• Could the Openpay (ASX:OPY) share price double in 2021?

    It has been a disappointing year so far for the Openpay Group Ltd (ASX: OPY) share price.

    At one stage in February, the buy now pay later (BNPL) provider’s shares were up as much as 41% year to date to $3.35.

    Since then, the Openpay share price has given back all those gains and a little bit more. This is despite the release of a couple of very positive updates during this time.

    Is the Openpay share price in the buy zone?

    Analysts at Shaw & Partners believe that this could be a buying opportunity for investors.

    According to a note from last week, the broker has reiterated its buy (high risk) rating and $5.00 price target on its shares.

    Based on the current Openpay share price of $2.30, this price target implies potential upside of over 100% over the next 12 months.

    What did the broker say?

    Shaw & Partners notes that Openpay has announced the signing of an agreement with payments giant FIS Worldpay. This was hot on the heels of the announcement of its entry into the US$55.8 billion US and UK veterinary markets via partnerships with ezyVet.

    The broker said: “Another milestone partnership on the back of the recent ezyVet deal further demonstrates OPY’s ability to integrate into leading global payments providers like FIS Worldpay but also augment that with service specialist requirements with a variety of healthcare partners, a major differentiator to its BNPL peers, and augments the recently inked partnership with St John of God Health Care, delivering higher-value plans to help customers split payments for important needs – like elective surgery, dental, optometrist, car servicing and now pet care – over longer terms.”

    Its analysts also point out that the Openpay share price trades at a significant discount of 42% compared to its listed BNPL peers.

    They estimate that Openpay is trading on an FY 2022 EV/Sales multiple of 5.3x compared to the average of its ASX peers of 9.1x.

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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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  • ASX stock of the day: Tassal Group (ASX:TGR) shares rise 5%

    Falling asx share price represented by surprised fat fish

    The Tassal Group Limited (ASX: TGR) share price is one of the better performers on the ASX boards today. Tassal shares are, at the time of writing, up 5.43% to $3.7. Yesterday, the Tassal share price close at $3.50 a share yesterday afternoon. It’s a new 2021 high for Tassal, which hasn’t seen the levels we see today since December last year. Since finding a new 52-week low of $3.16 a share back on 19 February, Tassal is now up around 15%. Even so, the company remains more than 10% off of the highs we saw in June last year when the company was over $4 a share.

    So who is Tassal? And why are Tassal shares on the move today?

    A Tassalating story

    Tassal is a rather unique company on the ASX as it is the largest producer of Tasmanian Atlantic salmon in the country. It also has a growing prawn operation. It was founded in 1986 and listed on the ASX back in 2003. Tassal farms its salmon on various sites throughout Tasmania. It sells its fresh, canned, smoked and marinated salmon. These products are branded under the Tassal, Superior Sold, Tasmanian Smokehouse and De Costi Seafoods brands around the country. Its prawns are sold under the Tropic Co brand.

    The company has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic in recent times. This was on full display in February. Tassal reported its earnings for the 6 months ending 31 December on 16 February, and it was a mixed bag. The company reported a statutory net profit after tax of $27.6 million for the period. That was down from the $40.8 million that was reported for the previous year. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) fell 4.3% to $77.5 million, which allowed Tassal to pay an interim dividend of 7 cents per share on 30 March. That was down from 202’s interim dividend of 9 cents per share.

    Why are Tassal shares rising today?

    Well, there has been no major official news or announcements out of the company today, so we can put that aside. But there have been some interesting developments for Tassal of late that might help explain its share price movements today.

    Firstly, Tassal was kicked out of the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) last month. The ASX 200 is rebalanced every quarter. This ensures only the 200 largest companies are represented in the index. Tassal’s share price woes last year resulted in the company being overtaken. This generally results in significant selling pressure seeing as index funds that track the ASX 200 all have to dump their Tassal positions over a relatively small window. Now that this rebalancing is complete, we could be seeing some price stabilising going on. There might also be some entrepreneurial investors betting that Tassal could once again play musical chairs and rejoin the index if its fortunes improve sometime in the next year.

    Further, Tassal is one of the most short-sold shares on the ASX, as my Fool colleague James Mickleboro frequently covers. If a share is heavily shorted, a price gain could see some investors cover their short position. Consequently, this results in more buying pressure. So it’s possible that if Tassal rises say 2%, it could trigger some short covering which then helps the Tassal share price rise another 2—3%. That could be what we are seeing today.

    Either way, Tassal shareholders will no doubt be celebrating today. At the current share price, Tassal has a market capitalisation of $778.77 million and a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 13.83

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  • Nova Minerals (ASX:NVA) share price sinks as gold estimate grows

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    Confusing some shareholders today, the Nova Minerals Ltd (ASX: NVA) share price is sinking, despite the mining company upgrading its Korbel Main resource estimate.

    Perplexingly, the Nova Minerals share price has experienced a 9.1% selloff to 15 cents per share. Meanwhile, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has added a further 0.32% at the time of writing.

    Expectations meet reality

    I think it was Shakespeare that said “expectation is the root of all heartache”, which is a bit of an exaggeration in this case – but the point holds true. The reaction to Nova’s update is likely the consequence of expectations. With that being said, let’s go through the details so you can make your own mind up.

    The update that sparked the share price fall relates to Nova Mineral’s Korbel Main deposit. Located in Alaska, Korbel forms part of the company’s flagship Estelle gold project. Nova now estimates the deposit to contain 4.7 million ounces of gold.

    The revised update is the result of an additional 48 diamond core holes drilled last year. As a result, independent consultants determined an increased inferred mineral estimate. Additionally, the resource was found to start from the surface and is open along strike to the North-West and South-East.

    Furthermore, ore sorting results indicate a substantial grade increase, which assisted in lowering the reported gold cut-off grade to 0.15 grams per tonne. This is a reduction from the previously reported 0.18 grams per tonne cut-off.  

    Nova Minerals share price unfazed by further potential

    On top of the resource upgrade today, Nova Minerals pointed to further potential in unexplored targets. Specifically, Korbel blocks C and D, Cathedral, You Beauty, Isabella, Sweet Jenny, and other priority targets were not included in the upgrade.

    The company insisted these targets could potentially provide substantial resource growth across the Estelle gold project. Nova Minerals CEO Christopher Gerteisen commented further:

    Estelle is a district scale project, and Nova is on a mission to unlock it, with multiple exciting targets that offer huge potential to continue growing the overall resource inventory across the project area.

    Mineralisation remains open in multiple directions and we have numerous well-established targets, some with historic drilling such as RPM, which we plan to drill and release a Maiden Resource on this year.

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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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  • Here’s why the Immutep (ASX:IMM) share price is climbing today

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    The Immutep Ltd (ASX: IMM) share price is climbing in late-morning trade after announcing a new European patent grant. At the time of writing, the biotechnology company’s shares are swapping hands for 44 cents, up 2.35%.

    What was announced?

    Investors are pushing Immutep shares higher after digesting the company’s positive update.

    According to its release, Immutep advised that it has been granted a patent to add to its portfolio. Approved by the European Patent Office, the latest addition will seek to further protecting Immutep’s intellectual property.

    The new patent is titled, ‘Combination therapies comprising antibody molecules to LAG-3’ (patent number EP3317301).

    Immutep stated that the patent discusses LAG525, a humanised form of its IMP701 antibody. This is out-licensed to Novartis AG. The new patent also explains how to use LAG525 and spartalizumab. This is an anti-PD-1 antibody molecule that can be used to treat cancer patients.

    Developed by Immutep, IMP701 is a therapeutic antibody previously used to target LAG-3. The antibody works in controlling the signalling pathways, activating T cell function. Thus, it removes two brakes to allow the immune system to kill cancer cells.

    Immutep noted that rights to the development and commercialisation of IMP701 are exclusively licensed to Novartis. Currently, LAG525 is being evaluated in several trials by Novartis in combination with its PD-1 inhibitor spartalizumab. In addition, Immutep is eligible to receive development-based milestone payments and sales-based royalties on achieving its agreed targets.

    The EP3317301 patent is also jointly owned by Novartis and Immutep, and is set to expire on 28 July 2036.

    Immutep share price review

    In the past 12 months, the Immutep share price has gained 250%, with most of those gains coming in 2020. Year-to-date, the company’s shares are up just 5% after recording heavy selling during March.

    On valuation grounds, Immutep has a market capitalisation of roughly $292.4 million, with 672.3 million shares outstanding.

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  • Is there more pain ahead for the a2 Milk (ASX:A2M) share price?

    falling asx share price represented by woman making sad face

    The A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX: A2M) share price has been one of the worst performers on the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) in 2021.

    Since the start of the year, the infant formula and fresh milk company’s shares have lost a third of their value.

    Things are even worse for the a2 Milk share price over the last 12 months. Since this time last year, the company’s shares have crashed 55% lower. This compares to a gain of 31% by the ASX 200 index over the same period.

    What’s gone wrong for a2 Milk?

    The a2 Milk share price has been sold off largely due to the deterioration of its performance because of headwinds associated with the pandemic.

    These headwinds are being felt deepest in the daigou channel due to international tourism and student markets coming to a standstill. Daigou shoppers will buy product from local sellers such as supermarkets and then send it back to mainland China at a premium.

    What impact has this had on its financials?

    These headwinds have had a dramatic impact on the company’s financials. This has led to countless guidance downgrades, which begs the question, why provide guidance when things are so uncertain?

    For example, in FY 2020, a2 Milk reported revenue of NZ$1.73 million and was expecting further strong growth in the new financial year.

    Just a touch over a month later, management revealed that it had started to observe emerging additional disruption to the corporate daigou/reseller channel. This led to the company reducing expectations and guiding to revenue of NZ$1.8 billion to NZ$1.9 billion for FY 2021.

    By December, things were not improving, leading to the company downgrading its guidance by almost half a billion dollars. At that point, it was expecting revenue to be between NZ$1.4 billion and NZ$1.55 billion.

    And then in February, a2 Milk released its half year results and downgraded its guidance further. It currently expects revenue to be around NZ$1.4 billion this year.

    However, it is worth noting that this guidance assumes that initiatives it is undertaking to reactivate the daigou channel deliver a notable improvement in its sales in the fourth quarter. This is of course far from guaranteed.

    And judging by the a2 Milk share price performance, not something which the market appears confident in.

    Is the a2 Milk share price good value now?

    Despite the significant decline in the a2 Milk share price, some brokers believe it can still go lower.

    Ord Minnett currently has a lighten rating and $7.70 price target, whereas Citi has a sell rating and $7.15 price target.

    The latter also has concerns about increasing competition in the China market from domestic producers and building inventory levels. In respect to the latter, it suspects that daigou sellers may have to discount product as it nears its expiry date.

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  • Tesla stock could surge 51% to $1,000 according to this analyst

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

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

    Shares of Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) have soared nearly 615% over the past 12 months but will surge to new all-time highs in the coming year.

    So says Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives. On Monday, Ives upgraded Tesla to outperform (buy) and raised his price target on the stock from $950 to $1,000. His new base target represents potential gains for investors of roughly 51% over the stock’s closing price on Friday of roughly $661. The bull case is even more compelling, suggesting the stock could nearly double to $1,300. 

    Ives cited Tesla’s recently released first-quarter delivery numbers, which soared 109% year over year to 184,800. This came despite a global semi-conductor chip shortage that forced the closure of Tesla’s Fremont factory for two weeks in late February. Ives said the production numbers amounted to a “paradigm changer,” suggesting the results are part of a “global green tidal wave under way.”

    The analyst also expects Congress to ultimately remove the ceiling of 200,000 units per manufacturer on cars eligible for the electric vehicle (EV) tax credit, while also increasing the credit to $10,000 per vehicle. This would act as a catalyst to increase demand for EVs in the U.S.

    “We now believe Tesla could exceed 850k deliveries for the year with 900k a stretch goal, despite the chip shortage and various supply chain issues lingering across the auto sector.” Ives wrote in a note to clients. 

    Will Tesla’s stock price hit $1,000?

    It’s hard to dismiss Tesla’s ability to ramp up production. Tesla started out 2020 saying it expected to deliver 500,000 vehicles for the year, a number many thought was pie-in-the-sky. The company delivered 499,550, just 50 vehicles short of Musk’s audacious goal. 

    That said, Tesla already has a significant amount of growth baked into its share price. The stocks valuation clocks in at a lofty 23, when a reasonable price-to-sales ratio is typically between 1 and 2. However, given Tesla’s recent pullback and its accelerating production capability, the price target doesn’t seem that far-fetched.

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

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

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  • Why ASX copper shares are cheering for Joe Biden

    Smiling female investor holds hands up in victory in front of a laptop

    If you thought former United States president Donald Trump had the corner on moving global share markets, think again.

    After pushing through a US$1.9 trillion (AU$2.4 trillion) pandemic relief package early in his presidency, Joe Biden is now pressing ahead with a US$2.3 trillion infrastructure spending proposal.

    Unlike his predecessor, Biden is proposing a massive increase in government funding for renewable energy and electric vehicles (EVs).

    Which brings us to ASX copper shares.

    Why copper miners are cheering for Joe Biden

    If EV adoption takes off in the car hungry US, the demand for copper will too. Although lithium may get much of the headlines when it comes to battery power, EVs also require a lot more copper than petrol cars.

    Of course, copper is also used in all types of infrastructure, from electrical wiring to plumbing and roofing.

    Adding in the rapid recovery of the US economy as it rolls out some 3 million COVID-19 vaccines per day, which saw March handily beat expectations on new job creations, and it goes a long way to explaining copper’s price surge.

    As Bloomberg reports, “‘The [US] jobs report on Friday is certainly a big thing’ for copper’s increase, said Peter Thomas, senior vice president at Zaner Group in Chicago.” Thomas added that “a lot of copper will be needed” for Biden’s infrastructure plan.

    Copper prices are up more than 3% so far in April and 89% higher than the lows from 27 March 2020. Thought it’s slipped a bit since the 27 February highs, copper is still trading near multi-year highs. And if Biden’s plan goes through as the rest of the world begins its own march to recovery, copper prices could go higher still.

    Two ASX copper shares

    There are a number of quality copper shares trading on the ASX.

    On the larger end of the spectrum, you have S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) listed Oz Minerals Ltd (ASX: OZL).

    Oz Minerals has a market cap of just over $8 billion and pays an annual dividend yield of 1.1%, fully franked. Over the past 12 months the Oz Mineral’s share price is up 212%. That compares to a gain of 31% on the ASX 200. Year-to-date, Oz Minerals shares have gained 24%.

    On the smaller end of the ASX copper share spectrum, we find Aeris Resources Ltd (ASX: AIS), with a market cap of $192 million.

    The Aeris Resources share price is up 163% over the past 12 months. Or roughly double the increase in the price of copper in that same time. Year-to-date Aeris Resources shares are down 5%.

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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.

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  • Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today

    ASX shares Hand writing Time to Buy concept clock with blue marker on transparent wipe board.

    Many of Australia’s top brokers have been busy adjusting their financial models again, leading to the release of a large number of broker notes this week.

    Three broker buy ratings that have caught my eye are summarised below. Here’s why brokers think these ASX shares are in the buy zone:

    HUB24 Ltd (ASX: HUB)

    According to a note out of Credit Suisse, its analysts have retained their outperform rating and lifted their price target on this investment platform provider’s shares to $27.70. Although the broker acknowledges that the prospect of a change to its deposit arrangement, like rival Netwealth Group Ltd (ASX: NWL) experienced, would be a significant near term headwind to earnings, it believes it can overcome this in the long run and remains very positive on its long term outlook. The HUB24 share price is trading at $23.03 today.

    Incitec Pivot Ltd (ASX: IPL)

    A note out of Macquarie reveals that its analysts have retained their outperform rating but trimmed the price target on this agricultural chemicals company’s shares to $3.08. This follows news that the resumption of production at the Waggaman ammonia plant is behind schedule. While this is disappointing, the broker notes that strong fertiliser prices will offset some of this. This could make the pullback in its share price a buying opportunity for investors. The Incitec Pivot share price is fetching $2.76 today.

    NextDC Ltd (ASX: NXT)

    Analysts at Goldman Sachs have added this data centre operator’s shares to their conviction buy list and lifted their price target on them to $15.00. According to the note, after meeting with a number of data centre industry participants, Goldman has become increasingly positive on NextDC. It notes that demand remains very strong and pricing continues to be healthy. Goldman also believes the company’s shares deserve to trade at a premium due to its strong growth outlook. The NextDC share price is fetching $11.33 today.

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    James Mickleboro owns shares of NEXTDC Limited. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of Hub24 Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of Netwealth. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Hub24 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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  • Alliance (ASX:AQZ) share price tumbles despite material BHP deal

    Large airplane on tarmac

    The Alliance Aviation Services Ltd (ASX: AQZ) share price is under pressure on Wednesday despite the release of a positive announcement.

    At the time of writing, the aviation services company’s shares are down 3% to $4.33.

    What did Alliance announce?

    Late this morning Alliance announced that a major contract with mining giant BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) has been renewed.

    According to the release, the company’s air charter services agreement with BHP WA Iron Ore has been extended for a further two years.

    While no details have been provided in respect to how much the contract is worth, it has been classed as “material” by the company.

    Management believes the extension is further evidence of Alliance’s reputation of outstanding customer retention. It also notes that the extension solidifies the relationship that started with the first flight for BHP WA Iron Ore all the way back in 2009.

    It is also the second material contract extension in as many days. On Tuesday, Alliance revealed that it will continue to service the oil and gas reserves operations of Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) in the Cooper Basin for the next five years.

    That renewal will see Alliance continue to operate services on behalf of Santos to their gas and oil operations in the Cooper Basin. Services will operate from both Adelaide and Brisbane to Santos’ Moomba and Ballera airports.

    Commenting on today’s deal with BHP, Alliance’s Chief Executive Officer, Lee Schofield, said: “Alliance is delighted to be continuing the provision of these charter services into the Pilbara. Our commitment to safety and providing our clients with industry leading on time performance has played a significant role in being awarded this extension. We look forward to continuing our exceptional safety and operational record for BHP.”

    Despite dropping lower today, the Alliance share price is still up a sizeable 4.5% this week.

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  • The Recce (ASX:RCE) share price is up 7% after its drug saved a human

    healthcare asx share price rise represented by happy doctor

    The Recce Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: RCE) share price rose 7% this morning after the company shared good news of its drug, RECCE 327 (R327). The gains come on the back of the successful treatment of a terminally ill human with the antivirus. 

    At the time of writing, the Recce share price is trading for $1.04, up 6%.

    Let’s look closer at the announcement driving the Recce share price today.

    Positive results in human treatment

    Recce has announced today that its product has been used to treat a drug-resistant sinus infection in a human.

    Consequently, a 59-year-old man was successfully treated with nasality administered R327. His treatment was allowed under strict medical oversight after it was determined that death was likely to occur unless a new treatment was found. Just 90 minutes after first the treatment of R327, he reported his sinuses felt clearer and also less inflamed.

    After 3 days of treatment, many of the man’s symptoms had stopped. It was also reported that he experienced no side effects. In addition, samples taken from the man after the treatment showed no sign of the infection or abnormalities caused by R327. Prior to treating with R327, he had received surgeries and multiple antibiotic treatments, including some meant as a last resort.

    Today’s news comes nearly a week after the company announced it received positive results from the use of R327 in an animal study. The drug was used to treat sinus infections in mice. Recce has also submitted R327 to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). R327 is part of a family of synthetic anti-infectives currently being created by Recce.

    Commentary from management

    Recce’s chief medical officer James Graham, commented on the successful treatment of a human with R327:

    We are thrilled by this positive indication for this patient with a terribly debilitating condition that has been driven over many years by this recalcitrant pathogen.

    Recce Pharmaceuticals share price snapshot

    The Recce Pharmaceuticals share price isn’t having a good year on the ASX, with today’s news bringing a much-needed boost.

    Currently, it’s down 3% year to date. Although, it is up by 191% over the last 12 months.

    Recce Pharmaceuticals has a market capitalisation of around $170 million, with approximately 173 million shares outstanding.

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    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 The Recce (ASX:RCE) share price is up 7% after its drug saved a human appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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