• Demoted AMP exec paid $1m bonus for 53 days’ work

    Exterior of a bank building

    Demoted AMP Ltd (ASX: AMP) executive Boe Pahari was paid close to a $1 million bonus for running AMP Capital for all of 53 days.

    The disclosure was made Wednesday in the company’s annual report.

    The report stated Pahari was a beneficiary of the AMP Capital Enterprise Profit Share (EPS) plan for his role as global head of infrastructure equity and the northwest region.

    “The prorated amount of the EPS award was $937,724 for the time during which he was the chief executive, AMP Capital.”

    Why was Pahari only in the position for 53 days?

    Pahari was promoted to AMP Capital chief on 1 July last year.

    But in August explosive details of sexual harassment allegations made against him were publicly revealed.

    This included Pahari sending the female subordinate on a gratuitous trip to the UK, then allegedly saying she made him look like a “limp dick” when she refused his offer to buy her clothing. 

    He was also accused of extending her accommodation against her wishes then suggesting they communicate on Whatsapp to avoid scrutiny.

    AMP’s share price tanked as investors called for Pahari’s head.

    The company initially defended the promotion. But the subsequent pressure became too much to bear and Pahari was demoted back on 23 August — after just 53 days in the position.

    Chair David Murray and board member John Fraser also exited that day.

    AMP staff outraged about Pahari’s bonus

    AMP shareholders have seen the stock price tumble from $5.43 just 3 years ago to now $1.46.

    But it seems they might not be the only ones wondering about the generous bonus to Pahari.

    According to AFR.com, a staff town hall meeting on Wednesday went haywire with employees complaining about the generosity to the executive.

    After a tough 2020, the financial services giant had put on a pay rise freeze and is currently seeking to cut 20% of its workforce while it sells off a part of the business to a US buyer.

    AMP also released its annual sustainability report on Wednesday, which confirmed the Pahari scandal had an impact on the workforce.

    “In the second half, disclosure of workplace conduct and consequence management issues had a negative impact on engagement which increased talent risk for AMP.”

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  • Why did the Latin Resources (ASX:LRS) share price bomb 14% today?

    asx share price crash represented by iron ball smashing into piggy bank

    The Latin Resources Ltd (ASX: LRS) share price bombed today, despite announcing good news this morning.

    The mineral exploration company is a favourite with Reddit investors and, even after today’s fall, currently has an incredible 12 month return of 1,600%.

    At close of trade today, Latin Resources’ share price is 5.3 cents.

    What did Latin Resources announce?

    The company announced this morning that the second batch of samples from its Noombenberry project have shown the same ultra-bright white kaolin and high-grade halloysite as the first batch.

    Latin Resources is the sole owner of Noombenberry, located in Western Australia.

    The company also stated today that it has plenty of cash to fund the additional drilling needed to extend the maiden resource estimate. Especially, due to the shallow nature of the minerals found and the consistency of assay results.

    The announced today results included:

    • 17 metres at 12% halloysite and 65% kaolinite from 3 metres, including:
      • 3 metres at 23% halloysite and 65% kaolinite from 8 metres.
    • 10 metres at 10% halloysite and 80% kaolinite from 2 metres.
    • 16 metres at 7% halloysite and 65% kaolinite from 5 metres, including:
      • 4 metres at 14% halloysite and 66% kaolinite from 9 metres.

    and

    • 17 metres at 5% halloysite and 87% kaolinite from 10 metres, including:
      • 5 metres at 12% halloysite and 67% kaolinite from 22 metres.  

    Both kaolin and halloysite are clay-like materials. They both can be used in the production of porcelain and fine china, although, generally, only kaolin is used for this purpose. Halloysite is most often used in industrial applications, particularly in the refining of petroleum.

    Management commentary

    Latin Resources executive director Chris Gale said the company was pleased to see its initial results mirrored in this batch of samples.

    We now have results for over 50 of our 197 holes drilled at Noombenberry, and we are seeing continuity and consistency of the high-grade halloysite and bright to ultra-bright white kaolinite. This is shaping up to be a very large and more importantly, a high-quality deposit that we expect will command strong attention from potential end-users.

    Work is well underway on building our geological wireframes, so that we can be ready to commence the resource estimate as soon as all of our test work results have been received. The team is focused on fast tracking this process, as well as looking toward the next phase of drilling to extend our coverage to the north, where our initial results show the mineralisation remain open.

    More about Latin Resources

    Noombenberry is Latin Resources’ first foray into mining kaolinite and halloysite. It has previously made a name for itself as a miner of gold, copper and lithium.

    The company has mines in Australia and South America – mining gold in New South Wales; copper in Peru; and lithium in Argentina and Brazil.

    Latin Resources share price snapshot

    A true marvel, despite today’s drop, the Latin Resources share price is currently up by 1600% over the past 12 months with a year to date return of 93%.

    Latin Resources share price is now 5 cents, having dropped 1 cent since opening this morning.

    The company has a market capitalisation of $81.1 million with approximately 1.3 billion shares outstanding.

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  • Here’s why the Fortescue (ASX:FMG) share price sank 8% today

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    The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) ended its winning streak on Wednesday by dropping 0.85% to 6,714.1 points.

    While a good number of shares dropped lower with the index, the worst performer by some distance was the Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG) share price.

    The iron ore producer’s shares ended the day a disappointing 8% lower at $20.33.

    Why did the Fortescue share price sink 8% on Wednesday?

    Investors were selling Fortescue’s shares on Wednesday following a sharp decline in the iron ore price overnight.

    According to CommSec, the spot iron ore price lost US$10.55 a tonne or 6.1% of its value to close the session at US$163.60 a tonne.

    This didn’t just weigh on the Fortescue share price, it also hit the shares of BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) and Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO) hard as well. The BHP share price fell 3% and the Rio Tinto share price tumbled 5% today.

    And spare a thought for the Australian share market’s latest IPO – Genmin Limited (ASX: GEN).

    The West African-focused iron ore explorer and developer’s shares hit the ASX boards this afternoon after raising $30 million at a listing price of 34 cents per share. This gave it a market capitalisation of approximately $136 million.

    The unfortunate timing led to the Genmin share price losing 13% of its value on its first day of trade.

    Why did the iron ore price tumble?

    Traders were selling the steel-making ingredient on Tuesday night after developments in China.

    According to CommSec, authorities in the steel-making hub of Tangshan, China have imposed steel production restrictions to counter heavy air pollution.

    This has sparked fears that demand could soften and the elevated prices that iron ore is commanding could come under pressure.

    Given how most analysts are forecasting these strong prices to stick around for longer, investors appear nervous that earnings estimates for the miners could be downgraded if prices continue to slide.

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  • Why this fundie tips Australian Vintage (ASX:AVG) shares

    treasury wine shares

    When you think of ASX listed wine shares, Treasury Wine Estates Ltd (ASX: TWE) is likely the first one to come to mind. And for good reason.

    The iconic Aussie wine company has a market cap of more than $8 billion, with a portfolio of globally recognised names including the likes of Penfolds, Beringer, Lindemans and Wolf Blass.

    But as you likely know, Treasury Wine has been struggling to diversify from its dependence on the Chinese market, following import restrictions from the Chinese government.

    Which brings us to a lesser-known ASX wine share, Australian Vintage Ltd (ASX: AVG), with a market cap of $202 million. You may be familiar with the company’s McGuigan Wines brand.

    Why this fundie likes Australian Vintage shares

    Simon Mawhinney is contrarian fund manager Allan Gray Australia’s chief investment officer. According to the Australian Financial Review, Allan Gray owns 19.6% of Australian Vintages shares.

    Why?

    According to Mawhinney:

    It’s always been our view that Australian Vintage’s earnings potential was much higher. It still trades at a hefty discount to its Net Tangible Assets and appears cheap to us, on a (price earnings) multiple of 10 times its most recent earnings guidance. It looks a lot cheaper than similar wine companies in Australia and elsewhere.

    The AFR notes that Australian Vintage has run into some snags in past years, with grape-supply contract issues seeing the company enter the lower-profit margin bulk wine market.

    But as Mawhinney points out, that’s no longer predominantly the case:

    The company has spent a lot of energy exiting those significant, onerous grape contracts. The majority of its wine is now sold in some branded form. That should make its earnings less volatile and improve returns over time.

    Australian Vintage share price snapshot

    Without a doubt it’s been a good 12 months for Australian Vintage shareholders, with shares up 61% since 10 March last year. For comparison the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) is up 16% in that same time.

    Year-to-date the Australian Vintage share price is up 25%. Based on the current price of 73 cents per share, Australian Vintage pays an annual dividend yield of 3.8%.

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  • Is Nine Entertainment (ASX:NEC) eyeing up regional broadcaster WIN?

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    The Nine Entertainment Co Holdings Ltd (ASX: NEC) share price was relatively unmoved today after speculation emerged the company may purchase the WIN Corporation.

    After edging slightly higher throughout the day, the Nine share price closed flat at $3.00 per share. In contrast, the S&P/ASX 200 Index finished the day down 0.84%.

    Let’s take a closer look.

    Nine wants a WIN

    The Australian is reporting Nine Entertainment is in talks with WIN chair Bruce Gordon about absorbing his business into Australia’s largest publicly listed media company. WIN Corporation owns the WIN regional television network, Crawford publications, and several local radio stations.

    It is reported Gordon sold his shares in Prime Media Group Limited (ASX: PRT) to the owners of Rural Press Ltd. That move coming, allegedly, as Gordon looks to focus his attention on a potential deal with Nine. The Australian also reported that Rural Press is looking to take over Prime Media.

    The article claims Gordon will be paid in scrips (i.e. a promissory note for shares in Nine). The paper speculates the deal could be worth anywhere between $50 million to $100 million.

    Gordon, through company Birketu Pty Ltd, already has a 15% stake in Nine Entertainment. The Australian claims any deal will likely see Gordon own enough shares to be elevated to the board. If this were the case, it would be yet another change to the revolving door of the Nine board.

    If Nine were to purchase WIN, it would likely end its affiliation deal with Southern Cross Media Group Ltd (ASX: SXL).

    Other news

    As previously reported, Nine is in the process of replacing long-time CEO Hugh Marks. Marks, whose tenure ends at the end of the month, is being replaced by Mike Sneesby. Sneesby is the soon-to-be-former head of Stan Australia.

    Nine has been delivering results to its investors. Channel Nine show Married at First Sight is currently the highest-rated program on Australian TV. On top of this, a Nielsen report from January, as reported by Mediaweek, listed nine.com.au, the Sydney Morning Herald, and The Age as the number 2, 5, and 8 most viewed news websites in Australia, respectively.

    Nine Entertainment share price snapshot

    Since its merger with Fairfax Holdings, the Nine company has been in its strongest position yet. The share price has increased 114.5% on this time last year. Just last week, the media conglomerate broke its 52-week share price record, twice!

    Given its current valuation, Nine Entertainment has a market capitalisation of $5.1 billion.

    Where to invest $1,000 right now

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    Motley Fool contributor Marc Sidarous has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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  • Here’s why the Piedmont (ASX:PLL) share price jumped 10% today

    Share price jump represented by goldfish leaping from small fishbowl to larger bowl

    The Piedmont Lithium Ltd (ASX: PLL) share price jumped 10% in today’s trade to close at 88 cents a share. 

    The gain comes after this morning’s announcement about a change in substantial holdings.

    Here’s a wrap of Piedmont’s latest release and what else has been happening in the lithium industry lately.

    BNYMC beefs up holdings, Piedmont share price shoots

    The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (BNYMC) increased its Piedmont holdings by approximately 15 million shares.

    This raises BNYMC’s voting power in the company to 62.99%.

    The Piedmont Lithium share price was also on the move last week. The jump followed the company being granted court approval to pursue shareholder approval to redomicile from Australia to the United States.

    Piedmont lists a number of benefits attached to the US move. Among them are lower compliance costs, acquisition opportunities, improved access to US capital markets, and a simplified corporate structure.

    Australia’s first lithium hydroxide plant dukes it out

    Meanwhile, the Australian Financial Review reports that the engineers of Australia’s first lithium hydroxide plant are still in court battling the Chinese entity Tianqi for roughly $39 million in fees.

    MSP Engineering was appointed to build the plant for Tianqi, which is now selling part of its stake to IGO Ltd (ASX: IGO) prior to paying the engineers.

    The move positions IGO amongst the predicted-to-be booming lithium industry in Western Australia. Speaking to AFR about supply and demand in the lithium market, IGO Managing Director Peter Bradford said:

    With the underlying electric vehicle, clean energy thematic, the worst thing that can happen there is that the supply side is unable to meet demand and we actually slow down the roll-out of electric vehicles etc.

    Piedmont share price snapshot

    Piedmont Lithium focuses on the development of its 100% owned Piedmont Lithium Project in North Carolina, USA.

    Over the past 6 months, the Piedmont share price blasted 872% higher.

    Where to invest $1,000 right now

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  • 2 buy-rated small cap ASX shares growing rapidly

    A happy woman raises her face in celebration, indicating positive share price movement on the ASX

    The good news is that if you’re a fan of small cap shares, there are a number of companies at the small end of the market with the potential to grow materially in the future.

    Two that investors might want to get better acquainted with are listed below. Here’s what you need to know about them:

    Adore Beauty Group Limited (ASX: ABY)

    The first small cap ASX share to look at is Adore Beauty. It is Australia’s leading online beauty retailer. Due to the tech selloff, the Adore Beauty share price is now trading materially lower than its IPO price of $6.75. This is despite the company smashing expectations during the first half of FY 2021 with strong sales and operating profit growth.

    For the six months ended 31 December, Adore Beauty delivered revenue of $96.2 million and EBITDA of $5.2 million. This was up 85% and 188%, respectively, over the prior corresponding period. This result went down well with analysts at UBS. In response to its release, the broker put a buy rating with a $6.20 price target.

    Mach7 Technologies Ltd (ASX: M7T)

    Another small cap ASX share to look at is Mach7. It is a medical imaging data management solutions provider.

    Demand for its award-winning enterprise imaging platform has been growing strongly in recent years, leading to very strong annualised recurring revenue (ARR) growth.

    For example, at end of the first half of FY 2021, Mach7 revealed that its ARR had grown to $10.2 million. This was up a sizeable 88% on the prior corresponding period. Another big positive is that its ARR now provides 64% coverage of its operating expenses. This means the company is well-placed to start making a profit in the near future.

    Morgans is a fan of the company and appears to have been happy with its performance. In response to its results, the broker retained its add rating and lifted its price target to $1.68.

    Where to invest $1,000 right now

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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 and recommends MACH7 FPO. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended MACH7 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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  • These 4 ASX shares just got upgraded to a ‘buy’ rating

    wooden blocks spelling deal with one block saying yes and no representing wesfarmers share price

    The anticipated recovery in the real economy, vaccine rollout, and rising interest rates have seen a rapid rotation to cyclical sectors while beating up tech and growth-related ASX shares.

    Here are 4 ASX shares that have been upgraded to a buy or equivalent rating on Wednesday. 

    1. Carsales.com Ltd (ASX: CAR)

    The Carsales share price has been far from inspiring this year but likely caught up in the recent tech-driven selloff. Morgan Stanley thinks that new car sales volumes have turned positive in 2021, which should lift the company’s revenue and bottom line. The broker rates the company as ‘overweight’ with a $23.00 share price target. This represents a 25% upside to its price at the time of writing. 

    2. Nine Entertainment Co Holdings Ltd (ASX: NEC) 

    The Nine share price has soared into record all-time highs thanks to its digital transformation and continued strength in traditional lines of businesses such as free-to-air television, publishing, and radio.

    Morgan Stanley believes that there could be a cyclical rebound in the television advertising market, which could signal continued growth for Nine. The broker rates the company as overweight with a $3.42 target price. This represents a 13% upside to its current share price. 

    3. Qantas Airways Limited (ASX: QAN) 

    UBS is eyeing Qantas’ $1 billion cost reduction program and an improvement in domestic consumption as part of the company’s road to recovery in 2021. The broker thinks both of these factors are taking place, which could result in an operating leverage surprise. UBS rates the Qantas share price as a buy with a $6.20 price target. The current Qantas share price is sitting at $5.19.

    4. Tyro Payments Ltd (ASX: TYR) 

    The Tyro share price is in recovery mode after its terminal debacle earlier this year. Morgan Stanley has been paying attention to the volume of downloads for the company’s mobile app, which is recovering to levels before the terminal outage. The broker thinks that weekly app downloads are a useful indicator about Tyro’s merchant acquisitions, market share and penetration rate. 

    The broker sees the recovery as a positive, rating the company as overweight with a $4.10 target price. Tyro shares are currently swapping hands for $3.23 apiece.

    Where to invest $1,000 right now

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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 Tyro Payments. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended carsales.com 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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  • Is the Accent (ASX:AX1) share price in the buy zone after today’s decline?

    A hand outstretched with questionmarks floating above it, indicating uncertainty about a ahreprice

    The Accent Group Ltd (ASX: AX1) share price has been out of form on Wednesday and is dropping notably lower.

    In late afternoon trade, the footwear focused retailer’s shares are down over 4% to $2.23.

    Despite this decline, the Accent share price is still up a massive 75% over the last 12 months.

    Why is the Accent share price sinking today?

    The good news for shareholders is that today’s decline has nothing to do with the performance of its business.

    Instead, this decline can be attributed to Accent shares trading ex-dividend today for its upcoming interim dividend.

    When a share trades ex-dividend, it tends to drop in line with its payout to reflect the fact that the buyer will not be receiving the dividend.

    In respect to Accent, its eligible shareholders (those that owned shares at the close of trade on Tuesday) can now look forward to receiving its 8 cents per share fully franked dividend in their accounts next week on 18 March.

    Is it too late to buy Accent shares?

    Although the Accent share price is up 75% over the last 12 months, it has been tipped to go even higher in the future.

    According to a note out of Bell Potter from late last month, its analysts currently have a buy rating and $2.65 price target on the company’s shares.

    Based on the current Accent share price, this price target implies potential upside of almost 19% over the next 12 months.

    In addition to this, Bell Potter estimates that its shares offer dividend yields of 5.3% in FY 2021 and 5.5% in FY 2022. This will mean a potential total annual return of approximately 24% if Bell Potter is on the money with its recommendation.

    In light of this, Accent shares could be worth considering if you’re looking for new additions to your portfolio this week.

    Where to invest $1,000 right now

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  • Chinese and Russian hack attacks put ASX cybersecurity shares in spotlight

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    There are new and dangerous bugs running across the world.

    And before you load up on more hand sanitiser and face masks, this isn’t any new COVID variant. Or any kind of physical bug at all.

    But that doesn’t mean these new bugs can’t cause immense damage if left unchecked.

    “A cold and calculated assault”

    It’s been only three months since Russian backed hackers worked their way into the software developed by United States-based Solar Winds Corp (NYSE: SWI). Since then, experts estimate some 18,000 of the company’s customers have been affected by the hack.

    Perhaps sensing a prime moment to strike, industry experts say Chinese backed hackers launched a worldwide attack on Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) last Tuesday 2 March.

    The one-two punch by Russian and Chinese hackers has left cybersecurity firms scrambling to keep up with the demand for their services.

    According to Bloomberg, “tens of thousands of companies” have been impacted by these attacks.

    And it gets worse.

    Like jackals sensing wounded prey, private hackers (as opposed to those empowered by China and Russia) are making the most of the vulnerabilities exposed during the hacking attacks. These include “criminal groups trying to re-purpose secret entry points that China installed in its numerous victims”.

    Commenting on the latest cyberattack, Tom Burt, Microsoft’s corporate vice president for customer security & trust said (quoted by Bloomberg):

    It’s a race. Since the time we went public with the update’s availability, we’ve seen the number of compromised customers just explode. It went up incredibly rapidly and continues to increase.

    Highlighting the overly-coincidental timing of China’s attack, Lior Div, co-founder and chief executive officer of Cybereason added:

    The attack on Microsoft Exchange is a cold and calculated assault. The Chinese attackers know exactly what they are doing. The new administration has been distracted by investigations into another U.S. adversary on the cyber battlefield – Russia – and its calculated breach against SolarWinds.

    If you or your company have been impacted by the hacks, be aware that infiltrators could be able to access all your emails.

    Although Microsoft came out with a security patch last week, experts caution it could take months to rid systems of lingering cyber criminals.

    And as the ACSC cautions, the hackers are busy in Australia as well:

    The Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) has identified extensive targeting, and has confirmed compromises, of Australian organisations with vulnerable Microsoft Exchange deployments. The ACSC is assisting affected organisations with their incident response and remediation.

    The ACSC has identified a large number of Australian organisations are yet to patch vulnerable versions of Microsoft Exchange, leaving them vulnerable to compromise. The ACSC urges these organisations to do so urgently.

    And with many companies now having their staff working from home, with remote access to what are meant to be secure systems, this warning should not be taken lightly.

    ASX cybersecurity shares in the spotlight

    There aren’t many ASX listed cybersecurity companies. The few that are listed in Australia would be classified as very small-cap or microcap shares.

    As articles such as this one have the power to move the share prices of very small companies, I’ll leave you to uncover and research the smaller ASX cybersecurity shares on your own. (Google is a wonderful starting place!)

    With that said, the Betashares Global Cybersecurity ETF (ASX: HACK) offers ASX investors exposure to 40 international cybersecurity providers.

    The exchange-traded fund (ETF) counts Crowdstrike Holding Inc (NASDAQ: CRWD) as its largest holding, with a 7.3% weighting. Zscaler Inc is number 2.

    The HACK share price is up 2% in intraday trading today and up 20% over the past 12 months. By comparison, the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) is up 16% over the last full year.

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    Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Teresa Kersten, an employee of LinkedIn, a Microsoft subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Bernd Struben has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and recommends Alphabet (A shares), Alphabet (C shares), CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc., and Microsoft. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of BETA CYBER ETF UNITS. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Alphabet (A shares) and Alphabet (C shares). 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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