The Adveritas Ltd (ASX: AV1) share price is on the rise today after announcing its first contract with a European customer.

Based in Perth and Singapore, Adveritas is a fraud prevention software services company that specialises in digital advertising. The business services customers world-wide through its flagship software product, TrafficGuard.

During the opening minutes of trade, the Adveritas share price reached an intraday high of 18.5 cents, However, some slight profit taking have led its shares to retrace to 18 cents, up 5.9%.

What did Adveritas announce?

In today’s release, the company reported it has signed a commercial agreement with Deezer, a French online music streaming service.

Developed in Paris, Deezer allows its users to listen to music content from record labels. The company has over 56 million licenced tracks in its music library and 100 million playlists. In addition, Deezer boasts a member base of 16 million active users spanning over 180 countries.

Deezer is also the exclusive global music partner of smart technology wearable and fitness company, Fitbit.

Terms of the deals

Under the agreement, Adveritas will supply Deezer with TrafficGuard’s mobile app install anti-fraud solution. The Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) product detects and prevents real-time ad fraud. This keeps incoming traffic clean, increases reach, and drives return on ad spend.

For access to the service, Deezer will pay Adveritas a monthly base fee of 4,000 euros for a minimum 6-month period. The contract is extendable outside Deezer’s mobile segment, in which Adveritas is currently running trials into web and social spend.

The contract follows a raft of recently signed smaller deals which is expected to contribute to Adveritas annualised revenue. It noted that since the beginning of the calendar year, combined additional revenue stands at roughly $100,000.

Words from the CEO

Adveritas CEO Mat Ratty, touched on the company’s flagship software product, saying:

The rise of sophisticated fraud that installs apps, wasting companies’ advertising spend and causing misallocation of marketing budgets, makes tools like TrafficGuard more important than ever before.

With a number of global companies running trials with TrafficGuard, a few in contract negotiations, and a substantial increase in qualified leads across multiple industry verticals and regions over the past few weeks, we are well positioned to build on recent momentum.

About the Adveritas share price

Over the past 12 months, the Adveritas share price is down almost 20%. The company’s shares dive down to a 52-week low of 6.5 cents in March, before see-sawing for most of the year.

At the start of November, its shares rapidly shot up after reporting a surprise positive quarterly report. Since then, the Adveritas share price has stabilised around the late teens mark.

More reading

• Why is the Origin (ASX:ORG) share price tanking today?
• Here’s why the Qantas (ASX:QAN) share price is soaring today
• Amazon introduces new electric delivery trucks in Los Angeles
• Top brokers just upgraded these 3 ASX shares to “buy”
• Fossil fuels vs renewables: What’s ahead for ASX energy shares?

Motley Fool contributor Aaron Teboneras 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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It has been a positive day for the Qantas Airways Limited (ASX: QAN) share price on Thursday.

At one stage today, the airline operator’s shares were up over 3% to $4.85.

The Qantas share price has since pulled back a touch but remains up 1.5% to $4.77 at the time of writing.

Why is the Qantas share price pushing higher?

Investors have been buying Qantas shares on Thursday after it announced a wet lease agreement with Alliance Aviation Services Ltd (ASX: AQZ) that will see the latter provide up to 14 E190 aircraft to Australia’s flag carrier airline.

A wet lease agreement is one where the lessor provides an entire aircraft and at least one crew member.

Alliance will initially provide Qantas with three E190 aircraft to commence operations in mid-2021. Qantas then has the option to call on an additional eleven aircraft based on market conditions.

According to the release, Qantas has made the move in order to meet an expected surge in local tourism demand once the country moves beyond sudden COVID-related border closures.

The Embraer E190 aircraft is a 94-seat jet with a five-hour range. Qantas believes this makes it well suited to linking regional centres with smaller capital cities. Judging by the Qantas share price reaction today, the market appears to agree.

What are the routes?

The initial routes that Alliance will fly for Qantas are expected to include Adelaide–Alice Springs, Darwin–Alice Springs, and Darwin–Adelaide.

The Boeing 737s that are currently used on these routes will be redeployed elsewhere in Australia. This is part of an ongoing ‘right aircraft, right route’ approach to the Qantas network.

QantasLink CEO, John Gissing, spoke very positively about the agreement. He feels it reflects the kind of flexibility Qantas needs to respond to opportunities without committing any capital.

He said: “We know this current climate of snap border closures will pass and we want to be ready for the recovery and for what is a structurally different market to what we had pre-COVID. The ability to switch on extra capacity with Alliance will help us make the most of opportunities in a highly competitive environment and having the right aircraft on the right route helps us deliver the schedule and network that customers want.”

Better economics

Mr Gissing notes that the E190 jets are perfectly suited to the routes that it is going to be flying.

He explained: “The E190 is a perfect mid-size regional jet for routes like these ones in northern Australia. It has longer range than our 717s and it’s about half the size of our 737s, which means the economics work well on longer flights between cities and towns outside of the top five population centres.”

“Instead of one or two flights a day with a larger aircraft, we can offer three or four flights a day on the E190, which gives customers in these cities a lot more choice about when they travel,” he added.

The agreement is also good news for Qantas international pilots and cabin crew that have been left without work because of COVID-19.

Mr Gissing commented: “Importantly, Alliance is keen to provide the opportunity for our international pilots and cabin crew to operate the E190s given it will be some time before overseas markets fully recover.”

Where next for the Qantas share price?

Although the Qantas share price has recovered strongly from its COVID-low, analysts at Goldman Sachs still see plenty of upside.

According to a note from 29 January, Goldman has a buy rating and $7.05 price target on its shares. Based on the current Qantas share price, this implies potential upside of almost 48% over the next 12 months.

More reading

• ASX 200 down 0.7%: AGL & Origin sink lower, Qantas pushes higher
• Why Alliance Aviation, REA Group, SEEK, & Vulcan shares are charging higher
• 4 most trusted ASX companies (and the 4 least trusted)
• Alliance Aviation (ASX:AQZ) share price surges 13% higher on Qantas (ASX:QAN) deal
• The latest ASX stocks to be hit by broker downgrades

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

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

Amazon.com, Inc (NASDAQ: AMZN) announced yesterday that it has started using electric vehicles (EVs) for deliveries in the Los Angeles area after four months of testing. The delivery trucks are made by EV start-up Rivian. 

Amazon led a $700 million investment round in Rivian in 2019 as part of the Climate Pledge agreement it co-founded. The agreement commits to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, 10 years earlier than the Paris Accord’s plan. Amazon ordered 100,000 electric delivery vans from Rivian to help achieve that goal, and plans to have 10,000 of the vehicles in service in 2022, with all 100,000 by 2030. 

Amazon said it will have its new custom EVs operating in 15 additional cities this year. “This is one of the fastest modern commercial electrification programs, and we’re incredibly proud of that,” sad Ross Rachey, director of Amazon’s global fleet and products. 

The new vehicles have a range of 150 miles on a single charge. Amazon said it has also begun installing thousands of charging stations at its delivery hubs across North America and Europe. In order to meet its commitment, the company said in its news blog, it is also “exploring new technologies, alternative fuels, and delivery methods that deliver packages to customers in a more sustainable way”.

In addition to the specialty vehicles for Amazon, Rivian plans to manufacture electric pickup trucks and SUV “adventure vehicles” specialising in off-road conditions. The company has raised $8 billion since the start of 2019 to fund its development.

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

More reading

• 4 most trusted ASX companies (and the 4 least trusted)
• GameStop (NYSE:GME) appoints 3 new Vice Presidents from Amazon and Chewy
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John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Howard Smith owns shares of Amazon. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and recommends Amazon and recommends the following options: long January 2022 $1920 calls on Amazon and short January 2022 $1940 calls on Amazon. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Amazon. 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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This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

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The market is losing ground today but some ASX shares are bucking the downtrend after brokers upgraded their ratings to “buy”.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (Index:^AXJO) slumped 0.7% during lunch time trade with just about every sector losing ground.

However, the CSR Limited (ASX: CSR) share price is defying the gloom to jump 2.9% to $5.76 – a more than 10-year high.

Building to an ASX share “buy” upgrade

The positive outlook for residential construction is one driver for its outperformance. But an upgrade by Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG) is also probably helping.

“While the recovery from COVID-19 in health terms may well come in fits and starts, the earnings cycle for stocks seems well supported in the near term,” said the broker.

“Longer-term concerns around the lack of migration and its impacts on sustainability are likely less pertinent to the investment thesis, especially in 1HCY21.”

Macquarie lifted its earnings per share (EPS) forecasts for the sector to above consensus, and it believes the upgrade cycle has not yet run its course.

The broker changed its recommendation on the CSR share price to “outperform” from “neutral” with a price target of $6 a share.

Earnings remodeling

But CSR isn’t the only ASX stock that is leveraged to the positive housing activity outlook. The big jump in renovations prompted Macquarie to also upgrade the GWA Group Ltd (ASX: GWA) share price “outperform” from “neutral”.

Shares in the household fittings group surged 3.6% to $3.62 at the time of writing.

The broker noted that alterations and additions (A&A) approvals increased by 29% in the December 2020 quarter compared to the same period in 2019.

This is probably thanks to the federal government’s HomeBuilder grant. A&A accounts for more than 60% of GWA’s revenue.

Building approvals for detached housing also increased by an eye-watering 42% in the quarter compared to 4QCY19.

A&A and detached activity are expected to remain elevated for a while yet. The broker’s 12-month price target on the GWA share price is $3.90 a share.

Attractive package

Finally, the Amcor CDI (ASX: AMC) share price got upgraded by UBS to “buy” from “neutral” following its first half profit result.

Shares in the packaging company fell 3.4% to $14.52 at the time of writing, but the AMC share price jumped 4.5% yesterday on the earnings news.

Amcor posted results that were ahead of the market’s and UBS’ expectations, thanks largely to organic growth and its Bemis acquisition. Management also upgraded its FY21 guidance to above consensus.

“We are attracted to Amcor’s leading position across key global consumer packaging markets,” said UBS.

“The defensive nature of these markets is clearly supporting Amcor’s earnings base and cash flows despite COVID-19 related uncertainty.

“We think this earnings resiliency and growth outlook, combined with a solid dividend yield of c.4% should support the stock.”

UBS’ 12-month price target on the AMC share price is $16.60 a share.  

More reading

• ASX 200 down 0.7%: AGL & Origin sink lower, Qantas pushes higher
• Commonwealth Bank (ASX:CBA) tipped to increase dividend by 50% next week
• Pinnacle (ASX:PNI) share price will be on watch today
• 2 great ETFs to buy for growth potential
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday

Motley Fool contributor Brendon Lau has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Amcor 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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If you were running a successful, multi-billion company and someone asked what your plans were to wind it down, what would you say?

This isn’t a rhetorical question.

In fact, it is the gist of the demand Market Forces, an environmental activist investor group, is making to some of Australia’s biggest energy shares.

As the Australian Financial Review (AFR) reports, Market Forces is asking “ASX-listed fossil fuel companies to plan for their own demise in order to align with Paris climate goals”.

Their first target is the $14 billion ASX oil and gas giant, Santos Ltd (ASX: STO), part of the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO).

Santos’ management, as you might expect, indicated they had no plans to shutter operations, replying:

Santos does not intend to close down its oil and gas operations, as doing so would be against the interests of shareholders and would not be consistent with global climate and human development goals, particularly reducing air pollution and poverty.

According to Santos, 80% of the world’s primary energy needs are still derived from oil and gas. A figure that’s unchanged since 1975. Rather than eliminating its fossil fuel production, the company is working on reducing emissions via novel technologies in carbon capture and storage. Santos is also involved in developing hydrogen energy sources with no carbon footprint.

Other ASX energy shares in Market Forces’ crosshairs this year are Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) with a market cap of $24 billion; Oil Search Ltd (ASX: OSH) with a market cap of $8.5 billion; Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX: WHC) with a market cap of $1.6 billion; and New Hope Corporation Limited (ASX: NHC) with a market cap of just over $1 billion.

Market Forces is working under the assumption that Australia, and the rest of the world, can quickly transition away from fossil fuels, replacing the energy sources with renewables.

But how close is Australia really to switching off all the gas in favour of solar and wind?

Has the demise of gas been greatly exaggerated?

Consultancy firm Wood Mackenzie estimates that Australia will require 10 times more gas to generate power than what the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) has forecast.

According to the AFR, WoodMac forecasts that gas will still provide some 10% of Australia’s power in 2030, as opposed to AEMO’s 1% estimate.

WoodMac senior analyst Rishab Shrestha said:

You need a balanced portfolio to avoid extreme price spikes. We need to manage the speed of this transition, and perhaps the transition blueprint that has been laid out does not necessarily capture all the risks that are associated with that.

The ongoing debates could offer headwinds or tailwinds to the share prices of the biggest ASX energy companies, depending on the outcome.

More reading

• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday
• Why this Goldman Sachs forecast could see these 3 ASX energy shares lift off
• ASX coal stocks increasingly isolated with rise of start-ups like MGA Thermal
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Wednesday
• Oil Search (ASX:OSH) share price rises today after a week in the red

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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The De Grey Mining Limited (ASX: DEG) share price is slipping, down 3.57% at the time of writing.

Shares are sliding today despite a positive announcement from the Western Australia gold explorer and developer released to the ASX this morning.

Let’s take a closer look at what this announcement means for the De Grey share price. 

What did De Grey Mining report on its gold projects?

This morning, De Grey Mining released an update of its gold exploration activities at the Greater Hemi Intrusion targets. This area encompasses the Hemi Gold Discovery, south of Port Hedland in Western Australia.

The company is targeting various sites including Scooby to the east and Antwerp, Alectroenas, and Shaggy to the west of Hemi. De Grey is using aircore drilling, geophysical, and geochemical techniques to identify mineralised intrusions. Between January 2020 and early February 2021, it has drilled 2,135 aircore holes totalling 140,532 metres.

In the latest results, De Grey reported aircore drilling had defined a 2 kilometre by 1 kilometre gold-arsenic zone. The results also reported a coincident Induced Polarisation (IP) target at Scooby, with significant new gold intercepts. A 2km x 1km gold-arsenic zone was also defined in aircore drilling at its Antwerp location.

Quartz veined and altered intrusions were also intersected here in limited shallow RC (reverse circulation) drilling. The company cited the potential for Antwerp to link with its recently discovered Eagle zone.

De Grey now plans to conduct IP surveys at Antwerp, Diucon, and Eagle.

Comments from De Grey

Addressing the drill results, De Grey’s Technical Director, Andy Beckwith said:

Recent exploration activities at Scooby and Antwerp have identified widespread gold mineralisation in aircore drilling warranting follow-up RC drilling. This drilling will commence in the near future in parallel with resource delineation and extension drilling at Hemi, including at the recently discovered Diucon and Eagle zones.

The new IP target coincident with gold and arsenic mineralisation at Scooby are encouraging. The IP results potentially provide a new tool to identify and priorities targets beneath the transported cover. Diucon, Eager and Antwerp will be our next priority IP areas.

De Grey Mining share price snapshot

The De Grey Mining share price was a star performer in 2020, gaining 1,920% in the calendar year. That compares to a flat (down 0.1%) return from the broader All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO).

This year, the Western Australian gold explorer has trailed the index returns. With today’s 1% loss taken aboard, the De Grey share price is down 12.6% in 2021.

More reading

• The De Grey (ASX:DEG) share price is sliding lower today
• The biggest ASX bulls are about to get their faith tested
• 2 ASX shares that ran over 1,500% in 2020

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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The Viva Leisure Ltd (ASX: VVA) share price has been going gangbusters this morning following its Pinnacle clubs acquisition, and membership update.

Shares in the health club operator raced up 10.1% to an intraday high of $3.05 in mid-morning trade before retreating slightly to $3 at the time of writing.

Acquisition and membership update

The Viva Leisure share price is among the top performers on the ASX market today after the company reported two positive updates.

Firstly, the company advised it has completed the acquisition of 6 Pinnacle health clubs earlier than expected. With all conditions relating to the sale satisfactorily met, the formal takeover was brought forward from its original 10 March timeframe.

Viva Leisure said the early acquisition will enable it to focus on bringing the new clubs in line with its hub and spoke strategy. The company seeks to penetrate the Melbourne suburban-metro market with its latest offering. The group currently operates a total of 101 health clubs across Australia’s eastern seaboard.

In addition, Viva Leisure reported that its membership base has grown to 115,000 members in the past 3 months. The record milestone reflects the growing trend of people leading more active and healthy lifestyles. The company’s membership base stood at 96,404 members in the prior corresponding period.

Viva Leisure will release its half-year results for the 2021 financial year on 25 February.

What did management say?

Commenting on the early acquisition, Viva Leisure CEO and managing director Harry Konstantinou, said:

We are pleased to have completed the acquisition of the Pinnacle clubs, a high-quality and complementary business to the Viva Brands. The transaction will significantly expand our reach and penetration throughout the Melbourne suburban-metro market.

We look forward to welcoming our new team members, integrating the operations, and serving our new and expanded Victorian membership base.

About the Viva Leisure share price

The Viva Leisure share price is up 4% over the past 12 months. Its shares plunged in March last year to a low of 66 cents due to COVID-19 government restrictions. However, the company’s shares have since rebounded.

Based on the current share price, Viva Leisure commands a market capitalisation of roughly $248 million.

More reading

• Viva (ASX:VVA) share price moves on acquisition news

Motley Fool contributor Aaron Teboneras 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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There are some ASX dividend shares out there that are paying large dividends and have consistent payouts.

Nick Scali Limited (ASX: NCK)

At the current Nick Scali share price it now has a grossed-up dividend yield of 8.4%. The company has grown its dividend every year since 2013.

The furniture business just reported its FY21 half-year result.

The company said that its sales revenue went up 24.4% to $171.1 million. The gross profit margin increased by 180 basis points to 64%.

Nick Scali’s underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) grew by 94.2% to $60.2 million and underlying earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) went up by 100.3% to $57.7 million. The underlying EBIT margin increased by 1,270 basis points to 33.6%.

The ASX dividend share reported that its operating cash flow before interest and tax rose by 222.3% to $53.5 million and underlying net profit after tax (NPAT) grew by 99.5% to $40.5 million.

The company said that sales order growth for January 2021 was 47%, representing the largest month of written sales orders in the company’s history. January is traditionally the company’s largest trading month and the sales order book at the end of January was at an all time high, which was a further increase on December 2020.

For the half-year result, the Nick Scali board decided to increase the interim dividend from 25 cents per share to 40 cents per share.  

JB Hi-Fi Limited (ASX: JBH)

JB Hi-Fi is another ASX dividend share that is experiencing elevated levels of demand at its stores (and online) during this period.

At the current JB Hi-Fi share price it has a grossed-up dividend yield of 5.2%.

A couple of weeks ago the ASX dividend share released an update for its expected FY21 half-year result.

It’s expecting to report that sales grew by 23.7% to $4.94 billion. It also expects to show that for the six-month period the EBIT went up by 75.9% to $462.7 million and net profit after tax (NPAT) rose by 86.2% to $317.7 million.

JB Hi-Fi said that there has been continued elevated customer demand for consumer electronics and home appliance products. This, combined with “exceptional” growth in online sales and a Black Friday promotional period, more than offset the impact of the government mandated temporary store closures during the half. Online sales were up 161.7% to $678.8 million, which represented 13.7% of total sales.

JB Hi Fi said that its disciplined cost control combined with strong sales growth drove significant operating leverage.

Brickworks Limited (ASX: BKW)

Brickworks has one of the longest dividend records on the ASX in terms of consistency. It hasn’t cut its dividend for over 40 years.  

This ASX dividend share currently has a grossed-up dividend yield of 4.3%.

Its dividend is supported by two assets.

Brickworks has had an investment in Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co. Ltd (ASX: SOL) shares for quite a few decades. Soul Patts is an investment conglomerate with a diversified portfolio of industries like telecommunications, resources and pharmacies. Brickworks owns around 40% of the company. 

Soul Patts has been steadily growing its dividend to shareholders, like Brickworks, for two decades. The investment conglomerate provides a steady stream of earnings and dividends during times when Brickworks’ building products earnings go through cyclical times.

Brickworks also owns a 50% stake in an industrial property trust. This trust is steadily generating higher rental profit each year as organic rental increases occur and more properties are finished. The next project scheduled for completion is a huge warehouse for Amazon in Sydney.  

More reading

• 2 ASX dividend shares offering big yields today
• Why the Nick Scali (ASX:NCK) share price is lifting today
• 2 ASX 200 shares to buy for dividends
• 3 ASX dividend shares with yields above 5%
• Here’s why dividend investors should be interested in Brickworks (ASX:BKW) shares

Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison owns shares of Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Brickworks and Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company 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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In afternoon trade the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is under pressure and dropping lower. At the time of writing, the benchmark index is down 0.65% to 6,780.4 points.

Four ASX shares that are falling more than most today are listed below. Here’s why they are dropping lower:

AGL Energy Limited (ASX: AGL)

The AGL share price has fallen 5.5% to $11.22. The catalyst for this decline was the release of an update on asset impairments this morning. According to the update, the energy company plans to recognise charges of $2,686 million (post-tax) in its first half results for FY 2021. Approximately $1,920 million of these charges relate to provisions for onerous contracts for legacy wind farm offtake agreements. Sustained weakness in wholesale electricity prices has also impacted the company.

Bubs Australia Ltd (ASX: BUB)

The Bubs share price has dropped 3% to 65 cents. Investors continue to sell the infant formula company’s shares after analysts at Citi reiterated their sell rating and 51 cents price target last week. The broker was disappointed with its second quarter update and doesn’t appear to believe things will improve in the near term. Citi’s price target implies potential downside of almost 22%.

BWP Trust (ASX: BWP)

The BWP share price is down 3.5% to $4.07. This appears to have been driven by a broker note out of UBS this morning. According to the note, the Bunnings landlord’s first half results were a touch softer than it was expecting. In light of this and its premium valuation, it sees no reason to change its sell rating and $3.86 price target any time soon.

Origin Energy Ltd (ASX: ORG)

The Origin share price is down over 6.5% to $4.63. Investors have been selling the energy company’s shares after it downgraded its Energy Markets guidance for FY 2021. Management advised that this was driven by the continued impacts of COVID-19 on energy demand and milder weather. Origin now expects its Energy Markets underlying EBITDA to be in the range of $1,000 million to $1,140 million. This compares to its previous guidance of $1,150 million to $1,300 million.

More reading

• ASX 200 down 0.7%: AGL & Origin sink lower, Qantas pushes higher
• Why the AGL Energy (ASX:AGL) share price is sinking lower
• ASX 200 up 0.9%, Afterpay drops, CBA rises
• Here’s why the BWP (ASX:BWP) share price is heading higher today
• Got cash to invest? Here are 3 ASX shares to buy

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended BUBS AUST 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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With the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) indicating interest rates will stay at near-zero level until 2024 this week, the importance of ASX dividend shares has rarely been more obvious.

The RBA’s announcement strongly signals that savings accounts, term deposits, and government bonds will be offered next to nothing in real returns for the foreseeable future.

That means if you’re looking for something to give you a decent return on your money every year, ASX dividend shares are one of the only options left. Of course, some dividend shares offer yields even greater than this, especially if you include the beautiful benefits of franking.

So here are 2 ASX dividend shares in this vein to consider today.

2 ASX dividend shares offering decent yields today

Brickworks Ltd (ASX: BKW)

Brickworks is an ASX company that, well, makes bricks (as well as other construction materials). It’s one of the oldest companies on the ASX, having been founded way back in 1934.

Construction materials is normally a highly cyclical business. Everyone wants to build buildings when the economy is going well, and no one does when the economy is struggling. Fortunately, Brickworks seems to have figured out how to nullify this inherent cyclicality in its business.

It has built out a sturdy earnings base from leasing properties and land that it owns for various purposes. This gives it a source of revenue that is far more reliable. Brickworks also owns a large stake of Washington Soul Pattinson & Co Ltd (ASX: SOL). Washington Soul Pattinson & Co have one of the most stable track records of delivering dividend growth.

As such, Brickworks has managed to hold steady or increase its own dividend payments every year since 1976. On current pricing, this dividend is worth a yield of 3% and comes fully franked as well.

Altium Limited (ASX: ALU)

Altium has built itself a name of being one of the ASX’s most sought after growth shares of the past few years (although its share price growth has stalled of late). It’s even a member of the WAAAX club.

This company operates a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) business model by selling its Altium Design software on a subscription basis. Altium Design helps electrical engineers design printed circuit boards, which are unique and essential components of almost every electronic device.

What many investors don’t realise is that Altium also pays a substantial dividend. That dividend is worth 1.25% on current prices. That might not sound like much, but consider this: in 2016, Altium paid investors dividends worth 20 cents a share.

Last year, Altium paid out 39 cents per share in dividends. If Altium’s pay out continues to more or less double every 4 years, it will prove to be a very substantial income investment very quickly.

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Sebastian Bowen owns shares of Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. recommends Altium. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Brickworks and Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of Altium. 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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