• How did the S&P/ASX All Technologies Index (XTX) perform in 2021?

    Graphic illustration of buy now pay later technology overlaid on blurred photo of businessman on tablet

    If the S&P/ASX All Technology Index (ASX: XTX) was a rollercoaster, every passenger would have vomited sometime in 2021.

    Yes, the index representing the Australian technology sector did end the year 3.72% above where it started.

    But during the journey, the index sank 20% from peak to trough and then soared 30% the other way in a matter of weeks.

    That’s stomach-churning volatility.

    Why were ASX tech shares so volatile in 2021?

    There were many factors pulling and pushing technology shares last year.

    First is the fear of persistent inflation and rising interest rates that dominated markets the past 12 months.

    Tech shares, the theory goes, are more dependent on future earnings because they are in growth stages more than the “traditional” sectors.

    And future earnings rise or fall according to interest rates, which have been at historic lows in recent times.

    When interest rates head up, the valuation case for a growth stock deteriorates.

    Perhaps a case in point is Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT), which has been an ASX darling despite never posting a profit.

    After making plenty of investors wealthy the past few years, 2021 was a real struggle. The stock lost almost 30% in value, and just in the new year it hit 52-week lows.

    Remember when we were all excited about vaccines and Joe Biden?

    The second big factor was the unstoppable force that’s oppressed the planet the past couple of years — COVID-19.

    Remember a year ago? Spirits were high as vaccines were discovered to quell the pandemic. A new US president was inaugurated to provide stability that his predecessor could not manage.

    We were all making plans for what we would do in our post-COVID lives.

    Then a few months later the Delta variant of the coronavirus struck, devastating places like India and plunging Australia’s biggest cities into lockdown.

    They were dark times as we spent the winter stuck at home, and Melbourne was crowned the most locked down city of the pandemic.

    Fortunes then swung again as Australians rallied in their millions to receive vaccines.

    In October, NSW and Victoria felt confident enough to liberate their citizens and even declare “no more lockdowns”.

    Returning to something like a normal life while living with COVID seemed like a realistic goal. Businesses could see a light at the end of the tunnel.

    Then we woke up at the end of November with the news that yet another variant, Omicron, had seeped out of South Africa.

    The last 5 weeks of the year saw it spread around the world and Australia is now battling close to 50,000 new cases each day.

    Is it any wonder the ASX All-Tech index was so volatile over 2021?

    Not sure 2022 will be any less volatile

    With COVID-19 and persistent inflation still as applicable as ever, there is absolutely no guarantee that this year will bring stability for tech stocks.

    But volatility means there could be some juicy buying opportunities.

    For example, Medallion Financial managing director Michael Wayne told The Motley Fool that he would now only buy Xero Limited (ASX: XRO) if a dip presented itself.

    That’s despite his assessment that it is still a quality company.

    “We feel it best to be patient as the share price is prone to volatility,” he said. 

    “All else remaining equal, we would look at buying around the $110 to $115 level.”

    Xero shares closed Wednesday at $140.67.

    The post How did the S&P/ASX All Technologies Index (XTX) perform in 2021? 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.

    *Returns as of August 16th 2021

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    Motley Fool contributor Tony Yoo owns Xero. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns and has recommended Afterpay Limited and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia owns and has recommended Afterpay Limited 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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  • Own Fortescue (ASX:FMG) shares? The ASX 200 miner just hit a new green milestone

    boy dressed as an eco warrior and holding a globe.

    Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG) has bucked the wider selling trend hitting the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) in the new year.

    In late afternoon trade yesterday, Fortescue shares remained fractionally in the green so far in 2022 while the ASX 200 was down almost 3%.

    That will come as good news for shareholders, who’ve watched the miner struggle since August amid slumping iron ore prices.

    But Fortescue shares are supported by more than the price of iron ore.

    As part of its broader global sustainability push, the company has also been actively working on developing green hydrogen production via its offshoot, green energy company Fortescue Future Industries (FFI).

    In a further demonstration of its commitment to zero emissions, the company has reported a new milestone in its decarbonisation strategy.

    Electrified locomotive fleet

    ESG focussed investors holding Fortescue shares will welcome the company’s latest announcement on its locomotive fleet.

    The miner has bought 2 new Battery Electric Locomotives to transport the iron ore it mines to port. According to the release, the locomotives have an energy capacity of 14.5 megawatt hours. They’ll be built at the Progress Rail facility, a Caterpillar company, based in Brazil.

    Commenting on the purchase, Fortescue’s CEO, Elizabeth Gaines said:

    The purchase of these new battery powered locomotives marks an important milestone in the decarbonisation of Fortescue’s locomotive fleet and demonstrates our commitment to achieving carbon neutrality for Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030, as we diversify from a pure play iron ore producer to a green renewables and resources company.

    Gaines added that the battery powered trains would not only reduce the miner’s operating emissions but also cut fuel costs and reduce maintenance spending.

    Fortescue expects the first new locomotive to arrive on site in 2023.

    How have Fortescue shares been performing?

    Iron ore prices dropping from record highs in mid-2021 put pressure on Fortescue shares. Over the past year, the miner’s share price is down 20% compared to a 12% gain posted by the ASX 200.

    Longer-term, Fortescue is up 86% in 2 years and 229% in 5 years. At Fortescue’s current share price, it pays a whopping trailing dividend yield of 18%, fully franked.

    The post Own Fortescue (ASX:FMG) shares? The ASX 200 miner just hit a new green milestone appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Fortescue, 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 Fortescue 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 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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  • Plot twist: Kogan (ASX:KGN) crypto deal changes shape

    A smartly-dressed businesswoman walks outside while making a trade on her mobile phone.

    The Kogan.com Ltd (ASX: KGN) share price is in focus today as news emerged that its crypto deal is seemingly changing shape.

    What does Kogan have to do with crypto?

    Kogan is one of the largest online retailers in Australia, but in mid-December, the ASX share revealed that it had entered into an agreement with Bitbuy. Bitbuy is one of Canada’s largest cryptocurrency trading platforms.

    The deal was that Bitbuy’s parent business would buy bitbuy.com from Kogan. In addition, Kogan and Bitbuy would provide marketing support to Bitbuy’s future launch into the Australian market.

    How did Kogan end up with that web address? It owns and manages a portfolio of domain names.

    At the time of the announcement, the Kogan executive director David Shafer said:

    The domain sale not only delivers returns for Kogan shareholders, but also provides an opportunity to benefit from Bitbuy’s future success in the crypto business abroad and potentially in the Australian market.

    How is it changing?

    Wonderfi Technologies is a business involved in developing solutions that makes the digital finance world accessible to everyone by investing in assets and infrastructure that power decentralized finance.

    Bitbuy is being taken over by Wonderfi Technologies through a mixture of shares and cash. The transaction has been approved by the boards of directors of both WonderFi and Bitbuy. It’s expected to close in the first quarter of 2022.

    Wonderfi was happy about the deal as it introduces multiple new business lines, adds hundreds of thousands of new users and brings over $455 million of assets under custody at 31 December 2021.

    The takeover also referred to material revenue and cost synergies being expected through user base integration, cross-selling services and a combined global offering.

    What does this mean for Kogan?

    There has been no announcement of what this means for Kogan or how this will develop.

    When Kogan first announced the news, it was deemed to be non-price sensitive. The upfront sale price was US$1.5 million in cash and a warrant entitling Kogan to approximately C$2.8 million in either equity in First Ledger or cash upon exercise of the warrant which would occur within one year after the transfer of the Domain.

    It wasn’t stated how much Kogan was expecting to receive in advertising services in relation to Bitbuy expanding into Australia.

    Is the ASX share an opportunity?

    The Kogan share price has sunk 28% over the last six months. The broker Credit Suisse thinks it’s a buy, with a price target of $13.88. That’s a potential upside of over 70%, if the broker is proven correct.

    It noted that the company’s customers and top line continues to rise rapidly, though profit margins were lower than expected in the first quarter of FY22.

    The post Plot twist: Kogan (ASX:KGN) crypto deal changes shape appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Kogan, 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 Kogan 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 Tristan Harrison has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns and has recommended Kogan.com ltd. The Motley Fool Australia owns and has recommended Kogan.com ltd. 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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  • James Hardie (ASX:JHX) share price on watch after CEO kicked out

    A person with a round-mouthed expression clutches a device screen and looks shocked and surprised.

    The James Hardie Industries plc (ASX: JHX) share price will be on watch on Friday morning.

    This follows news that there has been a surprise and immediate change in the building products company’s leadership.

    Why is the James Hardie share price on watch?

    The James Hardie share price will be on watch this morning after it announced the exit of its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Jack Truong, with immediate effect.

    According to the release, Mr Truong has had his employment terminated with immediate effect after employees raised concerns about his work-related interactions. The release explains that the James Hardie Board undertook extensive due diligence, which included retaining outside counsel and a third-party consultant. It also provided opportunities and support for sincere change in Mr Truong’s behaviour.

    However, based on additional employee complaints, the Board undertook further due diligence, including further support from a third-party consultant. After which, the Board ultimately concluded that Mr Truong’s conduct, while not discriminatory, extensively and materially breached the James Hardie Code of Conduct.

    The James Hardie Board advised that it took this action to uphold the company’s core values, which include Operating with Respect, and to maintain continuity of the management team that has been instrumental in its transformation.

    What now?

    James Hardie has appointed Harold Wiens as its Interim CEO. He has been an independent non-executive director since May 2020 following a career with 3M Company where he led several of its largest business segments based in the United States, Asia and Europe.

    Mr Wiens commented: “It is a pleasure to join such a deep and talented leadership team, which I have worked with and admired for their professionalism, strategic thinking and strong execution since I became a Board member.”

    Earnings guidance upgraded

    Something that could support the James Hardie share price today is news that it is upgrading its guidance for FY 2022.

    Management now expects FY 2022 adjusted net income to be between US$605 million and US$625 million, compared to the prior guidance of US$580 million and US$600 million. This new guidance represents an increase of 32% to 36.5% over the US$458.0 million recorded in the prior corresponding period.

    The post James Hardie (ASX:JHX) share price on watch after CEO kicked out appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in James Hardie right now?

    Before you consider James Hardie, 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 James Hardie 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. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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  • 2 beaten-up blue chip ASX shares rated as buys

    Man stands with head on his hands in front of a downward graph.

    Some blue chip ASX shares have been beaten up in recent weeks and months. But could that mean they have fallen enough to be buys?

    Just because a business is large or called a blue chip doesn’t mean that it can’t go through some volatility, as the market has seen with some of the ASX shares that are mentioned below.

    However, a decline in a share price can turn a business into an opportunity if it still has long-term potential.

    With that in mind, here are two ASX blue chips that could be possibilities after their declines:

    TPG Telecom Ltd (ASX: TPG)

    TPG is one of the largest telecommunication companies in Australia with brands like TPG, Vodafone and iiNet in its stable.

    The TPG and Vodafone Australia businesses went through a long process of trying to merge so that the combined business could better compete with peers like Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS).

    This merger is expected to lead to significant synergies, give the ability to give better service to customers and provide stronger financial returns to shareholders.

    TPG is expecting to beat its 5G rollout target of 85% population coverage in the top six cities in 2021, by reaching the milestone in four additional regions: the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, NSW Central Cost and in Wollongong.

    The ASX blue chip share is aiming to achieve $70 million of synergies in 2021 thanks to the merger, excluding home wireless and revenue synergies.

    It’s also undertaking a review of its telco tower assets. TPG operates a mobile network of 5,800 rooftops and towers and owns the passive infrastructure on around 1,200 of those sites which are predominately in metro areas. It could choose to monetise those assets.

    TPG is currently rated as a buy by UBS, with a price target of $7.60. That’s around 30% upside over the next year, if the broker is right. It thinks it offers a 4.4% grossed-up dividend yield for FY22.

    JB Hi-Fi Limited (ASX: JBH)

    JB Hi-Fi is another major Australian business. It is a major retailer of electronics and home appliances.

    The company’s latest sales update, which was for the first quarter of FY22, showed a year on year decline of sales in each of its divisions. JB Hi-Fi Australia sales were down 7.9%, JB Hi-Fi New Zealand sales were down 6.4% and The Good Guys sales were down 6.1%.

    However, JB Hi-Fi noted that there had been COVID restrictions impacting the situation and it was continuing to see heightened customer demand and strong sales growth rates over a two-year period.

    Some analysts, such as Credit Suisse, were impressed that the first quarter was so strong from the ASX blue chip share.

    JB Hi-Fi is focused on generating sustainable long-term growth. The business believes that it has five unique competitive advantages that can help it grow and continue to achieve attractive margins: scale, a low cost operating model, quality store locations, supplier partnerships and a multichannel capability.

    The broker Ord Minnett currently rates JB Hi-Fi as a buy, with a price target of $54. It thinks that the retail sector will benefit from ongoing strong consumer spending due to various COVID impacts.

    Ord Minnett puts the JB Hi-Fi share price at 13x FY22’s estimated earnings with a projected grossed-up dividend yield of 7.3%.

    The post 2 beaten-up blue chip ASX shares rated as buys appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider TPG, 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 TPG 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 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 and has recommended Telstra Corporation Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended TPG Telecom Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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  • 2 excellent ASX tech shares to buy after the market meltdown

    A woman shouts through a megaphone.

    The tech sector was a sea of red on Thursday when panic selling drove the S&P ASX All Technology index a sizeable 5.7% lower.

    While this decline is very disappointing, every cloud has a silver lining. On this occasion, the silver lining is that it has dragged some quality ASX shares down to attractive levels.

    Two ASX tech shares that could be buys after the selloff are listed below:

    Altium Limited (ASX: ALU)

    The first ASX tech share to look at is Altium. It is the printed circuit board (PCB) design software provider behind the popular Altium Designer and cloud-based Altium 365 platforms.

    As PCBs are found inside almost all electronic devices, demand for Altium’s best in class platform is expected to increase strongly in the future as the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence markets continue their explosive growth. This bodes well for its sales and earnings growth over the next decade.

    The team at Jefferies is positive on Altium. It believes the quality and price of Altium’s platform has positioned it well to win a significant share of the enterprise market. Jefferies has a buy rating and $48.83 price target on its shares, which compares to the latest Altium share price of $41.17.

    Life360 Inc (ASX: 360)

    Another ASX tech share to look at is Life360. It operates in the digital consumer subscription services market with a focus on products and services for digitally native families. Bell Potter is very positive on the company due to its Life360’s freemium model and ability to convert its huge user base (30m+) into paying subscribers. The latter is expected to be boosted by its acquisitions of Jiobit and Tile.

    Overall, the broker believes the company is well placed to disrupt the safety and security market and achieve strong top line growth for many years.

    Bell Potter has a buy rating and $16.25 price target. This compares very favourably to the latest Life360 share price of $8.39.

    The post 2 excellent ASX tech shares to buy after the market meltdown 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.

    *Returns as of August 16th 2021

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro owns Life360, Inc. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns and has recommended Altium and Life360, Inc. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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  • 2 compelling ASX shares that could be buys in January 2022

    Big green letters spell growth, indicating share price movements for ASX growth shares

    Some ASX shares have significant growth plans for the long-term, making them compelling stocks to look at.

    Businesses which are re-investing for growth give themselves a useful chance of long-term success.

    In the US, the gigantic e-commerce company Amazon has shown how much a business can grow if it invests for many years ahead.

    With that in mind, here are two ASX shares planning a lot of growth over the coming years:

    Redbubble Ltd (ASX: RBL)

    Online retailer Redbubble is one of the ASX tech shares that analysts like at the moment. After a 4% decline of the Redbubble share price on Thursday, it is now down to around $3.

    Morgan Stanley has a price target of $6.50, that means Redbubble shares have more than 110% upside, if the broker is right.

    The broker thinks that Redbubble can achieve the double digit growth to reach its goal in the long-term.

    Redbubble’s goal over the next few years is to achieve $1.5 billion of gross transaction value. That translates to $1.25 billion of marketplace revenue and $250 million for artists for their designs which are printed on quality products like clothes, bags, phone cases and so on. It is keeping its eye out for acquisition opportunities that could help accelerate growth.

    The ASX share is going to do a number of things to achieve growth in the shorter-term and then leverage its scale to drive the profit margin higher in the future.

    Redbubble is going to work on recruiting more artists and improve its account management. It wants to improve the content and digital experience for both artists and shoppers. The company is going to keep investing in marketing and grow geographically in the future. It also plans to improve the physical experience for customers, as well as launching new products and fulfilment locations. All of this is expected to lead to scale efficiencies.

    Excluding mask sales from FY21, Redbubble is expecting its FY22 underlying marketplace revenue to be slightly higher year on year.

    Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG)

    Fortescue is one of the world’s largest iron ore miners. The iron price has been climbing over the past couple of months, which has been helping the Fortescue share price in recent weeks.

    The broker Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG) currently rates Fortescue shares as a buy, with a price target of $21.

    But it’s Fortescue’s Future Industries division that is capturing more headlines and investor interest.

    The iron ore miner is transitioning from a pure play iron ore producer to a green renewables and resources company.

    It was only a couple of months ago that Fortescue Future Industries (FFI) announced it is going to become the largest supplier of green hydrogen to the UK after signing a “multi-billion-pound deal” with JCB Excavators and Ryze Hydrogen.

    FFI said that Jo Bamford, regarded as the UK’s green hydrogen champion, is the founder of Ryze and owner of Wrightbus. Ryze is building the UK’s first network of green hydrogen production plants, while Wrightbus built the world’s first hydrogen double decker.

    JCB Chair Lord Bamford has asked FFI to deliver “immediately” what it is able to deliver. JCB and Ryze will purchase 10% of the ASX share’s global green hydrogen production.

    FFI’s green hydrogen production is projected to grow to 15 million tonnes of green hydrogen per year by 2030, accelerating to 50 million tonnes per year in the next decade after that.

    It was revealed that under the partnership, FFI will lead the green hydrogen production and logistics to the UK market, whilst JCB and Ryze will manage green hydrogen distribution and development of customer demand in the UK.

    The post 2 compelling ASX shares that could be buys in January 2022 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Fortescue, 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 Fortescue 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 Tristan Harrison owns Fortescue Metals Group Limited. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Macquarie Group Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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  • Here’s how the BlueScope (ASX:BSL) share price leapt 20% in 2021

    workers jump in air at steel factory

    The BlueScope Steel Limited (ASX: BSL) share price had a ripper 2021 despite the company staying relatively quiet.

    In fact, the only time the market heard price-sensitive news from the manufacturer of steel products was whenever it released results or updated earnings guidance.

    At the end of 2020, the BlueScope share price was going for $17.48. Come the final session of 2021, the company’s stock finished at $20.90.

    That sees it posting a 19.5% gain for the 12-month period. For comparison, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) increased 13% over the same period.

    Let’s take a closer look at what helped drive the company’s stock last year.

    Here’s what drove the BlueScope share price in 2021

    The year started off well for BlueScope when it released an exciting update in January.

    It announced that its preliminary unaudited earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) for the first half of financial year 2021 was expected to be 11.5% higher than its previous guidance, coming in at around $530 million. The company also provided a positive business update.

    The market’s excitement over the profit increase pushed the BlueScope share price 3% higher, and another 2% higher when its preliminary expectations were confirmed the following month.

    In February, BlueScope announced its net profit after tax (NPAT) increased 78% over the 6 months ended 31 December, coming in at $330.3 million.

    Another profit upgrade boosted the company’s stock in April. Though, its biggest gain came in July when it released its preliminary, unaudited, underlying results for financial year 2021.

    The company announced its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) was expected to be around $1.72 billion. That was confirmed in the company’s official full year results, released in August.

    Impressively, the company’s EBITDA ended up being nearly $1 billion more than the bottom of its initial guidance. It was also 207% more than it was in financial year 2020.

    As a result, the company announced a 25 cent final dividend and a 19 cent special dividend. It also announced a $500 million share buyback.

    The final news to boost the BlueScope share price in 2021 was released in October. Readers may assume it was news of another profit upgrade, and they would be correct.

    The company’s stock gained 0.75% when it announced it expects its underlying EBIT for the first half of financial year 2022 to be between $2.1 billion and $2.3 billion – $300 million more than it previously predicted.

    The post Here’s how the BlueScope (ASX:BSL) share price leapt 20% in 2021 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in BlueScope Steel right now?

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

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  • Are Novonix (ASX:NVX) shares a bargain after tumbling 18% since early December?

    Young woman using computer laptop with hand on chin thinking about question, pensive expression.

    Shares in battery technology provider Novonix Ltd (ASX: NVX) have sunk almost 18% since 2 December.

    But the stock was still, by far, the best performing ASX tech share in 2021.

    The Novonix share price rocketed 660%, riding the themes of green energy and the electrification of the motor car to the sunset.

    There was daylight second, as the next best, Life360 Inc (ASX: 360), managed “just” a 157% return.

    So does this mean now is a golden opportunity to buy Novonix shares?

    Not much revenue, certainly no profit yet

    The first thing to note is that Novonix is still at a very early stage of business development.

    It’s certainly far from making a profit and doesn’t even generate that much revenue for a company with a market capitalisation of more than $5 billion. 

    In the 2021 financial year, Novonix reported $5.2 million of revenue. That’s almost a 1000-times valuation-to-sales ratio.

    This is why it’s a polarising stock among analysts.

    And changes to the Novonix share price are, for now, very dependent on emotion and momentum.

    “A profit isn’t expected to be achieved for a few years so it will be incredibly announcement driven,” read a memo from Marcus Today last month.

    “Deals with EV [electric vehicle] and tech companies to shore up supply chains likely to drive performance but that will come in dribs and drabs.”

    Not sure if Novonix is a bargain yet

    The current dip is largely the consequence of an eye-watering 32.4% fall on 3 December.

    For the team at Marcus Today, the lack of information behind this descent is worrying.

    “An unexplained 34% fall [in early December] should be a bit of a red flag,” the memo read.

    “The move has taken some of the froth off the top, which is putting it back in the focus of ‘bargain hunters’.”

    Considering these uncertainties, the Marcus Today analysts don’t think investors should be piling in at current price levels.

    “The near-term picture doesn’t offer that much of a compelling reason to get involved,” the memo stated.

    “Demand for its products is expected to gain momentum but until there are more cash flows, it is hard to value.”

    Novonix shares closed Thursday at $9.94, down 6.9% on the day.

    The post Are Novonix (ASX:NVX) shares a bargain after tumbling 18% since early December? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

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    Motley Fool contributor Tony Yoo owns Life360, Inc. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns and has recommended Life360, Inc. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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  • 2 ASX dividend shares with attractive yields

    four one hundred dollar bills hang on a washing line with old-fashioned wooden pegs, denoting money laundering.

    Are you interested in bolstering your income portfolio with some dividend shares? If you are, you may want to look at the two listed below.

    Here’s what you need to know about these ASX dividend shares:

    National Storage REIT (ASX: NSR)

    National Storage is a leading self-storage operator with a portfolio of over 210 centres. From these centres, the company provides tailored storage solutions to over 85,000 residential and commercial customers.

    While this is a large number, management continues to believe that it has plenty of room to expand its network further in the future.

    National Storage’s Chairman, Laurence Brindle, commented at its AGM: “The ownership of self storage centres remains highly fragmented, and we are confident that this pipeline of high-quality storage centres will continue to create acquisition opportunities for the foreseeable future.”

    This bodes well for its distribution growth over the long term. For now, though, management is guiding to earnings per share growth of 10% in FY 2022. If its distribution grows in line with its earnings, it will mean a distribution of 9.02 cents per share. Based on the current National Storage share price of $2.62, this would equate to a yield of 3.4%.

    Rural Funds Group (ASX: RFF)

    Rural Funds is an agricultural real estate investment trust (REIT) that owns a diversified portfolio of Australian agricultural assets. These high qualities are leased to corporate agricultural operators including industry giants such as Select Harvests Limited (ASX: SHV) and Treasury Wine Estates Ltd (ASX: TWE).

    The company has also been adding to its portfolio with acquisitions in recent months. This includes the acquisition of cattle and cropping properties and macadamia orchards in Queensland.

    Management notes that these acquisitions are consistent with its strategy. This is of acquiring assets with potential for productivity improvements in agricultural sectors it has experience in and that Australia has a comparative advantage.

    As for its dividends, management is intending to increase its distribution by its annual target rate of 4% to 11.73 cents per share in FY 2022. Based on the current Rural Funds share price of $3.10, this represents an attractive yield of 3.8%.

    The post 2 ASX dividend shares with attractive yields 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.

    *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. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns and has recommended RURALFUNDS STAPLED. 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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