• The Impedimed (ASX:IPD) share price rocketed 13% today. Here’s why

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    The Impedimed Limited (ASX: IPD) share price was off to a flying start this morning, up 13% at market open.

    The positive price movement came as the medical technology company announced it received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance for a new heart monitoring device in the United States.

    At the time of writing, shares in the company are up 8.7%, trading at 12.5 cents. By comparison, the S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) is 0.08% higher.

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

    Impedimed’s new product

    In a statement to the ASX, Impedimed advised it has received FDA 510(k) clearance for its SOZO device to include a heart failure index (HF-Dex) as a monitoring tool for patients living with heart failure.

    The 510(k) clearance is a requirement for launching new medical products in the US.

    Impedimed says the HF-Dex can measure fluid levels in people using a 30-second, non-invasive test. According to the company, the product presents the data in graphical format for a quick assessment and is most useful in conjunction with other clinical data.

    In addition, the Impedimed said the product “has been demonstrated in peer-reviewed publications and abstracts accepted at internationally renowned cardiology conferences”, such as the American College of Cardiology and the Heart Failure Society of America.

    What did management say?

    Commenting on the news, Impedimed CEO Richard Carreonsaid said:

    We are very pleased with this expanded clearance for SOZO that includes our heart failure index. This is a major step forward in SOZO becoming the standard of care for the management of heart failure patients.

    The use of HF- Dex will provide clinicians unparalleled insights into the extracellular fluid accumulation in heart failure patients that has not otherwise been readily available to them before.

    Impedimed share price snapshot

    Over the past 12 months, the Impedimed share price has increased 212%, although it’s up just 4% year-to-date. Today’s news regains the ground lost yesterday when the company’s shares fell 11.5%.

    Impedimed has a market capitalisation of $171.5 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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  • What’s happening with the Wesfarmers (ASX:WES) share price today?

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    The Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES) share price is falling slightly today. However, in positive news for the company’s New Zealand employees, Kmart has reached a “living wage” agreement with the country’s retail workers union, FIRST Union.

    The Wesfarmers share price is down 0.52% to $55.59 at the time of writing.

    Wesfarmers is a diversified business. It’s broad operations including home improvement and outdoor living, apparel and general merchandise, and office supplies. In addition, the company has an industrials division with businesses in chemicals, energy and fertilisers, and industrial and safety products.

    Wesfarmers subsidiaries include household names such as Bunnings Warehouse, Kmart Australia, Officeworks, and more.

    Wesfarmers ‘living wage’ agreement

    FIRST Union says the pay rise for Kmart workers is a retail industry landmark. It’s a recognition by the major Wesfarmers brand to uphold living wage benchmarks. These are set by an independent economic advisory panel in New Zealand. 

    According to the union, the deal will mean hundreds of sales assistants will move to living wages.  In addition, there will be wage increases for longer-serving staff, a new CA allowance for union members, and a commitment to staffing health reviews.

    New employees at Kmart will now receive at least the current living wage of NZ$22.10 per hour after six months of experience. Pay rates will also increase for Coordinators and DC Team Members as well as sales workers.

    FIRST Union is New Zealand’s second-largest private sector trade union. It has been negotiating with Kmart and Bunnings over pay raises for its staff. According to the union, fellow Wesfarmers brand, Bunnings, is still holding out on providing a living wage for its staff.

    What FIRST Union said

    FIRST Union Secretary for Retail and Finance, Tali Williams, said it was a significant step for New Zealand retail workers:

    Kmart have recognised that their workers are the ones who’ve kept the business afloat and profitable throughout the pandemic year, and are doing the right thing by ensuring workers are paid a living wage. I’m proud of our negotiating team, who made their claims clear and approached the bargaining calmly and with unity.

    Major retailers like Kmart have not experienced the drop in profitability that many predicted, and this offer shows that these companies are more than capable of paying their staff a living wage even during a year of crisis.

    Wesfarmers share price snapshot

    The Wesfarmers share price has been a powerful performer as Australia and New Zealand’s economies rebound and retail spending increases. The company’s share price is up more than 9% the past month and 51% over the past 12 months.

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    Motley Fool contributor Lucas Radbourne-Pugh has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of Wesfarmers 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 A2 Milk (ASX:A2M) share price hit a multi-year low today

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    The A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX: A2M) share price is edging lower today.

    In early afternoon trade, the infant formula and fresh milk company’s shares are down 0.5% to $7.68.

    At one stage today, the a2 Milk share price hit a multi-year low of $7.58.

    Why is the a2 Milk share price edging lower?

    Investors have been selling the company’s shares today after one of its biggest supporters began to doubt its recovery.

    According to a note out of Morgans, the broker has downgraded a2 Milk’s shares to a hold rating from add and slashed the price target on them by almost 20% to $8.34.

    The broker made the move after its research indicated that prices in China are not improving and retailers in the local market are discounting inventory ahead of use by dates. Morgans fears that its excess inventory could be a bigger problem that it previously anticipated.

    Based on this, the broker believes that a2 Milk is unlikely to achieve its guidance for FY 2021. This would be bitterly disappointing given how the company has downgraded its guidance numerous times since it was first given to the market.

    What else is weighing on its shares?

    Morgans isn’t the only broker talking about a2 Milk today. This morning Citi reiterated its sell rating and $7.15 price target on the company’s shares.

    It also has concerns over discounting as excess inventory nears its use by dates. But as well as this, the broker’s research appears to indicate that Chinese consumers are now preferring domestic brands for consumer products. This includes athletic brands, vitamins, and, unfortunately, infant formula. It feels this could impact demand in the key market.

    For the same reason, the broker retained its sell rating and 35 cents price target on Bubs Australia Ltd (ASX: BUB) shares.

    Following today’s decline, the a2 Milk share price is now down approximately 59% over the last 12 months.

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  • Why the Sequoia (ASX:SEQ) share price is racing 15% higher today

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    The Sequoia Financial Group Ltd (ASX: SEQ) share price is on the rise in early afternoon trade. This comes after the company announced a trading update and revised guidance for FY21.

    At the time of writing, the financial services company’s shares are fetching for 52 cents apiece, up 15.5%.

    Sequoia performance snapshot

    Investors are driving Sequoia shares within a whisker of reaching a new multi-year high following the company’s positive release.

    In its announcement, Sequoia advised it is strongly performing to date with growth across key sectors.

    A number of factors during the current financial year has led revenue to surge past what the company was anticipating.

    The company attributed the increase to a number of factors including the successful integration of transactions. This includes:

    • Business and adviser acquisitions achieving better than expected results (including Panthercorp, Phillip Capital Advisers and Total Cover);
    • Surge in monthly trading volumes in Morrison securities;
    • Robust growth in brokerage and commissions from the financial planning and stock broking businesses;
    • Improved performance in the self-managed super fund (SMSF) administration and document businesses.

    Sequoia noted that it is continuing to explore acquisition opportunities to add better value to its core customers.

    Significant updated guidance

    In further news boosting the Sequoia share price, the company provided an update guidance for FY21.

    Previously in February on the release of its half-year results, Sequoia forecasted $110 million in revenue, and earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of $7 million.

    However, after reporting strong trading conditions, the group is projecting an increase in revenue and EBITDA for FY21.

    Revenue is predicted to soar between $110 million and $120 million, compared to the $84.5 million achieved in FY20.

    EBIDTA is envisaged to exceed original estimates by roughly 25%, to come in the range of $8.5 million and $9 million. In the prior comparable period, EBITDA stood at $4.82 million.

    Sequoia share price summary

    Sequoia shares have skyrocketed over the last 12 months, gaining more than 180% on the back of positive investor sentiment. The company’s shares reached a multi-year high of 53 cents in the middle of February, before treading lower until now.

    Sequoia has a market capitalisation of about $67 million, with 130 million shares on issue.

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  • Splitit (ASX:SPT) share price edges higher on new product launch

    impact on asx share price of new product represented by colourful letters spelling product launch

    Splitit Ltd (ASX: SPT) shares are edging higher after the company announced the launch of a new payment gateway designed exclusively for instalment payments. At the time of writing, the Splitit share price is trading 0.63% higher at 80.5 cents.

    Let’s take a closer look at the company’s latest news.

    What’s driving the Splitit share price?

    The Splitit share price is in the green today after the company announced that, following a successful beta phase, it has launched ‘Splitit Plus’ to merchants across the United States. A wider global rollout is expected to commence in the second half of this year. 

    Splitit shares have been struggling this week after the fintech released what some believed to be a less than impressive first-quarter update yesterday. 

    The new platform, Splitit Plus, is an integrated payment gateway that has been built through leveraging the company’s partnership with US payment processing giant, Stripe.

    According to Splitit, the technology “provides merchants an all-in-one platform combining Splitit’s instalment payment technology with a card processing solution for the instalments”. This allows for a more seamless activation process in which merchants can offer instalment payments on credit cards to customers on the same day. 

    Splitit CEO Brad Paterson commented on the new feature, saying:

    We created Splitit Plus with a customer-first approach to provide an exceptional merchant experience with Splitit. This innovation of a payment gateway built exclusively for installments makes it a fast, simple solution for merchants of any size to begin accepting installment payments in minutes.

    Splitit Plus to drive revenues

    According to Splitit, the new offering is expected to result in incremental revenues for the company as it will now receive a payment processing fee on top of its existing instalment fees. This will be charged to merchants at a simplified, all-in-one rate. 

    Paterson believes the simplified merchant experience and onboarding process should accelerate merchant acquisition in the future. He said:

    We believe that Splitit Plus puts us in a strong position to continue our exciting growth trajectory. Offering a faster and simpler onboarding experience and all-in-one fee structure allows us to accelerate merchant acquisition for smaller and larger merchants alike, while meeting the growing demand from merchants to add Splitit to their site or store.

    Splitit share price playing catch up

    The Splitit share price has been significantly underperforming buy now, pay later (BNPL) leaders such as Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) and Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P) lately.

    The company’s quarterly update on Wednesday revealed negative quarter-on-quarter growth. This signals a diverging performance between Splitit and its BNPL counterparts. Year to date, Splitit shares have fallen by around 38%. However, the company’s shares are still up by around 70% over the past 12 months.

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    Kerry Sun has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of ZIPCOLTD FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of AFTERPAY T FPO. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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  • Why the Blackmores (ASX:BKL) share price is under pressure today

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    The Blackmores Limited (ASX: BKL) share price has come under a spot of pressure today.

    In morning trade, the health supplements company’s shares are down 2% to $82.82.

    Why is the Blackmores share price under pressure?

    Investors have been selling Blackmores’ shares this morning following the release of its shareholder briefing presentation.

    As well as giving shareholders a rundown on how it performed during the first half, Blackmores provided an update on current trading.

    According to the release, inbound spending is significantly down in Australia driven by the absence of international students and tourists (daigou shoppers). This has led to a significant reduction in the share of Australian health supplement sales to Chinese consumers.

    At the end of the third quarter of FY 2021, just 10% of Australian health supplement sales were made to Chinese consumers. This is down from ~25% prior to the pandemic.

    Management expects this weaker consumption to persist well into 2022 and until regular international travel resumes.

    In addition to this, the company notes that a significantly milder cold and flu season has resulted in surplus stocks in the pharmacy channel.

    What else is happening?

    Another headwind the company is facing is that the Australian vitamin and dietary supplement category has been impacted by structural shifts as a result of COVID-19. Sales in the grocery channel have been growing at the expense of the pharmacy channel. Traditionally, the latter channel has stronger margins, though management didn’t comment on this.

    One positive, though, is that Blackmores sees the shift online as an opportunity. In light of this, it is accelerating its digital transformation in order to benefit from the trend.

    It has also set itself the bold target of connecting “1 billion people to the healing power of nature through our brands” by FY 2024.

    But judging by the Blackmores share price performance today, some investors appear to be waiting to see how long the headwinds it is facing last before focusing on its longer term aspirations.

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  • ASX 200 up 0.2%: AMP sinks, Redbubble crashes, Megaport jumps

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    At lunch on Thursday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is clawing back some of yesterday’s decline. The benchmark index is currently up 0.2% to 7,010.2 points.

    Here’s what is happening on the market today:

    AMP sinks

    The AMP Ltd (ASX: AMP) share price is sinking today following the release of its first quarter update. According to the release, for the three months ended 31 March, AMP posted a $1.6 billion increase in Australian wealth management (AWM) assets under management (AUM) to $125.7 billion. However, this was driven entirely by improved investment markets, which offset net cash outflows of $1.5 billion. Elsewhere, the AMP Capital business saw its AUM fall 1.7% to $186.5 billion during the quarter.

    Redbubble Q3 update disappoints

    The Redbubble Ltd (ASX: RBL) share price was added to the ASX 200 index this morning and is having a very disappointing first day. At lunch, the ecommerce company’s shares are down 18% following the release of its third quarter update. For the three months ended 31 March, Redbubble reported gross transaction value of $134 million and marketplace revenue of $103 million. This was up 54% and 79%, respectively. However, its EBITDA came in at just $2.2 million for the quarter. This compares to first half EBITDA of $48.8 million.

    Santos first quarter update

    The Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) share price is trading lower today following the release of its first quarter update. During the quarter, Santos produced 24.9 million barrels of oil equivalent (mmboe). This was up 39% on the prior corresponding period and driven by the ConocoPhillips acquisition in May 2020. On a quarter on quarter basis, production fell 2% due to lower gas demand in Western Australia and unplanned maintenance in PNG. Management has, however, retained its guidance for FY 2021.

    Best and worst ASX 200 performers

    The best performer on the ASX 200 today has been the Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1) share price with a 7.5% gain. This follows the release of an impressive third quarter update. The worst performer has unsurprisingly been the Redbubble share price with a decline of 18%. Investors appear concerned by its sharp decline in profitability.

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

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  • ASX 200 shares thrown in the bargain bin: Here’s 3 ideas

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    Despite the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) rebounding 33.5% in the last year, there’s still plenty of shares that remain beaten down.

    While there are shares on the ASX that look expensive, the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio can be useful to make a rudimentary assessment of value.

    So, let’s take a look at a few shares in the ASX 200 that are currently trading on relatively cheap earnings multiples — in addition to having a beaten-down share price.

    ASX 200 shares trading at a discount

    St Barbara Ltd (ASX: SBM)

    This ASX-list gold mining company has been unloved over the last year. The St Barbara share price is down 12.5% from 12 months ago, and 28% lower in the last 6 months.

    Being a gold mining company in the ASX 200, St Barbara’s share price is loosely tied to the value of the precious metal. Comparatively, the gold spot price has fallen 12.6% in the last 6 months. However, the price of gold has risen 5% in the past year.

    Furthermore, St Barbara increased its earnings 26.7% from $100.26 million to $127.03 million, between 2019 and 2020. Due to the company’s earnings increasing while its share price tumbled, its earnings multiple has contracted to 11.6 times. For comparison, the metals and mining industry average is 13.3 times.

    Austal Ltd (ASX: ASB)

    The ASX 200 included Australian shipbuilder has fallen out of favour in recent times. This is reflected in the share price falling 15.8% in the past 12 months, and 22% in the last 6 months.

    Austal has been integral in providing the US Navy and Australian Border Force with vessels. Hence, the news of America and Australia withdrawing from Afghanistan might have investors concerned. Regardless, the company is proceeding with the construction of a ship-building facility in Alabama, USA.

    In its recent FY21 half-year report, Austal witnessed a 29% increase in its net profits on the prior corresponding period (pcp) to $52.4 million. With growing profits and a declining share price, Austal’s P/E ratio has reduced to 8.8 times — the lowest it has been since 2013 (disregarding negative periods).

    Regis Resources Ltd (ASX: RRL)

    Another gold miner on the list — Regis has suffered a heft 31% selloff over the last year. On a 6-month timescale, the Regis share price is down 41% — definitely passing the beaten-down criteria.

    Looking at the financials, Regis has reasonably stable profits over the last few years. These range between $161 million to $200 million in earnings. During this period the gold miner has managed to grow its revenue from $590 million to $786 million. This has further potential to increase, with Regis acquiring a $900 million stake in the Tropicana gold project.

    Analysts at Morgans believe the Tropicana acquisition will be transformational for the company’s long-term outlook. According to a recent note, the broker holds an add rating with a price target of $4.01. At the time of writing, the Regis Resource share price is trading at $2.79. The company is also trading at a discount to ASX 200 peers, trading on a 7.3 times P/E multiple.

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  • The AGL Energy (ASX:AGL) share price falls as CEO steps down

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    The AGL Energy Limited (ASX: AGL) share price is falling today after news the company’s CEO and managing director is stepping down. Brett Redman has been with AGL for 15 years but said he couldn’t continue as CEO after the company’s structural separation.

    The AGL Energy share price is currently trading at $8.88, down 1.99% from yesterday’s closing price.

    Let’s take a closer look at AGL’s news this morning.

    Upper management shake-up

    Redman is resigning from the role of managing director and CEO, effective immediately. He has been with the company for 15 years, holding the top job for the last 2 and a half years.  

    Filling the role is the energy company’s chair, Graeme Hunt, who will relinquish his duties as chair to take up the position of interim managing director and CEO.

    AGL advised that Hunt would lead the company through the planning process of its structural separation. He will be charged with appointing leaders to the company’s 2 new businesses.

    AGL non-executive director Peter Botten will fill the role of company chair.

    While Redman’s notice is effective immediately, AGL said he would remain available to the company until October, when his notice period expires.

    Commentary from an all-new management

    Outgoing CEO Redman said he was proud of his contribution to AGL Energy. He added:

    I am also pleased to have established the case for the structural separation of the business. The timing of my departure will enable the leadership team to be established to execute upon the separation strategy and lead the business into its next chapter.

    Hunt thanked Redman for his service:

    Over his time as CEO, Brett has returned the company to growth in its customer base and stabilised relationships with key stakeholders at a time of unprecedented uncertainty in energy policy and market conditions.

    In addition, the structural separation strategy Brett has sponsored gives AGL the opportunity to make material progress in our role in the energy transition.

    Botten also thanked Redman and said Hunt’s interim role would “provide important continuity of leadership for the business and certainty for our people and shareholders while we work through the considerations of structural separation and establish a platform for future success”.

    AGL Energy share price snapshot

    The AGL Energy share price is down 27% year-to-date and has fallen 49% over the last 12 months.

    The company has a market capitalisation of around $5.6 billion, with approximately 623 million shares outstanding.

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  • Are Netflix’s woes a warning for ASX tech shares?

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    You might have missed it, but yesterday, the US tech giant Netflix Inc (NASDAQ: NFLX) reported its quarterly earnings for the 3 months ending 31 March 2021.

    It was quite a surprising result for a number of reasons. Firstly, despite its gargantuan US$225 billion market capitalisation, Netflix has long been priced as a growth company. Until yesterday’s report, Netflix had boasted a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of over 90.

    That’s why it was a surprise to hear that Netflix had only added 4 million new subscribers over the quarter. Now that’s still a massive number to be sure. But it pales against the 16 million the company added over the same quarter last year. In other words, we have a big slowdown here. What was even more surprising was Netflix’s guidance for the quarter we are currently in (ending 30 June 2021). The company is only expecting to add another million subscribers. If that does come to pass it would be a 75% reduction on top of a 75% reduction.

    Needless to say, the market reaction wasn’t fantastic for Netflix shares. The Netflix share price dropped 7.4% last night in US trading.

    But perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised. The March quarter last year captured the most intense period of global COVID lockdowns. That is a near-impossible yardstick to compete with in 2021.

    But it does sound a warning bell, which could extend to ASX tech shares.

    Netflix: a warning for ASX tech shares

    It’s fair to say that the markets have been extremely accommodating and even generous to many ASX shares that could be classed as ‘COVID winners’ at various points over the past year or so. Think of Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT), Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P), Kogan.com Ltd (ASX: KGN) or Temple & Webster Group Ltd (ASX: TPW). All of these companies have seen a huge, if not volatile investor interest over the past year. This interest has pushed the share prices of these companies to levels that some investors have found inexplicable. Xero Limited (ASX: XRO) still has a P/E ratio over 600, after all.

    Some ASX tech shares have managed to keep much of their COIVID-fuelled gains, like Afterpay and Xero. But others have given back some of their winnings, like Kogan and (to a lesser extent) Temple & Webster.

    As it stands today, the S&P/ASX All Technology Index (ASX: XTX) is still at a relatively high point – at ~84% above where it was this time last year.

    But perhaps with Netflix, the market is telling us that its leniency has limits. If the seemingly limitless growth runways start to shorten, Netflix’s stock price gives us a good indication of what might be ahead.

    Something to keep in mind for every ASX growth investor out there today.

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    Sebastian Bowen 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 Netflix. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of Kogan.com ltd, Temple & Webster Group Ltd, Xero, and ZIPCOLTD FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of AFTERPAY T FPO. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Kogan.com ltd, Netflix, and Temple & Webster Group Ltd. 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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