It’s been over a year now since the coronavirus, aka COVID-19, became an unwanted household name across the world.

In fact, one year ago today (almost), on 20 February 2020, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) was still humming along, closing for an all-time high of 7,162 points. In the panicky weeks that followed as the pandemic and lockdowns spread, the ASX 200 plunged more than 36%.

Since bottoming out on 23 March, the index of the top 200 listed Australian companies is up 49%. It’s now only 5% off the record highs from last February.

Part of that resurgence came due to the extraordinary, coordinated efforts of global central banks and developed nations’ governments. Governments have pumped trillions of dollars into economic stimulus packages. And central banks have ramped up their quantitative easing (QE) programs to record levels while slashing interest rates close to or even below zero.

Share markets – and indeed the wider global mood – received another big lift in November. That came with the announcements of numerous effective vaccines against the virus, which has now claimed almost 2.5 million victims. There have been more than 900 deaths in Australia.

With the vaccine rollout about to launch down under, we turn to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) to gather how many Aussies are planning to get the jab.

What the ABS survey revealed about Australians’ COVID vaccine intentions

According to data released by the ABS today, 73% of Australians agreed or strongly agreed they would get a COVID-19 vaccine if it became available and was recommended for them.

The Household Impacts of COVID-19 Survey was conducted from 11 to 18 December.

Older people and men were more likely than younger Australians and women to strongly agree that they’d get the vaccine. 76% of men agreed compared to 71% of women, while 83% of Aussies over 65 years old agreed compared to 71% in the 18–64 bracket.

If you have a hard time putting COVID-19 out of your mind, the survey also revealed you’re not alone.

The December survey showed that COVID-19 was still prominent in many people’s minds.

According to ABS Head of Household Surveys, David Zago:

92 per cent of Australians thought about COVID-19 at least once in the last week, with over half (52 per cent) reporting they were thinking about COVID-19 at least once a day. The survey reported a further three in five people (59 per cent) actively sought information on COVID-19, and just over one in four (28 per cent) reported feeling overwhelmed because of COVID-19 at least once in the last week.

More respondents felt they personally understood and followed their state or territory’s recommendations and restrictions to help prevent the coronavirus’ spread than other people did.

84% reported their understanding was good or very good, and 95% said they were following them closely.

Regarding their fellow Aussies, 52% said they thought others understood and followed restrictions and 78% believed other people were following recommendations and restrictions closely.

More reading

• ASX retail shares in focus as Aussies spend big in January
• Here’s why the Pilbara Minerals (ASX:PLS) share price is dropping today
• Brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy right now
• Why the OceanaGold (ASX:OGC) share price is slumping 9%
• Why the Fatfish (ASX:FGG) share price is charging 10% higher

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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ASX retail shares will be in focus after the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released its preliminary January retail turnover figures. The data indicates an increase of 10.7% in retail turnover compared to January 2020.

On a month-by-month basis, January notched up a 0.6% increase over December. In contrast, January 2020 retail sales slipped 0.4% from December 2019.

Today’s results show a continued upwards trend following the collapse in retail spending in April last year. Furthermore, it appears retail turnover is stabilising on monthly basis, compared to the erratic swings in early 2020.

Finer details for ASX retail shares

All states reportedly experienced an increase in turnover, except for Queensland. COVID-19 restrictions during the period resulted in a fall of 1.5% for the sunshine state. In particular, household goods, clothing, footwear, and personal accessory retailing were impacted.

By today’s market’s close, both Super Retail Group Ltd (ASX: SUL) and Accent Group Ltd (ASX: AX1) shares were flat, with the former inching slightly lower. Super Retail Group has exposure to footwear through its ownership of Rebel. The company reported its half-year results this week, which showed an acceleration in footwear sales during the half. Accent is expected to report its half-year results on Tuesday next week.

Food retailing fared the best during January, with a 1.8% increase in sales. Both Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) and Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL) shares edged higher today. Coles reported an 8.1% increase in total sales revenue in its recent half-year results. However, management provided a cautious outlook for the second half as this will be in comparison to the panic-buying half experienced last year.

Looking ahead

It will be interesting to see what future retail trade data looks like as we move towards the months most impacted by the pandemic last year. The next retail trade update will be issued by the ABS on 19 March.

It will likely be a tale of two scenarios – food retailing will be held up against one of the strongest periods in its history. Meanwhile, discretionary retailing will be compared to one of its worst. The market will be watching ASX retail shares closely as the information unfolds. 

More reading

• Brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy right now
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Motley Fool contributor Mitchell Lawler has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Super Retail Group Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of COLESGROUP DEF SET and Woolworths Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Accent Group. 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 Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) share price is trading lower in late trade following the release of its half year results.

At the time of writing, the lithium miner’s shares are down 3% to $1.05.

Despite this decline, the Pilbara Minerals share price is still up a whopping 235% over the last six months.

How did Pilbara Minerals perform in the first half?

For the six months ended 31 December, Pilbara Minerals reported a 56.5% increase in revenue to $59.1 million. This was driven by a 114% increase in spodumene concentrate shipments to 114,239 dry metric tonnes (dmt).

The reason the 114% increase in shipments didn’t translate into a similar increase in revenue was pricing weakness.

Management explained: “Whilst there was an improvement in sales volumes, customer pricing remained weak during the half-year across the entire lithium raw materials and chemical supply chain.”

Positively, towards the end of the December quarter and into January 2021, there was evidence of a material lift in lithium chemicals pricing within China. The company notes that the Platts China Domestic Battery Grade lithium carbonate price increased by over 60% from the lows in August 2020.

But that wasn’t enough to stop the company from posting a material loss during the first half. Pilbara Minerals reported a statutory net loss after tax of $21.2 million for the half.

This left it with a cash balance of $248 million at the end of the period. Though, a good portion of these funds has now been used to acquire the Altura Lithium Operations. That acquisition completed in January.

Management commentary

Pilbara Minerals’ Managing Director, Ken Brinsden, was pleased with the company’s performance during a challenging period.

He said: “I am extremely pleased with our performance during what was a challenging period for Pilbara Minerals and the entire lithium sector. We have worked hard, done what we said we would do and, with the entire lithium raw materials supply chain now rebounding quickly, we are prepared for the opportunities in front of us.”

“Our plant is performing well, we have driven down our operating costs and we now have expanded production capacity following the acquisition of the Altura Project. At full capacity this acquisition makes us the largest, independent hard-rock lithium producer in the world and a more resilient and flexible operation – with open offtake in a market that is improving day-by-day. What a great position to be in!”

Outlook

Mr Brinsden appears positive on the company’s outlook thanks to improving lithium prices.

He explained: “Lithium raw material markets are now clearly in an upward trend as it relates to both demand and price, which is now translating to improved spodumene pricing. Further, we are fielding more supply enquiries by the day, implying Pilbara Minerals is well-placed with both low-cost operations and near-term expansion capacity to capitalise on this part of the cycle.”

“Our plan over the next four to six months is to complete a comprehensive evaluation of the Altura Project to inform both our integration strategy and future operating strategy, with the aim of optimising the integration of the two operations and increasing production, while maintaining a strong balance sheet,” he added.

More reading

• Pilbara Minerals (ASX:PLS) share price jumps 6% on broker upgrades
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• Why Blackmores, Creso Pharma, Pilbara Minerals, & Zip shares are pushing higher
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• 5 lithium shares that are fast-charging up in 2021

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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Australia’s top brokers have been busy adjusting their estimates and recommendations again, leading to the release of a number of broker notes.

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

Australia and New Zealand Banking GrpLtd (ASX: ANZ)

According to a note out of Credit Suisse, its analysts have retained their outperform rating and lifted their price target on this banking giant’s shares to $29.50. The broker was pleased with ANZ’s first quarter update, which was far better than it expected thanks to its strong net interest margin. This stronger result has led to the broker making positive revisions to its earnings forecasts, which led to the price target increase. The ANZ share price is trading at $26.50 this afternoon.

Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL)

Analysts at Morgans have retained their add rating and increased their price target on this supermarket operator’s shares to $19.45. According to the note, Coles delivered a first half result ahead of its expectations. One slight disappointment, though, was management conceding that its growth could decline in the second half and into FY 2022. Nevertheless, the broker sees value in the Coles share price at the current level and holds firm with its add rating. The Coles share price is fetching $16.44 on Friday.

Webjet Limited (ASX: WEB)

A note out of UBS reveals that its analysts have retained their buy rating and lifted their price target on this online travel agent’s shares to $5.75. According to the note, Webjet’s half year results were disappointing. However, management’s commentary supports its view that there is pent-up leisure travel demand. It expects this demand, market share gains, and its cost cutting to support a strong rebound in profitability in FY 2022. The Webjet share price is on course to end the week at $4.95.

More reading

• The Coles (ASX:COL) share price is down 10% in two days: Time to buy?
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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 Webjet Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of COLESGROUP DEF SET. 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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Investors have been quick to dump their OceanaGold Corp (ASX: OGC) shares today. At the time of writing, the OceanaGold share price has tanked nearly 9% in Friday’s trading session after the company released its full-year report.   

What’s impacting the OceanaGold share price?

Earlier today, the OceanaGold share price fell by more than 11% after the company released its full-year financial report for the year ended 31 December 2020.

For the year, OceanaGold reported a loss of US$150.4 million compared to a US$14.5 million profit achieved in the year prior. A 23.2% fall in revenue of US$500.1 million for the year contributed to the loss.

OceanaGold attributed the fall in revenue to limited sales and lower annual production. Overall, the company fell to a loss after revenue was unable to offset the cost of sales and higher depreciation costs.

For the full year, OceanaGold reported consolidated production of 301,675 ounces of gold. The company managed to sell 310,531 ounces at an all-in sustaining cost (ASIC) of US$1,278 an ounce.

Despite the dour full-year performance, OceanaGold highlighted a strong performance in the fourth quarter. The company reported a 57% increase in production for the fourth quarter of 99,155 gold ounces.

Outlook

OceanaGold is a multinational gold producer. Its portfolio of operating assets include the Didipio mine in the Philipines, Macreas and Waihi operations in New Zealand and the Haile gold mine in the United States.

On the back of a strong fourth quarter, OceanaGold touted an optimistic outlook for 2021, upgrading its full-year gold production guidance. It advised expected production for 2021 is in the range of 340,000 to 380,000 ounces at an ASIC of between US$1,050 to US$1,200 an ounce.

The company attributed the increased guidance to production resuming at the Waihi operation and higher gold sales from the Haile gold mine. OceanaGold’s Martha underground project at Waihi recently entered production, whilst its Golden Point project at the Macraes operation and the Haile gold mine are expected to commence production later this year.

OceanaGold President and CEO Michael Holmes attested to the revised guidance. He stated, “These three projects alone are expected to deliver more than a 75 per cent increase in production relative to 2020 at decreasing costs and increasing margins.”.

Based on the current OceanaGold share price of $2.01, the company commands a market capitalisation of around $155 million.

More reading

• Why CSL, LiveTiles, OceanaGold, & Woodside shares are tumbling lower

Motley Fool contributor Nikhil Gangaram 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 Fatfish Group Ltd (ASX: FFG) share price has continued its positive run and charged higher again on Friday.

At one stage today, the tech investment company’s shares were up as much as 10% to 16 cents.

The Fatfish share price has pulled back since then but remains 3.5% higher at 15 cents currently.

Why is the Fatfish share price charging higher?

Hot on the heels of an announcement relating to the acquisition of assets from iCandy Interactive Ltd (ASX: ICI) by its 50% owned RightBridge subsidiary on Tuesday, this morning Fatfish provided an update on its buy now pay later (BNPL) launch.

And judging by the Fatfish share price reaction, investors appear pleased with what the company had to say.

According to the release, Fatfish’s Singapore-based investee company Smartfunding has launched its BNPL service today as scheduled.

The release explains that its BNPL service has begun to take in applications from users immediately. These applications are being processed automatically via Smartfunding’s proprietary online platform. This platform was developed predominantly by Fatfish’s in-house venture builder team.

The release, littered with spelling mistakes, notes that Singapore is a great place to launch. It explained: “Singapore is indisputably the dorminant (sic) financial hub for the Southeast Asia region. By being regulated and headquarted (sic) out of Singapore, Smartfunding aims to attract businesses not only in Singapore, but as well as from the rest of the Southeast Asian economies.”

The company also points out that that the BNPL model is relatively new in Southeast Asia and has a massive potential market opportunity. The release advises that there is a population of 655 million in the region, with a large proportion of middle-class families.

Watch out for Afterpay

However, Fatfish and Smartfunding won’t have it all their own way. Last year BNPL giant Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) made a small acquisition in Singapore with a view of expanding into the South East Asia region in the near future.

But judging by the Fatfish share price, some investors appear to believe there is room for both companies.

Following today’s gain, the Fatfish share price is up 300% since the start of the year.

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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 AFTERPAY T 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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The Genex Power Ltd (ASX: GNX) share price is rising today following the release of the company’s Kidston Hydro Project update. During late afternoon trade, the Genex share price is up 2.04% to 25 cents.

Let’s take a look at what the power generation and renewable energy storage company reported.

What did Genex announce?

The Genex share price is on the rise today after the company reported a positive update regarding its flagship 250MW Kidston Pumped Storage Hydro Project.

In its release, Genex advised that development and financing activities associated with the project are well advanced. This follows the final investment decision (FID) delivered by the board in late December 2020.

The company stated that final due diligence is nearing completion, with construction, financing, and operations documentation mostly in agreed form.

However, Genex noted that it has revised its schedule and expects that contractual close will be accomplished in late March. In addition, financial close and the commencement of construction at the site is expected to follow early in the second quarter of 2021.

To accommodate the altered timetable, Genex secured an extension of its energy storage services agreement with EnergyAustralia.

In further news impacting the Genex share price, the company revealed it is currently in discussions with Japan’s Electric Power Development Co. Ltd (J-POWER) about an agreed postponement of its share subscription agreement and technical services agreement.

Words from the CEO

Genex CEO James Harding commented:

We have now reached a critical point where all due diligence has been largely completed and our construction, financing and operational documentation is in substantially agreed form. As such, we are pleased that we have today secured the necessary extension from EnergyAustralia to align with our revised timeline for Contractual Close this quarter, and commencement of construction early next quarter.

We are thankful for the ongoing support of EnergyAustralia, and also our broader stakeholder group including the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility, Queensland State Government and the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, for their continued support as we work toward financial close.

About the Genex share price

The Genex share price has gained 25% since this time last year. The company’s shares dropped to a low of 8.4 cents in March, and have surged more than 170% since then. 

Based on the current Genex share price, the company has a market capitalisation of around $130 million.

More reading

• Why the Genex (ASX:GNX) share price is up 5% today

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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The Inghams Group Ltd (ASX: ING) share price is currently up 3.45% today, trading at $3.74 at the time of writing.

The jump follows release of the company’s half-year results for the period ended 26 December 2020 (1H FY21).

Let’s look at the update from the chicken and turkey products provider. 

What did Inghams report?

In today’s 1H FY21 earnings release, Inghams reported a statutory net profit after tax (NPAT) of $35.3 million, up 34.7% compared to the prior corresponding period (pcp). The company’s underlying NPAT was $37.5 million, up 28.4% over the pcp.

Cash flow from operations came in at $181.9 million during the half.

Inghams posted a group core poultry volume growth of 4% on the pcp. The company advised that this reflects a strengthened demand across most channels and the return of overall trading volumes to pre COVID-19 levels.

The board declared an interim dividend of 7.5 cents per share, up 2.7% compared to the pcp. The interim dividend represents a payout ratio of 74.3% of Inghams’ underlying NPAT.

Commenting on the 1H FY21 performance, CEO and Managing Director Jim Leighton said: 

Today’s results are a testament to the great work of our team and their execution of our five-year strategic plan and the resilience in demand for poultry.

These results have been delivered despite the continued impact of COVID-19, ongoing high realised feed prices and the partial closure of Australia’s poultry export channels due to industry Biosecurity issues in Victoria. Our strategy is driving performance and delivering improved returns.

Outlook for Inghams

The company advised it will continue to progress its five-year strategy going forward, however, ongoing volatility remains due to COVID-19 and the potential re-opening of some Australian export markets.

The net impact of lower feed prices is expected to be modest in the second half, and the company also advised it expects the second half of FY21 to experience normal seasonal influences.

Snapshot of the Inghams share price

Ingham has a current market capitalisation of $1.3 billion with 371.5 million shares outstanding.

Over the past 12 months, the Inghams share price has remained relatively flat, gaining a modest 4% on this time last year.

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Motley Fool contributor Gretchen Kennedy 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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Pursuit Minerals Ltd (ASX: PUR) shares are off to the races today, up more than 35% to 5 cents in afternoon trading. Earlier during intraday trade, the Pursuit Minerals share price rallied by as much as 70% to 6.4 cents before retreating. 

The soaring share price comes following the company’s announcement of promising airborne electromagnet (AEM) data from its Calingiri East exploration licence on the Warrior PGE-Ni-Cu project in Western Australia.

(For the uninitiated, Ni stands for nickel, Cu is copper, while PGE stands for platinum group elements. Those are comprised of palladium (Pd), iridium (Ir), osmium (Os), rhodium (Rh) and ruthenium (Ru).)

What did the company report?

The Pursuite Minerals share price is surging today after the company reported its preliminary AEM survey had detected five strong electromagnetic (EM) conductors. The company believes these have the potential to be due to PGE-Ni-Cu sulphide mineralisation.

These stronger EM conductors, Pursuit Minerals states, are associated with “magnetic anomalies interpreted to be due to mafic or ultramafic intrusive rocks”. These same anomalies are known to host the PGE-Ni-Cu mineralisation at the Chalice Mining Ltd (ASX: CHN) Julimar Project.

Due to the highly prospective nature of the five identified anomalies, the company has significantly extended the survey block. It expects to complete its overall Warrior AEM survey before the end of March. The final data is expected by the middle of April.

Commenting on the results, Pursuit CEO Mark Freeman said:

The PGE-Ni-Cu targets which have been recognised from the preliminary data from the Calingiri East AEM survey block, demonstrate how the application of AEM surveys to PGE-Ni-Cu exploration can rapidly advance a project and generate highly prospective targets for drill testing. To have defined focussed quality targets from the preliminary data is very encouraging and we look forward to identifying further targets from the remainder of the Warrior AEM survey and then drill testing the highest priority targets as soon as practicable.

Once the company has all the data in hand, it intends to start drill testing the high priority in either the second or third quarter of this year.

Pursuit Minerals share price snapshot

Patient shareholders in the junior miner have enjoyed a highly profitable 12 months and a great start to 2021.

Over the past year, the Pursuit Minerals share price is up 400%. That compares to a 3% loss on the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO). With today’s intraday moves taken into account, Pursuit Minerals shares are up 150% year to date.

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Motley Fool contributor Bernd Struben has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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The Aquis Entertainment Ltd (ASX: AQS) share price has hitched a ride on a rocket today. The resort and gaming company that owns Casino Canberra has experienced a startling 365% share price increase.

Where’s the news?

Long story short, there is none, which is rather peculiar. The company’s shares experienced the same situation yesterday, with abnormally high volumes and a stark price increase. Yesterday’s rise of 216% prompted the ASX to issue the colloquial speeding ticket.

Aquis’ query response provided no additional insight, making this whole situation a bit of a mystery. The company inferred it was as clueless about the reason for the price rise as the rest of us.

With the stratospheric price rise today, it’s safe to say the ASX will be even more intrigued. To put the movement into context, the Aquis share price has nearly increased by 15 times, in the space of 3 days.

Not to mention the off-the-charts volume being experienced by the company. Today’s volume is currently around 12.5 million shares traded. The monthly average for this micro-cap share is 86,000 – mindboggling!

Keeping an eye on the Aquis share price

The ASX will be following along closely after such an abnormal increase in interest in what is a fairly inconspicuous share.

There are many possibilities for such a scenario: potentially a fund is building a position, inside buying (which will need to be disclosed), an upcoming announcement, etc.

For now, we will wait with keen interest on further developments.

At the time of writing, the Aquis share price is swapping hands for 51 cents apiece. 

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Motley Fool contributor Mitchell Lawler has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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