• Prescient Therapeutics (ASX:PTX) share price up 5% on Thursday

    Medical professionals cheering good news. pro medicus

    The Prescient Therapeutics Ltd (ASX: PTX) share price has gained a further 5% to trade at 23 cents on Thursday afternoon.

    Prescient shares have been on the move over this past week and have climbed 28% into the green over this time.

    What tailwinds are behind the Prescient share price lately?

    The Prescient share price has been gaining steam since the company reported its FY21 earnings on 30 August.

    In it, the company recognised an almost 6% downwards step in revenue to $66,285, whereas the loss after tax increased by 25% over the year.

    The company also increased its net assets by $9.2 million to $20.4 million. The bolus of this increase was the issuance of share capital.

    Investors are perhaps more concerned with the advancements of the company’s “targeted therapies” PTX-100 and PTX-200.

    Both therapies are compounds aimed at the treatment and prevention of cancer, by blocking the growth of tumours in the body.

    Currently, PTX-100 has progressed through a Phase 1b trial over the year, “yielding encouraging results” according to the company.

    The PTX-200 compound is also in a Phase 1b trial investigating its efficacy in patients with “relapsed and refractory acute myeloid leukaemia (AML)”.

    One clear takeout from the year was the development of Prescient’s OmniCAR platform.

    The OmniCAR segment is described as a “modular CAR platform created to overcome many of the well-documented limitations and challenges of the current CAR-T treatments, especially in the area of solid tumours”.

    For reference, CAR-T treatments are a new type of intervention that is used in immunotherapy and the treatment of cancer. The company made significant advancements in this segment over the course of FY21, according to the release.

    There has been no other market-sensitive information released by the company over the past couple of days.

    Therefore, it stands to reason that investors are buying Prescient shares on the back of this fundamental momentum.

    Prescient share price snapshot

    The Prescient share price has posted a 12-month gain of 221%. This has far outpaced the S&P/ASX 200 index (ASX: XJO), which has returned about 23% over the past year.

    The post Prescient Therapeutics (ASX:PTX) share price up 5% on Thursday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Prescient Therapeutics right now?

    Before you consider Prescient Therapeutics, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Prescient Therapeutics wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for nearly a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that are better buys.

    *Returns as of August 16th 2021

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

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  • Why Altium, Catapult, Dicker Data, & PolyNovo shares are charging higher

    stock market gaining

    In late trade, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is out of form and tumbling lower. At the time of writing, the benchmark index is down 0.7% to 7,472.5 points.

    Four ASX shares that are not letting that hold them back are listed below. Here’s why they are charging higher:

    Altium Limited (ASX: ALU)

    The Altium share price is up over 3% to $30.93. Earlier this week, Citi upgraded the electronic design software provider’s shares to a buy rating with a $35.40 price target. It believes the recent weakness in the Altium share price is a buying opportunity. Particularly given its guidance for revenue growth of 16% to 20% in FY 2022.

    Catapult Group International Ltd (ASX: CAT)

    The Catapult share price is up 1.5% to $1.91. This morning the sports analytics and wearables company announced a deal with the English Super League and Sky Sports. The deal will see Catapult provide real-time player statistics direct to viewers at home during live rugby league games.

    Dicker Data Ltd (ASX: DDR)

    The Dicker Data share price has risen 4.5% to $14.02. Investors continue to buy this IT distributor’s shares following a sharp pullback after some insider selling spooked the market. One of those buyers was CFO Mary Stojcevski. She picked up 2,900 shares via an on-market trade on Tuesday for a total consideration of approximately $37,400.

    PolyNovo Ltd (ASX: PNV)

    The PolyNovo share price is up over 3% to $2.18. This is despite there being no news out of the medical device company. However, with its shares down sharply this year, bargain hunters may be swooping in today. In addition to this, last week Macquarie retained its outperform rating and put a $2.70 price target on its shares. The broker remains positive on PolyNovo’s long term growth potential.

    The post Why Altium, Catapult, Dicker Data, & PolyNovo shares are charging higher appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for more than eight years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    Scott just revealed what he believes could be the five best ASX stocks for investors to buy right now. These stocks are trading at near dirt-cheap prices and Scott thinks they could be great buys right now.

    *Returns as of August 16th 2021

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    Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended Altium, Catapult Group International Ltd, Dicker Data Limited, and POLYNOVO FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Altium, Catapult Group International Ltd, and Dicker Data 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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  • Energy shares are the only ASX 200 sector on the rise this Thursday

    rising asx oil share price buy represented by business man celebrating next to oil barrel erupting with up arrow

    The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) isn’t having a great day today. At the time of writing, the ASX 200 is down a substantial 0.76% to 7,470 points.

    Looking at which ASX 200 shares are contributing to this fall today, and, well, it seems to be all of them. ASX bank shares like Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) have fallen . The miners like BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) and Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO) are down. Even CSL Limited (ASX: CSL) has taken a hit.

    But one ASX 200 sector is bucking the trend today, and decisively so. That would be ASX 200 energy shares.

    Yep, energy shares are certainly helping to cap the ASX 200 losses this Thursday. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) is up a healthy 0.45% today. That’s being enabled by companies like Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) and Oil Search Ltd (ASX: OSH), both up by 1.14% and 1.33% respectively at the time of writing.

    Even Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) is in the green, currently up 0.1% to $19.76 a share, after an initial fall this morning.

    Not all energy shares are in the green today though. For instance, one of the ASX’s largest oil companies in Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) is still down today.

    Still, ASX 200 energy shares are certainly shining today overall. So what gives?

    ASX energy shares burn bright

    Well, we can probably put the strength that the ASX energy sector is displaying today down to recent movements in the price of crude oil – the lifeblood of energy companies like Woodside, Oil Search and Santos. According to Bloomberg, Brent crude was being priced at less than US$66 a barrel less than two weeks ago. Today, it’s going for US$71.37 a barrel.

    That’s a significant change in value in a short space of time, and represents a meaningful boost to the kind of cash flows energy shares can bring in, especially if pricing holds at these new levels for a while.

    It could be this bounce back in crude oil pricing that is behind the ASX energy sector’s strength this Thursday. 

    The post Energy shares are the only ASX 200 sector on the rise this Thursday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Wondering where you should invest $1,000 right now?

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for more than eight years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    Scott just revealed what he believes could be the five best ASX stocks for investors to buy right now. These stocks are trading at near dirt-cheap prices and Scott thinks they could be great buys right now.

    *Returns as of August 16th 2021

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    Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended CSL Ltd. 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 Dimerix (ASX:DXB) share price is up 3% on Thursday

    Medical professionals cheering good news. pro medicus

    The Dimerix Ltd (ASX: DXB) share price is gaining today despite no news having been released by the company.

    In fact, the market hasn’t heard anything from Dimerix in more than a week.

    Right now, Dimerix’s shares are swapping hands for 35 cents apiece, 2.94% more than they were at yesterday’s close.

    Let’s take a look at what might be boosting the drug development company’s stock on Thursday.

    What’s boosting Dimerix’s stock today?

    The Dimerix share price has well and truly recovered from a major fall last week.

    Last Tuesday, Dimerix released a prospectus for a share purchase plan, to the detriment of its share price. Under the prospectus, investors could purchase up to $30,000 worth of new Dimerix shares for 20 cents apiece.

    The Dimerix share price plummeted 11.7% to 30 cents following the prospectus’ release. Luckily, it bounced back quickly.

    Perhaps Dimerix’s recovery was aided by its announcement that it had begun its phase 3 clinical study in patients with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). The study is named ACTION3.

    The company broke the news that it’s filed the first ethics submission for the study last Wednesday. If the submission is approved, the company can begin recruiting patients.

    The study is expected to run over 167 sites in 18 countries, with Australia and New Zealand set to be the first out of the gate.

    Dimerix will be testing the efficacy and safety of DMX-200 in patients with FSGS who are receiving a stable dose of an angiotensin II receptor blocker.

    The company expects to screen the first of the study’s patients in the last quarter of 2021.

    Dimerix share price snapshot

    Today’s gains have added to the strong recent performance of the Dimerix share price.

    The company’s shares are currently going for 45% more than they were at the start of 2021. However, they’re still trading for 50% less than they were this time last year.

    The post The Dimerix (ASX:DXB) share price is up 3% on Thursday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Dimerix, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Dimerix wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for nearly a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that are better buys.

    *Returns as of August 16th 2021

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    Motley Fool contributor 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 Strategic Elements (ASX:SOR) share price is up 5% on Thursday

    Group of people cheer around tablets in office

    The Strategic Elements Ltd (ASX: SOR) share price has soared into the green in afternoon trade on Thursday.

    At one stage Strategic Elements shares were up a whopping 13% to 50 cents. However, they have since partially retreated and are currently exchanging hands at 38.5 cents apiece, a 5.48% jump from the open.

    What’s happening with Strategic Elements?

    The Strategic Elements share price has been on the move upwards ever since the company reported its FY21 earnings on 23 August. It has gained around 15% over this period to date.

    In its report, the company recognised a 34% year-on-year growth in revenue to $127 million. It also secured a successful capital raise of $5.1 million through a share purchase plan.

    The net loss for the year came in at $2.35 million, which was an improvement from the year prior. As a result, the company’s balance sheet was strengthened with cash and equivalents increasing by more than $5 million in FY21.

    In addition to these financial results, the company’s wholly-owned ventures are currently in a series of collaborations with research partners to commercialise its “autonomous security vehicle (ASV)”.

    The ASV is an autonomous vehicle that can perform duties without the staff that are usually required. This has the benefit of reducing the risk of harm, and labour costs.

    For instance, the company, through its subsidiaries, is in a collaboration with the University of Western Australia to conduct a live demonstration of the ASV to the Australian Army. It is also expanding its technology into the fields of herbicide resistance and in the correctional sector.

    Strategic is also in collaboration with the University of NSW to develop its “nanocube printable memory technology”. The company has already received government funding of more than $1 million to date to advance the project.

    Investors have been pushing up the Strategic Elements share price since the company released its earnings. As such It has climbed almost 60% into the green over the last month alone.

    Strategic Elements share price snapshot

    Strategic Elements operates as a venture builder, generating projects by combining teams of leading scientists and innovators. The company operates as a registered Pooled Development Fund (PDF).

    The Strategic Elements share price has been a major performer across the All Ordinaries this year, posting a return of 95% since January 1. This has contributed to a return over the past 12 months of a mammoth 580%.

    These results have outpaced the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO)’s return of about 25% over the past year.

    The post The Strategic Elements (ASX:SOR) share price is up 5% on Thursday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Strategic Elements right now?

    Before you consider Strategic Elements, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Strategic Elements wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for nearly a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that are better buys.

    *Returns as of August 16th 2021

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    The author Zach Bristow has no positions 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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  • 4DS Memory (ASX:4DS) share price up 7% on Thursday

    share price up

    The 4DS Memory Ltd (ASX: 4DS) share price is in the green today despite no news having been released by the company.

    In fact, the market hasn’t heard news from 4DS Memory this week. The last time the company released an update was last Thursday when it announced its earnings for financial year 2021.

    Right now, the 4DS Memory share price is 15 cents, 7.14% higher than it was at yesterday’s close.

    Let’s take a look at what might be boosting the memory technology developers shares today.

    What’s driving 4DS on the ASX?

    The 4DS Memory share price is in the green on the ASX today.

    While the company hasn’t announced any news, many of its S&P/ASX All Technology Index (ASX: XTX) peers are also having a great day’s trade. The index has gained 0.6% on Thursday.

    4DS Memory’s stock is the index’s third best performer today. Though, it has been bested by the share prices of Bill Identity Ltd (ASX: BID) and Silex Systems Ltd (ASX: SLX). They’ve gained 12.6% and 12.4% respectively.

    4DS Memory’s stock could also be recovering from a brutal fall it took this week.

    Between 4DS Memory releasing its financial year results and yesterday’s close, the company’s share price slid 17%.

    Additionally, the company’s stock crashed 18% on the back of a technical update posted on 17 August.

    The two major drops have meant 4DS Memory’s stock is still 31% lower than it was this time last month.

    4DS Memory share price snapshot

    The 4DS Memory share price has suffered through a disastrous month.

    It is now only 7% higher than it was at the start of 2021. Luckily, it has still gained 200% since this time last year.

    At its current share price, the company has a market capitalisation of around $198 million, with approximately 1.3 billion shares outstanding.

    The post 4DS Memory (ASX:4DS) share price up 7% on Thursday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in 4DS Memory right now?

    Before you consider 4DS Memory, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and 4DS Memory wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for nearly a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that are better buys.

    *Returns as of August 16th 2021

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    Motley Fool contributor 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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  • Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to sell today

    Business man marking Sell on board and underlining it

    Yesterday 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 ASX shares that have just been given sell ratings by brokers are listed below. Here’s why these brokers are bearish on them:

    Altium Limited (ASX: ALU)

    According to a note out of Macquarie, its analysts have retained their underperform rating and cut their price target on this electronic design software company’s shares to $27.10. This comes just a day after the broker downgraded Altium’s shares and cut its price target to $27.60. Macquarie has been looking at discounting and suspects that this could weigh on its revenues in the coming years. As a result, it feels it will be difficult for Altium to achieve its US$500 million revenue aspirational target by FY 2026. The Altium share price is fetching $30.73 this afternoon.

    IGO Ltd (ASX: IGO)

    A note out of Morgan Stanley reveals that its analysts have retained their underweight rating but increased their price target on this clean energy miner’s shares to $8.40. Morgan Stanley notes that IGO delivered a result in line with its expectations in FY 2021. It has also upgraded its earnings estimates for the coming years to reflect stronger lithium price forecasts. However, that isn’t enough for a change of rating due to valuation reasons. The IGO share price is trading at $9.59 on Thursday.

    Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P)

    Analysts at UBS have retained their sell rating and cut their price target on this buy now pay later provider’s shares to $5.40. According to the note, the broker is positive on Zip’s growth prospects in the US market and expects it to become its biggest generator of sales in FY 2022. However, although UBS is forecasting strong sales growth, it is also expecting higher costs. This is due largely to Zip’s investment in sales and marketing to support its growth. The latter has led to earnings estimates downgrades and a reduction in its price target. The Zip share price is fetching $6.88 today.

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

    Wondering where you should invest $1,000 right now?

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for more than eight years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    Scott just revealed what he believes could be the five best ASX stocks for investors to buy right now. These stocks are trading at near dirt-cheap prices and Scott thinks they could be great buys right now.

    *Returns as of August 16th 2021

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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 and ZIPCOLTD FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Altium. 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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  • Dicker Data (ASX:DDR) share price surges 5% as directors buy the dip

    asx share price rise represented by rising digital stock chart

    The Dicker Data Ltd (ASX: DDR) share price is rebounding strongly after heavily being sold off late last month. This comes after the company reported that a number of its directors have taken the opportunity to buy some shares.

    At the time of writing, the IT Distributor’s shares are up 4.63% to $14.02. This means that over the past two days alone, its shares have gained around 10%.

    What happened recently?

    Last Friday, Dicker Data chair and CEO, David Dicker made an on-market transaction selling a portion of his shares.

    In total, 2.74 million Dicker Data shares were offloaded at a price of $15.40 per share to fund “personal projects”. The sale represented roughly 1.6% of the company’s entire share registry and reduced Mr Dicker’s holdings to around 33.6%.

    When news broke out, the company’s shares tanked around 9% as investors were spooked by sudden selling. Although it’s worth noting that Dicker Data shares reached a record high of $16.60 the day earlier after reporting its interim results.

    The company noted however that Mr Dicker entered into a lock-up arrangement, preventing him from selling any more shares in 2021.

    Who’s buying the shares?

    Taking advantage of the Dicker Data share price weakness, a few of the board directors have made a series of purchases.

    As such, non-executive director, Leanne Ralph made a direct purchase of 20 shares at a price of $14.35. After the purchase, Ms Ralph currently holds 3,198 Dicker Data shares in her portfolio.

    Non-executive director, Fiona Brown acquired 8,465 shares through both direct and indirect interests. The price paid for each of the shares was also executed at $14.35. Ms Brown’s holdings are around 55.7 million Dicker Data shares, making her the second largest shareholder in the company.

    Dicker Data executive director and chief financial officer, Mary Stojcevski added 2,900 shares to her portfolio. The direct and indirect purchase was transacted at approximately $12.89 per Dicker Data share.

    The following day (1 September), Ms Stojcevski acquired another 1,630 shares at a price of $14.35 each. Her total holdings come to 264,668 Dicker Data shares.

    And lastly, Dicker Data executive director and chief operating officer, Vladimir Mitnovetski picked up 17,788 shares at an average price of $12.82 apiece. He has 773,741 Dicker Data shares in total.

    Dicker Data share price summary

    Over the past 12 months, Dicker Data shares have posted gains of 80%, with year to date around 30% higher.

    Based on today’s price, Dicker Data commands a market capitalisation of approximately $2.4 billion, with 172.8 million shares on issue.

    The post Dicker Data (ASX:DDR) share price surges 5% as directors buy the dip appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Dicker Data right now?

    Before you consider Dicker Data, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Dicker Data wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for nearly a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that are better buys.

    *Returns as of August 16th 2021

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    Motley Fool contributor Aaron Teboneras has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended Dicker Data Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Dicker Data 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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  • ANZ (ASX:ANZ) share price dips as bank predicts RBA will delay tightening

    man grimaces next to falling stock graph

    The Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ASX: ANZ) share price has slipped into the red. Following earlier day gains, shares are down 0.36% at the time of writing, to $27.88.

    The big four bank made headlines today when its top economist predicted the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) will keep on with its bond-buying program longer than previously announced.

    Why is ANZ forecasting a delay to tapering?

    The RBA launched its unprecedented quantitative easing (QE) program in response to the massive economic slowdown brought on by COVID-19 lockdowns.

    Aside from slashing the official cash rate to a record low of 0.10%, the RBA also engaged in a series of bond purchases to ensure borrowing rates remain low during these challenging times for businesses and workers alike.

    On 3 November 2020, the central bank announced a $100 billion bond purchase program to lower longer-term yields. The RBA followed up on 2 February 2021 by announcing it would purchase an additional $100 billion of government bonds.

    On 6 July 2021, the RBA said it would continue to buy $4 billion of government bonds per week until “at least” 11 November.

    Despite the “at least” language, this led many analysts to predict the central bank would look to begin tapering its bond purchases in November.

    But with the Delta variant driving a huge spike in new Covid infections, sending much of New South Wales and Victoria into extended lockdowns and impacting states and territories across the nation, ANZ believes the RBA will need to hold off on any monetary tightening plans until 2022.

    In a statement unlikely to be impacting the ANZ share price today, David Plank, head of Australian economics for ANZ, said (quoted by the Australian Financial Review):

    We think the RBA will announce a delay in the planned reduction of its weekly bond purchases next week. An alternative choice is to continue with taper, but delay the next review until February. We think a simple delay is much easier to communicate than this alternative.

    If he’s right that should offer a significant tailwind for equities, which tend to perform well in easy money environments.

    ANZ share price snapshot

    The ANZ share price has gained 21% year-to-date. This compares to a gain of 12% on the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) so far in 2021.

    Over the past month the ANZ share price is down 1%.

    The post ANZ (ASX:ANZ) share price dips as bank predicts RBA will delay tightening appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider ANZ, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and ANZ wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for nearly a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.* And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that are better buys.

    *Returns as of August 16th 2021

    More reading

    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 NAB (ASX:NAB) share price has hit a 52-week high. Here’s why.

    Five businessmen in suits walking up stairs in neat succession

    The National Australia Bank Ltd. (ASX: NAB) share price has hit a new 12-month record.

    At the time of writing, shares in the Big 4 bank are trading for $28.42 – up 0.28%. However, they hit $28.48 shortly after the open today — a new 52-week high. For context, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is down 0.74%.

    Let’s take a closer look at what’s been driving the NAB share price higher over the past year.

    NAB’s new 52-week record

    In August, NAB released its third-quarter trading results. In it, the bank revealed an unaudited statutory net profit of $1.65 billion and unaudited cash earnings of $1.70 billion. This was broadly in line with the average quarterly profit and cash earnings that it achieved during the first half of FY21.

    Brokers at Goldman Sachs are very positive about the company. These analysts believe the NAB share price should get to $30.62, and they are expecting dividend yields of 4.5%-5.3% over the next 3 financial years.

    NAB shares have recovered strongly since the COVID-19 market crash in March 2020. At one point, the shares closed at a measly $13.88. Its current share price is more than double that low point.

    As Motley Fool has previously reported, NAB’s financial performance has significantly improved over that time. Loan deferrals are down, and economic optimism is up.

    The NAB share price was seen as a buy earlier this year, partly due to post-lockdown expectations.

    What else is affecting the NAB share price?

    NAB announced a $2.5 billion share buyback in July.

    Commenting on the capital return at the time, NAB’s CEO Ross McEwan said:

    Our support for customers and colleagues continues through ongoing lockdowns and as the COVID19 situation evolves. At the same time, NAB’s strong financial performance, combined with the divestment of MLC Wealth, has created an opportunity for NAB to reduce our surplus capital while retaining a strong balance sheet during these uncertain times.

    As McEwan mentioned, NAB sold MLC Wealth to IOOF Holdings Limited (ASX: IFL). This deal was completed in May of this year. McEwan said the bank disinvested from MLC because it delivered “simpler, more streamlined products and processes for our customers and colleagues”.

    Finally, NAB announced the purchase of Citigroup Inc’s (NYSE: C) Australian consumer business for $1.2 billion. As part of the deal, NAB acquired Citi’s home lending portfolio, unsecured lending business, retail deposits business, and private wealth management business.

    The NAB share price rose on the news. As well, analysts at Goldman Sachs said the purchase had “strategic merit” for NAB. The broker said the deal would aid NAB’s consumer banking and credit cards business in particular.

    NAB share price snapshot

    Over the past 12 months, the NAB share price has increased 61%. That’s more than 2.5x faster than the ASX 200. Year-to-date, NAB shares have appreciated 23.8% while the ASX 200 increased 11.7%.

    National Australia Bank has a market capitalisation of approximately $93.5 billion.

    The post The NAB (ASX:NAB) share price has hit a 52-week high. Here’s why. appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider NAB, you’ll want to hear this.

    Motley Fool Investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and NAB wasn’t one of them.

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    Citigroup is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. Motley Fool contributor Marc Sidarous has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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