• Why the Codan (ASX:CDA) share price is jumping 7% to a record high

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

    The Codan Limited (ASX: CDA) share price has started the week in sensational form.

    In afternoon trade, the technology company’s shares are up 7.5% to a record high of $17.06.

    This latest gain means the Codan share price is now up over 51% since the start of the year.

    Why is the Codan share price at a record high?

    Investors have been fighting to get hold of the company’s shares this year for a number of reasons.

    This includes its strong performance in the first half of FY 2021, its inclusion in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO), the announcement of two key acquisitions, and bullish brokers.

    In respect to acquisitions, in February Codan announced a deal to acquire Domo Tactical Communications for US$88 million.

    Domo Tactical Communications’ MIMO Mesh products provide wireless transmission of video and other data applications to predominantly first world customers. This includes Military and Special Forces, Intelligence Agencies, Border Control, First Responders, and Broadcasters.

    Codan followed this up with the acquisition of Zetron, Inc. for US$45 million last week.

    Zetron is a leading US based company providing mission critical communications and interoperability solutions for public safety, transportation, utilities, healthcare and natural resources customers.

    Management is forecasting both acquisitions to be accretive to earnings per share.

    Why is it jumping today?

    Today’s rise in the Codan share price is being driven by one of the aforementioned bullish brokers.

    As I mentioned here earlier today, this morning Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG) spoke positively about the company. Its analysts have retained their outperform rating and lifted their price target on the company’s shares to $17.00.

    Macquarie is happy with the acquisition of Zetron and feels it gives Codan exposure to a complementary and attractive market.

    In addition to this, the broker notes that Codan has recently launched a key new gold detector. Based on previous launches, which have led to a strong upgrade cycle, Macquarie appears to believe this could give its sales a big boost.

    However, with the Codan share price now surpassing Macquarie’s price target, the upside from here could be limited in the near term.

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    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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  • Afterpay (ASX:APT) share price rockets on US update

    A businesman's hands surround a circular graphic with a United States flag and dollar signs, indicating buying and selling US shares

    The Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) share price has been an exceptionally strong performer on Tuesday.

    In early afternoon trade, the payments company’s shares are up a sizeable 8.5% to $114.48.

    Why is the Afterpay share price charging higher?

    There have been a couple of catalysts for the strong rise in the Afterpay share price on Tuesday.

    One is a very positive night of trade on the tech-focused Nasdaq index overnight, following an equally positive trading session on Thursday before the Good Friday holiday.

    This has led to a number of Australian tech shares climbing today, sending the S&P ASX All Technology Index (ASX: XTX) hurtling higher.

    What else?

    Also supporting the Afterpay share price today was the release of an announcement on Monday via its website.

    That announcement includes the results and consumer shopping trends for its bi-annual Afterpay Day sale. This was the first ever to include brick-and-mortar shopping.

    According to the release, the U.S. sale drove a 35% increase in new active customer to the platform. This means the total number of customers that have signed up to Afterpay in the U.S. now exceeds 16 million.

    While it is unclear how many of these are “active” customers, it will be a big lift on the 8 million active customers it reported in North America during the first half of FY 2021.

    Another positive was that traffic to Afterpay’s brand partners was strong. The company sent nearly six million referrals to global merchants via its Shop Directory during the sale’s duration, with approximately 30% of referrals going to SMB partners.

    Crocs, Nike sneakers, Fenty Beauty, Ulta Beauty, and UGG topped Afterpay’s list of most purchased items.

    Most Americans were using their mobile phone to make those purchases. The company notes that 86% of U.S. Afterpay Day transactions occurred on mobile devices, with an average of four items in each shopping basket.

    Afterpay’s Head of North America, Melissa Davis, commented: “Afterpay Day was the perfect way to support our merchant partners as retailers welcomed their customers back to their physical stores and the economy starts to rebound.”

    “As evidenced by the numbers, Afterpay Day delivered new customers, drove increased sales and increased basket sizes online and in-store for the more than 3,000 participating merchants in North America,” she concluded.

    Can the Afterpay share price go higher?

    Don’t worry if you’re missing out on today’s strong gains. This is because a number of brokers are expecting the Afterpay share price to go even higher from here.

    One of those is Morgan Stanley. It currently has an overweight rating and $159.00 price target on its shares. This price target implies potential upside of almost 39% for its shares over the next 12 months.

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  • Why Facebook stock gained 14% last month

    This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

    facebook sign outside

    This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

    What happened

    Shares of Facebook, Inc. Common Stock (NASDAQ: FB) were climbing last month as the social media giant benefited from optimism about the vaccine rollout and the economic recovery later this year as well as some bullish analyst chatter. There was no major news out on the company last month, but the tech stock did seem to benefit from a rotation out of high-priced growth stocks and into value stocks, which includes Facebook since the company now trades at a discount to the S&P 500.

    According to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence, the stock finished the month up 14%. The chart below shows the gains during March.

    FB Chart

    FB data by YCharts.

    So what

    Jefferies was the first analyst group to share its support of Facebook last month as analyst Brent Thill said on March 8 that the stock looked attractive following a recent pullback. He added that it trades at a 40% discount to the Nasdaq despite expectations that revenue growth will accelerate in 2021.

    Over the course of the month, Facebook also had several blog posts laying out its strategy in human-computer interaction, or augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), and the company said it was working on a wristband that would control AR glasses. Facebook sees VR and AR as the next frontier in technology, and its Oculus platform is one of the leaders in the space.

    CEO Mark Zuckerberg also pleased investors when he did an about-face on Apple’s iOS 14, saying that he was confident that his company would be able to manage through the privacy shift, noting the strength of Facebook and Instagram Shops.

    Toward the end of the month, Facebook’s WhatsApp also got approval to handle peer-to-peer payments in Brazil, and Deutsche Bank lifted its price target from $355 to $385 and kept a buy rating on the stock, noting positive feedback from the advertising community.

    Now what

    Facebook has gotten off to a good start in April as well. A strong jobs report pushed the narrative of economic recovery, and the analyst endorsements continued to roll in as Barron’s called the stock a buy over the weekend, and said it wouldn’t stay cheap for long.

    Even at an all-time high, it still looks reasonably priced at a P/E ratio of 30. Keep an eye out for its first-quarter earnings report coming on April 28. The stock could take another step up if Facebook delivers a strong report again.

    This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

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    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. Jeremy Bowman owns shares of Facebook. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Apple and Facebook. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and recommends Facebook. 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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  • Why the SG Fleet (ASX:SGF) share price surged 10% today

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    The SG Fleet Group Ltd (ASX: SGF) share price has rocketed back to ASX trading with a 10 per cent share price surge. Shares in the Aussie fleet management group jumped 10.1% in early trade after nearly 2 weeks in a trading halt.

    Why is the SG Fleet share price rocketing?

    It’s been a big couple of weeks for the SG Fleet shareholders. Since entering a trading halt on Wednesday 24 March, the company has announced a $387 million acquisition and $86 million capital raising.

    SG Fleet last week raised $72 million from its institutional entitlement offer. That offer was at $2.45 per New Share – a 5.0% discount to its last closing price of $2.58 on 23 March 2021.

    That institutional offer achieved a 99.98% take-up rate from eligible shareholders. A further $14 million is expected to be raised from retail shareholders.

    Those proceeds will go towards partially funding the group’s planned acquisition of LeasePlan ANZ. The scrip-based consideration will cost the equivalent of $387 million for the fleet management, car leasing and salary packaging competitor.

    The SG Fleet share price has this morning returned to trading in a big way. Shares in the Aussie company have rocketed higher at the time of writing to a new 52-week high of $2.85 per share.

    Investors have been waiting and watching for a chance to buy in following recent changes. That has seen shares in the fleet group surge higher today before paring back some of those gains in the late morning and early afternoon.

    The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has also enjoyed a strong start to the morning. The benchmark Aussie index was up nearly 1 per cent at midday and approaching 6,900 points.

    Foolish takeaway

    The SG Fleet share price has rocketed higher in a strong start to the shortened trading week. Shares in the fleet management group have climbed after an acquisition announcement and capital raising, whilst the broader market has also lifted today.

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    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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  • Why the Cleanaway (ASX:CWY) share price is soaring 9% today

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    The Cleanaway Waste Management Ltd (ASX: CWY) share price has returned from the Easter break in cracking form, following the announcement of Cleanaway and Suez entering an agreement for the former to acquire the latter.

    At the time of writing, the waste management company’s shareholders are cleaning up as the Cleanaway share price rallies 9.77% to $2.42 per share.

    Details of the deal

    The agreement entered yesterday relates to Cleanaway acquiring the Australian recycling and recovery business of France-based Suez. Cleanaway’s proposal for Suez R&R Australia values the business at $2.52 billion.

    Finalisation of the buyout is conditional on a few line items. Firstly, the proposal will need regulatory thumbs up from the likes of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and the New Zealand Overseas Investment Office (OIO).

    Secondly, Cleanaway will need to successfully finance the transaction (more on that later). Lastly, the acquisition is highly dependent on Veolia’s next move. Suez has the ability to terminate the deal with Cleanaway if Veolia was to lob a higher bid.

    If all conditions are met after 26 April 2021 without termination, Cleanaway plans to tap the market to partially fund the transaction. Furthermore, the company will utilise additional debt facilities to finance the deal.

    Cleaning up a portfolio of assets

    Separately, Cleanaway has also agreed to scoop up a portfolio of strategic post-collection assets in Sydney. These include 2 landfill sites and 5 transfer stations, which would total $501 million. A combination of equity and debt is proposed for the funding of the Sydney assets.

    Meanwhile, the core R&R transaction will add a workforce of more than 2,000 employees, 59 collection and depot facilities, 6 operating landfills, a fleet of more than 1,000 vehicles – among other assets.

    According to the release, the Suez R&R Australia acquisition will add further scale and scope to create operating leverage and avenues to accelerate growth. Additionally, the proposed acquisition price represents an 11.7 multiple on normalised CY20 earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA)

    Cleanaway comments as share price gains

    Cleanaway chief operating officer Brendan Gill commented on the proposed acquisition: 

    Importantly, there is also strong alignment of operating approaches. The transaction is expected to bring together two highly complementary businesses and be strongly accretive to earnings per share when the integration is completed.

    Cleanaway will continue to maintain a strong balance sheet following whichever transaction is completed and will retain ample capacity to support future growth for the combined group.

    The comments reflect the optimism in the markets today, as the Cleanaway share price lifts. If the company can successfully integrate Suez the way it has with Toxfree solutions, further growth could be on the horizon.

    Cleanaway executive general manager of strategy, mergers, and acquisitions, Frank Lintvelt, touched on this with his comments: 

    Following lengthy discussions that first commenced in April 2020, we are pleased to have entered into an agreement with Suez.

    With the successful acquisition and integration of ToxFree completed, which created significant value for shareholders, our team is well placed to manage the combination of Cleanaway’s business with Suez’s Australian Resource and Recovery business.

    Accounting for the increase in the Cleanaway share price, the company’s market capitalisation is now $4.53 billion.

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    Motley Fool contributor Mitchell Lawler 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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  • Think Childcare (ASX:TNK) share price rockets 33% on latest takeover bid

    The Think Childcare Ltd (ASX: TNK) share price is surging 33% today. The astronomical sum comes after the company received a revised offer from Busy Bees Early Learning Pty Ltd for a takeover.

    At the time of writing, the Think share price is trading at $3.06 – up 32.47%. By comparison, the S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) is 1.17% higher.

    Let’s take a closer look at today’s announcement.

    Think share price shoots higher on bidding war

    The Think share price is on a tear. In a statement to the ASX, Think announced it had received a revised offer of $3.20 per share from Busy Bees to buy 100% of the company. This latest offer represents a 52% premium on its previous offer of $2.10 per share.

    The price paid will drop by the amount of any dividend paid by the group after the date of the proposal. Think advised it would pay a dividend of at least 34 cents a share, fully franked, soon.

    The offer of $3.20 is 192% higher than the volume-weighted average price (VWAP) for the last month.

    Busy Bees is in a bidding war for Think with Alceon Private Equity. The two companies have been making offers for the childcare provider since November 2020. The Think share price has been rising with each offer.

    For context, the first offer from Alceon was for $1.35 a share. Busy Bees followed this up with an offer of $1.75 a share.

    After today’s offer, Think is offering Busy Bees an exclusivity period to negotiate a deal until 14 May 2021.

    If a deal were to go through it would be subject to several conditions, including:

    • Due diligence requirements.
    • Obtaining regulatory approval.
    • The consent of Busy Bees’ owner Mathew Edwards.
    • The signing of documents, and
    • Approval by the Think Board.

     

    Alceon backing down?

    Alceon already owns approximately 19% of Think through its subsidiary, NKT Investments Pty Ltd. As such, it has a powerful say on whether or not to accept any deal from Busy Bees.

    Think, however, says that after communicating with Alceon, the private equity firm is prepared to support the Busy Bees offer. If that is the case, the Think share price should begin to stabilise.

    Think share price snapshot

    Over the last 12-months, the Think share price has increased 246.07%. Of course, the vast majority of the company’s growing valuation has come as a result of the takeover talks.

    Given its current share price, Think has a market capitalisation of $187.6 million.

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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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  • House prices flying, fixing your home loan, and where to find a job

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    Motley Fool Australia Chief Investment Officer Scott Phillips joined Weekend Sunrise on Sunday to look ahead to the RBA’s next rates call, and talked about fixing your home loan, plus the surprising news on where Australian jobs are being created.

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  • Here’s why the NRW (ASX:NWH) share price is edging higher today

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    The NRW Holdings Limited (ASX: NWH) share price is edging higher after announcing its subsidiary has been awarded a letter of intent (LOI). At the time of writing, diversified service provider’s shares are fetching $2.10, up 2.4%.

    What did NRW announce?

    Investors appear pleased with the company’s latest update, sending the NRW share price higher in mid-morning trade.

    According to its release, NRW advised that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Primero Group, has executed a letter of intent (LOI) with Panoramic Resources Limited. The agreement will see Primero conduct a number of works. These will fall under an operations and maintenance contract at the Savannah Nickel project. This will also include servicing and ensuring the smooth running of the mine’s processing and surface infrastructure facilities.

    The contract will be valid for an initial period of 3 years, with a possible 2-year renewal option. Additionally, it is expected that the new deal will generate $35 million in revenue for Primero.

    NRW highlighted that Primero has been successfully expanding its business in the base and battery metals sectors. It anticipates that new pipeline opportunities in the operations and maintenance space could see it grow further.

    NRW CEO, Jules Pemberton, commented:

    This agreement further strengthens the annuity revenue stream that our Minerals, Energy and Technology division has been building through its various businesses.

    RCR and its product support and maintenance business, DIAB through its shutdown and maintenance activities and now this significant award to Primero for a three year plus two-year option delivering operations and maintenance services to the Savannah Nickel Project.

    Share price review

    Over the past 12 months, the NRW share price has risen over 30%, but fallen around the same value year-to-date. The company’s shares started the year strongly, before fading away when reporting season came in February.

    At the current share price, NRW commands a market capitalisation of about $958 million, with 456.3 million shares on issue.

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  • ASX 200 up 0.9%: Cleanaway jumps, tech shares rise, Incitec Pivot sinks

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    At lunch on Tuesday the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is on course to start the week with a very strong gain. The benchmark index is currently up 0.9% to 6,890.7 points.

    Here’s what has been happening on the market today:

    Cleanaway share price jumps on acquisition news

    The Cleanaway Waste Management Ltd (ASX: CWY) share price is jumping notably higher today after announcing an agreement to acquire Suez R&R Australia for $2.52 billion. Management expects the acquisition of the recycling and recovery business to provide additional scale and scope to create further operating leverage and multiple avenues to accelerate growth. In addition to this, Cleanaway expects the acquisition to be significantly accretive to earnings post synergies.

    Tech shares rebound

    It has been a very positive day for the Australian tech sector. The likes of Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) and Zip Co Limited (ASX: Z1P) are just two of a number of tech shares storming higher today. This follows a positive end to the week on Wall Street and an even more positive start to the week on Monday night. This has led to the S&P ASX All Technology Index (ASX: XTX) rising 3.5% so far today.

    Job ads hit 12-year high

    The Australian economy is bouncing back strongly from the pandemic judging by the latest job ads data. According to Australia and New Zealand Banking GrpLtd (ASX: ANZ) data, Australian Job Ads rose 7.4% month on month in March. This follows an upwardly-revised 8.8% month on month increase in February. The bank notes that ANZ Job Ads are now at the highest level since November 2008 and pointing to further sharp declines in the unemployment rate. The SEEK Limited (ASX: SEK) share price is up 3.5% at lunch.

    Best and worst ASX 200 performers

    The best performer on the ASX 200 on Tuesday has been the Cleanaway share price with a 10% gain following its acquisition announcement. The worst performer has been the Incitec Pivot Ltd (ASX: IPL) share price with a 9% decline. This follows news that the Waggaman operation is expected to recommence production later than previously expected, impacting its earnings.

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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 ZIPCOLTD FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of AFTERPAY T FPO. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended SEEK 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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  • Why the Los Cerros (ASX:LCL) share price is rocketing 20% today

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    The Los Cerros Ltd (ASX: LCL) share price is off to the races today, up 20% at time of writing.

    Below we take a look at the ASX resource share’s latest gold drilling results.

    What gold drilling results did Los Cerros report?

    The Los Cerros share price is soaring after the company reported high-grade gold drilling results at its 100% owned Quinchia Gold Project in Colombia.

    According to the release, the Tesorito South diamond drill hole (TS-DH16) delivered an intercept of 460.9 metres at 1.11grams per tonne of gold from the surface. The company reported a broader intercept of 582.3m @ 0.94g/t Au from surface, easily its best drill results so far.

    Los Cerros reported there is “significant potential for higher grade envelopes extending at depth to south west”, with porphyry mineralisation south-west of the fault raising “exciting questions at regional level”.

    Commenting on the latest drill results Los Cerros Managing Director, Jason Stirbinskis said:

    On a gram/metre basis TS-DH16 is the best hole ever recorded in the entire Quinchia district and has raised exciting questions about the potential scale of this gold system. The near surface (first 411m of this hole) has expanded to the south-west the modelled gold envelopes described by the high grade intercepts reported in the TS-DH02, ’14, ’11, ’15 drill fence and mineralisation still remains open to the south west.

    Follow-up drilling will further explore this region of relatively sparse data. The company will offer further detail on interpretation of the porphyry suite intercepted below and south-west of the fault in coming weeks as we assimilate new drill data as it arrives.

    Los Cerros is awaiting the assays for 4 other completed drill holes at Tesorito South. In the meantime, drilling continues at the Quinchia Project, with 2 diamond rigs at Tesorito South and 1 diamond rig at the company’s Chuscal prospect.

    Los Cerros share price snapshot

    If you bought Los Cerros shares 12 months ago, you won’t be complaining today. Over the past full year the Los Cerros share price has gained a whopping 780%. That compares to a gain of 34% on the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO).

    Year-to-date, the Los Cerros share price is up 35%.

    Where to invest $1,000 right now

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

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

    *Returns as of February 15th 2021

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

    The post Why the Los Cerros (ASX:LCL) share price is rocketing 20% today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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