• 3 reasons why the Brickworks (ASX:BKW) share price is a buy

    steps to picking asx shares represented by four growing piles of gold coins

    There are quite a few compelling reasons why the Brickworks Limited (ASX: BKW) share price looks like an interesting idea.

    Brickworks is a building construction business that has been operating for many decades. It manufactures and sells bricks, pavers, roofing, precast and so on in Australia. In the US it has a sizeable brickmaking segment. 

    There are a number of really good reasons to consider Brickworks shares:

    Strong dividend record

    For the income-seekers, Brickworks has produced a lot dividend income. Indeed, for over 40 years Brickworks has maintained or grown the dividend in every one of those years. There hasn’t been a single dividend cut in that time despite the recessions.

    The Brickworks dividend is supported by its diversified asset base, including a large shareholding of Washington H Soul Pattinson and Co Ltd (ASX: SOL).

    Dividends can form a sizeable part of the overall returns, particularly if the share market isn’t firing on all cylinders.

    At the current Brickworks share price, it offers a grossed-up dividend yield of 4.2%.

    Industrial property trust

    One of the main segments of the Brickworks business is that it owns 50% of a high quality industrial property trust with its joint venture partner Goodman Group (ASX: GMG).

    This property business is used to build industrial properties on excess land that Brickworks sells into the trust.

    COVID-19 has accelerated the demand for industrial properties in light of the logistics and e-commerce demand.

    It’s currently working on two huge warehouses that will have the latest technology in them. They will generate a lot more rent for the trust.

    When those two projects are completed it should increase the capital value and profit.

    There is still enough land for quite a few years of development and this can drive the net asset value of Brickworks higher during this development phase.

    Brickworks share price and asset value

    Brickworks has a lot of assets. When you add up all of the assets in the Australian building products business, the US building products business, the Soul Patts shares and the stake in the property trust, it comes to a number materially higher than the current Brickworks share price.

    At the time of the Brickworks FY21 half year result, it said that its total inferred asset backing was $4.1 billion (including the $479 million of net debt). Per share, that equated to a value of $27. That means the current Brickworks share price is at a 24% discount compared to that inferred value from a few months ago.

    These Dividend Stocks Could Be Your Next Cash Kings (FREE REPORT)

    Motley Fool Australia’s Dividend experts recently released a brand-new FREE report revealing 3 dividend stocks with JUICY franked dividends that could keep paying you meaty dividends for years to come.

    Our team of investors think these 3 dividend stocks should be a ‘must consider’ for any savvy dividend investor. But more importantly, could potentially make Australian investors a heap of passive income.

    Don’t miss out! Simply click the link below to grab your free copy and discover these 3 high conviction stocks now.

    Returns As of 15th February 2021

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison owns shares of Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Brickworks and Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

    The post 3 reasons why the Brickworks (ASX:BKW) share price is a buy appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/3eSElHO

  • 2 buy-rated ASX dividend shares

    A man with a yellow background makes an annoncement, indicating share price changes on the ASX

    Are you building an income portfolio? If you are, you might want to take a look at these buy-rated ASX dividend shares.

    Here’s what you need to know about them:

    Transurban Group (ASX: TCL)

    The first ASX dividend share to look at this toll road operator. Transurban is the company behind major roads such as CityLink in Melbourne and the Cross City Tunnel and Eastern Distributor in Sydney.

    While the pandemic hit the company hard due to a significant reduction in mobility, traffic volumes are increasing now. For example, weekly traffic on its Melbourne roads was down just 12% on 2019’s levels in April.

    And given the significant time-savings that its road offer, these volumes are expected to continue to rise as life returns to normal and our other (non-toll) roads get busier again.

    Ord Minnett is a fan of Transurban and is forecasting a recovery in its dividends in the near future. The broker expects dividends of 37 cents per share in FY 2021 and 58 cents per share in FY 2022. Based on the current Transurban share price, this will mean yields of 2.6% and 4.1%, respectively.

    The broker has a buy rating and $16.00 price target on its shares. 

    Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC)

    Another ASX dividend share to consider is Westpac. This banking giant has been recovering very quickly from the pandemic.

    For example, it recently released its half year results and revealed cash earnings of $3,537 million. This was a 256% increase over the prior corresponding period and a 119% lift over the second half of FY 2020.

    Positively, with the banking sector’s outlook continuing to improve and Australia’s economic recovery remaining strong, the medium term looks very positive for the bank and its shareholders.

    Morgan Stanley is positive on the company. It has an overweight rating and $29.20 price target on its shares. The broker is also expecting Westpac to pay fully franked dividends per share of $1.18 and $1.25 over the next two years.

    Based on the latest Westpac share price, this will mean yields of 4.7% and 5%.

    These Dividend Stocks Could Be Your Next Cash Kings (FREE REPORT)

    Motley Fool Australia’s Dividend experts recently released a brand-new FREE report revealing 3 dividend stocks with JUICY franked dividends that could keep paying you meaty dividends for years to come.

    Our team of investors think these 3 dividend stocks should be a ‘must consider’ for any savvy dividend investor. But more importantly, could potentially make Australian investors a heap of passive income.

    Don’t miss out! Simply click the link below to grab your free copy and discover these 3 high conviction stocks now.

    Returns As of 15th February 2021

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro owns shares of Westpac Banking. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of Transurban Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

    The post 2 buy-rated ASX dividend shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/2SYChpd

  • 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday

    Investor sitting in front of multiple screens watching share prices

    On Monday the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) gave back the majority of its early gains to finish the day only slightly higher. The benchmark index rose 0.1% to 7,023.6 points.

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

    ASX 200 expected to rise

    The Australian share market looks set to push higher on Tuesday despite a poor start to the week on Wall Street. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to open the day 16 points or 0.2% higher this morning. On Wall Street, the Dow Jones dropped 0.15%, the S&P 500 fell 0.25%, and the Nasdaq tumbled 0.4%.

    Oil prices rise

    Energy producers such as Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) and Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) could be on the rise today after oil prices pushed higher. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is up 1.5% to US$66.35 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price has risen 1.2% to US$69.53 a barrel. Oil prices climbed on global economic recovery hopes.

    EML Payments on watch

    The EML Payments Ltd (ASX: EML) share price could return from its trading halt this morning. On Monday the payments company requested the halt pending an announcement in relation to significant regulatory concerns notified by the Central Bank of Ireland. These concerns relate to the Prepaid Financial Services business that EML acquired back in March 2020.

    Gold price jumps

    Gold miners Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) could have a solid day after the gold price jumped overnight. According to CNBC, the spot gold price is up 1.55% to US$1,866.60 an ounce. Weakness in stocks and bond yields drove the gold price to a three-month high.

    South32 given buy rating

    On Monday South32 Ltd (ASX: S32) announced the divestment of its coal business. This went down well with the market and analysts. One of the latter was Goldman Sachs, which believes the move is transformational. In light of this, the broker has reaffirmed its conviction buy rating and $3.40 price target on the mining giant’s shares.

    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

    More reading

    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 EML Payments. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended EML Payments. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

    The post 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/3uXVs0e

  • ASX 200 rises, Nuix drops, Elders falls

    The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) rose by 0.1% today to 7,024 points.

    Here are some of the highlights from the ASX today:

    Nuix Limited (ASX: NXL)

    The Nuix share price dropped almost 10% today in response to media reporting by Nine Entertainment Co Holdings Ltd (ASX: NEC) mastheads including the Australian Financial Review.

    There were reports of “inadequate risk disclosures in the Nuix prospectus about growth and understanding of accounting standards, as well as infighting which led a group of senior executives to try and push out the CEO Rod Vawdrey.”

    The AFR quoted one previously large investor in Nuix, who said:

    It looks like they did something funny with the IPO accounting… but I actually think it’s a very interesting situation because a customer I spoke to said their product is a must-have.

    What they were aggressively pitching [in the lead-up to the IPO] was the growth profile. This wasn’t in the prospectus, this was verbally communicated. So the thing that’s most disappointing is they were suggesting their numbers were conservative.

    That investor went on to say that there should be a new CEO.

    Nuix issued a media release to the ASX in response. It said that it has robust processes in place to measure forward indicators of performance in order to ensure that it keeps the market fully informed and has done so on a timely and regular basis. Nuix said it’s committed to the highest standards of corporate governance.

    The company also said it has operated across multiple jurisdictions over many years and has a proud history of working with regulators exercising the highest standards of probity.

    Nuix was one of the worst performers in the ASX 200 today. 

    Elders Ltd (ASX: ELD)

    The Elders share price fell by 3.4% today in response to the company’s FY21 half-year result.

    The agribusiness said that it delivered growth across all state geographies and product lines. Its retail products division was particularly strong according to management, due to both sales growth and margin improvement as Elders’ own brand share of crop protection and animal health product sales increased.

    Half-year revenue increased by 22% to $1.1 billion. Underlying earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) increased by 40% to $73.8 million whilst underlying net profit after tax rose 41% to $67 million. Statutory net profit after tax rose 31% to $68.2 million.

    After favourable rainfall, Elders has a positive outlook for the winter crop. It’s expecting to see further strong demand for crop inputs, particularly fertiliser and crop protection products.

    Carsales.com Ltd (ASX: CAR)

    The Carsales share price was the worst performer in the ASX 200 today, falling by almost 12% after coming back to trade after its capital raising for the acquisition of Trader Interactive in the US.

    It has successfully raised $428 million from institutions at the offer price of $17 with a take-up of approximately 83% by eligible institutional shareholders. A bookbuild for the shortfall of shares was done at $18 per new share.

    Carsales CEO Cameron McIntyre said:

    We firmly believe that this acquisition creates compelling value for our shareholders through accelerating our international growth strategy by providing us with exposure to a significant market in the United States across attractive non-automotive verticals.

    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

    More reading

    Tristan Harrison has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. recommends Nuix Pty Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended carsales.com Limited, Elders Limited, and Nuix Pty Ltd. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

    The post ASX 200 rises, Nuix drops, Elders falls appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/3eQjMeT

  • Why Zip (ASX:Z1P) and this beaten down ASX tech share could be buys

    women with a microphone is happy whilst using a computer

    The tech sector has been uncharacteristically out of form this year. While this is disappointing, every cloud has a silver lining. The silver lining here is that this weakness has dragged some tech shares down to very attractive levels for investors.  

    Two ASX tech shares that are down heavily from their highs are listed below. Here’s why this could be a buying opportunity:

    Altium Limited (ASX: ALU)

    The Altium share price is down 39% from its 52-week high. This could make it one to consider for long term focused investors.

    Altium is the electronic design software provider behind the Altium Designer and Altium 365 platforms. These platforms allow users to design the complex printed circuit boards found inside electronic devices.

    Thanks to industry tailwinds that are underpinning growth in electronic devices globally, Altium appears well-positioned to benefit from increasing demand for subscriptions in the coming years.

    And although the COVID-19 pandemic has softened demand, analysts at Citi believe investors should stick with the company. This is due to its belief that the downgrade cycle is now over and its growth will soon resume.

    Citi recently retained its buy rating and $33.50 price target on the company’s shares. This compares to the latest Altium share price of $24.52.

    Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P)

    Another tech share to look at is this buy now pay later provider. The Zip share price may be up 25.5% year to date, but it is down 51% from its 52-week high. While the latter is disappointing, it could be a buying opportunity for buy and hold investors due to its strong growth potential.

    Zip has been growing at a rapid rate in recent years thanks to the growing popularity of the buy now pay later method and its international expansion. Positively, this strong form has continued in FY 2021. For example, during the third quarter, Zip reported an impressive 80% increase in group quarterly revenue to $114.4 million.

    This was driven by a combination of customer growth and repeat usage. In respect to the former, at the end of the period, Zip had 6.4 million active customers globally. This was up 88% from the prior corresponding period and 12.3% from 5.7 million at the end of December.

    Its growth was strongest in the United States, with its QuadPay’ business reporting transaction volume growth of 234% to $762 million, revenue growth of 188% to $54.4 million, and customer growth of 674,000 or 153% to 3.8 million. The good news is that this is still only a tiny fraction of a $5 trillion market opportunity in the United States. This gives it plenty of room for growth in the future.

    Citi is also a fan of Zip. Last month its analysts upgraded the company’s shares to a buy rating with an $11.30 price target. This compares to the latest Zip share price of $7.02.

    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

    More reading

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

    The post Why Zip (ASX:Z1P) and this beaten down ASX tech share could be buys appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/2RncRB7

  • Why the Earlypay (ASX:EPY) share price is flying 8% higher today

    flying asx share price represented by businessman flying through the air

    The Earlypay Ltd (ASX: EPY) share price was flying higher today after the company announced record trading in a market update today.

    At the market close, shares in the company were trading 8.64% higher at 44 cents.

    Earlypay is a small-cap ASX-listed company that delivers financial management and payroll services. The company aims to provide small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) access to financing in order to grow and enable them to focus on their core activities.

    Why the Earlypay share price was flying

    In today’s update, the company announced record transactions in March with volumes for the month at $199 million, 34% higher than the same period last year. The company said it expected this momentum to translate to a material increase in earnings for FY22.

    Earlypay also announced improvements to all three of its warehouse facilities, providing “cost savings and greater flexibility”. This in turn would support the continued growth of Earlypay’s loan book.

    In addition, the company reconfirmed its FY21 guidance of $21m earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) and NPATA of $8.5m.

    Earlypay advised this would result in a minimum final dividend of 1.3 cents per share (cps), bringing the full year’s dividends to 2.3 cps, fully franked and giving the company a dividend yield of 5.23%.

    Management comments

    Earlypay CEO Daniel Riley welcomed the performance, saying:

    Q3, which is seasonally our lowest quarter, ended with record volumes in March, underpinned by Earlypay’s online lending platform, which continues to deliver growth and momentum in client acquisition and client experience.

    This growth is due to an increase in funding requirements from existing clients, as well as new clients coming on board as our organic growth continues to build.

    The support from Earlypay’s senior funders, which is evidenced by the increase in facility limits, broadening of product parameters and an overall reduction in interest costs, further supports the strength of our business and outlook.

    About the Earlypay share price

    The Earlypay share price has enjoyed a solid run of late, rising by 55% over the last year and outpacing the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) 30% gain for the same period.

    The financial company currently boasts a market capitalisation of $103.55 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

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor Daniel Ewing 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.

    The post Why the Earlypay (ASX:EPY) share price is flying 8% higher today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/3w957RY

  • Viva Leisure (ASX:VVA) share price tanks 9% on impending lawsuit

    Two people jump in the air in a fighting stance, indicating a battle between rival ASX shares

    The Viva Leisure Ltd (ASX: VVA) share price is deep in the red today. The falling price comes after the Australian Financial Review (AFR) reported a consortium of franchise owners are planning to sue the company over “unconscionable and unfair conduct”.

    At the market close, shares in the health and leisure company were trading at $1.91 – down 9.05%.

    Let’s take a closer look at today’s news and what it means for the Viva share price.

    Why the Viva Leisure share price is sinking

    According to the AFR report, 53 franchise owners representing 64 outlets have sent a letter and draft statement of claim to Viva Leisure. These documents outline many concerns between the franchise owners and the ASX-listed company. Chief among those is a deteriorating relationship between the parties.

    Representing about 33% of all Plus Fitness branded gym franchises, the complainants have delivered Viva Leisure a 28-day ultimatum to resolve their grievances before legal proceedings commence. 

    In a response to the AFR article, Viva Leisure said this morning it was dealing with franchise owners “appropriately and in accordance with the law”.

    The company revealed it has held confidential talks with some franchise owners. However, it did not disclose what those discussions related to or even if the allegations aired in the article were relevant to those discussions.

    Key areas of dispute

    The franchisees identified the following key areas of dispute:

    • Cannibalising membership. Franchise owners allege Viva Leisure is harming their businesses with a clause in its contract that allows the company to open competing, corporate-owned outlets in close proximity to franchises. A franchise owner quoted by the AFR said franchisees were being “significantly financially impacted by the franchisor unfairly competing against them”.
    • A breach of good faith. A second but related claim against Viva Leisure is a breach of good faith by the corporation to its franchisees. Owners allege they did not agree to buy gyms that would then be competed against by their own franchisor. One source told the AFR that Viva Leisure’s access to franchise owners’ financial and business information gave it an unfair advantage.

    Viva Leisure share price snapshot

    The Viva share price is down 7.73% over the past 12 months, and its shares have fallen in value by 34.8% since the beginning of the year. In December, shares in the company were trading for a record $3.66.

    At its current valuation, Viva Leisure has a market capitalisation of $157.4 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

    More reading

    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.

    The post Viva Leisure (ASX:VVA) share price tanks 9% on impending lawsuit appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/3uTrzOO

  • Nearmap (ASX:NEA) share price hit by broker downgrade

    An ASX investor looks devastated as he watches his computer screen, indicating bad news

    The Nearmap Ltd (ASX: NEA) share price was out of form on Monday despite a decent recovery in the tech sector.

    The aerial imagery technology and location data company’s shares ended the day 3% lower at $1.69. This compares to a 0.4% gain by the S&P/ASX All Technology Index (ASX: XTX).

    This latest decline means the Nearmap share price is now down almost 50% from its high.

    Why did the Nearmap share price tumble?

    As well as being forced to explain the disclosure of its US legal battle by the Australian share market regulator (you can read that here), a broker note also appears to have been weighing on its shares.

    This morning analysts at Citi responded to the aforementioned legal battle and made a change to their recommendation.

    According to the note, the broker has downgraded the company’s shares to a neutral (high risk) rating and cut the price target on them by 37% to $2.00.

    Based on the current Nearmap share price, this implies potential upside of 18% over the next 12 months. While this is a solid potential return, it is still notably lower than where its shares were trading immediately prior to the litigation announcement.

    What did Citi say?

    Citi has concerns that the litigation could negatively impact demand in the United States, which could in turn weigh on the Nearmap share price.

    Citi commented: “While Nearmap is confident that it can successfully defend against Eagleview’s allegations of patent infringement and in our view, Nearmap can still be successful in the US even if it were to lose the lawsuit, we downgrade to Neutral/High Risk as we expect the legal proceedings will likely have a negative impact on demand in the US and this uncertainty could weigh on the share price. New target price is $2.00 (-37%).”

    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

    More reading

    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 Nearmap Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Nearmap Ltd. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

    The post Nearmap (ASX:NEA) share price hit by broker downgrade appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/3tUqvbY

  • 3 ASX 200 gold mining shares that shone today

    Hand holding gold nugget ASX stocks buy

    It’s been a great day’s trade for ASX 200 gold miners. Gold itself is sitting at its highest price since February, while the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has gained 0.13% today.

    Right now, an ounce of gold will cost a buyer US$1,853.40 after today’s 0.83% gain.  

    These 3 ASX 200 gold mining shares are glowing from today’s good news.

    The ASX 200’s golden children

    De Grey Mining Limited (ASX: DEG)

    The De Grey Mining share price shot up by 8.73% today to close at $1.43 per share. De Grey shares are up 28% year to date, and up a whopping 256% over the last 12 months.

    Currently, De Grey Mining’s focus is on its Mallina Gold Project in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. 

    De Grey has a market capitalisation of around $1.6 billion, with approximately 1.2 billion shares outstanding.  

    Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST)

    Despite not being the biggest mover out of the ASX 200 gold miners, the Northern Star share price put in a solid performance today.

    It closed 6.55% higher than its previous closing price, swapping hands for $11.22.

    2021 has been tough for Northern Star shares, which have lost 15% of their value since the year began. They’ve also dropped 23% since this time last year.

    Northern Star has a splattering of gold-producing assets across Western Australia and one in Alaska.

    On current prices, the miner has a market capitalisation of around $12.2 billion, with approximately 1.1 billion shares outstanding.

    Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN)

    Evolution Mining was also vying for the top spot amongst the ASX 200 gold miners today, closing the day up 5.35% at $5.12 per share.

    Evolution has a number of gold projects across Australia and one in Canada.

    The Evolution Mining share price has fallen 2.8% since the start of the year. It’s also down 15.6% over the last 12 months.

    Evolution has a market capitalisation of around $8.3 billion, with approximately 1.7 billion 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

    More reading

    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.

    The post 3 ASX 200 gold mining shares that shone today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/3olkN1I

  • Why the Zip (ASX:Z1P) share price is down almost 25% this month?

    illustration of laptop with down arrow and the word zip representing falling zip share price

    Its been a turbulent month for the Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P) share price, shedding close to 25% in just a month. This comes despite the company reporting a strong result for Q3 FY21 while surging ahead with its expansion strategy.

    At the time of writing, the buy-now, pay-later (BNPL) company’s shares are fetching for $7.03, up 2.9% for the day.

    What’s happened to the Zip share price?

    It’s been a hard pill to swallow for investors, seeing their Zip holdings plummet in value.

    The company reported outstanding figures across its global operating markets for the third quarter. However, as is the yearly tradition in May, an ASX market slump has continued the Zip share price onslaught.

    Interestingly, just before the company’s shares fell further, Zip co-founders, Larry Diamond and Peter Gray sold some of their holdings. The news did not appease investors concerns, with 1.5 million and 500,000 shares sold by the co-founders on 15 April, respectively. The off-market trade price that sold of those shares, went for $9.18 a pop, a far cry from its current share price.

    In further news, just 2 weeks after, both co-founders were issued almost 40,000 shares between each other for a price of $8.32. While it may be insignificant in the scheme of things, the allocation was ill-timed, with inventors dumping Zip shares from that day forward.

    With no new news out of the company in the past 30 days, investors will no doubt be keeping a close eye on any updates.

    Zip is projected to release their preliminary final report for FY21 in late August.

    Foolish takeaway

    Adding on today’s gain, the Zip share price has accelerated close to 130% when looking at the past 12 months. The company’s shares reached an all-time high of $14.53 after reporting its half-year results. However, severe profit taking swopped in dragging Zip shares lower over the following month.

    Based on today’s prices, Zip commands a market capitalisation of around $3.9 billion, with approximately 554 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

    More reading

    Aaron Teboneras has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of ZIPCOLTD FPO. The Motley Fool Australia 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.

    The post Why the Zip (ASX:Z1P) share price is down almost 25% this month? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    from The Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/3hsWiyb