Key points

• Consumer staples shares are often referred to as ‘safe’ shares
• But just how safe are they?
• Let’s crunch some numbers and see how they’ve performed recently

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When it comes to investing, a popular opinion that you might come across (especially in times like these) is that consumer staples shares are ‘safe’ investments to hold during a market correction or crash.

If you weren’t aware, a consumer staples company is one whose primary business is producing food, drinks, alcohol, tobacco, or household essentials such as laundry powder, dishwashing detergent, or razor blades. If you can’t live (or live in a modern way) without it, chances are it’s a consumer staples product.

So you can see why some investors would regard a company that is in the business of supplying these kinds of products might be viewed as safe or recession-proof. No matter how bad the economy might get, we all still need to eat, drink, and clean our houses. Many of us would be loath to give up our vices as well.

So here on the ASX, most of our consumer staples companies are middlemen. Think Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) or Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL). Although these companies don’t technically produce most of the products they sell themselves, they still participate in the consumer staples value chain.

So let’s see how these companies have performed over the past month or so. As most investors would be aware, the past few weeks have been brutal for many ASX investors, with the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) losing approximately 7.15% year to date in 2022.

Have ASX consumer staples shares protected their owners from the market selloff?

Well, if we take the Woolworths share price, we might be able to get some idea as to how consumer staples shares have performed in a period of market turmoil like we have seen recently.

Since the start of the year, the Woolworths share price has gone from $38.47 to the $34.51. That’s a fall of 10.3% — a performance that handily trails the broader market. What about Coles ? Well, it’s down by very similar amount — 9.9% at the time of writing.

So it’s not looking too good for consumer staples shares thus far.

Let’s take a few more consumer staples shares. There’s Treasury Wine Estates Ltd (ASX: TWE) and Metcash Limited (ASX: MTS). Treasury shares have lost 12.25% since the start of 2022, while Metcash is down 7.5% over the same period. Again, all ASX 200 underperformance.

So, all in all, it seems that ASX consumer staples shares have not delivered their investors any protection from the selloff we have seen on the share market over the year so far. In fact, all of the big consumer staples shares we have discussed today have been crushed by the market during this downturn.

Let’s be clear, there’s nothing wrong with consumer staples shares. But the evidence here clearly shows that they are not immune to underperforming the market in a downturn. It just goes to show that, as Mark Twain once said, ‘what gets us into trouble is not what we don’t know. It’s what we know for sure that just ain’t so’.

The post Are ASX consumer staples shares really ‘safe’ to hold in a market selloff? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 2 ASX dividend shares Morgans rates as buys
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday
• Here are the top 10 ASX shares today
• Here are the 3 most heavily traded ASX 200 shares this Monday
• Why are these beaten-up small cap ASX tech shares seeing 52-week lows today?

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 owns and has recommended COLESGROUP DEF SET. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Treasury Wine Estates Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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Key points

• Sezzle shares are rocketing after confirming takeover talks with Zip
• Zip is looking to acquire Sezzle but talks are at a preliminary stage
• No financial details have been provided to the market

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The Sezzle Inc (ASX: SZL) share price is having its best day in a long time on Tuesday.

In late morning trade, the buy now pay later (BNPL) provider’s shares are up 20% to $2.57.

Why is the Sezzle share price shooting higher?

The catalyst for the rise in the Sezzle share price on Tuesday has been news that the company is a takeover target.

According to the release, Sezzle has confirmed that it is in discussions with larger rival Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P). However, it has warned that talks are at an early stage and there’s no guarantee that a transaction will materialise.

The company commented: “Sezzle confirms that it is currently engaged in preliminary discussions with Zip regarding a possible merger. No definitive agreement has been reached between the parties in relation to any transaction. There is no certainty at this time that these discussions will result in a transaction.”

Zip also responded to the speculation by confirming the talks. It said: “Zip confirms it is in discussions with Sezzle in relation to a potential acquisition. Zip is always interested in pursuing options that are in the best interests of shareholders.”

What price will Zip pay for Sezzle?

Neither party has provided any indication of the proposed terms of the deal. However, The Australian has suggested that Zip would be required to pay a 50% premium to the Sezzle share price at the close of play on Monday.

That would mean a price of approximately $3.21 per share, which values Sezzle at a little under $600 million. While this is a far cry from Sezzle’s 52-week high of $11.99, a lot has changed in the sector in respect to valuations since its shares were trading at that level.

The post Why is the Sezzle (ASX:SZL) share price rocketing 20% higher? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Zip (ASX:Z1P) share price higher amid Sezzle acquisition talks
• These are the 10 most shorted ASX shares
• Why are these beaten-up small cap ASX tech shares seeing 52-week lows today?
• Is the BNPL party over? The Zip Co (ASX:Z1P) share price plunges 25% this YTD
• The Nasdaq Index fell 2.7% on Friday. What does that mean for ASX tech shares?

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

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Key points

• The Novonix share price is down 5.95%%
• The lithium-ion battery materials developer plans to acquire 5% of US-based Kore Power
• The agreement is subject to board approval

The Novonix Ltd (ASX: NVX) share price is sliding today amid the company releasing plans to acquire 5% of US battery cell developer Kore Power.

The battery materials company’s shares are currently trading at $7.75 apiece, a fall of 5.95%. The company’s share price has been on the slide since market open. For perspective, the broader S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is down 1.58% at the time of writing.

Let’s take a look at what the company announced today.

New agreement

Novonix informed investors it intends to acquire a 5% stake in Kore Power Inc. Kore Power is a battery cell developer for the clean energy industry based in the US state of Idaho. The agreement will depend on board approval from both companies.

Novonix is a developer of materials for the global lithium-ion battery industry. The company said it has executed a letter of intent on the proposed investment to strengthen its North American battery supply chain.

Under the agreement, Novonix would become the exclusive supplier of graphite anode materials to Kore’s battery cell manufacturing facility in the US.

Commenting on the agreement, Novonix co-founder and CEO Dr Chris Burns said:

Novonix and Kore Power have been actively working together to improve battery technology utilising Novonix’s proprietary cell testing technologies, and these agreements deepen our longstanding collaboration.

We are reducing the reliance on foreign materials and furthering the United States’ position as a global energy storage leader by providing high capacity long-life synthetic graphite anode material to a leading domestic developer.

If the proposal goes ahead, Novonix would purchase 3,333,333 Kore Power shares at $7.50 per share.

Novonix revealed in January it has commenced the process for a secondary listing on the Nasdaq stock exchange. The company has also filed a registration statement with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

The company’s share price had a boost in December on news the company had been added to the S&P/ASX 200 Index.

Share price recap

The Novonix share price has skyrocketed 124% in the past year. However, it’s dropped around 6% in the past month and is down 16% in the past week alone.

In contrast, the broader ASX 200 Index has returned nearly 3% in the past 52 weeks.

Novonix has a market capitalisation of $3.9 billion based on its current share price.

The post Novonix (ASX:NVX) share price drops 6% amid agreement with US battery cell developer appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Here are the top 10 ASX shares today
• Why AGL, Genetic Signatures, Liontown, and Novonix shares are charging higher

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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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.

Several cryptocurrencies are emerging to take on the king of the hill, Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC). Ethereum‘s (CRYPTO: ETH) trading price rose 408% in 2021. Investors like Ethereum as a viable competitor to Bitcoin because of its faster transaction speeds and its large ecosystem of decentralised applications (dApps), which are programs that run on blockchains. 

But there is another up-and-coming crypto starting to show promise. NEAR Protocol (CRYPTO: NEAR) rose 984% last year. This layer-one blockchain offers similar benefits in transaction speeds and utility value as Ethereum, but with much greater upside potential. Let’s check it out.

NEAR’s upside is huge

The entire crypto market is currently worth just over $1.5 trillion. If you’re looking for a relatively safe but strong performer that can multiply your original investment, I would look at smaller blockchains that are seeing price momentum supported by a growing developer community.

NEAR currently has a market cap of $6.2 billion. It could rise 42-fold in value, and it would still only match Ethereum’s current market cap of $268 billion. 

On the other hand, if Ethereum increased 42 times in value, it would command a market cap of over $11 trillion, which is not likely to happen anytime soon.

Supporting the upside case for NEAR are some key developments in the past year that are starting to attract investor interest.

Recent developments 

It can take six minutes to finalize a transaction on the Ethereum blockchain, but NEAR can currently process up to 1,000 transactions per second and has the potential to reach 100,000 per second. 

NEAR uses a technology called sharding, which fundamentally makes it faster than Ethereum. With Ethereum, every transaction must be processed through every node in the network, which slows it down. But with sharding, the work is split among different nodes, so transactions can be processed much faster.

The NEAR Foundation says the rollout of its Simple Nightshade sharding mechanism will make its blockchain “super-fast, incredibly secure, and capable of onboarding millions of users into the world of Web3 without skipping a beat.” 

In the same announcement, NEAR disclosed that only 13% of the network was being used in mid-November of 2021, but the NEAR team said that the average number of daily transactions had risen to more than 300,000, with “more and more projects building” on the blockchain. Prices of cryptocurrencies tend to follow growth in developer projects, so this is a strong indicator of where NEAR might be heading.

NEAR has one of the fastest-growing developer communities, and that’s being validated by a rising value in the market. I believe it’s a promising cryptocurrency to buy with higher upside than Ethereum in 2022.

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

The post This crypto will be the Ethereum of 2022 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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John Ballard owns Bitcoin. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns and has recommended Bitcoin and 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.

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

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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.

Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) is set to release its fiscal 2022 first-quarter results after the market closes on Thursday, Jan. 27, and investors would be hoping for a solid performance from the company to arrest the stock’s slide.

Shares of Apple have been going downhill in 2022 due to the sell-off in tech stocks, which has been triggered by the Federal Reserve’s hawkish stance that could result in as many as four interest rate hikes in 2022 to keep inflation under control.

AAPL data by YCharts.

Reasons to sell

Apple CEO Tim Cook had pointed out on the October 2021 earnings conference call that the company lost an estimated $6 billion in revenue in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021, driven by “industrywide silicon shortages and COVID-related manufacturing disruptions.” Cook had added that “the impact from supply constraints will be larger during the December quarter.”

Apple had declined to issue revenue guidance for Q1 because of the supply chain problems, so it remains to be seen how its results stack up against Wall Street’s expectations. Analysts expect Apple’s revenue to increase just 6% year over year in the fiscal first quarter to $118.4 billion. The company had recorded a 21% year-over-year increase in revenue in the same quarter last year to $111.4 billion and finished fiscal 2021 with a 33% spike in full-year revenue to $365.8 billion.

Higher rates encourage investors to shift their money from high-risk companies to relatively safer investments such as bonds. Additionally, higher interest rates increase borrowing costs that could hurt the bottom line, which is something investors don’t want to see in richly valued stocks.

Throw in the fact that Apple was suffering from supply chain problems during the holiday season, and the odds seem to be stacked against the iPhone maker when it releases its results. Does this mean that investors should start selling Apple stock before its earnings report? Or should they take advantage of the dip and buy more? Let’s find out.

The company’s earnings, on the other hand, are expected to increase only 12% year over year during the quarter. For comparison, Apple had clocked a 71% increase in adjusted earnings in fiscal 2021 to $5.61 per share.

What’s more worrying is that Apple’s growth could slow down meaningfully this fiscal year. Analysts are expecting just 4.5% revenue growth in fiscal 2022 to $382.3 billion, while earnings are expected to increase just 2.3% to $5.74 per share. The potential interest rate hikes could add to the gloom and keep Apple from repeating its stellar stock market performance of the past three years.

AAPL data by YCharts

So, there are quite a few reasons why investors may want to sell Apple stock before its earnings report. However, savvy investors should focus on the bigger picture as the company could spring a surprise, both in the short and in the long run.

Reasons to buy Apple stock

It would be a bad idea to write off Apple given the way it is dominating the 5G smartphone market. Strategy Analytics reports that Apple has been the top 5G smartphone vendor ever since it launched its first 5G-enabled device in the fourth quarter of 2020. More specifically, Apple controlled 26% of the 5G smartphone market in the third quarter of 2021, and it is unlikely that it would be giving up the pole position any time soon.

That’s because Apple has a huge installed base of users in an upgrade window that are waiting to get their hands on a 5G iPhone. Wedbush Securities analyst Daniel Ives estimates that around 230 million iPhone users haven’t upgraded their phones in the past three and a half years, which means that Apple’s sales can start picking up once its supply chain problems are sorted.

The good part is that Wall Street sees an improvement in Apple’s supply chain. Wells Fargo analysts have raised their price target on Apple stock to $205, which points toward a 26% potential upside from Friday’s close. Analyst Aaron Rakers says that a combination of supply chain improvements and robust demand for Apple’s products could help it sustain its growth momentum.

CFRA Research also maintains a similar view, stating that supply constraints are likely to ease in the first half of the year and Apple is on track to gain market share in markets such as China. Not surprisingly, analysts believe that the tech giant could outperform expectations. Katy Huberty of Morgan Stanley estimates that Apple sold 83 million iPhones last quarter and outperformed expectations of 80 million units.

Additionally, Apple is expected to sell 55 million iPhones in the current quarter as per Huberty, which would land ahead of the market’s expectations. So, Apple could exceed expectations when it releases its earnings report, and that could help the stock regain its mojo. More importantly, the tech stock could sustain its momentum in the future as well since it is sitting on several mouthwatering catalysts.

In all, a strong report and a robust outlook could send the stock soaring and make it more expensive. That’s why investors can consider buying Apple’s dip heading into its quarterly report as it is trading at 29 times trailing earnings now, a small discount to the 31.6 times earnings it was trading at last year. 

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

The post Apple stock before earnings: Sell or Buy? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) shares jump to surpass landmark US$3 trillion market cap. What’s next?

Harsh Chauhan has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Wells Fargo is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns and recommends Apple. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. recommends the following options: long March 2023 $120 calls on Apple and short March 2023 $130 calls on Apple. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Apple. 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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Key Points

• St Barbara shares are in the red following the release of the comany’s Q2 FY22 trading update
• Production levels slightly dropped due to lower grades at its Leonora operation
• FY22 guidance is on track of up to 335koz at ASIC $1,815 per ounce

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The St Barbara Ltd (ASX: SBM) share price has dipped in morning trade amid the company providing a trading update for its second quarter.

At the time of writing, the gold miner’s shares are at $1.355 apiece, a drop of 1.45%.

How did St Barbara perform in Q2 FY22?

The St Barbara share price has edged lower as investors digest the company’s latest performance report.

For the three-month period ending 31 December, St Barbara produced 65,523 ounces of gold at an all-in sustaining cost of $1,587 per attributable ounce. Although production dropped at Leonora in the second quarter, this was largely offset by higher feed grades at Atlantic. In comparison, production levels in the prior period came to 67,000 ounces.

Operating cashflow came in at $49 million for the period. However, after growth capital, corporate costs, and tax payments, net cash contribution stood at $3 million.

St Barbara sold 76,000 ounces of gold at an average price of $2,423 per ounce.

The gold miner recorded a robust balance sheet with cash on hand of $94 million, up from $42 million on 30 September. Total debts included a syndicated facility of C$80 million (A$88.61 million) and $50 million which was recently drawn down.

Management noted that the pandemic is causing issues sourcing required labour and equipment for the Atlantic and Simberi operations. A tightening of the labour market in Western Australia as a result of border closures is also hampering the company’s efforts.

Nonetheless, a contingency plan has been developed to minimise any potential interruptions if the Western Australian border opens.

What did the head of St Barbara say?

St Barbara managing director and CEO Craig Jetson commented:

The end of the December FY22 quarter marks a momentous period for St Barbara.

Through the announcement of our acquisition of Bardoc Gold, we took decisive steps towards securing Leonora’s future as a significant processing hub in the Western Australian goldfields. The acquisition uniquely positions St Barbara to add value to the high quality Bardoc ore bodies by processing the ore at the Leonora processing plant.

We also had some very encouraging drilling results in the Old South Gwalia ore body, which has the potential to add new mining fronts higher up in the mine. By the end of this financial year, we are targeting an updated Mineral Resource for this area.

FY22 outlook

Looking ahead for the full year, St Barbara is expecting FY22 to be broadly in line with previous expectations.

The miner is forecasting consolidated gold production of between 305,000 ounces and 335,000 ounces. This is assumed at an AISC (all-in sustaining cost) of between $1,650 and $1,815 per ounce.

St Barbara is scheduled to release its half-year results to the market on 23 February.

About the St Barbara share price

Over the past 12 months, St Barbara shares have plummeted around 40%, with year-to-date performance also sinking 7%. The company’s share price reached a 52-week high of $2.36 in February last year before treading on a downward path.

Based on today’s price, St Barbara commands a market capitalisation of roughly $964 million, with approximately 709 million shares outstanding.

The post What’s going on with the St Barbara (ASX:SBM) share price today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Friday
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• Why API, James Hardie, Magellan, and St Barbara shares are dropping
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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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Key points

• Fortescue delivered record shipments during the first half
• The discount for its low grade iron ore product is widening
• Costs are up 20% year on year but flat quarter on quarter

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The Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG) share price is falling on Tuesday.

In morning trade, the iron ore producer’s shares are down 1% to $20.32.

Fortescue share price falls following second quarter update

Investors have been selling down the Fortescue share price this morning following the release of its second quarter update.

For the three months ended 31 December, the company recorded iron ore shipments of 47.5 million tonnes (mt). This led to a 3% increase in first half shipments to a record of 93.1mt.

However, taking the shine off these strong shipments was further weakness in the price Fortescue is commanding for its low grade iron ore.

The release reveals that the company recorded average revenue per dry metric tonne (dmt) of US$74.36. This represents revenue realisation of 68% of the Platts 62% CFR Index for the quarter, which is down from 73% in the first quarter.

And while Fortescue’s C1 costs were up 20% year on year, they remained flat quarter on quarter at US$15.31/wet metric tonne (wmt). The year on year jump in costs reflects the price escalation of key input costs. These include diesel, other consumables and labour rates, the integration of Eliwana, and mine plan driven cost escalation.

Looking ahead, management expects its costs to remain broadly in line with current levels over the rest of FY 2022 and is guiding to full year C1 costs of US$15.00 to US$15.50 per wmt.

As for shipments, Fortescue expects a similar performance in the second half. This will lead to full year shipments of 180mt to 185mt.

However, Fortescue has warned that its capital expenditure is likely to be US$200 million higher than previously planned at between US$3 billion and US$3.4 billion after incorporating the acquisition of Williams Advanced Engineering. This doesn’t include any costs relating to the highly divisive Fortescue Future Industries business.

Management commentary

Fortescue’s Chief Executive Officer, Elizabeth Gaines, was very pleased with the first half.

She said: “The Fortescue team has again delivered an outstanding performance for the first half of FY22 with mining, processing, rail and shipping combining to deliver record second quarter shipments of 47.5 million tonnes, contributing to record performance for a half year of 93.1 million tonnes. “

“Our C1 cost was in line with the previous quarter, reflecting our strong focus on cost management to mitigate inflationary pressures associated with strong demand for labour and resources, as well as supply chain constraints due to COVID-19. We are proud of the entire Fortescue family who continue to deliver record operating performance and achieve key project milestones,” Ms Gaines added.

The Fortescue share price is down 20% over the last 12 months.

The post Fortescue (ASX:FMG) share price lower following Q2 update 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. 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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Key Points

• Accent shares fall after trading update fails to impress investors
• Trading conditions impacted by Omicron variant
• EBIT forecasted to be between $30 million to $31 million for H1 FY22

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The Accent Group Ltd (ASX: AX1) share price is edging lower today following the release of a trading update by the company.

At the time of writing, the shoe retailer’s shares are down 2.84% to $2.05. This means that the company’s shares have now lost almost 15% in value over the past month.

How is Accent performing so far for FY22?

The Accent share price is being sold off today following a mixed performance for the first-half of FY22.

For the period ending 26 December, Accent reported sub-par trading conditions, particularly in the last two months.

The company revealed that like-for-like sales across November and December fell 3.4% when compared against the prior corresponding period.

Pleasingly, digital sales continued to remain strong throughout the final months of 2021, with gross margin above management’s expectations.

Following the reopening of Accent stores in New South Wales and Victoria, trade was generally in line with previous forecasts.

However, in the final week of December and one of the busiest days of the year, Boxing Day, store traffic and sales dropped. The rapid rise of the Omicron variant heavily impacted foot traffic across all banners and states, including in New Zealand.

Trade for the month of January is continuing to be affected by COVID-19, although case numbers are starting to dwindle. This could be a sign that Omicron has reached its peak, and that a recovery is near.

As a result, Accent advised first-half earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) will be between $30 million to $31 million.

Accent went further to mention that inventory levels are currently back in line, after facing delivery delays from external suppliers across December and early January.

The company is expected to release its H1 FY22 results to the market on 22 February.

Management commentary

Accent group CEO, Daniel Agostinelli touched on the company’s effort, saying:

…It is clear that the ongoing pandemic continues to impact customer traffic and trade in the short term. Considering the lockdowns and other COVID-related impacts experienced in the first half of the year, I am pleased with the performance of the business.

We have a proven and high-quality management team that has risen to the challenges and effectively dealt with the complexities around store operations, staffing and supply chain due to Omicron.

As we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, I am confident that our integrated omnichannel business model and key growth strategies, including digital, new stores, vertical owned brands, new businesses and exclusive distribution agreements remain highly relevant and position us well for the future.

Accent share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, the Accent share price has declined by around 15%. It’s worth noting that these losses have come year to date.

Based on valuation grounds, Accent commands a market capitalisation of around $1.14 billion and has approximately 541.87 million shares outstanding.

The post Why is the Accent (ASX:AX1) share price backtracking today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Why Accent, Careteq, Pro Medicus, and Xero shares are dropping

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 recommended Accent Group. 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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Key points

• Zip has confirmed that it is in talks to acquire Sezzle
• Talks are at a preliminary stage
• No financial details have been provided to the market

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The Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P) share price is rising on Tuesday morning.

At the time of writing, the buy now pay later (BNPL) provider’s shares are up 1% to $3.32.

Why is the Zip share price rising?

Investors have been bidding the Zip share price higher this morning after it confirmed speculation that it is interested in acquiring rival Sezzle Inc (ASX: SZL).

However, no details have been provided in respect to the potential price that Zip would pay to acquire its BNPL rival.

The Zip Board commented: “Zip confirms it is in discussions with Sezzle in relation to a potential acquisition. Zip is always interested in pursuing options that are in the best interests of shareholders; however the discussions with Sezzle are preliminary in nature and there is no certainty that the discussions will result in a transaction of any kind.”

Unsurprisingly, the Sezzle share price is charging higher on the news. Its shares are currently up 19% to $2.55 in early trade.

Why would Zip acquire Sezzle?

The Zip Board revealed that it is always on the lookout for transactions that will deliver value to shareholders.

It explained: “The Zip Board remains committed to ensuring any transaction delivers value to shareholders and will always be disciplined in its assessment of potential opportunities. It will only pursue transformational transactions that help accelerate the delivery of Zip’s broader strategic objectives such as enhanced scale in core markets, improved customer and merchant propositions and a faster path to profitability through significant synergy opportunities.”

Based on its discussions, it appears to see Sezzle as a potential transaction that could achieve these requirements. Time will tell if these talks turn into something more concrete.

The post Zip (ASX:Z1P) share price higher amid Sezzle acquisition talks 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 and has recommended ZIPCOLTD FPO. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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Key points

• The ANZ share price is outperforming all other big banks in 2022, having slipped just 0.8% year to date
• For context, the next best performing ASX big bank has fallen 3.9% over the same time frame
• Additionally, the ASX 200 is down 5.9% year to date

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The Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ASX: ANZ) share price is the best performing big bank stock of 2022 so far.

That’s despite no price-sensitive news having been released by the smallest of the big four banks in months.

As of Monday’s close, the ANZ share price is $27.77 – down 0.82% year to date.

For context, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has slipped 5.93% in that time frame.

Let’s take a look at how that stacks up against its peers’ movements.

How the ANZ share price’s year-to-date performance compares

While the ANZ share price has experienced a slight slump over the course of 2022 so far, its fellow big banks have been suffering, as can be seen in the chart below.

The Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) share price has been hit hard, having fallen 4.95% year to date.

Meanwhile, shares of Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) and National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) have slipped 3.97% and 4.18% year to date.

Finally, bringing in the rear is the newly minted big bank, Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG).

The investment bank’s market capitalisation overtook ANZ’s valuation in November 2021 and surpassed that of Westpac earlier this month, making it the third biggest bank on the ASX.

The Macquarie share price has slumped 10.11% since the first close of 2022.

Why is ANZ outperforming its peers?

There’s no clear reason why the ANZ share price is besting its fellow big banks’ stock this year.

However, Morgan Stanley last week upgraded the bank to a buy. Analysts like the bank’s well-diversified business exposure, improving loan growth outlook, and an equally improved outlook for margins.

In contrast, the CBA share price might have been impacted by analyst expectations. As The Motley Fool Australia recently reported, Morgans is predicting the bank’s upcoming half-year results will disappoint the market.

Similarly, Bell Potter is cautious of Westpac’s soon-to-be-released results for the first half of financial year 2022.

Additionally, ASX bank shares have been under pressure recently as whispers of rising interest rates swirl in the United States and Australia.

The post The ANZ (ASX:ANZ) share price is outperforming its big bank peers in 2022. Here’s why appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• What’s happening to ASX bank shares today?
• Brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today
• ANZ (ASX:ANZ) share price raised to ‘buy’ at Morgan Stanley
• Will ASX big four bank ANZ (ASX:ANZ) raise its dividend in 2022?
• Netwealth (ASX:NWL) share price lifts on record net inflows of $3.6bn

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

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