The Blackmores Limited (ASX: BKL) share price has been sliding today along with the rest of the market.

Shares in the vitamins and supplements company hit an intraday low of $91.05, which is 4.2% down on yesterday’s closing price, before recovering somewhat in afternoon trade.

Blackmores shares are now changing hands at $92.40 apiece, down 2.82% for the day.

Let’s investigate a little further.

What’s up with the Blackmores share price today?

There’s nothing coming out of the Blackmores camp on Friday that is impacting its share price today.

It’s obviously worth noting that the S&P/ASX 200 index (ASX: XJO) is enduring a sell-off and is down 2% to 7,179 points.

The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (XSJ) – of which Blackmores is a member – has slipped 1% today as well.

Investors’ concerns about inflation pressures, along with the energy crisis in the UK and Europe and the Evergrande debt scare in China appear to have plagued global equity markets this week.

Over in the US, the S&P 500 benchmark index sank 1.19% overnight while the Nasdaq Composite index slid 0.44%.

On local shores, the broad Australian index is down about 2.8% this week, whereas consumer staples are relatively flat.

So, it appears the Blackmores share price is moving in unison with the broader market sell-off today.

What else is happening with Blackmores?

There is reportedly an internal dispute between Blackmores’ key stakeholders.

According to reporting from today’s The Australian, Blackmores’ biggest shareholder, Marcus Blackmore – who owns just under 20% of the company’s shares – is threatening to vote against the election of the board’s chairperson, Anne Templeman-Jones.

Blackmore is unhappy with how the board is progressing the company. He is equally dissatisfied with Templeman-Jones’ decision to reject the nomination of former Pharmacy Guild president George Tambassis to the board, according to The Australian report.

Blackmore wants to see more health care and pharmaceutical representation on the board, fearing the board “is becoming overrun by governance”.

About 75% of Blackmores’ business in Australia is done through pharmacies.

We might hear more about this in the lead-up to the annual general meeting on 27 October.

Blackmores share price snapshot

The Blackmores share price has climbed 23% this year to date, bringing its gains over the past 12 months to 46%.

That’s well ahead of the broader index which has gained about 22% over the past year.

The post Why is the Blackmores (ASX:BKL) share price slumping 4% today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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The author Zach Bristow has no positions 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 Blackmores 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 Domino’s Pizza Enterprises Ltd (ASX: DMP) share price is struggling more than most today amid a broader market sell-off.

The significant dip has brought about Domino’s worst day since 23 February 2021, when the company’s stock fell a whopping 8.8% on its ex-dividend date.  

The pizza franchise was approaching the payment date for an 88.4 cent dividend at the time. Today, there’s no such explanation for Domino’s struggles.

At the time of writing, the Domino’s share price is trading at $150.11, 6.45% lower than its previous close. This dip is significantly worse than the slippage the broader market is experiencing today. Right now, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has fallen 2% while the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) is down 1.9%.

Let’s take a closer look at Domino’s share price performance on the ASX today.

Domino’s plummets on Friday

The Domino’s share price is tumbling 6.48% on Friday despite no news released by the company.

This makes it the worst unexplained fall Domino’s stock has experienced since November 2020.

Interestingly, the 11.1% plunge Domino’s stock underwent on 10 November coincided with news that Pfizer’s now famous COVID-19 vaccine had achieved positive early results.

Perhaps Australians stuck at home saw lockdowns as the catalyst for Domino’s stock’s surge through 2020.

Of course, as the pandemic took a hold of most aspects of people’s lives in 2020, many ASX-listed stocks suffered immensely.

However, the Domino’s share price gained 60% over the course of 2020.

It appears the market saw the increase in the amount of people eating takeaway pizza as a sure sign of Domino’s strength in the face of the pandemic.

However, Domino’s poor performance on the ASX today remains unexplained.

Domino’s share price snapshot

The Domino’s share price’s gains didn’t end alongside 2020.

Since the start of 2021, Domino’s stock has gained 70%. It is also 88% higher than it was this time last year.

The post Domino’s (ASX:DMP) share price falls 6% on its worst day since February appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Why CSL, Domino’s, Temple & Webster, & Xero shares are tumbling
• Domino’s (ASX:DMP) share price slips amid management restructure

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 Dominos Pizza Enterprises 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 Myer Holdings Ltd (ASX: MYR) share price may be trading flat today but the same cannot be said for the rest of the week.

Since the start of the week, the department store operator’s shares have fallen approximately 11%.

Though, it is worth noting that Myer’s shares are still up an impressive 90% in 2021 despite this.

Why is the Myer share price falling this week?

The weakness in the Myer share price appears to have been driven by a large shareholder selling down its holding.

According to a ceasing to be a substantial holder notice, WAM Capital Limited (ASX: WAM) has trimmed its position to the point that it is no longer a substantial shareholder.

WAM and its subsidiaries collectively owned a 7.76% stake in Myer until it sold ~21.3 million shares this week for a total of $12.25 million. This represents an average of 57.4 cents per share, which is just a touch higher than where the Myer share price is trading now.

Based on its last disclosure, this appears to have trimmed its position down by around a third and taken its interest to just under 5%.

Though, as WAM is no longer a substantial holder, it isn’t required to report any further sales. This means it is free to continue selling down its holding to zero if wanted to without notifying the market.

If it chose to do that, it would be a blow to fellow shareholder, Solomon Lew’s Premier Investments Limited (ASX: PMV). It is aiming to spill the Myer board and had the support of WAM.

Though, given Myer’s impressive turnaround in FY 2021 and the near doubling of the Myer share price in 2021, shareholders are likely to be pleased with what the current management team are doing. So they may well prefer that there isn’t any further changes in the boardroom at this point.

The post What’s going on with the Myer (ASX:MYR) share price? 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 recommended Premier Investments 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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It has been another busy week for Australia’s top brokers. This has led to the release of a large number of broker notes.

Three broker buy ratings that have caught my eye are summarised below. Here’s why brokers think these ASX shares are in the buy zone:

Aristocrat Leisure Limited (ASX: ALL)

According to a note out of Credit Suisse, its analysts have retained their outperform rating and $50.30 price target on this gaming technology company’s shares. The broker has been looking at Aristocrat’s digital business and believes that recent regulatory pressure will lead to a reduction in the company’s platform fees in the future. Credit Suisse has previously estimated that Aristocrat will pay upwards of $700 million in royalties to mobile platforms like Apple and Google in 2021. The Aristocrat Leisure share price is fetching $45.31 today.

JB Hi-Fi Limited (ASX: JBH)

A note out of Citi reveals that its analysts have upgraded this retail giant’s shares to a buy rating with a slightly trimmed price target of $53.00. The broker made the move on valuation grounds after a sizeable pullback. Citi highlights that JB Hi-Fi’s shares are trading at a significantly greater than normal discount to the average multiple of the ASX 200 excluding resources. The JB Hi-Fi share price is trading at $44.94 today.

South32 Ltd (ASX: S32)

Another note out of Credit Suisse reveals that its analysts have retained their outperform rating and lifted their price target on this mining giant’s shares to $4.40. This follows news that South32 has signed an agreement to acquire a further 25% stake in the Mozal aluminium smelter in Mozambique for $250 million. The broker expects this to lead to a notable increase in its aluminium production output. Which is very good news given Credit Suisse’s positive outlook for the metal. The South32 share price is fetching $3.52 on Friday.

The post Brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Why the South32 (ASX: S32) share price is on watch today

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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The Tesserent Ltd (ASX: TNT) share price is battling through a tough day amid the broader market sell-off.

The company released an update after the market closed last night which outlined its plans for the future. However, the presentation hasn’t been enough to protect the Tesserent share price today.

At the time of writing, the Tesserent share price is flat at 23 cents. However, it’s been wobbling in and out of the red all day, recording an intraday low of 22 cents.

That’s still a better performance than the broader market. Right now, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is down 2% while the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) has fallen 1.9%.

Let’s take a closer look at the security-as-a-service company’s investor update.

Tesserent’s investor update

Tesserent told investors its plans for the future include deepening its footprint in government, infrastructure, and financial services.

Currently, Tesserent provides internet security for 47 federal and state departments and agencies. It also looks after 8 of Australia’s largest banks, 16 financial services firms, and 14 foreign banks. Their client list includes 43 companies in the S&P/ASX 100 Index (ASX: XTO).

Tesserent also notes that it believes the Australian cyber security market will expand to be worth $7.3 billion by 2024. The increase will be driven by greater cyber security risks, greater enterprise spending on cyber security, and changes to legislation.

Over the financial year 2022, Tesserent plans to increase the number of services it provides to each customer. It will also integrate acquisitions that will increase synergies and revenue growth, and expand its proprietary intellectual property.

It also wants to reduce its skills shortage gap and build its leadership position in education through the Tesserent Academy.

Tesserent share price snapshot

Despite the company’s forward-thinking, the Tesserent share price has been tanking on the ASX lately.

It is currently 34% lower than it was at the start of 2021. This time last year, it was exactly as it is today at 23 cents.

The post Tesserent (ASX:TNT) share price struggles amid investor update appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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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 S&P/ASX 300 Index (ASX: XKO) is falling today following mixed daily movement throughout the week.

At the time of writing, the ASX 300 is down a sizeable 2.15% to 7,174.6 points. This means that over the past month, the index has dropped 5% lower.

Let’s take a look at which ASX companies are making headlines so far today.

Yancoal Australia Ltd (ASX: YAL)

The Yancoal share price is currently topping the charts, surging 9.67% to a 52-week high of $2.95 during afternoon trade.

Despite no recent news coming out of the coal producer, investors appear to be bullish on its future prospects. The spot price for coal reached is at a record high of US$218 a tonne, which will result in bumper profits for the company.

Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX: PDN)

Another big mover on the ASX 300 is Paladin — its share price is currently up 5.07% to 72.5 cents.

The uranium company also hasn’t released any market-sensitive news to the ASX.

However, its shares are rebounding after being heavily sold off in the past week, down almost 15%. It appears investors have found the bottom of Paladin shares for now.

It’s worth noting that the company’s share price is up by more than 450% since this time last year.

Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX: WHC)

The Whitehaven Coal share price is pushing 3.72% higher to $3.35.

The company is also enjoying strong revenues coming from the rise in coal prices overnight.

In addition, Bell Potter cut its rating on Whitehaven Coal shares to “hold” from “buy”, but raised its price target by 35% to $3.50. Based on the current share price, this implies an upside of roughly 4%.

And the companies in decline?

Domino’s Pizza Enterprises Ltd. (ASX: DMP)

The worst performer on the ASX 300 at the time of writing is Domino’s, with its share price down 6.40% to $150.19.

The pizza chain operator gave notice of its Annual General Meeting (AGM) which will be held virtually on 3 November.

Virgin Money UK PLC (ASX: VUK)

Lastly, the Virgin Money UK share price has plummeted 6.06% to $3.795 on Friday.

The United Kingdom-based bank announced its digital strategy after market close yesterday. It seems investors are unimpressed with the company closing a number of its stores.

Virgin Money UK shares have tumbled 5% this month, but are up 60% in 2021.

The post Which ASX shares are set to finish the week as the top movers on the ASX 300? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• How did ASX uranium shares perform in September?
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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 recommended Dominos Pizza Enterprises 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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September turned out to be a pretty tough month for most ASX shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) ended up losing around 2.7% for the month, which is a pretty nasty performance. But one ASX exchange-traded fund (ETF) fared far worse. That would be the BetaShares Asia Technology Tigers ETF (ASX: ASIA).

This ASIA fund has had a month to forget. It started out in September with a unit price of roughly $10.24, and rose all the way to $10.68 early on in the month. But things went from up to down very quickly, and ASIA ended up closing yesterday at $9.80 a unit. That puts its losses for September at 4.3%. From the high of $10.68 on 7 September, the fund had gone backwards by more than 8% by the end of the month.

But it’s not like September was an outlier for this ETF. ASIA has had an extremely tough year in 2021 so far. Year to date, ASIA is now down by more than 16%. And since reaching an all-time high of more than $14 back in February, ASIA is now down more than 31% from those levels.

So what’s gone wrong here, especially over September?

ASIA suffers from China’s Evergrande woes

Well, the answer can perhaps be summed up with one word: Evergrande.

ASIA is an ETF that invests in tech-centred companies from Asia, as its name implies. Currently, its portfolio is weighted by around 45% to China shares. Some of its largest holdings include the Chinese giants Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (NYSE: BABA), Tencent Holdings Ltd (HKG: 0700) and JD.Com Inc (NASDAQ: JD). That’s in addition to other Asian tech giants like Samsung and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd.

Well, if you weren’t aware, the Chinese economy has had one of its worst months in decades in September due to the woes of the giant Chinese property developer Evergrande. Although the crisis at Evergrande seems to be abating (at least for now), this saga sparked many a concern over the current structure of the Chinese economy.

This sparked a crisis of confidence for international investors, and has arguably contributed to a brutal selloff in Chinese equities.

Take Tencent shares, a top ASIA holding. They are still currently down almost 20% year to date, and down almost 40% from the company’s February 52-week high. Alibaba is still down more than 35% in 2021 so far, including an ~11% loss over September alone.

This has been probably the single largest contributor to ASIA’s woeful performance over the month just gone.

The BetaShares Asia Technology Tigers ETF has just over $655 million in assets under management as of 29 September, and charges a management fee of 0.67% per annum.

The post Why did the Betashares Asia Technology Tigers ETF (ASX:ASIA) struggle in September? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and JD.com. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended BetaShares Asia Technology Tigers ETF. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended JD.com. 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 Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) share price is tracking to finish the week lower. At the time of writing, shares in the supermarket giant are swapping hands for $38.85, down 1.27%.

Downward pressure is being felt across the entire market on Friday. In fact, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is down 2.18%, making it the worst session on the Australian share market since 15 June 2020.

However, Woolworths is in particular focus today as the company reports staff shortages.

Store closures loom as COVID-19 bites

Heading into the afternoon, the Woolworths share price is struggling to shake its negative sentiment on Friday. This follows reports that the grocery chain is battling with staff shortages.

Due to the outbreak in COVID-19 cases in Victoria, more than 30,000 Victorians are presently in isolation. As fate would have it, many of these close contacts are springing up at supermarkets. As a result, entire shifts worth of Woolworths employees have been placed in 14-day long isolation.

The ninth-largest listed company on the ASX has said that it will be forced to start closing its doors at dozens of sites across Melbourne this weekend if these isolation rules continue. Such a move could weigh on the Woolworths share price, as store foot traffic would likely fall.

In commentary shared with The Australian, a Woolworths spokesperson stated:

Making some sensible, risk-based adjustments to contract tracing would go a long way in helping us maintain essential supply and service to the Victorian community.

Fortunately, it appears these pleas have been heard by Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews. In a briefing held today, the premier indicated a likely change to how isolations are dealt with in the state, stating:

People will still need to be double-dose vaccinated. People will still need to have a negative test. Where it may change – and I’m foreshadowing that it most likely will change – is the duration that people will have to be in iso at home. We may be able to reduce that. That work is not quite finalised.

Despite this announcement, the Woolworths share price remains in the red on Friday afternoon.

Woolworths share price in review

Although current isolation protocols are hindering Woolworths, its share price has been anything but over the past year. In fact, the company as an investment has slightly outperformed the benchmark index, putting a smile on shareholder’s faces.

At present, the supermarket chain trades on a 12-month trailing price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 31.35 times.

The post Woolworths (ASX:WOW) share price struggles amid staff shortages appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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

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The BPH Energy Ltd (ASX: BPH) share price is roaring higher during afternoon trade on Friday.

This comes as the biotechnology and mineral exploration company announced an update in regards to its investee company, Cortical Dynamics.

At the time of writing, BPH shares are up 5.08% to 6.2 cents. It’s worth noting that its shares reached an intraday high of 6.7 cents before treading lower.

What did BPH announce?

Investors are pushing the BPH share price upwards after digesting the company’s latest positive update.

According to its release, BPH advised that Cortical Dynamics has filed a 510(k) submission with the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This is in relation to the company’s medical device, the Brain Anaesthesia Response Monitor (BARM).

Touted as the next-generation brain function monitor, BARM is an Australian-first. It has been developed by BPH in partnership with Swinburne University.

BARM works by measuring changes in a patient’s brain activity as a medical professional delivers anaesthesia. It allows anaesthetists to calculate the dosage and make adjustments as necessary during surgical procedures.

The monitor also has the potential to indicate how pain-free a patient is while under anaesthesia.

BARM is better than the currently used electroencephalogram (EEG) technology because it is based on science’s latest understanding of how the brain produces rhythmic electrical activity.

A 510(k) is a premarket submission that demonstrates that the device is safe and effective for potential consumers. This is considered the fastest route to market. Clearance of the 510(k) would allow Cortical Dynamics to begin marketing a predicate device in the US without clinical trials.

About the BPH share price

Over the past 12 months, BPH shares have lifted by 24%. Year to date, the BPH share price has gained 55%.

Based on today’s price, BPH presides a market capitalisation of roughly $41.2 million. There are approximately 665 million shares outstanding.

The post Here’s why the BPH Energy (ASX:BPH) share price is surging 5% today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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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The Alumina Ltd (ASX: AWC) share price is crawling higher in afternoon trade today and is now changing hands at $2.12 apiece.

Alumina shares are on the move after the company announced an update for developments on alumina production.

Here’s what we know.

What did Alumina announce?

Alumina advised that Alcoa of Australia Limited has executed a binding term sheet agreement with FYI Resources Ltd (ASX: FYI) to “produce high-quality alumina”.

Alcoa of Australia is a venture between Alcoa Corporation and Alumina.

The latter has a 40% stake in Alcoa of Australia, which represents one of the world’s largest integrated bauxite mining, alumina refining and aluminium smelting operations.

Back to the agreement – Alcoa of Australia will hold a 65% interest in the project, and play a managerial role as well.

The release points to a potential construction date in 2024, of a “full scale, 8,000 metric tonne per year (high purity alumina) HPA plant”, after several milestones.

Alcoa of Australia will contribute an initial $5 million over the coming year, to fund trials and facility design.

Afterwards, the company intends to build a demonstration facility, and engineer the full scale HPA plant.

Finally, stage three would signal the start of construction on the full scale plant. The build is estimated to cost around $200 million.

Alumina’s announcement of the project comes after a successful trial in December 2020 that used Alcoa’s feedstock to produce HPA “at more than 99.99% aluminium oxide purity”.

US based Alcoa Corporation – the other 60% partner in the venture – certainly appeared to relish the news, with executive vice president, Tim Reyes, seeing the play as an easy fit.

Speaking on the announcement, Reyes said:

This project is a natural complement to Alcoa’s existing business that builds on our expertise in alumina refining technology development and our production capability.

Expanding on the above Reyes added:

Alcoa and FYI have complementary skills, experience and knowledge that combined will help to accelerate our entry into the HPA market, which is expected to have a compounded annual growth rate of nearly 20 percent to 2028.

Alumina share pice snapshot

The Alumina share price has more than doubled the S&P/ASX 200 index (ASX: XJO)’s return of 25% over the past 12 months, climbing 52.5%.

It rallied another 19% in the past month, after gaining another 15.5% since January 1.

The post Alumina (ASX:AWC) share price lifts on project update appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Use the sharp commodity sell-off to buy these ASX 200 mining shares
• Alumina (ASX:AWC) share price cools off but it’s up 19% in September. Here’s why
• Here are 2 ASX mining shares up 25% in the past month
• Here are the 3 heaviest trading ASX 200 shares on Monday
• These were the best performing ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) shares last week

The author Zach Bristow has no positions 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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