• Is the Zip (ASX:Z1P) share price headed higher or lower? 

    Woman in mustard yellow blouse on laptop holds both hands out to either side with graphic illustration of question marks above them

    The Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P) share price has tanked almost 30% in September following a parabolic run to almost $10. Looking ahead, will the negative news involving Paypal Holdings Inc (NASDAQ: PYPL) and banks entering the buy now, pay later (BNPL) space continue to weigh down the Zip share price? Or will a general recovery in the broader market and other factors make its September pullback a buying opportunity? 

    Paypal a threat but banks are not 

    The Australian Financial Review highlights the concerns that Paypal will create headwinds for BNPL players in the United States. It cites that the key concern is Paypal’s cheaper price point for merchants and its product being a closer than expected copycat of Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT)

    The good news is that the new, interest-free credit cards issued by the likes of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) and National Australia Bank Ltd. (ASX: NAB) are “nothing new and unlikely to be felt by Afterpay in the Australian market given its dominance”. The Commonwealth Bank’s ‘CommBank Neo’ card will provide customers with up to $3,000 of credit with no interest payments, no late payments and no foreign currency fees but with a fixed monthly fee. From a cost perspective, it would still be cheaper to use BNPL platforms as opposed to these new, interest-free credit cards. 

    Klarna’s ballooning valuation 

    Swedish BNPL player, Klarna, was valued at $11 billion ahead of a likely stock market listing. The company recently raised $650 million from US private equity firm Silver Lake, Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC, BlackRock and HMI Capital to accelerate its growth, expand globally and improve its product offering. Klarna estimates that it will generate US$1 billion revenue in FY20, valuing the company at approximately 11 times revenues. This compares to the likes of Afterpay at 15 times revenue and Zip at 7.5 times revenue. 

    Zip appears to be good value given Klarna’s valuation and Afterpay trading at a much higher multiple. The company has also expressed its plans to launch in the United Kingdom market in 1H21 and explore further geographic opportunities. Furthermore, Zip also provides credit offerings for SMEs in Australia, which may prove to be another unique market and revenue opportunity. 

    What’s next for the Zip share price? 

    Zip is in a comfortable capital position with the flexibility to explore many geographic and product-driven growth opportunities. I believe the main challenge for the Zip share price will be the way the general market moves. With the Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQ: .IXIC) struggling on Friday and weakness in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO), it is likely that the Zip share price will continue to see weakness and volatility in the near term. 

    Man who said buy Kogan shares at $3.63 says buy these 3 ASX stocks now

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for more than eight years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    In this FREE STOCK REPORT, Scott just revealed what he believes are the 3 ASX stocks for the post COVID world that investors should buy right now while they still can. These stocks are trading at dirt-cheap prices and Scott thinks these could really go gangbusters as we move into ‘the new normal’.

    *Returns as of 6/8/2020

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    Lina Lim has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and recommends PayPal Holdings. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of AFTERPAY T FPO and ZIPCOLTD FPO and recommends the following options: long January 2022 $75 calls on PayPal Holdings. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended 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.

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  • This week I’d buy Bubs (ASX:BUB) at today’s share price

    baby, milk, formula, bellamy's, bubs

    The Bubs Australia Ltd (ASX: BUB) share price looks like a buy to me this week. Particularly if it falls further. 

    A quick overview of Bubs Australia

    Bubs was founded in 2006 by current CEO Kristy Carr. Bubs describes itself as Australia’s only vertically integrated producer of goat milk formula, with exclusive milk supply from Australia’s largest milking goat herd.

    It sells a variety of products, with some of those arising after making acquisitions. Goat milk infant formula is the key segment with rapidly rising revenue and a gross profit margin of around 40%. It also sells organic grass-fed cow milk infant formula, food for young children and goat milk based formula for adults.

    Products are widely sold in major supermarkets and pharmacies throughout Australia, as well as exported to China, Vietnam, South East Asia and the Middle East. Other ASX shares like Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW), Coles Group Limited (ASX: COL) and Baby Bunting Group Ltd (ASX: BBN) are among the large Aussie retailers that sell Bubs products. The Bubs share price responded positively when the ASX share announced its extended distribution. 

    Bubs recently announced the launch of Vita Bubs, which is a vitamin and mineral supplement which will be ranged nationally across 400 Chemist Warehouse stores from October 2020. This is expected to materially add to Bubs’ domestic revenue. More high-margin revenue is obviously good news. 

    The ASX share also recently signed Jennifer Hawkins as its global brand ambassador.

    What’s been happening recently?

    The Bubs share price has fallen by 27% since 9 July 2020 despite the company reporting a solid FY20 result.

    The FY20 report showed a number of pleasing points.

    Bubs’ FY20 revenue increased by 32% to $62 million. Most importantly, Bubs infant formula revenue rose by 58% to $30 million – which represented 55% of total revenue. Direct sales to China rose by 32% to $13 million. Export markets outside of China grew five-fold, representing 10% of total revenue.

    The normalised gross profit margin increased by three percentage points from 21% to 24%.

    Looking at the bottom line, the ASX share reported a statutory loss after tax of $8 million, a big improvement from the $36 million loss in FY19.

    After the release of the FY20 result, Bubs announced a $38 million capital raising to fund various initiatives. One of the most important uses of the money is funding its acquisition of a stake in the Beingmate infant formula manufacturing facility in China and the application for China-made infant formula. It will also fund working capital requirements to launch China label products into the general trade channel, fund the lunch of Vita Bubs, extend production capability, expand into new global markets and pay for global and regional influencers to expand the brand.

    Why I think the Bubs share price is a buy today  

    I’m not sure how low the Bubs share price will go over the next few months. It could go lower. I think it would be even better value if it fell further. It’s rapidly growing revenue across a number of markets whilst its gross profit margin rises significantly.

    The business has a very good opportunity to greatly increase its export revenue to markets outside of China, which is what I’m focusing on. Vietnam alone could be a very good profit centre for Bubs.

    There are lots of risks associated with doing business in China, so I think Bubs’ solution to that is probably the best one for the situation. I like that Bubs is launching new products to capture more of a household’s overall spending. The high-quality cow milk products could also do well over time.

    When the Bubs share price falls I think it’s an exciting opportunity because it’s a cheaper price to buy a fast-growing business. It’s racing towards being cashflow breakeven, which would be a big step on its growth journey.

    I’d be comfortable buying a decently sized parcel of Bubs shares today because of its international growth potential and the lower share price.

    Man who said buy Kogan shares at $3.63 says buy these 3 ASX stocks now

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    In this FREE STOCK REPORT, Scott just revealed what he believes are the 3 ASX stocks for the post COVID world that investors should buy right now while they still can. These stocks are trading at dirt-cheap prices and Scott thinks these could really go gangbusters as we move into ‘the new normal’.

    *Returns as of 6/8/2020

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    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 BUBS AUST FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of COLESGROUP DEF SET. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended BUBS AUST FPO. 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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  • These are the 10 most shorted ASX shares

    most shorted ASX shares

    Every Monday I like to look at ASIC’s short position report to find out which shares are being targeted by short sellers.

    This is because I believe it is well worth keeping a close eye on short interest levels as high levels can sometimes be a sign that something isn’t quite right with a company.

    With that in mind, here are the 10 most shorted shares on the ASX this week according to ASIC:

    • Webjet Limited (ASX: WEB) continues to be the most shorted share on the ASX following a sharp rise in its short interest to 17.5%. Short sellers appear increasingly confident that the online travel agent’s shares are going a lot lower from here. I would have to agree that Webjet looks severely overvalued at present.
    • Speedcast International Ltd (ASX: SDA) has short interest of 11.15%. The communications satellite technology provider’s shares continue to be suspended whilst it undertakes its chapter 11 recapitalisation. Further progress was made last week when it filed a motion seeking court approval to replace its debtor-in-possession financing.
    • Myer Holdings Ltd (ASX: MYR) has seen its short interest rise to 10.9%. Short sellers have been increasing their positions after the department store operator’s full year results. Myer posted a 41.6% decline in earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) to $305.3 million.
    • InvoCare Limited (ASX: IVC) has short interest of 9.5%, which is up week on week yet again. Short sellers have been building a position in this funerals company since the release of its weak half year result. They appear confident more of the same is coming in the months ahead.
    • FlexiGroup Limited (ASX: FXL) has 8.2% of its shares held short, which is up week on week. While the company’s buy now pay later business is performing well, there appears to be concerns over the rest of its business.  
    • CLINUVEL Pharmaceuticals Limited (ASX: CUV) has also seen its short interest increase slightly to 8.2%. Short sellers have been increasing their positions despite the biopharmaceutical company announcing plans to extend the use of its SCENESSE product to treat xeroderma pigmentosum.
    • Inghams Group Ltd (ASX: ING) has 8.2% of its shares held short, which is flat week on week. Concerns over higher input costs has been weighing on this poultry company’s shares in 2020.
    • Bank of Queensland Limited (ASX: BOQ) has seen its short interest rise to 7.4%. This regional bank has come under pressure this year after it warned that trading conditions were expected to remain tough for the foreseeable future.
    • Freedom Foods Group Ltd (ASX: FNP) has entered into the top ten despite being halted from trade. The diversified food company has 6.95% of its shares in the hands of short sellers. Freedom Foods is currently suspended whilst it sorts out its accounts after some shocking revelations this year.
    • Orocobre Limited (ASX: ORE) is back in the top ten with short interest of 6.9%. Australian lithium miners have been strong performers in recent months due to the belief that prices of the battery making ingredient have now bottomed. Though, it looks as though some short sellers don’t appear convinced that this is the case.

    Finally, instead of those most shorted shares, I would be buying the exciting shares recommended below…

    Man who said buy Kogan shares at $3.63 says buy these 3 ASX stocks now

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for more than eight years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    In this FREE STOCK REPORT, Scott just revealed what he believes are the 3 ASX stocks for the post COVID world that investors should buy right now while they still can. These stocks are trading at dirt-cheap prices and Scott thinks these could really go gangbusters as we move into ‘the new normal’.

    *Returns as of 6/8/2020

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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 has recommended FlexiGroup Limited, Freedom Foods Group Limited, and InvoCare 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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  • Why these ASX laggards could start to rally in the next few months

    man carrying large dollar sign on his back representing high P/E ratio

    We may soon see the passing of the baton between outperforming growth stocks and underperforming value stocks.

    The bull run seems to have stalled recently and it’s the popular growth stocks that are weighing on the S&P/ASX 200 Index (Index:^AXJO).

    Questions about their overstretched valuations are likely to linger and that means this could be the time for the laggards to shine.

    Why laggards could prove to be better value buys

    Value stocks have recently been outperforming growth as the ASX 200 benchmark retreated around 5% from last month’s peak.

    Growth stocks are those that trading on high price-earnings (P/E) multiples. Investors have been willing to pay a premium for earnings growth in this low-growth COVID-19 environment.

    Value stocks are the opposite. The are seen as cheap as their share prices have so far failed to keep pace with the bull market and that puts them on undemanding P/Es.

    I suspect some of these underachievers can outperform even if the top 200 stock index trades sideways or slips a little further.

    The building stock deepest in value territory

    One of these value laggards that I think look interesting is the CSR Limited (ASX: CSR) share price. The uncertain outlook for construction activity is keeping buyers at bay even though the building materials supplier delivered a better than expected full year results in May.

    While that may feel like a long time ago on ASX time, investors may again be reminded of this come November when CSR posts its half year results.

    UBS thinks profit margins for its building products division will be better than what the market is expecting.

    Another catalyst could be the valuation of CSR’s 450 hectors of land in Western Sydney, which the market is pricing at around $500 million. Any uplift on land valuation will be warmly received by investors.

    The broker is recommending investors buy the stock as it’s trading well below its target price of $4.77 a share.

    Emerging from an earnings storm

    Another laggard I like is the Nufarm Limited (ASX: NUF) share price, which slumped 27% since the start of calendar 2020.

    The drought in Australia and Europe weighed on the stock but the adverse weather condition is turning!

    Despite this, not much good news is priced into the stock. Also, Nufarm said it would take a $215 million write down in its European assets, so the bar is set reasonably low, in my view.

    The turnaround in the stock could come before the end of the month when management hands in its full year results.

    It won’t be the FY20 numbers that will trigger a rally as management already released the earnings number. It’s the outlook statement that investors will be scrutinising. Let’s hope management will also have something upbeat to say about sales of its omega-3 enriched canola seeds.

    These stocks could rocket in a Post-COVID world (FREE STOCK REPORT)

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for more than eight years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    In this FREE STOCK REPORT, Scott just revealed what he believes are the 3 ASX stocks for the post COVID world that investors should buy right now while they still can. These stocks are trading at dirt-cheap prices and Scott thinks these could really go gangbusters as we move into ‘the new normal’.

    *Returns as of 6/8/2020

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    Motley Fool contributor Brendon Lau owns shares of Nufarm Limited. Connect with me on Twitter @brenlau.

    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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  • Is the AMP (ASX:AMP) share price a buy after Friday’s fall?

    Illustration of large boot almost trampling three businessmen

    The AMP Limited (ASX: AMP) share price is down 14.1% in the last fortnight. Shares in the Aussie wealth manager have been under pressure as media scrutiny and culture issues weigh on investors’ minds.

    There’s no doubt that AMP has some challenges in the months and years ahead. But does it make sense to buy in at $1.40 per share?

    Why the AMP share price is under pressure

    For one thing, there has been a significant management overhaul in recent weeks. The wealth manager’s new-look board has been overhauled once again after bringing in David Murray as Chairman following the 2018 Royal Commission.

    AMP’s chairman and another board member have now resigned. That paves the way for AMP to try and once again rehabilitate the wealth manager’s image after the controversy surrounding Boe Pahari’s appointment as Head of AMP Capital.

    However, it’s more than just the management headaches and culture issues weighing on the AMP share price. A soft August earnings result has investors wondering just how long to hold onto the company’s shares.

    The coronavirus pandemic weighed on earnings with cash outflows of $4.4 billion seeing Australian wealth earnings fall 42.7% lower.

    The group does remain well capitalised with $1.4 billion in surplus capital above target requirements despite a 40% fall in AMP Capital earnings and a 29.6% drop in AMP Bank earnings.

    For reference, the AMP share price is trading at $1.40 per share. That’s down 27.1% for the year and 74.2% since March 2018 in the pre-Royal Commission days.

    Is now the time to buy AMP?

    I think AMP is one of the riskier buys on the ASX right now. The combination of soft earnings and widespread cultural issues have wreaked havoc on the company’s valuations.

    The AMP share price currently trades at an astonishing 115.4 price to earnings (P/E) ratio. That doesn’t exactly scream good value to a prudent investor.

    However, a new management team and refined strategy could be the key. If we see a better than expected economic recovery from COVID-19, AMP could be well placed to surprise in August next year.

    Given all of that, maybe the AMP share price is worth a look at $1.40 per share as a very speculative buy.

    Man who said buy Kogan shares at $3.63 says buy these 3 ASX stocks now

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for more than eight years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    In this FREE STOCK REPORT, Scott just revealed what he believes are the 3 ASX stocks for the post COVID world that investors should buy right now while they still can. These stocks are trading at dirt-cheap prices and Scott thinks these could really go gangbusters as we move into ‘the new normal’.

    *Returns as of 6/8/2020

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    Motley Fool contributor Ken Hall 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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  • ASX 200 Weekly Wrap: ASX 200 snaps 4 week losing streak… just

    cup of coffee next to newspaper open to stock market page

    The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has broken its 4-week losing streak last week, but only just. The 0.1% rise in ASX 200 shares last week was enough to stop the index’s month-long losing streak from becoming 5 for 5, but it wasn’t by much. The Index is still down around 3.2% for the month of September so far, and, at the current level of 5,864.50 points, is hardly bucking the negative trends on ASX 200 share prices we have seen so far this month

    In a week deplete of major, market-moving news, it was macroeconomic developments and fiscal policy that were in the spotlight. We found out on Wednesday that unemployment in Australia is far less dire than what economists believed. The national unemployment rate was 6.8% in August, down from the 7.5% we saw in July. Even though this is good news for the Australian economy (and by extension, ASX shares), it was received with little more than a blink from markets.

    It was a good week for tech shares, which have been through the wringer in recent weeks when markets all of a sudden decided the tech sector was overbought. The Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) share price was up 2.61% for the week, which helped the S&P/ASX All Technology Index (ASX: XTX) rise 1.8% for the week.

    Much of this positive sentiment was a likely byproduct of a blockbuster initial public offering (IPO) over in the United States last week, which caused quite a stir here on the ASX. The Warren Buffett-backed Snowflake Inc (NYSE: SNOW) hit the boards on Wednesday (US time) and quickly more than doubled from its IPO price of US$120 per share, rising as high as US$319 before settling back at US$240 at market close on Friday. My Fool colleague Tony Yoo discussed how Aussie investors couldn’t seem to get enough of this new cloud company after IPO here.

    How did the markets end the week?

    Even though the ASX 200 only recorded a 0.1% rise for the week, it was still a topsy turvy week of trading. The ASX 200 started off on the right foot with a 0.7% rise on Monday. Tuesday then brought a flat day, which was backed up on Wednesday with another 1% rise (likely assisted by the better-than-expected national unemployment numbers).

    But then Thursday came and brought with it a 1.2% drop, which was backed up on Friday with another 0.32% slide. All in all, the ASX 200 started off at 5,859.4 points and finished up at 5,864.5 points for a week-to-week gain of 0.1%.

    Meanwhile, the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) had a slightly better week after rising from 6,038.9 points on Monday to 6,057.6 points by Friday – a week-to-week gain of 0.5%.

    Which ASX 200 shares were the biggest winners and losers?

    Time now for our most salacious section, so put the kettle on for our winners and losers of the week. As always, we’ll start with the losers:

    Worst ASX 200 losers

     % loss for the week

    Cleanaway Waste Management Ltd (ASX: CWY)

    (13.5%)

    Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (ASX: URW)

    (10.5%)

    AMP Limited (ASX: AMP)

    (9.1%)

    Virgin Money UK (ASX: VUK)

    (8.1%)

    Taking out last week’s wooden spoon was waste management company Cleanaway Waste. Cleanaway Waste makes a rare appearance, as it’s a company that has generally been more prone to reward shareholders than disappoint in recent times. However, it wasn’t the case last week, when investors marked Cleanaway down for workplace misconduct allegations over its CEO Vik Bansal. Cleanaway’s board of directors has advised that Mr Bansal is on his final warning, but that didn’t stop the markets from sending Cleanaway shares down 13.5% last week.

    Next up we have struggling REIT Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, the owner of the Westfield brand outside Australia and New Zealand. Unibail released a ‘reset plan’ last week, which outlined a 3.5 billion euro capital raising to help the company reduce its debt load. Investors weren’t impressed.

    Embattled wealth manager AMP again made the losers list last week, but this was mostly due to the company trading ex-dividend on Friday (perhaps the best reason for a share price to drop there is). Shareholders will be receiving 10 cents per share on 1 October.

    Now with the losers out of the way, let’s check out last week’s winners:

    Best ASX 200 gainers

     % gain for the week

    Perseus Mining Limited (ASX: PRU)

    14.2%

    Perenti Global Ltd (ASX: PRN)

    11%

    Eagers Automotive Ltd (ASX: APE)

    10.5%

    Blackmores Limited (ASX: BKL)

    9.7%

    Leading the winners last week was gold miner Perseus. Perseus Mining seemed to be benefitting from a broker note out of Credit Suisse. All gold miners last week were on form after the precious metal climbed in price through the week.

    Next up we had mining services company Perenti, which announced an estimated $140 million contract extension at a North Queensland mine. Investors were clearly very excited about this development with Perenti’s 11% gain for the week.

    Following up, we had car dealer Eagers. Investors have been rising this one up ever since the company told the market that it intends to purchase 8 new car yards with $105 million last week. After last week’s gains, Eagers is less than 6% off where the share price started the year.

    Finally, we had vitamin hawker Blackmores, whose shares rose close to 10% despite there being no major news out of the company.

    What does this week look like for the ASX 200?

    It looks like another week on the ASX where it’s even harder than usual to predict what may come our way. I’m still watching the tech space (both here and over in the US) for some major market moving events, so it will interesting to see how ASX tech shares like Afterpay perform this week.

    In other news, we do have some latecomers for the August reporting season this week, mainly blood brothers Brickworks Limited (ASX: BKW) and Washington H. Soul Pattinson & Co Ltd (ASX: SOL). Investors will be very interested to take a look at these companies’ books, which will likely include some interesting numbers from the TPG Telecom Ltd (ASX: TPG) restructuring.

    Before you go, here’s a look at how the major ASX 200 blue chips are looking before we get the week underway:

    ASX 200 company

    Trailing P/E ratio

    Last share price

    52-week high

    52-week low

    CSL Limited (ASX: CSL)

    44.71

    $282.62

    $342.75

    $227.26

    Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA)

    15.74

    $64.37

    $91.05

    $53.44

    Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC)

    12.49

    $16.64

    $30.05

    $13.47

    National Australia Bank Ltd. (ASX: NAB)

    15.52

    $17.29

    $30.00

    $13.20

    Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (ASX: ANZ)

    11.62

    $17.07

    $28.79

    $14.10

    Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW)

    39.16

    $36.05

    $43.96

    $32.12

    Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES)

    30.76

    $44.08

    $49.67

    $29.75

    BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) 17.58

    $37.80

    $41.47

    $24.05

    Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO)

    16.66

    $100.57

    $107.79

    $72.77

    Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL)

    23.46

    $17.20

    $19.26

    $14.01

    Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS)

    18.51

    $2.83

    $3.94

    $2.81

    Transurban Group (ASX: TCL)

    $13.86

    $16.44

    $9.10

    Sydney Airport Holdings Pty Ltd (ASX: SYD)

    83.02

    $5.46

    $9.07

    $4.26

    Newcrest Mining Limited (ASX: NCM)

    28.82

    $32.81

    $38.15

    $20.70

    Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL)

    $18.28

    $36.28

    $14.93

    Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG)

    14.42

    $122.56

    $152.35

    $70.45

    And finally, here is the lay of the land for some leading market indicators:

    •    S&P/ASX 200 (XJO) at 5,864.5 points
    •     All Ordinaries (XAO) at 6,057.6 points
    •     Dow Jones Industrial Average at 27,657.42 points after falling 0.88% on Friday night (our time)
    •     Gold (Spot) swapping hands for US$1,950.39 per troy ounce
    •     Iron ore asking US$126.42 per tonne
    •     Crude oil (Brent) trading at US$43.15 per barrel
    •     Crude oil (WTI) going for US$41.32 per barrel
    •     Australian dollar buying 72.89 US cents
    •    10-year Australian Government bonds yielding 0.88% per annum

    Foolish takeaway

    After another week in paradise, things are certainly looking interesting on the ASX market. I note that the ASX 200 is still sitting near a 3-month low, which indicates to me a level of uncertainty about the future. It’s possible that investors are waiting until the US election in November, or maybe until the impact of the government rollback of various stimulus programs over the coming months becomes more evident. Either way, expect some potential fireworks at the end of the year. And until then, stay safe stay rational and stay Foolish!

    Where to invest $1,000 right now

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    Scott just revealed what he believes are the five best ASX stocks for investors to buy right now. These stocks are trading at dirt-cheap prices and Scott thinks they are great buys right now.

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    Sebastian Bowen owns shares of National Australia Bank Limited, Newcrest Mining Limited, Telstra Limited, and Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of CSL Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. recommends Snowflake Inc. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Blackmores Limited, Brickworks, Macquarie Group Limited, Telstra Limited, and Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of AFTERPAY T FPO, COLESGROUP DEF SET, Transurban Group, Wesfarmers Limited, 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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  • 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Monday

    On Friday the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) was out of form and dropped lower. The benchmark index fell 0.3% to 5,864.5 points.

    Will the market be able to bounce back from this on Monday? Here are five things to watch:

    ASX 200 expected to drop lower.

    According to the latest SPI futures, the ASX 200 is poised to start the week with a decline. Current futures contracts are pointing to a 36-point or 0.6% decline at the open. This follows a disappointing end to the week on Wall Street on Friday which led to the Dow Jones falling 0.9%, the S&P 500 dropping 1.1%, and the Nasdaq index tumbling 1.1%. This was the third week of declines in a row for Wall Street and due largely to further weakness in the tech sector.

    Oil prices mixed.

    Energy shares such as Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) and Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) will be on watch today after a mixed night of trade for oil prices on Friday. According to Bloomberg, the WTI crude oil price rose 0.35% to US$41.11 a barrel and the Brent crude oil price dropped 0.35% to US$43.15 a barrel. Despite this mixed finish, oil prices were up 10% over the week.

    Tech shares on watch.

    It could be a tough day for locally listed tech shares such as Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) and Xero Ltd (ASX: XRO) on Monday after their U.S. counterparts continued to slide. The tech-heavy Nasdaq index tumbled 1.1% on Friday night following a reasonably heavy decline from Apple. The tech giant’s shares are now down over 17% month to date.

    Gold price pushes higher.

    The shares of Newcrest Mining Limited (ASX: NCM) and Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) could be on the rise today after the gold price pushed higher. According to CNBC, the spot gold price rose 0.6% to US$1,962.10 an ounce on Friday night. This led to the precious metal recording its second weekly gain in a row. A weakening U.S. dollar has been supporting the gold price.

    A2 Milk given conviction buy rating.

    The A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX: A2M) share price could be going higher from here according to one leading broker. Analysts at Goldman Sachs have retained their conviction buy rating but trimmed the price target on the infant formula company’s shares slightly to $20.40. The broker notes that its shares are trading on notably lower multiples compared to the last five years. This is despite it having a very positive growth outlook over the coming years.

    Man who said buy Kogan shares at $3.63 says buy these 3 ASX stocks now

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    In this FREE STOCK REPORT, Scott just revealed what he believes are the 3 ASX stocks for the post COVID world that investors should buy right now while they still can. These stocks are trading at dirt-cheap prices and Scott thinks these could really go gangbusters as we move into ‘the new normal’.

    *Returns as of 6/8/2020

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    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 AFTERPAY T FPO and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of A2 Milk. 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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  • Forget term deposits and buy Coles and this ASX dividend share

    Interest rates

    If you’re finding it impossible to generate a sufficient income by using term deposits, I would suggest you consider focusing on ASX dividend shares.

    This is because there are a good number of shares on the Australian share market which offer vastly superior yields.

    But which ones should you buy? Here are two ASX dividend shares I would buy:

    BWP Trust (ASX: BWP)

    Income investors might want to consider BWP Trust for their portfolio. It is the largest owner of Bunnings properties in the Australian market with 68 warehouses leased to the home improvement giant. This has proven to be a great tenant for BWP to have during the pandemic. While many retail property companies are struggling to collect rent and posting sizeable declines in profits and property valuations, it’s a completely different situation for BWP. 

    In its FY 2020 full year results the company reported a 1% increase in profit before gains on investment properties to $117.1 million. Including property gains, BWP’s profit was up 24.4% to $210.6 million. This put the company in a position to be able to increase its distribution in FY 2020. Looking ahead, in FY 2021 the company expects to pay shareholders a distribution in the region of 18.29 cents per unit. Based on the current BWP share price, this works out to be an attractive 4.5% yield.

    Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL)

    Another ASX dividend share to consider buying is this supermarket giant. I think it is a great share to own right now due to its defensive qualities and strong market position. As with BWP, Coles was a positive performer in FY 2020 despite the pandemic. It delivered an impressive full year result in August, with sales growing 6.9% to $37.4 billion and net profit after tax increasing 7.1% to $951 million.

    The good news is that Coles has started FY 2021 in a positive fashion and appears to be in a position to deliver another solid result this year. I expect this to allow the company to reward its shareholders with another generous dividend in FY 2021. Based on the current Coles share price, I estimate that it offers a forward fully franked 3.2% dividend yield.

    Man who said buy Kogan shares at $3.63 says buy these 3 ASX stocks now

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for more than eight years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    In this FREE STOCK REPORT, Scott just revealed what he believes are the 3 ASX stocks for the post COVID world that investors should buy right now while they still can. These stocks are trading at dirt-cheap prices and Scott thinks these could really go gangbusters as we move into ‘the new normal’.

    *Returns as of 6/8/2020

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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 COLESGROUP DEF SET. 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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  • Buy Fortescue and this ASX dividend share for a source of income

    blackboard drawing of hand pointing to the words buy now

    Are you looking for a source of income in this low interest rate environment? Then I would suggest you take a look at the income options listed below.

    Both options offer generous yields and could be great additions to a balanced portfolio. Here’s why I think they are in the buy zone for next week:

    Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG)

    I think Fortescue could be a good option for income investors. Iron ore prices have been very strong in 2020 and continue to trade at lofty levels. This puts Fortescue in a position to deliver exceptionally high levels of free cash flow again in FY 2021. And thanks to the strength of its balance sheet, the majority of this looks likely to be returned to shareholders once again. Estimating the dividend Fortescue will pay is difficult, but I expect a yield in the region of 6% this year.

    Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (ASX: VAS)

    Another option for income investors to consider buying is the Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF. I think it would be a great option for investors that don’t have sufficient funds to maintain a truly diverse portfolio of dividend shares. This is because this exchange traded fund gives investors the ability to invest in the 300 shares that are listed on the S&P/ASX 300 index through just a single investment. This includes Fortescue, the big four banks, and dividend favourites such as Sydney Airport Holdings Pty Ltd (ASX: SYD) and Transurban Group (ASX: TCL). While its dividend yield for FY 2021 is difficult to predict due to the impact of dividend deferrals and reductions because of the pandemic, I still expect a decent yield in the region of 3% to 4%. From FY 2022 I would expect its yield to return to normal and be above 4% once again.

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    In this FREE STOCK REPORT, Scott just revealed what he believes are the 3 ASX stocks for the post COVID world that investors should buy right now while they still can. These stocks are trading at dirt-cheap prices and Scott thinks these could really go gangbusters as we move into ‘the new normal’.

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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 Transurban 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.

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  • 5 stellar ASX growth shares that could smash the market in the 2020s

    Investor riding a rocket blasting off over a share price chart

    If you’re a growth investor then you’re in luck. This is because the Australian share market is home to a large number of quality shares that have the potential to grow very strongly in the coming years.

    Five top growth shares I would buy in September are listed below. Here’s why I like them:

    Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT)

    I believe this payments company could be a strong performer over the 2020s. Especially given the incredible active customer growth it is experiencing in the United Kingdom and United States markets. This should be supported by expansions into Europe and Asia in the coming years.

    Altium Limited (ASX: ALU)

    I believe Altium can grow its revenue and earnings at a very strong rate over the next few years. This is thanks to its industry-leading Altium Designer product and its exposure to the rapidly growing Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence markets. Together with its other growing businesses, I believe Altium will dominate its industry by 2025/26.

    Appen Ltd (ASX: APX)

    Another top growth share to buy right now is Appen. It is a fast-growing developer of high-quality training data for machine learning and artificial intelligence. I expect the growing importance of artificial intelligence for businesses and governments to lead to a sustained increase in demand for its services over the 2020s. 

    Pushpay Holdings Group Ltd (ASX: PPH)

    A fourth growth share to look at is Pushpay. It is a growing donor management and community engagement platform provider for the church market. Pushpay has been growing its earnings at a rapid rate over the last couple of years and looks well-positioned to continue this trend for some time to come. Management is aiming to win a 50% share of the medium to large church market in the future. This represents a US$1 billion opportunity and is many times greater than its current revenue.

    ResMed Inc. (ASX: RMD)

    A final growth share to look at is ResMed. Due to the growing demand for its industry-leading products in the fast-growing sleep treatment market, I expect it to continue its solid growth for the foreseeable future. In light of this, I believe the ResMed share price can continue to be a market beater over the 2020s. 

    These stocks could rocket in a Post-COVID world (FREE STOCK REPORT)

    When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for more than eight years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    In this FREE STOCK REPORT, Scott just revealed what he believes are the 3 ASX stocks for the post COVID world that investors should buy right now while they still can. These stocks are trading at dirt-cheap prices and Scott thinks these could really go gangbusters as we move into ‘the new normal’.

    *Returns as of 6/8/2020

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    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 and recommends Altium. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of PUSHPAY FPO NZX. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of AFTERPAY T FPO and Appen Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended PUSHPAY FPO NZX and ResMed Inc. 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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