The S&P/ASX 300 Index (ASX: XKO) is again taking investors on a rollercoaster ride, partly erasing Monday’s gains of 1.25%.

At the closing bell, the ASX 300 finished down 0.46% to 7,246.3 points. This means the index has dropped close to 4% over the past month.

Let’s take a look at which ASX 300 companies are the strong performers today.

De Grey Mining Ltd (ASX: DEG)

The De Grey share price shot out the lights on the ASX 300 today, closing 9.84% higher to $1.06.

The gold mining company provided investors with a positive update in regards to its Mallina Gold Project. The results from a scoping study identified “clear opportunities” for improvement.

In addition, the board approved the progression of the project to a pre-feasibility study with results expected in H2 2022.

Gold Road Resources Ltd (ASX: GOR)

The Gold Road share price pushed higher with a 7.23% gain to $1.33.

The Australian-based gold miner didn’t release any market-sensitive news today. However, investors are riding on the back of yesterday’s production update and December quarter guidance from this ASX 300 share.

Gold Road advised its process plant has returned to normal production rates following unscheduled ball mill maintenance. As such, the December production guidance is forecasted to come in between 71,000 and 81,000 ounces.

Annual guidance has been revised to between 250,000 and 260,000 ounces. That’s down from original estimates of between 260,000 and 300,000 ounces of gold. It appears the market is being buoyed by the rebound in the price of gold.

Silver Lake Resources Limited (ASX: SLR)

Also flying higher is the Silver Lake share price, which finished up 5.67% to $1.49 apiece.

The gold producing and exploration company hasn’t released any news in the past few weeks. However, the rising price of gold has likely provided a boost to its share price.

In mid-September, investment firm Macquarie raised its price target on Silver Lake shares by 5% to $2.10. Based on the current share price, this implies an upside of around 42%.

Now, let’s take a look at the weaker ASX 300 companies.

Novonix Ltd (ASX: NVX)

One ASX 300 share being weighed down today is Novonix. Its share price fell 8.95% to $5.19.

The lithium company’s shares appear to be cooling off after registering a sharp upwards trajectory since August. Novonix shares have doubled in value from 2 August, and are up 320% in 2021.

Vulcan Energy Resources Ltd (ASX: VUL)

Also falling today is the Vulcan share price. It finished 8.29% lower to $11.50, with no new market announcements from the company.

Investors have sold off the lithium developer’s shares after the company reached a record high of $16.65 on 13 September. Its share price has now declined 20% in a month.

Nonetheless, Vulcan shares are still up an astounding 900% since this time last year.

The post Which shares are the biggest winners and losers on the ASX 300 today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why De Grey Mining, Gold Road, Nick Scali, & Redbubble shares are racing higher
• Bullish on lithium and batteries? 4 ASX shares this fund manager loves
• De Grey (ASX:DEG) share price jumps 4% on gold project update
• ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) midday update: Afterpay & Zip sink, energy shares rise
• Which ASX 300 shares are on the move for the start of the week?

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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The Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) share price is plunging lower today despite no news having been released by the buy now, pay later (BNPL) company.

It’s likely the last thing the company’s shareholders want to see after Afterpay’s stock fell 10% over the course of last week.

One explanation for Afterpay’s recent struggles could be that its shares are trending alongside those of Square Inc (NYSE: SQ). Square’s stock also fell 10% last week before tumbling 5.45% on Monday (Tuesday AEST).

At the time of writing, the Afterpay share price is $113.69, 4.94% lower than its previous close.

That’s a larger drop than the one the broader market is experiencing today. Right now, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is down 0.3% while the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) has dipped 0.5%.

Let’s take a closer look at what might be driving the Afterpay share price lower on Tuesday.

Afterpay’s stock struggles alongside Square’s

The Afterpay share price is plummeting today despite the company’s silence.

However, while most of Australia slept, Afterpay’s likely future buyer, Square, had a tough day on the New York Stock Exchange.

Square’s stock slipped more than 5% on Monday to close the session at US$226.25.

Of course, Square is planning to purchase Afterpay for a whopping $39 billion all-scrip deal.

Therefore, if all goes to plan, investors with a holding in Afterpay will soon become Square shareholders.

So, it makes sense the two companies’ share prices often move in relative unison.

Additionally, Afterpay isn’t the only BNPL company struggling on the ASX today.

The Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P) share price is currently down 4.3% while that of Sezzle Inc (ASX: SZL) has fallen 9.4%.

Afterpay share price snapshot

Today’s drop has added to the Afterpay share price’s recent woes.

Right now, it is 4% lower than it was at the start of 2021. However, the company’s stock’s value has gained 43% since this time last year.

The post Why is the Afterpay (ASX:APT) share price plunging 5% today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why Afterpay, Atomo, Opthea, & Sealink shares are falling today
• ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) midday update: Afterpay & Zip sink, energy shares rise
• Why the Zip (ASX:Z1P) share price is down 4% today
• Why did the Afterpay (ASX:APT) share price have such a bad month in September?
• ASX 200 tech shares set to slide as Nasdaq plunges 2%

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

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The Appen Ltd (ASX: APX) share price is sliding today, currently trading 4.58% down at $8.54.

In fact, Appen shares have been swimming in a sea of red this year to date, beginning their sharp descent in February.

Curiously, there’s been no market-sensitive news out of Appen’s camp today that might impact its share price.

So let’s take a look at what’s behind the downward pressure on the technology company’s shares lately.

What’s up with the Appen share price today?

To answer this question, we have to cover why ASX tech shares in particular have absorbed the latest tremble in global markets.

Appen shares are leading the loss for the broader sector today with the S&P/ASX 200 All Technology Index (XTX) also falling 2.6%.

The index has seen headwinds of late, spurred on by a hike in US Treasury bond yields and a corresponding rotation of capital away from high-growth tech shares.

This is important for a number of reasons.

In layman’s terms, the yield on a US government or Treasury bond (or any bond) is just the annual interest rate an investor earns after purchasing the security.

The way it works is when you buy a US Treasury bond, you are, in effect, loaning the US government a set amount of money.

In turn, the government will pay you interest at a specified yield/rate and then return your principal at a future date.

US government bonds are seen as extremely safe assets, given the unlikely odds the US government will default on its debt. So the yield on these is seen as a benchmark for other rates, also known as the ‘risk-free rate’.

This rate is essential in the financial mathematics involved with asset valuations and also has an inverse relationship with investors’ risk behaviour.

Basically, as bond yields rise, investors tend to wind back the amount of risk they have on the table and place their capital somewhere else – usually by buying ‘safer’ assets over speculative, growth-type tech shares.

One reason is that they know they can get a reasonable rate of return in more predictable asset classes.

But why else does this hurt tech shares?

The other major reason why a rise in US Treasury yields is a problem for tech shares boils down to share valuations and how the market allocates capital based on them.

When experts value an asset, such as a company’s shares, they try to forecast how much cash/return they can produce into the future and value that in today’s terms.

A part of the financial mathematics involved uses the US Treasury yield to do so.

In a nutshell, the higher the yield, the lower a share’s valuation, and vice versa.

The effect is particularly harsh on growth-type companies, given their forecasts of massive profits into the future. It also dampens the valuation of Appen’s future dividend stream.

Many tech shares – like Appen – fall into the growth category and are, thus, impacted disproportionately when these events happen. As financial theory states, this is because many assets that are ‘overvalued’ can correct down towards their ‘fair value’.

As such, investors tend to allocate their hard-earned capital towards industries, sectors and even asset classes with what they perceive as more ‘respectable’ valuations to avoid ‘catching the falling knife’.

Honing in on what’s happened recently, the yield on the 10-year US Treasury bond – the standard proxy in these calculations – has spiked lately.

On 20 September, it ticked up from 1.30% to a fresh high of 1.53% nine days later which caused a pulse through share markets these past few weeks.

It’s since crept down a fraction to 1.49%. Nonetheless, the corresponding effect has been realised in ASX tech shares and in Appen’s share price.

The Appen share price has continued to slide more than 5% since US yields made the jump. Meantime, the ASX All Technology Index has slumped 6% in this time.

This is despite no market-sensitive news from the company.

Foolish takeaway

With a rise in US Treasury yields, this tends to impact investor behaviour and hurt the valuations on high-growth tech shares.

Investors will shift their capital to more stable investments that offer a reward from the increased yield whereas share valuations are compressed if yields increase.

Appen shares have been on the down lately which appears to have been spurred by a recent rise in US Treasury yields and weakness in the broader ASX tech sector.

The post Why the Appen (ASX:APX) share price is falling today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Analysts name 3 stellar ASX growth shares to buy
• 3 ASX 200 shares down more than 50% in 2021
• How have the WAAAX shares performed so far this year?
• Why these 3 ASX shares all hit 52-week lows today
• The Appen (ASX:APX) share price just hit a 3-year low. Here’s why

The author Zach Bristow has no positions in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended Appen Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Appen 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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At the start of each week I like to look at ASIC’s short position report to find out which shares are being targeted by short sellers.

This is because I believe it is well worth keeping a close eye on short interest levels as high levels can sometimes be a sign that something isn’t quite right with a company.

With that in mind, here are the 10 most shorted shares on the ASX this week according to ASIC:

• Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd (ASX: FLT) continues to be the most shorted ASX share with short interest of 11%. Short sellers may be regretting not closing their positions sooner, though. The travel agent’s shares have rallied 17% higher over the last five trading sessions.
• Kogan.com Ltd (ASX: KGN) has short interest of 9.2%, which is down notably week on week. Concerns over this ecommerce company’s inventory position have been weighing on Kogan’s shares.
• Webjet Limited (ASX: WEB) has short interest of 9%, which is down week on week. As with Flight Centre, the Webjet share price has been rising in recent sessions, much to the dismay of short sellers. The prospect of both state and international borders reopening in the coming months has boosted travel shares.
• Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P) has seen its short interest ease to 8.9%. News that this buy now pay later provider has made an investment in India and signed a deal with Microsoft may have spooked short sellers.
• Electro Optic Systems Hldg Ltd (ASX: EOS) has 8.6% of its shares held short, which is down week on week. Short sellers continue to target this defence and space company due to accounting and cash generation concerns.
• Mesoblast limited (ASX: MSB) has seen its short interest fall slightly to 8.4%. There are concerns that Mesoblast may need to raise funds again in the near future if it doesn’t have significant trial success.
• Inghams Group Ltd (ASX: ING) has 8.3% of its shares held short, which is down week on week. High grain costs could be weighing on investor sentiment.
• Redbubble Ltd (ASX: RBL) has seen its short interest rise to 7.7%. Short sellers won’t have been pleased to see Morgan Stanley initiate coverage on this ecommerce company’s shares with an overweight rating and $6.50 price target today.
• Cooper Energy Ltd (ASX: COE) has 7.7% of its shares held short, which is down week on week. Concerns over Project Sole continue to weigh on investor sentiment.
• Tassal Group Limited (ASX: TGR) has short interest of 7.5%. Short sellers have been targeting this seafood company due to weakness in salmon prices.

The post These are the 10 most shorted ASX shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Redbubble (ASX:RBL) share price surges 7% following broker upgrade
• Why De Grey Mining, Gold Road, Nick Scali, & Redbubble shares are racing higher
• ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) midday update: Afterpay & Zip sink, energy shares rise
• Why the Zip (ASX:Z1P) share price is down 4% today
• ASX 200 tech shares set to slide as Nasdaq plunges 2%

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended Electro Optic Systems Holdings Limited, Kogan.com ltd, and ZIPCOLTD FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Electro Optic Systems Holdings Limited, Kogan.com ltd, and Webjet Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Flight Centre Travel 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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Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) investors have enjoyed a strong week, with more gains coming in over the past 24 hours.

One Bitcoin is currently worth US$49,400 (AU$67,670). That’s up 4% since this time yesterday and up 16% over the past full week.

That puts its market cap back close to the trillion dollar mark, currently at US$931 million.

Ethereum (CRYTPO: ETH), the world’s number 2 crypto by market valuation, has been trending higher too. Ether is up 1% over the past 24 hours and 15% over the past 7 days.

Ethereum, and most other cryptos, often gain when Bitcoin goes up.

So, what’s driving the recent surge in price for the world’s biggest crypto?

US ETF rumblings

Crypto analysts are pointing to the increasing likelihood of the United States greenlighting a Bitcoin exchange traded fund (ETF) as a bullish signal for the digital token.

This week, United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Gary Gensler indicated that crypto investors should be entitled to the same kinds of safety measures in place for traditional investments, like share markets.

That’s particularly relevant with the total crypto market valuation is approaching the US$3 trillion mark.

One method Gensler mentioned to help regulate the crypto market and open the door to non-tech savvy investors is a US listed Bitcoin ETF. The current proposal still envisions one which invests in futures contracts, rather than holding the actual tokens, which many proponents prefer.

Nonetheless, analysts believe that even a futures-based ETF trading in US markets could be a big boon for Bitcoin.

Marcus Sotiriou, a sales trader at digital asset broker GlobalBlock told CoinDesk:

It would still open the floodgates for institutional adoption and hopefully result in a spot-backed ETF being approved in the not-so-distant future, which would allow ordinary people to include the asset easily [in their brokerage accounts].

Bitcoin’s volatile price action

Though you may have banked 16% in virtual gains if you bought Bitcoin 7 days ago, don’t lose track of the token’s notorious volatility.

Investors who buy during the peaks and sell during the troughs are losing plenty of money.

In mid-April, for example, Bitcoin peaked at more than US$64,000. By late July it was down to US$29,800. And it has bounced around plenty since then.

Invest with care.

The post What’s driving the Bitcoin price surge? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why the Ethereum (CRYPTO:ETH) price is trouncing Bitcoin’s gains
• Why inflation angst is driving more Aussie investors to Bitcoin
• Will Ethereum overtake Bitcoin?
• China brings the hammer down on Bitcoin and all other crypto transactions
• AMP Capital’s chief economist on the future of Bitcoin and altcoins

The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of 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.

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The Redbubble Ltd (ASX: RBL) share price is taking off today after a leading brokerage began covering the stock.

Morgan Stanley has initiated coverage of Redbubble today, placing a generous target on the company’s share price.

At the time of writing, the Redbubble share price is $4.46, 6.95% higher than its previous close.

But that’s still a long way off what Morgan Stanley believes is a good price for the online marketplace’s shares.

The brokerage has placed a $6.50 price target and an overweight rating on Redbubble’s stock.

That suggests Morgan Stanley believes Redbubble’s stock has another 45% to gain to meet its value.

What Morgan Stanley’s sees in Redbubble

According to Reuters, Morgan Stanley noted its overweight rating of the Redbubble share price is partially due to the company’s large addressable market.

The brokerage believes such a market could see Redbubble with strong long-term growth.

It also recognised that Redbubble’s customer base is under-monetised and its business model highly profitable.

Further, Morgan Stanley stated the company’s business model is free cash flow generative, which supports its access to capital.

Let’s take a closer look at Redbubble’s metrics.

Is the Redbubble share price undervalued?

Redbubble is the operator of an online marketplace where artists can connect with customers. The company is, therefore, part of the ASX technology sector.

The company had a successful financial year 2021. It reported that its revenue had increased 58% on that of the prior financial year to $553 million.

Even more impressive, Redbubble’s earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation (EBIDTA) came to $53 million – 930% more than that of financial year 2020.

At its current price, Redbubble has a market capitalisation of around $1.24 million.

Its earnings per share (EPS) comes to 11.3 cents, giving Redbubble a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of around 39.

However, despite Morgan Stanley’s bullishness, the Redbubble share price is having a tough year on the ASX.

It is currently 24% lower than it was at the start of 2021. Although, it is 6% higher than it was this time last year.

The post Redbubble (ASX:RBL) share price surges 7% following broker upgrade appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why De Grey Mining, Gold Road, Nick Scali, & Redbubble shares are racing higher
• Redbubble (ASX:RBL) share price has surged 16% in 9 days. Is it a buy?
• Fund manager sees multibagger potential in Redbubble (ASX:RBL) share price
• These are the 10 most shorted ASX shares
• Got cash to invest? Here are 2 ASX shares that could be buys

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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At the small end of the market, there are a number of shares that have the potential to grow strongly in the future.

Two that could be worth watching very closely are listed below. Here’s what you need to know about these small cap ASX shares:

Booktopia Group Ltd (ASX: BKG)

The first small cap ASX share to watch is rapidly growing online book retailer, Booktopia.

It was a very strong performer in FY 2021, reporting a 35% lift in revenue to $223.9 million and a 125% jump in underlying EBITDA to $13.6 million.

This was underpinned by a 19% increase in active customers to 1.8 million and a 26% lift in units shipped to 8.2 million. The latter was supported by its new automated distribution centre, which allowed the company to capture increased demand from the shift to online shopping.

And while no guidance was given for FY 2022, management revealed that the new financial year has started strongly and revenue was tracking ahead of the prior corresponding period at the end of August.

Morgans is very positive on the company’s outlook. It currently has an add rating and $3.72 price target on Booktopia’s shares.

Damstra Holdings Ltd (ASX: DTC)

Another small cap ASX share to watch is Damstra. It is an integrated workplace management solutions company providing an increasingly popular cloud-based workplace management platform.

This platform is used by businesses globally to track, manage, and protect their workers and assets.

It was also on form in FY 2021. For the 12 months ended 30 June 2021, Damstra reported a 63% increase in annual recurring revenue (ARR) to $34.5 million. This was driven by a 74% increase in user numbers to 737,000.

The company has also just strengthened its offering with the acquisition of TIKS Solutions for $15.5 million. This leaves Damstra well-placed to continue growing into its substantial addressable market. Management estimates that its total addressable market (TAM) will be worth US$20 billion in 2022.

The team at Shaw & Partners are positive on the company. They have a buy rating and $1.67 price target on its shares.

The post 2 exciting small cap ASX shares to watch appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why Damstra, EML, Orica, & South32 shares are storming higher
• Damstra (ASX:DTC) share price soars 10% on acquisition news
• 3 small cap ASX shares analysts rate highly
• 3 stellar small cap ASX shares for your watchlist this month
• 3 growing small cap ASX shares to watch

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended Damstra Holdings Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended Booktopia Group Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Damstra Holdings 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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The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has followed Wall Street’s lead and is dropping on Tuesday. In afternoon trade, the benchmark index is down 0.4% to 7,250.9 points.

Four ASX shares that are not letting that hold them back are listed below. Here’s why they are racing higher:

De Grey Mining Limited (ASX: DEG)

The De Grey Mining share price is up 9% to $1.05. This morning the gold developer announced the outcomes of its scoping study at the Mallina Gold Project in the Pilbara. Management advised that the scoping study has found clear opportunities for improvement. It also revealed that it expects average gold production of 473,000 ounces per annum for the first five years.

Gold Road Resources Ltd (ASX: GOR)

The Gold Road share price has stormed 6% higher to $1.32. This appear to have been driven by a broker note out of Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG) this morning. According to the note, the broker has retained its outperform rating and $1.40 price target on the gold miner’s shares.

Nick Scali Limited (ASX: NCK)

The Nick Scali share price has continued its ascent and is up a further 3% to $12.51. Investors have been buying the furniture retailer’s shares this week after it announced the $103 million acquisition of rival Plush. It is a specialist Australian sofa retailer, operating a network of 46 showrooms across six Australian states and territories.

Redbubble Ltd (ASX: RBL)

The Redbubble share price is up 7% to $4.46. This appears to have been driven by a broker note out of Morgan Stanley this morning. According to the note, the broker has initiated coverage on the ecommerce company’s shares with an overweight rating and $6.50 price target. This implies potential upside of almost 46% even after today’s strong gain.

The post Why De Grey Mining, Gold Road, Nick Scali, & Redbubble shares are racing higher appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• De Grey (ASX:DEG) share price jumps 4% on gold project update
• Nick Scali (ASX:NCK) share price jumps 12% on $103m Plush acquisition
• 2 ASX dividend shares with BIG yields
• Why the De Grey (ASX:DEG) share price is lifting today
• Why BlueBet, Gold Road, Li-S Energy, & Myer shares are dropping

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 shares of and 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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The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is having a rather depressing day of trading so far this Tuesday. At the time of writing, the ASX 200 is down by 0.43% to 7,248 points.

So let’s not dwell on that too much, and instead check out the ASX 200 shares topping the trading charts today in terms of raw volume so far. This data comes from investing.com.

3 ASX 200 shares topping the volume charts this Tuesday

South32 Ltd (ASX: S32)

ASX 200 miner South32 is our first ASX share to check out today. South32 has seen a sizeable 16.22 million of its shares traded so far on the markets this Tuesday. There’s no major news out that might explain this move.

However, the South32 share price has had a pretty volatile day this far. It’s currently at $3.60 a share, up 0.56% for the day. However, it’s been as high as $3.63 and as low as $3.55 throughout today’s trading. This volatility has likely resulted in such a relatively high trading volume.

Santos Ltd (ASX: STO)

ASX 200 energy share Santos is next up this Tuesday. Today, we have seen a hefty 17.01million Santos shares bought and sold thus far. Again, there are no concrete developments out of this company today. However, the Santos share price is so far comprehensively bucking the broader market mood.

Santos shares are presently up a very robust 2.75% to $7.27 a share, probably explaining the increased trading volume. This share price gain is in line with the entire ASX energy sector currently, and can likely be put down to rising crude oil prices. 

Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS)

And last, but certainly not least in terms of trading volume, we have ASX 200 lithium producer Pilbara Minerals. Pilbara shares are flying around the ASX boards today, with a whopping 29.36 shares having changed hands at the time of writing.

Unfortunately for investors, this company seems to have the opposite problem to Santos today. The Pilbara share price is currently down 1.06% and is sitting at $1.87, a 2-month low. It’s this dip that is the likely reason behind Pilbara’s high share volume thus far this Tuesday.

The post These 3 ASX 200 shares are topping the volume charts this Tuesday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• How has the AMP (ASX:AMP) share price beaten the market over the past week?
• Oil Search (ASX:OSH) share price gains 18% in 14 days. Here’s why
• Soul Patts (ASX:SOL) share price slips amid completed Milton merger
• ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) midday update: Afterpay & Zip sink, energy shares rise
• These were the 5 best performing ASX 200 resources in September

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

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The Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) share price is surging higher today despite no news having been released by the company.

In fact, Woodside hasn’t posted any price-sensitive news to the market since it released its half-year results and confirmed its plan to merge with BHP Ltd‘s (ASX :BHP) oil assets in August.

However, increasing world oil prices might have something to do with Woodside’s gains today.  

At the time of writing, the Woodside share price is $25.01, 3.69% higher than its previous close.

Let’s take a look at what might be boosting Woodside’s shares on Tuesday.

Price of oil up alongside Woodside’s stock

The Woodside share price is taking off today, as are oil prices this week.

The price of oil has retreated ever so slightly on Tuesday, though it’s still boasting much of the significant gains it’s made recently.  

Right now, a barrel of West Texas Intermediate oil goes for US$77.86. At the same time, Brent crude oil is going for US$81.61 per barrel.

The price of oil is being driven higher by confirmation the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Russia, and their allies, better known as OPEC+, won’t be increasing oil production despite rising global demand.

The organisation previously agreed to boost oil production by 400,000 barrels per day each month between July 2021 and April 2022.  

According to reports by Reuters, the price of oil is beginning to worry the United States and India. The two nations are reportedly calling on the OPEC+ to increase supply of the black liquid.

The latest news from OPEC+ is likely dampening hopes of this happening. However, it’s seemingly boosting the Woodside share price.

Woodside share price snapshot

Today’s gain included, the Woodside share price is around 9% higher than it was at the start of 2021.

It has also gained 41% since this time last year.

The post Here’s why the Woodside (ASX:WPL) share price is climbing 3% today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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• September’s best performing ASX 200 energy shares unmasked
• ASX 200 energy shares on watch as OPEC meeting drives up oil prices
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Monday

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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