Bring on November.

Just one week into the new month and the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is up 6.3% since the closing bell sounded on 30 October. The index of the top 200 listed Aussie shares is now 2.5% above its 9 June highwater mark, and at its highest level since 5 March.

And it’s off to another strong start today, up 1.4% at the time of writing.

Now there’s still some ground to make up.

The ASX 200 remains down 5.8% since 2 January and down 12.0% from its 20 February all-time highs.

But there are a number of positive signals indicating the Australian economy, and ASX share prices, have room to run higher.

Confidence and loans on the rise

When consumers are nervous about their future security, they tend to cut down on nonessential spending and are far less likely to take out new loans.

In a nation (like Australia) where consumer spending drives some 60% of the economy, loan activity offers a useful metric to gauge consumer confidence and likely spending patterns for the months ahead.

As the Australian Financial Review (AFR) reports, peer-to-peer lending company SocietyOne is issuing $5 million of new loans per week. That’s a rise of 150% over the past 5 weeks.

SocietyOne’s CEO Mark Jones, says the loan growth is “massive”:

We’ve seen a massive increase in activity over the last four to six weeks. We are seeing a consistent trend, that we think will keep going for a number of weeks at least – because Victoria is going to come back now, so confidence will continue to improve…

We are bouncing back, and that is symbolic of the country. We are coming through this; it is getting back to normal. People are feeling OK that they can go and spend some money…

People were being quite prudent and careful, but it got to October, and people have said ‘I want to do something around the house’, and we have seen activity return in a big way. Through September, people came to the view their job is OK and while they’ve been responsible, now they can think about the things they have put off.

As for the ASX share price gains, Paul O’Connor, head of multi-asset at Janus Henderson Investors, calls it “a fairly typical relief rally” (as quoted by the AFR):

Equity markets usually bounce after big anticipated risk events, like US elections. With a number of indicators suggesting that most investors had assumed fairly defensive positioning in the run-up, a fairly typical relief rally seems to be underway here… Investors are putting precautionary cash balances back to work and unwinding pre-election hedges.

Now what?

Joe Biden has been officially declared the winner of the US presidential election. But Donald Trump remains as the ‘lame duck’ president until 20 January, wielding all of the power of the presidency.

Atop this, 2 seats in the US Senate will remain in doubt until the outcome of a runoff election in January. That election will determine whether the Democrats hold both Houses of Congress. This in turn will determine the likely changes in corporate and capital gains taxes, as well as Biden’s ability to usher in a ‘Green New Deal’.

Yes, that’s all happening on the other side of the world. But what happens in the world’s largest economy, and on its share markets, inevitably has a big influence on Australia and ASX share prices.

With those uncertainties in mind, BCA geopolitical strategist Matt Gertken remains cautious (as quoted by the AFR):

Financial markets first rallied and have now paused. The pause makes sense to us. Ultimately the best-case scenario of this election was always Biden plus a Republican Senate – neither tariffs nor taxes would increase… We will not go full risk-on until the critical short-run risks subside: the contested election, the fiscal impasse, Trump’s ‘lame duck’ executive orders, and the international response.

Chris Gaffney, president of world markets at TIAA Bank doesn’t give much credence to the US election, instead saying the biggest risk factor for world economies and share markets remains the pandemic (quoted by Bloomberg):

The biggest factor investors have to be aware of and the biggest thing that’s going to determine returns in the short-term is Covid. It’s not going to be who’s in the White House, it’s not going to be if we get a stimulus package or not. It’s all about Covid right now.

Australia is doing exceptionally well getting ahead of the coronavirus. But the virus continues to spread at record pace in the US, Europe and much of the world.

BlackRock tips tech and healthcare shares, Scott Phillips tips…

If Joe Biden leads a divided government, BlackRock Investment Institute forecasts that tech and healthcare shares are likely to do well.

When it comes to ASX tech and healthcare shares, the Motley Fool’s own Scott Phillips takes the long-term view. Over the years he’s made a number of recommendations to members of his Share Advisory service.

On 23 April, Scott recommended members buy more shares in Virtus Health Ltd (ASX: VRT), Australia’s leading provider of assisted reproductive services.

He cited the company’s international growth potential; the fact that elective surgery, including IVF, was reopening; and that the Virtus share price, hammered after the COVID market selloff, was “valued as if it’ll never recover”.

Virtus’ share price is up 64.8% since that recommendation.

Then there’s hearing impairment innovator Cochlear Limited (ASX: COH). Scott was onto this stock way back on 26 April 2013, when he recommended it in Share Advisor.

He wrote that the company arguably had the best technology, a solid brand, and that its $100 million of research and development spend, “give Cochlear a strong market leadership position, which is hard to beat”.

Cochlear’s share is up 301.4% since he penned that.

Like I said, Scott takes a long-term view to investing. Which is why you’ll still find Cochlear listed as a ‘buy’ in the Share Advisor portfolio.

More reading

• 2 ASX healthcare shares to buy today
• 4 outstanding ASX 200 shares to buy with $4,000
• Top brokers name 3 ASX shares to buy today
• 3 sublime ASX growth shares to buy this month
• The 10 ASX stocks worst hit by a Biden US presidential election win

Bernd Struben has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of Cochlear Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Cochlear Ltd. and Virtus Health 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.

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The Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) share price is up 9% year-to-date and not far off the record all-time high it set back in February. Big brokers believe that there is more wriggle room for the Woolworths share price leading into Christmas.

First quarter results 

The first quarter update was a catalyst for recent broker updates for the Woolworths share price. This update revealed a 12.3% increase in total group sales in Q1 to $17.9 billion and an 86.7% increase in group e-commerce sales to $1.5 billion.

Its total Australian food sales for the quarter increased 12.9% to $12.0 billion. Sales continued to benefit from COVID-19-driven higher in-home consumption as well as the success of its Disney Ooshies. Sales growth in Victoria was approximately 20% higher in the quarter due to the more stringent restrictions in place. Excluding Victoria, Australian food total sales increased by 10.6%. 

In October, Australian food comparable sales growth was in the high single-digits, moderating over the month. For the rest of the calendar year, it expects elevated sales and costs to continue as customers spend more time at home and continue to embrace e-commerce. 

Big broker updates for the Woolworths share price 

Credit Suisse Group AG raised its Woolworths share price target from $40.43 to $40.80 and retains a neutral rating. It describes the quarterly trading update as solid with online sales channels ahead of competitors. It sees this as an advantage for Woolworths going forward but does raise concern for higher costs. 

Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG) raised its Woolworths share price target from $42.00 to $42.50 and retains an outperform rating. The broker was impressed with its first quarter sales update which were ahead of expectations and better than its main rival Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL). Macquarie expects a strong Christmas trading period for the supermarket leader. 

Morgan Stanley raised its Woolworths share price target from $43.50 to $44.00 and retains its overweight rating. The investment bank reacted positively to its first quarter sales update with growth being better than expected. The liquor segment surprised to the upside but hotels continue to drag on earnings, but offer upside when Melbourne re-opens. Similarly, Morgan Stanley expects a strong Christmas trading period. 

UBS AG (USA) retained a buy rating with a $44.00 price target. It didn’t change its rating or price target after reviewing the September quarter trading update. The strong performance was in-line with expectations, outlook remains solid but notes higher costs could be a risk to earnings. 

Citi retained its buy rating and $44.50 price target. It sees favourable conditions leading into Christmas and Woolworths to outperform supermarket rivals. 

The general census amongst brokers is a 5-10% upside for the Woolworths share price with anticipated strong earnings growth throughout the Christmas period. 

More reading

• ASX 200 Weekly Wrap: US election special
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday
• ASX 200 ends mixed on Wednesday
• Here’s why the Woolworths (ASX:WOW) share price is inching higher
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Wednesday

Motley Fool contributor Lina Lim has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of COLESGROUP DEF SET and Woolworths 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.

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Goldman Sachs has initiated a buy coverage on Jumbo Interactive Ltd (ASX: JIN) shares, assigning the online lottery retailer a target price of $14.50 within 12 months. The Jumbo share price is today trading at $12.69, which implies a 12% discount to Goldman’s fair value.

The broker believes that the lottery industry exhibits monopolistic characteristics, with high barriers to entry given its long-dated licensing agreements with state governments. In addition, Goldman believes lotteries are ideal to be sold online due to features such as non-physical delivery, no loss-making customer refunds, and no supply issues.

What does Jumbo do?

Jumbo was founded in 1995 by the current CEO Mike Veverka. Jumbo sells online lottery tickets to retail customers in Australia. Its flagship is the OzLotteries.com platform. In addition, it sells the “Powered by Jumbo” software to other retail lottery operators around the country, making money though software-as-a-service (SaaS) agreements, as well as commission on each sale. For example, Lotto, Powerball, and Lucky Lotteries use Jumbo’s software to sell their own lottery tickets online.

Why was Jumbo assigned a buy recommendation?

There are five main reasons noted by Goldman in issuing its initial buy recommendation.

First, Goldman believes that the shift to online lotteries has been accelerated due to COVID-19. Currently 28% of Australians buy lotteries online, and the broker is forecasting that percentage will increase by between 3% to 5% within the next three years. It cited the experience of real estate, job listings, and online car sales as precedence – with those three industries doubling at similar stages to Jumbo.

Second, Goldman believes that Jumbo has the opportunity to capture the global market with its Powered by Jumbo software. The broker estimates that the current total addressable market globally is around $25 billion, and it notes that Jumbo has already invested over $20 million and hired twenty engineers in 2020 in a bid to capture that market.

Third, Goldman believes that its domestic business is in a strong position due the sticky and recurring nature of its customer base. For example, 10%–15% of its lottery buyers are on auto-play, which means they keep buying tickets automatically. The broker also notes that its long-term reseller contract with Tabcorp Holdings Limited (ASX: TAH) provides a good long-term revenue for the company.

Fourth, Goldman notes that Jumbo has a strong balance sheet. It views the business as capital light with a high return on equity (ROE), which has delivered over 30% this year.

And finally, Goldman believes that Jumbo has compelling valuation relative to its peers – with peers defined as other software companies addressing the Australian market. The main reason for this, according to Goldman Sachs, is that the market is underpricing Jumbo’s SaaS business and its future potential.

How has the Jumbo share price performed in 2020?

The Jumbo share price has lost around 20% on a year-to-date basis. It began the year trading at $15 before falling dramatically to $6.95 during the peak of the pandemic. It has since recovered to its current trading price of $12.69. At this level, Jumbo commands a market cap of $792 million.

More reading

• Tabcorp (ASX:TAH) share price slips after systems failure
• Why Platinum, ReadyTech, Tabcorp, & Whitehaven shares are dropping lower
• 5 ASX 200 shares that rose by more than 15% last week
• ASX 200 Weekly Wrap: US election special
• These were the best performing ASX 200 shares last week

Eddy Sunarto has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. recommends Jumbo Interactive Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Jumbo Interactive 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.

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In afternoon trade the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is on course to start the week with a very strong gain. At the time of writing the benchmark index is up 1.7% to 6,297.4 points.

Four shares that have climbed more than most today are listed below. Here’s why they are on the rise:

Alcidion Group Ltd (ASX: ALC)

The Alcidion share price has rocketed 36% higher to 17 cents. Investors have been fighting to buy the healthcare technology company’s shares after it announced a major new deal with another NHS Trust in the UK. Alcidion has signed a ~$9.5 million deal with South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust for its Miya Precision solution and the Better OPENeP electronic prescribing and medicines administration (ePMA) system.

Avita Therapeutics Inc (ASX: AVH)

The Avita share price has stormed 4% higher to $6.19. This follows the announcement of a collaboration with the Houston Methodist Research Institute. According to the release, the project is seeking to establish proof-of-concept for the development of a novel approach to reverse ageing and rejuvenate skin. It also includes the potential for broader applicability, such as scar revision and wound healing.

BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP)

The BHP share price is up 3.5% to $35.87 after announcing the completion of its acquisition of an additional 28% working interest in Shenzi development from Hess Corporation. BHP paid a total of US$505 million for the interest, lifting its share of the deepwater Gulf of Mexico development to a total of 72%. This adds approximately 11,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day of production (90% oil) as of the transaction closing date of 6 November 2020.

REA Group Limited (ASX: REA)

The REA Group share price has been a strong performer and is up 8% to $138.38. Investors have been buying the property listings company’s shares since the release of its strong first quarter update last week. One broker that was impressed was Goldman Sachs. It has retained its buy rating and lifted the price target on the company’s shares to $143.00. The broker expects REA Group to benefit from a near term listings recovery and a step change in earnings as it introduces Premiere Plus.

More reading

• ASX 200 jumps 1.7%: REA Group surges to record high, bank shares push higher
• AVITA Therapeutics (ASX:AVH) share price climbs higher on reverse ageing project
• Why the Alcidion (ASX:ALC) share price is shooting 38% higher today
• BHP (ASX:BHP) share price higher after completing US$505m Shenzi deal
• ASX 200 Weekly Wrap: US election special

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 Alcidion Group Ltd and Avita Medical Limited. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Alcidion Group Ltd, Avita Medical Limited, and 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.

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Tabcorp Holdings Limited (ASX: TAH) was up 16% last Friday on rumours of takeover interest by two large US private equity firms. This week, however, the Tabcorp share price has slipped slightly after a failure of wagering systems. 

Why is the Tabcorp share price slipping?

Tabcorp experienced an outage of its wagering operations and systems from around 11.30am AEDT on Saturday. This is one of the largest betting days in the annual racing calendar. It features the Mackinnon Stakes day in Melbourne and Golden Gift day in Sydney. 

In an update, Tabcorp advised that its systems were “largely” restored. 

The company blamed a “smoke and likely fire incident” at a third-party managed data centre in Sydney. Consequently, it has suffered extensive damage to its servers and associated infrastructure. The company placed its potential losses at “less than $10 million” of earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA).

Management response

Tabcorp managing director and CEO, David Attenborough apologised for the outage, saying it was unacceptable:

Tabcorp remains deeply sorry for this and acknowledges the significant disruption caused to our customers, the racing industry and venue partners.

Racing Victoria chief executive Giles Thompson said:

We’ll be seeking a clear and frank explanation from Tabcorp on how this has happened and what they will be doing to ensure that it doesn’t occur again.

It’s incredibly disappointing and frustrating for this TAB outage to occur on a major Group 1 race day, in particular for the punters who were looking forward to a great Stakes Day program at Flemington.

Other pressures

There are other pressures on the company at the moment. The Australian reports that shareholders are pushing for a demerger of the wagering and lotteries businesses. In addition, the company agitation over performance from a group led by Perpetual Limited (ASX: PPT). And finally Mr Attenborough, the CEO, is planning to leave the company in the first half of 2021.  

The Australian has also revealed the Victorian state government has been sounding out rival bookmakers ahead of a formal tender process. Regardless, Tabcorp retains exclusive access to pubs and racetracks until 2024.

The Tabcorp share price dropped sharply in opening trade today but has somewhat recovered and is trading at $4.02, down 1.95%, at the time of writing.

More reading

• Why Platinum, ReadyTech, Tabcorp, & Whitehaven shares are dropping lower
• Crown (ASX:CWN) share price bucked bad news to rise 6% last week
• 5 ASX 200 shares that rose by more than 15% last week
• ASX 200 Weekly Wrap: US election special
• These were the best performing ASX 200 shares last week

Motley Fool contributor Daryl Mather 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.

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The Crown Resorts Ltd (ASX: CWN) share price is up by 3.06% so far today, after the gaming titan announced it is looking to reopen its Melbourne property.

Crown Melbourne has received approved to reopen with a raft of restrictions in place, which mean that the property can operate in a limited capacity. 

What does the new gaming operation look like?

The casino operations are expected to commence on Thursday 12 November with a few key changes in place. The changes are mainly to comply with COVID-19 regulations and protect the health and safety of patrons. Social distancing is a key focus, as is density. The Victorian Government has determined these restrictions to be appropriate as the state looks to reopen further this week.

The operational restrictions include:

• Electronic gaming operations limited to ten designated VIP areas, with each area having a capacity of 10 patrons
• No smoking is permitted
• Physical distancing has been put in place, with every second gaming machine and electronic table game being deactivated
• Patrons only allowed to game for a maximum of 90 mins per day
• COVID “marshals” will be in place on the floor to monitor the safety
• Hygiene protocols will be enhanced across the board.

As mentioned, this reopening is planned for Thursday this week. 

Crown’s CEO Ken Barton had this to say:

We have been working for some time with the Victorian Government and health authorities to determine how we safety re-open Crown Melbourne and have developed extensive physical distancing and hygiene measures to allow re-opening in a safe manner. We are pleased to be able to commence the process of welcoming back our employees and customers to Crown Melbourne.

What about retail operations?

The Victorian Government allowed the reopening of retail outlets late last month. However, for Crown Melbourne this looked very different to normal, with only a select few retail outlets permitted to reopen on the property from 28 October. Food and beverage began to reopen from 2 November (last week). 

Additionally, accommodation including Crown Towers is looking to reopen from today (9 November).

Sydney not looking so bright

Last week, Crown was in the news after being told it was “unfit” to run a new $2.2 billion Sydney casino. The issues lie with its culture. In fact, a recent inquiry went so far as to say that Crown had ‘fundamental problems’ with this internal culture. 

Crown was called out and accused of doing business with people linked to crime. Additionally the regulators went on to say that the casino group had allowed money to be laundered at its Australian casinos. Crown dismissed these allegation initially as being unsubstantiated, however they could still cost the company its licence in Sydney.

Crown Sydney remains in limbo while inquiry commissioner Patricia Bergin awaits some suggestions from Crown about how these issues can be addressed. Patricia Bergin is expected to produce a formal report early next year with some recommendations. An uncertain time for Crown Sydney exists until then.

At the time of writing, the Crown share price is up more than 3% at $9.08 per share.

More reading

• Crown (ASX:CWN) share price bucked bad news to rise 6% last week
• Crown Resorts (ASX:CWN) share price edges upward after AGM results
• Broker updates are mixed on these 6 high profile ASX 200 shares
• How will the Crown Resorts (ASX:CWN) share price fare at today’s AGM?
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday

Motley Fool contributor glennleese has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Crown Resorts 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.

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Kleos Space SA (ASX: KSS) today asked the ASX to halt trading on its shares pending a major announcement. The request comes alongside other news released by the company this morning, in which it announced a significant breakthrough. Its first cluster of 4 satellites has entered orbit after a successful launch mission.

Kleos Space’s shares will remain in trading halt until the start normal trading on Wednesday, or when the announcement is released to the market.

What does Kleos Space do?

Kleos Space was founded in 2017 by experienced space engineers to develop space enabled Data-as-a-Service (DaaS) concept, and disruptive space technologies. It launches and operates satellite infrastructure that is meant to generate commercial intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) and geo-services data. Kleos then sells this data internationally via subscription to government agencies, the intelligence community, or businesses.

The company listed on the ASX in 2018, and has a current market cap of $112 million.

What was the announcement today?

Kleos Space announced a major breakthrough today with 4 of its satellites entering orbit following a successful launch mission from India on Saturday.

The company advised that contact has been made with all 4 satellites. It claims that it is the first company to fly clusters of 4 satellites to geolocate radio frequency transmitters. This geolocation data will enable governments and other organisations to detect hidden maritime activity such as drug and people smuggling, piracy and illegal fishing, as well as identify those in need of search and rescue at sea.

The company also said that the 37 degree-inclined orbit provided extensive coverage over crucial areas of interest such as Strait of Hormuz, South China Sea, East/West Africa, Southern Sea of Japan, northern Australian coast, and the Timor Sea. After this successful deployment, the company says that the commissioning phase has now started. 

Kleos Space CEO Andy Bowyer says of this breakthrough:

We are very excited to have our first cluster of four satellites in orbit. It is only three years since Kleos Space was founded.

This launch marks an important milestone for Kleos and will – post the satellite commissioning phase – enable the collection, then delivery of our commercial and independent data to government agencies, the ISR community and organisations interested in locating threats, assets or those in need of search and rescue.

I again extend my thanks to our entire team and to our security holders that have invested in Kleos which now enters its next stage of growth.

More reading

• ASX stock of the day: Kleos Space (ASX:KSS) shares rocket 21% on satellite news
• Which small cap ASX shares were the best performers in October?

Motley Fool contributor Eddy Sunarto 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.

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Underperforming ASX banks and insurers may soon be getting a $100 million boost to their fortunes, according to a leading broker.

That would mark a turnaround for these ASX stocks even though they’ve benefitted from the recent S&P/ASX 200 Index (Index:^AXJO) rally.

The share market held up better than what many feared through the US election. It now is about to get a further $100 billion boost from the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA).

QE tide to lift ASX stocks

Our central bankers are committing a further $100 billion to quantitative easing (QE) – a program that will see the RBA purchase government bonds.

The effect of this is to lower interest rates and inject extra cash into the financial system to stimulate the COVID‐19-stricken economy.

QE programs have a tendency to drive equity markets higher too, and this time is no exception.

Why CBA and other ASX banks and insurers will benefit this time

However, Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG) believes that ASX banks and insurers will benefit more this time round as opposed to tech stocks.

The ASX tech darlings, such as the Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) share price and Appen Ltd (ASX: APX) share price, have received a big boost from previous QE injections.

This is evidenced by the rapid expansion in their price-earnings (P/E) ratios earlier in the year.

“The sectors that benefit more from the next $100bn of QE may be different to the ones that saw the largest PE expansion over April to October,” said Macquarie.

“In particular, we may see more PE expansion from Insurance and Banks. The PEs for both sectors initially rose with RBA Investments, but then de-coupled in September as the market anticipated further RBA easing.”

Upside potential for the CBA share price

The broker noted that unless the RBA moves to suppress the yields on longer-term bonds, there is more upside than downside risk for the 10-year yields over the next six months.

Rising yields will allow P/Es of banks and insurers to recouple with the RBA’s QE investments. If this prediction comes to pass, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) share price, National Australia Bank Ltd. (ASX: NAB) share price and QBE Insurance Group Ltd (ASX: QBE) share price could outperform.

Good news not in the price

What’s more, the market is yet to price in the $100 billion tailwind for these stocks.

“With all the focus on the US Election, we think the significance of the RBA’s additional $100bn in QE has not received the attention it deserves,” added Macquarie.

“Sure A$100bn looks small compared to the US$3tr added by the [US Federal Reserve] in 2020, but Australia’s economy is smaller.”

But ASX banks and insurers aren’t the only ASX stocks well placed to deliver outsized returns in 2021. The experts at the Motley Fool have picked another group that that think make great buys for the year ahead.

Follow the link below to find out more.

More reading

• ASX 200 jumps 1.7%: REA Group surges to record high, bank shares push higher
• 5 ASX 200 shares that rose by more than 15% last week
• Is the NAB (ASX:NAB) share price a bargain buy?
• 5 notable events on the ASX 200 this week
• ASX 200 Weekly Wrap: US election special

Motley Fool contributor Brendon Lau owns shares of Commonwealth Bank of Australia and National Australia Bank Limited. Connect with me on Twitter @brenlau.

The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of AFTERPAY T FPO and Appen 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.

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The Actinogen Medical Ltd (ASX: ACW) share price jumped 4.5% on open this morning, after the company announced it has filed two new patent applications to strengthen and extend its intellectual property (IP) portfolio.  

What does Actinogen Medical do?

Actinogen Medical is an ASX biotech company. It specialises in developing novel therapies of a range of conditions. These include neurological, psychiatric and metabolic diseases associated with chronically elevated cortisol. This is a metabolic disorder caused by overproduction of corticosteroid hormones by the adrenal cortex. Often it is associated with obesity and high blood pressure.

The lead compound currently being developed by Actinogen is called “Xanamem”. This compound is a new type of therapy for Alzheimer’s disease, Fragile X syndrome, schizophrenia and diabetes. According to the company, solutions to effectively address these conditions and the burdens for patients have not yet adequately been met. It is therefore focusing on the gap in this market.

Why are these patents important?

The two patents filed this week are to expand and extend the company’s IP estate. 

The first patent filed requests protection for a method of improving cognition or treating cognitive decline in cognitively healthy subjects. Expansion of the IP estate is a key goal here.

The second patent filed provided protection to a commercial scale-up manufacturing process for Xanamem. This patent is the result of a collaborative effort between Actinogen Medical and a Switzerland-based contract development and manufacturing organisation.

Actinogen holds a large number of patents, either granted or pending. The new patents filed this week have the ability to extend patent life. Protection around Xanamem is now effective until 2040 at least. This gives the company a long runway of breathing room to continue its research and development.

In statement to the ASX today, Actinogen Medical CEO and managing director Dr Bill Ketelbey had this to say:

Strengthening our IP portfolio and extending the patent life of protection over Xanamem is aligned with our broader commercialisation strategy for Xanamem. The potential to treat cognitively healthy subjects, a population in which XanaHES demonstrated clear efficacy results, as well as treat those at risk of cognitive impairment, is a significant medical and commercial opportunity. Equally, the patented and optimised manufacturing methodology provides an efficient and commercially viable process which provides a substantial new barrier to competition. Actinogen remains focused on maintaining and extending the protection of Xanamem to maximise its commercial potential.

Foolish takeaway

The Actinogen Medical share price opened 4.5% higher on this positive news today. However, overall this year the Actinogen Medical share price is down more than 30%. 

More reading

• Why the CBA (ASX:CBA) share price and these ASX stocks could get a $100bn boost
• ASX 200 jumps 1.7%: REA Group surges to record high, bank shares push higher
• Why Platinum, ReadyTech, Tabcorp, & Whitehaven shares are dropping lower
• Crown (ASX:CWN) share price bucked bad news to rise 6% last week
• AVITA Therapeutics (ASX:AVH) share price climbs higher on reverse ageing project

Motley Fool contributor glennleese 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.

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The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has started the week in fine form and is surging higher again. At lunch, the benchmark index is up a sizeable 1.7% to 6,295 points.

Here’s what is happening on the market today:

REA Group shares surge higher.

The REA Group Limited (ASX: REA) share price has continued its strong run and surged to a record high on Monday. This morning analysts at Goldman Sachs retained their buy rating and lifted their price target on the property listings company’s shares to $143.00 following its strong first quarter update. The broker expects REA Group to benefit from a near term listings recovery and a step change in earnings as it introduces Premiere Plus.

Bank shares climb.

The majority of the big four banks are climbing higher on Monday, albeit not quite as strongly as the ASX 200 index. The only bank missing out on the gains today is Australia and New Zealand Banking GrpLtd (ASX: ANZ). The ANZ share price is down 1% at lunch after trading ex-dividend this morning for its 35 cents per share final dividend. If you took this dividend out of the equation, ANZ’s shares would be pushing higher today.

BHP completes Shenzi deal.

The BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) share price is pushing higher after announcing the completion of its acquisition of an additional 28% working interest in Shenzi from Hess Corporation. Shenzi is a six-lease development in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico. With this transaction bringing BHP’s working interest to 72%, it adds approximately 11,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day of production (90% oil) as of the transaction closing date of 6 November 2020.

Best and worst ASX 200 performers.

The REA Group share price is the best performer on the ASX 200 on Monday with a gain of 7.5%. This follows a positive response to its first quarter update by brokers. The worst performer with a 2.5% decline is the Whitehaven Coal Ltd (ASX: WHC) share price. Concerns over China potentially banning Australian coal imports appears to be weighing on its shares.

More reading

• Why the CBA (ASX:CBA) share price and these ASX stocks could get a $100bn boost
• Why Platinum, ReadyTech, Tabcorp, & Whitehaven shares are dropping lower
• 5 ASX 200 shares that rose by more than 15% last week
• 5 notable events on the ASX 200 this week
• BHP (ASX:BHP) share price higher after completing US$505m Shenzi deal

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.

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