• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Friday

    A man looks at his computer and laptop, indicating share price on watch

    On Thursday the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) was back on form and charged to a new record high. The benchmark index rose 0.45% to 7,302.5 points.

    Will the market be able to build on this on Friday? Here are five things to watch:

    ASX 200 expected to edge higher

    The Australian share market looks set to end the week on a positive but subdued note. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 3 points higher this morning. This follows a strong night of trade on Wall Street, which saw the Dow Jones edge higher, the S&P 500 rise 0.5%, and the Nasdaq jump 0.8%.

    US inflation data

    Inflation is back with a bang in the United States. According to CNBC, consumer prices for May accelerated at their fastest pace in almost 13 years. The consumer price index rose 5% from a year earlier, ahead of the market’s expectation of 4.7%. Eric Wingorad from Alliance Bernstein notes that “The more persistent categories of inflation — the ones that do a better job of capturing the sustainable trend—are significantly more subdued.” He feels this supports “the idea that the spike in inflation is transitory, even if it is more intense than most forecasters would originally have anticipated.”

    Oil prices hit new two-year highs

    Energy producers including Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) and Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) will be on watch after oil prices edged higher. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is up 0.3% to US$70.16 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is up 0.25% to US$72.41 a barrel. Oil prices climbed to two-year highs on rising demand expectations.

    PointsBet rated as a buy

    The PointsBet Holdings Ltd (ASX: PBH) share price is in the buy zone according to analysts at Goldman Sachs. In response to news that the sports betting company is entering the Maryland market, the broker has retained its buy rating and $17.20 price target. This compares to the current PointsBet share price of $13.50.

    Gold price rises

    Gold miners Newcrest Mining Ltd (ASX: NCM) and St Barbara Ltd (ASX: SBM) could end the week on a positive note after the gold price pushed higher. According to CNBC, the spot gold price is up 0.3% to US$1,901.40 an ounce. The precious metal pushed higher following the release of US inflation data.

    The post 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Friday 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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    James Mickleboro does not own any shares mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended Pointsbet Holdings Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Pointsbet Holdings 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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  • Here are 2 mid cap ASX shares to watch closely

    man using laptop happy at rising share price

    One area of the share market that is home to a number of quality options for investors is the mid cap space.

    But which ones should you consider buying? Two to get better acquainted with are listed below:

    Hipages Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: HPG)

    Hipages is a leading Australia-based online platform and software as a service provider that connects tradies with residential and commercial consumers.

    According to the company, over three million Australians have now used Hipages. This has provided work to over 34,000 tradies that use the platform.

    Despite this, the company is understood to be capturing just 5% of total industry advertising spend. This gives it a long runway for growth over the next decade. In fact, analysts at Goldman Sachs believe the company could capture upwards of 40% to 60% in the future as the company builds out its ecosystem.

    As a result, Goldman Sachs believes Hipages could be a great long term option for investors. Its analysts recently reiterated their buy rating and $3.35 price target on its shares.

    Telix Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: TLX)

    Another mid cap share to look at is Telix. It is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing an advanced pipeline of molecularly-targeted radiation (MTR) products.

    MTR is an approach which chemically links radioactive isotopes to targeting molecules specific to cancer cells.

    The company notes that it has an advanced pipeline of potential therapies which are targeting clear unmet medical needs in high-value oncology segments. If these are successful, they could save countless lives and provide Telix with huge addressable markets.

    One broker that is particularly positive on Telix is Wilsons. It currently has an overweight rating and $5.40 price target on the company’s shares. It notes that the company has a number of promising trials underway and was pleased to see its Illuccix product receive major market approvals earlier this year.

    The post Here are 2 mid cap ASX shares to watch closely appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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    James Mickleboro owns Telix shares. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended Hipages Group Holdings Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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  • 2 highly rated blue chip ASX 200 shares

    asx blue chip shares represented by pile of blue casino chips in front of bar graph

    Given the large number of blue chip shares out there for investors to choose from, it can be hard to decide which ones to buy.

    In order to narrow things down for you, I have picked out two blue chip shares which come highly rated right now. They are as follows:

    CSL Limited (ASX: CSL)

    The first blue chip share to look at is CSL. It is one of the world’s leading biotechnology companies with a portfolio of leading therapies and vaccines. This includes flu vaccines, immunoglobulins, and countless other plasma-based products.

    However, the company isn’t settling for that and continues to invest heavily in its research and development (R&D). In fact, each year, the company invests somewhere in the region of 11% of its sales back into R&D activities. This means that approximately US$1 billion will be spent this year to ensure that the company’s R&D pipeline is filled to the brim with innovative and potentially lucrative products.

    One leading broker that is positive on the company is Citi. Its analysts currently have a buy rating and $310.00 price target on its shares.

    Sonic Healthcare Limited (ASX: SHL)

    Another blue chip ASX 200 share to consider is Sonic Healthcare. It is a leading medical diagnostics company which has been growing at a very strong rate in FY 2021.

    For example, during the first half, the company delivered a 33% increase in revenue to $4.4 billion and a 166% jump in first half net profit to $678 million. A key driver of this growth was strong demand for COVID-19 testing services, which was supported by positive performances from the rest of the business.

    And with COVID-19 testing expected to remain strong for a little while to come, Sonic looks set to continue its growth in FY 2022. In addition to this, due to its strong balance sheet, the company has the optionality to boost its growth through earnings accretive acquisitions.

    One broker that is particularly positive on the company is Credit Suisse. It has an outperform rating and $40.00 price target on the company’s shares.

    The post 2 highly rated blue chip ASX 200 shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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    James Mickleboro does not own any shares mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended CSL Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has 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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  • Extrapolation, contrarianism… and an investing short-cut

    A happy woman having a swim in a pool in the middle of a frozen lake.

    It’s cold here in the NSW Southern Highlands today.

    When I woke up, it was -3C.

    No snow, unfortunately, much to my young bloke’s chagrin.

    As I type this, it’s +3C.

    Not a big range… and a good day to be inside.

    The open fire is cranked up. The heater is on.

    Only last week, it was 16 degrees.

    I’ve done the numbers.

    I’ve drawn the charts.

    16 degrees last week.

    3 degrees today.

    By this time next week, it’ll be -10C.

    Yes, I’m kidding.

    But it’s a good reminder not to extrapolate, right?

    So why do we do it with share prices?

    We shouldn’t, of course. The market’s machinations are interesting, but not necessarily instructive.

    Speaking of which, now would be a good time to order a new pool. 

    No, not because I’m keen on training for the Bondi Icebergs. 

    But because no one else is thinking of swimming pools right now.

    By the time they are, the pool salespeople will be flat out, and no one will be offering me a cracking deal.

    It can pay to be contrarian.

    The same goes for shares — why buy when everyone else is excited about a company, and the share price is already sky-high?

    More importantly, don’t sell when share prices are low because the market is in a flap, particularly if the problem is transitory.

    (That lesson was most recently learned in the aftermath of the COVID crash in March 2020. The ASX is up 52% since then.)

    These are — to a greater or lesser degree — exercises in pattern recognition (and in knowing what ‘patterns’ to ignore).

    One other pattern is something of a template.

    See stock picking is hard. And there are no points for ‘originality’ — only for being right.

    But one way of shortening our odds is to find those patterns.

    Like, for example, a business model that’s been successful elsewhere that might be successful here. It’s the stock market version of the ‘here’s one I prepared earlier’ line from the old cooking shows.

    Or, it can be a business model which has worked here, but which is being exported elsewhere.

    A company might have seen it done before and knows the game plan.

    As investors, we’ve seen it before too. And nothing is a carbon copy, but there’s nothing like experience as a teacher.

    One such company was the subject of this week’s Motley Fool Stock of the Week on YouTube, released just yesterday.

    I sat down and talked to Motley Fool analyst Chris Copley about a Buy recommendation that is doing precisely that — and one he thinks has a good chance of being a long term market-beater.

    Check it out on YouTube, now.

    Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to throw another log on the fire… the temperature just dropped another notch.

    Fool on!

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  • These 3 ASX shares were the most actively traded on Thursday

    Group of investors madly grabbing for cash on city street.

    The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) finished the day well into the green with an extra push after lunch. The benchmark index finished 0.44% higher at 7,302.5 points. Let’s take a look at some of the ASX shares that were the most heavily traded today:

    Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX: WHC)

    Coal miner Whitehaven was one of the most active ASX shares on the markets again today, with 21.2 million shares traded by the end of the session. After another 5.2% rise in the Whitehaven share price today, the company’s shares are now up by 61% over the last month. Investors have been turning to the coal miner as prices for the carbon-dense rock rally.

    Cromwell Property Group (ASX: CMW)

    Cromwell Property shares gained the interest of the market today. Following numerous ASX-listed real estate investors reporting substantial upticks in property valuations, the sector gained momentum across the board. Cromwell finished the session up 2.22%, with 24 million shares having been traded. Although the company didn’t release an update today, SCA Property Group (ASX: SCP) did. SCA cited a 13.1% increase in its retail property portfolio since December 2020.

    Scentre Group (ASX: SCG)

    Another property beneficiary among the most traded ASX shares, Scentre Group gained 2.5% today. More than 28 million shares exchanged hands during Thursday’s session. Once again, Scentre Group didn’t post any announcements pertaining to its own property portfolio today. But it looks like investors were guessing it’s likely experienced a similar appreciation in value. The optimism towards Scentre today is clear, with it taking out the top spot for most actively traded.

    The post These 3 ASX shares were the most actively traded on Thursday 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 Mitchell Lawler 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 owns shares of and has recommended Shopping Centres Australasia Property Group. 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 rises, Woolworths acquisition approved, Austal in rough waters

    bull market encapsulated by bull running up a rising stock market price

    The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) rose 0.4% today to 7,303 points.

    Here are some of the highlights from the ASX:

    Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW)

    The Woolworths share price rose more than 0.5% today after it was approved for its acquisition.

    Woolworths acknowledged the decision by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) that it will not oppose its strategic investment in PFD Food Services, which is described as one of Australia’s leading food service suppliers.

    The ASX 200 share can now acquire a 65% equity interest in PFD Food Services, with completion expected by the end of June.

    Brad Banducci, CEO of Woolworths, said:

    We’re pleased to have approval to invest alongside the Smith family in PFD Food Services. They are a great Australian success story and a well respected business with both suppliers and customers in the food service industry.

    This investment is a logical adjacency for Woolworths Group and further supports the evolution of the group into a food and everyday needs ecosystem.

    PFD will continue to operate independently under CEO Kerry Smith. A separate board and governance structure will now be implemented.

    Austal Limited (ASX: ASB)

    This morning the shipbuilding company advised that civil penalty proceedings have been commenced by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) against the business and its former CEO Mr David Singleton.

    The proceedings allege that Austal was aware as early as 4 June 2016 of the need to make a material write back of work in progress attributable to the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program.

    Austal disclosed that ASIC is seeking civil declarations that Austal contravened its continuous obligations as well as the relevant misleading and deceptive conduct provisions of the law.

    The proceedings against the former CEO allege he was involved in the company’s contravention of its continuous disclosure obligations and failed to discharge his duty to exercise due care and diligence in relation to matters concerning the disclosure of the earnings write back.

    Austal said it will consider the documentation provided by ASIC before deciding its next steps. The Austal share price fell over 2% in response. 

    Boral Limited (ASX: BLD)

    Boral released its target statement in response to the off-market takeover offer made by Seven Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: SVW) of $6.50 per share.

    The Boral independent board committee appointed Grant Samuel & Associates Pty Limited as the independent expert to give an independent opinion about whether the offer was fair and reasonable for Boral shareholders not associated with Seven.

    That independent expert concluded that the offer was neither fair nor reasonable for the ASX 200 share and is below the independent expert’s estimated fair market value of $8.25 to $9.13 per share. The independent board committee unanimously recommended that shareholders reject the offer.

    Kathryn Fagg, the Chair of Boral, said:

    The Boral independent board committee has carefully considered the SGH offer to assess whether it is in the best interests of Boral shareholders and believes that the SGH offer materially undervalues your Boral shares.

    Ms Fagg went on to say that the board believes that any proposal to acquire control of Boral should be at a fair value.

    The post ASX 200 rises, Woolworths acquisition approved, Austal in rough waters 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 Austal Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Woolworths Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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  • ANZ (ASX:ANZ) expects RBA to act on low-interest rates earlier than planned

    Woman working on laptop making financial decisions

    While not ideal for those trying to earn on cash, ultra-low interest rates have been a cornerstone reason to borrow. However, Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ASX: ANZ) believes the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) might need to crash the party sooner than planned.

    This month, the RBA maintained it wouldn’t be lifting interest rates from their historic 0.1% level until 2024 – at the earliest. But with economies bouncing back to pre-COVID levels, ANZ is sceptical.

    Economic recovery prompts interest rate debate

    In its latest research note, ANZ has upgraded its economic forecasts for Australia. According to its analysis, the country’s economic boom is shaping up to be even better than originally expected.

    Based on ANZ’s estimates, the Australian economy is expected to grow by 5% this year and 3.5% next year. That level of growth would likely result in a reduction in unemployment, typically correlated with wage growth.

    Consequently, ASX-listed ANZ expects the RBA will be forced to lift rates across two increments. Its forecast points to these increases occurring during the second half of 2023. However, the economist team added:

    It is possible that the conditions for rate hikes arrive even earlier than the second half of 2023 if the recent trend of rapid improvement in the economy continues.

    Risks of ultra-low interest rates

    Low-interest rates are not a new phenomenon. Australia has had sub-5% rates since the global financial crisis. More recently, rates have sat at their historic low of 0.1% since November 2020.

    However, there are risks that come along with prolonged low rates. While propping up the economy by providing cheap credit, they can also lead to devastation later. Cheap credit can increase risk taking and, with the housing market booming, a rate increase could topple the risk takers.

    While an increase to 0.5% on paper looks innocent, it would be 5 times more than today’s rate.  

    The post ANZ (ASX:ANZ) expects RBA to act on low-interest rates earlier than planned appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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    Motley Fool contributor Mitchell Lawler 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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  • Globe International (ASX:GLB) share price jumps 9% on sales update

    young people in fashion store considering shoes, hat, clothing

    The Globe International Limited (ASX: GLB) share price took off today following the company’s latest performance report.

    At market close, the apparel company’s shares finished the day at $5.40, up 9.76%.

    How is Globe International performing in FY21?

    Investors were fighting to get a hold of Globe International shares in late afternoon trade after the company provided exciting results.

    According to the release, Globe International advised that sales growth has been robust despite facing challenges with the supply of goods. This relates to the impact of COVID-19 on global logistics routes, particularly from China where most of its apparel is sourced.

    The company stated that it has so far managed to overcome the significant delays reported on freight. As a result, this has led Globe International to achieve first-half sales well ahead of expectations. Furthermore, sales in the second-half are expected to double from the prior corresponding period.

    In total, the company is forecasting full-year sales for FY21 to be more than $250 million. This is more than a 60% uplift of the $152.8 million that was recorded in last year’s financial scorecard.

    Pleasingly, Globe International is also projecting profitability to be greater than what was originally assumed during its February half-year results.

    Earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) in terms of percentage return on net sales are predicted to be in the mid-teens. Again, this compares with EBIT returns of just 4.8% in FY20 and 16.8% in H1 FY21.

    The company is scheduled to release its full-year results sometime in mid-August.

    Globe International share price snapshot

    Over the past 12 months, investors would be pleased with the company’s share price performance, up 330%.

    Based on today’s price, Globe International has a market capitalisation of roughly $206 million, with around 41 million shares outstanding.

    The post Globe International (ASX:GLB) share price jumps 9% on sales update appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

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  • Bidding war for the Mainstream (ASX:MAI) share price intensified today

    Mainstream share price takeover M&A bidding war asx shares asset sales and mergers and acquisitions represented by two business men playing tug of war with rope Cleanaway share price

    The Mainstream Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: MAI) share price jumped after management backed a takeover bid by Apex Group.

    The specialist fund administrator for the financial services industry has now determined that the $2.80 a share offer from Apex is superior to a rival bid.

    But investors are betting that the bidding war for Mainstream isn’t over. This is why the Mainstream share price jumped 2.2% to retest its record high of $2.84 in the last hour of trade.

    Betting on a higher offer for the Mainstream share price

    The higher bid is assumed to come from SS&C Technologies, Inc and SS&C Solutions Pty Ltd (together, SS&C).

    SS&C and Mainstream signed a Scheme Implementation Deed (SID) that was amended on 11 April this year. Under the terms of the deed, Mainstream has notified SS&C of Apex’s superior offer that’s made on more favourable terms.

    SS&C has until next Thursday to match or better the Apex proposal.

    Six times is never enough

    “Mainstream is continuing to work with SS&C in relation to the proposed scheme of arrangement under the terms of the SS&C SID and the Mainstream directors have not, as at the date of this announcement, withdrawn their recommendation of the scheme of arrangement with SS&C,” said Mainstream.

    “Mainstream has not entered into any scheme implementation deed, conditional or otherwise, with Apex.”

    Little wonder that the market is confident of a higher bid from SS&C. The suitor exercised its matching rights six times before!

    Multiple bids sees Mainstream offer price surge 133%

    The previous occasion saw Apex making a $2.75 a share offer for the Mainstream share price on 26 May. SS&C beat that offer by 1 cent on 1 June.

    But SS&C has come a long way from its original $2 a share offer in April. It’s nice to be wanted!

    The takeover drama didn’t even start with SS&C. The first suitor that came knocking was from Vistra Group.

    First bid for the Mainstream share price

    Vistra was first to sign a SID with a offer price of $1.20 a share before SS&C entered the rink.

    Vistra had the right to match the offer but elected not to. It didn’t walk away empty handed though as it got a $1.7 million break fee from Mainstream. Small price to pay given the latest offer for its shares!

    Boom times for M&A

    Merger and Acquisition (M&A) activity is hotting up on the ASX. As reported earlier today, the Iress Ltd (ASX: IRE) surged on rumours that a bidder is close to showing its hand for the financial services group.

    Ultra-low interest rates and rebounding economic activity are giving cashed up buyers a case of FOMO.

    It isn’t only home buyers that are afflicted with this syndrome. But Mainstream shareholders won’t be complaining.

    The post Bidding war for the Mainstream (ASX:MAI) share price intensified today 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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    Brendon Lau does not own shares mentioned in this article. Follow me on Twitter @brenlau.

    The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended MainstreamBPO Limited. 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 small cap ASX shares that are highly rated

    person riding rocket indicating share price increase

    While small cap shares carry a lot more risk than blue chips, the potential returns on offer are vastly superior. This could make it worth dedicating a small portion of a portfolio to them if your risk profile allows.

    With that in mind, I have picked out two small cap ASX shares that are highly rated. Here’s why they could be worth a closer look:

    Doctor Care Anywhere Ltd (ASX: DOC)

    Doctor Care Anywhere is a growing UK-based telehealth company that is aiming to deliver high-quality, effective, and efficient care to its patients.

    It has been a very strong performer over the last 12 months. This has been driven by the pandemic accelerating the adoption of telehealth services globally.

    Pleasingly, even though the worst of the pandemic is behind us and economies are reopening again, the company continues to report solid growth in signups and revenue.

    For example, in April, Doctor Care Anywhere released its first quarter update and reported a 16.5% increase in unaudited underlying revenue to 4.4 million pounds (A$6.87 million). This was underpinned by a 14.7% increase in signups to the platform to 500,000 and a 21.9% increase in quarterly consultations delivered to 90,500.

    One broker that is a fan is Bell Potter. It currently has a buy rating and $1.95 price target on the company’s shares.

    Over The Wire Holdings Ltd (ASX: OTW)

    Another small cap share to watch is Over The Wire. It is a telecommunications, cloud, and IT solutions provider,

    As with Doctor Care Anywhere, it has been a positive performer in FY 2021. In February, the company reported a 17% increase in revenue to $50.3 million and a 28% jump in EBITDA to $10.5 million.

    One key highlight from this result was its recurring revenue. Almost all of Over The Wire’s revenue is now classed as recurring, which gives it a firm foundation to build on in the coming years.

    Analysts at Canaccord Genuity are positive on its growth prospects. The broker currently has a buy rating and $4.85 price target on its shares.

    The post 2 small cap ASX shares that are highly rated appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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    James Mickleboro does not own any shares mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended Doctor Care Anywhere Group PLC and Over The Wire Holdings Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Doctor Care Anywhere Group PLC and Over The Wire Holdings 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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