The Redbubble Ltd (ASX: RBL) share price will be on watch this morning after naming its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

What did Redbubble announce?

This morning the ecommerce company revealed that it has appointed former SEEK Limited (ASX: SEK) executive, Michael Ilczynski, as its new CEO.

Mr Ilczynski, who was formerly the CEO of SEEK Asia Pacific and Americas, will replace interim CEO, Martin Hosking, on 27 January 2021.

Redbubble’s Chair, Anne Ward, believes Mr Ilczynski will be a great fit for the company and that his previous experience with SEEK will help take it to the next level.

She commented: “Michael played a major role in helping SEEK grow into the global force it is today. That track-record, including the successful development of his team, evolution of the product and scaling of the business, are the right combination to continue Redbubble’s transition from a niche to mainstream global consumer marketplace.”

“SEEK is one of the few companies in Australia to have been down this path before Redbubble and we are delighted to be able to attract a proven, senior leader of Michael’s calibre to join Redbubble,” she added.

The Chair also praised its interim CEO, Martin Hosking, for leading Redbubble through a challenging operating environment and delivering exceptional growth.

She said: “We are grateful to Redbubble’s interim CEO Martin Hosking for an incredible year of strong performance in challenging circumstances and for his ongoing support as Michael takes over. This is the right appointment for our shareholders, our people, our artists and our customers.”

Mr Hosking has agreed to remain on the Board as a non-executive director. The company notes that this means it will continue to benefit from his deep knowledge and experience during its next phase of growth.

Mr Ilczynski appears up for the challenge of leading Redbubble through its next phase.

The new CEO commented: “Redbubble is a truly unique global organisation. The three-sided marketplace that has been built is now operating with real scale and momentum, presenting a wonderful opportunity to further grow the Redbubble and TeePublic brands, to connect deeply with our customers, and to deliver more value to our artists and fulfilment partners.”

More reading

• ASX 200 rises on mixed Thursday
• SEEK (ASX:SEK) share price flat despite FY 2021 guidance upgrade
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday
• ASX stock of the day: Redbubble (ASX:RBL) shares up 5% today
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 next week

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro owns shares of SEEK Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended SEEK Limited. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

The post Redbubble (ASX:RBL) share price on watch after naming former SEEK exec as new CEO appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

from Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/2KjltER

The Harmoney Corp Limited (ASX: HMY) share price had an underwhelming start to lift as a listed company.

On Thursday the online direct personal lender’s shares fell 1.5% to $3.45.

At one stage, the Harmoney share price was down as much as 10% to $3.15 before staging a recovery.

The Harmoney IPO.

Harmoney landed on the ASX boards yesterday after successfully completing its initial public offering (IPO) and raising $92.5 million at $3.50 per share.

According to an announcement, the company’s IPO was well supported by a range of institutional and retail investors across Australia and New Zealand, with applications exceeding its offer size.

From the raising, approximately $70 million (before costs) will be used to fund its growth as it accelerates originations in Australia and New Zealand. It will also be used to fund of loans by bank-funded warehouse facilities.

What is Harmoney?

Harmoney is one of the leading online direct personal lenders in the ANZ region.

Since originating its first loan in August 2014, the company has originated over NZ$1.8 billion in personal loans.

Between FY 2015 and FY 2020, it has grown its loan originations by an impressive compound annual growth rate of 86%.

It is serving thousands of customers across Australia and New Zealand with a total current loan book of approximately NZ$472 million.

Harmoney’s CEO and Managing Director, David Stevens, commented: “The evolving nature of the Australian and New Zealand personal finance market represents a highly attractive growth opportunity for Harmoney, with the Company’s strong historic record of loan originations, proprietary Stellare technology platform, major bank warehouse funding facilities and high customer satisfaction.”

“Today’s listing is a significant milestone for enabling the acceleration of growth across the Australian and New Zealand markets,” he added.

Trading update.

The lukewarm response to its listing yesterday might have come as a surprise to management considering its performance in the current financial year.

According to yesterday’s release, Harmoney has exceeded its origination, revenue, and cash net profit after tax prospectus forecasts for the four months to 31 October.

More reading

• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Friday
• ASX 200 rises on mixed Thursday
• Why ASX bank share dividends might be surging soon
• China is a much bigger threat to the ASX bull run than COVID
• Global fund managers are bullish on these 3 things

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. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

The post Harmoney (ASX:HMY) share price drops lower following IPO appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

from Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/3nDBHHf

There are some ASX shares worth buying and owning according to fund manager Naos Asset Management.

What is Naos Asset Management’s investment approach?

Naos is led by chief investment officer (CIO) Sebastian Evans. NAOS Ex-50 Opportunities Company Ltd (ASX: NAC) is one of the listed investment companies (LIC) operated by Naos.

That particular LIC looks at businesses with market capitalisations between $250 million and $6 billion. That’s what Naos deems to be a ‘mid-cap’.

The fund manager has a number of investment focuses. It looks for businesses that are good value with long term growth potential. With its portfolio, Naos believes it’s better to have a quality portfolio rather than numerous holdings. That’s why it only holds around 10 positions in each fund, with each ASX share representing a high-conviction position.

Naos invests in the small cap ASX shares and mid caps for the long-term. It considers the performance and the liquidity of its positions whilst ignoring the index. Performance can sometimes be quite variable when compared to the index.

It looks to invest purely in industrial companies whilst also considering the ESG factors (environmental, social and governance).

What are some of the ASX shares that it thinks are opportunities?

In its latest monthly update for 31 October 2020, Naos gave the latest commentary for some of its ASX share positions:

Objective Corporation Limited (ASX: OCL)

According to the ASX, Objective Corporation has a market capitalisation of $1.23 billion.

Naos describes Objective as a founder led enterprise software company providing specialist software for regulated industries such as government, councils and financial services. Objective has mission critical software, built on providing improved governance, service delivery and workflow combined with process efficiency.

In the FY20 result Objective Corporation grew revenue by 13% to $70 million and increased its net profit after tax (NPAT) by 22% to $11 million.

In FY21 Objective Corporation said it’s expecting a material lift in revenue and profitability. It’s also expecting to increase its market reach and invest further in broadening its offering to every customer.

MNF Group Ltd (ASX: MNF)

According to the ASX, MNF Group has a market capitalisation of almost $400 million.

MNF is described by Naos as a founder led software company, which specialises in proprietary digital network infrastructure for voice communications. The fund manager says that with ‘next generation’ networks in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, MNF provides voice carriage and value-added software services to some of the world’s largest software companies and wants to expand further in the APAC region.

Naos said that, over the years, the valuation multiple applied to the ASX share has slowly reduced even though, in Naos’ view, the earnings of the business has increased in quantum and predictability. The fund manager firmly believes that the key reason for this is due to the increasing complexity of the MNF business which isn’t necessary in Naos’ eyes, especially because this complexity is due to a number of small business units that contribute to a minority of the earnings. Over the next eight months Naos will be looking to the board of MNF to address this via a divestment or demerger of the two operating divisions. MNF’s Singapore network launches commercially in March 2021 and the fund manager will be paying close attention to the types of clients MNF has been able to sign up.

People Infrastructure Ltd (ASX: PPE)

According to the ASX, People Infrastructure has a market capitalisation of $320 million.

Naos describes People Infrastructure as a founder led provider of specialist staffing solutions, mainly to the healthcare and IT industries. The fund manager said growth in the industry is being driven by demand for more flexibility in working hours by both staff and employers. The ASX share has over 3,000 clients including Wesley Mission, Healthscope and NSW Health.

The fund manager will be watching for People Infrastructure to deploy its capital to cement its position as the leading provider in its respective markets, together with increasing the exposure to high growth industries such as home care.

More reading

• 2 exciting small cap ASX shares for your watchlist
• The People Infrastructure Ltd (ASX:PPE) share price is up 250% since March
• 2 little-known ASX small cap shares rated as buys by fundie
• Attention value investors: These ASX shares could be very cheap

Tristan Harrison has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of Objective Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended MNF Group Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended People Infrastructure Ltd. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

The post 3 little-known ASX shares rated as buys by fundie appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

from Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/3nFi9m1

If you’re looking to bolster your income with dividend shares in this low interest rate environment, then you might want to take a look at these highly rated shares.

Here’s why they have been rated as buys for income investors:

Aventus Group (ASX: AVN)

Aventus is the largest fully-integrated owner, manager, and developer of large format retail centres in Australia. At present it has a portfolio of 20 centres with 536,000m2 in gross leasable area. Across its centres the company has a diverse tenant base of 593 tenancies, with national retailers representing 87% of its total portfolio.

According to a recent note out of Goldman Sachs, its analysts have a buy rating and $2.76 price target on the company’s shares. The broker is a fan of the company due to its high weighting to every day needs and its opportunities outside the box with its land bank. It feels the latter could create value for shareholders.

Based on the latest Aventus share price, the broker estimates that it offers a forward 5% dividend yield.

Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL)

Coles is one of Australia’s leading supermarket operators and one of the most recognisable brands in the country. Although 2020 has been tough for many retailers because of the pandemic, this certainly hasn’t been the case for Coles. In FY 2020 the company reported a 6.9% increase in sales to $37.4 billion and a 7.1% lift in net profit after tax to $951 million.

Furthermore, this positive momentum has continued in FY 2021, with Coles delivering first quarter revenue growth ahead of expectations. It reported a 10.5% increase in total sales revenue over the prior corresponding period to $9.6 billion.

In light of this strong start to the year, analysts at Goldman Sachs reiterated their buy rating ($20.50 price target) and lifted their dividend forecast to 64 cents per share dividend. Based on the current Coles share price, this equates to a fully franked 3.55% dividend yield.

More reading

• Why the Aventus (ASX:AVN) share price is rising today
• 2 food-based ASX dividend shares to feed your income needs
• Aussie companies blast ‘knee-jerk’ COVID-19 border closures
• ASX 200 Weekly Wrap: ASX continues to hit post-COVID highs
• These ASX dividend shares offer income investors attractive yields

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of COLESGROUP DEF SET. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended AVENTUS RE UNIT. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

The post 2 high quality ASX dividend shares to buy today appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

from Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/35LS1jl

On Thursday the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) bounced back from a morning decline and continued its positive run. The benchmark index rose 0.25% to 6,547.2 points.

Will the market be able to build on this on Friday? Here are five things to watch:

ASX 200 expected to push higher.

The Australian share market could end the week on a positive note. According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is expected to push 17 points or 0.25% higher at the open. In late trade on Wall Street, the Dow Jones is down 0.1%, the S&P 500 has risen 0.1%, and the Nasdaq is pushing a decent 0.6% higher.

Oxford University-Astra Zeneca vaccine update.

The coronavirus vaccine being developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca, AZD1222, is reportedly safe and triggers a similar immune response among all adults. This is according to the preliminary findings of a peer-reviewed phase two trial. According to CNBC, the promising early-stage results were published Thursday in The Lancet, which is one of the world’s top medical journals. CSL Limited (ASX:CSL) has signed an agreement to manufacture this vaccine if successful.

Oil prices soften.

It could be a good day for energy shares such as Oil Search Limited (ASX: OSH) and Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) after oil prices pushed higher. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price is down 0.4% to US$41.65 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price is down 0.5% to US$44.10 a barrel. Oil prices came under pressure after a surge in COVID-19 cases raised concerns about oil demand.

Annual general meetings.

A number of companies are holding their annual general meetings on Thursday and could provide updates at their events. This includes footwear retailer Accent Group Ltd (ASX: AX1), global property and infrastructure company Lendlease Group (ASX: LLC), and fund manager Platinum Asset Management Ltd (ASX: PTM).

Gold price drops lower again.

Gold miners including Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX: EVN) and Newcrest Mining Limited (ASX: NCM) could come under pressure today after the gold price continued to soften. According to CNBC, the spot gold price is down 0.6% to US$1,862.60 an ounce. A stronger US dollar weighted on the precious metal.

More reading

• ASX 200 rises on mixed Thursday
• Why ASX bank share dividends might be surging soon
• China is a much bigger threat to the ASX bull run than COVID
• Global fund managers are bullish on these 3 things
• Why the Aventus (ASX:AVN) share price is rising today

James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of CSL Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Accent Group. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

The post 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Friday appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

from Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/2UEDlMB

You have to be very, very careful not to get sucked into pessimism. It can be very, very hard to shake.

Here’s a (fake) pessimist’s Twitter feed: (a story in 7 parts, that also never ends!)

First tweet:

#1 “Things are terrible, and will get worse”

A few months later, recovery starts:

#2 “Yeah, some of those data points look okay, but they’re misleading. Things aren’t getting any better”

A few months after that, the recovery takes hold:

#3 “Okay, I guess things are looking better, but a lot of it is still bad”

A year later, the economy is in good health. GDP growth is picking up, and unemployment is falling:

#4 “Sure, that’s okay, but growth could be even better, and unemployment could be lower”

Fast forward another year. GDP and unemployment look great. Things are going well for the country.

#5 “Mark my words, there are bad times ahead”

Then, at some point, the economy naturally slows/stalls/falls

#6 “See, I told you. Things are bad!”

(Cue celebrations and said pessimist being quoted in the paper)

Then, the economy bottoms, and shows faint signs of recovery

#7 “Things are terrible and will get worse”

I was going to write ‘The End’, but it isn’t.

Unfortunately.

See, if you were paying attention, you’ll note that the 7th tweet is the same as the first.

And so the cycle starts again. And again.

Ever pessimistic, our old friend misses the boom entirely, never failing to see danger around the next corner.

Meanwhile?

Our GDP goes on to set higher and higher benchmarks.

Our stock markets regain and surpass previous highs.

Wealth is created. So are jobs.

But our old friend only sees the downside.

Be careful of listening to those people.

And don’t become one, yourself.

Your long term wealth might depend on it.

More reading

• Washington H. Soul Pattinson (ASX:SOL) launches Regis Healthcare (ASX:REG) takeover
• 2 ASX tech ETFs analysts rate as a ‘buy’ today
• The REA Group (ASX:REA) share price is up 33% in 2020
• Here’s why the Australian Agricultural Company (ASX:ACC) share price is up 6% today
• ASX 200 rises on mixed Thursday

Motley Fool contributor Scott Phillips has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

The post Why every pessimist is right (often to their cost) appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

from Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/38WyRZS

You have to be very, very careful not to get sucked into pessimism. It can be very, very hard to shake.

Here’s a (fake) pessimist’s Twitter feed: (a story in 7 parts, that also never ends!)

First tweet:

#1 “Things are terrible, and will get worse”

A few months later, recovery starts:

#2 “Yeah, some of those data points look okay, but they’re misleading. Things aren’t getting any better”

A few months after that, the recovery takes hold:

#3 “Okay, I guess things are looking better, but a lot of it is still bad”

A year later, the economy is in good health. GDP growth is picking up, and unemployment is falling:

#4 “Sure, that’s okay, but growth could be even better, and unemployment could be lower”

Fast forward another year. GDP and unemployment look great. Things are going well for the country.

#5 “Mark my words, there are bad times ahead”

Then, at some point, the economy naturally slows/stalls/falls

#6 “See, I told you. Things are bad!”

(Cue celebrations and said pessimist being quoted in the paper)

Then, the economy bottoms, and shows faint signs of recovery

#7 “Things are terrible and will get worse”

I was going to write ‘The End’, but it isn’t.

Unfortunately.

See, if you were paying attention, you’ll note that the 7th tweet is the same as the first.

And so the cycle starts again. And again.

Ever pessimistic, our old friend misses the boom entirely, never failing to see danger around the next corner.

Meanwhile?

Our GDP goes on to set higher and higher benchmarks.

Our stock markets regain and surpass previous highs.

Wealth is created. So are jobs.

But our old friend only sees the downside.

Be careful of listening to those people.

And don’t become one, yourself.

Your long term wealth might depend on it.

More reading

• Washington H. Soul Pattinson (ASX:SOL) launches Regis Healthcare (ASX:REG) takeover
• 2 ASX tech ETFs analysts rate as a ‘buy’ today
• The REA Group (ASX:REA) share price is up 33% in 2020
• Here’s why the Australian Agricultural Company (ASX:ACC) share price is up 6% today
• ASX 200 rises on mixed Thursday

Motley Fool contributor Scott Phillips has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

The post Why every pessimist is right (often to their cost) appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

from Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/38WyRZS

The Regis Healthcare Ltd (ASX: REG) share price will be on watch on Friday after a late announcement relating to the aged care operator.

What is happening?

After the market close, investment house Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co. Ltd (ASX: SOL) announced that, together with its partner Ashburn Pty Ltd, it has submitted a non-binding, indicative proposal to acquire Regis Healthcare.

According to the release, Washington H. Soul Pattinson has tabled an offer of $1.85 per share to acquire the company via a scheme of arrangement. This remains subject to due diligence.

Ashburn Pty Ltd is an entity controlled by Bryan Dorman, a co-founder and major shareholder of Regis Healthcare. It currently controls 27.2% of Regis’ ordinary shares on issue.

While Washington H. Soul Pattinson’s takeover offer represents a 25% premium to its last close price, it is also 42% lower than the Regis Healthcare share price 52-week high.

What now?

Washington H. Soul Pattinson has proposed two alternative forms of consideration to Regis shareholders.

One is a full cash consideration and the other is a scrip alternative in a newly incorporated company. This will give Regis shareholders the option of retaining an exposure to the company as a privately operated business.

The investment house believes the proposal will be attractive to Regis shareholders and advised that it looks forward to engaging collaboratively with the Regis board in the hopes of progressing the proposal.

Washington H. Soul Pattinson’s Chairman, Rob Millner, said: “WHSP is a patient and long-term investor and is committed to providing access to capital and support to Regis as it navigates through this challenging period and transitions to a new operating environment in the future.”

“Given the regulatory uncertainty and funding challenges currently facing the aged care industry, WHSP believes that Regis’ long-term prospects will be best served in a privately owned setting and that WHSP’s long investment horizons and access to capital make it and Ashburn Pty Ltd logical partners to oversee Regis’ growth and development,” he added.

Bryan Dorman, from Ashburn Pty Ltd, believes the proposal offers compelling value for shareholders.

He said: “I am passionate about the aged care industry and its incredibly important role in the community. The regulatory uncertainty and challenges facing the residential aged care sector are significant. As a founder and shareholder of Regis, I believe that WHSP’s proposal offers compelling value for Regis’ shareholders. Further, WHSP’s longer term investment strategy will provide the strength and stability for the benefit of our residents and employees.”

Regis Healthcare has yet to comment on the approach.

More reading

• Get real: 2 ASX dividend shares to boost your income stream
• 3 top ASX dividend shares to buy
• The Soul Patts (ASX:SOL) share price just hit a 52-week high
• 2 ASX dividend shares growing their dividend every year
• Brickworks (ASX:BKW) hasn’t cut its dividend for over 40 years

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

The post Washington H. Soul Pattinson (ASX:SOL) launches Regis Healthcare (ASX:REG) takeover appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

from Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/2UG2p5M

 As our reporting revealed this week, ASX tech exchange-traded funds (ETF) are some of the most popular ETF investments on our share market today. Although market-wide index funds like the iShares Core S&P/ASX 200 ETF (ASX: IOZ) are always going to be popular, the evidence suggests that ASX investors are also finding value in using ETFs to track the tech sector specifically.

That’s probably because many of the world’s largest and well-known tech companies (such as the FAANG stocks) are not listed on the ASX. But which ETFs should you pursue? Well, the Motley Fool analysts rate 2 such tech ETFs as ‘buys’ today. Here they are.

BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ)

This ETF from BetaShares is actually more of an index fund than a pure tech ETF. The Nasdaq is one of the 2 major stock exchanges in the US. It tends to have a reputation as the ‘cooler’ one though. As such, most of the biggest names in tech choose to list on it. That gives the Nasdaq 100 a very heavy tech weighting (almost 50%).

So, this ETF holds the largest 100 stocks in the Nasdaq index. It’s largest holdings are dominated by ‘big tech’, and include (in order) Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL), Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT), Facebook Inc (NASDAQ: FB), Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ: AMZN) and Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ: GOOG)(NASDAQ: GOOGL). Other names you’ll see in NDQ include Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA), Adobe Inc (NASDAQ: ADBE), Netflix Inc (NASDAQ: NFLX) and PayPal Holdings Inc (NASDAQ: PYPL).

BetaShares Nasdaq 100 has returned an average of 19.54% per annum over the past 5 years.

The EFT is currently rated as a ‘buy’ on the Motley Fool’s flagship Share Advisor service. Scott Phillips and the team at SA like its instant diversification across currencies and geography, as well as “exposure to some of the world’s highest quality companies with lots of growth potential”.

BetaShares Asia Technology Tigers ETF (ASX: ASIA)

Another tech-based ETF, this fund instead tracks the biggest tech companies outside the US, more specifically in Asia. We might think of companies like Amazon, Alphabet and Facebook when it comes to big tech.

However, there are many highly successful companies outside the US sphere to consider as well. Companies of this mould can be found in ASIA. This fund is heavily weighted towards Chinese companies (at 56.8%), but also feature Taiwan, South Korea, India and Hong Kong.

Some of its top holdings include Samsung Electronics, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, Tencent Holdings, Meituan Dianping, Alibaba Group, JD.com and Baidu.

ASIA has returned an average of 32% per annum since its inception in 2018. That includes 66.56% over the past year alone.

ASIA is currently a ‘buy’ recommendation on the Motley Fool’s Extreme Opportunities service. Doc and the team at EO like this fund as a “one-stop-shop for exposure to fast-growing, top-notch Asian technology businesses”.

More reading

• 10 hottest (and coldest) Aussie ETFs right now
• 2 quality ETFs that are popular with ASX investors
• Best performing Aussie ETFs right now
• 2 tech ETFs generating big returns
• Zip and Flight Centre were among the most traded shares on the ASX last week

John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Teresa Kersten, an employee of LinkedIn, a Microsoft subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Randi Zuckerberg, a former director of market development and spokeswoman for Facebook and sister to its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Sebastian Bowen owns shares of Alphabet (A shares), Baidu, Facebook, and Tesla. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and recommends Alphabet (A shares), Alphabet (C shares), Amazon, Apple, Baidu, Facebook, Microsoft, Netflix, PayPal Holdings, and Tesla. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of BETANASDAQ ETF UNITS and recommends the following options: long January 2021 $85 calls on Microsoft, short January 2021 $115 calls on Microsoft, short January 2022 $1940 calls on Amazon, long January 2022 $1920 calls on Amazon, and long January 2022 $75 calls on PayPal Holdings. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended BetaShares Asia Technology Tigers ETF. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Alphabet (A shares), Alphabet (C shares), Amazon, Apple, BETANASDAQ ETF UNITS, Facebook, Netflix, and PayPal Holdings. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

The post 2 ASX tech ETFs analysts rate as a ‘buy’ today appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

from Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/35JpZ85

The REA Group Limited (ASX: REA) share price was unable to continue its impressive run on Thursday and edged slightly lower.

The property listings company’s shares ended the day 0.15% lower at $140.55.

Impressively, this means the REA Group share price is still up over 33% since the start of the year.

Why is the REA Group share price racing higher in 2020?

Investors have been buying REA Group’s shares this year thanks to its solid performance in FY 2020 and strong start to the new financial year.

In FY 2020, REA Group overcame the tough trading conditions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to deliver a far better than expected result.

For the 12 months ended 30 June, the company posted a 6% decline in revenue to $820.3 million and a 5% decline in earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) to $492.1 million. This was despite the company being faced with a 12% reduction in national listings.

Pleasingly, the resilient Australian housing market has bounced back since the height of the pandemic and listing volumes are recovering strongly. So much so, in the first quarter of FY 2021, overall national residential listings were down just 2% on the prior corresponding period.

In light of this and a sizeable reduction in its operating expenses, REA Group’s EBITDA returned to growth in the first quarter. It reported an 8% increase in EBITDA over the prior corresponding period to $123.8 million.

Management also revealed a further recovery in listings so far in the second quarter. It advised that national listings are down just 1% on the prior corresponding period. This appears to have positioned REA Group to build on its first quarter performance and deliver a solid half year result in February.

Is it too late to buy REA Group shares?

One broker that still sees upside for the REA Group share price is Morgan Stanley.

Earlier this week the broker retained its overweight rating and $150.00 price target on its shares.

Its analysts believe the company is well-placed for growth thanks to improving property listing volumes, larger than normal price increases next year, and flat costs.

More reading

• 2 ASX shares making all-time highs today
• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today
• Why REA Group (ASX:REA) share price is trading lower after AGM
• Here’s what big brokers think about the Commonwealth Bank (ASX:CBA) share price 
• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy next week

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended REA Group Limited. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

The post The REA Group (ASX:REA) share price is up 33% in 2020 appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

from Motley Fool Australia https://ift.tt/3lFztXr