The Ridley Corporation Ltd (ASX: RIC) share price is soaring after the company released its earnings for the financial year 2021 (FY21).

Right now, the Ridley share price is $1.23, 7.89% higher than its previous close.

Ridley share price jumps on 2 cent dividend

Here’s how the stock feed producer performed through FY21:

• $927.7 million in revenue, 4.1% less than the prior corresponding period.
• Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) up 16.1% to $69.1 million
• After tax profit of $24.8 million, up from a $10.8 million loss in FY20
• Resumed paying dividends with a 2 cent final dividend

Over FY21, Ridley reported $79 million of gross profit, up 18% on those of FY20. It also saw its operating cash flow increase 107% to $82.4 million.

Ridley’s bulk stockfeed segment reported EBITDA before significant items of $32.4 million, down 5% from FY20. However, FY20 saw the segment’s income bolstered by ‘drought feeding’.

The company’s packaged feeds and ingredients segment has EBITDA before significant items of $46.5 million. That represents a 32% increase on the prior corresponding period.

Additionally, the company’s inventory is back to pre-COVID-19 levels.

Ridley ended the period with $39.9 million of cash and $83.1 million of debt.

What happened in FY21?

It’s been a quiet run in FY21 for Ridley and its share price. Although, it did sell some assets.

The company sold surplus land at Lara and Moolap for a pre-tax profit of $3.7 million.

In April, it also sold its wholly owned, non-operating, and Singapore-incorporated subsidiary Novacq International Pte Ltd for no profit or loss.

Ridley also announced it was to sell its Tasmanian extrusion facility in May. However, the sale was finalised after the financial year ended.

What’s next for Ridley?

Here’s what might drive the Ridley share price in FY22:

Ridley’s FY21 included several sales that have occurred since the end of the financial year just been and will be added to its FY22 results.

First off, the company sold its Tasmania-based Westbury extrusion plant for $54.85 million earlier this month. A $7 million profit from the sale will be noted in Ridley’s FY22 results.

Additionally, a $2.2 million contract for the sale of its former feedmill at Bendigo was signed on 27 July. Another sale contract, this time for its former feed mill at Mooroopna worth $1.65 million, was completed on 13 August.

The sales will generate a pre-tax gain on sale of around $2.6 million in FY22.

Ridley also outlined its growth plan in its FY21 results.

The company plans to undergo a $4 million plant commissioning in the first half of FY22. The plant will produce land animal protein concentrates.

Ridley will also launch Food for Dogs in speciality pet stores in April, and its Cobber range into rural grocery from the first half of FY22. Additionally, it plans to supply grocery house brands in FY22. It expects to launch a Novacq prawn feed, developed by CSIRO, in FY22.

The company will also increase its asset utilisation and expand its Narangba facility.

Finally, it plans to launch its Ridley Direct, which will see an ingredients sales desk selling to livestock producers who mix feed on farm.

Additionally, Ridley plans to spend $15 million over FY22 and FY23 on a series of small projects to extend its product offerings, de-bottleneck its capacity, and reduce costs.

The post Ridley Corp (ASX:RIC) share price soars 8% on resumed dividend appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• The Reece (ASX:REH) share price is down 12% after yesterday’s FY21 earnings
• Impedimed (ASX:IPD) share price rises with 46% lift in revenues
• WiseTech (ASX:WTC) share price rose 58% before being halted. What’s next?
• Oil Search (ASX:OSH) share price falls amid Santos merger skepticism
• PEXA (ASX:PXA) share price wobbles on FY21 results

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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The Reece Ltd (ASX: REH) share price is down around 12%. Yesterday, the business reported its FY21 result.

What was in the Reece FY21 result?

Reece reported that its sales revenue increased 4% to $6.27 billion. In Australia and New Zealand, revenue increased by 9% to $3.15 billion, while in the US, revenue went up 11% to US$2.33 billion on a constant currency basis.

The plumbing business revealed that normalised earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA), which excludes acquisition costs, rose 11% to $720 million. Earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) grew 20% to $493 million.

The Australian division saw the EBITDA margin expand by 100 basis points to 15.7%. Management explained this happened because of a combination of sales volume and operational discipline.

Net profit after tax (NPAT) increased by 25% to $286 million, although earnings per share (EPS) rose by 10% to 44 cents.

Reece decided to double the final dividend per share to 12 cents per share. That sent the total dividend per share up by 50% to 18 cents per share. At the current Reece share price, that translates to a grossed-up dividend yield of 1.2%.

Leadership commentary

The Reece CEO and managing director Peter Wilson said:

FY21 presented many challenges. The evolving environment due to the pandemic, the Texas freeze and the Australian bushfires tested us. But it’s also shown how resilient our business is.

This year, we cemented our 2030 vision – to be the trade’s most valuable partner, helping them succeed in a digital world. We’ll do this by being brilliant at the fundamentals of our operations, being both strategic and opportunistic to grow the business and fostering a culture of innovation. This approach, coupled with construction activity being at an all-time high, and our customers being busier than ever, has led to record results for the group.

What do brokers think of the Reece share price?

Brokers seem to be fairly negative on the business’ valuation.

For example, Morgan Stanley has a price target on Reece of $16. That suggests the broker thinks the Reece share price will fall almost 30% over the next 12 months.

Morgan Stanley notes that Reece is doing well, but it is priced too expensively, in the broker’s opinion.

Based on the broker’s projection, Reece is valued at 35x FY23’s estimated earnings.

Citi also rates the Reece share price as a sell, with a price target of $13.50. That suggests that Reece shares could fall as much as 40% over the next 12 months, if the broker is right.

The post The Reece (ASX:REH) share price is down 12% after yesterday’s FY21 earnings appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Reece (ASX:REH) share price on watch after 25% increase in FY 2021 profits
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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. 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 Impedimed Limited (ASX: IPD) share price is appreciating after the company released its full-year results for FY21.

At the time of writing, shares in the healthcare company are trading for 13 cents each – up 4%. For context, the ASX All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) is 0.25% higher.

Let’s take a closer look at today’s announcement.

Impedimed share price lifts with reduction in losses

• Revenue of $8.4 million – up 46.5% on the prior corresponding period (pcp). This includes a 64% growth in revenue from its SOZO software, which totalled $7.6 million.
• Loss from ordinary activities of $20.7 million, which is down 3% on the pcp.
• Net operating cash outflows for the period of $13.3 million. This is down from the $19.2 million outflow in the pcp.
• Nil dividend paid for the year, which is the same as FY20.

What happened in FY21 for Impedimed?

The Impedimed share price rocketed 13% in November when AstraZeneca plc (LSE: AZN) announced it was using SOZO for phase II clinical trials. The product was used for measuring fluid volumes in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Besides SOZO, Impedimed also announced news in relation to its ‘Prevent’ treatment and ‘HF-Dex’ system.

What did management say?

Impedimed CEO and Managing Director, Richard Carreon, said

Our transition to a connected digital health platform put the Company in a strong position to thrive during a very turbulent year. We have built a strong and resilient business, with quarter-over-quarter record results. Throughout the past year, our Company continued to prove its resilience, as we signed SOZO contracts in excess of $12.0 million, had a churn rate of just 1%, and a contract renewal rate of 100% throughout the entire financial year.

What’s next for Impedimed?

Just in the last 2 days, Impedimed released 2 statements that were material to the Impedimed share price.

The first relates to designation of a product in the US and the second on an R&D tax rebate.

On the first matter, SOZO received “Breakthrough Device Designation” from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in renal patients. The product will be used to measure fluids in patients undergoing dialysis. The company says the designation is the “perfect forum” to ultimately get FDA clearance.

On the second, the company received a $1.8 million research and development (R&D) from the Australian government. Last year the company received a $2.6 million refund.

Impedimed share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, the Impedimed share price has increased 62.5%. Year-to-date, however, it is only up 8.33%. This is below the All Ords Index. Impedimed has a market capitalisation of about $187 million.

The post Impedimed (ASX:IPD) share price rises with 46% lift in revenues appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• WiseTech (ASX:WTC) share price rose 58% before being halted, what’s next?
• Oil Search (ASX:OSH) share price falls amid Santos merger skepticism
• PEXA (ASX:PXA) share price wobbles on FY21 results
• Why Bigtincan, Lovisa, SILK, & WiseTech shares are charging higher
• Which ASX 300 shares are the biggest winners and losers today?

Motley Fool contributor Marc Sidarous 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 WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC) share price catapulted higher this morning after releasing its FY21 full-year results.

At one point, shares in the cloud-based logistics software company were up ~58% to a new all-time high. This was driven by an impressive performance in FY21. For starters, net profit doubled to $105.8 million on revenue of $507.5 million.

However, the party was temporarily brought to a standstill around lunchtime after WiseTech entered a trading halt. Since then, the WAAAX constituent has responded to an ASX price query and resumed trading.

This leaves us to discuss what WiseTech has in store for FY22.

What’s next on the WiseTech share price?

While WiseTech clearly has been busy over the past year, it is important to remain forward-looking as investors. For that reason, let’s recap some of the details that concern the road ahead for Wisetech.

According to its results, the logistics software company remains focused on its long-term strategy. This is grounded in the “3P’s” which are product, penetration, and profitability.

WiseTech has been known for its “growth through acquisition” approach in the past — with 39 acquisitions since its initial public offering (IPO) in 2016. However, the company noted that it intends to slow its near-term acquisition activity down and be more intentional with expanding its CargoWise ecosystem.

This could be a positive for the WiseTech share price, depending on which way you look at it. The company might be able to redirect those funds to either further product development, marketing, or simply increasing profitability.

Furthermore, the pipeline of new global customers is said to be strong. These potential customers are being actively pursued. Additional customer wins are key to WiseTech achieving its target of being among the top 25 global freight forwarders and top 200 global logistics providers.

In regards to profitability, an organisation-wide efficiency and acquisition synergy extraction program will continue into FY22. The program has already delivered a $13.8 million net benefit, exceeding its $10 million target

In fact, Wisetech expects it is on track to achieve a cost reduction run-rate of ~$40 million for FY22. This would eclipse its previous $20 to $30 million.

Guidance for FY22

Despite ongoing supply chain disruptions, WiseTech anticipates another solid year of growth in FY22. According to its provided guidance, revenue is expected to increase 18% to 25% in FY22. Meanwhile, things look even more appealing for earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA), expected to rise 26% to 38%.

Commenting on the drivers for further growth ahead, WiseTech Founder and CEO Richard White said:

We are benefitting from the acceleration of the longer-term structural changes that they are driving. In particular, we are seeing consolidation within the sector and increased investment in replacing legacy systems with integrated global technology, such as CargoWise, that drives productivity and facilitates planning, visualisation and control of global operations.

Based on the WiseTech share price, the company now commands a market capitalisation of $14.86 billion.

The post WiseTech (ASX:WTC) share price rose 58% before being halted, what’s next? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• WiseTech Global (ASX:WTC) just raised its dividend by 141%
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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. owns shares of and has recommended WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended WiseTech Global. 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 Oil Search Ltd (ASX: OSH) share price has dipped into the red during Wednesday’s session.

Oil Search shares are now exchanging hands at $3.80 apiece, slightly down from the opening price of $3.86.

The company faced a series of questions regarding its proposed merger with Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) on its FY21 earnings call on Tuesday.

Let’s investigate further.

What did Oil Search say?

Oil Search revealed during its FY21 earnings call that Macquarie Bank, Goldman Sachs and Allens were each advising the company regarding the Santos merger proposal.

Recall that the company agreed to Santos’ revised merger proposal on 2 August. This would see each Oil Search shareholder receive 0.6275 Santos shares for each Oil Search share held.

The revised offer was bumped up from 0.589 Santos shares. This would see Oil Search shareholders retain 38.5% of the newly formed group.

Oil Search is prohibited from engaging with other parties to solicit a rival bid. This is part of the due diligence process.

On the call, Oil Search interim CEO Peter Fredricson was pushed on whether management had sought alternative options to the merger. For instance, Credit Suisse analyst Saul Kavonic queried the potential sales of the company’s Alaska and Papua New Guinea LNG interest.

Fredricson explained that it hadn’t. Rather, it had focused on “running the business in a way that delivers value to our shareholders.”

What else happened?

Oil Search’s top executive was grilled further on the particulars of the deal. Especially related to Santos’ involvement in discussions on Oil Search’s operations with third parties.

Pushing back, Fredricson stated that Santos has had zero “direct communication with anybody in respect of what (Oil Search does)”.

However, the call left some unimpressed. Allan Gray analyst Simon Mawhinney was present on the call. He told yesterday’s Australian Financial Review that, at “every turn shareholders have been let down”.

Additionally, Saul Kavonic told the AFR that many Oil Search investors would be wondering why the company “hasn’t even tried to pursue other options,” instead of just taking the “first suitor to turn up”.

Despite this sentiment, Peter Fredricson told participants on the call that Oil Search had originally rejected the Santos deal “as solely unacceptable in the context of value”.

Oil Search share price snapshot

The Oil Search share price has had a choppy year to date, posting a return of just 2.4% since 1 January.

Despite this, Oil Search shares have climbed 26% into the green over the last 12 months.

This has outpaced the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) return of about 25% over the past year.

The post Oil Search (ASX:OSH) share price falls amid Santos merger skepticism appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Zach Bristow 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 PEXA Group Ltd (ASX: PXA) share price has been up and down today, currently trading right where it started the day at $16.98 per share.

The online property exchange network is a newcomer to the ASX, with its initial public offering (IPO) on 1 July this year.

Below we take a look at the company’s first financial results as a publicly listed company.

PEXA share price wobbles on FY21 results

• Revenue increased 42% year-on-year to $221 million, 1% above Prospectus forecast
• Pro forma earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) increased 124% from FY20 to $101.8 million, 2% above of Prospectus forecast
• Statutory Net Loss After Tax of $11.8 million
• $51.5 million cash as at 30 June

What happened during the reporting period for PEXA?

During the course of the year the company marked a milestone, surpassing $1.5 trillion worth of total property values settled through the PEXA Exchange since inception. That now supports more than 9,400 practitioners and 160 financial institutions.

On the international expansion front, the company is progressing with its PEXA International United Kingdom market entry plans. Lender pilot-groups have committed to participate in product testing with the Bank of England.

Meanwhile, PEXA Insights has expanded to include more than 40 data specialists. PEXA is working to develop a centralised Property Bureau. Its summary of east-coast property market trends was featured in news outlets across Australia.

What did management say?

Commenting on the results, PEXA’s CEO Glenn King said:

We have delivered on our promises, with FY21 Prospectus forecast revenue, EBITDA and key drivers met or exceeded.

The positive property market conditions in the second half of FY21 have continued, and as we move into the coming year, we have reaffirmed our Prospectus forecasts for FY22. Our strategy to leverage our position as the operator of Australia’s leading digital property settlements platform is delivering attractive results.

What’s next for PEXA?

Looking ahead, PEXA reaffirmed its FY22 Prospectus forecasts.

For the 2022 financial year, PEXA is forecasting statutory revenue of $246.9 million, statutory EBITDA of $75.6 million, and a statutory net loss of $2.5 million.

King said, “Supported by a sound balance sheet, we look forward to further progressing our growth initiatives in the coming year, with momentum building in the UK to support our international strategy.”

The PEXA share price is down 1% since listing on 1 July.

The post PEXA (ASX:PXA) share price wobbles on FY21 results 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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In afternoon trade on Wednesday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is on track to record another gain. At the time of writing, the benchmark index is up 0.2% to 7,516.8 points.

Four ASX shares that are climbing more than most today are listed below. Here’s why they are charging higher:

Bigtincan Holdings Ltd (ASX: BTH)

The Bigtincan share price has rocketed 20% to $1.43. This follows the successful completion of its placement and institutional entitlement offer. Bigtincan is seeking to raise $135.3 million in order to fund the acquisition of Brainshark, Inc. for US$86 million (A$116 million). Brainshark is an industry-recognised and multi-awarded leader in its field of sales coaching, learning and readiness. Its addition is expected to lead to combined FY 2022 annualised recurring revenue meeting or exceeding A$119 million in FY 2022.

Lovisa Holdings Ltd (ASX: LOV)

The Lovisa share price has jumped 19% to $19.47. Investors have been buying the fashion jewellery retailer’s shares following the release of strong full year results. For FY 2021, Lovisa reported an 18.9% increase in revenue to $288 million and a 43.3% jump in net profit after tax to $27.7 million.

SILK Laser Australia Ltd (ASX: SLA)

The SILK Laser share price has jumped 14% to $3.89 following the release of its maiden full year results. The cosmetic clinic operator reported a 68% increase in network sales to $85.1 million and a 180% jump in pro forma EBITDA to $17.3 million. The latter was ahead of its upgraded guidance of $15 million to $16 million. This was driven by a 52% increase in like for like sales, new store openings, and strong demand in the injectables and body categories.

WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC)

The WiseTech Global share price has surged 25% to $45.45. Investors have been scrambling to buy the logistics solution platform provider’s shares following the release of a full year result that smashed expectations. The company was aiming for revenue of $470 million to $510 million and EBITDA of $165 million to $190 million. However, it reported an 18% increase in revenue to $507.5 million and a 63% jump in EBITDA to $206.7 million. Looking ahead, management is guiding to EBITDA growth of 26% to 38% in FY 2022.

The post Why Bigtincan, Lovisa, SILK, & WiseTech shares are charging higher appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Which ASX 300 shares are the biggest winners and losers today?
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• WiseTech Global (ASX:WTC) just raised its dividend by 141%
• Bigtincan (ASX:BTH) share price rockets 20% with capital raising update
• ASX 200 midday update: WiseTech rockets, Afterpay & Zip report

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 BIGTINCAN FPO and WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended SILK Laser Australia Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended BIGTINCAN FPO and WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended SILK Laser Australia 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 300 Index (ASX: XKO) is edging higher today as we continue to the back end of the latest earnings season.

At the time of writing, the ASX 300 is pushing near its record levels, up 0.24% to 7,519 points.

Here are some of the top movers on the ASX 300 today.

WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC)

The WiseTech share price is up an astonishing 26.96% higher to $45.96 following the company’s release of its full-year results.

The logistics solutions platform provider highlighting significant growth across key metrics. Particularly, its net profit after tax doubled to $105.8 million on the back of a “goods-led” recovery in global trade.

Unsurprisingly, ASIC issued the company a speeding ticket after WiseTech shares surged as high as $57.31 during the day.

Lovisa Holdings Ltd (ASX: LOV)

Another significant mover today is the Lovisa share price, up 18.71% to $19.48. The jewellery retailer also released its full-year results, recording increased earnings and rewarding shareholders with a final dividend.

It’s worth noting that the company’s shares reached their record high today of $20.68, having soared 160% over the year.

Hub24 Ltd (ASX: HUB)

Following suit, the Hub24 share price is up 10.22% to an all-time high of $30.75.

While the company provided the market with its full-year results yesterday, it appears several brokers are weighing in.

Morgans raised its price target for the investment platform provider’s shares, adding 13% to $31.65. In addition, Macquarie and Goldman Sachs improved their outlook on Hub24 by 2.9% to $26.50, and by 3.8% to $29.81, respectively.

And the biggest losers?

Recce Ltd (ASX: REH)

Heading south is the Recce share price, down a sizeable 11.92% to $22.02.

The plumbing parts company released its full-year results for the FY21 period, registering solid earnings despite COVID-19. Most notably, Reece decided to reward shareholders, doubling its fully-franked final dividend to 12 cents per share.

A possible catalyst for the steep decline however could be a broker note that came out today. According to Morgan Stanley, it cut its rating on Recce shares by 2.4% to $16.00. Based on the current share price, this implies a downside of around 28%.

Nine Entertainment Co. Holdings Ltd (ASX: NEC)

Also in decline is the Nine Entertainment share price, down 9.73% to $2.69.

The entertainment and media company published its full-year results, citing growth in its key financial metrics. Revenue lifted 8% to $2,332 million, while net profit after tax accelerated by 76% to $278 million compared against FY20.

Nonetheless, it appears investors were expecting the company to produce a better scorecard.

The Nine Entertainment share price has gained more than 140% since the beginning of April 2021.

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

More reading

• Why Bigtincan, Lovisa, SILK, & WiseTech shares are charging higher
• Which ASX shares are leading the ASX 200 today?
• Why the HUB24 (ASX:HUB) share price is rocketing to a record high
• WiseTech Global (ASX:WTC) just raised its dividend by 141%
• ASX 200 midday update: WiseTech rockets, Afterpay & Zip report

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. owns shares of and has recommended Hub24 Ltd and WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Hub24 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) is having a decent day in the green so far this Wednesday. At the time of writing, the ASX 200 is up a modest 0.18% to 7,516 points after initially rising to 7,5342 points earlier today.

With the ASX 200 having a positive day today, let’s check out which ASX 200 shares are contributing to this rise most enthusiastically.

Which ASX shares are leading the ASX 200 on Wednesday?

WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC)

WiseTech shares are on fire today, leading the ASX 200 with a very pleasing 30.77% gain at the time of writing to $46.90 a share. At one point this morning, the company was even higher, up more than 50% to a new all-time record of $57.31 a share. These gains were so massive that WiseTech actually got issued a ‘speeding ticket’ please explain from the ASX itself earlier today. This resulted in a brief trading halt for WiseTech shares.

All of these gains seem to stem from the company’s FY21 earnings report which was delivered this morning. See our full coverage of WiseTech’s impressive numbers here.

HUB24 Ltd (ASX: HUB)

Investment company HUB24 is another ASX 200 share contributing to the index’s gains today. At the time of writing, HUB24 shares are up a healthy 10.3% to $30.78 a share. That’s after hitting a new all-time high of its own – $31.22 a share – earlier this morning.

This move appears to also be the result of an impressive earnings report. HUB24 delivered its FY21 numbers yesterday, which saw its shares rise by more than 8%. Today’s additional rise seems to be assisted by some positive broker coverage, as my Fool colleague James covered earlier today.

Appen Ltd (ASX: APX)

This embattled ASX tech share is also lending a hand to the ASX 200’s gains today. At the time of writing, Appen shares are up a robust 7.47% to $13.66 a share. That would be a welcome move for investors, seeing as Appen is still down around 46.5% year to date in 20201 so far. Appen reports its own FY21 numbers tomorrow morning. But it appears some investors are jumping the gun today and bidding Appen higher in anticipation. Again, some positive broker attention may be greasing the wheels here.

Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd (ASX: FLT)

Flight Centre shares are, well, flying today, with this travel company currently up 6.83% to $16.25 a share. Like Appen, Flight Centre reports its earnings tomorrow, so we seem to be seeing a similar pattern here. It is worth noting that ASX 200 travel shares as a whole have been having a very pleasant week after a few weeks of malaise. As my Fool colleague Mitchell covered yesterday, this could be in response to Australia’s ballooning vaccination rates.

Two other ASX 200 travel shares in Qantas Airways Limited (ASX: QAN) and Webjet Limited (ASX: WEB) are also enjoying healthy gains today, up 5.2% and 5.7% respectively.

The post Which ASX shares are leading the ASX 200 today? 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 Appen Ltd, Hub24 Ltd, and WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Appen Ltd, Webjet Ltd., and WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Flight Centre Travel Group Limited and Hub24 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 Medibank Private Ltd (ASX: MPL) dividend received a boost following the company’s FY21 full-year results today.

However, not all was rosy as management decided to reduce the dividend payout ratio. This comes despite the company achieving a bigger net profit after tax (NPAT) over the period.

Let’s take a look at how Medibank performed for the period and when it will pay its upcoming dividend.

How did Medibank perform in FY21?

The private health insurer delivered outstanding growth for the 12 months ending 30 June 2021.

The group recorded total revenue of $6.9 billion, up 1.99% over the prior corresponding period (pcp). This was underpinned by strong net resident policyholders, up 82,500 including 29,600 for the Medibank brand.

In addition, NPAT surged to $441.2 million, a jump of 39.8% regardless of operating expenses lifting 1.12% compared to FY20. The bottom-line result was aided by net investment income of $120 million, up from $2.4 million this time last year.

In light of the robust performance, the Medibank board decided to bump up its fully-franked full-year dividend to 12.7 cents per share. This makes up a final dividend of 6.9 cents, up 9.5% from FY20.

Medibank also noted that the total ordinary dividend represents a payout ratio of 87.7% of underlying NPAT. While in range of its target payout ratio range of 75% to 85%, this is lower than the 90.1% given to shareholders in FY20.

Based on the current Medibank share price of $3.55 apiece, this gives the company a trailing dividend yield of just over 3.57%.

Medibank dividend key dates

Medibank released the distribution amount and payment dates of its final dividend for the 2021 financial year. Here’s a summary of the important dates Medibank shareholders will need to know for the next month.

Ex-dividend date

The ex-dividend date will be 8 September 2021.

Traditionally, one day before the record date, the ex-dividend date is when investors must have purchased Medibank shares. If the investor does not buy Medibank shares before this date, the dividend will go to the seller.

Record date

The record date for Medibank’s final dividend is 9 September 2021.

This is the date where the company identifies which investors are on its books. Those who are on Medibank’s register will be eligible to receive its upcoming dividend.

Payment date

The payment date for Medibank’s dividend will be 30 September 2021.

This is when investors can expect to see the final dividend of 6.9 cents per share hit their accounts.

The post Medibank (ASX:MPL) dividend boost as payout ratio reduced 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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