The Evolve Education Group Ltd (ASX: EVO) share price is up 1.69% today after the company announced its CEO is retiring and that it has settled five of 10 recent child care centre acquisitions.

Evolve is a dual-listed company that now operates 132 childcare centres across Australia and New Zealand, with an additional five yet to be settled.

It announced the purchase of 10 Australian child care centres on 5 March, with a total licence capacity of 810 children per day. This resulted in an almost 20 cent jump in the Evolve share price this month, before falling again to its current price of $1.20.

Evolve Education share price on the rise

Today’s movement is indicative of a steady recovery for the Evolve share price, which has risen from 71 cents per share at the beginning of November.

Evolve predicts that earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) for these five centres will be $3.6 million per annum, and they will settle the remaining five centres by May. Evolve paid $27 million for the 10 centres. 

The company’s share price was hit hard by COVID-19 – after a 32% drop in childcare fees throughout the lockdown period – but has also fallen steadily over the past four years.

In 2017, Evolve’s share price was more than $3.97 per share in 2017, but the company has suffered from unprofitability. These recent acquisitions were made possible by raising $35 million through the sale of notes, some of which went to repaying Australian debt.

The company has also suffered negative publicity recently. First, for a cancelled contract which would have cut teachers’ full-time hours while requiring them to be on call. Second, for charging clients at its Lollipop childcare centre in New Zealand while it was unable to offer services due to the lockdown.

Evolve resuming dividends as new CEO search begins

Evolve recently announced it will resume dividend payments to shareholders this year, although it’s yet to announce what they will be, after it last paid dividends of 2 cents per share in 2019, before halting them due to the COVID economic downturn.

Evolve also announced that its New Zealand CEO, Tim Cook, is retiring due to family reasons and returning to Australia, resulting from the lack of Trans-Tasman travel due to COVID-19. 

The company also announced former First Steps General Manager, Craig Presland, will become Evolve’s Chief Operating Officer. 

More reading

• Why the Evolve Education (ASX:EVO) share price is jumping 8%

Motley Fool contributor Lucas Radbourne-Pugh 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 Inca Minerals Ltd (ASX: ICG) share price has risen 8% today and is up 430% this year after the company released its sixth mineral and drilling update this month.

Inca’s gains today are based on a new report showing that the potential worth of its recent minerals project acquisition in the Northern Territory, titled Frewena Project, have been upgraded.

Inca share price rises as reports enhance Frewena prospectivity 

Inca announced today that additional data  from a recent drill program has considerably enhanced the prospectivity of iron oxide copper gold ore (IOCG) deposits in the Northern Territory area fully enclosed by Frewena’s exploration licences. 

Geological, structural, alteration and mineralisation indicators in one of the holes that Inca operates in the area suggest the presence of IOCG-style mineralisation. Copper mineralisation, (chalcopyrite and bornite), increases from 250 metre depth and is open at the end of one of these holes.

The recent high-resolution core photography performed in the area further reveals the widespread nature of alteration, structural deformation, veining, haematite and sulphides in the same drill hole. 

The company outlined why these results, partly exposed due to government logging of the area, are so encouraging from an exploration standpoint.

The occurrence of hydrothermal alteration and sulphides, especially ore-forming copper sulphides, over a 326.8m down-hole interval is very encouraging. Importantly, the visually government-logged copper mineralisation remains strong at EOH, meaning the mineralisation as it is currently understood is open in all directions,” its ASX announcement read.

It is also most encouraging seeing bornite in the core and noting that its abundance appears to increase with depth. Bornite is a high-grade copper sulphide and generally forms in the hotter parts of a mineralised system and towards where one would expect to find potential higher grade ore.

Inca share price gains reflect breakthrough month

The Inca share price’s 430% rise over the past year has beaten the basic materials sector by 379% and the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) by 390% after positive developments in its drilling programs in Peru and its acquisition of iron-copper-gold mineralisation project Frewena in the Northern Territory.

The small-cap company has a current market capitalisation of $41 million and a share price of 10 cents, ranking it 337 in the basic materials sector.

Its plethora of announcements this month signpost a breakthrough period for the company, which was only valued at 0.019 cents per share in July 2020. Inca’s focus remains the exploration at its flagship Riqueza Project in Peru. 

More reading

• Could this ASX ETF be in a perfect storm in 2021 and beyond?
• Why Immutep, Inghams, REA Group, & Synlait shares are sinking
• Will the ASX 200’s ‘China problem’ get worse?
• Anteris (ASX:AVR) share price drops 7% despite positive announcement
• Why is the PYC Therapeutics share price up 170% in a year?

Motley Fool contributor Lucas Radbourne-Pugh 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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2021 is a year in which the global economy is still experiencing massive change. The coronavirus pandemic last year proved to be an incredibly powerful force for change in this respect.

We are all familiar with the phenomenon of ‘COVID shares’ getting a boost last year. The likes of Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT), Kogan.com Ltd (ASX: KGN) and Temple & Webster Group Ltd (ASX: TPW) enjoyed massive share price gains.

We saw a similar move with companies like Zoom Video Communications Inc (NASDAQ: ZM) and Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ: AMZN) over in the United States.

Many of these company share prices have since calmed down. Investors might have come to terms with the fact that 2020 was probably an outlier year. Despite it bringing forward much change.

But one area that I think all investors could agree is filled with growth prospects is cybersecurity. According to a report in the Australian Financial Review (AFR) yesterday, Nine Entertainment Co Ltd (ASX: NEC) was the subject of a major cybersecurity breach over the weekend. It was a ransomware attack that reportedly left the company unable to broadcast from its Sydney studios.

According to a separate AFR report, Department of Parliamentary Services systems were taken down over the weekend after “suspicious activity” was noticed.

This is a big problem in our modern world. Fortunately, the ASX has an exchange-traded fund (ETF) dedicated to investing in the companies that are taking up the fight.

An ASX HACK?

The BetaShares Global Cybersecurity ETF (ASX: HACK) is a fund that holds a basket of 40 shares in this space. The vast majority of these holdings are US-listed companies, reflecting this country’s dominance in global cybersecurity. However, other countries like Israel, Britain, France, Japan and South Korea are also represented.

Some of the top companies in this ETF include Crowdstrike Holdings Inc, ZScaler Inc, Splunk Inc and Cisco Systems Inc.

Simple logic might dictate that cybersecurity is a growth area. But HACK’s numbers back this thesis up. This fund has returned an average of 21.04% per annum for the past 5 years. That includes a 27.05% return over the past year alone (as of 28 February 2021). Those returns are inclusive of this ETF’s 0.67% per annum management fee.

More reading

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John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Sebastian Bowen owns shares of Zoom Video Communications. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and recommends Amazon, CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc., and Zoom Video Communications. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of Kogan.com ltd and Temple & Webster Group Ltd and recommends the following options: long January 2022 $1920 calls on Amazon and short January 2022 $1940 calls on Amazon. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of AFTERPAY T FPO and BETA CYBER ETF UNITS. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Amazon, Kogan.com ltd, Temple & Webster Group Ltd, and Zoom Video Communications. 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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In afternoon trade, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has given back its morning gains and is tumbling lower. At the time of writing, the benchmark index is down 0.2% to 6,812.2 points.

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

Immutep Ltd (ASX: IMM)

The Immutep share price has sunk 12% to 40.5 cents. This decline appears to have been driven by profit taking from investors after a very strong gain last week. Investors were scrambling to buy the biotech company’s shares following positive trial data from a competitor using a similar therapy.

Inghams Group Ltd (ASX: ING)

The Inghams share price has dropped 4.5% to $3.44. Investors have been selling the poultry company’s shares following the sudden exit of its CEO, Jim Leighton, this morning. According to the announcement, Mr Leighton is leaving the CEO role to return to the United States due to personal reasons. He will be placed by non-executive director, Andrew Reeves. Mr Reeves was previously the CEO of George Weston Foods.

REA Group Limited (ASX: REA)

The REA Group share price has fallen 2% to $137.18. This follows a lukewarm response by the market to the company’s plan to acquire Mortgage Choice Limited (ASX: MOC) for $244 million or $1.94 cash per share. The latter represents a 66% premium to the mortgage broker’s last close price. REA Group’s CEO, Owen Wilson, believes the acquisition of Mortgage Choice represents an exciting opportunity to create a leading broking business. The Mortgage Choice board has voted unanimously in favour of the takeover.

Synlait Milk Ltd (ASX: SM1)

The Synlait share price is down 5% to $3.11 following the release of its half year results. Due to weak demand in the infant formula market, the dairy processor reported a disappointing 76% decline in net profit to NZ$6.4 million. Unfortunately, the second half isn’t expected to be any better. In light of this, management is forecasting a breakeven result in FY 2021.

More reading

• ASX 200 down 0.1%: Computershare raises $500m, REA Group announces acquisition
• Mortgage Choice (ASX:MOC) share price rockets 61% on REA takeover
• These are the 10 most shorted shares on the ASX
• Here’s why the Inghams (ASX:ING) share price is in focus
• Synlait (ASX:SM1) share price on watch after reporting huge profit decline

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended REA 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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The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has started the week slightly down, dropping 0.24% at the time of writing. Earlier this morning, we discussed how Treasury Wine Estates Ltd (ASX: TWE) share price was also taking a tumble this morning. Although Treasury shares have somewhat recovered at the time of writing, they were down as much as 4% in early trade today. The catalyst? China’s Ministry of Commerce confirming there would be a 175.6% tariff on the importation of Australian wine for the next five years. Now officially, this tariff is meant to be an ‘anti-dumping’ measure.

But it’s regarded as something of an open secret that it is actually a byproduct of the current freeze in Sino-Australian relations. Last year saw Australian exports of barley and other agricultural goods curtailed for similar reasons.

But is this only the start of the ASX’s ‘China problem’?

The ASX’s ‘China problem’

There are many, many ASX companies that would likely suffer if relations between Australia and China get any worse. Companies like A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX: A2M) and Bubs Australia Ltd (ASX: BUB) have suffered from their daigu markets collapsing. Daigou trade involves customers buying products in bulk in Australia, and shipping them to China to be resold. The coronavirus pandemic was largely to blame for A2 Milk and Bubs’ initial woes in this area. But it is very conceivable that the deteriorating diplomatic relationship would exacerbate the daigou problem.

The Sino-Australian relationship has now become a pawn in the far larger game of the Sino-US relationship. Earlier this month, Chinese and US officials held a fiery bilateral dialogue. It was the first contact between US and Chinese officials under the new Biden Administration. The US reportedly made re-engagement with Australia a primary condition of any improvement in their own relationship with China. In other words, global geopolitics is now a part of our economic relationship with China.

Suppose this hinders, rather than helps, Sino-Australian relations.

Things could get worse before they get better

Well, the ASX’s China problem could get a lot worse. As most investors would know, the primary trade routes between Australia and China run on iron ore, coal, and other commodity resources.

If China really decides that it needs to send a message to the US or to us, this might be the next sector to feel the diplomatic heat. In this case, our biggest miners like BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP), Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO), and Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG) could have a lot of trouble ahead. Imagine a 175.6% tariff on Australian iron ore… That would get every ASX investors’ attention, I’d wager.

Even if international relations isn’t your area of expertise, it’s shaping up as a key flashpoint for ASX investors, whether we like it or not. So watch this space.

More reading

• Why the St Barbara (ASX:SBM) share price is climbing
• Why top brokers want you to buy the embattled IAG (ASX:IAG) share price
• ASX 200 down 0.1%: Computershare raises $500m, REA Group announces acquisition
• Why the South32 (ASX:S32) share price is outperforming today
• Treasury Wine (ASX: TWE) share price sinks lower on China update

Sebastian Bowen owns shares of A2 Milk. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of BUBS AUST FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended A2 Milk and Treasury Wine Estates Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended BUBS AUST FPO. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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The Anteris Technologies Ltd (ASX: AVR) share price is plunging today despite the company declaring “outstanding” results from one of its medical products.

At the time of writing, shares in the medical technology company are trading at $11.9, down 7.67%. By comparison S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) is down 0.14%.

Anteris, formerly known as Admedus Ltd, focuses on designing and manufacturing heart valves. Its next-generation technology re-engineers xenograft tissue into pure collagen scaffold, helping surgeons replace valves for patients during surgery.

What did Anteris announce today?

The Anteris share price is not responding well to today’s positive news. In a statement to the ASX, Anteris reported its ADAPT treated tissue has “superior anti-calcification attributes compared with tissues used in competitor valves”.

ADAPT is an anti-calcification treatment for human heart valves. Up to 20,000 people worldwide live with ADAPT technology inside their bodies.

According to Anteris, a review conducted by an independent biostatistician showed ADAPT-treated valve tissue had 38% calcium concentration compared to US company Medtronic‘s pig aortic valve. It also had 26% less calcium concentrate than Medtronic’s cow aortic valve tissue. Porcine valve is used most commonly, but bovine valve is also used in valve replacement surgery.

According to the Mayo Clinic, aortic valve calcification is an early indicator of heart disease.

Words from the CEO

Commenting on the findings, Anteris CEO Wayne Paterson said:

These findings clearly demonstrated the superior performance of the ADAPT tissue engineered process as an anti-calcification technology against some of the top competitors in the marketplace.

It further supports previous human studies and clinical experience demonstrating ADAPT has a clinically relevant profile in terms of resisting calcification.

Anteris share price snapshot

The Anteris share price has shot up 168.53% over the last 12 months and surged an incredible 210.05% this year alone. 

On 9 March, the company was hit with a price query from the ASX to explain why its share price increased 79.97% over the space of just 10 days with no significant market announcements made during that time.

Anteris has a market capitalisation of $84.7 million.

More reading

• The Anteris (ASX:AVR) share price is down today but has soared 150% in 3 months

Motley Fool contributor Marc Sidarous 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 PYC Therapeutics Ltd (ASX: PYC) share price has risen 170% in a year and 13% this month, following promising results in the development of a new lead drug, and the appointment of U.S. Biopharma Executive Jason Haddock to its board.

PYC announced Haddock will join its board of directors as the company seeks to access the US biopharmaceuticals industry. Haddock currently serves as a Board Director of Codiak BioSciences (NASDAQ: CDAK), a biotech company developing precision exosome therapeutics.

Haddock’s appointment at ‘critical time’ for PYC 

Sahm Nasseri, U.S. Chief Executive Officer of PYC Therapeutics, said that Haddock’s appointment would assist PYC in a range of fundamental areas.

As we look to set up PYC to access the important U.S. biotech capital markets, Jason brings a wealth of valuable industry experience, having served as a financial, operations and strategic leader at a range of biotech companies.

We welcome him as our second independent U.S. member of PYC’s Board of Directors and part of the growing U.S.-based leadership team as we continue to transform into a clinical stage biotechnology company. Jason’s unique expertise will play an important role in shaping our strategic path forward as we continue to enable corporate development in the U.S. and move our pipeline closer to clinical development.

Haddock said he was excited to join PYC at a critical time in the company’s expansion into the US market.

It is an honor to join PYC at such a critical time for the company and partner with the growing PYC executive team as it develops and executes on roadmaps that advance its pipeline of multiple candidates towards the clinic and engages key stakeholders in the U.S.

I look forward to contributing my insights gained from a career dedicated to the development of therapies that can change the lives of patients, as PYC works to address unmet needs for ocular and other inherited diseases.

PYC Therapeutics share price rises after drug development

PYC is focused on developing treatments for inherited diseases, most of which are very rare. Its share price has risen 13% this month after it announced its lead investigational drug, VP-001, for the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa, has restored function of the Retinal Pigment Epithelium.

Rp-11, as the disease is referred, kills off healthy cells in the retina in the human eye. VP-001, the drug that PYC manufactures, restores the target cells for the therapy, in patient-derived models of the disease.

The past year has seen a notable growth trajectory for the Australian drug researchers. PYC Therapeutics’ share price has risen by more than $1 per share since April 2020.

More reading

• Anteris (ASX:AVR) share price drops 7% despite positive announcement
• Why the SciDev (ASX:SDV) share price is flying 11% today
• Leading brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today
• NRW (ASX:NWH) share price sinks despite new contract win
• Why the Nine (ASX:NEC) share price is falling today

Motley Fool contributor Lucas Radbourne-Pugh 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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SciDev Ltd (ASX: SDV) shares are flying higher after the company released an important announcement earlier today. At the time of writing, the SciDev share price is trading 10.64% higher at 78 cents after hitting an intraday high of 80 cents in earlier trade.

 Here’s why investors are jumping to buy shares in SciDev today.

SciDev share price boosted on acquisition news

The SciDev share price is responding favourably after the company announced it is set to acquire the business of Haldon Industries Pty Ltd.

According to the announcement, the acquisition will have a maximum consideration of $16.9 million. SciDev will issue shares to Haldon principals at 80 cents per share. In addition, a cash payment of $1.7 million will be processed on completion.

Haldon is an Australian-based environmental engineering company focused on the water and organic pollutant sector. The company has a strong presence in the Polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) market in Australia through its mobile treatment plants.

SciDev noted that the acquisition of Haldon will provide the company with greater presence and scale in water infrastructure and wastewater verticals. SciDev’s management highlighted that the acquisition will accelerate the company’s plans to enter the global market.

What is the outlook for SciDev?

SciDev is a leader in the development and application of solids to liquid separation. The company combines technology and chemistry to solve operational and environmental issues in the water, oil, gas and construction markets.

In further news driving the SciDev share price today, the company also released an investor presentation to supplement its acquisition announcement. The company noted that the acquisition will deliver various strategic opportunities.

Firstly, SciDev will have access to the growing PFAS market in Australia with the ability to deliver a full treatment solution. In addition, the company expects to leverage its engineering and technology to drive further business development opportunities.

SciDev also highlighted that the acquisition will help it to diversify revenue streams whilst also providing it with a larger talent pool. The company also looks to expand its supply chain and end commodity exposure with the ability to provide direct chemical sales to Haldon customers.

SciDev made headlines earlier this month after it announced a partnership with Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG).

More reading

• SciDev (ASX:SDV) share price on watch after winning tender process with Fortescue (ASX:FMG)

Motley Fool contributor Nikhil Gangaram 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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With so many shares to choose from on the ASX, it can be hard to decide which ones to buy. The good news is that brokers across the country are doing a lot of the hard work for you.

Three top ASX shares that leading brokers have named as buys this week are listed below. Here’s why they are bullish on them:

BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP)

According to a note out of Macquarie, its analysts have retained their outperform rating and lifted their price target on this mining giant’s shares to $57.00. Due to strong demand and pricing, Macquarie has lifted its forecasts for a number of key commodities that BHP produces. It feels this leaves the company well-placed to reward shareholders with generous dividends in FY 2021 and FY 2022. The BHP share price is trading at $45.61 this afternoon.

Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC)

Analysts at Morgan Stanley have retained their overweight rating and lifted their price target on this banking giant’s shares to $27.20. According to the note, Westpac is Morgan Stanley’s favourite among the big four banks. It believes Australia’s oldest bank is well-positioned to buy back shares in FY 2022 due to its strong capital position. In addition to this, the broker believes Westpac can reduce its costs meaningfully, underpinning higher quality earnings and supporting its dividend payments. The Westpac share price is fetching $24.34 on Monday afternoon.

Xero Limited (ASX: XRO)

Another 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. According to the note, the broker believes the recent weakness in the Xero share price has created a buying opportunity for investors. It feels the risk/reward on offer is attractive and remains bullish on its long term growth prospects. Particularly given its recent acquisitions of Planday and Tickstar. The Xero share price is trading at $122.31 today.

More reading

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• 2 quality ASX dividend shares you can buy today
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James Mickleboro owns shares of Westpac Banking. 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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The NRW Holdings Limited (ASX: NWH) share price is on the slide today despite the company announcing a new contract award and an extended agreement. In early-afternoon trade, the diversified service provider’s shares are swapping hands for $2.05, down 0.49%.

Contract award

The NRW share price is failing to hold onto earlier gains after the company released two positive updates this morning.

In the first of its releases, NRW advised that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Golding Contractors, has been awarded a civil works contract. The award was provided by ASX-listed real estate and investment group Lendlease Group (ASX: LLC).

Under the agreement, Golding Contractors will complete general subdivision and related infrastructure works at the Yarrabilba residential estate in Logan, Queensland.

NRW highlighted that the contract win extends its relationship with Lendlease, which began in October 2017.

The civil works project is expected to generate around $50 million in revenue for NRW. Works are scheduled to commence next month and be completed within the next three years.

Extended contract

In a second announcement today, NRW revealed that Golding Contractors has received a 12-month contract extension from Wonbindi Coal. The renewed deal will see Golding Contractors continue its works at the Baralaba North Mine.

The new award will add roughly $120 million in extra revenue for Golding Contractors, up until June 2022.

About the NRW share price

NRW Holdings is an Australian company that provides diversified services to the resources, civil infrastructure, and urban development sectors.

The company has a workforce of more than 7,000 people with 100 active projects. Extensive operations are located in Western Australia, Queensland, South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria.

The NRW share price has climbed more than 70% over the past 12 months, but is down by around 30% year to date. The company’s shares reached a high of $3.19 earlier this year, before trending lower.

Based on valuation grounds, NRW has a market capitalisation of around $949.2 million, with approximately 456.3 million shares outstanding.

More reading

• Why the NRW (ASX:NWH) share price is on watch

Motley Fool contributor Aaron Teboneras 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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