• Is the Xero (ASX:XRO) share price heading down to $130?

    Young man in shirt and tie staring at his laptop screen in anticipation.

    The Xero Limited (ASX: XRO) share price has been on form over the last 12 months.

    Since this time last year, the cloud accounting platform provider’s shares have risen a sizeable 61%.

    Can the Xero share price keep rising?

    One broker that isn’t convinced the Xero share price can keep rising is Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG).

    In fact, according to a note out of the investment bank last week, its analysts believe its shares could be heading lower from here.

    The note reveals that Macquarie has retained its underperform rating and $130.00 price target on the company’s shares.

    Based on the current Xero share price of $146.40, this implies potential downside of 11% over the next 12 months.

    What did the broker say?

    The broker notes that rival Intuit has announced the US$12 billion acquisition of email marketing company Mailchimp.

    Macquarie fears this could be a boost to Intuit’s QuickBooks platform and a blow to Xero if it decides to remove Mailchimp from Xero’s ecosystem. The broker appears concerned that it could not only cause some users to switch platforms, but also strengthen QuickBooks’ offering and support its global expansion.

    Outside this, the broker has valuation concerns and struggles to justify the current multiples the Xero share price trades on.

    Particularly given its view that its ANZ growth will slow materially in the near future and its North American growth may come at the expense of a softening revenue per user metric.

    Is anyone bullish?

    The team at Goldman Sachs don’t agree with this view. They recently reaffirmed their buy rating and $165.00 price target.

    The broker believes Xero has the potential to grow strongly for several decades if everything goes to plan with its global expansion and app ecosystem monetisation.

    Time will tell which broker made the right call.

    The post Is the Xero (ASX:XRO) share price heading down to $130? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Xero, 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 Xero 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

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    Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended Xero. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended 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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  • 2 ASX shares rated as strong buys by brokers

    ASX shares latest buy ideas upgrade best buy Stopwatch with Time to Buy on the counter

    Many ASX shares are rated as a buy by at least one broker. However, there are a select group that are currently liked by a number of brokers at the same time.

    If plenty of brokers like a business at the current valuation then that may indicate that they are opportunities. These brokers are constantly on the lookout for good value ASX shares that may be good buys.

    However, there’s a potential risk that all of the brokers are wrong at the same time.

    With that in mind, here are two ASX shares that may be ideas to consider:

    Audinate Group Ltd (ASX: AD8)

    Audinate is a business that offers a solution called Dante, which is audio over IP networking. The company claims it’s a worldwide leader and used extensively in the professional live sound, commercial installation, broadcast, public address and recording industries.

    It replaces traditional analogue cables by transmitting synchronised audio signals across large distances to multiple locations at once, using just an ethernet cable.

    Despite the very large disruption that COVID-19 has caused to a large number of Audinate’s clients, the company delivered a high level of growth in FY21. Revenue rose 22.5% to US$25 million, gross profit increased 23.1% to US$19.2 million, earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) jumped 50.1% to A$3 million and operation cashflow rose 40% to A$6.7 million.

    The FY21 net loss after tax also improved 17% to A$3.4 million.

    It has launched Dante Video, which it sees as an important phase of growth when combined with Dante audio.

    In FY22 the ASX share is expecting to launch more products, improving non-English speaking adoption, increasing cyber protection and implementing business scalability initiatives.

    Audinate is currently rated as a buy by at least three brokers, including UBS. One reason for the $11.75 price target is the potential growth of Dante video which may lead to a growing market share.

    Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS)

    The telco is another business that is well-liked by brokers at the moment after a difficult few years.

    It is rated as a buy by at least four brokers, including Morgan Stanley with a price target of $4.50. The broker thinks it’s a good thing that Telstra is going to return to profit growth in the next few years.

    According to Morgan Stanley, the Telstra share price is valued at 28x FY22’s estimated earnings.

    Telstra recently released its T25 strategy update to the market. In that it said that it aimed to achieve a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of mid-single digits for underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) and high-teens for underlying earnings per share (EPS).

    The telco also said that it’s going to seek to grow its dividend over time, with increasing earnings. This could be helped by a further reduction of $500 million of net fixed costs from FY23 to FY25.

    Telstra is also looking to improve its 4G and 5G network coverage for customers, whilst also increasing its number of Telstra Plus members to 6 million by FY25.

    At the current Telstra share price, it has a grossed-up dividend yield of 5.9%.

    The post 2 ASX shares rated as strong buys by brokers appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Telstra, 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 Telstra 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

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    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 shares of and has recommended AUDINATEGL FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended AUDINATEGL FPO and Telstra Corporation Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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  • This Afterpay-backed company is listing on ASX next week

    a woman peers over a surface with a happy, curious look on her face with eyes wide as though she is overhearing something.

    The favourite barbecue story for ASX investors the last couple of years has been Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT).

    The buy now, pay later provider has been the darling of the local bourse, going from an initial public offer price of $1 per share to $125.67 on Monday afternoon.

    In other words, $10,000 invested when it floated in 2016 would now be a tidy $1.26 million.

    But now that big US fintech Square Inc (NYSE: SQ) is buying it up for $39 billion, perhaps that explosive chapter of the company’s life will come to a close.

    However, did you know there is a business that will list on the ASX next week that was spun out of Afterpay?

    In fact, Afterpay still holds a 32% stake.

    Touch Ventures about to land on the ASX

    Shares for a company named Touch Ventures Limited (ASX: TVL) will start general trade on the ASX on 29 September.

    The venture capital provider launched in 2019 as AP Ventures as a way for Afterpay to invest in startups.

    Cyan portfolio manager Dean Fergie told his clients in a memo that the Afterpay connection couldn’t hurt.

    “Given the huge investor support of Afterpay — additionally so, after its deal with Square that sent Afterpay’s shares 30% higher — another good debut on listing could be expected.”

    Fergie’s fund already has some shares after buying in during a pre-IPO funding round.

    What does Touch Ventures do?

    Touch Ventures invests in startups, primarily by buying some equity in them.

    The firm currently has 5 businesses in its portfolio but is aiming to increase that to 8 to 10 companies after the ASX listing.

    Normally only sophisticated and institutional investors have access to startup equity as they’re far higher risk than publicly listed stocks.

    So the float of Touch Ventures would be a rare way for mum-and-dad investors to get a look into the exciting high-growth startup world.

    Perhaps as a sign of its pedigree, Fergie said Touch has 2 buy now, pay later startups on its books: Postpay, which operates in the UAE, and Happay, which is a Chinese fintech. 

    “Most significantly, Touch Ventures Limited invested US$25m into Australia Post competitor Sendle which has made significant inroads in Australia and is looking to expand into the US.” 

    The portfolio also includes PlayTravel which is arguably another buy now, pay later system. That business allows customers to pay for travel packages in instalments.

    The 5th startup in the portfolio is Basiq, a financial data mining platform.

    Touch Ventures chair Michael Jefferies said in the prospectus that no geographic zones or sectors are off-limits in the investment strategy.

    “Touch Ventures has a preference for global ventures. All companies in the foundation portfolio are generating revenues but are not profitable at this stage.”

    The prospectus also mentions that Afterpay could refer investment opportunities onto Touch Ventures.

    “Afterpay may also provide specific expertise along with Touch Ventures’ expertise in assessing opportunities referred to Touch Ventures and may separately enter into commercial agreements with companies that Touch Ventures decides to invest in,” said Jefferies.

    The IPO, which issued shares at 40 cents apiece to raise $100 million, has now closed. Touch Ventures shares will start normal trading on the ASX on the morning of 29 September.

    Afterpay will then hold 23.3% of the total fully diluted stock.

    The post This Afterpay-backed company is listing on ASX next week 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 shares of Square. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended AFTERPAY T FPO and Square. 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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  • 2 stellar ASX growth shares rated as buys

    share price gaining

    If you’re a growth investor looking for some new ideas, then you might want to look at the shares listed below.

    Here’s what you need to know about these highly rated growth shares:

    Hipages Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: HPG)

    The first ASX growth share to look at is Hipages. It is a leading Australian-based online platform and software as a service (SaaS) provider connecting tradies with residential and commercial consumers for job leads.

    Hipages has been growing strongly over the last couple of years thanks to the increasing popularity of its platform with both tradies and consumers. This has underpinned strong recurring revenues, with the company finishing FY 2021 with monthly recurring revenue (MRR) of $5.2 million. This was 27% higher year on year and annualises to $62.4 million.

    The good news is that the company is still scratching at the surface of its market opportunity. The team at Goldman Sachs highlights that Hipages currently captures less than 1% of a total $97 billion tradie business spend.

    The broker is very bullish on the company’s future. It has a buy rating and $4.35 price target on its shares.

    Life360 Inc (ASX: 360)

    Another ASX growth share to look at is Life360. It is the rapidly growing technology company behind the popular Life360 mobile app. This market leading app for families offers a range of features such as communications, driver safety, and location sharing.

    At the end of the first half, the company’s Global Monthly Active User (MAU) base had reached 32.3 million. This was up by 4 million users since the end of the first quarter, which demonstrates just how quickly it is growing.

    This led to Life360 surpassing US$100 million of annualised monthly revenue, which positions it to deliver another stellar full year result later this year.

    In addition, Life360 has also just expanded into the wearables market via the acquisition of Jiobit. This gives it cross-selling opportunities to its large subscriber base.

    Bell Potter is a fan of the company. It currently has an outperform rating and $10.75 price target on its shares.

    The post 2 stellar ASX growth shares rated as buys 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 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 Hipages Group Holdings Ltd. 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 high quality and high yielding ASX dividend shares to buy

    A woman holds a lightbulb in one hand and a wad of cash in the other

    If you’re building an income portfolio, then you may want to look at the buy-rated dividend shares listed below.

    Here’s why these ASX dividend shares could be worth considering right now:

    Adairs Ltd (ASX: ADH)

    The first ASX dividend share to look at is Adairs. This leading retailer of homewares and home furnishings could be a good option due to its strong market position, growing online businesses, and generous yield.

    In respect to the former, the company’s strong market position allowed it to take full advantage of favourable trading conditions in FY 2021. This led to the company reporting a 28.5% increase in sales to $499.8 million and the almost doubling of its EBIT to $109.1 million.

    This went down well with analysts at Morgans. In response, the broker put an add rating and $4.20 price target on the company’s shares.

    Looking ahead, Morgans is confident in its medium term outlook and is forecasting dividends per share of 22 cents in FY 2022 and 27 cents in FY 2023. Based on the current Adairs share price of $3.86, this will mean yields of 5.7% and 7%, respectively.

    Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS)

    Another ASX dividend share to consider is Telstra. After several years of struggles, this telco giant is now on the path to growth again. This was confirmed last week when the company released its T25 update. This is Telstra’s new strategy that will build on the highly successful T22 strategy from next year.

    Telstra revealed that it will aim for sustained growth and value by targeting mid-single digit underlying EBITDA and high-teen underlying earnings per share compound annual growth rates (CAGR) from FY 2021 to FY 2025.

    This went down well with analysts at Goldman Sachs. The broker believes the strategy will support a return to dividend growth in the coming years.

    Goldman is now forecasting 16 cents per share fully franked dividends through to FY 2023. After which, it expects a dividend of 18 cents per share in FY 2024 and then 19 cents per share in FY 2025.

    Based on the current Telstra share price of $3.88, this will mean yields of 4.1%, 4.6%, and 4.9%, respectively.

    Goldman has a buy rating and $4.40 price target on its shares.

    The post 2 high quality and high yielding ASX dividend shares to buy 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 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 ADAIRS FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended ADAIRS FPO and Telstra Corporation 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 leading ASX shares that are growing rapidly

    Graphic showing yellow arrow above vertical columns indicating a rising share price

    The two ASX shares in this article are ones that are growing their revenue and earnings capabilities at a fast pace.

    One of the only similarities between the two businesses, besides the quick growth, is that they both begin with the letter P. In terms of the sector, one is a corporate bookmaker and the other is business that invests in fund managers and helps them grow.

    The below two ASX shares are growing rapidly:

    Pointsbet Holdings Ltd (ASX: PBH)

    Pointsbet is a sports wagering operator and iGaming provider, offering sports and racing betting products and services direct to clients through its platform.

    In August 2020, Pointsbet announced a media partnership with NBC Universal to become the official sports betting partner of NBC Sports in the US. Pointsbet explains this partnership provides the ASX share with access to leading national and regional television and digital assets, with the largest sports audience of any US media company, with over 184 million viewers.

    The NBC deal is one of the ‘pieces’ of the strategy that Pointsbet believes can make it a market leader. Other parts of the strategy includes its leading brand ambassadors and its profitable Australian business coupled with “strong” US market share growth.

    In FY21, Pointsbet experienced a 228% increase in turnover to $3.78 billion and a total net win increase of 154% to $208.5 million. In Australia, cash active clients jumped 117% year on year to 196,585. Meanwhile, US cash active clients jumped 661% to 159,321.

    The ASX share continues to announce a steady increase of new partnerships in the US. The latest one was with Austin FC (from the Major League Soccer) to pursue opportunities in Texas. No bill has been passed in Texas, but it is expected that legislation will be introduced in upcoming sessions to permit sports betting to be offered by racetracks and professional sporting teams.

    Pinnacle Investment Management Group Ltd (ASX: PNI)

    The idea behind Pinnacle is that it can take investment stakes in fund managers and help them grow. It says that it provides the ideal environment to enable its boutiques to produce superior investment performance.

    Pinnacle frees investment professionals from unnecessary distractions, and it aims to only work with high-quality individuals.

    The ASX share prices services like product distribution, marketing and business development, licencing and insurance, compliance and risk, company secretarial and legal counsel, HR, IT, operations support, responsible entity services and so on.

    Some of its current investments include Antipodes, Coolabah Capital, Firetrail, Hyperion and Plato.

    FY21 saw a lot of growth for the business. Aggregate affiliate funds under management (FUM) increased by 27% over six months to $89.4 billion at 30 June 2021. Aggregate retail FUM rose 22% to $20.3 billion from 31 December 2020 to 30 June 2021.

    Total net profit after tax more than doubled to $67 million, funding an 86% increase of the full year dividend 28.7 cents per share.

    Pinnacle reported continued affiliate medium-term outperformance, with 80% of five-year affiliate strategies having outperformed as at 30 June 2021.

    Closing FUM of $89.4 billion was more than 20% higher than the average FUM through FY21.

    The post 2 leading ASX shares that are growing rapidly appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Pointsbet, 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 Pointsbet 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

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    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 shares of and has recommended PINNACLE FPO and Pointsbet Holdings Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended PINNACLE FPO. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Pointsbet 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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  • 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday

    Young woman dressed in suit sitting at cafe staring at laptop screen with hands to her forehead looking tense

    On Monday the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) started the week deep in the red. The benchmark index rose 0.2% to 7,425.2 points.

    Will the market be able to build on this on Tuesday? Here are five things to watch:

    ASX 200 expected to sink again

    The Australian share market is expected to sink again on Tuesday. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 98 points or 1.4% lower. This follows a poor start to the week on Wall Street. The Dow Jones fell 1.8% and the S&P 500 sank 1.7%, and the Nasdaq dropped 2.2%.

    Iron ore price tumbles further

    Mining giants BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) and Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG) will be on watch after the iron ore price pulled back further. According to Metal Bulletin, the spot iron ore price has fallen 8.8% to US$92.98 per tonne. This follows concerns about demand in China amid fears that property giant Evergrande could collapse.

    Oil prices fall

    Energy producers such as Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) and Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) could have a tough day after oil prices tumbled overnight. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is down 1.7% to US$70.74 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price has fallen 1.4% to US$74.32 a barrel. Concerns about China’s economy weighed on prices.

    Gold price rises

    Gold miners Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) will be on watch after the gold price pushed higher. According to CNBC, the spot gold price is up 0.8% to US$1,765.7 an ounce. The precious metal was boosted by demand for safe haven assets due to the Evergrande-related market selloff.

    Dividends being paid

    A number of ASX 200 shares will be paying their dividends later today to their respective shareholders. This includes mining giant BHP and energy companies Oil Search Ltd (ASX: OSH) and Santos Ltd (ASX: STO). In respect to the former, BHP is rewarding its shareholders with a massive 271.5 cents per share dividend.

    The post 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday 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 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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  • Top broker tips ANZ (ASX:ANZ) share price to rise 14%

    young woman reviewing financial reports at desk with multiple computer screens

    The Australia and New Zealand Banking GrpLtd (ASX: ANZ) share price had a tough start to the week.

    The banking giant’s shares ended the day 2% lower at $27.14. This follows a broad market selloff on Monday.

    Is the ANZ share price weakness a buying opportunity?

    While today’s decline in the ANZ share price is disappointing for shareholders, it could be a buying opportunity for non-shareholders.

    According to a note out of Bell Potter this morning, its analysts have retained their buy rating and $31.00 price target on the bank’s shares.

    Based on the current ANZ share price, this implies potential upside of 14% over the next 12 months before dividends.

    And with Bell Potter forecasting a $1.40 per share fully franked dividend in FY 2022, the potential total return increases to over 19%.

    What did the broker say?

    Bell Potter notes that ANZ has held its Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) meeting and appears happy with what it heard.

    It commented: “The bank continues to take risks seriously, aligning purpose and ESG with strategy to derive value. Primarily to help someone to save, buy and own a liveable house, the bank also encourages businesses to grow and adopt practices as well as to move capital around the regions. In effect, the job of the bank is to see environment sustainability as a risk and opportunity – a big ask but doable.”

    Outside this, the broker is positive on management’s focus on the more profitable and higher return on equity Australian and New Zealand retail, business, and private banking space. In addition, it sees value in certain offshore operations focusing on institutional banking.

    However, while Bell Potter remains bullish on the ANZ share price, it isn’t its top pick. In fact, following the meeting, it has slipped down the pecking order.

    The note reveals that Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) shares are its preferred pick. After which, National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) shares have leapfrogged ANZ to become its second favourite big four bank.

    The post Top broker tips ANZ (ASX:ANZ) share price to rise 14% appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider ANZ, 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 ANZ 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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  • Why are Coles (ASX:COL) shares defying the ASX 200 selloff today?

    a happy, smiling woman rides on the back of a trolley down the aisles of a supermarket.

    The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has had a pretty awful start to the week this Monday. At market close, the ASX 200 is down a nasty 2.10% to 7,248 points. That puts the ASX 200 at roughly 5% below its most recent all-time high of 7,632.8 points that we saw just over a month ago. But one ASX 200 blue-chip sare is bucking the trend today. That would be the Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL) share price.

    Coles shares are defiantly in the green today, swimming against the broader ASX 200 tide. At market close, Coles finished trading at $16.94 a share, up 0.18%.

    So why was this company up today in the face of such a nasty market sell off?

    Why are investors buying the Coles share price today?

    Well, to start things off, we haven’t gotten any major news or announcements from Coles today, so you can rule that out as a possible cause.

    However, it’s important to note that investors often turn to consumer staples shares like Coles during times of market stress. This sector has a reputation for being ‘safer’ than most due to the essential nature of the goods Coles and other consumer staples companies sell.

    After all, we all need food, drinks and household essentials, rain hail or shine, in good times and bad. Investors know this, and often flock to consumer staples shares like Coles in a climate of fear.

    We saw this in action last year during the initial onset of the coronavirus pandemic. Between 22 February and 23 March 2020, the ASX 200 fell roughly 35% peak-to-trough. However, over this same period, the Coles share price actually rose slightly.

    We’ve also seen some brokers give a little love to the Coles share price too. As my Fool colleague James covered last week, broker Morgans has recently given Coles shares an ‘add’ rating, with a 2-month share price target of $19.80 a share. That implies a potential future upside of roughly 16% on today’s pricing.

    Morgans actually referenced Coles as a “defensive business with strong market positions and a healthy balance sheet”, lending weight to the ‘consumercoles stocks in times of stress’ thesis above. The broker also likes Coles’ future dividend prospects, as well as its FY21 results.

    Perhaps this goodwill is also spilling into the company this Monday.

    At the current Coles share price, this company has a market capitalisation of $22.68 billion, a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 22.58 and a dividend yield of 3.59%.

    The post Why are Coles (ASX:COL) shares defying the ASX 200 selloff today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Coles, 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 Coles 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

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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. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended COLESGROUP DEF SET. 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 are the top 10 ASX shares today

    Top 10 asx today

    Today, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) commenced the week with a steep fall. The benchmark index fell 2.1% to 7,248.2 points.

    While it was a difficult day for the majority of ASX 200 shares today, there were still some companies that gave investors something to smile about.

    The question is: which shares delivered the biggest returns to investors on the ASX today? Here are the ten stocks that rose to the occasion:

    Top 10 ASX shares countdown today

    Looking at the top 200 listed companies, Ausnet Services Ltd (ASX: AST) was the biggest gainer today. Shares in the energy company soared 18.69% are receiving a non-binding offer takeover bid. Find out more about Ausnet Services here.

    The next biggest gaining ASX share today was Endeavour Group Ltd (ASX: EDV). The liquor retailer’s shares climbed 2.64% to $6.61 despite no announcements from the company. Uncover the latest Endeavour Group details here.

    Today’s top 10 biggest gains were made in these ASX shares:

    ASX-listed company Share price Price change
    Ausnet Services Ltd (ASX: AST) $2.35 18.69%
    Endeavour Group Ltd (ASX: EDV) $6.61 2.64%
    Auckland International Airport Ltd (ASX: AIA) $7.34 1.24%
    Healius Ltd (ASX: HLS) $4.98 0.81%
    Steadfast Group Ltd (ASX: SDF) $4.85 0.62%
    Boral Ltd (ASX: BLD) $6.10 0.49%
    Mercury NZ Ltd (ASX: MCY) $6.44 0.47%
    Genesis Energy Ltd (ASX: GNE) $3.26 0.31%
    Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL) $16.96 0.30%
    Spark New Zealand Ltd (ASX: SPK) $4.62 0.22%
    Data as at 4:00pm AEST

    Our top 10 ASX shares countdown is a recurring end-of-day summary to ensure you know which companies were making big moves on the day. Check-in at Fool.com.au after the market has closed during weekdays to see which stocks make the countdown.

    The post Here are the top 10 ASX shares today 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 Mitchell Lawler 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 Steadfast Group Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended COLESGROUP DEF SET. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Steadfast Group Ltd. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

    from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/3znpOuD