If you’re looking for some top ASX dividend shares to add to your income portfolio, then you might want to look at the ones listed below.

Here’s what income investors need to know about them:

Aventus Group (ASX: AVN)

Aventus is the largest fully-integrated owner, manager, and developer of large format retail centres in Australia. Its 20 retail centres are home to a range of high quality national retailers such as ALDI, Bunnings, and Officeworks. In fact, at the last count, national retailers represented ~87% of its total portfolio.

Unlike many other retail landlords, Aventus has performed positively during the COVID-19 pandemic. This led to the company reporting both revenue and profit growth during the first half of FY 2021.

One broker that remains very positive on Aventus is Goldman Sachs. In response to its results, the broker retained its buy rating and $3.04 price target on its shares.

Goldman is also forecasting a ~16.6 cents per share distribution this year. Based on the current Aventus share price, this represents a 5.7% yield.

National Storage REIT (ASX: NSR)

National Storage is one of Australasia’s largest self-storage providers. From over 200 locations across Australia and New Zealand, it tailors self-storage solutions to residential and commercial customers.

Thanks to a combination of organic growth and growth through acquisitions, National Storage has been increasing its earnings and distribution at a decent rate over the last decade.

Positively, it looks well-placed to do the same over the next decade thanks to further acquisitions and developments and the booming housing market. The latter is traditionally a key demand driver.

Looking ahead, management expects the company to report underlying earnings per share of 7.7 cents to 8.3 cents in FY 2021. From this, it plans to pay out 90% to 100% to shareholders.

Based on the middle of both guidance ranges and the current National Storage share price, this represents a 4% yield.

More reading

• 2 high yield ASX dividend shares to buy today
• 2 high yield ASX dividend shares to buy next week
• 2 quality ASX dividend shares to buy next week
• This ASX dividend share has a very generous 5.9% yield
• 2 top ASX dividend shares with generous yields to buy

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended AVENTUS RE UNIT. 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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Are you a growth investor? If you are, then you’re in luck. This is because the ASX is home to a number of companies growing strongly.

Two top ASX growth shares that have been tipped as buys are listed below. Here’s why they are highly rated:

Kogan.com Ltd (ASX: KGN)

Kogan is a leading ecommerce company that has been growing at an explosive rate.

For example, during the first half of FY 2021 Kogan delivered a 97.4% increase in gross sales to $638.2 million and a 250.2% jump in adjusted net profit after tax to $36.5 million.

Key drivers of this stellar growth were the accelerating shift to online shopping, the expansion of its product offering, acquisitions, and a big jump in customer numbers. In respect to the latter, the company reported a 76.8% increase in Kogan active customers to 3 million. It also has ~0.72 million Mighty Ape customers as well.

One broker that appears confident that the company has a long runway for growth is Credit Suisse. Earlier this month the broker put an outperform rating and $20.85 price target on its shares. This compares very favourably to the current Kogan share price of $13.33.

Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P)

Zip is a leading buy now pay later (BNPL) provider which has also been growing at an explosive rate.

This has been driven by its international expansion, the acquisition of QuadPay, the decline in credit card usage, and the growing growing popularity of the BNPL payment method with both consumers and merchants.

During the first half of FY 2021, Zip reported a massive 141% increase in total transaction volume (TTV) to $2.32 billion and a 130% jump in revenue to $160 million. And while the company posted a sizeable loss, it has the balance sheet capacity to accommodate this.

Zip’s impressive first half sales growth was underpinned by another material increase in active customers. At the end of December, there were 5.7 million active customers on its platform globally. This was up 217% over the prior corresponding period.

One broker that was particularly impressed was Morgans. In response to its results, the broker retained its add rating and lifted its price target to $12.10. This compares to the latest Zip share price of $8.07.

More reading

• Afterpay and Zip were among the most traded ASX shares last week
• ASX 200 crash anniversary: 5 of the best performing shares of the last 12 months
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday
• ASX 200 Weekly Wrap: Inflation fears hold ASX down
• 2 ASX growth shares that could be strong buys

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 ZIPCOLTD FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Kogan.com ltd. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

The post Why Zip (ASX:Z1P) and this growth share are in the buy zone today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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There are a few high-quality S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) dividend shares that could be worth owning for income.

Not every that pays a dividend may be worth owning for income – dividends can be volatile and business profits can go backwards, which may lead to dividend cuts down the line.

These two ASX 200 dividend shares have demonstrated resilience over the past year:

Charter Hall Long WALE REIT (ASX: CLW)

This is one of the larger real estate investment trusts (REITs) on the ASX with a market capitalisation of $2.7 billion, according to the ASX.

Morgan Stanley currently rates the REIT as a buy with a price target of $5.35.

It isn’t based on one particular real estate sector. It’s actually invested in a broad array of properties such as telecommunications, government (office) buildings, grocery and distribution, fuel and convenience stores, pubs and bottle shops, food manufacturing, waste and recycling management and ‘other’ such as retail, banking finance and security and defence services.

What all of its properties do have in common are long term rental contracts, which is shown in the Charter Hall Long WALE REIT’s weighted average lease expiry (WALE) of 14.1 years. This is one of the longest in the sector.

It was one of the few REITs to increase its distribution to shareholders during the COVID-19-hit year of 2020.

The ASX 200 dividend share has an impressive list of “strong and stable” tenants such as Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS), Australian government entities, BP, Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW), Ingham’s Group Ltd (ASX: ING), Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL) and David Jones.

Morgan Stanley believes that Charter Hall Long WALE REIT will pay a distribution of 29.2 cents per unit in FY21, which equates to a forward distribution yield of 6.1%.

Brickworks Limited (ASX: BKW)

Brickworks was another business that didn’t cut its dividend during 2020. In-fact, it increased the dividend during the roughest part of the COVID-19 crash in March 2020.

Whilst the company is now seeing a recovery of demand from customers in Australia for building products, the US division is (or was) facing difficulty at the time of the last trading update. The company is due to release its FY21 half-year result this week, so we’ll get a closer look at how things are going. 

Brickworks owns a variety of Australian building brands like Austral Bricks, Austral Masonry, Bristle Roofing, Austral Precast and Pronto Panel.

In the US it owns a few brickmakers such as Glen Gery after acquiring them.

But it’s the other Brickworks assets that fund the dividend, which hasn’t been cut in over 40 years.

Brickworks owns around 40% of Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co. Ltd (ASX: SOL), which itself has been a reliable dividend payer over the last two decades thanks to its diversified and defensive portfolio of assets.

The ASX 200 dividend share also owns half of a growing industrial property trust along with Goodman Group (ASX: GMG). The concept is that the joint venture builds high-quality industrial properties on land that Brickworks no longer needs.

Two tenants that the industrial trust will soon have is Coles and Amazon. Once the warehouses are completed over the next couple of years, it could lead to rental profit to Brickworks growing by more than 25%.

At the current Brickworks share price, it has a grossed-up dividend yield of 4.5%.

More reading

• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Wednesday
• What experts are saying about Telstra’s (ASX:TLS) big restructuring plans
• ASX 200 dips, travel shares drop, Pushpay soars
• 3 under-appreciated income stocks yielding 4-9%: Motley Fool CIO Scott Phillips, on ausbiz
• Why the Xero (ASX:XRO) share price is outperforming today

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, Telstra Limited, and Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of COLESGROUP DEF SET and 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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On Tuesday the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) faded as the day went on and gave back its earlier gains to end the session with a small decline. The benchmark index fell 0.1% to 6,745.4 points.

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

ASX 200 futures pointing lower

The Australian share market is poised to edge lower on Wednesday following a weak night of trade on Wall Street. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 2 points lower this morning. In late trade on Wall Street, the Dow Jones is down 0.8%, the S&P 500 is down 0.7%, and the Nasdaq has fallen 1% This was despite bond yields falling again.

Oil prices sink lower

Energy producers such as Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) and Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) could come under pressure today after oil prices sank lower. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is down 6.4% to US$57.67 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price has fallen 6.1% to US$60.69 a barrel. Concerns over demand following further third-wave lockdowns in Europe are weighing on prices.

Gold price falls

It could be a tough day for gold miners Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) and Newcrest Mining Limited (ASX: NCM) after the gold price tumbled lower. According to CNBC, the spot gold price is down 0.75% to US$1,725.10 an ounce. The price of the precious metal fell after a firmer US dollar outweighed a dip in U.S Treasury yields.

Qantas rated as a buy

The Qantas Airways Limited (ASX: QAN) share price is in the buy zone according to analysts at Goldman Sachs. Although the broker notes that data shows that discounting is increasing by domestic carriers, it believes investors should overlook this. It explained: “We reiterate our Buy rating on QAN.AX with our 12-month TP of A$6.38. While average ticket prices are falling, we note that a greater proportion of this travel is being taken on leisure routes and for QAN we expect greater penetration of the low-cost Jetstar brand.”

Dividends being paid

Shareholders of a number of ASX 200 shares can look forward to being paid their latest dividends later today. Among the companies paying dividends are stock exchange operator ASX Ltd (ASX: ASX), iron ore giant Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG), and healthcare company Sonic Healthcare Limited (ASX: SHL).

More reading

• What experts are saying about Telstra’s (ASX:TLS) big restructuring plans
• ASX 200 dips, travel shares drop, Pushpay soars
• Why ASX 200 energy shares should outshine as inflation picks up
• Why the Xero (ASX:XRO) share price is outperforming today
• Why BrainChip, Crown, Qantas, & Quickstep shares are tumbling lower

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended 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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Participants of the Airtasker Limited (ASX: ART) initial public offering (IPO) would have been rubbing their hands together on today’s successful listing. By the end of its debut trading session, the online marketplace for local services finished at $1.05. That puts the ASX-listed Airtasker share price 61.5% higher than the IPO price of 65 cents.

There’s no doubt plenty of excitement surrounding the company. The five times oversubscribed IPO is clear evidence of that. Even Airtasker’s own select group of ‘taskers’ and staff subscribed for more than 10 times more shares than originally anticipated.

With all the excitement it’s easy to forget that Airtasker still has competitors. So, how do they stack up against each other?

ASX-listed Airtasker competitors

Unsurprisingly, in the world of digital innovation, the old employment model is giving way to something more flexible and nimble. There is a proliferation of people working for themselves, using online platforms to offer their services anytime, anywhere, for anything.

Airtasker is now publicly listed among other such ASX shares as Hipages Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: HPG) and Freelancer Ltd (ASX: FLN). At face value, these companies are very similar. All three provide a website and/or mobile app to find people in your area capable of completing tasks you may require.

Both Airtasker and Freelancer offer an extensive range of services. This includes everything from computer programming to mowing your lawn. However, Hipages differs by being focused on trade-based services – think home renos and air conditioning installation.

Another point of difference between these companies is their service base. For instance, Hipages relies on mostly physical labour, so its operations are predominantly carried out within Australia. The same is somewhat true for Airtasker, while Freelancer operates extensively outside of Australia, due to its services being highly focused on remote digital work.

Money matters, and so do visits

When looking at online businesses, it can sometimes be handy to compare website traffic between peers. Referring to SimilarWeb, it can be seen that in the last month Freelancer has commanded 8.1 million visits, while Airtasker and Hipages were both around 1.3 million. However, this doesn’t quite paint the entire picture considering the ASX’s fresh face, Airtasker, is commonly used through an app.

A more useful comparison is the businesses’ finances. However, Freelancer reports on a different timeline to Hipages and Airtasker, so some calculations were needed to get it on comparative terms. With that being said, for the half-year ended December, revenue and earnings for each company are as follows:

• Airtasker: $12.61 million revenue; $2.06 million loss
• Hipages: $26.9 million revenue; $1.5 million profit
• Freelancer: $29.3 million revenue; $493,000 loss

In revenue terms, Airtasker is certainly the smallest by a substantial margin.

Lastly, knowing the company’s revenue and earnings, it’s worthwhile comparing market capitalisation between these three ASX shares. These are as follows:

• Airtasker: $441.6 million
• Hipages: $266.5 million
• Freelancer: $253.03 million

Foolish takeaway

Based on a simple price to sales (PS) ratio Airtasker looks expensive, trading on a PS multiple of 35. Whereas Hipages and Freelancer are trading at 10 times and 9 times respectively. Potentially investors are pricing in higher growth for the newly listed company.

Whether the listed competitors will surge to meet Airtasker’s rich valuation or Airtasker’s ASX parade will be rained on, remains to be seen.

More reading

• ASX 200 dips, travel shares drop, Pushpay soars
• Airtasker (ASX:ART) share price cools after explosive IPO
• Airtasker (ASX:ART) share price rockets 78% after IPO
• Airtasker’s ASX debut happens tomorrow, after 24-hour delay
• Airtasker IPO: staff demand 10 times the shares offered

Mitchell Lawler has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. recommends Hipages Group Holdings Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Freelancer 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 ReadyTech Holdings Ltd (ASX: RDY) share price will be one to watch on Wednesday.

This follows the release of an announcement after the market close on Tuesday.

What did ReadyTech announce?

This afternoon the education and workforce solutions software as a service (SaaS) company announced the successful completion of its $80 million acquisition of Open Office.

Open Office is a leading government and justice case management SaaS provider with strong customer bases in Australia, the United Kingdom, and Canada.

According to the release, the acquisition of Open Office involves an upfront consideration of $54 million and an earn out consideration of up to an additional $26 million. This will be funded from the proceeds of a capital raising in November and scrip.

The completion comes after shareholders voted overwhelmingly in favour of the acquisition at an extraordinary general meeting on Friday of last week.

The acquisition is anticipated to be low double-digit EPS accretive in FY 2021 on a pro-forma basis before synergies and excluding integration costs.

What now?

It will be business as usual for Open Office following the acquisition. ReadyTech advised that its experienced management are aligned with its vision, strategy and culture, and will be retained to further strengthen the expanded team.

Open Office’s Managing Director, Phillip Simone, will become ReadyTech’s Chief Executive of Government and Justice.

ReadyTech’s Co‐Founder and CEO, Marc Washbourne, commented: “We’re delighted to welcome the Open Office team to ReadyTech, and are excited by the growth potential we see for our expanded SaaS businesses. With growing revenues, strong margins, profitable operations and positive cashflows, ReadyTech is in a unique position to support our customers, build exciting careers for our people, and deliver sustainable growth in shareholder value.”

Mr Simone added: “Open Office has a strong foothold into all levels of government in Australia. This is an exciting new chapter for us, as ReadyTech’s proven capability will assist in driving deeper connections with an industry that has strong barriers to entry, leveraging the robust, long‐term relationships we already have with our customers.”

More reading

• 2 of the best ASX shares to buy this month
• 8 ASX 200 shares rated as ‘outperform’ by brokers
• Compared! How are ASX gaming share prices performing?
• Why the K-Tig (ASX:KTG) share price opened 10% higher today
• 2 quality ASX dividend shares to buy this month

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 Readytech Holdings Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Readytech 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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If you’re looking to a make a new addition or two to your portfolio, then you might want to take a look at the ASX shares listed below.

Here’s what you need to know about them:

Appen Ltd (ASX: APX)

The first ASX share to look at is Appen. It is a developer of high-quality, human annotated datasets for machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI). Through its team of over 1 million crowd-sourced contractors, Appen develops the data required to create the AI models of some of the biggest tech companies in the world. An example of this, is its work helping Apple develop its Siri virtual assistant.

While the last 12 months have been difficult due to many tech giants pushing back some of their investments in AI because of the pandemic, demand is expected to rebound strongly once the crisis passes. After which, due to the growing importance of AI for businesses and governments, demand for its AI data services is predicted to grow rapidly over the next decade.

One broker that believes the recent weakness in the Appen share price is a buying opportunity is Ord Minnett. It recently upgraded its shares to a buy rating with a $24.75 price target.

NEXTDC Ltd (ASX: NXT)

Another ASX share to consider is NEXTDC. It is one of the region’s leading data centre-as-a-service provider with 11 world class centres in key locations across Australia.

From these Tier III and Tier IV facilities, NEXTDC provides colocation services to local and international organisations. 

Unlike Appen, NEXTDC has experienced a huge increase in demand for its services during the pandemic. This has been driven by the structural shift to the cloud, which has accelerated over the last 12 months. In fact, demand has been so strong, that the company brought forward capacity additions to meet it.

In addition to this, the company has opened up offices in Singapore and Tokyo with a view of expanding into these markets in the near future. If this expansion is a success, it could provide NEXTDC with a significant runway for growth.

Goldman Sachs is positive on the company. Last month it retained its buy rating and lifted its price target to $13.50. The broker believes NEXTDC is well-positioned for growth over the medium term.

More reading

• Why the Xero (ASX:XRO) share price is outperforming today
• How this exponential growth could send ASX 200 data centre shares soaring
• 5 of the best ASX shares to buy next week
• How to turn $20,000 into $650,000 in 5 years with ASX shares
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Friday

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

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The anticipated higher interest rate environment and a recovery in the real economy has seen a number of cyclical ASX 200 heavyweights upgraded to an ‘outperform’ rating on Tuesday. Here are the ASX 200 shares that brokers think could beat the market in the near-term. 

Crown Resorts Ltd (ASX: CWN)

The Crown share price jumped 20% yesterday after Blackstone sent the company an unsolicited $11.85 per share takeover offer. Credit Suisse views this as an opportunistic offer to snap up depressed Crown shares amid weak earnings and regulatory risks. The broker believes the proposal suggests that Crown is unlikely to lose any of its casino licenses. 

Credit Suisse raised its target for the ASX 200 share from $12.00 to $13.50 with an outperform rating. The Crown share price closed Tuesday’s session at $11.85.

Suncorp Group Ltd (ASX: SUN) 

The insurance market is cyclical, moving through hard and soft cycles. Credit Suisse has described current conditions as a continued hard cycle whereby premiums increase and the capacity for most types of insurance decreases. This can be a result of factors such as falling investment returns for insurers or increased severity of losses. 

Suncorp shares have been under pressure following the significant flooding in New South Wales and South East Queensland. Credit Suisse has taken the view that Suncorp’s current -27% price-to-earnings discount to the market is significantly higher than its five-year average discount of -19%. 

It also forecasts earnings growth of approximately 11% in FY23 with the continued hard cycle to drive insurance revenue growth and improved margins. Suncorp shares are rated as outperform with an $11.40 target price representing a 15% premium to today’s closing price.

Insurance Australia Group Ltd (ASX: IAG)

Credit Suisse sees an uplift in premium growth in the coming years which will translate to improved margins. The broker views IAG’s current strong capital position as supportive of higher dividend payments in the near-term as profits recover.

Credit Suisse resumed coverage on Insurance Australia shares with an outperform rating and $5.35 target price – a 12% premium to today’s closing price. 

Medibank Private Ltd (ASX: MPL) 

Similarly, Credit Suisse analysts expect strong premium growth to underpin Medibank’s recent turnaround in penetration rates. The broker believes the company could see earnings upgrades in the near-term.

Medibank shares are rated as outperform with a $3.25 target price, which is around 12% higher than Tuesday’s closing share price.  

QBE Insurance Group Ltd (ASX: QBE)

Credit Suisse believes QBE is most leveraged to a hard cycle. The company is also the only general insurer with exposure to overseas markets, which are experiencing even stronger rate increases.

The broker has an outperform rating with an $11.80 target price, representing a 23% premium to today’s QBE share price. 

Ramsay Healthcare Limited (ASX: RHC) 

Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG) highlights the upside to the value of Ramsay’s Australian operating business that is not reflected in the current share price. The broker sees positive recent activity trends for its healthcare services and believes this ASX 200 share is well-positioned for positive growth in the medium to long term.

Its shares are rated as outperform with a $75.00 target price. This is almost 12% higher than the current Ramsay share price at the time of writing.

Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS)

Telstra provided more details regarding its proposed legal restructure on Monday. Credit Suisse commentary focuses on the establishment of Telstra International, which will hold the telco’s subsea cable assets. The broker believes this decision reflects the limited overlap with domestic parts of the infrastructure company as well as potential sensitivity around selling subsea cables.

Overall, the broker takes a positive view on Telstra’s move, with an outperform rating and a $3.85 target price. On Tuesday, the Telstra share price closed the day at $3.33.

Xero Limited (ASX: XRO) 

Credit Suisse views Xero’s recent acquisition of Planday as one with attractive metrics that complement its existing business. Despite the Xero share price hitting 5-month lows in March, the broker believes positive data points and the attractive acquisition will drive short to medium-term value.

Positive industry data suggests Xero will experience another four months of more than 20% revenue growth, says Credit Suisse. The broker upgraded its rating from neutral to outperform with a target price of $136. This represents around 12% upside when compared to the current Xero share price.

More reading

• Compared! How are ASX gaming share prices performing?
• What experts are saying about Telstra’s (ASX:TLS) big restructuring plans
• How are ASX insurance share prices performing during NSW’s floods?
• Why the Xero (ASX:XRO) share price is outperforming today
• Why is the Telstra (ASX:TLS) share price having such a good week?

Motley Fool contributor Kerry Sun has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Macquarie Group Limited and Telstra Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Crown Resorts Limited and Ramsay Health Care 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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We’re now 12 months on from the beginning of the COVID pandemic in Australia and it’s prime-time to see just how much ASX gaming share prices have been booming over the past year.

News that US investment giant Blackstone has offered to take over Crown Resorts Ltd (ASX: CWN) has sent the resort operator’s share price surging this week. 

It’s been another strong month for Australian gaming and lottery companies, which have been leading the consumer cyclical sector. Almost all companies and resort operators have experienced strong results since the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, which has led to a boom in gambling revenues across Australia.

We break down all the performers below.

Crown, Star Entertainment and SkyCity share prices on watch

Crown 

Crown’s share price has fallen 1.63% today after rocketing more than $2 in three days due to the Blackstone offer. Crown’s price-earnings ratio (P/E) of 82 and market capitalisation of $8 billion have attracted the interest of the US equity investors.

Star Entertainment Group Ltd (ASX: SGR) 

Crown rivals Star Entertainment has also fallen 2.76% today against gains of 5.43% this month, with a P/E ratio of -29 showing the difference in market sentiment between the two resort providers.

Star’s share price has been a very strong performer recently, up 140% over the past 12 months. Its performance is 45% greater than the consumer cyclical sector and 91% stronger than the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO). 

Skycity Entertainment Group Ltd (ASX: SKC) 

SkyCity has also dropped 1.4% today against very strong all-round performances over the past 12 months. The SkyCity share price has gained 0.95% this week, 19% this month, 7% in 2021 year-to-date (YTD) and 158% over the past 12 months.

That’s a return 63% greater than its sector and 110% better than the ASX 200.

A look at ASX gaming share prices

PointsBet Holdings Ltd (ASX: PBH) 

The PointsBet share price dropped 3% today but has a whopping 1,146% one-year return, from $1.19 in April 2020 to $13.80 per share today. The wagering services operator has dropped a further 16% this month, compared to 2021 gains of 16%. 

It goes without saying that the $2 billion market cap company has been a very strong performer recently, however PointsBet does appear to be undergoing a general share price correction, with steady declines since a high of more than $17 in February.

Jumbo Interactive Ltd (ASX: JIN) 

One of the few gambling shares up today, Jumbo has risen 1.2% against overall 3% falls this week. The online and mobile lottery retailer has increased its share price by 39% over the past 12 months, with its market cap reaching $800 million.

However, its overall market performance of late has been one of the weaker in the category. Jumbo has dropped 9% this month and 7% in 2021. Unsurprisingly, that leaves it down 55% against the high-performing sector and 8% down against the ASX 200.

Tabcorp Holdings Ltd (ASX: TAH)

The Tabcorp share price rose by another 1.8% today, increasing its figures to 5% this week, 7% this month, and 24% in 2021 YTD. Tabcorp’s strong share price gains (up more than 120% over the past 12 months) have beaten the sector by 30% and the ASX 200 by 77%.

As one of Australia’s major players in this space, Tabcorp’s high-profile portfolio of brands including TAB, Keno, The Lott, George, Max, TGS, eBET, and Sky Racing make it a key indicator of the overall strength of the Australian gaming industry in general.

Aristocrat Leisure Ltd (ASX: ALL)

Finally, gambling technology designer and distributor Aristocrat is down 1% today and 1% this week. The Aristocrat share price has also led the gaming charge over the past 12 months, rising from a price of $17 in April 2020 to more than $30 today. 

Aristocrat shares are up 5% this month since announcing on 3 March that it had settled a US lawsuit over some of its digital social games, which has added to its 10% increases in 2021 YTD. 

More reading

• Why BrainChip, Crown, Qantas, & Quickstep shares are tumbling lower
• Motley Fool CIO Scott Phillips talks to SBS News: A takeover in the offing for Crown Resorts (ASX:CWN)
• Is the Crown (ASX:CWN) takeover offer good value for shareholders?
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The K-Tig Ltd (ASX: KTG) share price was climbing today following the company’s announcement regarding a signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a South Korean military manufacturer.

At the market’s open, the welding technology company’s shares jumped 10% to trade at 55 cents. However, by the end of the day, the K-Tig share price had retreated back to 51 cents, up 2% for the day. 

What did K-Tig announce?

The K-Tig share price was running higher after the company provided investors with an update that could propel its future prospects.

According to its release, K-Tig has entered into an MoU with Hanwha Defence Australia Pty Ltd and Hanwha Defence Corporation (Hanwha).

One of South Korea’s largest military manufacturers, Hanwha represents an attractive opportunity for K-Tig to align with.

Based in South Korea, Hanwha has been selected as the preferred supplier of the Australian Army’s multi-billion-dollar Land 8116 self-propelled artillery (Huntsman) project. In addition, it has also been shortlisted for the Land 400 Phase 3 Infantry Fighting Vehicle project.

Under the MoU, K-Tig will use its technologies to develop advanced keyhole welding procedures for Hanwha. This will see advanced steel composites welded together for the proposed military vehicles contracts.

Should K-Tig be successful in its welding demonstration, Hanwha will work with the company to develop automatic welding procedures. This is expected to take place in the regional city of Geelong, where the Huntsman will be manufactured. In total, 60 self-propelled artillery systems are planned to be produced along with 15 ammunition supply vehicles, support systems, and maintenance works.

K-Tig managing director Adrian Smith commented:

Partnering with Hanwha to create crucial equipment for Australia’s defence is a significant opportunity for K-Tig to deploy the speed, efficiency and effectiveness of our advanced keyhole welding technology, all while helping to create local jobs, develop strategically vital manufacturing skills for the nation, and provide the Australian Army with the self-propelled artillery capability it’s desired for many years.

About the K-Tig share price

The K-Tig share price has gained 750% over the past 12 months, reflecting strong investor sentiment. Year to date, the company’s shares are up 50% and are within striking distance of their all-time high of 58 cents.

On current valuation grounds, K-Tig commands a market capitalisation of around $63 million, with more than 125.8 million shares outstanding.

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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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