• Why AnteoTech, Crown, Dotz Nano, & Galan Lithium are zooming higher

    In early afternoon trade on Monday the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has fought back from a poor start and is pushing higher. At the time of writing, the benchmark index is up 0.45% to 6,737.6 points.

    Four ASX shares that are climbing more than most today are listed below. Here’s why they are zooming higher:

    Anteotech Ltd (ASX: ADO)

    The Anteotech share price has jumped 18% to 26.5 cents. The catalyst for this was the release of an update on its rapid COVID-19 test. According to the release, the biotech company’s COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test was reviewed by the Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory and achieved sensitivity of 97.3% and specificity of 99.6%. Management advised that the results will form the basis of its CE Mark submission.

    Crown Resorts Ltd (ASX: CWN)

    The Crown share price has surged 17.5% higher to $11.58. Investors have been fighting to get hold of the casino and resorts operator’s shares after it confirmed the receipt of a takeover approach. US investment company Blackstone has made an unsolicited, non-binding, and indicative proposal to acquire all of the shares in Crown at $11.85 cash per share. This was a 20.1% premium to its last close price. The Crown board is now assessing the proposal.

    Dotz Nano Ltd (ASX: DTZ)

    The Dotz Nano share price is up 7% to 29.5 cents. This morning the advanced technology company revealed that it has obtained CE Mark authorisation for its SARS-CoV-2 virus detection technology. The CE Mark clears the saliva-based diagnostic Dotz Test Kits for sale in the European Union. Management notes that the Dotz Test Kit is less intrusive than the current standard method of sample collection in most parts of the world. 

    Galan Lithium Ltd (ASX: GLN)

    The Galan Lithium share price has stormed 12% higher to 52.5 cents. This morning the lithium focused mineral exploration company announced that the testing of a new process has resulted in higher grade lithium product. In fact, the end product is the same quality as that of nearby mining giants SQM and Albemarle. Galan’s Managing Director, Juan Pablo Vargas de la Vega, commented: “These results are better than we envisaged and have more than solidified the serious potential of the Hombre Muerto West project.”

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    Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Crown Resorts 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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  • Is the Sydney Airport (ASX:SYD) share price set for a recovery?

    Travel bags sit by an airport lounge window overlooking a grounded plane on the tarmac

    Sydney Airport Holdings Pty Ltd (ASX: SYD) released its February passenger data last week, with total passenger growth down 79.8% year-on-year compared to the 94.2% decline in January.

    With increasing optimism for the travel industry, could investors expect a recovery for the Sydney Airport share price? 

    Goldman Sachs rates Sydney Airport share price a buy

    Goldman Sachs is buy-rated on the Sydney Airport share price with a 12-month price target of $6.73 on 19 March. The broker notes that the sharp improvement in February was supported by easing border restrictions.

    It believes that Sydney Airport remains in “effective hibernation” and expects it to “be a major beneficiary of the Australian domestic inoculation strategy if it facilitates relaxation of border restrictions”. 

    Goldman forecasts a strong recovery in Sydney Airport earnings. The broker forecasts revenues of $950.0 million, $1,382.8 million and $1,521.0 million from FY21 to FY23. This compares to the reported 51% decline to $803.7 million in its FY20 results. 

    The earnings improvement should also see the return of dividends, with Goldman forecasting a dividend yield of 1.4%, 4.3% and 5.0% between FY21 to FY23. 

    What do other brokers think? 

    On 12 March, Citi took a more long-term view, believing that the Sydney Airport share price will get a major re-rate when international travel restarts.

    Due to the uncertain nature of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout and when international borders will reopen, the broker retained a neutral stance with a $6.61 price target. 

    When could international travel restart? 

    In another research report from Goldman on 17 March, the broker’s base case assumes international travel recovery starts mid-CY21 with the United States and the United Kingdom taking the lead.

    Its report does acknowledge that opening programs across countries, progress on vaccinations and possible variant outbreaks to be key risk factors for the recovery. 

    The Sydney Airport share price is up 0.66% today, trading at $6.13 at the time of writing.

    Where to invest $1,000 right now

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  • Here’s why the Buru Energy (ASX:BRU) share price is flying 6% today

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    Buru Energy Limited (ASX: BRU) shares are flying higher today after the company provided a drilling update. At the time of writing, the Buru Energy share price has jumped 6.45% to 16.5 cents.  

    Let’s take a look at the ASX energy company’s latest exploration announcement.

    What did the company announce?

    The Buru Energy share price is gaining today after the company reported it’s ready to start a major drilling and seismic exploration program at its Canning Basin project in Western Australia.

    The drilling program, set to commence in June, is the largest to take place at Canning Basin for many years. It will include exploration wells on two large conventional oil prospects as well as the development of a new well on the Ungani Oilfield. Buru interprets this to be “an undrained part of the field”.

    Buru expects to award the seismic contract within the next few weeks. Terrex Pty Ltd has been selected as the preferred contractor. The seismic exploration will cover roughly 1,200 kilometres of surveys, which Buru expects will take around 50 days to acquire.

    Commenting on the exploration program, Buru’s executive chair Eric Streitberg said:

    Our exploration program is on track, with a lot of hard work and attention to detail paying off. We are planning to use a large rig run by an experienced contractor and have put in place a very experienced drilling team to run the program. We are drilling two of the largest onshore oil exploration targets in the country at a time of rising oil prices and critical domestic oil production declines.

    In parallel with the drilling program we will be acquiring a major seismic program that will help us fill our prospect inventory and set us up for a continued drilling program next year.

    The program is targeting a total of 97 million barrels of conventional oil, and Buru reports it has received environmental approvals for the drilling of the wells.

    Buru Energy share price snapshot

    Buru Energy shares have handily outpaced the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) over the past 12 months, gaining 136% compared to a 53% gain on the All Ords.

    Year to date, the Buru Energy share price has continued to perform well, up 27% so far in 2021.

    Where to invest $1,000 right now

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  • ASX 200 up 0.35%: Crowns surges, ANZ & CBA settle class actions

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    At lunch on Monday the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is on course to start the week with a solid gain. The benchmark index is currently up 0.35% to 6,731.5 points.

    Here’s what is happening on the market today:

    Crown share price surges on takeover approach

    The Crown Resorts Ltd (ASX: CWN) share price is surging higher today after confirming the receipt of a takeover approach by US investment company Blackstone. According to the release, Blackstone has tabled an unsolicited, non-binding, and indicative proposal to acquire all of the shares in Crown at $11.85 cash per share. This represents a 20.1% premium to its last close price. The Crown board intend to assess the proposal.

    ANZ and CBA settle BBSW class action

    This morning both Australia and New Zealand Banking GrpLtd (ASX: ANZ) and Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) announced that they have reached an agreement to settle their US BBSW class actions. ANZ and CBA were among 17 banks and two international brokerage houses that were named in a class action complaint launched in the United States by two US-based investment funds and an individual derivatives trader in 2016. This related to allegations of the rigging of the BBSW and trading in the United States.

    Bapcor acquisition

    The Bapcor Ltd (ASX: BAP) share price is pushing higher today after announcing an acquisition in Asia. According to the release, Bapcor has agreed to acquire 25% of the issued equity in Tye Soon for S$12.5 million. This is expected to help drive Bapcor’s strategy in increasing its presence across Asia, where it sees potential growth opportunities. Tye Soon is a Singapore headquartered automotive parts distributor that operates across Southeast and North Asia markets.

    Best and worst ASX 200 performers

    The best performer on the ASX 200 on Monday has been the Crown share price by some distance following its takeover approach. The casino and resorts operator’s shares are up 17.5% at lunch. The worst performer has been the Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG) share price with a 4% decline. This follows a pullback in iron ore prices on Friday night.

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    Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Bapcor. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Crown Resorts 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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  • How much have investors lost on the Freedom Foods (ASX:FNP) share price?

    falling asx share price represented by business man wearing box on his head with a sad, crying face on it

    Today on the ASX, something has happened which doesn’t happen too often.

    A company has returned to trading after a near-9 month absence. Yes, Freedom Foods Group Ltd (ASX: FNP) shares have returned to trading this morning, and boy was it not pretty.

    At the time of writing, the Freedom Foods share price is down a staggering 81.06% to 57 cents a share after opening at just 20 cents this morning. Freedom last closed at $3.01 a share – but that was back on 24 June 2020.

    For some context, back then Victoria was just about to start its extended lockdown and Donald Trump still had 7 months to go as president.

    The sorry tale of the Freedom Foods share price

    Here at the Fool, we have extensively covered this saga, but here’s a refresh in a nutshell. Investors were first alerted that something wasn’t quite right at the company when it announced a series of writedowns on its books. These included spoiled food stores, among other things.

    Then, The company’s CEO and CFO both suddenly resigned, and the share price was suspended shortly afterwards. The company had been bobbing along in uncharted waters since a debate raged over who was ultimately responsible for this series of debacles. But it has returned to trading today after announcing a $265 million recapitalisation arrangement at the end of last week.

    So, let’s have a look at how much investors might have lost on this sorry story. So anyone who was hoping for a ‘turnaround play’ and invested in Freedom on its last close, is currently down 81% on their money. That means a $1,000 investment on 24 June would be worth $190 today.

    What about Freedom’s 52-week high of $5 a share the company saw back in March last year (not too often a company can say that)? Anyone who ‘bought the dip’ back then would be down a catastrophic 87.6%.

    And finally, anyone who bought in back at Freedom’s all-time high of $6.94 that was reached in September 2018 is down a heartbreaking 91.79% today. That would have turned a $1,000 investment into $82.

    But it’s not all bad for everyone involved in Freedom Foods share price today. Freedom shares opened at 20 cents apiece this morning. At the time of writing, they are up to 57 cents a share. That’s a 185% recovery in an hour or two of trading. Clearly, some investors are getting their bargain-hunting hats on this morning.

    Where to invest $1,000 right now

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    Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Freedom Foods Group 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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  • Airtasker’s ASX debut happens tomorrow, after 24-hour delay

    A man closesly watch a clock, indicating a delay or timing issue on an ASX share price movement

    Airtasker Limited (ASX: ART) will have its first day on the ASX tomorrow after its $255.4 million initial public offering (IPO) was delayed from this morning.

    The platform, which allows users to outsource tasks and skills, was affected by an ASX processing delay

    Airtasker shares are set to begin trading at 11 am tomorrow, opening at 65 cents each.

    Let’s look closer at Airtasker’s IPO. 

    Airtasker’s ASX debut

    In its company prospectus, Airtasker claims the IPO will provide the funds it needs to expand its platform and begin providing its unique service internationally.

    The offer will include 23.1 million new shares and 105.6 million existing shares, totalling 128 million shares available to investors tomorrow morning.

    The company describes itself as “Australia’s leading marketplace for local services”, with more than 4.3 million people using the service. It also boasts of having created $215 million worth of jobs.

    The platform takes a 15% cut of earnings from outsourced odd jobs.

    Airtasker’s journey to the ASX has been a long one. The Australian company was created on entrepreneur Tim Fung’s living room floor in 2012, reported SBS News in My Australia, a series exploring cultural heritage and identity.

    Commentary from management

    Fung, Airtasker’s CEO and founder, expressed his excitement for the company’s ASX listing in its prospectus.

    Since launching in 2012, it’s been truly inspiring to see the people of Airtasker – our customers, taskers and the Airtasker team – grow and work together to enable more than $1 billion in working opportunities and to create Australia’s no. 1 marketplace for local services.

    We believe the opportunity to empower the local services economy on a global scale is truly massive. Striving towards this opportunity, we will continue to explore, experiment and iterate to drive user acquisition, improve frequency of use and expand our addressable market by investing into organic and paid marketing, establishing new marketplace models and expanding our global reach.

    Why Airtasker’s ASX float was delayed

    Airtasker announced today that its IPO had been delayed from this morning. It will now take place tomorrow.

    According to a report in the Herald Sun, a human error within the ASX caused the delay. ASX listing general manager Max Cunningham was quoted as saying it was an “unfortunate circumstance”.

    “It’s a one-off as far as I’m concerned, and we will ensure we will review the processes and do our best to ensure that it doesn’t happen again,” he said in the Herald Sun.

    Airtasker share price snapshot 

    Airtasker’s debut opening price will be 65 cents. Whether that price sticks will be seen from 11am tomorrow.

    The company aims for a market capitalisation of around $255 million, with approximately 392 million shares outstanding.

    Where to invest $1,000 right now

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  • Why the Galan Lithium (ASX:GLN) share price is rocketing 19% higher today

    rocketing asx share price represented by man riding golden dollar sign speeding through clouds

    The Galan Lithium Ltd (ASX: GLN) share price has been a strong performer on Monday.

    In late morning trade, the lithium focused mineral exploration company’s shares are up 14% to 53.5 cents.

    At one stage today, the Galan Lithium share price was up as much as 19% to 56 cents.

    Why is the Galan Lithium share price surging higher?

    Investors have been buying Galan Lithium shares on Monday after it announced laboratory test work results for its low carbon footprint brine evaporation process at its flagship Hombre Muerto West (HMW) project located in the South American Lithium Triangle in Catamarca, Argentina.

    According to the release, HMW’s lithium chloride (LiCl) concentrate increases significantly by 25% to 6% Li from the original study value of 4.8% Li using the process.

    This means its high grade result is directly comparable to those of mining giants SQM and Albemarle from the Atacama basin in Chile.

    Galan’s Managing Director, Juan Pablo Vargas de la Vega, commented: “Grade is always king. These results are better than we envisaged and have more than solidified the serious potential of the Hombre Muerto West project.”

    “We have always followed the mantra of ‘walking before running’ and these results, whilst taking time to achieve, have affirmed our step by step approach of utilising proven technology with low risk in processing. Our teams in Argentina and Chile have been brilliant during these uncertain times and continue to deliver these essential Project steps,” he added.

    What’s next for Galan Lithium?

    Galan Lithium is continuing to test and optimise a range of lithium chloride concentrate solutions, with conversion costs in mind, to deliver the best commercial solution in the shortest time possible.

    Management expects to commence commissioning the evaporation pilot test work on site during the second quarter of 2021.

    It also advised that it is reviewing the scope of work for the most adequate path to accelerating the project development (lowest capex and shortest time) to market. Positively, it believes the high quality of the concentrated LiCl could be a mayor strategic differentiation for improving the economic performance of the project.

    The Galan Lithium share price is up over 200% over the last 12 months.

    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.

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  • Firebird Metals (ASX:FRB) share price heats up on IPO

    asx share price soaring represented by golden metal hawk flying high

    Firebird Metals Ltd (ASX: FRB) shares listed on the ASX last Thursday at an initial public offering (IPO) offer price of 20 cents per share and indicative market capitalisation of $10 million. The Firebird share price more than doubled to open at 46 cents, ran as high as 64.5 cents before closing at 59.5 cents on Thursday.

    Here’s why investors are hyped about the Firebird share price. 

    Firebird Metals overview 

    Firebird was initially an unlisted public company, incorporated on 4 January 2016 as Forrestania Pty Ltd. Its parent company is the listed explorer, Firefly Resources Ltd (ASX: FFR). On 18 December 2020, Firefly announced it would demerge its Oakover manganese project. The spin-out resulted in Firebird as a standalone listing on the ASX. 

    Firebird holds an interest in, or has entered into agreements to acquire, several projects.

    The Oakover Project comprises one granted exploration license and two exploration applications. The project is situated approximately 90 km east of Newman in Western Australia’s East Pilbara Manganese Province.

    The Hill 616 Project comprises one granted exploration licence, located within the Southeast Pilbara region of Western Australia approximately 85 km south-east of Newman. And finally, the Disraeli Project comprises one pending exploration licence application and is also near the Newman region. 

    The company will use the IPO funds to further explore and develop the projects. This includes the completion of infill and extensional drilling at the Oakover Project, targeting resource expansion and increased definition of higher grade domains, a systematic exploration of the Hill 616 and Disraeli projects to deliver a maiden JORC resource and the pursuit of other resource and acquisition opportunities that have a strategic fit for the company. 

    What’s driving the Firebird share price? 

    The Firebird share price got off to a stellar start on the ASX. The company’s portfolio of projects is focused on manganese, often used in a variety of important alloys and batteries. Firebird highlights manganese as the fourth most utilised metal globally and the cheapest, most abundant of the nickle, manganese, cobalt (NMC) cathode materials. 

    With a heightened level of global investment and commitment to renewable technology and electric vehicles, Firebird believes manganese is perfectly placed to deliver future growth opportunities.

    At the time of writing, Firebird shares are trading 3.67% higher for the day at 56.5 cents with a market cap of around $28 million.

    Where to invest $1,000 right now

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  • Up 673% in 1 year, why the Archer Materials (ASX:AXE) share price is lifting again today

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    The Archer Materials Ltd (ASX: AXE) share price is lifting this morning, up 1% at the time of writing having earlier posted gains of more than 7%.

    The ASX tech share focuses on the development of quantum computing, biotechnology, and reliable energy. We take a look at the company’s latest announcement below.

    What did Archer Materials report to the market this morning?

    The Archer Materials share price is gaining in morning trade after the company reported it had strengthened its graphene-based biochip technology.

    The improvement in its nanofabrication capabilities was demonstrated by Archer Materials’ fabrication of “nanosize biosensor components of 100-150 nanometer features on silicon wafers”.

    According to the release, translating the biochip sensor components onto silicon wafers is a vital step in commercial production volumes, opening the door for potential future retail applications of its biochip.

    The biochip, or lab-on-a-chip, combines several biological laboratory functions. The initial goal for Archer’s biochip is to help detect respiratory diseases.

    Before the announced improvement in its fabrication capabilities, Archer reports it was limited to 1 sensor per square centimetre. The new nanofabrication process will enable more than 1 million sensors per square centimetre.

    What did management say?

    Commenting on the developments, Archer’s CEO Mohammad Choucair said:

    Archer has attracted talented technologists to work on a promising, potential solution to a global challenge that has significant socio-economic implications. As we ramp up our biochip development, we will strategically bridge industry capability gaps, and where possible, locally.

    At Archer, our staff have a proven track record of producing intellectual property that is worth protecting internationally. As we solve for significant technological barriers in our biochip development, the company will rapidly translate this knowledge into strong IP assets that would underpin high value, long-term commercialisation.

    Archer Materials share price snapshot

    Archer Materials shares have been a stellar performer over the past 12 months, up 673%. That compares to a 53% gain on the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO).

    Year-to-date, the Archer Materials share price is up 93%.

    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.*

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  • Stock market rally: is it too late to buy and hold cheap dividend stocks?

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    The stock market rally following the 2020 market crash has caused many shares to trade at significantly higher prices. Despite this, it is still possible to purchase cheap dividend stocks in order to obtain a generous passive income and the potential for capital growth.

    Through focusing on their quality and future prospects, an investor can realistically build an attractive portfolio of income shares. On a relative basis, it could deliver high returns in a low interest rate environment.

    Cheap dividend stocks may still be available

    While the recent stock market rally has pushed many share valuations to higher levels, some sectors remain modestly valued in comparison. Within them, it may be possible to buy cheap dividend stocks, since bullish investors may have turned their attention to other industries that apparently offer higher growth rates at the present time.

    For example, a number of strong businesses in the retail and consumer goods sectors appear to have bright long-term outlooks.

    Moreover, they seem to have the financial means to overcome future risks from a challenging economic outlook to produce a rising dividend payout for investors. Due to weak investor sentiment at the present time, they could offer the potential to generate impressive total returns in the coming years.

    Focusing on the quality of income shares

    Of course, not every cheap dividend stock could be worth buying at the present time. The world economy has experienced one of its biggest ever shocks in recent months.

    As such, high dividends from previous years may fail to be paid in future. Similarly, some companies may struggle to survive difficult operating conditions should they have large debts or weak cash flow.

    Therefore, it is important to check the quality of any stock before buying it. This can mean taking steps such as reading its latest investor updates, assessing its strategy, and analysing recent annual reports.

    Doing so allows an investor to build a picture of the company in question so they avoid potentially unattractive investments. Moreover, they may be able to find the strongest businesses that trade at the lowest prices. They could prove to be the most appealing cheap dividend stocks to buy at the present time.

    Considering the relative appeal of dividend shares

    While cheap dividend stocks may be less prevalent than they were several months ago due to the stock market rally, their relative appeal appears to be high. The world is currently operating in a low interest rate environment that could persist for a number of months or even years.

    Therefore, relying on other income-producing assets to generate a passive income may prove to be a disappointing move. By contrast, the return potential from dividend shares that trade at low prices could be highly attractive from a long-term standpoint.

    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 Peter Stephens 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 Stock market rally: is it too late to buy and hold cheap dividend stocks? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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