• 3 under-appreciated income stocks yielding 4-9%: Motley Fool CIO Scott Phillips, on ausbiz

    piles of australian one hundred dollar notes

    Scott Phillips joined the ausbiz team to discuss three ASX companies that are offering impressive grossed-up dividend yields.

    No, they’re not the usual suspects — not a bank or telco in sight — but three companies you should have on your investment radar if you’re trying to beat the market and like your dividends, too!

    https://fast.wistia.com/embed/medias/dwrrcrzzmk.jsonphttps://fast.wistia.com/assets/external/E-v1.js

    You can find the original video at www.ausbiz.com.au or by clicking here.

    Where to invest $1,000 right now

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for more than eight years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    Scott just revealed what he believes are the five best ASX stocks for investors to buy right now. These stocks are trading at dirt-cheap prices and Scott thinks they are great buys right now.

    *Returns as of February 15th 2021

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    Scott Phillips owns shares of ADAIRS FPO. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. recommends ADAIRS FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Brickworks. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Accent Group and ADAIRS 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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  • Why ASX 200 energy shares should outshine as inflation picks up

    stock chart depicting oil and gas with up arrows representing oil search share price

    The great inflation debate continues.

    And the question many S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) investors are asking is, which shares in my portfolio will suffer if inflation picks up and which ASX 200 shares will perform best.

    Now, there’s no consensus yet on when inflation will truly pick up the pace.

    The Reserve Bank of Australia has echoed other leading central banks like the US Federal Reserve and European Central Bank in saying it’s not overly concerned with inflation in the next few years. That could mean interest rates indeed remain at rock bottom levels until 2024. But global bond markets have been indicating a potentially different outcome. The US 10-year Treasury yield currently stands at 1.69%. While that’s low by historic standards, it’s well above the 1.04% yield as recently as 27 January.

    So what should ASX 200 investors concerned about rising inflation do?

    Risk of inflation above 3% increasing

    Christian Mueller-Glissmann is the managing director for portfolio strategy and asset allocation at Goldman Sachs Group Inc.

    As Bloomberg reports, Mueller-Glissmann says that “A scenario of sustained inflation above 3% and rising is not our base case, but that risk has definitely increased compared with the previous cycle.”

    So how does Goldman Sachs recommend investors position themselves if indeed we’re in for a run of high inflation?

    If you’re thinking of the old fallback, gold, you may want to think again.

    According to Mueller-Glissmann:

    We found that during a high inflation backdrop, commodities, especially oil, are the best hedge. They have the best track record in the past 100 years to protect you from unanticipated inflation – one that’s driven by scarcity of goods and services, and even wage inflation like that in the late 60s. Equities have a mixed tracked record. We like value stocks as they are short duration.

    The biggest surprise is gold. People often see gold as the most obvious inflation hedge. But it all depends on the Fed’s reaction function to inflation. If the central bank doesn’t anchor back-end yields, then gold is probably not a good choice as real yields might rise. We see index-linked bonds as in the same camp as gold.

    There are a number of ASX oil shares that could help protect you from unanticipated inflation.

    Indeed, though Donald Horne may have intended it ironically when he labelled Australia the Lucky Country in his 1964 novel of the same name, Australia has a vast trove of oil and gas reserves, along with numerous other valuable resources.

    Two leading ASX 200 oil shares

    For the purposes of this article, we’ll stick with 2 of the dominant ASX 200 oil shares.

    First up is Santos Ltd (ASX:STO).

    The Santos share price is slipping today, down 2%, but Santos shares remain up 12% for the year. Over the past 12 months, the Santos share price has soared 146%, compared to a 48% gain on the ASX 200. At the current price of $17.18 per share, Santos has a market cap of $15.0 billion. Santos pays a dividend yield of 1.3%, fully franked. Morgan Stanley has a buy rating on Santos shares.

    Next, we turn to Oil Search Ltd (ASX:OSH).

    Oil Search shares are also sliding today, down just over. Year-to-date the Oil Search share price is up 13% with shares up 132% over the past 12 months. At the current $4.25 per share, Oil Search has a market cap of $8.9 billion. Oil Search pays an annual dividend yield of 1.7%, unfranked.

    Where to invest $1,000 right now

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for more than eight years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    Scott just revealed what he believes are the five best ASX stocks for investors to buy right now. These stocks are trading at dirt-cheap prices and Scott thinks they are great buys right now.

    *Returns as of February 15th 2021

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    Motley Fool contributor Bernd Struben 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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  • Why the Xero (ASX:XRO) share price is outperforming today

    xero share price

    The Xero Limited (ASX: XRO) is outperforming its peers and the broader market after the stock was upgraded by a leading broker today.

    The Xero share price is leading the WAAAX cohort of ASX tech darlings when it jumped 1.6% to $121.49 in the last hour of trade.

    In contrast, the Appen Ltd (ASX: APX) share price gained 1.1% to $18.21, while the Altium Limited (ASX: ALU) share price, Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) share price and WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC) share price slumped between 1% and 2% each.

    Xero share price defying the tech gloom

    ASX technology shares have been on the nose lately as rising bond yields reduced appetite for high growth shares trading on expensive multiples.

    But this could be the right time to be buying the Xero share price after Credit Suisse upgraded the cloud accounting software company to “outperform” from “neutral”.

    “Following a share price rally in late CY20 that we believe disconnected from fundamentals, the XRO share price is now slightly below where it was at its mid-November result,” said the broker.

    “Yet over that time, it has made an attractive acquisition, we have received further positive industry   datapoints and we believe has continued another four months of ~20% revenue growth.”

    Acquisition not a Xero-sum game

    The attractive acquisition that Credit Suisse was referring to is workforce management platform, Planday. Xero paid €183.5 million for the business earlier this month.

    “The acquisition provides a complementary offering across staff scheduling, time tracking, vacation management, payroll and reporting, and expands the TAM, which we estimate at >NZ$2.5bn across XRO’s existing markets,” added Credit Suisse.

    This highlights an interesting question. Will other ASX tech darlings use their still high-flying share price to make acquisitions in order to justify their current valuations?

    It’s a trend worth keeping a close eye on as most takeovers destroy value for the bidder.

    Operating conditions may be better than expected

    But the acquisition isn’t the only reason for Credit Suisse’s bullish view on the shares.

    Industry trends, business closures and incorporations in key markets and upbeat commentary from key competitor Quickbooks are leading the broker to believe that Xero’s operating conditions are better than what some are expecting.

    Investors won’t have to wait long to find out if Credit Suisse is right. The company will release its earnings results on 13 May and that could be a catalyst for the Xero share price.

    How much is the Xero share price worth?

    “We forecast group sales growth roughly in-line with the first half, which we believe is enough to support the share price at current levels,” said the broker.

    “Looking forward, we believe a global rollout of Planday (likely in order of existing user base size) will be viewed positively although note localisation poses complexity and will require time, and competition is increasing in the space.”

    Credit Suisse lifted its 12-month price target on the Xero share price to $136 from $119 a share.

    Where to invest $1,000 right now

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for more than eight years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    Scott just revealed what he believes are the five best ASX stocks for investors to buy right now. These stocks are trading at dirt-cheap prices and Scott thinks they are great buys right now.

    *Returns as of February 15th 2021

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    Brendon Lau has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Connect with me on Twitter @brenlau.

    The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of Appen Ltd and WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. recommends Altium. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of AFTERPAY T FPO, Altium, and Xero. 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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  • Is now the time to invest into the CSL (ASX:CSL) share price?

    wondering about asx share price represented by man surrounded by question marks

    The CSL Limited (ASX: CSL) share price has taken a hammering in recent weeks, falling as low as $242.00 at the start of this month. At the time of writing, CSL shares are trading for $260.57, up 0.15%.  The global biotech has struggled to regain its limelight due to COVID-19 vaccine concerns as well as plasma collections.

    However, with the vaccine’s latest developments, is now the time to invest into CSL shares?

    Vaccine update

    The CSL share price has barely lifted off despite the positive news released on over the weekend.

    According to reports, the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) advised it had approved local production of the COVID-19 AstraZeneca vaccine. This indeed has alleviated concerns caused from either the suspension or slow importation of the much-needed vaccines. Italy blocked the export of 250,000 AstraZeneca vaccine doses that were destined for Australia in early March.

    The TGA green-light will see CSL manufacture up to 50 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine across two Melbournian sites. The first, located in Broadmeadows, will produce the active raw vaccine material. The second facility, situated in Parkville, will create the final vaccine doses along with vials filled and packaged for distribution.

    Each batch is expected to be quality control tested, and approved by the TGA, CSL and AstraZeneca before being released.

    CSL plans to manufacture around 1 million COVID-19 doses each week. So far, almost 300,00 people have been vaccinated in Australia.

    Plasma collections

    The key downside risk for CSL remains its plasma collections — an essential raw material used to make life-saving therapies. Derived from people donating blood, plasma volumes are estimated to be around 20% down when compared against December 2019 levels.

    CSL has previously noted that there is a lead time of several months between plasma collections and product sales. In addition, the cost per litre of plasma increased by up to 20% in the first-half of 2021.

    To address the concerns, the company has moved to open an additional 12 clinics in the near-future. It hopes by expanding its presence, people will be more inclined to donate blood. Currently, CSL has a global network of more than 270 plasma collections centres throughout the United States, Europe, and China.

    Furthermore, the company has also reached out to potential donors through targeted marketing initiatives. This includes social media influencers encouraging to give blood, as well as increased monetary incentives (up to US$700 each month).

    CSL share price summary

    The CSL share price has uncharacteristically been a poor performer in the past 12 months, falling 7%. The company’s shares reached a 52-week high of $332.68 last April on the back of a sharp market rebound.

    While its shares are trading around what they were back in October 2019, investing for the long-term is a foolproof way to increase wealth. Blue-chip companies such as CSL have an outstanding track record to deliver strong returns over time.

    Where to invest $1,000 right now

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for more than eight years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    Scott just revealed what he believes are the five best ASX stocks for investors to buy right now. These stocks are trading at dirt-cheap prices and Scott thinks they are great buys right now.

    *Returns as of February 15th 2021

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    Aaron Teboneras owns shares of CSL Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of CSL 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 QEM (ASX:QEM) share price is up 15% today, 55% in a week

    bhp share price

    The QEM Ltd (ASX: QEM) share price is surging again today. At the time of writing, the vanadium and energy company’s shares are trading for 27 cents, up 15.22% from yesterday’s closing price.

    Let’s take a look at what’s driving the QEM share price higher.

    Floating away on hydrogen  

    While there is no news from QEM so far this week, today’s gains may be residual from the company’s big news last Monday.

    On 15 March, the company announced it will be pursuing a hydrogen initiative in outback Queensland. Both the announcement and an accompanying investor presentation released two days later sent the QEM share price soaring. Last Monday, the QEM share price rose by an astonishing 101%. Then, on Wednesday, it rose by another 6.4%.

    Yesterday, a day of no news, still saw the company’s share price rocketing 53% and it seems to be following a similar trajectory today.

    3 key drivers

    Over the last eight days, the company has shared three key happenings that have boosted the QEM share price. Firstly, as mentioned, the company announced its intention to produce ‘green’ hydrogen by using solar power to separate hydrogen from water – a process known as electrolysis. It is exploring opportunities to do so at its Julia Creek site.

    Secondly, it shared it is seeking a number of government loans and grants with a combined value of more than $2.88 billion. The company believes it’s eligible for funding from various federal and Queensland government initiatives, including the Northern Australian Infrastructure Facility and the Strategic Blueprint for the North West Minerals Provence.

    Finally, the company reiterated the importance of its Julia Creek site as an oil shale reserve and producer of vanadium. QEM hopes to make its oil production more sustainable by using its hydrogen resource to hydrogenate oil produced at Julia Creek.

    QEM share price snapshot

    Today’s gains included, the QEM share price has rallied by more than 195% since the start of the month and around 188% year to date. It is also up by 278% over the last 12 months.

    QEM has a market capitalisation of around $23 million, with approximately 100 million shares outstanding.

    Where to invest $1,000 right now

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for more than eight years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    Scott just revealed what he believes are the five best ASX stocks for investors to buy right now. These stocks are trading at dirt-cheap prices and Scott thinks they are great buys right now.

    *Returns as of February 15th 2021

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    Motley Fool contributor Brooke Cooper 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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  • What’s going on with ASX uranium share Marenica Energy’s (ASX:MEY) share price today?

    flat asx share price represented by investor shrugging

    The Marenica Energy Ltd (ASX: MEY) share price was on the move earlier today. However, after posting gains of 3.3% in afternoon trading, the share price is currently flat.

    This comes after the ASX uranium explorer reported successful early results at one of its projects in Namibia.  In addition, Marenica currently holds the largest area of uranium exploration leases in the African nation.

    What uranium exploration results did Marenica Energy report?

    Marenica’s shares moved higher earlier today after the company reported it had discovered an extensive palaeochannel system during its maiden geophysical exploration program at its Namib IV prospect.

    The exploration program is intended to reveal uranium mineralisation zones. Additionally, the company said the system it has discovered extends for more than 19 kilometres.

    Management commentary

    Commenting on the exploration results, Marenica’s managing director, Murray Hill said:

    The structure of this palaeochannel system at Namib IV is extremely promising and we look forward to mobilising a drill rig, within weeks, to test this expansive system.

    The other great news is that we are getting closer to commencing an airborne EM [electromagnetic] survey of the Namib Area with final approvals expected this month. The airborne EM is expected to outline new and extensive palaeochannel systems and enable rapid planning of detailed drill programs on highly prospective targets.

    According to the release, the EM survey should commence in early April and cover 6,300 linear kilometres. Due to COVID-19  impacts, the survey had been delayed.

    Marenica Energy share price snapshot

    Marenica Energy shares have performed exceptionally well over the past 12 months, up 288%. That compares to a 49% gain on the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO).

    Year-to-date the Marenica share price is up 11%. At the current price of 16 cents per share, the ASX uranium minnow has a market cap of $33 million.

    Where to invest $1,000 right now

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for more than eight years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    Scott just revealed what he believes are the five best ASX stocks for investors to buy right now. These stocks are trading at dirt-cheap prices and Scott thinks they are great buys right now.

    *Returns as of February 15th 2021

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    Motley Fool contributor Bernd Struben 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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  • Afterpay and Zip were among the most traded ASX shares last week

    A rockstar stands bathed in the spotlight and camera flashes from photographers, indicating a the most popular and successful share on the market

    Australia’s leading investment platform provider CommSec has released data on the most traded ASX shares on its platform from last week.

    Here’s the data:

    Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P)

    Zip continued its run as being the most traded ASX share for a sixth week in a row. The buy now pay later (BNPL) provider’s shares were attributable to 2.4% of trades on the CommSec platform last week, with 55% coming from buyers. Due to weakness in the tech sector, the Zip share price lost 3.5% of its value during the period.

    88 Energy Ltd (ASX: 88E)

    A surprise addition to the top five was this energy exploration company’s shares ,which were responsible for 1.7% of trades on CommSec. Although its shares surged 36% higher last week, the buying and selling was evenly split. Interestingly, the volume of shares traded was so high it prompted an ASX query. 88Energy advised that it was not aware why its shares were in demand. Though, it notes that it had recently announced the commencement of drilling of the Merlin-1 exploration in Alaska.

    Betashares Nasdaq 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ)

    This exchange traded fund (ETF) was popular with investors again last week. The NDQ ETF accounted for 1.4% of trades on CommSec over the five days, with 78% coming from the buy side. The US tech-focused ETF lost 1.3% of its value last week.

    Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT)

    Afterpay was among the most traded shares on CommSec again last week. It was attributable to 1.4% of trades on the platform, with the buying and selling evenly split at 52% to 48%, respectively. The sellers will have been the happier group, with the Afterpay share price losing 4.5% of its value last week. This was the fourth week in a row of declines.

    Oneview Healthcare PLC (ASX: ONE)

    Oneview Healthcare shares were another surprise addition to the top five. The healthcare software company’s shares were responsible for 1.4% of trades on CommSec, with buyers making up 57% of these trades. Those buyers will have been delighted to see the Oneview Healthcare share price jump 130% over the five days thanks to a new strategic investment.

    Where to invest $1,000 right now

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for more than eight years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    Scott just revealed what he believes are the five best ASX stocks for investors to buy right now. These stocks are trading at dirt-cheap prices and Scott thinks they are great buys right now.

    *Returns as of February 15th 2021

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    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 BETANASDAQ ETF UNITS and ZIPCOLTD FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of AFTERPAY T FPO. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended BETANASDAQ ETF UNITS. 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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  • Deep Yellow (ASX:DYL) share price wobbles as demand burgeons

    2 people at mining site, bhp share price, mining shares

    The Deep Yellow Limited (ASX: DYL) share price spent most of the day 4% higher than yesterday’s closing price, but has dropped this afternoon after the company made an announcement. The uranium exploration company announced its share purchase plan, intended to raise $2 million, was heavy oversubscribed.

    The company received applications for more than 3.7 times the number of shares available within the purchase plan.

    At the time of writing, the Deep Yellow share price is 75 cents, flat on yesterday’s close.

    Let’s look more into this afternoon’s announcement from Deep Yellow.

    Oversubscribed share purchase plan

     On the ASX, there are oversubscribed share purchase plans, and then there’s what happened to Deep Yellow.

    The company intended to offer a maximum of approximately 3,076,000 shares but received applications for 11,420,000.

    Apparently, excited investors must have felt the offered price of 65 cents per share was a bargain.

    The company will now conduct a pro-rata scale-back of applications. Each investor who placed an application with the company will receive 26.94% of the shares they applied to receive. Meaning Deep Yellow will be handing out its intended number of shares.

    The issued shares are expected to be issued and allotted on 29 March.

    Interested investors will begin to receive refunds from Deep Yellow for any excess shares they wished to purchase in the plan that they were unable to receive.

    More about Deep Yellow 

    Deep Yellow is a differentiated, advanced uranium exploration company. It is still in development phase but has plans to become world-wide geographically diverse asset portfolio.

    The company states its long-term outlook is positive due to the role nuclear power will have in meeting clean energy targets.

    Currently, Deep Yellow has 3 projects underway in Namibia.

    Deep Yellow share price snapshot

    The Deep Yellow share price is having a great year. It is currently up 50% year to date and an incredible 525% over the last 12 months.

    The company has a market capitalisation of around $241.5 million, with approximately 322 million shares outstanding.

    Where to invest $1,000 right now

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for more than eight years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    Scott just revealed what he believes are the five best ASX stocks for investors to buy right now. These stocks are trading at dirt-cheap prices and Scott thinks they are great buys right now.

    *Returns as of February 15th 2021

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    Motley Fool contributor Brooke Cooper 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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  • Why is the Telstra (ASX:TLS) share price having such a good week?

    rising ASX Telstra share price represented by man jumping in the air for joy looking at mobile phone

    The Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS) share price is having a great day today. At the time of writing, Telstra shares are up 2.15% to $3.32 a share. That’s roughly the highest Telstra has climbed since August last year. But Telstra is also having a great week. Over the past 5 trading days, Telstra is up more than 5.5%. The Telstra share price is also up 8.3% since 11 March, and up 10.13% year to date.

    So what’s going on with the ASX’s biggest telco?

    What does the Telstra share price have going for it in 2021?

    There’s a lot going for Telstra right now in the eyes of many investors. The ASX is abuzz with rising bond yields and talk of future inflation down the road. Record stimulus over in the US is fuelling these fears, now that the passage of the Biden administration’s US$1.9 trillion stimulus package has passed. Commitments from central banks around the world, including our own Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), to keep record low-interest rates and quantitative easing (QE) programs in place are also helping.

    Since Telstra provides services (like internet, mobile phones and data) that are ‘needs’ rather than ‘wants’ these days, it could be viewed by investors as an inflation-resistant company. That’s because if inflation did hit, Telstra could probably raise its prices to keep up without losing customers. That’s all theoretical of course, but it is worth considering.

    Further, Telstra also has an attractive dividend yield in the current market. The telco kept its generous 16 cents per share dividend intact through all of last year. It has also all-but-promised to do so again this year. On current pricing, that dividend is worth a yield of 4.82%, or 6.88% grossed-up with Telstra’s full franking. That compares very well against other ASX 200 blue chips like the banks right now.

    Hitting the switchboard

    Telstra has also been the talk of the town following an update to its proposed legal restructuring this week. Yesterday, Telstra told the markets that its proposed restructure, which will involve separating the company into four divisions under ‘The Telstra Group’, would be completed by December 2021. That’s if it gets shareholder approval at its October annual general meeting, of course.

    Many investors are hoping that this restructure will unlock a lot of value for shareholders. Investors are particularly excited about the new InfraCo Fixed division, which will house Telstra’s fixed-line infrastructure assets. These include fibre ducts, data centres and exchanges. There is also the elephant in the room – the potential that InfraCo could bid for the government-owned nbn network once it goes up for sale.

    It’s likely that a combination of these factors has been what’s behind the strength in the Telstra share price of late.

    Where to invest $1,000 right now

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for more than eight years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    Scott just revealed what he believes are the five best ASX stocks for investors to buy right now. These stocks are trading at dirt-cheap prices and Scott thinks they are great buys right now.

    *Returns as of February 15th 2021

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    Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen owns shares of Telstra Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Telstra 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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  • A2 Milk (ASX:A2M) shares and one other slapped with sell ratings

    Dairy ASX share price represented by fish eye view of dairy cows in paddock

    A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX: A2M) and Bubs Australia Ltd (ASX: BUB) shares have slumped to multi-year lows as COVID-19 has put a halt on any near-term growth prospects.

    While some investors may perceive these heavily discounted infant formula shares as a bargain, Citi thinks the Bubs and A2 Milk share prices are headed lower. 

    A2 Milk share price rated as a sell 

    Citi analysts have paid close attention to the results of Feihe, the largest and most highly recognised Chinese infant milk formula company. Feihe reported an online and offline market share of 17.20% in Q3 2020, with an ambitious goal to have at least 30% market share by 2023. The broker believes that competition is likely to continue for foreign infant milk formula players such as A2. 

    Citi maintained a sell rating for A2 Milk shares with a $7.15 target price. The broker believes that reseller inventory could be moving closer to expiry, forcing them to sell it at a discount. 

    Taking a look at the bigger picture, Citi highlights ongoing pressures with birthrates as a threat to infant formula demand. It also believes that Australia-China geopolitical tensions could ultimately restrict inventory flow.

    Citi isn’t the only one bearish on the A2 Milk share price. The Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) announced on Tuesday it had reduced its stake in A2 Milk from 46.9 million shares or 6.34% of the company to 39.5 million shares or 5.32%. 

    Bubs also slapped with a sell 

    Citi also highlighted increasing competition as a key challenge for the Bubs share price. The growing market share of Chinese brands is likely to weigh on its growth prospects. 

    The broker believes that COVID-19 has delayed and increased the uncertainty with the company’s pathway to profitability. As a result, Citi rates the Bubs share price as a sell with a 35 cent target price. 

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    Kerry Sun has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. 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. 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.

    The post A2 Milk (ASX:A2M) shares and one other slapped with sell ratings appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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