• Why is the Boss Energy (ASX:BOE) share price sinking 6% today?

    down arrow chart

    The Boss Energy Ltd (ASX: BOE) share price is sinking in morning trade, down 6.45% at 14 cents.

    Boss Energy emerged from a trading halt this morning after entering the pause of trade on Thursday.

    Below we take a look at the ASX resource share’s latest announcement on its uranium inventories.

    What did Boss Energy report on its uranium inventory?

    The Boss Energy share price is falling this morning after the company reported it had completed a $60 million capital raising at 14 cents per share. Boss Energy shares closed on the last trading day (Wednesday 24 March) at 16 cents per share.

    The company will use the funds to acquire 1.25 million pounds (568,000 kilograms) of U-3 O-8 on the uranium spot market at US$30.15 (AU$39.67) per pound. The uranium is warehoused at the ConverDyn Facility in Metropolis, Illinois and will remain stored there following the deal’s completion.

    Boss Energy said it would acquire 0.25 million pounds of uranium by the end of April, with the other 1 million pounds acquired by the end of June. The company plans to use the remaining funds from the capital raise to cover uranium storage costs and for general working capital.

    Why the stockpile?

    Citing tight supply amid strong demand for uranium and the potential for further future price rises, Boss said its increased stockpiles represented a “clear strategic value and upside” for its shareholders. Boss also reported the acquisition puts it in a better financial position for its planned re-start of the Honeymoon Uranium Project.

    Commenting on the uranium stockpile increase, Boss Energy’s Managing Director Duncan Craib said:

    We have been able to create this unique opportunity thanks to our highly experienced and well-connected operatives in the global uranium market. The stockpile will be highly valuable to us on several levels as we secure offtake agreements, finalise project funding and move into production.

    Boss Energy share price snapshot

    Despite today’s fall, Boss Energy shares are up 263% over the past 12 months. By comparison, the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) is up 36% in that same time.

    So far in 2021, the Boss Energy share price is up 45%.

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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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  • What’s with the AGL Energy (ASX:AGL) share price today?

    asx share price fall represented by investor looking puzzled at computer screen

    The AGL Energy Limited (ASX: AGL) share price is edging lower in intraday trade, down 0.97%.

    Below we take a look at the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) energy company’s latest announcement relating to its renewable energy ambitions.

    Renewable energy goals

    The AGL Energy share price is largely unmoved this morning after the company reported it has entered into an agreement with the United Kingdom’s Ovo Energy Ltd.

    Australia’s largest energy retailer and generator said the agreement with the leading “zero carbon living brand” will help it bring the latest digital services to customers Down Under.

    Those digital services come courtesy of OVO’s Kaluza system, an AI-enabled platform designed to improve customer experience and offer energy flexibility in an age of ever-increasing renewable energy use.

    With some of the highest levels of rooftop solar power generation on Earth, AGL reports Kaluza can help with grid stability as more and more energy supply comes from decentralised sources. Using its AI systems, Kaluza can move device charging to times when there is less energy demand.

    The company stated that, “Kaluza orchestrates the charging of electric vehicles, energy storage systems and other flexible home devices to enable the shift to a low-carbon energy future.”

    As part of the agreement, AGL will invest in OVO Energy Australia to adapt the Kaluza platform for Australia.

    Commenting on the agreement, Brett Redman, AGL CEO, said:

    Through this joint venture, OVO and AGL will bring world-class technology and innovation to Australia. Central to the market forces that shape our strategy, is customer demand. This collaboration will help us ensure our customers have choice and flexibility when it comes to their essential services.

    AGL has been evolving our offerings, with carbon-neutral, multi-product options and decentralised energy solutions and this will allow us to continue into the future.

    Stephen Fitzpatrick, CEO of OVO added, “Companies must now focus on building trust with their customers, harnessing technology that makes zero carbon living simple and affordable for everyone.”

    AGL Energy share price snapshot

    It’s been a tough year for AGL shareholders, with shares down by nearly 40% over the past 12 months. By comparison, the ASX 200 is up 32% over that same time.

    Year to date the AGL share price is down by around 15%. AGL pays an 8% dividend yield, unfranked.

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  • Why top brokers want you to buy the embattled IAG (ASX:IAG) share price

    IAG share price broker upgrade buy

    The Insurance Australia Group Ltd (ASX: IAG) share price has been put through the wringer, but this could be the time to buy the beaten down shares.

    The devastating floods hitting parts of New South Wales and Queensland, and worries about the insurer’s exposure to the collapse of Greensill Capital are some its recent challenges.

    Insurance Australia Goup share price lags

    The Insurance Australia Group share price crashed by nearly 17% over the past year when the S&P/ASX 200 Index (Index:^AXJO) surged by over 40%.

    In contrast, other general insurers are also faring better than the Insurance Australia Group share price. The QBE Insurance Group Ltd (ASX: QBE) share price and Suncorp Group Ltd (ASX: SUN) share price are up about 20% each over the same period.

    Is it time to buy the downtrodden IAG share price?

    Several brokers think this is the time to buy the out of favour Insurance Australia Group share price.

    Insurance Australia Group assured investors it has no liabilities relating to Greensill and has quantified its exposure to the NSW floods.

    Management said it received 8,000 claims from the heavy storms that started on 16 March. But Morgans believes financial impact is “relatively contained” and the risk is smaller than its potential exposure to business insurance claims from COVID-19.

    Broker upgrade on valuation

    But even that isn’t enough to dissuade Morgans from upgrading the Insurance Australia Group share price to “add” from “hold”.

    “IAG has had a difficult recent run, mainly tied to concerns around BI claims linked to COVID-19,” said Morgans.

    “However, we think substantial recent provisions raised in this area have taken this issue off the table and we think insurance margins will improve going forward on price increases and managements’ new strategy.”

    The broker’s 12-month price target on the IAG share price is $5.35 a share.

    Other experts think IAG is a “buy”

    Meanwhile, Citigroup and UBS reiterated their “buy” recommendations on Insurance Australia Group.

    Citi acknowledged management will need time to restore its credibility even though the investment case looks sound.

    “IAG is now set to exceed its FY21E perils allowance following recent floods and storms,” said Citi.

    “However, at this stage the overrun looks set to be only modest. The impact on EPS should also be partly mitigated by RACV’s share of the losses.”

    UBS also believes the stock is looking oversold in light of the recent headwinds, although the downside risks to IAG’s FY21 earnings has increased.

    Citi’s 12-month price target on Insurance Australia Group is $5.60 a share, while UBS’s target is $6 a share.

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  • ASX 200 down 0.1%: Computershare raises $500m, REA Group announces acquisition

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    At lunch on Monday the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has given back its early gains and is edging lower. The benchmark index is currently down almost 0.1% to 6,817.9 points.

    Here’s what is happening on the market today:

    Treasury Wine hit by Chinese tariffs

    The Treasury Wine Estates Ltd (ASX: TWE) share price is trading lower today after China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) confirmed that it would be placing tariffs on Australian wine for five years. MOFCOM made the move following the final determination in its anti-dumping and countervailing investigations into certain Australian wine exports into China. A combined anti-dumping and countervailing duty rate of 175.6% will be applied to Treasury Wine’s Australian country of origin wine in containers of two litres or less imported into China.

    Computershare raises $500 million

    The Computershare Ltd (ASX: CPU) share price has returned from its trading halt and is pushing higher after completing the institutional component of its entitlement offer. The share registry company raised $500 million from institutional investors and will now seek to raise a further ~$335 million from retail shareholders. These proceeds are being used to partially fund its acquisition of Wells Fargo Corporate Trust Services (CTS) for US$750 million (~A$982 million). 

    REA Group acquisition

    The REA Group Limited (ASX: REA) share price is tumbling lower after announcing plans to acquire Mortgage Choice Limited (ASX: MOC) for $244 million or $1.94 per share. REA Group’s CEO, Owen Wilson, commented: The acquisition of Mortgage Choice represents an exciting opportunity for REA to create a leading broking business. It builds on our success to date, accelerating our financial services strategy while leveraging our existing strengths and capabilities.” The Mortgage Choice board has voted unanimously in favour of the takeover.

    Best and worst ASX 200 performers

    The best performer on the ASX 200 on Monday has been the Iluka Resources Limited (ASX: ILU) share price with a 6.5% gain on no news. Going the other way, the worst performer has been the Netwealth Group Ltd (ASX: NWL) share price with a 4.5% decline. Investors have been selling the wealth management platform provider’s shares since last week. This follows news that its deposit arrangement has been terminated.

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  • Cimic (ASX:CIM) share price is edges higher on contract win

    construction, building, commericial

    The Cimic Group Ltd (ASX: CIM) share price is edging higher in late morning trade. This comes after the company announced its specialist building company had won a contract award.

    At the time of writing, the global engineering company’s shares are trading at $18.14, up 0.89%.

    Why is the Cimic share price lifting?

    According to its release, Cimic’s Broad Construction has been selected to deliver Brisbane’s Ferny Grove Central development. Honeycombes Property Group and joint-venture partner MaxCap Group awarded the contract.

    Broad Construction is a wholly-owned subsidiary of CPB Contractors, which is part of the Cimic Group.

    Broad Construction will redevelop the existing Ferny Grove train station commuter car park into a residential, commercial and retail hub under the agreement. The company will also provide additional parking spaces for commuter vehicles, partly funded by the Queensland and Australian government.

    The project complements Broad Construction’s portfolio of works completed in Queensland. The company was responsible for the development of the Inner-City South State Secondary College and the Kingaroy Hospital.

    Cimic expects the new Ferny Grove Central contract to generate roughly $100 million in revenue for CPB Contractors.

    Construction is scheduled to start in June 2021 and be completed by August 2023.

    Management commentary

    Cimic group executive chair and CEO Juan Santamaria commented:

    Backed by CPB Contractors, Broad Construction is our specialist building company and is delivering a range of high-quality projects, across Queensland and Western Australia. We are very pleased to be working with the Honeycombes Property Group and the MaxCap Group on this landmark urban redevelopment.

    CPB Contractors managing director Jason Spears added:

    The experience of our team means that we have the capability to provide safe and certain delivery to our clients. Broad’s inclusive procurement strategies will also provide opportunities for local workers and businesses.

    The Cimic share price has lost roughly 20% over the past 12 months and is down around 27% year-to-date.

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  • Mortgage Choice (ASX:MOC) share price rockets 61% on REA takeover

    asx 200 share takeover represented by man drawing illustration of big fish eating little fish

    The Mortgage Choice Limited (ASX: MOC) share price is going gangbusters today after the company announced it is the subject of a proposed acquisition by REA Group Limited (ASX: REA). At the time of writing, the mortgage broker’s shares have surged a whopping 61.7% to $1.90.

    Meanwhile, the REA Group share price is currently trading 2.23% lower at $136.94. By comparison, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is up 0.04%.

    Let’s take a closer look at the proposed Mortgage Choice, REA Group deal.

    What did Mortgage Choice announce?

    The Mortgage Choice share price is through the roof today following news of the proposed takeover. In separate statements to the ASX, both Mortgage Choice and REA Group declared they have entered into a scheme implementation agreement (SIA). 

    Under the proposal, REA Group will purchase 100% of Mortgage Choice shares for $1.95 each. That price represents an outstanding:

    • 66% premium on Friday’s close.
    • 66.8% premium on the 1-month value weighted average price (VWAP).
    • 55.6% premium on the VWAP since the release of its H1 FY21 results.
    • 42.5% premium on the 3-month VWAP.
    • 52.0% premium on the 6-month VWAP.

    The Mortgage Choice board voted unanimously to approve the deal, subject to shareholder approval.

    There are, however, still some administrative hurdles to clear before the deal can be finalised. Besides approval by the broker’s shareholders, the deal is also subject to:

    • Court approval.
    • Foreign Investment Review Board approval.
    • No material adverse changes in either company. 
    • An “independent expert concluding the Scheme is in the best interests of Mortgage Choice shareholders.”

    In addition, if the deal were to fall through, either party would be liable to pay the other a $2.4 million break fee. 

    Mortgage Choice shareholders are expected to vote on the deal around mid-June 2021.

    Management commentary

    Speaking about the upcoming deal, Mortgage Choice chair Vicki Allen said

    Joining forces with REA, and in particular their Smartline broking business, combines our strong brand with REA’s impressive digital capability and property insights. It further establishes Mortgage Choice as one of the leading broking groups in Australia and will enable Mortgage Choice to operate at greater scale with an improved service offering to brokers and their customers.

    The Scheme provides certainty for shareholders to realise a significant value premium of 66.0% to our closing share price on 26 March 2021. The Mortgage Choice Directors consider this to be a very attractive offer for Mortgage Choice shareholders and unanimously recommend that shareholders vote in favour of the Scheme, subject to there being no superior proposal emerging and to the independent expert concluding that the Scheme is in the best interests of Mortgage Choice shareholders.

    REA Group listed the following reasons for proposing the acquisition:

    • Leveraging REA’s digital expertise, high intent property seeker audience and unique data insights across a larger network.
    • Providing a compelling opportunity to establish a leading mortgage broking business with increased scale.
    • Complementing the existing Smartline broker footprint resulting in greater national broker coverage.

    In addition, REA Group CEO, Owen Wilson, commented:

    The acquisition of Mortgage Choice represents an exciting opportunity for REA to create a leading broking business. It builds on our success to date, accelerating our financial services strategy while leveraging our existing strengths and capabilities.

    Mortgage Choice share price snapshot

    After today’s stunning increase, the Mortgage Choice share price has now surged by more than 200% over the past year. Mortgage Choice shares are also up by around 28% year to date thanks to today’s gains.

    Based on the current share price, Mortgage Choice has a market capitalisation of around $147 million. 

    Meanwhile, the REA share price has also rallied by nearly 70% over the past 12 months.

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  • Flight Centre, Qantas, & Webjet shares fall on Brisbane COVID lockdown news

    A traveller dressed in colourful shirt and panama hat looking puzzled, indicating uncertainty in the travel share price

    It has been a difficult start to the week for the shares of Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd (ASX: FLT), Qantas Airways Limited (ASX: QAN), and Webjet Limited (ASX: WEB).

    At the time of writing, all three travel companies are in the red and underperforming the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO).

    What’s happening?

    Here’s the current state of play in the sector today:

    • The Flight Centre share price is down 2% to $18.14.
    • The Qantas share price has fallen 0.7% to $5.08.
    • The Webjet share price is 2% lower at $5.61.

    Why are travel shares under pressure?

    There appear to be a couple of catalysts for today’s weakness in the travel sector.

    The first is news that Greater Brisbane will go into a snap three-day lockdown from 5pm AEST today. This is in response to 10 new cases of COVID-19, four of which are from community transmission.

    According to the ABC, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk revealed that two of the community transmission cases have an unknown origin.

    As things stand, other states have yet to respond to the Queensland Government’s update, but there are concerns that travel to Brisbane could be off the cards during the key Easter holiday period.

    What else is weighing on travel stocks?

    In addition to this, rising cases of COVID-19 across the world appear to have spooked investors.

    Although vaccines are being rolled out across Europe and North America, it hasn’t been enough to slow the spread of the virus.

    This has led to lockdowns being put in place in some countries to fight a third wave.

    And with the Northern Hemisphere’s holiday period on the horizon, there are fears that the travel market rebound could be pushed back into 2022.

    The good news for the likes of Flight Centre, Qantas, and Webjet, though, is that they have sufficient liquidity to ride out the storm well into next year.

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  • Peppermint (ASX:PIL) share price surges 13% on ‘significant’ Asia deal

    child in a superman outfit indicating a surge in share price

    The Peppermint Innovation Ltd (ASX: PIL) share price is surging 13% higher today after signing an Application Programming Interface (API) agreement with major Filipino bank Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI).

    The API agreement means BPI will start offering Peppermint’s bizmoto platform, an ecommerce and BPay-esque service, to its four million account holders.

    Landmark agreement in key market

    Peppermint’s service allows its customers to pay bills, conduct e-commerce, delivery and logistics, and mobile financial tasks through a mobile wallet. Customers can then top up and transact remotely. 

    Peppermint will undertake a direct marketing campaign as part of the deal, promoting the bizmoto services. The agreement has a ‘go live’ date for the second half of this year.

    Peppermint’s Managing Director and CEO, Chris Kain, said that forming an agreement with BPI was a landmark in the company’s expansion into the South-East Asian market.

    “This is a significant agreement for Peppermint Innovation, and it’s a privilege to be able to do business with the Bank of the Philippine Islands, who were the first bank in the Philippines and South East Asia,” he said.

    “BPI is such a respected institution in the Philippines and Peppermint’s proven capability and track record of working with other banking entities has positioned us well to do business with BPI. As soon as we can, we will execute targeted awareness and marketing campaigns in partnership with BPI to their over four million customer account holders.

    “To put that in context, we currently have over 50,000 bizmoto agents so we have the potential to market and explain how our bizmoto platform works to almost 80 times the number of current registered agents.

    “This is yet another step forward on our path to building out our range of bizmoto ecosystem of services across the Philippines and to tackling the problem of providing inclusive financial services to the people of the Philippines.”

    Peppermint share price on sharp yearly incline

    The Peppermint share price has risen more than 230% this year-to-date, with investors also realising the brand’s potential to capture the lucrative emerging ‘buy now, pay later’ market across southern Asia. 

    While Peppermint’s bizmoto platform is currently based around mobile remittance — allowing customers to set up their own mobile businesses — the company has the potential to transition towards an end-to-end banking service.

    This is the second major announcement for Peppermint this month, after the company revealed its micro-insurance product BizmoProtect on 3 March. 

    At the time of writing, the Peppermint share price is swapping hands for 4.1 cents.

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  • What’s with the Duratec (ASX:DUR) share price this morning?

    falling asx share price represented by sad looking builder

    The Duratec Limited (ASX: DUR) share price is up this morning after the company announced 2 new defence contracts. The contracts are worth a combined $38 million.

    The good news is timely for the engineering, construction, and remediation company. The Duratec share price has fallen more than 18% year to date and at the time of writing is trading at 48 cents, down 1.03%. 

    Let’s look closer at the company’s announcement.

    Defence works 

    This morning, Duratec advised that it and its sister company DDRIC had each won a defence works contract, worth a combined $38 million.

    The larger contract, won by Duratec, will bring in $25 million. While the contract won by Indigenous-owned DDRIC is worth $13 million.

    Both works will take place in the third quarter of the 2021 financial year. The company said the works involved building refurbishment, electrical infrastructure upgrades, wharf remediation and specialist training facilities construction. They will take place across multiple defence sites.

    The company noted that, while works will start soon, project lead times mean that most of the income from the contracts won’t reach Duratec and DDRIC until the 2022 financial year.  

    According to the company, it has a presence on nearly half of all of Australia’s defence bases. It also has more than $200 million worth of defence tenders awaiting decisions.

    Commentary from management

    Duratec managing director Phil Harcourt commented on the importance of defence contracts for the companies:

    The diversity and complexity of work type awards and locations demonstrates the experience, capability and national presence of Duratec which retains the agility of a local business. We understand the importance of maintaining Defence capability, security of the project work sites and satisfying the needs of all stakeholders.

    Defence continues to be a key strategic focus for Duratec… The pipeline of opportunities in this sector, together with the resources sector (in particular), continues to grow for both Duratec and DDRIC.

    Duratec share price snapshot

    Despite the positive news, the Duratec share price opened at 49 cents and immediately slipped 1.03% to 48 cents.

    It is down by 21.31% over the last 12 months.

    The company has a market capitalisation of around $115 million, with approximately 237 million shares outstanding.

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  • Why the South32 (ASX:S32) share price is outperforming today

    South32 share price

    The South32 Ltd (ASX: S32) share price is outpacing gains on the broader market after a broker upgraded its shares.

    The diversified miner jumped 3.3% to $2.84 in morning trade when the S&P/ASX 200 Index (Index:^AXJO) gained 0.4%.

    South32 share price leading the pack

    While ASX mining shares are leading the charge higher, few of the majors can keep up with the South32 share price.

    The BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) share price, Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO) share price and Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG) share price increased by less than 2% each.

    Asset sale and broker upgrade

    South32 announced today that the transfer of its shareholding in South32 SA Coal Holdings (South Africa Energy Coal) to Seriti Resources Holdings Proprietary Limited is expected to be completed by the end of this month.

    The news will please shareholders concerned about their exposure to climate change. But that is probably not the main reason for the South32 share price outperformance.

    An upgrade by Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG) is a more likely driver for the shares. The broker lifted its recommendation on South32 to “outperform” from “neutral”.

    Why the South32 share price was upgraded to “buy”

    Macquarie’s decision came after it revised up its price forecasts for a range of commodities that South32 produces. This included manganese, silver and aluminium.

    As a result, the South32 share price is trading on a free cash flow yield that’s close to 10%.

    “The earnings upgrades for S32 are driven by a combination of the more bullish outlook for silver and aluminium, and near-term increases in our manganese and zinc-price expectations,” said Macquarie.

    “Our FY21 and FY22 earnings estimates rise 51% and 49%, respectively. S32’s medium-term earnings also see solid upgrades of 12% for FY23, 11% for FY24 and 9% for FY25.”

    Other ASX mining shares on the upgrade path

    The South32 share price jumped by 52% over the past year. That’s roughly on par with the BHP share price, while the Fortescue share price doubled and Rio Tinto’s up 26%.

    Macquarie’s 12-month price target on South32 is $3.10 a share.

    But South32 isn’t the only miner to be upgraded by Macquarie on the back of the broker’s commodities price upgrades.

    The Jupiter Mines Ltd (ASX: JMS) share price was boosted to “outperform”, while the Alumina Limited (ASX: AWC) share price was lifted to “neutral”.

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    Motley Fool contributor Brendon Lau owns shares of BHP Billiton Limited, Macquarie Group Limited, Rio Tinto Ltd., and South32 Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Macquarie Group Limited. 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 South32 (ASX:S32) share price is outperforming today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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