The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has just experienced a week to forget, recording 5 straight sessions of losses in a row. Falling commodity prices, ongoing concerns over the savage Delta outbreak and a mixed bag of earnings results all contributed to the ASX’s woes last week.

But it was the ASX mining shares that really dragged the whole index down.

It was a brutal week for miners. The large iron miners that dominate the ASX 200 led the losses. BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) was down a phenomenal 16%, while Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO) lost 10.9%. Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG) slipped 8.7%.

With BHP, the company has also seemingly copped some flack over its FY21 earnings report we saw on Tuesday. Although BHP delivered some pleasing metrics, including a big dividend hike, the reception for its plans to offload its petroleum business to Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) seems to be getting some pushback from the markets.

But miners outside the majors also felt the pain. South32 Ltd (ASX: S32) fell more than 3%, as did other mid-tier iron diggers like Champion Iron Ltd (ASX: CIA) which was down more than 8%.

These moves followed a dramatic collapse in the price of iron ore itself. A week ago, iron ore was at US$165 per tonne. A fortnight ago, it was around US$172 per tonne. Today, it’s sitting at US$154 per tonne. It’s this notable decline in pricing that was likely behind the moves we saw last week in these miners.

Miners lead ASX 200 off a cliff

But it wasn’t just the iron ore miners in the dumps last week. Popular lithium and rare earths companies like Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS), Orocobre Limited (ASX: ORE) and Lynas Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: LYC), which have recently been exploring new all-time highs, were also smashed. Lynas was down close to 7% last week, while Pilbara fell 5.6% and Orocobre, 5.7%.

Gold miners were also hit hard. The ASX’s largest gold prospector, Newcrest Mining Ltd (ASX: NCM), fell 3.3%, which was not an uncommon move for its peers either.

ASX bank shares like Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) also spent the week going backwards.

We also saw some familiar lockdown moves that might remind investors of 2020. The ongoing restrictions across many major Australian cities last week, Sydney and Melbourne included, saw ASX travel shares like Corporate Travel Management Ltd (ASX: CTD) and Qantas Airways Limited (ASX: QAN) lose a lot of steam.

In their place, ASX tech shares like Kogan.com Ltd (ASX: KGN) and Redbubble Ltd (ASX: RBL), as well as Domino’s Pizza Enterprises Ltd (ASX: DMP) surged. On the latter, this was partly assisted by a well-received earnings report as well.

How did the markets end the week?

Well, as we mentioned above, it wasn’t a great week on the ASX boards last week, with back-to-back losses Monday to Friday. Monday and Tuesday saw the largest losses of the week, with the ASX giving back 0.61% and 0.94%, respectively. But Wednesday, Thursday and Friday also saw drops of 0.12%, 0.5% and 0.05% apiece, meaning that no day was especially joyous for investors last week.

Overall, the ASX 200 started the trading week off at 7,628.9 points and finished up at 7,460.9 points, a steep fall of 2.2%.

Meanwhile, the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) also had a pretty nasty week. The All Ords started the week at 7,897.7 points but finished up at 7,725.1 points – a drop of 2.19%. 

Which ASX 200 shares were the biggest winners and losers?

Time now for our most salacious segment, where we check out the ASX 200’s biggest winners and poorest losers of the week. And boy, with the week the ASX has just had, it’s going to be a juicy one. So get the coffee brewing as we, as always, start with the losers:

Worst ASX 200 losers	% loss for the week
Lynas Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: LYC)	(18.2%)
Sims Ltd (ASX: SGM)	(17.4%)
Mineral Resources Limited (ASX: MIN)	(17%)
BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP)	(16%)

The ASX 200’s wooden spooner share last week was indeed Lynas Rare Earths, with a steep 18.2% loss for the week. Lynas was caught up in the commodity sell-off last week, with perhaps some profit taking going on as well. Until recently, Lynas had been on an incredible run, and even after this chunky loss, remains up more than 51% in 2021 so far.

Scrap metal company Sims was also caught in the crosshairs. That was despite the company’s FY21 earnings report delivering better than expected numbers for the financial year just passed. Falling iron ore prices do tend to translate into lower scrap metal prices, so this might be what is behind investors hitting the sell button on this one.

Miner and supplier Mineral Resources was likely caught up in the same headwinds here, with no major news out of this company. And we’ve already looked at BHP, which has responded to the falling iron ore price especially hard.

Now with the losers out of the way, let’s take a gander at last week’s winners:

Best ASX 200 gainers	% gain for the week
Pro Medicus Limited (ASX: PME)	17.5%
Kogan.com Ltd (ASX: KGN)	15.1%
Chorus Ltd (ASX: CNU)	12%
Domain Holdings Australia Ltd (ASX: DHG)	11.1%

Our winning ASX 200 share last week was healthcare company Pro Medicus. Investors responded with great excitement to this company’s FY21 earnings report, which was released on Wednesday. With profits before tax rising by an impressive 41%, it’s not hard to see why.

Kogan was also a winner last week. Unlike Pro Medicus though, there wasn’t much news out of the company that may explain Kogan’s 15% jump. Perhaps its reputation as a ‘lockdown winner’ was behind this.

Turning to the New Zealand-based Chorus, and a favourable decision from the New Zealand Government seemed to be behind the telco’s good fortune last week, underpinning a 12% jump.

Meanwhile, Domain shares rose after the company reported its FY21 earnings on Thursday. Again, we saw some impressive numbers here, with Domain reporting net profits were up a very healthy 66%. Investors reacted accordingly.

A wrap of the ASX 200 blue-chip shares

Before we go, here is a look at how the ASX 200’s blue-chip shares are faring as we start on yet another week of company results:

ASX 200 company	Last share price	Trailing P/E ratio	Trailing Dividend Yield	52-week high	52-week low
CSL Limited (ASX: CSL)	$306.10	38.02	1%	$320.42	$242
Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA)	$99.27	21.09	3.53%	$109.03	$62.64
Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC)	$25.76	22.04	3.45%	$27.12	$16
Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ASX: ANZ)	$28.31	17.15	3.71%	$29.64	$16.40
National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB)	$27.41	21.04	3.28%	$27.84	$16.56
Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG)	$163.57	19.84	2.87%	$166.36	$118.36
Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG)	$20.36	7.16	12.13%	$26.58	$15.62
BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP)	$44.34	14.41	9.23%	$54.55	$33.73
Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO)	$107.23	6.75	8.46%	$137.33	$90.04
Newcrest Mining Ltd (ASX: NCM)	$24.71	14.95	1.77%	$34.77	$23.08
Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL)	$19.70	–	2.93%	$27.60	$16.80
Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS)	$4.02	25.74	3.98%	$4.02	$2.66
Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW)	$41.99	37.48	2.41%	$44.06	$35.96
Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES)	$66.06	39.84	2.5%	$67.20	$43.50
Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL)	$18.72	23.81	3.26%	$19.11	$15.28
Transurban Group (ASX: TCL)	$14.03	–	2.6%	$15.64	$12.36
Sydney Airport Holdings Pty Ltd (ASX: SYD)	$7.70	–	–	$8.04	$5.20
Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT)	$129.50	–	–	$160.05	$70.06

And finally, here is the lay of the land for some leading market indicators:

• S&P/ASX 200 Index (XJO) at 7,460.9 points.
• All Ordinaries Index (XAO) at 7,725.1points.
• Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) at 35,120 points after rising 0.65% on Friday night (our time).
• Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) going for US$49,163 per coin.
• Gold (spot) swapping hands for US$1,782 per troy ounce.
• Iron ore asking US$154.30 per tonne.
• Crude oil (Brent) trading at US$65.18 per barrel.
• Australian dollar buying 71.3 US cents.
• 10-year Australian Government bonds yielding 1.08% per annum.

That’s all folks. See you next week!

The post ASX 200 Weekly Wrap: Miners drag ASX back to earth appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 3 top ASX growth shares that could be buys
• Down 8%: Is the CBA (ASX:CBA) share price a buy?
• 2 ASX 200 dividend shares with big yields
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Monday
• Why the Woodside (ASX:WPL) share price is down 11% in a week

Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen owns shares of Bitcoin, National Australia Bank Limited, Newcrest Mining Limited, and Telstra Corporation Limited. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended AFTERPAY T FPO, Bitcoin, CSL Ltd., Kogan.com ltd, and Pro Medicus Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended AFTERPAY T FPO, COLESGROUP DEF SET, Corporate Travel Management Limited, Kogan.com ltd, Macquarie Group Limited, Pro Medicus Ltd., Telstra Corporation Limited, and Wesfarmers 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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If you’re interested in adding some growth shares to your portfolio, now could be a good time to look at the shares below.

Here’s why they are rated highly by analysts:

Altium Limited (ASX: ALU)

The first growth share to consider is Altium. It is an award-winning printed circuit board (PCB) design software provider. Over the last few years, it has carved out a leading position in this growing market. Altium is now aiming to take things to the next level and dominate the market with its cloud-based Altium 365 product.

Credit Suisse is positive on the company. It currently has an outperform rating and $42.00 price target. This compares to the latest Altium share price of $35.39.

Aristocrat Leisure Limited (ASX: ALL)

Another ASX growth shares to look at is Aristocrat Leisure. It is one of the world’s leading gaming technology companies. While the pandemic hit Aristocrat hard, it has bounced back strongly in recent quarters and appears to be winning market share. Pleasingly, despite casinos reopening, its digital business continues to grow strongly and generate significant recurring revenues.

Citi is a fan of the company. It has a buy rating and $46.60 price target on its shares. This compares to the latest Aristocrat Leisure share price of $43.37.

REA Group Limited (ASX: REA)

Finally, REA Group could be an ASX growth share to consider buying. It is of course the dominant player in real estate listings in the Australian market. This puts it in a fantastic position to benefit from the housing market boom. In addition to this, cost cutting, new revenue streams, price increases, and acquisitions look set to give its sales and earnings a boost.

Macquarie is feeling very bullish on REA Group. Its analysts currently have an outperform rating and $185.00 price target on its shares. This compares to the current REA Group share price of $154.05.

The post 3 top ASX growth shares that could be buys 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. owns shares of and has recommended Altium. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Altium. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended REA Group Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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The Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) share price has dropped around 8% since 11 August 2021. Does that mean that the big four ASX bank is now a buy?

What happened?

On 11 August 2021, the country’s biggest bank reported its FY21 result.

There were a number of interesting things announced and revealed in that report.

It said that statutory net profit after tax (NPAT) grew by 19.7% to $8.84 billion and cash NPAT increased 19.8% to $8.65 billion.

The bank explained that NPAT increased due to improved economic conditions and outlook resulting in a lower impairment expense and a strong operational performance.

A noticeable part of the profitability improvement came from a reduction of the loan impairment expense, which fell by 78%, compared to FY20, to $554 million. This loan impairment expense decrease reflected an improvement in economic conditions and outlook. However, it has maintained a “strong” provision coverage ratio of 1.63%, reflecting the economic uncertainty from the continuing impacts of COVID-19.

It was the concerns about bad debts that caused CBA to register such as a large loan impairment expense in FY20, which may also have been a big factor on the CBA share price.

Despite all of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, CBA continued to see growth in key areas. Business lending grew by $11 billion, which was more than 3x the system. Home lending and household deposits both increased by $31 billion, which represented 1.2x system growth.

However, the bank said that its net interest margin (NIM) was 2.03% in FY21. This represented a reduction of 4 basis points. The bank explained that group NIM declined due to higher liquid assets and the ongoing impact of a low interest rate environment.

Could shareholder returns boost the CBA share price?

Well, on the day of the result, CBA shares did climb 1.5%.

Its profit wasn’t the only thing that the bank revealed. It declared a full year dividend of $3.50 per share. That represented a 17% increase on FY20.

CBA also said that its common equity tier 1 (CET) capital ratio was 13.1%, an increase of 150 basis points. This was above APRA’s ‘unquestionably strong’ benchmark of 10.5%.

The bank also announced the intention to conduct an off-market buy-back of up to $6 billion of CBA ordinary shares.

There is no CBA share price decided yet for the buy-back, it will be conducted through an off-market tender process which will open on 30 August 2021.

CBA Chair Catherine Livingstone said:

CBA’s strong capital position and our progress on executing our strategy mean that we are well placed to continue to support our customers and manage ongoing uncertainties, while also returning a portion of surplus capital to shareholders. After careful consideration, your board has determined that the buy-back is the most efficient and value-enhancing strategy to distribute CBA’s surplus capital and franking credits.

Is the CBA share price a buy?

Numerous brokers still rate CBA shares as a sell, despite the recent decline.

For example, Morgan Stanley rates CBA as a sell with a price target of $90. It doesn’t believe market’s high price for CBA is good value with its limited growth outlook.

The brokers at Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG) also believe that CBA is a sell, with an even lower price target of $88.50. Macquarie thinks that CBA’s revenue growth isn’t strong enough for the valuation and margins could continue to be challenged.

The post Down 8%: Is the CBA (ASX:CBA) share price a buy? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• How does the CBA (ASX:CBA) earnings result compare to Bendigo Bank?
• What’s moving the CBA (ASX:CBA) share price this week
• These ASX 200 bank experts are forecasting a bumpy ride for our economy
• The Macquarie Group (ASX:MQG) share price just hit an all-time high!
• CBA (ASX:CBA) share price higher on StepPay BNPL launch

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

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With interest rates likely to remain low for some time to come, potentially even years, the yields on the ASX dividend shares listed below could be even more attractive than normal for income investors.

Here’s what you need to know about these dividend shares that have been rated as buys:

Australia and New Zealand Banking GrpLtd (ASX: ANZ)

This banking giant could be a good option after returning to form in FY 2021. During the first half, it reported a statutory profit after tax of $2,943 million and cash earnings from continuing operations of $2,990 million. This was up 45% and 28%, respectively, on the second half of FY 2020. And thanks to its strong capital position, it has just announced a $1.5 billion share buyback.

Looking ahead, thanks to favourable trading conditions, a booming housing market, and the relaxation of responsible lending rules, ANZ looks well-placed to build on its strong first half showing. It also has the balance sheet strength to underpin another buyback in the coming months if trading and asset conditions don’t deteriorate.

Analysts at Morgans are very bullish on the bank. They currently have an add rating and $34.50 price target on its shares.

The broker is also forecasting fully franked dividends of 145 cents per share in FY 2021 and 165 cents per share in FY 2022. Based on the latest ANZ share price of $28.31, this represents yields of 5.1% and 5.8%, respectively.

Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS)

Another ASX dividend share to look at is this telco giant. After several years of difficulties because of the NBN rollout, this headwind is finally easing and a return to growth is now in Telstra’s sights.

This is being supported by its significant cost cutting, rational competition, and its leadership position in 5G internet. In respect to the latter, the company has such a lead with its 5G network, that it has been tipped to grow its market share in the coming years.

In addition to this, the company is in the process of offloading assets such as its towers to unlock value for shareholders.

Ord Minnett is a fan of Telstra. It currently has a buy rating and $4.40 price target on its shares. The broker is expecting 16 cents per share fully franked dividends for the foreseeable future. Based on the current Telstra share price of $4.02, this will mean 4% yields.

The post 2 ASX 200 dividend shares with big yields appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Here are the 3 top trading ASX 200 shares this Friday
• Telstra (ASX:TLS) share price hits 52-week high amid diversification rumours
• How does the TPG (ASX:TPG) earnings result compare to Telstra?
• Leading broker thinks the ANZ (ASX:ANZ) share price can keep rising
• August has been a great month so far for the Telstra (ASX:TLS) share price

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended 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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On Friday the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) finished a very disappointing week on a subdued note. The benchmark index fell a few points to 7,460.9 points.

Will the market be able to bounce back from this on Monday? Here are five things to watch:

ASX 200 expected to rise

The Australian share market looks set to bounce back on Monday. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 35 points or 0.5% higher this morning. This follows a solid end to the week on Wall Street, which saw the Dow Jones rise 0.65%, the S&P 500 climb 0.8%, and the Nasdaq storm 1.2% higher. A rebound in iron ore prices is expected to support the ASX 200 miners.

Oil prices drop

Energy producers including Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) and Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) could be under pressure today after oil prices dropped again on Friday night. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is down 2.1% to US$62.14 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price has fallen 1.9% to US$65.18 a barrel. Concerns over the spread of the Delta variant led to oil prices recording their biggest week of losses of the year.

Sonic Healthcare full year results

The Sonic Healthcare Limited (ASX SHL) share price will be one to watch when it releases its full year results. According to a note out of Goldman Sachs, it is expecting Sonic to report revenue of $9,352 million, adjusted EBITDA of $2,578 million, and net profit of $1,327 million. This is expected to be driven largely by COVID testing demand.

Gold price rises slightly

Australian gold miners such as Newcrest Mining Limited (ASX: NCM) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) could start the week on a mildly positive note after the gold price edged higher on Friday night. According to CNBC, the spot gold price rose 0.1% to US$1,784.0 an ounce. Concerns over a global economic slowdown supported demand.

NIB full year results

The NIB Holdings Limited (ASX: NHF) share price will be on watch this morning when it releases its full year results. According to Goldman Sachs, it is expecting the private health insurer to report a 92.2% increase in net profit after tax to $171.4 million. This is expected to allow the company to declare a full year 24.5 cents per share dividend. This is up 75% year on year.

The post 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Monday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why the Woodside (ASX:WPL) share price is down 11% in a week
• What happened to the NIB (ASX:NHF) share price last earnings season?
• How did the Sonic Healthcare (ASX:SHL) share price respond last earnings season?
• These were the best performing ASX 200 shares last week
• These were the worst performing ASX 200 shares last week

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 NIB Holdings Limited and Sonic Healthcare 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 small end of the Australian share market is home to a number of companies with the potential to grow materially in the future.

Three that investors might want to get better acquainted with are listed below. Here’s why they should be on your watchlist:

Bigtincan Holdings Ltd (ASX: BTH)

The first small cap share to look at is this leading provider of enterprise mobility software to businesses globally. Bigtincan’s popular software unlocks new and more effective ways for teams to perform at higher levels and deliver better business results by creating more positive and efficient buying experiences.

The company notes that its platform empowers sales and service representatives to maximise their use of sales collateral to engage with customers and prospects more effectively. Demand for its software continues to grow and is underpinning strong annualised recurring revenue (ARR) growth.

Booktopia Group Ltd (ASX: BKG)

The second small cap ASX share to watch is Booktopia. It is an online book retailer which has been growing at an explosive rate in FY 2021. For example, during the first half the company reported a 51.1% increase in revenue to $112.6 million and a 502.3% jump in underlying EBITDA to $8 million.

Positively, it has since followed this up with a 53% increase in quarterly revenue during the third quarter. This positions it to deliver a stellar full year result this month.

Booktopia notes that its strong growth is being driven by the shift to online shopping and its new distribution centre. The latter is allowing the company to ship more books than ever.

Whispir Ltd (ASX: WSP)

A final small cap share to watch is Whispir. It is a software-as-a-service communications workflow platform provider. Whispir provides an industry-leading software platform that allows governments and businesses to deliver actionable two-way interactions at scale using automated multi-channel communication workflows.

Demand for its software has also been increasing strongly, leading to stellar recurring revenue growth in recent years. The good news is that it is still only scratching at the surface of its total addressable market (TAM).

For example, at the end of the third quarter, Whispir’s ARR stood at $50.3 million, which was up 20.3% over the prior corresponding period. This compares to its TAM of US4.7 billion in the just United States.

The post 3 exciting small cap ASX shares to watch right now appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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• 3 quality ASX growth shares for August
• 3 small cap ASX shares investors should watch very closely
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• Why Fortescue, Over The Wire, Pro Medicus, & Whispir shares are dropping

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended BIGTINCAN FPO and Whispir Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended Booktopia Group Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended BIGTINCAN FPO. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Whispir 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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If you’re looking for good long term options, then the tech sector could be a place for investors to start their search.

This is because the sector is home to a number of companies that have the potential to grow strongly over the next decade.

Two ASX tech shares that are highly rated are named below. Here’s why analysts rate them as buys:

Adore Beauty Group Limited (ASX: ABY)

The first ASX tech share to look at is Adore Beauty. Australia’s leading online beauty retailer has been growing strongly in recent years thanks to the structural shift online, which accelerated during the pandemic.

In fact, Adore Beauty is expecting to report a 43% to 47% increase in full year revenue in FY 2021 thanks to a sales surge during the height of the pandemic. And while it will be hard to deliver similarly strong growth in FY 2022, its long term growth trajectory looks very positive.

This is because online penetration rates for beauty products are still much lower than other categories and in comparison to other Western markets.

The company notes that the beauty and personal care (BPC) market in Australia is worth $11.2 billion and is expected to grow at a 26% CAGR through to 2024. It also notes that online sales comprise just 11.4% of the BPC market at present.

As a result, Adore Beauty appears very well-positioned to continue its growth over the next decade. Particularly given its leadership position in the growing online market. Another positive is that the Adore Beauty Loyalty program launched in March, with sign-ups ahead of expectations.

UBS is a fan of Adore Beauty. Its analysts currently have a buy rating and $5.60 price target on the company’s shares. UBS believes the company will benefit from structural tailwinds in the coming years.

Xero Limited (ASX: XRO)

Another ASX tech share to look at is Xero. It provides small and medium sized businesses with a cloud-based business and accounting solution.

Xero was on form again in FY 2021, recording a 20% increase in subscribers to 2.74 million. This was driven by a 20% increase in ANZ subscribers to 1.56 million and a 21% lift in International subscribers to 1.18 million. The latter includes 720,000 subscribers in the UK market.

Pleasingly, the company is still only scratching at the surface of its global market opportunity. Management estimates that it total addressable market is currently 45 million subscribers.

In addition to this, the company’s growth should be boosted by its growing app ecosystem.

Goldman Sachs believes that if Xero can monetise this ecosystem and execute its international expansion successfully, it has the potential to underpin strong top line growth for a long time to come.

In light of this, the broker is very bullish on Xero and has a buy rating and $165.00 price target on its shares.

The post Analysts rate these ASX tech shares as buys appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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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’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended Adore Beauty Group Limited. 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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The AMP Ltd (ASX: AMP) share price is having a tough run lately. It slipped 8.6% last week, despite silence from the company.

Though, AMP had a big week last week. In fact, the diversified financial services provider released its financial 2021 results and was in the media a number of times.

After finishing the previous week at $1.16, AMP’s shares closed Friday’s session trading for $1.06 apiece.

Let’s take a closer look at what’s driven the AMP share price over the past 7 days.

AMP’s poor week’s performance

The first piece of news that likely impacted the AMP share price last week actually hit the market the week before.

AMP released its earnings for the first half of 2021 after the ASX closed on Thursday. In reaction, the AMP share price soared 3.57% on Friday.

AMP reported its net profits had increased 57% over the 6 months ended 30 June. However, it decided against handing its shareholders an interim dividend.

The AMP share price’s fall last week could, therefore, have been a result of it realigning after the single day’s gain.

Though, it could also have been due to AMP’s newly appointed CEO Alexis George’s media rounds.

While George hadn’t been in the media much last week, on Thursday and Friday of the week before she had multiple discussions on AMP’s future with numerous outlets.

George told one outlet she plans to increase AMP’s focus on technology. She told another that AMP shareholders should strap in for a slow, ultimately upwards-facing, journey.  

Finally, on Friday night, The Australian published an article in which George stated AMP’s banking and mortgage segment houses major opportunities for the company.

Whatever the reason for AMP’s shares’ recent woes, the future looks like it might be brighter. At least, the company’s CEO thinks so.

AMP share price snapshot

It hasn’t been a good year for AMP’s stock.

It’s fallen 32% year to date. It has also dropped 25% since this time last year.

The post Here’s why the AMP (ASX:AMP) share price is down 9% in a week appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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 Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) share price has fallen 11.2% over the last week on the back of some controversial news.

Woodside’s stock finished last week at $22.19. However, when the market closed on Friday this week, Woodside shares were worth $19.70 each.

Let’s take a look at the oil and gas producer’s turbulent week on the ASX.

The week that was for Woodside

The week started off red for the Woodside share price.

On Monday, both Woodside and BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) confirmed they were in discussions regarding Woodside potentially taking on BHP’s oil and gas business.

While it was all just rumours and chatting back then, the Woodside share price fell 4.55% in anticipation of things to come.

Then, on Tuesday, reports emerged that key Woodside shareholders were against the idea. Though, that debate didn’t last long.

After the market closed on Tuesday, Woodside announced it will, indeed, be merging with BHP’s oil and gas segment.

After the proposed merger, the newly expanded Woodside will be 52% owned by Woodside shareholders, and 48% by BHP shareholders. The two companies spoke of a merged entity with stronger cash flows, more resilience, and more than US$400 million of annual synergies.

Then, on Wednesday morning, Woodside released its results for the 6 months ended 30 June 2021.

If Woodside had counted on news of its $317 million profit, US30 cents dividend, and newly appointed CEO outweighing the oil-covered elephant in the room, its hopes were soon dashed.

The market sent the Woodside share price sliding 2.12% on Wednesday.

That wasn’t the end of the bad week though. Woodside shares slumped another 3.4% on Thursday and didn’t manage to correct themselves much on Friday.

Woodside share price snapshot

The bad week has dragged the Woodside share price deeper into the red this year.

Currently, its 15% lower than it was at the start of 2021. It has also dropped 2.4% since this time last year.

The post Why the Woodside (ASX:WPL) share price is down 11% in a week appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• ASX 200 drops, BHP falls, Pro Medicus soars

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 Qantas Airways Limited (ASX: QAN) share price has not been one that has enjoyed 2021 so far. At the time of writing, Qantas shares remain down by around 13% year to date.

With the airline scheduled to report its FY2021 earnings next Thursday, it might be a good time to jump into the Qantas share price history to see if we can learn anything today.

Qantas is a company that many investors might feel a special attachment to. The ‘flying kangaroo’ used to be a government-owned company before its privatisation back in the 1990s. Today, it is listed on the ASX boards as a public company, available for all Aussie investors.

What does the Qantas share price flight path look like?

Well, to start things off, here is a graph of Qantas share price over the past decade:

As you can see, it hasn’t exactly been a smooth ascent over the past 10 years. As an airline, Qantas is a company that faces wildly cyclical business conditions. Its profitability rests on many factors, including oil prices, competition, Australian dollar exchange rates, demand for tourism and travel, and the overall health of the economy.

You can see this cyclicality reflected in the Qantas share price.

Of course, the biggest hit that Qantas has taken in the past decade came last year with the onset of the coronavirus.

As soon as it became evident that both international and domestic travel would be shuttered last year, the Qantas share price went into freefall. In December 2020, Qantas shares were at an all-time high, over $7. But by late March 2020, the company had fallen to less than $2.50 a share.

Qantas shares have faced a lot of turbulence (last pun, I promise) in the months since too. With lockdowns, international ‘bubbles’ and travel restrictions whipsawing wildly from state to state, and country to country, over the past 18 months or so, Qantas has certainly had to endure plenty of uncertainty.

The more recent Delta outbreaks have clearly not been helpful to the company. Qantas shares are now down more than 13% since the start of July.

So it will be interesting to hear what the flying kangaroo has to say next Thursday when it reports its earnings.
At recent Qantas share pricing, the airline has a market capitalisation of $8.19 billion.

The post What can we learn from the Qantas (ASX:QAN) share price history? 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. 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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