The Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) share price has climbed 18.0% in the last 12 months. That’s a solid growth number, but shares in the Aussie conglomerate actually lag the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) over this period.

The benchmark Aussie index is up 23.2% in the last year after closing at 7,562.60 points

Why is the Woolworths share price underperforming the ASX 200?

It’s worth taking a look at which industries Woolworths actually operates in. According to the group’s half-year results, Woolworths has segments comprising Australian Food, New Zealand Food, Big W, Endeavour Drinks (since spun-off) and Hotels.

That means there are multiple industry factors that could explain recent Woolworths share price performance.

The coronavirus pandemic has been a major factor disrupting markets in recent months. On-again, off-again lockdowns have hit business earnings and caused share price slumps in various sectors.

Lockdowns are clearly not good for venue-based hospitality. Fewer people are able to leave their homes to spend in these venues. However, alcoholic drinks retailers and supermarkets can often benefit from a spike in sales as lockdowns kick in.

That leaves the Woolworths share price subject to opposing forces impacting valuations. Meanwhile, ASX 200 shares have been pulled higher with particularly strong gains in the technology and mining sectors.

Those are notably two sectors that Woolworths doesn’t have operations in. That means the Woolworths share price has lagged behind the broader ASX 200 index which has been propelled by the likes of Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) and BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP).

Then there’s the recent Endeavour Group Ltd (ASX: EDV) spin-off. Endeavour completed its initial public offering (IPO) on 24 June 2021 and has gained steadily in the weeks since.

Foolish takeaway

The Woolworths share price has seen some strong gains in the past 12 months. However, the ASX 200 share still lags the benchmark index with tech and mining gains propelling the broader market higher.

The post Why the Woolworths (ASX: WOW) share price has underperformed the ASX 200 in the last year appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• ASX 200 Weekly Wrap: Blockbuster Afterpay deal turbocharges ASX to new record highs
• Woolworths (ASX:WOW) share price rises as it launches new homewares range
• Woolworths (ASX:WOW) share price unhurt by call for COVID bouncers
• Woolworths (ASX:WOW) share price up as stores converted to online hubs

Motley Fool contributor Ken Hall has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended AFTERPAY T FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended AFTERPAY T FPO. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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The QBE Insurance Group Ltd (ASX: QBE) share price will be one to watch tomorrow.

The company is due to release its results for the first half of the 2021 calendar year tomorrow morning.

The release of results is always exciting, no matter the company, but eyes will be on QBE in particular tomorrow.

That’s because QBE’s shares have previously reacted positively to the release of its results, even if said results were undesirable.

The insurance company’s shares finished Tuesday’s session trading for $11.62 a piece. But all that could soon change.

Let’s take a look at how the QBE share price moved last time the company released results.

How QBE stock responded last earnings season

The QBE share price might be in for a wild ride tomorrow when the company releases its results for the first half of 2021.

QBE released its latest half year results in August last year. They included a sizeable loss of US$712 million.

However, the company stated it has done better than it expected.

QBE’s half year results included an increase in catastrophe insurance claims.

The claims followed large amounts of damage caused by hail, storms, and bushfires in Australia.

In addition to the natural disasters, COVID-19 made a huge economic impact on Australia, and QBE was among many companies suffering as a result.

The QBE share price gained 6.7% on the back of its 2020 half year results despite the blow to the company’s budget.

The last time the company released results was in February when it issued its full year results for 2020.

QBE reported it lost more than US$1.5 billion over 2020. It also didn’t pay a dividend to its shareholders.

Despite the notable loss, its share price surged 8.8% over the 2 days following the results’ release.

QBE share price snapshot

The QBE share price has been performing well lately.

It’s gained 35% year to date. It has also increased 15% over the past 12 months.

The post How did the QBE (ASX:QBE) share price respond last earnings season? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Here are the 10 top moving ASX shares on Monday
• Here’s why the QBE (ASX:QBE) share price is up 27% so far in 2021

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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All eyes will be on the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) share price on Wednesday.

This follows the release of the banking giant’s highly anticipated full year results this morning.

CBA share price on watch after announcing $6 billion share buyback

• Net profit after tax up 19.7% year on year to $8,843 million
• Cash earnings up 19.8% to $8,653 million (versus analyst consensus estimate of $8,464 million)
• Loan impairment expense and provisions down 78% to $554 million
• Net interest margin down 4 basis points to 2.03%
• CET1 ratio up 150 basis points to 13.1%
• Fully franked final dividend of $2.00 per share declared. Full year dividend up 17% to $3.50 per share
• $6 billion off-market share buy-back, which is expected to reduce its share count by ~3.5%.

What happened in FY 2021 for CBA?

The CBA share price could be on the rise today after Australia’s largest bank delivered a result ahead of the market’s expectations.

For the 12 months ended 30 June, the bank reported cash earnings of $8,653 million. This was 19.8% higher year on year and driven by an improvement in economic conditions and its outlook. This led to lower loan impairment expense and a strong contribution from volume growth in all core markets. The analyst consensus estimate was for cash earnings of $8,464 million in FY 2021.

This strong form was driven by growth across business lending, home lending, and household deposits. Business lending grew over 3x system, home lending was 1.2x system, and household deposits grew 1.2x system.

Holding back its profit growth slightly was a 3.3% increase in operating expenses to $11,359 million. This was driven by its investment in the franchise, higher volumes, and remediation costs. Excluding the latter, operating expenses would have been up 2.4% year on year.

Management also advised that its net interest margin was 2.03%, down by 4 basis points. This was due to higher liquid assets, with the impact of the low-rate environment largely offset by management actions, lower wholesale funding costs, and favourable funding mix.

One positive that could boost the CBA share price today was its loan impairment expense, which fell 78%. The bank has, however, maintained a strong provision coverage ratio of 1.63%. This reflects the economic uncertainty from the continuing impacts of COVID-19.

What did management say?

Commonwealth Bank’s Chief Executive Officer, Matt Comyn, was pleased with the bank’s greatly improved performance during FY 2021.

He said: “The continuing strength of our businesses, combined with a focus on customer needs, digital engagement and consistent operational excellence has contributed to a strong financial result this year.”

“A highlight of the result is our continued balance sheet strength and very strong capital position that has allowed us to support our customers while delivering strong and sustainable returns to shareholders. As a result, a final dividend of $2.00 per share, fully franked, has been determined, with shareholders receiving a full year franked dividend of $3.50.”

“Strategic divestments have generated $6.2 billion1 in excess capital since 2018. Today we have announced an off-market buy-back of up to $6 billion of CBA shares as the most efficient and appropriate way to commence the return of surplus capital, as shareholders will benefit from a lower share count that will support return on equity and dividends per share,” he added.

What’s next for CBA?

Mr Comyn acknowledges that the pandemic continues to have an impact on the Australian economy. Nevertheless, he believes the bank is prepared for a range of scenarios.

He explained: “As the past 18 months have shown, Australia has a very strong, stable and secure financial system. This includes well-capitalised and strong banks like the Commonwealth Bank, which together with the support of the federal and state governments, regulators and the broader industry, have helped the country through the worst pandemic in living memory.”

“We are prepared for a range of different economic scenarios and are well placed to support our customers. We’re committed to new and ongoing support measures for those most impacted by COVID-19 and other events. We will continue to work closely with our retail and business customers to understand their needs.”

The Chief Executive revealed that this uncertainty won’t stop the bank from investing to strengthen its offering and leadership position.

Mr Comyn concluded: “Looking ahead, we anticipate ongoing economic impacts and earnings pressure from lower interest rates. We will continue to invest in the business to reinforce our product offering to our retail and business customers and extend our digital leadership. Through disciplined execution and our people’s care and commitment, we will continue to deliver for our customers, community and our shareholders as we build tomorrow’s bank today.”

CBA share price outperforms in 2021

Prior to today, the CBA share price was up 27% since the start of the year. This is more than double the ASX 200’s return over the period. Shareholders will no doubt be hoping today’s result and buyback announcement will be enough to extend the CBA share price outperformance on Wednesday.

The post CBA (ASX:CBA) share price on watch after FY21 results & $6bn buyback appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• The ASX reporting wrap-up: Challenger, Megaport, James Hardie
• Is now a good time to buy Bendigo and Adelaide Bank (ASX:BEN) shares?
• How did the CBA (ASX:CBA) share price respond last earnings season?
• Why the CBA (ASX:CBA) share price will be on watch today

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

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The term “smart money” is often bandied about without self-consciousness in the finance profession. But Marcus Today director Marcus Padley pointed out the concept is horribly condescending to retail investors.

“It is demeaning to individual investors and used by the finance industry to imply they are smart and the rest of you are by implication ‘dumb’,” he wrote on his website last week.

“But a lot of supposedly smart professionals do some very dumb things, and a lot of non-professional investors do some very clever things.”

Padley argued perhaps a more accurate term for institutional investments could be “big money”.

He did admit the professionals do have some advantages, such as access to initial public offerings and share issues.

But there are many privileges retail investors have that institutional investors can only dream of.

How? How can the ‘little guy’ have an advantage over Goliath?

Here are 6 that Padley mentioned:

You don’t have to answer to a client

This is the most obvious difference between retail and professional investors. But how is this advantageous for the little guy?

“You don’t have a mandate controlling what you do. You can do what you want. You can change what you do at any time without reason or explanation. You don’t have to publish an investment philosophy and strategy and stick to it,” said Padley.

“You don’t have competitors screwing with your state of mind. You can walk away without anyone knowing or minding. You can take the day off. You can take a month off. You can take a year off. You can stop managing funds forever without one email asking you why.”

You’re not constantly competing against a benchmark

Funds and fund managers are compared to their benchmark index each month, quarter and year. This means they can’t necessarily take a long-term view of their shares.

The constant benchmarking incentivises short-term moves.

The retail investor doesn’t have to worry about any of that.

“You are not criticised. Reputation doesn’t matter. You don’t lose your job if you underperform… No one is comparing you to a compounding benchmark with no costs.”

If you have some periods of underperformance, you can just ride it out. If you get it wrong you don’t lose investors,” said Padley.

Liquidity doesn’t matter

Retail investors very rarely have to worry about whether buying or selling an ASX share will change the market.

“Liquidity issues don’t matter,” said Padley.

“Moving prices when you decide to buy or sell is a big issue for fund managers. When [retail investors] buy and sell you don’t affect the share price in a counterproductive way. You get better and quicker execution.”

Investment costs are minuscule compared to a professional

Ever wondered why fund managers take such a chunky percentage fee from their clients?

Yes, they are making a decent salary for themselves, but they also have many overheads that retail investors never need to worry about.

“You don’t have any compliance issues burning time and money. You don’t have to publish, let alone comply, with your financial services guide,” said Padley.

“You don’t have to pay for a compliance manager. You don’t have the threat of ASIC turning up at your door with a ‘please explain’. You don’t need an Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL). You don’t have the cost of an AFSL. You don’t have the administration of an AFSL.”

Instant diversification is not a failure

The diversification advantages of listed investment companies (LICs) and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are a massive advantage for the average punter.

They are options that institutional investors would not dare touch.

“If you buy an ETF or a LIC and it’s not seen as a ‘failure’,” Padley said. “It is for a fund manager.”

Freedom, sweet freedom

Agility and liberty are some of the best weapons for the retail investor versus the professionals.

And these days, with all the tools available online, punters have similar resources to the pros anyway, according to Padley.

“You don’t have to justify your decisions to a committee. You can react to events almost instantly,” he said.

“You don’t get emails from your investors distracting you from the job in hand… You can use mechanisms like stop losses if you want.”

The post 6 advantages retail investors have against the professionals appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• 2 exciting ETFs for ASX investors in August
• 2 leading ASX shares benefiting from booming commercial property prices
• Telstra (ASX:TLS) and this ASX dividend share are rated as buys
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• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Wednesday

Motley Fool contributor Tony Yoo 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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If you’re looking for an easy way to invest in international shares for diversification, then exchange traded funds (ETFs) could be the answer.

This is because ETFs give investors access to a collection of shares from certain indices, industries, sectors, or themes through just a single investment.

But which ETFs should investors be looking at right now? Listed below are two exciting ETFs that could be worth getting better acquainted with:

BetaShares Global Cybersecurity ETF (ASX: HACK)

The first ASX ETF to look at is the BetaShares Global Cybersecurity ETF. As it names indicates, this ETF gives investors exposure to the leading companies in the global cybersecurity sector.

This is a sector that has been tipped to grow strongly over the next decade due to the ongoing shift to the cloud and the increasing threat of cyber attacks. Among the companies you’ll be buying a slice of are cybersecurity leaders Accenture, Cisco, Cloudflare, Crowdstrike, Okta, and Splunk.

Over the last five years, the index the BetaShares Global Cybersecurity ETF tracks has delivered a return of 23.7% per annum. This would have turned a $10,000 investment in 2016 into almost $29,000.

VanEck Vectors Video Gaming and eSports ETF (ASX: ESPO)

Another exciting ETF for ASX investors to look at is the VanEck Vectors Video Gaming and eSports ETF. This ETF gives investors access to a portfolio of the largest companies involved in video game development, hardware, and esports.

This means you’ll be owning shares in companies such as Nvidia, Take-Two, and Electronic Arts. These companies are well-positioned to benefit from the increasing popularity of video games and eSports.

The index the VanEck Vectors Video Gaming and eSports ETF tracks has generated an average return of 32.7% per annum over the last five years. This would have turned a $10,000 investment five years ago into just over $41,000 today.

The post 2 exciting ETFs for ASX investors in August 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 BETA CYBER ETF UNITS. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended BETA CYBER ETF UNITS. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended VanEck Vectors ETF Trust – VanEck Vectors Video Gaming and eSports ETF. 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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Property prices are booming in most places in Australia, including the commercial market. Some ASX shares are benefiting from this.

There are a group of real estate investment trusts (REITs) that are reporting large valuation increases in the recent financial year.

Here are two that are benefiting from that trend:

Charter Hall Long WALE REIT (ASX: CLW)

This REIT recently reported its FY21 result. Within that, the business experienced a $523 million net valuation uplift, representing a 12.1% increase for FY21.

At the end of the financial year, it had a diversified portfolio across multiple property types with an occupancy rate of 98.3%. Major tenants provide reliability, tenants include government entities, Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS), David Jones, Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL) and Endeavour Group Ltd (ASX: EDV).

The portfolio is worth $5.6 billion across 468 properties with a long weighted average lease expiry (WALE) of 13.2 years. Management say this provides long-term income security.

Not only is the valuation increasing, but its operating earnings per security (EPS) is also rising. It grew 3.2% to 29.2 cents per unit in FY21, with expectations of an increase of at least 4.5% in FY22. The business has a distribution payout ratio of 100%, so investors receive all of the net rental profit each year.

Management say the REIT’s characteristics provide investors with a growing income stream and capital growth, whilst also providing the REIT ASX share with significant insulation from market shocks.

Charter Hall Long WALE REIT is currently rated as a buy by the broker Citi. The broker thinks Charter Hall Long WALE REIT has a FY22 distribution yield of 6.1%. The Citi price target is $5.68 over the next 12 months.

Centuria Industrial REIT (ASX: CIP)

Centuria Industrial REIT is another business that is experiencing sizeable increases in the valuation of commercial properties.

This one is Australia’s largest domestic pure play industrial REIT. In FY21 it experienced a $587 million valuation uplift, which was an increase of 25% in percentage terms. However, this actually led to a 36% rise of the net tangible assets (NTA) per unit to $3.83.

Centuria Industrial REIT said that valuations were being driven by heightened competition and investment demand for industrial and logistics assets with elevated transaction volumes setting new benchmarks for major asset and portfolio sales.

At the end of FY21, the ASX share had 62 properties worth almost $3 billion with an occupancy rate of around 97%. Its weighted average lease expiry is 9.6 years and the weighted average capitalisation (rental) rate was 4.54%.

In FY21 the REIT generated 17.6 cents per unit of funds from operations (FFO) and paid a distribution per unit of 17 cents.

In FY22 it’s expecting to generate FFO per unit of 18.1 cents and pay a distribution of 17.3 cents. At the current Centuria Industrial REIT share price, it has a forward distribution yield of 4.5%.

Centuria Industrial REIT fund manager Jesse Curtis said:

With rising e-commerce, there’s a shift in consumer expectations for rapid delivery times. This creates strong demand from occupiers for assets located in urban infill markets to help manufacture, fulfil or distribute orders quickly, and these markets are a focus for CIP. CIP’s focus centres on building critical mass in key urban infill markets and, through acquisitions, leasing and value-add projects, the REIT aims to deliver long-term sustainable income streams and capital growth to unitholders.

The REIT ASX share is currently rated as a buy by the broker Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG) with a price target of $4.

The post 2 leading ASX shares benefiting from booming commercial property prices appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Here are the 10 top moving ASX shares on Monday
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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 owns shares of and has recommended COLESGROUP DEF SET, Macquarie Group Limited, 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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Are you looking for some attractive dividend yields to boost your income? Then you want to look at the ones listed below.

Here’s why these dividend shares could be great options for income investors in August:

Aventus Group (ASX: AVN)

The first ASX dividend share to look at is Aventus. It is a property company with a focus on large format retail parks.

Thanks to its high level of exposure to the household goods and everyday needs categories, Aventus has been one of the strongest performing retail property companies during the pandemic. This has led to solid rental income growth and an increase in the value of its properties.

Goldman Sachs has been impressed with its performance and expects it to continue. So much so, it has a buy rating and $3.27 price target on the company’s shares.

And based on the current Aventus share price, it estimates that its shares will provide investors with yields of 5.3%, 6%, and 6.6%, respectively, between FY 2021 and FY 2023.

Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS)

Another ASX dividend share to look at is Telstra. The telco giant’s shares may have just hit a 52-week high, but they are still expected to provide investors with generous yields in the coming years.

Goldman Sachs is also a fan of Telstra. It currently has a buy rating and $4.20 price target on the company’s shares.

Goldman likes Telstra partly due to its leadership position with 5G, which it expects to support growth in its post-paid mobile average revenue per user (ARPU) metric in the coming years. Together with its corporate restructure and potential asset monetisation, the broker believes Telstra’s outlook is positive.

The broker is forecasting fully franked annual dividends of 16 cents per share through to FY 2023. After which, it expects a long-awaited dividend increase to 18 cents per share in FY 2024.

Based on the latest Telstra share price of $3.85, this will mean attractive yields of approximately 4.15% for the next three years.

The post Telstra (ASX:TLS) and this ASX dividend share are rated as 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. 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 Australia has recommended AVENTUS RE UNIT. 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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There are some high-quality ASX growth shares to think about for an investor’s portfolio.

Businesses that are growing revenue and profit at an attractive rate are giving themselves a good chance of producing pleasing shareholder returns.

Sometimes a business’ value has already taken some of that future growth into account, but growth may be able to help things over the longer-term:

Bapcor Ltd (ASX: BAP)

Bapcor is a leading auto parts business that operates in Australia, New Zealand and Asia.

The business is capitalising on the strange impacts of COVID-19. HY21 saw the business deliver a high level of growth in the first six months of FY21. Revenue grew 25.8% to $883.6 million, pro forma earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) went up 45% to $106.8 million and pro forma net profit after tax increased 54%.

The trade segment, including Burson, saw double digit growth with a 12.3% rise of revenue. But it was the retail segment, which includes Autobarn, that truly delivered big growth – revenue rose 44% and earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) jumped 55.8%.

In a recent trading update, Bapcor said that its trade same store sales continued to see double digit growth (up 13%), whilst Autobarn same store sales were up 35% and specialist wholesale revenue was up 31%.

Management believe there are significant opportunities within the ASX growth share to drive operational and financial performance.

Bapcor has a number of growth plans. It wants to grow its existing store sales, increase the number of stores, provide differentiated offerings compared to competitors, grow its e-commerce offering and expand in Asia. The business also wants to supplement market-leading brands with Bapcor’s own brand products. Another focus is leveraging its logistics capability to deliver operational excellence and optimise its supply chain benefits.

According to Commsec, the Bapcor share price is valued at 20x FY22’s estimated earnings.

Betashares Global Cybersecurity ETF (ASX: HACK)

This ASX growth share is an exchange-traded fund (ETF) that is focused on the global industry of cybersecurity.

The portfolio includes global cybersecurity giants as well as emerging players from across the world. Some of those names in the portfolio include Zscaler, Crowdstrike, Accenture, Okta, Cisco Systems, Cloudflare, Fortinet, Varonis Systems, Splunk and F5 Networks.

Whilst more than half of the holdings are allocated to the segment of ‘systems software’, there are also double digit weightings to sub-sectors like ‘communications equipment’ and ‘internet services and infrastructure’.

As BetaShares says, with cybercrime on the rise, the demand for cybersecurity services is expected to grow strongly for the foreseeable future. In 2017 the global cybersecurity market was US$137.63 billion and by 2023 it’s expected to have grown to US$248.26 billion.

The returns of the ETF have reflected the growth of the underlying businesses. But past performance is not an indicator of future performance. Including the annual management fee of 0.67%, the ETF has delivered an average return per annum of 22.3% since inception in August 2016.

The post 2 top ASX growth shares that might be worth buying appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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 BETA CYBER ETF UNITS. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended BETA CYBER ETF UNITS and Bapcor. 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 Tuesday the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) was on form and pushed higher. The benchmark index ended the day 0.3% higher at 7,562.6 points.

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

ASX 200 futures pointing higher

The Australian share market is expected to push higher on Wednesday following a decent night on Wall Street. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 19 points or 0.25% higher this morning. On Wall Street, the Dow Jones rose 0.45%, the S&P 500 pushed 0.1% higher, and the Nasdaq dropped 0.5%.

CBA full year results

The Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) share price will be on watch today when it releases its highly anticipated full year results. According to a note out of Goldman Sachs, it expects Australia’s largest bank to report a 15% increase in cash earnings from continued operations (pre-one offs) to A$8,342 million. This compares to the analyst consensus estimate of $8,464 million. The broker has also pencilled in a final dividend of 195 cents per share and a special dividend of 200 cents per share.

Oil prices rebound

It could be a good day for energy producers such as Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) and Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) after oil prices rebounded. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is up 2.9% to US$68.41 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is up 2.5% to US$70.74 a barrel. Rising demand in Europe and the United States outweighed concerns over an increase in COVID-19 cases in Asia.

Computershare full year results

The Computershare Ltd (ASX: CPU) share price will be one to watch today. This follows the release of the stock transfer company’s full year results after the market close. Computershare reported an 0.8% decline in full year management revenue to US$2.3 billion and a 7.3% fall in management earnings per share to 52.03 US cents. The latter was better than its guidance for an 8% decline. And while the company is guiding to a stronger year in FY 2022, its guidance has fallen short of Goldman Sachs’ estimates.

Gold price rises

Gold miners Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) and Newcrest Mining Limited (ASX: NCM) could have a better day on Wednesday after the gold price pushed higher. According to CNBC, the spot gold price is up 0.2% to US$1,729.50 an ounce. Concerns over rising COVID-19 cases halted the precious metal’s slide.

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

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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has 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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Are you looking to add some growing dividend shares to your portfolio this month? Then you may want to look at the ones listed below.

Here’s why they could be top options for income investors:

Accent Group Ltd (ASX: AX1)

The first ASX dividend share to look at is Accent. It is a growing retail group with a collection of footwear store brands including HYPEDC, Platypus, Sneaker Lab, Stylerunner, and The Athlete’s Foot. It has also recently acquired fashion retailer Glue Store and launched a new workwear store brand called 4 Workers.

Given the popularity of its brands, its store expansion plans, and favourable trading conditions, Accent has been tipped to continue growing its earnings and dividend in the coming years.

Bell Potter, for example, is very positive on the company. It has a buy rating and $3.30 price target on its shares.

The broker is forecasting dividends of 11.7 cents per share in FY 2021 and 12.3 cents per share in FY 2022. Based on the latest Accent share price of $2.80, this represents fully franked yields of 4.2% and 4.4%, respectively.

Collins Foods Ltd (ASX: CKF)

Another ASX dividend share to look at is Collins Foods. It is a leading quick service restaurant operator with a focus on KFC restaurants.

It has been a positive performer during the pandemic. For example, in June the company released its full year results and reported a 12.4% increase in revenue to $1.07 billion. This was driven largely by its KFC Australia business, which reported a 13.8% increase in revenue to $900.4 million thanks to new store openings and same store sales growth of 12.9%.

On the bottom line, the company’s underlying net profit after tax from continuing operations growth was even stronger. It was up 18.2% to $56.9 million. This allowed the Collins Foods board to increase its dividend once again.

This went down well with analysts at Canaccord Genuity. Its analysts have a buy rating and $13.35 price target on the company’s shares. The broker is also forecasting further dividend growth in the coming years. It expects fully franked dividends per share of 26 cents in FY 2022 and then 29 cents in FY 2023.

Based on the latest Collins Foods share price of $11.08, this will mean yields of 2.3% and 2.6%, respectively.

The post 2 top ASX dividend shares tipped to grow at a solid rate appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro owns shares of Collins Foods Limited. 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 Accent Group and Collins Foods 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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