On Thursday the Xero Limited (ASX: XRO) share price tumbled lower with the rest of the tech sector despite the announcement of a new acquisition.

The cloud-based business and accounting platform provider’s shares fell 2.5% to $115.90.

This means the Xero share price is now trading almost 27% lower than its 52-week high.

Is this a buying opportunity?

One broker that sees the weakness in the Xero share price as a buying opportunity is Goldman Sachs.

In response to its acquisition of Planday, this morning the broker retained its buy rating and $157.00 price target on the company’s shares.

Based on the current Xero share price, this price target implies potential upside of 35% for its shares over the next 12 months.

What did Goldman say about the acquisition?

Goldman appears to believe the acquisition would be a meaningful step into Europe.

Its analysts commented: “We see the transaction as a potential meaningful step for XRO in (1) providing a beachhead for core accounting expansion in Scandinavia and Continental Europe where Planday currently operates (we previously estimated Denmark/ Norway/ Sweden / Germany and France have a combined subscriber/revenue TAM of 6.2mn/NZ$1.5bn), (2) building out its App ecosystem (post Waddle, Hubdoc etc.); and (3) driving Planday penetration through Aus/NZ/Other subscribers.”

Why is the Xero share price good value?

Goldman Sachs sees a lot of value in the Xero share price at the current level due to its belief that it has a very long runway for growth.

The broker explained: “Key pillars of our buy thesis are: (1) Xero has a long runway for cloud accounting growth (in existing and new markets); (2) can drive earnings through monetisation of its ecosystem; (3) has highly attractive unit economics; and (4) substantial barriers to entry at scale.”

“Overall, we believe this proposed acquisition is consistent with our positive view on Xero monetising its ecosystem and entering new geographies, with the FY21 result (13th of May) as the next key catalyst,” it added.

This could make it worth taking a closer look at Xero once the volatility in the tech sector eases.

More reading

• ASX 200 sinks, Xero reveals acquisition, ARB driven higher
• Is Altium’s (ASX:ALU) dividend growth star fading?
• Why are ASX tech shares like Afterpay (ASX:APT) so volatile?
• 2 quality SaaS ASX shares to buy in March 2021
• Why the Xero (ASX:XRO) share price is on watch today

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of 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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The Bellevue Gold Ltd (ASX: BGL) share price is one to watch in early trade. Shares in the Aussie mid-cap gold miner could be on the move following an after-market announcement on Thursday evening.

Why is the Bellevue Gold share price on watch?

Bellevue Gold yesterday said it had succeeded in its Supreme Court of Western Australia court hearing. The company’s shares have been in a trading halt as it resolves issues around the appointment of its previous auditors.

The Aussie miner was seeking to “rectify the administrative oversight” related to the appointment of Grant Thornton. That largely centred on the company’s failure to seek shareholder approval for the appointment at an annual general meeting (AGM).

The court yesterday found that the appointment of Grant Thornton as auditor from 20 November 2018 to 2 February 2021, when Ernst & Young were appointed, is not invalid and does not constitute a contravention of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth).

Yesterday’s update means the court has now granted orders to amend these auditor appointment matters and cleansing notices. Bellevue failed to have approval granted at the 2018, 2019 and 2020 AGMs. However, the court found that this did not invalidate Grant Thornton’s appointment.

The Bellevue Gold share price has been frozen since Friday 26 February. Shares in the Aussie gold miner have slumped in 2021 and will be worth watching this morning.

Despite a rocky start to the year, Bellevue shares remain up 30.9% in the last year and 3,500% over the last five years.

Foolish takeaway

The Bellevue Gold share price is one to watch this morning as the miner’s shares return to trade. Bellevue shares have fallen 38.5% in 2021 to 72 cents per share as at Friday 26 February’s close. Gold investors will be watching the mid-cap stock closely after its one-week absence when the ASX boards open up today.

More reading

• Why is the Bellevue Gold (ASX:BGL) share price frozen?
• Why the Bellevue Gold (ASX:BGL) share price is crashing 23% lower today
• Why Bellevue Gold, Coles, NRW, & Perpetual shares are trading lower today

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

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The Australia and New Zealand Banking GrpLtd (ASX: ANZ) share price has been a strong performer over the last six months.

During this time, the banking giant’s shares have rallied a whopping 57% higher.

Is it too late to buy ANZ shares?

According to a note out of Goldman Sachs, the ANZ share price could still be going a little higher from here.

This week the broker upgraded the bank’s shares to a buy rating with a $29.00 price target.

Including the $1.25 per share dividend that the broker expects the bank to pay in FY 2021, this implies a potential total return of 6.5% for ANZ’s shares.

What did Goldman say?

Goldman Sachs made the move for a number of reasons. This includes its balance sheet strength and its net interest margin (NIM).

It explained: “We upgrade ANZ to Buy given: (i) still solid balance sheet momentum, (ii) its 1Q21 trading update highlighted it was well positioned for the current NIM environment,( iii) we think the update on its cost targets expected at its 1H21 result could provide a further catalyst for re-rating, and (iv) our revised A$29.01 TP offers 14% TSR [at the time] and the stock is trading at a 21% discount to peers (9% historic average).”

Can the ANZ share price go even higher?

Goldman Sachs isn’t the only broker that believes the ANZ share price can go higher.

Analysts at Morgans currently have an add rating and $31.00 price target on the bank’s shares.

In addition, the broker is forecasting a $1.45 per share dividend in FY 2021. Based on this and the current ANZ share price, its shares could provide investors with a total return of 14% over the next 12 months.

All in all, while the ANZ share price has rallied strongly over the last six months, the run may not be over.

More reading

• ANZ (ASX:ANZ) share price outperforms on broker “buy” upgrade
• These ASX 200 shares are trading at near 52-week highs
• The ANZ (ASX:ANZ) share price just hit a 52-week high
• The big four banks offer these juicy dividend yields to ASX investors
• Here’s why the ANZ (ASX:ANZ) share price is underperforming today

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro 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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Shares like Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA) and Lynas Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: LYC) have been going gangbusters as investors increasingly come to the realisation that electric vehicles will take over.

This shift is still in its infancy in Australia. Just 0.2% of all vehicles in this country are powered electrically, according to insurer Budget Direct.

But if you were in any doubt about how quickly a market can change, check out this picture:

WOW 13 years for #Techchange #Horses to #Cars #NYC Easter 1900 & Easter 1913 – What Technology changes by 2030 #FutureofWork #ArtificialIntelligence #MachineLearning #IoT #Robotics https://t.co/lkZ0vkFQgu – via @builidingcontext pic.twitter.com/zboK8MHydv

— Ian Knowlson 📈 (@IanKnowlson) December 29, 2018

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

The dramatic side-by-side photo, attributed to Project Haystack Connections managing editor Therese Sullivan, shows how a New York City streetscape completely morphed in just 13 years.

The left photo shows the Easter Parade in 1900 dominated by hundreds of horse-driven carriages, with just one motor vehicle seen.

But the same parade only 13 years later hosts just one horse-powered carriage, surrounded by hundreds of motor cars.

If the transition from horses to petrol engines happened that quickly, the less dramatic shift from petrol to electric could occur in the blink of an eye.

UBS research heads Céline Fornaro and Patrick Hummel reckon transport globally could be “almost fully decarbonised” by the year 2040. 

“Our forecast is that electric vehicles will account for 40% of global new car sales by 2030,” they reported.

“While many industry players think that is too high, we think it could be too low.”

And to remind you, 2030 is only nine years away now.

Tailwinds for electric cars

Already some countries have created a deadline to outlaw sales of petrol-powered vehicles. 

“The UK even plans to ban the sale of combustion engine vehicles in 2030, and aims for aviation net zero emissions by 2050,” said Fornaro and Hummel.

“China has laid out a roadmap to carbon neutrality by 2060. California has pioneered the adoption of the electric car and penalises heavily the use of non green carbon fuels. The certification of Europe’s first two-seater electric plane came in 2020.”

As well as regulation, the UBS report cited two other drivers that will supercharge electric car adoption:

• Battery technology: “Battery costs have dropped by more than 50% over the past five years, and full manufacturing cost parity with combustion engine cars should be reached by 2025, at the latest.”
• Fuel-cell technology: “Hydrogen powered fuel-cell trucks could become the most cost efficient solution for long haul transportation. The technology could also replace diesel powered locomotives and could even be used in ships (e.g., ferries).”

Investors seeking to add exposure to the future of electric car domination have increasingly poured into vehicle manufacturers like Tesla or Nio Inc (NYSE: NIO).

Additionally, there are many companies that contribute materials or parts to the industry. Lynas and Magna International Inc (NYSE: MGA) are two examples.

There are also businesses involved with providing charging infrastructure, as listed by our The Motley Fool colleagues in the US.

More reading

• Lynas (ASX:LYC) share price jumps 6% to new 52-week high
• Why the RareX (ASX:REE) share price is up 400% in a year
• ASM (ASX:ASM) share price jumps as scoping study supports $45m plant build
• Elon Musk doubles down on promise to IPO Starlink
• Here are 3 ASX 200 diamonds in the spotlight while the market sank today

Tony Yoo owns shares of NIO Inc. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and recommends Tesla. 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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If you’re aiming to add some diversification to your portfolio in March, then you might want to look at exchange traded funds (ETFs).

This is because they are an easy and effective way to achieve diversification as they give investors access to a large and diverse number of shares through a single investment.

But which ETFs would be good options? Two to consider are listed below:

BetaShares Global Cybersecurity ETF (ASX: HACK)

The first ETF to look at is the BetaShares Global Cybersecurity ETF. It aims to track the performance of an index providing investors with exposure to the leading companies in the growing global cybersecurity sector.

Given how cyber crime is on the rise, just ask Cann Group (ASX: CAN), demand for cyber security services is growing fast.

This means many leading companies in the industry could be in a position to grow at an above-average rate over the next decade.

Among the companies you’ll be investing in with this ETF are Accenture, Cisco, Cloudflare, Crowdstrike, and Okta.

As you may have noticed, there aren’t any Australian companies. This is because this particular niche is under-represented on the ASX. This arguably makes this ETF even more attractive for local investors.

Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS)

Another ETF for ASX investors to look at is the Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF. This fund gives investors exposure to some of the world’s biggest companies.

Vanguard notes that the fund gives investors access to a broadly diversified range of shares that allows them to participate in the long-term growth potential of international economies outside Australia. It feels this makes it suitable for buy and hold investors that are seeking long-term capital growth, some income, and international diversification.

At present, the fund contains a total of 1,528 listed companies globally. Among its largest holdings you’ll find the likes of Apple, Nestle, Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble, Tesla, Visa. It also offers an attractive 1.8% dividend yield.

More reading

• 2 compelling ASX shares to buy in March 2021
• 2 excellent ETFs for ASX investors to buy now
• 2 top ETFs to buy and hold
• 2 high quality ETFs for ASX investors to buy in February
• 2 ETFs offering unique investment exposure

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of BETA CYBER ETF UNITS. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF. 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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There are a few reasons why the Bapcor Ltd (ASX: BAP) share price could be an interesting idea to some investors at the moment.

What is Bapcor?

Bapcor is a leading auto parts business across Australia and New Zealand.

It has a number of different businesses that service various parts of the auto market. The biggest division is Burson Auto Parts, which supplies parts to mechanic customers. Sometimes the parts can be supplied within two hours. Burson has over 190 stores with more than 800 delivery vehicles.

Other businesses in the trade segment include Precision Automotive Equipment and BNT.

Next is a whole range of specialist wholesale businesses that supplies the auto market with a large range of products. Bapcor says that many of these businesses are leaders in their product categories. There’s a long list of names including: AAD, Bearing Wholesalers, Baxters, MTQ, Roadsafe, JAS Oceania, HCB, Diesel Distributors, Federal Batteries, Premier Auto Trade and AADi.

Bapcor has also made acquisitions relating to truck parts, so it’s also in the light and heavy commercial track space. This division could be helpful for the Bapcor share price and profit over the coming years.

In the retail space, Bapcor owns the large Autobarn business. It also has service businesses including Midas, ABS, Shock Shop and Battery Town.

Why could the Bapcor share price be attractive?

1: Strong results

A key part of delivering strong returns for shareholders is delivering good financial results. As Benjamin Graham once said, the share market is like a weighing machine.

Bapcor has been delivering growth for many years and the FY21 half-year result was no exception.

Revenue grew by 25.8% to $883.6 million. Pro forma earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose by 36.5% to $145.6 million.

Bapcor revealed that the trade segment, including Burson, grew revenue by 12.3% with same store sales growth of 11%. It added another nine stores to reach 195 stores nationwide.

The specialist wholesale division saw organic revenue growth of 17% and organic EBITDA growth of 36.2%. Including Truckline and Diesel Drive, specialist wholesale revenue rose 39.5% and EBITDA grew 54.9%.

Bapcor’s retail and service division also saw a lot of growth, with revenue rising 44% and EBITDA going up 55.8%. Autobarn same store sales went up 37.1%. Bapcor has been giving trading updates over the last nine months, showing strong retail growth and this has boosted the Bapcor share price. 

Pro forma earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) went up 45% to $106.8 million and pro forma net profit after tax (NPAT) grew 54% to $70.2 million. Pro forma earnings per share (EPS) grew 28.9% to 20.7 cents.  

2: Growth into Asia

The populations of Australia and New Zealand are small compared to Asian countries.

Bapcor is only just getting started in Asia. At the moment it has six Burson outlets in Thailand. It has a target of more than 80 stores for Thailand, with a turnover target of $100 million. At the moment its turnover is $4 million.

Bapcor talks about “South East Asia”, not just Thailand, when it comes to growth in the region. There could be other countries to expand into down the line. 

It will take time for Bapcor to grow its network and profit margins there, but over time it could become a much bigger division.

Having a strong online offering could also really help things in both Asia and domestically. Bapcor is currently working on a new distribution warehouse in Victoria.

3: Bapcor share price valuation

The Bapcor share price has fallen by 14% since 8 February 2021, which is a reasonably large drop over just one month.

Considering all of the different growth plans that the company has, a lower price could make it more attractive to investors.

At the current Bapcor share price, it’s valued at 20x FY21’s estimated earnings. It also has a current grossed-up dividend yield of 3.7%.

More reading

• 2 ASX 200 shares to buy for income
• Bapcor (ASX:BAP) share price down despite positive CEO news
• 2 ASX 200 shares to buy for growth
• Bapcor (ASX:BAP) share price stalls despite record results
• 2 ASX 200 shares to buy for growth

Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Bapcor. 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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Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P) shares have tumbled 25% from their record all-time high of $14.53 set on 16 February.

While both the Zip share price and the broader tech sector have taken a beating in recent weeks, here’s what investors can look forward to, according to the company’s half-year results.

What could impact the Zip share price in 2021?

Continued momentum in the US 

According to Zip, its Quadpay acquisition has cemented the company as one of the fastest-growing buy now, pay later (BNPL) players in the United States. The Zip share price surged higher on the day it announced the deal in August last year.

After the completion of the Quadpay acquisition in August 2020, Zip managed to grow its total transaction volume (TTV) by more than 130% since the completion. The US is also contributing to an increasing share of Zip’s overall performance, from 35% of the group’s TTV in its 1Q21 update to more than 40% of TTV in December. 

ANZ to continue its strong performance 

The Australia/New Zealand segment continues to represent a core and reliable region for the company. Zip was able to emerge as Australia’s most downloaded BNPL app in December and January, surpassing its rival Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT). The company noted that 85% of its customers since September 2019 still have the Zip app. 

From an engagement perspective, Zip is seeing a continuous year-on-year improvement with new cohorts transacting more frequently, translating to higher revenues per customer. 

Zip business as an emerging revenue stream 

While Afterpay might be making an attempt to launch its own banking app, Zip is targeting small businesses with the launch of Zip Trade.

Zip Trade provides small businesses with enhanced liquidity for everyday purchases and supplies of up to $3,000. The product launched in December with a strong initial uptake providing momentum into the second half. Zip intends to launch Zip Trade+ in 2H, providing SMEs (small to medium enterprises) solutions of up to $150,000. 

The company is leveraging its partnership with Facebook for access to thousands of SMEs which can choose to advertise now and pay later. 

UK to scale meaningful revenues 

Zip officially launched in the United Kingdom in December. According to the company, it hit the ground running with a new mobile app that mirrors Quadpay’s functionality. 

The UK represents an important growth market that Zip believes has the potential to scale into meaningful revenues for the business. 

Afterpay, for example, was operational in the UK in late 2018 with its Clearpay app. Its recent 1H FY21 report highlighted the UK’s $800 million, or 8.2% contribution, to group sales, up from $200 million, or 4.2% in 1H FY20. 

Evaluating strategic expansion options 

Zip has taken aim at pro-actively exploring the best entry paths into target jurisdictions. The company is currently focusing on the launch of Quadpay in Canada, having mobilised a team to enable a soft launch. 

Other endeavours include a minority investment in two separate BNPL players in Eastern Europe (Czechia and Poland) and the United Arab Emirates. 

Foolish takeaway

According to Zip, it aims to “…do things differently. With a laser focus on relentless product innovation…”. How this strategy, along with the company’s expansion endeavours, will shape the Zip share price moving forward remains to be seen. 

More reading

• ASX 200 sinks, Xero reveals acquisition, ARB driven higher
• Meet Sharesies, the ASX’s newest brokering app
• Why are ASX tech shares like Afterpay (ASX:APT) so volatile?
• The Flexiroam (ASX: FRX) share price rockets 35% after new announcement
• Here’s why brokers like these 2 small cap ASX tech shares

Randi Zuckerberg, a former director of market development and spokeswoman for Facebook and sister to its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. 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 and recommends Facebook. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of ZIPCOLTD FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of AFTERPAY T FPO. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Facebook. 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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One of the biggest current threats to the share market seems to be the prospect of rising inflation.

Investors are nervous because soaring inflation could provoke central banks to raise interest rates.

Many ASX shares are priced as if rates will stay at the current historic lows, so it’s understandable why some people might be anxious.

“We’re pretty certain about this. But we’re not absolutely certain about the timing of the inflation,” Nucleus Wealth head of investments Damien Klassen said last week.

“We are pretty certain that there’ll be inflationary shock where people are going to be pricing in inflation. Over the last few days even, we’ve seen this – it’s gone a bit exponential.”

Speaking on a on a Nucleus webinar, Klassen and chief strategist David Llewellyn Smith picked out some places to invest in anticipation of inflation:

Value vs growth shares

Growth shares benefit the most from low interest rates, as their valuations depend on how cheap future money is. 

So the most obvious way to invest for inflation is to shift into value stocks. 

But once inflation hits the fan, Klassen said keen investors should still keep an eye on growth bargains.

“You’re going to get these opportunities to buy growth stocks over the next few months or a year or two at a much cheaper price,” he said.

“Because if we do return to deflation, those growth stocks are once again going to be in demand.”

The transition away from growth stocks has already happened somewhat in the past couple of weeks. And Klassen expects this to continue for “a few months”.

He did emphasise that this didn’t mean buying up growth shares indiscriminately when the market is depressed. Purchases still need to be made at a prudent price.

“Note the Cisco Systems Inc (NASDAQ: CSCO) example I keep trotting out. The last 20 years, they’ve increased their earnings 6 times and their share price has halved,” said Klassen.

“Because the price was so high to start with in the [1990s] tech boom. So it’s a matter of getting that price right.”

The Nucleus team, therefore, is buying into value shares now then plan to flip over to growth later in the year, according to Klassen.

Buy international shares 

A by-product of the current environment is that the Australian dollar is trading at a high value.

It surpassed 80 US cents last week after descending to as low as 59 US cents 12 months ago in the midst of the COVID-19 panic.

“You’re getting chances to buy international stocks at cheaper prices, over the next 6 to 12 months,” said Klassen.

“If you can buy these with an Aussie dollar at 80 or 85 [US] cents, here’s your chance to start getting exposure to international assets that are going to be very beneficial over the longer term – at a discount.”

Exceptions to these rules

Klassen did note some exceptions to the above strategies.

“There’s ones where we’re reluctant holders,” he said.

“We’ve got a lot more banks than we’d like to have.”

He explained that the current environment of emerging inflation and rising long-term bond interest rates is positive for bank profitability.

But the danger is that deflation will soon take over again and stick around in the long term.

“If we’re headed towards the European and Japan experience then the banks are really going to be the ones that suffer.”

Shares associated with commodities also have short term potential but could plunge at any time after inflation arrives.

“There is a value trade in there but it’s not an infinite value trade. We are concerned about the downside as well as the upside.”

More reading

• What you need to know about the WiseTech (ASX:WTC) dividend
• 2 high yield and buy-rated ASX dividend shares to snap up
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Friday
• This investment is one of Warren Buffett’s favourite share ideas
• Get your pitchforks ready…

Motley Fool contributor Tony Yoo 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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One company that has continued to bloom in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic is cargo logistics software company WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC). The WiseTech Global share price has risen by almost 80% in the last 12 months as sales have continued to grow.

Last month, WiseTech announced a 16% increase to revenue in the first half of the 2021 financial year, driven by higher user numbers as well as price increases. Pleasingly for investors, the strong result also contributed to a big lift in the interim dividend. Here’s what you need to know about the WiseTech dividend.

What is the company’s dividend yield?

In its recent half-year results, WiseTech declared an interim dividend of 2.7 cents per share for the six months to 31 December 2020. This was up 59% on the same period in 2019 and gives WiseTech a trailing dividend yield of around 0.15%, fully franked.

OK, so a 0.15% yield probably isn’t going to send many hearts aflutter. But WiseTech is still in growth mode and is focused on investing most of its earnings back into the business. This has helped to quickly grow earnings over the last few years, which has resulted in a steady lift in the WiseTech share price, as well as its dividend.

Is the WiseTech dividend growing over time?

WiseTech only listed on the ASX in 2016, but has been a devout dividend payer since. In the chart below we can see that the company has also been fairly consistent in growing its dividend over time. This is in line with the company’s dividend policy which targets a payout ratio of up to 20% of net profit after tax (NPAT).

Source: Chart compiled by author using data from WiseTech Global

A 20% payout ratio leaves the majority of earnings free to be reinvested back into the business. In fact, WiseTech reported spending $159 million on product development in FY20 compared to just $11.1 million on dividends paid to investors.

When does WiseTech pay its dividend?

The WiseTech share price will go ex-dividend on Friday 12 March 2021. The ‘ex-date’ is when the shares start selling without the value of their next dividend payment so an investor needs to own the shares before the ex-date to receive the dividend. The dividend will then be paid on Friday 9 April 2021.

More reading

• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Friday
• ASX 200 sinks, Xero reveals acquisition, ARB driven higher
• Why are ASX tech shares like Afterpay (ASX:APT) so volatile?
• How did WAAAX shares perform this reporting season?
• ASX 200 up 0.3%: Mesoblast raises US$110 million, tech shares rebound

Motley Fool contributor Regan Pearson has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. You can follow him on Twitter @Regan_Invests. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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With interest rates and term deposits still at ultra low levels, the share market continues to be the best place to earn a passive income.

However, with so many dividend shares to choose from, it can be hard to decide which ones to buy. To narrow things down, I’ve picked out two that come highly rated:

Charter Hall Social Infrastructure REIT (ASX: CQE)

The Charter Hall Social Infrastructure REIT could be a dividend share to buy. This real estate investment trust has a focus on high quality social infrastructure properties. These are properties with specialist use, limited competition, and low substitution risk. In other words, properties that are likely to remain occupied by their tenants for a very long time.

In fact, this can be seen in its weighted average lease expiry (WALE). Last month the company released its half year results. As well as reporting a 14.1% increase in operating earnings to $29.1 million, management revealed an occupancy rate of 99.7% and a WALE of 14 years.

In addition to this, the company increased its FY 2021 distribution guidance to 15.7 cents per unit. Based on the latest Charter Hall Social Infrastructure share price, this represents a 5.25% yield.

Goldman Sachs was impressed and has put a conviction buy rating and $3.45 price target on its shares.

Super Retail Group Ltd (ASX: SUL)

Super Retail is another ASX dividend share that could be in the buy zone. It is the company behind retail store brands BCF, Macpac, Rebel, and the eponymous Super Cheap Auto.

Like Charter Hall Social Infrastructure, it has been performing positively in FY 2021. Last month Super Retail released its half year results, which revealed a 23% increase in sales to $1.78 billion and a massive 139% increase in underlying net profit after tax to $177.1 million. This was driven by solid growth across the company’s store network and its online businesses.

This strong performance allowed Super Retail to declare a fully franked dividend of 33 cents per share. 

Goldman Sachs is also positive on Super Retail and currently has a buy rating and $15.00 price target on its shares. The broker has even suggested that a special dividend could be announced with its full year results, bringing its FY 2021 to a total of 81 cents per share. This represents a fully franked 7.2% yield.

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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Super Retail Group Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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