• How growing dividend shares can supercharge your income

    ASX shares profit upgrade chart showing growth

    While buying shares with big dividend yields might seem like the best way to generate a passive income, it can sometimes pay to be patient.

    For example, very few investors would look at Altium Limited (ASX: ALU) as a dividend share. After all, at present it offers a yield of just 1.4%. However, if you had bought Altium shares five years ago when its shares were trading at $6.48, you would feel very differently.

    Over the last 12 months, the electronic design software provider has paid its shareholders dividends totalling 38 cents per share. This means that investors that snapped up shares in 2016 are now receiving a yield on cost of almost 6%.

    And with Altium confident it will more than double its revenue over the next five years, it is conceivable that it will also more than double its dividend during this time. This would mean that those longer term investors would be earning a yield on cost of ~12% at that point.

    Overall, I feel this demonstrates why companies with growing dividends can be worth considering. And with that in mind, here is a dividend share which is also growing its dividends at a solid rate:

    Bapcor Ltd (ASX: BAP)

    Bapcor is the Asia Pacific’s leading provider of vehicle parts, accessories, equipment, service and solutions. It is also the name behind a number of retail brands such as Autobarn, Burson Auto Parts and Midas. Thanks to its strong market position and its expansion plans, Bapcor is being tipped for long term growth.

    For example, Citi is expecting Bapcor to grow its fully franked dividend to 19 cents per share in FY 2021 and then 22 cents per share in FY 2022.

    Based on the current Bapcor share price of $8.40, this will mean yields of 2.3% and 2.6%, respectively. Citi has a buy rating and $9.50 price target on the company’s shares.

    The post How growing dividend shares can supercharge your income appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Bapcor, 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 Bapcor 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 May 24th 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. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Altium 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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  • Why Tesla stock jumped on Monday

    This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

    tesla navigation system

    This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

    What happened

    Shares of Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) jumped on Monday. The electric car maker’s shares rose as much as 3.4%. The stock was up 2.6% as of 11:10 a.m. EDT.

    The growth stock‘s gain oddly follows an announcement of a voluntary recall of nearly 300,000 vehicles in China. Interestingly, a close look at the recall shows a reason why investors may be cheering the move.

    So what

    China’s vehicle safety organization, State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), announced over the weekend that Tesla was voluntarily recalling over 285,000 vehicles in the country. An issue with Tesla’s driver-assist system in its Model 3 and Y vehicles in the market reportedly meant that the technology could be accidentally turned on or off under particular circumstances.

    Though it’s considered a recall, drivers won’t need to take their cars to a service station. The fix has been deployed as a remote software update. It could be argued that the rapid fix via a software update puts the spotlight on the company’s software prowess. This could impress not only investors, but also Chinese consumers.

    Now what

    The stock’s sharp gain on Monday adds to its recent momentum. Shares are up more than 20% since June 3. However, the stock is still down substantially from an all-time high of just over $900.

    Investors will get insight into Tesla’s recent performance when the company reports second-quarter results next month. The report is usually released at some point in the second half of July.

    This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

    The post Why Tesla stock jumped on Monday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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    Daniel Sparks 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 Tesla. 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 Afterpay (ASX:APT) and this ASX share could be top growth options

    Monadelphous share price rio tinto A small rocket take off from a laptop, indicating a share price surge

    Luckily for growth investors, there are a lot of quality companies out there that are growing at a rapid rate.

    Two top options for growth investors to get better acquainted with are listed below. Here’s what you need to know about them:

    Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT)

    Afterpay is a buy now pay later (BNPL) focused payments company. While it may not officially have been the first BNPL provider, it is the company that popularised the payment method, becoming a verb in the process.

    Pleasingly, with credit card usage declining rapidly among younger demographics, BNPL looks likely to be here to stay. This bodes well for Afterpay and its sprawling operations, which cover the ANZ, North American, UK, and European regions. The company also has its eyes on the Asian market and is testing the waters there.

    But Afterpay isn’t settling for that. It will soon launch the Afterpay Money app, which extends beyond BNPL and into saving and cash flow tools. There’s even speculation it could eventually offer home loans to its millions of active customers. And given the amount of valuable consumer data it is generating, the options are endless for the company.

    Analysts at Ord Minnett are very positive on its outlook and are forecasting strong growth over the coming years. As a result, the broker recently put a buy rating and $150.00 price target on the company’s shares.

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

    Another option for investors is actually an ETF filled to the brim with growth shares.

    The VanEck Vectors Video Gaming and eSports ETF gives investors exposure to a portfolio of the largest companies involved in video game development, hardware, and esports. This means you’ll be buying a slice of companies such as Activision Blizzard, AMD, Electronic Arts, Nvidia, Roblox, Take-Two, and Tencent.

    In respect to Nvidia, it sparked the growth of the PC gaming market in 1999 by redefining modern computer graphics and revolutionising parallel computing. Since then, its GPU deep learning ignited modern artificial intelligence, which is the next era of computing. It also creates technology that helps mine cryptocurrencies. This means investors can gain indirect exposure to the crypto boom through this ETF.

    VanEck notes that these companies are in a position to benefit from the increasing popularity of video games and eSports. Furthermore, it highlights that the fund gives investors the opportunity to diversify their portfolio by providing tech options outside the popular FAANG stocks.

    The post Why Afterpay (ASX:APT) and this ASX share could be top growth options appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Afterpay, 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 Afterpay 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 May 24th 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 AFTERPAY T FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended AFTERPAY T FPO. 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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  • Top broker gives its verdict on the Nanosonics (ASX:NAN) share price

    digitised image of line chart together with covid bugs signifying asx 200 healthcare shares

    The Nanosonics Ltd (ASX: NAN) share price was out of form on Monday despite announcing a new product launch.

    The infection prevention company’s shares fell over 2% to $5.84.

    What did Nanosonics announce?

    After years of promising new product launches, Nanosonics has announced a new product called AuditPro.

    AuditPro is a digital platform that has been designed to improve traceability, reporting, and compliance of infection prevention measures for medical devices.

    The first application will focus on a solution for the ultrasound market, with potential for the new product to be coupled with every ultrasound console at point of care. This complements its industry leading Trophon EPR disinfection system for ultrasound probes.

    Management notes that the product will generate new revenue streams associated with a mobile scanning device and subscription-based software that provides real time access for customers to necessary infection prevention compliance data.

    Does this make the Nanosonics share price good value?

    Analysts at Goldman Sachs have been looking over the new product and have given their verdict.

    Goldman said: “Whilst we do not expect the direct revenue streams to be material in the initial year(s), we expect an indirect benefit from the potential to drive adoption of trophon2 (including upgrades from trophon EPR since AuditPro will only be compatible with the newer platform). As a device which actively encourages HLD utilisation, it may also be effective at improving the demand for consumables.”

    And while this is positive, it isn’t enough for a change of rating just yet. Goldman continues to believe that the Nanosonics share price is fully valued at the current level.

    In light of this, the broker has retained its neutral rating and $5.30 price target. This compares to the latest Nanosonics share price of $5.84.

    Though, it has hinted that it will reconsider its recommendation when further R&D updates are released.

    Goldman explained: “Management stated that further R&D updates will be provided throughout FY22E (we will look for further colour at the FY21 earnings announcement in mid-August). We expect updates/views on these new products to be a large focus of the market over the coming quarters.”

    The post Top broker gives its verdict on the Nanosonics (ASX:NAN) share price appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Nanosonics, 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 Nanosonics 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.

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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 Nanosonics Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Nanosonics 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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  • What truly moves an ASX share price? Knowing the unknown

    comical investor reading documents and surrounded by calculators

    Do you think you’re a good investor?

    You keep up with ASX company news, read up on economic and social trends, and don’t speculate on penny stocks.

    Unfortunately, regardless of how much effort you put in, the chances are you’re no better than anyone else.

    The dilemma is that, unless you have illegal insider information, everyone has access to the same company and economic data.

    It’s the old efficient market hypothesis.

    “Anything that is expected is in the [share] price and the only thing that moves a price is the unexpected,” Marcus Today director Marcus Padley said in a memo to clients.

    “It is the Catch-22 of investment. You have to know the unknown, because that’s the only thing that moves a share price — the unexpected.”

    Study the numbers as much as you want, it’s useless

    In the old days, even basic information like company financials had to be purchased and mailed out to investors.

    Now with the internet, it is freely available in a multitude of places. Instantly.

    Padley said that this means the advantage that value investors supposedly had has evaporated.

    “The ‘edge’ that the ‘intelligent investor’ identified…, as their smarty-pants point of difference, has been arbitraged away.

    “When the market goes to hell, ‘value’ becomes a useful reference point again — but in a bull market it is so 1950s.”

    So what do we do then?

    Because of this market efficiency, Padley reckons investors never make money from smart asset allocation or portfolio optimisation.

    “It’s almost always a few simple events, fads and trends that moved prices.”

    So instead of combing through company financials, Padley suggested the best way to spend the end-of-financial-year is by developing “an opinion” and not “following the crowds”.

    The best place to start is the trends that already have momentum.

    “It’s probably best you respect the current themes and not bet against them until proved otherwise,” said Padley.

    “Continuation of the trend is the most likely outcome in the stock market.”

     Padley suggested the following 4 themes as the “obvious” starters for the new financial year:

    • A continuing bull market
    • Real estate prices are going up, so ASX housing shares are “low-risk”
    • Interest rates won’t rise significantly, so real estate investment trusts, infrastructure and utility shares will do well
    • Electric vehicles are coming, so copper and lithium mining shares to rise

    Efficient markets can be beaten

    The counter-argument to Padley’s view is that markets aren’t completely efficient and that bargains can be found occasionally.

    This was the experience of Forager Funds senior analyst Gareth Brown.

    “Markets can be surprisingly ignorant from time to time. Especially at the smaller end of the market,” he said on a company blog in March.

    Brown took the example of ThinkSmart Limited (LON: TSL), which was a buy now, pay later business in the UK. After Australian giant Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) bought out the business, ThinkSmart shares were effectively a stake in the parent.

    Yet a huge discrepancy between Afterpay and ThinkSmart shares appeared.

    “Here’s what happened over the first 6 months of 2020. Afterpay shares rose 99%. And ThinkSmart shares fell 11%,” said Brown.

    “And what about the almost 9 months since 1 July 2020? Afterpay rose a further 73%, ThinkSmart 🚀 271%.”

    So the market doesn’t always see everything, according to Brown.

    “There’s still plenty a diligent investor can do to gain an edge over it. Look hard and think smart.”

    The post What truly moves an ASX share price? Knowing the unknown 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.

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    Motley Fool contributor Tony Yoo owns shares of AFTERPAY T FPO. 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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  • Kathmandu (ASX:KMD) share price on watch after COVID lockdowns hit sales

    asx 200 shares impacted by covid represented by boxing gloves featuring bear and bull punching covid-19 bug

    The Kathmandu Holdings Ltd (ASX: KMD) share price could come under pressure this morning.

    This follows the release of a trading update by the adventure retailer this morning.

    What did Kathmandu announce?

    According to the trading update, Kathmandu has been negatively impacted by the recent announcement of additional COVID-19 restrictions in New South Wales.

    The release notes that a number of its retail stores have suffered renewed disruption to trading from COVID-19 lockdown restrictions in Australia. At present there are 40 stores currently closed in New South Wales for a minimum of two weeks, and 26 further stores closed in Western Australia for a minimum of 4 days from today. This follows a two-week lockdown in Victoria which impacted 62 stores in early June.

    Prior to this, the company had been trading broadly in line with pre-COVID-19 levels.

    What will the financial impact be?

    Based on currently announced restrictions, Kathmandu expects to fall short of its sales and earnings expectations in FY 2021. It is now forecasting sales of NZ$930 million and underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of NZ$120 million.

    Management estimates that the impact of the New South Wales and Victorian lockdowns and associated movement restrictions will be ~NZ$13 million on EBITDA. However, it has warned that uncertainty remains due to the evolving COVID-19 situation in Australia, and this expectation is subject to change.

    Kathmandu’s CEO, Michael Daly, commented: “COVID-19 continues to be a disrupting factor, in particular for Australasia during the key trading period for Kathmandu. Excluding these impacts, Kathmandu had a solid start to the winter season, and Rip Curl sales momentum continues. Trading conditions in the Northern Hemisphere for both Rip Curl and Oboz are particularly strong across our online, retail and wholesale channels, as our Group benefits from a diversified mix of channel and geographies.”

    The Kathmandu share price is up 25% year to date.

    The post Kathmandu (ASX:KMD) share price on watch after COVID lockdowns hit sales appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you consider Kathmandu, 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 Kathmandu 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.

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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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  • Woolworths (ASX:WOW) share price on watch after broker downgrade

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    The Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) share price will be one to watch closely on Tuesday.

    This follows the release of a broker note out of Goldman Sachs this morning.

    What happened?

    According to the note, Goldman Sachs believes the Woolworths share price is fully valued now following recent outperformance and its demerger.

    As a result, the broker has downgraded the company’s shares to a neutral rating and trimmed the price target on them to $36.80.

    Based on the current Woolworths share price of $37.85, this implies potential downside of 2.8% over the next 12 months excluding dividends. And including its forecast 2.3% dividend yield, the total potential return is -0.5%.

    What did Goldman Sachs say?

    Goldman made the move after updating its valuation to account for the Endeavour Group Ltd (ASX: EDV) demerger that took place last week. The broker also notes that the Woolworths share price has vastly outperformed the market since it rated the retail giant as a buy.

    The broker said: “Overall, we revise our underlying NPAT forecasts by -23.8% and -25.7% respectively in FY21 and FY22. We note that we do not include any Buyback within our revised forecasts.”

    Based on the broker’s forecasts, this means that the Woolworths share price is trading at an estimated 32x FY 2022 earnings at present. Which Goldman appears to believe limits any potential upside from here.

    “Compared to latest close of A$37.85, our revised 12m Target Price of A$36.80 offers a total potential return of -0.5%. While the short-term catalyst of an off-market buyback remains in play, we are taking advantage of the current strength in WOW to downgrade to Neutral. Since we upgraded WOW to a Buy rating on 7 March 2021 the share price has appreciated 14.1% prior to the demerger vs. the market up +8%,” the broker concluded.

    The post Woolworths (ASX:WOW) share price on watch after broker downgrade 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 May 24th 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. 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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  • 2 top ASX dividend shares with attractive yields

    Dividend stocks represented by paper sign saying dividends next to roll of cash

    With low interest rates likely to be here for some time to come, it certainly is a difficult time for income investors.

    While this is disappointing, investors need to worry. This is because there are plenty of ASX dividend shares that can help you overcome low rates. Two to look at are listed below:

    Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL)

    This supermarket giant could be a dividend share to consider buying. This is thanks to its very positive long term growth outlook, which is being underpinned by its strong market position, defensive qualities, and focus on cutting costs with automation. The latter has seen the company invest heavily in a new distribution centres with Ocado.

    One leading broker that is a fan of Coles is Goldman Sachs. It recently put a buy rating and $19.40 price target on its shares. Based on the current Coles share price of $16.93, this implies potential upside of 14.5% over the next 12 months.

    This potential return gets even better when you factor in the fully franked dividends of 62 cents per share in FY 2021 and then 67 cents per share in FY 2022 that Goldman is forecasting. These dividends currently represent yields of 3.7% and 3.9%, respectively, over the next two years.

    National Storage REIT (ASX: NSR)

    Another dividend share to look at is National Storage. It is one of the largest self-storage operators in the ANZ region with a network of over 200 centres. And while this is a large network, management doesn’t plan to stop at that.

    The company continues to see room to expand its network in the future via its development projects and growth through acquisition strategy. In fact, the company recently raised $325 million to strengthen its balance sheet and replenish its investment capacity.

    This is expected to underpin solid income and distribution growth over the next decade, especially given the booming housing market. Traditionally a thriving housing market leads to growing demand for its services as people move homes or downsize.

    Analysts at Ord Minnett currently have an accumulate and $2.20 price target on the company’s shares. The broker is also forecasting dividends of 8.2 cents per share in FY 2021 and then 8.6 cents per share in FY 2022. Based on the latest National Storage share price of $2.04, this will mean yields of 4% and 4.2%, respectively.

    The post 2 top ASX dividend shares with attractive yields appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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  • 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday

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    On Monday the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) started the week in a subdued manner. The benchmark index finished the day a fraction lower at 7,307.3 points.

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

    ASX 200 expected to fall

    The Australian share market looks set to edge lower this morning. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 14 points or 0.2% lower. This follows a mixed night of trade on Wall Street, which saw the Dow Jones fall 0.45%, the S&P 500 rise 0.2%, and the Nasdaq storm 1% higher.

    Oil prices tumble

    Energy producers such as Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) and Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) could be under pressure today after oil prices tumbled lower. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is down 1.7% to US$72.83 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price has fallen 2% to US$74.69 a barrel. Oil prices slipped from three-year highs ahead of OPEC talks.

    Tech shares could rise

    Tech shares such as Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) and Altium Limited (ASX: ALU) could be on the rise today. This follows a very strong night of trade on the Nasdaq index, which saw the tech-heavy index jump to a record high. As the local tech sector tends to follow its lead, this bodes well for today’s session. Facebook helped drive the Nasdaq higher after the social media giant reached a trillion-dollar market cap for the first time.

    Gold price rises

    Gold miners Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) will be on watch after the gold price edged higher. According to CNBC, the spot gold price is up 0.1% to US$1,779.50 an ounce. Growing COVID-19 fears supported the safe haven asset.

    Woolworths downgraded

    The Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) share price could be fully valued according to analysts at Goldman Sachs. This morning the broker downgraded the retail giant to a neutral rating with a reduced price target of $36.80. Goldman made the move after updating its valuation to account for the Endeavour demerger.

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

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    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.

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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 and Altium. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended AFTERPAY T FPO and 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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  • ASX 200 flat, e-commerce ASX shares soar, Metcash rises

    stockmarket graphic in background with man looking at stockmarket on phone

    The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) was essentially flat today, ending the day at 7,307 points.

    Here are some of the highlights from the ASX today:

    Metcash Limited (ASX: MTS)

    Metcash reported its FY21 result to the market, with Mitre 10 and Home Timber and Hardware performing strongly.

    The ASX 200 share said that its group revenue increased by 9.9% to $14.3 billion.

    Metcash generated underlying earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) of $401.4 million, up 19.9%.

    Underlying profit after tax went up 27.1% to $252.7 million. The wholesaler and hardware business announced statutory profit after tax of $239 million (up from a loss of $56.8 million in the prior year). It generated $475.5 million of operating cashflow.

    The board increased its FY21 total dividend by 40% to 17.5 cents per share, whilst also announcing an off-market share buyback of up to approximately $175 million.

    Metcash also increased its total ownership in Total Tools from 70% to 85% for an acquisition cost of $59.4 million.

    The CEO of Metcash, Jeff Adams, said:

    It has been a standout year for Metcash, with record sales underpinning significant earnings growth and record operating cashflow.

    All pillars performed strongly, and the group has successfully navigated significant challenges and uncertainty associated with COVID, while continuing to implement our MFuture growth initiatives.

    Bapcor Ltd (ASX: BAP)

    The Bapcor share price went up around 0.7% today after revealing its goals. It told investors about the medium-term growth targets for its networks.

    Bapcor was going to reveal these new targets at its investor day a few days ago, but that had to be postponed due to COVID restrictions.

    Physical store targets have increased in all segments. It outlined its supply chain and technology strategy. The Asian strategy has been expanded with the addition of Tye Soon. Bapcor also expanded on its environmental, social and governance commitment. Finally, its own brand targets were also increased in all segments.

    With Australian trade, it currently has 200 stores and it wants to reach 260. Bapcor is going to open between 10 to 12 new stores per annum to reach this goal.

    Looking at Australian retail, it has a target of 200 stores, where it currently has 133. Bapcor is planning to add approximately 12 new Autobarn stores per annum.

    In Asia, the ASX 200 share is aiming to have more than 60 Thailand stores, where it currently has six. This results in a target of $100 million revenue in Thailand. The total Asian revenue goal is $500 million. It currently has $4 million of revenue from Thailand and $200 million with Tye Soon, an Asian-listed business that Bapcor recently bought a quarter of.

    E-commerce ASX shares

    Lockdowns and restrictions were enacted in different states and territories across Australia over the last few days.

    E-commerce ASX shares had a green day today as many of them saw their strongest day for a while.

    The Kogan.com Ltd (ASX: KGN) share price went up 6.6%, the Redbubble Ltd (ASX: RBL) share price increased by 8.2%, the Cettire Ltd (ASX: CTT) share price rose 14%, the Temple & Webster Group Ltd (ASX: TPW) share price climbed 10.2% and the Adore Beauty Group Ltd (ASX: ABY) share price went up 2.5%.

    The post ASX 200 flat, e-commerce ASX shares soar, Metcash rises 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 Cettire Limited, Kogan.com ltd, and Temple & Webster Group Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended Adore Beauty Group Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Bapcor and Kogan.com ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Cettire Limited and Temple & Webster Group 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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