In afternoon trade, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is on course to record a decline. At the time of writing, the benchmark index is down 0.4% to 7,255.1 points.

Four ASX shares that are falling more than most today are listed below. Here’s why they are dropping:

BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP)

The BHP share price is down 2.5% to $49.30. This follows the release of its fourth quarter and full year update. The mining giant reported full year iron ore production of 235.5Mt, petroleum production of 102.8MMboe, and copper production of 1,635.7kt. This was either in line or slightly ahead of its guidance. However, the market may be slightly underwhelmed with its guidance for FY 2022, which is for broadly flat production.

HUB24 Ltd (ASX: HUB)

The HUB24 share price has fallen 2% to $25.50. The investment platform provider’s shares are dropping despite reporting a record fourth quarter performance this morning. HUB24 revealed quarterly inflows of $3.9 billion for the period. This comprises $2.2 billion from its core platform, $1.4 billion from ClearView Wealth, and $300 million from Xplore Wealth.

Qantas Airways Limited (ASX: QAN)

The Qantas share price is down 2% to $4.55. This decline appears to have been driven by concerns over the spread of COVID-19 across Australia. Three states are now locked down, which is threatening to derail the domestic travel market recovery.

Santos Ltd (ASX: STO)

The Santos share price has dropped 4.5% to $6.51. This follows a sharp decline in oil prices overnight after OPEC revealed plans to progressively remove its production cuts by September 2022. In addition, this morning Santos revealed that Oil Search Ltd (ASX: OSH) rejected its merger proposal. Santos tabled an offer of $4.25 per share, which Oil Search did not believe offered appropriate value for shareholders. The Oil Search share price is charging higher on the news.

The post Why BHP, HUB24, Qantas, & Santos shares are dropping today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why the BHP (ASX:BHP) share price is down 4% this week
• Oil Search (ASX:OSH) share price jumps 6% after rejecting takeover bid
• ASX 200 midday update: Oil Search rejects Santos merger proposal, Afterpay rolls out Money app
• Hub24 (ASX:HUB) share price drops despite ‘record’ Q4 update
• Santos (ASX:STO) share price lower after Oil Search rejects merger proposal

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 Hub24 Ltd. 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 pretty depressing day today. At the time of writing, the ASX 200 is down 0.38% to 7,258 points.

But let’s not wallow in our grief and instead check out some of the most actively traded ASX 200 shares today.

3 of the ASX 200’s most heavily traded shares today

Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS)

Lithium miner Pilbara Minerals is our first ASX 200  share worth checking out today. So far this Tuesday, a substantial 12.76 million shares have traded hands. This might be a consequence of the nasty fall Pilbara shares have taken today.

The Pilbara share price is currently down a hefty 2.68% to $1.45 a share after opening at $1.44 and rising as high as $1.50 earlier this morning.

It’s probably this volatility that is behind such a large number of shares being traded today. Even after today’s fall, Pilbara isn’t too far away from the company’s 52-week high of $1.60.

Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS)

From PLS to TLS. ASX 200 telco Telstra is our second share today. So far, a substantial 15.75 million Telstra shares have changed hands today.

Just like Pilbara, there has been no major news or announcements out of the telco, so it’s likely that this high volume is the result of the Telstra share price performance today.

So far, Telstra has lost 0.93% this Tuesday, and is down to $3.72 a share. Even so, Telstra remains up 23% year to date.

Oil Search Ltd (ASX: OSH)

The title of our most traded ASX 200 share today goes to ASX energy company Oil Search. This oil driller has had a fantastic day, in contrast to the broader market.

At the time of writing, Oil Search shares are up a hefty 6.8% to $3.92 a share. This has elicited a whopping 30.85 million Oil Search shares to change owners today.

This big jump can be attributed to the news that was revealed this morning. Fellow energy company Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) put forward a confidential all-scrip merger proposal to Oil Search which would have seen Oil Search shareholders gain 0.589 in Santos shares for each Oil Search share owned.

Oil Search has rejected this offer, saying it did not offer compelling value for shareholders. Even so, investors are clearly still excited for what the future might bring.

The post Here are 3 of the ASX 200’s most heavily traded shares on Tuesday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Lockdowns hurt, ASX falls, Wesfarmers climbs, and the Aussie set to fall? Scott Phillips on Nine’s Late News
• Oil Search (ASX:OSH) share price jumps 6% after rejecting takeover bid
• ANZ’s (ASX:ANZ) $1.5bn buyback puts other ASX 200 banks under capital return spotlight
• ASX 200 midday update: Oil Search rejects Santos merger proposal, Afterpay rolls out Money app
• Is this the beginning of a market crash for ASX shares? Experts say fear not

Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen owns shares of Telstra Corporation 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 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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Most weeks, Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA)’s brokerage platform CommSec tells us the most popular international shares (which are usually just US shares) that its ASX investors have been trading the previous week.

CommSec is one of the most widely used brokers in Australia. Because of this, this data can give us a valuable window into the US shares that ASX investors are finding enticing. So here are the top 10 US shares that CommSec-ers were buying and selling last week. This week’s data covers 12-16 July.

Nothing can keep GameStop down

1. GameStop Corp. (NYSE: GME) – representing 3.3% of total trades with an 89%/11% buy-to-sell ratio.
2. Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL) – representing 3.2% of total trades with a 72%/28% buy-to-sell ratio.
3. Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA) – representing 2.9% of total trades with a 61%/39% buy-to-sell ratio.
4. AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc (NYSE: AMC) – representing 2.5% of total trades with a 65%/35% buy-to-sell ratio.
5. Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc (NYSE: SPCE) – representing 1.6% of total trades with a 49%/51% buy-to-sell ratio.
6. NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ: NVDA)
7. Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT)
8. Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN)
9. Nio Inc. (NYSE: NIO)
10. Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (NYSE: BABA)

What can we learn from these trades?

That the meme is strong for one. Yes, ‘meme stock’ king GameStop is back at the top of this pile, displacing the giant Apple as well as perennial ASX favourite Tesla. Even more interestingly, 89% of GameStop trades last week were in the ‘buy’ column.

This coincides with GameStop shares hitting their lowest level since May recently. Clearly, there are more than a few investors hoping for another one of those lucrative ‘pops’.

We see a less-enthusiastic commitment to other meme stocks like AMC, Nio and Virgin Galactic. Although, in saying that, Virgin Galactic investors appear to be more inclined to bail out than buy more, with 51% of trades in the ‘sell’ column.

Ever since Sir Richard’s successful space flight earlier this month, investors have been stampeding to the exits. Since 8 July (3 days before the flight), Virgin Galactic shares have lost more than 38% of their value. Imagine what would have happened if it wasn’t a successful flight!

We still see bubbling affection for the US big tech blue chips like Apple, Amazon and Microsoft. Apple in particular maintains a dominant position in this week’s numbers, even pipping Tesla with its 72% ‘buy’ bias.

This week’s report also marks the return of chipmaker NVIDIA after a few weeks’ absence. NVIDIA has been on an exceptional run lately, rising roughly 50% between 13 May and 6 July. That’s a pretty significant move from what is now a company with a market capitalisation of US$468 billion.

The post ASX investors were buying GameStop (NYSE:GME) shares last week appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Teresa Kersten, an employee of LinkedIn, a Microsoft subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen owns shares of Tesla. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, NIO Inc., Nvidia, and Tesla. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended the following options: long January 2022 $1,920 calls on Amazon, long March 2023 $120 calls on Apple, short January 2022 $1,940 calls on Amazon, and short March 2023 $130 calls on Apple. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Amazon, Apple, and Nvidia. 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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After making shareholders tear out their hair for a year, A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX: A2M) shares have had a mini-revival the past month.

The dairy producer’s stocks have ascended almost 15% in the past month. But, even after that, investors have lost more than 64% since this time last year.

So, is this turnaround the start of a sustained comeback, or just false hope?

Shaw and Partners senior investment advisor Adam Dawes is a shareholder himself and has clients who bought in at higher than current prices. 

Unsurprisingly, he dearly hopes the recent uptick is the start of something special.

“It certainly has bottomed and now is starting to move up again, which I think is a positive,” he told Switzer TV Investing.

Dawes’ hope is not just blind faith. He presented 3 structural reasons why the A2 Milk share price could be significantly higher in the coming year or so.

More babies in China

A major business for A2 Milk is the sale of infant formula to the massive Chinese market.

And Dawes pointed out China recently scrapped its infamous One Child Policy.

“From 2025 and ongoing, there are going to be more children born in China,” he said.

“A2 Milk is going to fit nicely into that section, where you need powdered milk to feed your children.”

A2 Milk daigou channel is already rejuvenated

A lucrative sales channel for A2 Milk into China has been via the so-called daigou, who are private expatriate merchants who import into the Asian nation.

But with travel restrictions coming in last year to counter the COVID-19 pandemic, that channel was absolutely devastated.

It’s one of the big reasons A2 Milk’s stock price had tumbled so much.

But as coronavirus vaccines roll out around the globe, Dawes provided a very positive insight.

“Daigou proxy is actually up for the 4th month in a row,” he said.

“In other words, moving towards increasing the number of exports of powdered milk to China.”

Australian dollar vs Chinese Yuan

Currency differences are also starting to work in A2 Milk’s favour, according to Dawes.

“We have started to see the Aussie dollar starting to fall [versus] the Chinese yuan,” he said.

“I think that’s really positive for A2 Milk as well.”

Of course, if the Australian dollar is weaker, then A2 Milk products become more affordable for Chinese consumers.

The post 3 reasons to buy A2 Milk (ASX:A2M) shares right now appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• The A2 Milk (ASX:A2M) share price is up 17% in the last month, here’s why
• Why is the A2 Milk (ASX:A2M) share price down almost 3% on Thursday?
• Here’s why the A2 Milk (ASX:A2M) share price is down 64% in 12 months

Motley Fool contributor Tony Yoo owns shares of A2 Milk. 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 A2 Milk. 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 Pro Medicus Limited (ASX: PME) share price continues its run into the green today.

Pro Medicus shares are changing hands at $59.60 apiece in afternoon trading, up 1.2% on the day.

Let’s take a look at the tailwinds behind the company’s share price.

But first, a quick recap on Pro Medicus

Pro Medicus is a provider of medical imaging software to clinics and hospitals.

Its footprint is in Australia, North America, and Europe, supplying radiology information and imaging systems to these markets.

At the time of writing, Pro Medicus has a market capitalisation of $6.1 billion.

What has Pro Medicus been up to lately?

Pro Medicus shares have set two all-time highs recently, including today, when prices reached an intraday high of $60.55.

The momentum behind the company’s share price has been gathering steam since the beginning of the year.

Back in January, the company announced it had signed a 7-year contract with Salt Lake City company Intermountain Healthcare.

According to Pro Medicus, the deal will yield a total of $40 million spread over the 7 years.

Following this, the company also announced that its US subsidiary Visage Imaging had confirmed a collaboration with the University of Vermont.

Under the agreement, Pro Medicus will install and roll out its systems in six hospitals under the University’s control.

Moreover, it was revealed back on 3 June that Pro Medicus entered into an agreement with the US research giant Mayo Clinic through Visage.

The focus of this deal is to develop and commercialise Pro Medicus’ artificial intelligence algorithm, the Visage AI Accelerator platform.

Since this fundamental momentum began in January, Pro Medicus shares have climbed 74% this year to date.

This has extended into the previous 5 trading sessions, in which the company has walked a further 3.5% into the green.

Therefore, while there has been no market sensitive information from the company since June, it stands to reason that investors continue to buy Pro Medicus shares on the back of these advancements in the company’s growth engine.

Pro Medicus share price snapshot

The Pro Medicus share price has posted an impressive return of 140% over the previous 12 months.

This has outpaced the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO)’s return of 21% over the same period.

The company also pays a 14 cents per share dividend, giving a current yield of 0.22%.

The post Why the Pro Medicus (ASX:PME) share price is up 3% in a week appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• 3 reasons why Pro Medicus (ASX:PME) is a top class share
• These ASX 200 shares are the most tightly held by individual insiders
• Pro Medicus (ASX:PME) share price soars to all-time high
• How did the S&P/ASX All Technologies Index (XTX) perform in FY21?
• The 5 best ASX 200 healthcare shares of financial year 2021

The author Zach Bristow has no positions in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended Pro Medicus Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Pro Medicus 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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On Monday I looked at three ASX shares brokers have given buy ratings to this week.

Unfortunately, not all shares are in favour with them right now. Three that have just been given sell ratings are listed below. Here’s why these brokers are bearish on these ASX shares:

Endeavour Group Ltd (ASX: EDV)

According to a note out of Credit Suisse, its analysts have commenced coverage on this drinks company with an underperform rating and $5.86. The broker isn’t overly positive on Endeavour due to its capital intensity, regulatory risks from its gaming operations, and its inconsistent profits. And while its suspects that the company could have had a strong second half due to favourable trading conditions, it isn’t as positive on the future. This is due to declining alcohol consumption and its lack of a growth runway. The Endeavour share price is currently trading at $6.35.

Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN)

A note out of Macquarie reveals that its analysts have downgraded this gold miner’s shares to an underperform rating and trimmed their price target on them to $4.00. The broker made the move after Evolution’s quarterly update fell short of expectations. In addition to this, Macquarie was disappointed with its medium term outlook. It notes that Evolution’s costs and capex forecasts were much higher than it was expecting. The Evolution share price is fetching $4.20 today.

Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO)

Analysts at UBS have retained their sell rating and $104.00 price target on this mining giant’s shares. According to the note, Rio Tinto underperformed the broker’s expectations during a challenging second quarter. And while it notes that the company is benefiting from very strong iron ore prices, it isn’t convinced this will last. UBS continues to forecast a sharp pullback in the price of the steel making ingredient as Chinese demand softens and supply increases. The Rio Tinto share price is currently trading at $124.46 on Tuesday.

The post Leading brokers name 3 ASX shares to sell today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Evolution Mining (ASX:EVN) share price downgrade from four brokers
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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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The Mach7 Technologies Ltd (ASX: M7T) share price has taken a tumble in today’s trading session.

Shares in the medical imaging software company have taken a dive after Mach7 released its financial report for the fourth quarter and FY21.

Let’s take a look at how Mach7 performed.   

Mach7 reports back-to-back annual profits

Earlier today, Mach7 released its activities report for the fourth quarter and overall FY21.

The company’s report highlighted Mach7 recording its highest ever cash receipts. The company recorded a 23% growth in cash receipts over the prior year to $21 million.

As a result, Mach7 reported its second consecutive year of positive operating cashflows. For FY21, the company reported positive operating cash of $1.2 million.

In addition, Mach7 recorded its highest annual sales on record. The company reported a 95% increase in sales to $25.64 million in FY21, bringing the company’s customer count to 165.

Mach7 also reported low customer churn, less than 2% for the financial year.

The company also underscored its strong financial position, with Mach7 finishing the year with $18.36 million cash on hand.

Overall, Mach7 expects annual revenue to be in the range of $19 million and $19.5 million. The company noted it will release its audited annual financial report in August.

Looking ahead to FY22, Mach7 expects to see strong double-digit revenue growth (higher than 15%) on FY21’s figure.

More on Mach7’s performance

Mach7 develops innovative data management solutions for healthcare institutions. The company’s revenue is generated through live annual support contracts and monthly subscriptions.

In today’s report, Mach7 noted the company is now generating $13.36 million of annual recurring revenue (ARR). The company said its ARR has more than doubled since the previous year where Mach7 reported an ARR of $6.51 million.

In addition, Mach7 noted that ARR will continue to grow as existing customers become fully deployed and new customers license the software.

Mach7 signed several new sales orders, contracts, and contract renewals during the fourth quarter of FY21.

Just yesterday, Mach7 also announced an expansion order from Advocate Aurora Healthcare valued at $4.3 million over 5 years. But it seems investors aren’t enthused by today’s news.

Snapshot of the Mach7 share price

Despite starting the year relatively strongly, the Mach7 share price has floundered in 2021. Since the start of the year, shares in Mach7 are down 28%.

At the time of writing, the Mach7 share price is trading more than 5% lower for the day at around 91 cents. Shares in the company hit an intra-day low of 87.5 cents earlier, to be down more than 8% for the day.

The post Mach7 (ASX:M7T) share price stumbles 8% on business update appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Why the Mach7 (ASX:M7T) share price is pushing higher on Monday
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Motley Fool contributor Nikhil Gangaram 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 MACH7 FPO. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended MACH7 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 Crown Resorts Ltd (ASX: CWN) share price is sliding lower today. This comes as counsel assisting the Victorian Royal Commission into the suitably of Crown Melbourne’s casino license argues Australia’s largest gaming operator is not fit to hold its gambling licence in the state.

At the time of writing, Crown shares are trading at $10.48 – down 2.42%. By comparison, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is only 0.68% lower.

Today’s closing arguments by Adrian Finanzio SC are the culmination of months of caustic evidence presented against the company. This includes potential money laundering as well as credit card fraud, tax evasion, and endangering the well-being of problem gamblers.

The royal commission in Victoria was itself sparked when the New South Wales Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority found Crown Resorts unsuitable to hold a gaming licence in the state back in February.

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

“…Crown Melbourne is not fit to hold a licence now.”

Mr Finanzio not only slammed the company, its culture and leadership but at one point questioned whether it was even possible for Crown to reform. His arguments were even more damning than those presented in the NSW Bergin inquiry.

Investors appear unimpressed, sending the Crown share price lower on Tuesday.

Particular scorn was reserved for chair Helen Coonan and Crown Melbourne CEO Xavier Walsh.

“[Walsh], along with Ms Coonan, cannot be the critical face of the change required at Crown, if it is to remain the licensee,” counsel assisting said.

“If Crown is to retain its licence, it would be open to the Commissioner to make a finding that Ms Coonan is not a suitable associate of Crown Melbourne.”

He added on Mr Walsh:

In the time since he’s been thrust into positions of greater authority he has, with respect, not risen to the occasion in a way which can give any confidence that he has the necessary qualities to be a suitable associate of Crown.

The royal commission was meant to hand its findings to the Victorian Government on 11 August but this was pushed to October on the recommendation of Commissioner Raymond Finklestein.

At the time, the Acting Premier, James Merlino, said the extension was necessary due to the “seriousness of evidence produced through hearings and submissions to date”.

The Victorian Government has previously indicated it will follow all the recommendations made to it by the royal commission.

Given today’s closing arguments, it now appears genuinely possible Crown may be stripped of its Victorian license. Investors look to be concerned over this eventuating, thus selling down their Crown shares.

Crown share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, the Crown share price has increased by around 17%. Twelve months ago, the company was still recovering from the first COVID lockdowns, during which it was severely impacted financially.

Crown is not only facing multiple investigations by authorities, it is also the subject of multiple takeover bids – including one by competitor Star Entertainment Group Ltd (ASX: SGR).

Crown Resorts has a market capitalisation of around $7.1 billion.

The post Crown (ASX:CWN) share price falls as Victorian licence danger looms appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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• Crown (ASX:CWN) share price lower following earnings guidance update

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 Recce Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: RCE) share price is on the move today. It comes after the pharmaceutical company provided a patent update on its synthetic anti-infectives.

At the time of writing, the Recce share price is up 5.73% to $1.015. In comparison, the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) is down 0.65% to 7,238 points.

What’s pushing the Recce share price higher?

The Recce share price is pushing higher today after the Chinese Patent Office granted Patent Family 3 to Recce anti-infectives. Titled ’Anti-virus Agent and Method for Treatment of Viral Infection’, the patent allows marketing and manufacturing monopolies until February 2037.

According to the company’s update, the granted claims relate to antibiotic drug Recce 327 and the new anti-viral formulation Recce 529.

China is considered one of the largest pharmaceutical markets in the world, valued at roughly US$86.74 billion. This places the lucrative Chinese market behind the United States and Japan in terms of revenue size.

The latest patent approval in Family 3 follows recent patent grants in Europe and Japan.

The country witnesses millions of cases where infections are caused by lipid enveloped or coated viruses. Patent Family 3 applications in other major pharmaceutical markets around the world are in their own advanced stages of independent patent reviews.

Recce CEO James Graham commented:

Recce’s intellectual property portfolio continues to grow in line with our business strategy and the unprecedented global infectious disease crisis before us. With this new patent granted in one of the largest pharmaceutical markets in the world, our market monopolies reinforce the unique opportunities among a significant range of both bacterial and viral pathogens.

About the Recce share price

Recce is involved in the advancement of synthetic antibodies designed to address the global health challenge of antibiotic-resistant superbugs. The medical company’s flagship drug Recce 327 is being developed to treat blood infections and sepsis.

The group operates solely in research and development in both Australia and the United States.

The Recce share price has fallen by more than 25% in the past 12 months and 3.3% year-to-date. The company’s shares hit a 52-week low of 86 cents in late June after weak investor sentiment kicked in.

At today’s price, Recce commands a market capitalisation of around $177 million, with roughly 173.7 million shares on issue.

The post Why the Recce (ASX:RCE) share price is racing 5% higher today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

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Australia’s leading investment platform provider CommSec has released data on the most traded ASX shares on its platform from last week.

Here’s the data:

Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P)

This buy now pay later (BNPL) provider was far and away the most traded ASX share on CommSec last week. Zip’s shares were attributable to 5.2% of trades on the platform, with 69% of the volume coming from the buy side. This couldn’t stop the Zip share price from tumbling 14.5% over the period, though. News that Apple was looking to launch a BNPL offering weighed heavily on its shares.

Betashares Nasdaq 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ)

This ETF was the next most popular ASX share, contributing 2% of total trades on CommSec. This was driven largely by buyers, with 91% of the volume coming from buy orders. This led to the ETF rising by a modest 0.4% over the period. This means the Betashares Nasdaq 100 ETF share price is now up 14% for the year.

Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT)

Afterpay shares were heavily traded last week and responsible for 1.8% of trades on the platform. And while the buying and selling was broadly even, the sellers will have been the happier group. The aforementioned news about Apple potentially launching a BNPL product led to the Afterpay share price falling 12.2% last week.

BetaShares Global Sustainability Leaders ETF (ASX: ETHI)

This ethical ETF was popular with investors again last week. It was attributable to 1.8% of trades on CommSec, with buyers accounting for 93% of the volume. The ETF recorded another modest weekly gain, taking its shares up 12% year to date. The popularity of ethical investing is supporting inflows into this ETF.

A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX: A2M)

This infant formula company’s shares were among the most traded again last week. A2 Milk’s shares were attributable to 1.7% of trades on CommSec, with over two-thirds of the volume coming from buyers. However, that wasn’t enough to stop the A2 Milk share price from falling 2.6% over the five days. Concerns over weakness in the daigou channel and the rise of Chinese domestic infant formula brands have been weighing on its shares.

The post Afterpay and Zip were among the most traded ASX shares last week 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 AFTERPAY T FPO, BETANASDAQ ETF UNITS, and ZIPCOLTD FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended AFTERPAY T FPO and BETANASDAQ ETF UNITS. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended A2 Milk. 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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