd. (HKG: 0669) and wondered what people are talking about? Many ASX investors might not have heard of Techtronic Industries shares prior to today. But a mention in the annual Sohn Hearts & Minds Investment Conference has brought the company into focus.

For starters, we have to explore beyond the realm of the ASX for this one. Rather than being on our local exchange, Techtronic trades on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong. This might explain why some investors aren’t too familiar with the business. However, if you have done some DIY projects there’s a good chance Techtronic’s products have been in your hands.

So, what is Techtronic, and what is all the fuss about Techtronic Industries shares today?

Putting the power in your hands

While the name Techtronic Industries may not resonate, the company’s brands will likely ring a bell. The US$39 billion power tool and outdoor equipment company encompasses recognisable brands including Milwaukee, AEG, and Ryobi.

In addition, the company operates through brands such as Homelite, Kango, Hoover, and Vax. The common denominator across all of their brands is that their products are cordless. This improves safety and ease of use for everyone from the casual DIYer to the everyday professional.

At today’s Sohn conference, Cooper Investors portfolio manager Qiao Ma has called out Techtronic Industries shares as her pick for 2022. She described it as more of a Silicon Valley company than an industrials company.

Ma said:

Every component that goes into a Techtronic power tools product, every step of the production process has been carefully thought through to make sure they stay at the forefront of technology. Let’s use batteries as an example. As early as 2004, Techtronic migrated its entire toolset into lithium-ion batteries.

The company has experienced an incredible surge in revenue and earnings in the past financial year. In FY21, revenue increased 47% to US$12 billion. Similarly, the company’s net profit ballooned by 50% to US$992.791 million.

The case for Techtronic Industries shares

Ma makes the case for her highest conviction stock pick for 2022. The portfolio manager believes the company’s obsession and focus on a niche industry gives it an edge when it comes to understanding its customers.

Furthermore, in the past year, Techtronic has launched 500 new products. In Ma’s view, this category expansion is limitless and offers a lot of upside in increasing sales.

Speaking of which, the portfolio manager highlighted the company’s ability to grow sales at 13% per year over the past 13 years, stating:

That tells us one thing, that Techtronic is not growing sales by cutting prices and competing on volume, it’s really creating a premium end product and commanding a very healthy product margin.

At the time of writing, Techtronic Industries shares are sitting at $170.30. However, Ma believes it could reach $250 per share within 12 to 18 months.

The post Why are people talking about Techtronic Industries shares today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Here’s why the Critical Resources (ASX:CRR) share price is surging 16% today
• Here’s why the Tuas (ASX:TUA) share price is leaping 10% to a record high on Friday
• How did the Macquarie (ASX:MQG) share price stack up in November?
• Omicron what? Dow Jones shakes off fears, surges 680 points
• Here are 6 of the worst performing ASX shares of November

Motley Fool contributor Mitchell Lawler 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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The Critical Resources Ltd (ASX: CRR) share price is shooting higher today, up 16% at time of writing.

Below, we take a look at the junior explorer’s early drill results that look to be spurring ASX investor interest.

What drill results were announced?

The Critical Resources share price is surging after the explorer reported promising early drill results at its 100% owned Gibsons prospect. The prospect is part of the Halls Peak project, located in New South Wales.

This is the first time that Halls Peak, which Critical Resources labels “a prime exploration area” is being surveyed using modern airborne geophysical exploration techniques.

In this morning’s release, the company reported that the first drill hole of its 2,500 metres diamond drilling exploration program intersected shallow massive sulphide mineralisation in the first 47 metres drilled of a planned 140 metre hole.

The series of stacked massive sulphide lens represent “exhalative accumulations of fluids” containing zinc, lead, copper, silver and gold.

Commenting on the results, Critical Resources managing director Alex Biggs said:

We couldn’t ask for a better start to our drilling campaign at Gibsons after intersecting massive sulphide mineralisation in our first drill hole. We believe that what we see here is indicative of the larger Halls Peak system and we will continue drilling with a view to define the scale and potential of this asset… We look forward to keeping the market updated with more results in the near future.

Drilling at the prospect is ongoing, and the miner will send cores to the ALS laboratory in Brisbane for assaying once the first hole is completed.

Critical Resources share price snapshot

The Critical Resources share price is up 145% in 2021, which compares to a gain of 9% posted by the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO).

Over the past month, Critical Resources shares are up 14%.

The post Here’s why the Critical Resources (ASX:CRR) share price is surging 16% today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Here’s why the Tuas (ASX:TUA) share price is leaping 10% to a record high on Friday
• How did the Macquarie (ASX:MQG) share price stack up in November?
• Omicron what? Dow Jones shakes off fears, surges 680 points
• Here are 6 of the worst performing ASX shares of November
• 5 best ASX 200 resource shares to hold in November

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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The Tuas Ltd (ASX: TUA) share price is rocketing to an all-time high today. This comes ahead of the telco provider’s planned annual general meeting (AGM) today, covering business updates and its FY22 outlook.

At the time of writing, Tuas shares are soaring 11.86% to a record high of $2.17. In contrast, the All Ordinaries (ASX: XAO) is up 0.14% to 7,546.5 points.

Key takeaways at Tuas’ AGM

The Tuas share price is rallying into unchartered territory as investors appear excited about the company’s growth plans.

Ahead of its AGM, Tuas highlighted in its pre-released presentation the group financials, including TPG Singapore’s performance.

The company achieved unaudited revenue of $12.2 million for the 3-month period ending 31 October 2021.

Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) came to $3.7 million, compared to a loss of $2.4 million in the prior quarter. TPG Singapore accounted for an unaudited $3.8 million for Q1 FY22, reflecting the strong performance in a challenging environment.

Tuas closed at the end of October with a cash balance of around $92,000, including term deposits to secure bank guarantees.

Its subscriber base has continued to grow, with the latest figures reaching 435,000 subscribers as of 30 November. Average revenue per user (ARPU) stands at around $9.45.

In regards to the 5G updates, the company has been provisionally awarded a 5G spectrum in the 2.1 GHz spectrum auction. At a cost of $31.72 million, the deal comes with a 15-year license. This allows TPG Singapore to use this spectrum in operating its own 5G network in the country.

The rollout begins in the first quarter of 2022, with the launch of 5G standalone services in 2022.

Looking ahead, Tuas advised that its EBITDA for the year is above the current budget.

Tuas share price snapshot

In addition to today’s significant rise, the Tuas share price has jumped over 210% in the past 12 months. However, when looking at year-to-date performance, the company’s shares are up around 180%.

Tuas commands a market capitalisation of about $978.85 million, with approximately 463.91 million shares on its books.

The post Here’s why the Tuas (ASX:TUA) share price is leaping 10% to a record high on Friday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Tuas (ASX:TUA) share price surges again, up almost 30% this week. Here’s why
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• Tuas (ASX:TUA) share price jumps 5% on acquisition news
• Experts say Tuas (ASX:TUA) share price is a buy even after its 50% surge

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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Shares in Australian investment bank Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG) marginally outperformed the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index (ASX: XJO) last month.

Whereas the broad index slipped 1.56% into the red, the Macquarie share price dipped by 0.97%.

How did Macquarie shares compare to other financials?

The S&P/ASX 200 Financials index (ASX: XFJ) declined 7.4% in November, demonstrating weakness in the sector. But Macquarie outperformed, with each of the other major financials booking substantial losses for the month.

In the early days of November, Macquarie shares once again breached the illustrious $200 per share mark. The stock continued on to post a record closing high of $208 mid-month.

After a smooth acceleration upwards to its record high, the Macquarie share price then levelled off and reversed course. This came amid reports of an industry-wide $80 billion tax scandal towards the end of November. The scandal stems from a German tax loophole believed to have been exploited by many banks between 2001 and 2012.

Whilst Macquarie is amongst more than 100 financial institutions being investigated, its involvement was enough to catch the market’s attention and derail investor sentiment.

As fellow investment bank, JP Morgan recently put it, the FY21 major bank reporting season was “very volatile”.

The mixed results had investors rethinking their capital allocation to ASX financials, according to the broker. This boded poorly for the sector.

Despite the challenges, Macquarie shareholders were relatively unscathed in November and held on to their year-to-date gains.

Is today’s Macquarie share price a buying opportunity?

The team at JP Morgan reckons so. They value Macquarie shares at $214. On Friday afternoon, the Macquarie share price is $199.77, so this implies an upside potential of 7%.

JP Morgan thinks growth trends are set to continue in Macquarie’s Commodities and Global Markets (GCM) segment in FY22. This division has already delivered a 60% year-on-year growth in net profit after tax (NPAT) contribution in the first half.

The broker also notes that Macquarie Investment Management (MIM) will benefit from the Waddell & Reed acquisition.

It also says the bank’s Banking & Financial Services (BFS) division has “potential to double the size of the Australian mortgage book over the next three to four years”.

Fellow broker Jefferies is also bullish and assigns a $214 target on the Macquarie share price.

However, the team at Morgan Stanley have the most optimistic projections, valuing Macquarie at $245 per share from internal modelling.

Finally, the team at Citi recently upgraded its rating on the bank following its first-half results in September. Citi notes it is the fourth sequential quarter that Macquarie recognised more than $1 billion in net profit.

In a recent note, the broker also confirmed that Macquarie’s share purchase plan has had no impact on its price valuation of the Aussie investment bank.

It values Macquarie at $226 per share, implying a margin of safety of more than 13% at the time of writing.

Overall, 62% of the analysts covering Macquarie have it as a buy. Just one broker says sell with a $145 share price target.

The Macquarie share price has risen by 44% in the past 12 months.

The post How did the Macquarie (ASX:MQG) share price stack up in November? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Did the Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO) share price start a recovery in November 2021?
• Macquarie (ASX:MQG) share price gains as former RBA governor named chair
• ASX shares to buy for the Omicron COVID outbreak
• What’s JP Morgan saying about ASX 200 bank shares?
• Here’s why some ASX 200 bank shares are having a terrific Tuesday

Citigroup is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. JPMorgan Chase is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. 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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This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

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

Investors are breathing a sigh of relief on Dec. 2 following yesterday’s Dow Jones Industrials (DJINDICES: ^DJI) 462-point decline. At 2:11 p.m. ET, the Dow Jones is up 680 points, or 2% higher, as investor worry about the Omicron variant of the coronavirus fades. Today’s gains are broad, with 26 of the Dow Jones’ 30 component stocks, including Boeing, higher today. 

Today’s gains are led by aerospace giant Boeing (NYSE: BA), one of yesterday’s worst performers. Shares are up more than 5% on both the reduced fears that Omicron will lead to broad travel bans and news that Chinese regulators are set to recertify the 737 MAX for commercial operation in that country. 

Following on Boeing’s heels are payments and credit card giants Visa (NYSE: V) and American Express (NYSE: AXP), with shares up more than 4% on a hopeful outlook about the recovery of global travel and spending. Shares of yesterday’s biggest loser, Salesforce.com (NYSE: CRM), are also up almost 3% today following yesterday’s double-digit drop after giving underwhelming guidance for its fourth quarter. 

Today’s worst-performing Dow stock is Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), down more than 1% on rumors that demand for the iPhone 13 is falling. 

Boeing investors hopeful on China and continued travel recovery

Word first got out a couple of weeks ago that the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) was getting closer to letting the company’s flagship, narrow-body jet return to commercial service. But a report in The Wall Street Journal on Thursday offered more detail, including what looks like a complete list of changes it requires Boeing to make. That’s a serious step toward recertification that would also likely lead to a big jump in orders for Boeing aircraft to service Chinese markets after a multiyear freeze on sales to Chinese operators. 

Boeing’s gains, exceeding most stocks today, weren’t just a product of good news out of China. Like the other consumer and travel-related companies that gained sharply today, investors are also betting that travel and spending will continue to trend higher, and the initial worries about the Omicron coronavirus variant are probably overdone. 

Omicron bull market?

It seems that many investors believe that to be the case, with most of yesterday’s biggest losers and many of the Dow Jones stocks that fell yesterday reporting gains. These include Visa and American Express, which have seen most of their in-country payment volume recover and surge past 2019 levels. However, both have seen cross-border transactions from travel continue to lag pre-COVID numbers. Investors also sent bank stocks up today, with Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) and JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM) up more than 2.5% on hopes for continued economic health and the potential that interest rates will move higher sooner rather than later. That’s a positive for lenders. 

Shares of Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT) and Walt Disney (NYSE: DIS) also gained more than 2.5% today, on expectations that businesses will continue to buy heavy equipment, and consumers will continue to spend and increasingly travel, ideally to Disney resorts and theme parks. Home Depot (NYSE: HD), one of yesterday’s biggest winners, gained another 2% today as investors remain convinced that the home improvement giant will continue to win customers looking to improve their current home or update the home they just bought. Housing demand continues to remain sky-high, a positive indicator for the home improvement giant’s prospects. 

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

The post Omicron what? Dow Jones shakes off fears, surges 680 points appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Jason Hall owns shares of Visa and Walt Disney. American Express is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. JPMorgan Chase is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended Salesforce.com. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Apple, Salesforce.com, and Walt Disney. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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

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