It’s April 2021 already, and there are some compelling ASX share investment opportunities to look at.

No-one knows what the share market is going to do next, but it is normally a good idea to just find the best investment opportunities you can.

Some businesses may be expensive, but these two look like they could be interesting ideas:

Reject Shop Ltd (ASX: TRS)

Reject Shop is actually rated as a buy by a few different brokers, including Ord Minnett which has a price target of $10.34.

The discount ASX retail share is currently going through a transformation process where it’s cutting costs. The cost of doing business (CODB) margin improved by approximately 230 basis points to 34.9% in the half-year result, with the improvement being driven by around $8 million of savings in store expenses and $2.4 million in admin expenses.

Store labour costs reduced to 13.6% of sales, compared to 14.9% in the prior corresponding period, through lower inventory and simplification and standardisation of in-store processes. The company said that aside from store occupancy costs (which increased slightly due to CPI), other store costs and marketing spend were well controlled and were lower than the prior corresponding period.

There was a high level of growth at certain profit lines. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose 20.8% to $31.1 million with the EBITDA margin increasing by 1.3 percentage points to 7.2%. Earnings before interest and tax (EBIT)  jumped 44.9% to $23.3 million and the EBIT margin improved by 1.7 percentage points to 5.4%.

Reject Shop’s management is still looking to reduce costs further and after that has been done it will start to expand its store network again and grow its online offering.

According to Ord Minnett, the Reject Shop share price is valued at 15x FY22’s estimated earnings.

Betashares Asia Technology Tigers ETF (ASX: ASIA)

This is a high-flying exchange-traded fund (ETF) which is focused on the technology sector of Asia (excluding Japanese companies).

It only owns 50 names, so it’s a fairly concentrated portfolio when you look at the biggest names of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, Samsung Electronics, Tencent and Meituan – all of these account for more than 9% of the portfolio.

There are also other names that make up a noticeable part of the portfolio (of more than 2.5), including JD.com, Pinduoduo, Infosys and Baidu.

Since the COVID-19 crash, the Asian technology sector has risen strongly. At 26 February 2021, the ETF had still returned 69.6% over the prior 12 months even after a decline from the middle of February. Since inception in September 2018, the ETF has returned an average of 36.5% per annum.

Those quoted returns include the annual management fee of 0.67% per annum.

Will the growth keep coming? Past performance is not a sure indictor of future performance. But, BetaShares says regarding the prospects of Asian tech:

Due to its younger, tech-savvy population, Asia is surpassing the West in terms of technological adoption and the sector is anticipated to remain a growth sector.

More reading

• Is this the best ETF that ASX investors can buy today?
• Morgan Stanley says that Chinese shares are an opportunity right now
• 3 stellar ETFs for ASX investors to buy
• 2 tech ETFs delivering strong long-term returns
• How to counter the ASX 200’s Achilles heel

Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended BetaShares Asia Technology Tigers 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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There are some fast-growth ASX tech shares that have been sold off in recent weeks and could be worth thinking.

Some businesses have been going up over the last few weeks such as Xero Limited (ASX: XRO) and Domino’s Pizza Enterprises Ltd. (ASX: DMP).

However, there are also some ASX tech shares that have been falling despite reporting growth:

Redbubble Ltd (ASX: RBL)

The Redbubble share price has fallen 11% since 16 March 2021. Redbubble shares have been heading downwards over the last few weeks as markets worried about interest rates and inflation, and investors responded to Redbubble’s half-year result.

Redbubble is an e-commerce platform where people can buy artist-designed products.

Excluding a positive delivery date adjustment, Redbubble saw marketplace revenue (paid) growth of 90% to $343 million, gross profit (paid) growth of 102% to $138 million and earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) of $35 million, up from $0.20 million in the prior corresponding period.

Redbubble saw marketplace revenue (paid) growth of 66% (or 82% in constant currency terms) in January 2021.

The Redbubble CEO Michael Ilczynski said:

The strategic priority for the group now is to ensure we extend the market leadership we have established. We intend to invest in both the artist and customer experiences, to improve loyalty and retention and to ensure long-term growth.

The ASX tech share is going to focus on four key initiatives to continue growth. Number one is artist acquisition, activation and retention. The second is user acquisition and transaction optimisation. Third, customer understanding, loyalty and brand building. Finally, it’s looking for further physical product and fulfilment network expansion.

Morgans rates Redbubble as a buy and has a price target of $6.64.

Netwealth Group Ltd (ASX: NWL)

The Netwealth share price has fallen by 18% since 19 March 2021.

A large part of the decline came about when the ASX fintech share announced to the market that the agreement with Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ASX: ANZ) in relation to the interest payable on the total pooled cash transaction account is to be terminated in 12 months on 24 March 2022. The agreement provides a margin of 95 basis points above the overnight cash rate and will continue for 12 months.

Netwealth is in negotiations with ANZ and other banks to establish an alternate facility and deposit rate.

The FY21 half-year result included a number of different positive growth metrics. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) grew 30.1% to $40.5 million, with the EBITDA margin increasing from 53.1% to 56%.

Platform revenue went up 24.1% to $13.8 million, with net profit after tax (NPAT) rising by 34.5% to $27.6 million.

Netwealth is expecting to keep growing thanks to growth of its industry, as well as taking more market share. The ASX share also expects to benefit from ongoing industry consolidation and change.

Between 31 December 2020 and 15 February 2021, funds under administration (FUA) went up by another 4.9% to $40.7 billion.

Citi rates Netwealth as a buy with a price target of $16.10.

More reading

• Fund managers have been buying Redbubble Ltd (ASX:RBL) and this ASX share
• 2 ASX tech shares to buy in April 2021
• ASX 200 down 0.1%: Computershare raises $500m, REA Group announces acquisition
• ASX 200 Weekly Wrap: ASX 200 gets its mojo back
• These were the worst performers on the ASX 200 last week

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 Xero. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of Netwealth. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Dominos Pizza Enterprises Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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With savings accounts and term deposits still offering very low interest rates, the share market arguably remains the best place to earn a passive income.

However, with so many dividend shares to choose from, it can be hard to decide which ones to buy. To help narrow things down, I’ve picked out two that are highly rated right now:

Charter Hall Social Infrastructure REIT (ASX: CQE)

The first ASX dividend share to look at is Charter Hall Social Infrastructure REIT. It is a real estate investment trust with a focus on social infrastructure properties. These include childcare centres and government properties.

Due to its properties being for specialist use, with limited competition and low substitution risk, Charter Hall Social Infrastructure REIT is able to command long tenancy agreements. This led to the company finishing the first half of FY 2021 with a weighted average lease expiry (WALE) of 14 years.

Another positive is the strong demand it is experiencing for its properties. At the end of the period, the company’s occupancy rate stood at a sky high 99.7%.

This helped underpin solid earnings and dividends growth for the half, with more of the same expected in the second. As a result, it increased its distribution guidance to 15.7 cents per share for FY 2021. Based on the current Charter Hall Social Infrastructure share price, this represents a 5.1% yield.

Goldman Sachs is positive on the company and currently has a conviction buy rating and $3.45 price target on its shares.

Super Retail Group Ltd (ASX: SUL)

Another dividend share to consider buying is Super Retail. In February, this retail conglomerate released its half year results and revealed strong growth across the company. 

Super Retail reported a 23% increase in sales to $1.78 billion and a massive 139% increase in underlying net profit after tax to $177.1 million. This strong form allowed the Super Retail board to declare a fully franked interim dividend of 33 cents per share.

Goldman Sachs is also a fan of Super Retail and appears to believe more of the same is coming in the second half. So much so, it suspects that the company may be in a position to reward shareholders with a special dividend.

The broker is forecasting a dividend of ~81 cents per share in FY 2021. Based on the current Super Retail share price, this equates to a fully franked 6.9% yield.

Goldman Sachs has a buy rating and $15.00 price target on its shares.

More reading

• Retail shares: buy what you know, but who owns what you buy?
• 2 high yield ASX dividend shares for income investors to buy
• 4 ASX real estate shares going ex-dividend this week
• 2 highly rated ASX dividend shares to buy today
• 2 quality ASX dividend shares with generous yields

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Super Retail Group Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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If you’re aiming to diversify your portfolio, then you might want to look at exchange traded funds (ETFs). This is because ETFs provide investors with easy access to a large number of different shares through a single investment.

With that in mind, listed below are two ETFs that are highly rated. Here’s what you need to know about them:

VanEck Vectors Morningstar Wide Moat ETF (ASX: MOAT)

The first ETF to look at is the VanEck Vectors Morningstar Wide Moat ETF. This fund gives investors exposure to 49 US-based stocks which are judged to have sustainable competitive advantages or moats.

Moats are something that Warren Buffett recommends when looking for investment options. And with his track record, it is hard to argue against this. 

Further supporting this idea is the returns that companies with moats have generated for investors. Over the last five years, this ETF has generated an average total return of 17.3% per annum. This compares to a 14.3% per annum return by the S&P 500 over the same period. 

Among the companies included in the ETF are giants such as Amazon, Boeing, Coca-Cola, Facebook, Kelloggs, Microsoft, McDonalds, and Pfizer.

Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS)

A second ETF to look at is the Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF. This ETF is arguably as diversified as it possibly gets. This is because the Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF currently gives investors exposure to 1,530 of the world’s largest listed companies from major developed countries.

Vanguard notes that this allows investors to participate in the long-term growth potential of international economies outside Australia. Among its largest holdings are giants such as Apple, Johnson & Johnson, JP Morgan, Nestle, Procter & Gamble, Tesla, and Visa.

Over the last five years, the Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF has provided a 13.2% per annum total return.

More reading

• 2 quality ASX growth shares to buy for April
• 3 top ETFs for ASX investors to buy
• 2 excellent ETFs for ASX investors to buy now
• 2 ETFs to buy today for future-proof ASX diversification
• 2 great ASX growth shares to buy

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended VanEck Vectors Morningstar Wide Moat ETF and Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares 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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Due to the quality on offer in the tech sector, having a little exposure to this side of the market could be a great thing for a balanced portfolio.

With that in mind, I have picked out two top tech shares which have been rated as buys. Here’s what you need to know about them:

Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT)

Afterpay is a payments company with a focus on the buy now pay later (BNPL) market.

Due to the increasing popularity of BNPL with both consumers and merchants, Afterpay has been growing at a rapid rate in recent years.

Positively, the company looks well-placed to continue its meteoric growth for the foreseeable future thanks to a number of factors. This includes its ongoing international expansion, increasing repeat usage, and new product launches. The latter includes the impending release of banking products via the Afterpay Money app.

One broker that is very positive on its future is Wilsons. The broker currently has a buy rating and $160.20 price target on its shares. Its analysts see huge opportunities for Afterpay in mainland Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.

Life360 Inc (ASX: 360)

Another ASX tech share to look at is app maker Life360. This San Francisco-based company provides families with a market leading app with a wide range of features.

These include real-time location sharing and notifications and driving safety features like Crash Detection and Roadside Assistance. The aim of its app is to remove uncertainty from modern life.

These features are clearly resonating well with families. At the last count, Life360 had more than 25 million monthly active users across 195 countries. And while the pandemic’s impact on mobility has stifled its growth, it is largely expected to accelerate again once the crisis passes.

Bell Potter is a fan of the company and believes it has a bright future ahead of it. The broker currently has a buy rating and $6.00 price target on its shares.

More reading

• Are ASX 200 value shares still good value? Why these experts are at loggerheads
• Why the Telstra (ASX:TLS) share price rose 11% in March
• Why the Afterpay (ASX:APT) share price fell 20% in March
• The Zip (ASX:Z1P) share price crashed 29% lower in March
• These were the worst performing ASX 200 shares in March

James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. recommends Life360, Inc. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of 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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If you’re looking to invest in companies with growing dividends, then you may want to check out the ones listed below.

They may not offer the biggest yields right now, but they could widen materially over the next decade. Here’s what you need to know:

Kogan.com Ltd (ASX: KGN)

Kogan is of course one of Australia’s leading ecommerce companies. It offers everything from electronics, furniture, and even vehicles through its Kogan Cars brand. The company has also bolstered its offering further with the acquisitions of Matt Blatt and Mighty Ape. The latter has added ~750,000 active customers, predominantly in the New Zealand market.

Kogan has been growing strongly over the last few years thanks to the shift to online shopping. This has been particularly the case in FY 2021 due to the pandemic accelerating the shift. For the six months ended 31 December, Kogan reported a 97.4% increase in gross sales to $638.2 million and a 250.2% lift in adjusted net profit after tax to $36.5 million.

The good news is that Kogan appears well-placed for long term growth as more spending ends up online. One broker that expects this to lead to growing dividends is UBS.

It is forecasting a 32 cents per share dividend in FY 2021 and then a 39 cents per share dividend in FY 2022.  Based on the latest Kogan share price of $12.47, this equates to fully franked 2.55% and 3.1% dividend yields.

And while UBS currently has a neutral rating on its shares, its price target of $15.10 is notably higher than where it trades today.

Sonic Healthcare Limited (ASX: SHL)

Another ASX dividend share that is growing at a strong rate is this leading medical diagnostics company.

Thanks partly to increased demand for COVID-19 testing, Sonic released its half year results in February and revealed a 33% increase in revenue to $4.4 billion and a 166% jump in first half net profit to $678 million.

Positively, COVID testing demand remains strong and is expected to stay this way until at least the end of the year. This appears to have put the company in a position to continue its positive form into FY 2022. In addition, the company has a very strong balance sheet, giving it the opportunity to accelerate its growth with acquisitions.

Credit Suisse is a big fan of the company and has an outperform rating and $40.00 price target on its shares.

The broker is also expecting a 93 cents per share partially franked dividend in FY 2021 and a 97 cents per share dividend in FY 2022. Based on the current Sonic Healthcare share price, this will mean yields of 2.6% and 2.7%, respectively.

More reading

• 2 highly rated ASX growth shares to buy now
• 3 outstanding ASX shares to buy and hold
• 2 COVID-19 ASX shares to buy
• These were the worst performing ASX 200 shares in the Q1 of 2021
• These were the worst performing ASX 200 shares in March

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 Kogan.com ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Kogan.com ltd and Sonic Healthcare Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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Brickworks Limited (ASX: BKW) could be a really good ASX dividend share to own for the long-term.

What is Brickworks?

It’s well-known for being Australia’s biggest brickmaker with a number of different brands including Austral Bricks, Bowral Bricks, Nubrik and Daniel Robertson.

Brickworks also has a number of other products and brands. It offers masonry and stone through Urban Stone, GB Masonry and Austral Masonry. Brickworks has roofing products from Bristle Roofing. The company has specialised building products called Terracade and Pronto Panel. It sells precast with Austral Precast, cement through Southern Cross Cement and timber with Capital Battens.

But there’s a lot more to Brickworks than just Australian building products. It also has American brickmakers in its portfolio after the recent-ish acquisition of companies like Glen Gery and Sioux City Brick.

How are the building products divisions going?

Building product businesses are often cyclical. Sometimes there’s a lot of demand and sometimes there isn’t. How does that make it a good ASX dividend share? I’ll tell you after looking at the performance of the business in the half-year result. 

In Australia the company is seeing growing demand for Austral Bricks and Bristle Roofing, with all business units posting improved earnings results. Queensland in-particular is seeing a strong performance.

The Australian division saw FY21 half-year earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) increase by 60% to $16 million. An important part was a reduction in costs.

Since commissioning last financial year, Southern Cross Cement has received well over 200,000 tonnes of cement, with operational performance and returns exceeding initial forecasts.

However, the global pandemic has had a harder impact on the US but there is an increasing demand for single family housing, just like Australia. But sales for single family housing only make up 36% of the total, much less than Australia. Glen Gery’s primary exposure is non-residential building segment. The least affected of Brickworks’ regions was still down 23% in the mid-Atlantic, with many major projects delayed or cancelled.

The North American division saw half-year EBIT fall 33% to $4 million. The impact of the decline in Glen Gery’s core markets was offset by the acquisition of Redland Brick.

Brickworks’ ASX dividend share credentials

It’s not the construction division that funds the Brickworks dividend. It’s actually two other divisions that do the heavy lifting.

Brickworks hasn’t cut its dividend for 45 years, making the company one of the most stable on the ASX for income.

That dividend growth and stability is funded by its large holding of the investment conglomerate Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co. Ltd (ASX: SOL) which is invested in sectors like resources, telecommunications, property and financial services.

It also owns half of an industrial property trust, along with Goodman Group (ASX: GMG). Industrial real estate has been particularly resilient throughout the COVID-19 pandemic according to Brickworks. Half-year net trust income increased by 7% to $16 million.

The Brickworks share of the trust, after debt, is now worth $777 million. Works and potential opportunities continue at the property estates. The ASX dividend share explained that the completion of 171,300 square metres of facilities over the next two years will result in gross rent increasing by around $38 million, representing a 40% uplift from the current level.

At the current Brickworks share price, it has a grossed-up dividend yield of 4.1%.

More reading

• Top ASX shares to buy in April 2021
• Vanguard Australian Property ETF (ASX:VAP) announces dividend
• 2 of the best ASX 50 shares to buy in April
• These were the best performers on the ASX 200 last week
• ASX dividend aristocrat? Here’s an ASX dividend share that has a shot

Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison owns shares of Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Brickworks and Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company 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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Last week saw a number of broker notes hitting the wires once again. Three buy ratings that caught my eye are summarised below.

Here’s why brokers think investors ought to buy them next week:

Australia and New Zealand Banking GrpLtd (ASX: ANZ)

According to a note out of Credit Suisse, its analysts have retained their outperform rating and $29.50 price target on this banking giant’s shares. Credit Suisse notes that COVID-19 loan deferrals are continuing to decline in the sector. This was certainly the case at ANZ, with the bank seeing its total loan deferral balance more than halve during the month of February. This appears to reinforce the broker’s view that the worst is over and the outlook for the sector is improving greatly. The ANZ share price ended the week at $28.24.

Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG)

Analysts at Ord Minnett have retained their buy rating and $30.00 price target on this iron ore producer’s shares. This follows the company’s event discussing Fortescue Future Industries. While the full details of the clean energy-focused business have not been revealed, the broker appears confident that it won’t negatively impact shareholder value. In light of this, it remains very positive on the company, particularly with the sky high iron ore price and a recent pullback in its share price. The Fortescue share price is currently trading at $20.25.

Xero Limited (ASX: XRO)

A note out of Morgan Stanley reveals that its analysts have retained their overweight rating and lifted their price target on this cloud-based business and accounting platform provider’s shares to $140.00. The broker has been looking at its recent acquisitions of Planday and Tickstar and appears to believe that they will be supportive of growth in the future. In addition to this, it feels the risk/reward on offer with its shares is attractive after recent share price weakness. The Xero share price was trading at $130.87 at the end of the week.

More reading

• 5 of the best ASX shares to buy after the Easter break
• Commonwealth Bank (ASX:CBA) share price and weekly news wrap
• Here’s why the ANZ (ASX:ANZ) share price jumped 8% in March
• Why the Xero (ASX:XRO) share price outperformed in March
• Here’s why the Fortescue (ASX:FMG) share price sank 17% in March

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 Xero. 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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Since it’s Easter time, you’ve probably taken some time away from eating chocolate to visit the Motley Fool. I thought this might be a good opportunity to dive into the industry that is Easter chocolate. Investing doesn’t have to take an Easter break, after all!

So let’s dive right into the chocolate pile

Chocolate all round

So, according to a 2016 Roy Morgan survey (which is a few years old, but our chocolate habits probably don’t change too much), Australians favourite chocolate brands include the following: Cadbury, Cherry Ripe, Kit Kat, Mars Bars, Snickers, Lindt, Ferrero Rocher, Freddo Frog, Crunchie, Boost, Flake, Twirl and Bounty.

Of these brands, Cherry Ripe, Freddo Frog, Crunchie, Boost, and Twirl are all owned by Cadbury. It may not come as a surprise that Cadbury dominates our local chocolate industry.

Cadbury itself is a subsidiary of the US-listed food giant Mondelez International Inc (NASDAQ: MDLZ), despite its British roots. Mondelez also owns the Toblerone and Oreo brands.

Mars Bars, Snickers, and Bounty are all owned by Mars, Incorporated. This company, also American, is one of the largest private companies in the world. So no Mars shares up for trading for us retail investors! Mars also owns the Wrigley’s line of gum, as well as the Eukanuba and Pedigree brands of pet food.

Kit Kat is owned by the Swiss company Nestle SA (SWX: NESN), which is the largest food company in the world. Nestle also owns Allen’s lolly range, as well as chocolates like Milky Bar, Aero, and Smarties.

Ferrero Rocher is owned by, well, Ferrero Group, who also owns Kinder Suprise, Nutella, and Raffaello. Ferrero is also a private company, but an Italian one.

And finally we have Lindt, or Chocoladefabriken Lindt & Sprüngli AG (SWX: LISN) if you want its full name. Lindt is also a publically traded Swiss company. Its famous products are arguably the Lindor balls and gold bunnies, which are a staple sight on supermarket shelves at Easter.

Foolish takeaway

Chocolate is a big business, especially at this time of year. As such, it’s certainly interesting to see which companies dominate our Easter purchasing in Australia. No surprises to see the Swiss making their names felt. However, it’s interesting to explore the origins of brands like Mars, Cadbury and Ferrero as well. Happy Easter!

More reading

• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to sell next week
• Top broker picks the best ASX shares to buy for the new quarter
• 3 five-star ASX shares to buy in April
• 2 blue chip ASX dividend shares you can buy in April
• 2 highly rated ASX growth shares to buy now

Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen owns shares of Mondelez International. 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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Once again, a large number of broker notes hit the wires last week. Some of these notes were positive and some were bearish.

Three sell ratings that caught my eye are summarised below. Here’s why top brokers think investors ought to sell these shares next week:

AGL Energy Limited (ASX: AGL)

According to a note out of UBS, its analysts have retained their sell rating and $10.10 price target on this energy company’s shares. The broker notes that AGL plans to separate into two companies – New AGL and PrimeCo. While UBS believes New AGL will be a more ESG-friendly option for investors, it struggles to see the appeal of PrimeCo. This is due to the latter’s thermal coal assets. UBS also notes that the full details of the plan have yet to be released. The AGL share price ended the week at $9.72.

Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Ltd (ASX: BEN)

Analysts at Morgan Stanley have retained their underweight rating and $9.90 price target on this regional bank’s shares. According to the note, the broker believes the banking sector’s near term outlook is positive due to heightened liquidity, favourable shifts in deposits, and low wholesale funding costs. However, it doesn’t see enough value in Bendigo and Adelaide Bank’s shares to have a more positive rating. Especially given its concerns over ongoing margin management and costs. The Bendigo and Adelaide Bank share price was trading at $9.97 at the end of the week.

JB Hi-Fi Limited (ASX: JBH)

Another note out of Morgan Stanley reveals that its analysts have downgraded this retailer’s shares to an underweight rating with a reduced price target of $46.00. According to the note, Morgan Stanley made the move largely on valuation grounds and sees far more value in rival Harvey Norman Holdings Limited (ASX: HVN). Furthermore, the broker notes that JB Hi-Fi is now cycling the panic buying period at the height of the pandemic. This could make achieving comparable store sales growth hard in the coming months. The JB Hi-Fi share price ended the week at $51.01.

More reading

• Why the JB Hi-Fi (ASX:JBH) share price surged 19% in March
• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to sell today
• Afterpay (ASX:APT) also signs deal with JB Hi-Fi & The Good Guys
• Why AGL, Bubs, Harvey Norman, & Openpay are tumbling lower
• The Zip (ASX:Z1P) share price is seesawing today on partnership news

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro 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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