• Boeing Reports 60 Canceled Orders For The 737 Max In June

    Boeing Reports 60 Canceled Orders For The 737 Max In JuneBoeing (BA) has revealed that a further 60 737 MAX orders were canceled in the month of June due to the fallout from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, bringing the total 737 cancellations this year to 373. The troubled planemaker had already announced 47 of the June cancellations.According to Bloomberg, this figure did not account for Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA’s cancellation of all 97 of its remaining Boeing jets on order, as the deals have not yet been officially terminated. But the order backlog did exclude an additional 123 ‘orders in peril’ which could be called off.During June, Boeing delivered just 10 aircrafts- which was nevertheless an improvement on May’s 4 deliveries. The company also announced that it delivered a total of 20 commercial airplanes for the second quarter of 2020, vs 90 in the same period last year. Net orders also remained negative with 182 net cancellations, bringing Q2 to 477, up from 307 in Q1.For the second quarter, Boeing delivered seven of the 787 planes, 4 each of the 777, 767 and 737 and one 747. Year-to-date, Boeing has now delivered a total of 36 787 planes.“Our commercial airplane deliveries in the second quarter reflect the significant impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on our customers and our operations that included a shutdown of our commercial airplane production for several weeks,” commented Greg Smith, Boeing exec VP of Enterprise Operations.“The diversity of our portfolio including our government services, defense and space programs will continue to provide some stability as we navigate through the pandemic and rebuild stronger on the other side” Smith added.Shares in Boeing have plunged 45% year-to-date, but analysts have a cautiously optimistic Moderate Buy consensus on the stock. That’s with a $192 average analyst price target (6% upside potential). (See BA stock analysis on TipRanks).For now Cowen & Co’s Cai Rumohr is sitting on the sidelines. “BA delivered only ten aircraft in June vs. four in May and our June est. of 28. The primary shortfall was in the 787, where BA delivered three 787’s vs. our est. of 16” he commented.“We attribute the weak sequential lift to partial COVID-19 related reopenings, although flight restrictions and customer deferrals remain key issues” the analyst told investors on July 14. He has a bearish $150 price target on BA stock (17% downside potential).Related News: Airbus First-Half Deliveries Drop 49% Amid Covid-19 Aviation Crisis Avolon Cancels 27 Of Boeing 737 Max Aircraft Order Boeing: Don’t Expect a Recovery Anytime Soon, Says Analyst More recent articles from Smarter Analyst: * Delta Posts $2.8B Quarterly Loss, Cuts Summer Flights Amid Rise In Covid-19 Cases * Moderna Soars 16% As Covid-19 Vaccine Shows Strong Immune Response * Google Cloud To Use AI Technology In Fox Sports Deal * Google Fined Record 600,000 Euros By Belgian Authority

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  • ASX 200 jumps almost 2% today, Afterpay rises

    ASX 200

    The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) went up by 1.88% today as investors continued to push ASX 200 shares higher.

    Here are some of the movers and shakers from the ASX today:

    Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) announces digital wallet links

    Today, the buy now pay later business announced that its customers can now use both Apple Pay and Google Pay in physical stores in the US.

    Some of the businesses that now offer both Apple Pay and Google Pay in-store in the US are: Forever21, Fresh and Solstice Sunglasses.

    July 2020 is actually the first month where customers can start using the ASX 200 share’s service in physical stores.

    Afterpay CEO and co-founder Nick Molnar said:

    “As we enter the second half of the year and retail re-emerges across the world, it’s critical we help our partners drive business growth, both online and offline.

    “As a proven solution for driving incremental sales and new customer growth, we are thrilled to introduce our new omni-channel solution to US retailers as they begin to open their doors and bring shoppers back to their physical stores.”

    In reaction to this announcement, the Afterpay share price ended the day higher by 2.4%.

    Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P) share price sold off by 6.7%

    The second largest buy now, pay later operator on the ASX released its FY20 fourth quarter trading update today.

    It said that in FY20 it achieved full year revenue of $161.2 million, which was up 91% compared to FY19. Its quarterly revenue was $46.4 million, up 72% year on year.

    The FY20 annualised transaction volume was $2.3 billion, which beat its target of $2.2 billion. It achieved record quarterly volume of $570.7 million, which was 62% higher year on year.

    Receivables increased to $1.2 billion, this was growth of 73% year on year.

    Customer numbers increased by 63% year on year to 2.1 million whilst merchant numbers rose by 51% year on year to 24,500.

    Zip boasted of a strong credit performance with net bad debts of 2.24% at 30 June 2020. Monthly arrears, which is seen as an indicator of future losses, reduced from 1.55% in March to 1.33% in June.

    Zip’s acquisition, QuadPay, also had a good final quarter. Quadpay achieved quarterly total transaction value (TTV) of $233 million, $16.4 million in revenue and 1.8 million customers.

    ELMO Software Ltd (ASX: ELO) quarterly update

    Software business Elmo released its quarterly update today. The Elmo share price went up by 2.8%.

    The fourth quarter saw cash receipts of $16.8 million, up 26.2% on the previous quarter and a rise of 8.4% compared to the prior corresponding period.

    For the whole of FY20 the ASX share achieved cash receipts of $57.5 million, up 27.4% compared to FY19.

    It finished the quarter with a closing cash balance of $139.9 million. It recently launched a new module called ELMO Connect, a new communications module for instant messaging and Zoom conference calls.

    Australian Ethical Investment Limited (ASX: AEF) funds under management

    The ethical fund manager announced its funds under management (FUM) at 30 June 2020 today.

    Australian Ethical said its FUM grew by 18.6% over FY20 to $4.05 billion. Over the whole of FY20 it saw net inflows of $660 million.

    During the final quarter of FY20 it experienced $120 million of net inflows. The quarterly increase of FUM by 12.9% was driven by the net inflows and “strong” investment performance and included $0.04 billion of outflows following the federal government’s changes to early release of superannuation conditions.

    The Australian Ethical share price was almost flat, it fell by 0.2% today.

    5 stocks under $5

    We hear it over and over from investors, “I wish I had bought Altium or Afterpay when they were first recommended by The Motley Fool. I’d be sitting on a gold mine!” And it’s true.

    And while Altium and Afterpay have had a good run, we think these 5 other stocks are screaming buys. And you can buy them now for less than $5 a share!

    *Extreme Opportunities returns as of June 5th 2020

    More reading

    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 and recommends Elmo Software. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of Australian Ethical Investment Ltd. and ZIPCOLTD FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of AFTERPAY T FPO. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Australian Ethical Investment Ltd. and Elmo Software. 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 dangers of investing in managed funds

    Chalk drawing of a risk bag and a reward bag on set of scales

    Over the last few weeks, we Fools have been reporting on the performance of some of the ASX’s most popular and successful managed funds.

    In contrast to exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that simply follow a benchmark index like the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO), managed funds aim to deliver market-beating performance through actively picking shares on your behalf. The ASX 200 index holds 200 different companies. But a typical managed fund can hold 100, 50, 20 or even 10 shares in an effort to find winners and ditch losers for outsized returns.

    Recently, we’ve covered managed funds offered by Magellan Financial Group Ltd (ASX: MFG) here, Mirrabooka Investments Ltd (ASX: MIR) here and Antipodes Partners here.

    All of these funds have delivered some pretty impressive numbers, making a fair case that investing with them is better than just going with an index fund like the Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (ASX: VAS).

    But I think a warning that some managed funds are more equal than others is pertinent.

    The dangers of investing in managed funds

    The fact is, most Australian managed funds do not outperform the ASX 200 index over a long period of time. In fact, 9 in 10 Aussie funds underperformed the index last year, according to a report in the Australian Financial Review (AFR). Those aren’t odds I’d like to take a punt on.

    In separate reporting in the AFR just this week, the paper looked at the performance of a popular ASX fund in Montgomery Investment Management’s flagship Australian Equities Fund.

    According to the report, the Montgomery fund underperformed the S&P/ASX300 Accumulation Index by 1.2% per annum over the five years to 31 May 2020. In other words, you would have been better off just ‘buying the index’ over investing in this fund back in 2015. This fund’s not-inexpensive management fee of 1.36% per annum wouldn’t have helped either, especially when you consider Vanguard’s VAS ETF charges just a fraction of this with a 0.10% per annum fee.

    In Montgomery’s defence, the portfolio manager did tell the AFR that its ‘quality-focused, value-orientated’ strategy is a hard one to execute in the current market environment, and investors should expect it to underperform around 3 years in 10. But even so, the risks of investing in these relatively expensive managed funds instead of an index are hard to ignore.

    Foolish takeaway

    I’m not prepared to totally write off managed funds as a good way to invest in ASX shares just yet, despite the sobering statistics quoted above. Like any investment, you should scrutinise each fund like you would a company. That means assessing its managers and how much skin they have in the game, reading reports and aligning with the fund’s style. In most cases, you will indeed just be better off buying an index fund. But finding that 1-in-10 needle in the haystack can be a lucrative game if you play it properly.

    5 stocks under $5

    We hear it over and over from investors, “I wish I had bought Altium or Afterpay when they were first recommended by The Motley Fool. I’d be sitting on a gold mine!” And it’s true.

    And while Altium and Afterpay have had a good run, we think these 5 other stocks are screaming buys. And you can buy them now for less than $5 a share!

    *Extreme Opportunities returns as of June 5th 2020

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    Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen 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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  • Why I would buy these blue chip ASX 200 shares this week

    Clock showing time to buy, ASX 200 shares

    One thing the Australian share market isn’t short of is blue chip shares.

    But with so many to choose from, it can be hard to decide which ones to buy.

    To narrow things down, I have picked out two blue chip ASX 200 shares which I think would be great long term options for investors. Here they are:

    Aristocrat Leisure Limited (ASX: ALL)

    The first blue chip ASX 200 share to consider buying is Aristocrat Leisure. This gaming technology company’s shares have fallen heavily this year due to the negative impact of the pandemic on its core poker machine business. While this is disappointing, it should only be a short term headwind and demand is likely to recover strongly once the crisis passes.

    In the meantime, lockdowns and casino closures are giving its digital (mobile) portfolio of games a major boost. This segment is offsetting much of the decline in the core business with material recurring revenues. Once trading conditions return to normal and both sides of the business are pulling together, I expect Aristocrat Leisure’s growth to accelerate again.

    SEEK Limited (ASX: SEK)

    Another blue chip ASX 200 share to consider buying is this job listings giant. Although current trading conditions are tough and its FY 2020 result is likely to underwhelm, I believe it is well worth looking beyond this and focusing on the future. A future which I continue to believe is very bright thanks to its underappreciated Zhaopin business in China.

    During the first half Zhaopin contributed 47.8% of SEEK’s total revenue, making it the biggest contributor to its overall revenue by some distance. Given how this business has a massive opportunity in a very lucrative market, I believe it is likely to be the key driver of growth over the next decade and beyond. This should be supported by its ANZ business, which continues to dominate the local market.

    Where to invest $1,000 right 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.*

    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.

    *Returns as of June 30th

    More reading

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

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  • Moderna Soars 16% As Covid-19 Vaccine Shows Strong Immune Response

    Moderna Soars 16% As Covid-19 Vaccine Shows Strong Immune ResponseModerna (MRNA) soared a further 16% in Tuesday’s after-market trading after the biotech announced the publication of an interim analysis of the open-label Phase 1 study of mRNA-1273, its vaccine candidate against COVID-19.Results reaffirmed positive interim data assessment announced on May 18, said Moderna, and show mRNA-1273 induced rapid and strong immune responses against SARS-CoV-2. Neutralizing antibodies were observed in 100% of evaluated participants at the 100 µg dose level selected for the upcoming Phase 3 trial.Published in The New England Journal of Medicine, the interim analysis evaluated a two-dose vaccination schedule of mRNA-1273 given 28 days apart across three dose levels (25, 100, 250 µg) in 45 healthy adult participants ages 18-55 years, and reported results through Day 57.The study was led by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).“These Phase 1 data demonstrate that vaccination with mRNA-1273 elicits a robust immune response across all dose levels and clearly support the choice of 100 µg in a prime and boost regimen as the optimal dose for the Phase 3 study,” said Tal Zaks CMO of Moderna. “We look forward to beginning our Phase 3 study of mRNA-1273 this month to demonstrate our vaccine’s ability to significantly reduce the risk of COVID-19 disease.”Encouragingly, mRNA-1273 was generally safe and well-tolerated, with no serious adverse events reported through Day 57. Adverse events (AEs) were generally transient and mild to moderate in severity.mRNA-1273 induced binding antibodies to the full-length SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein (S) in all participants after the first vaccination, with all participants seroconverting by Day 15. This is the time period during which a specific antibody develops and becomes detectable in the blood.After two vaccinations, mRNA-1273 elicited robust neutralizing antibody titers. At Day 43, neutralizing activity against SARS-CoV-2 (PRNT80) was seen in all evaluated participants. At the Phase 3 selected dose of 100 µg, the geometric mean titer levels were 4.1-fold above those seen in reference convalescent sera (n=3).Evaluation of the durability of immune responses is ongoing, and participants will be followed for one year after the second vaccination, with scheduled blood collections throughout that period.With the Phase 3 dose being finalized at 100 μg, Moderna says it remains on track to be able to deliver approximately 500 million doses per year, and possibly up to 1 billion doses per year, beginning in 2021, due to collaborations with Lonza, Catalent and ROVI.The Phase 3 study protocol has already been reviewed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is expected to include approximately 30,000 participants at the 100 µg dose level in the U.S. The primary endpoint will be the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19 disease with study initiation planned for July 27.Shares in Moderna have surged 280% so far this year, and Wall Street analysts have a bullish Strong Buy consensus on the stock’s outlook. The $86 average price target suggests an additional 15% upside potential lies ahead. (See MRNA stock analysis on TipRanks).“With COVID-19 cases rising across large swaths of the US, and a record high of new US cases we believe the stage is set for rapid evaluation of the study’s primary endpoint of symptomatic COVID-19 disease prevention” comments Chardan Capital analyst Geulah Livshits. She has a buy rating on the stock and a $84 price target.Meanwhile JP Morgan’s Cory Kasimov writes: “The company has spent almost a decade building a world-class platform around mRNA therapeutics, a new class of medicines that, if ultimately successful, could have broad and disruptive potential across the whole biopharma landscape.”Related News: IMV Pops 134% In Pre-Market On “Rapid Progress” Of Covid-19 Vaccine Development Abbott Labs, Edwards Lifesciences Settle Heart Device Patent Disputes Akebia Initiates Vadadustat Study In Covid-19 Patients More recent articles from Smarter Analyst: * Google Cloud To Use AI Technology In Fox Sports Deal * Google Fined Record 600,000 Euros By Belgian Authority * Cloud Tailwinds Could Trigger Further Upside for Microsoft Stock, Says 5-Star Analyst * 3 Healthcare Stocks Under $5 With Triple-Digit Upside Potential

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  • Nissan takes on Tesla in China’s electric car market

    Nissan takes on Tesla in China's electric car marketThe Japanese carmaker has unveiled the first of many electric vehicles as part of a new strategy.

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  • 3 things millennial investors should do in this ASX bull market

    young boy in business suit holding abacus and frowning

    By all accounts, millennial investors have been participating in the current ASX bull market with enthusiasm. Last month, I reported on how investors aged from 18-35 (a.k.a. millennials) were embracing the market volatility 2020 has brought us so far with gusto — in some cases too much gusto.

    Whilst I applaud the fact that younger investors are participating in the share market, it’s also important to remember that mistakes can and likely will be made if one doesn’t have much experience under the belt. Remember, for most investors under at least 30, 2020 would have been the first year that a significant market crash occurred on their watch. We Fools hate to see anyone who makes a nasty mistake or loses a significant sum of capital put off the share market for life.

    So today, we’re looking at 3 tips that, in my view, millennial investors can use to foster some good investing habits.

    Millennial investors should always think long term

    The best aspect of the ASX share market is the ability to harness the power of compound interest. And if you’re a millennial, chances are that you have a long time horizon in front of you. So take advantage of this natural upper hand by trying to achieve a stable, consistent and hopefully market-beating return year in, year out. That’s basically how legendary investor, Warren Buffett, built his billions. And it’s the best way, in my opinion, to view the investing process. So don’t kneecap the compounding process by continually dipping in and out of shares, ‘betting’ a growth share will double in a week or playing around with risky options. Investing for the long term may not be as exciting as some of the above activities, but it will give you a better chance of really building wealth with ASX shares, in my view.

    Don’t buy shares just because they’re going up

    There have been a few eye-popping ASX share movements since the market crashed in March. Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) is one such example. Afterpay shares have exploded more than 750% over the last 3½ months. No one has more FOMO on Afterpay than this writer, but you tend to see a massive inflow of buying pressure when a share price goes parabolic like that. This can be described as ‘buying high’ or ‘jumping on the bandwagon’. This is a dangerous game to play, and one I think millennial investors should largely avoid as it fosters neither good investing habits nor decent long-term returns, in my view.

    Millennials – stick to companies you know

    When you are buying shares, you are really buying an ownership stake in a business. If you were offered a share of someone’s business outside the share market, would you buy in without thoroughly understanding how the business makes money? I doubt it. Yet that’s the mistake many millennial investors make with ‘hot’ stocks like Afterpay, Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P) or ASX cannabis shares. If you find it too difficult to understand a particular business and how it makes money, it’s probably a good idea to move on to a different company or industry, or else just stick with market-wide exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

    Foolish takeaway

    I think it’s great that young investors are trying their hands at the sharemarket. But converting millennial ‘traders’ into long-term investors is sometimes a hard task. So hopefully these tips can prevent some painful mistakes that may put you off investing for life. That’s the worst possible outcome for a new and aspiring investor.

    3 “Double Down” Stocks To Ride The Bull Market

    Motley Fool resident tech stock expert Dr. Anirban Mahanti has stumbled upon three under-the-radar stock picks he believes could be some of the greatest discoveries of his investing career.

    He’s so confident in their future prospects that he has issued “double down” buy alerts on each of these three stocks to members of his Motley Fool Extreme Opportunities stock picking service.

    *Extreme Opportunities returns as of June 5th 2020

    More reading

    Sebastian Bowen has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of ZIPCOLTD FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of AFTERPAY T 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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  • Broker warns Afterpay and these ASX stocks are caught in an overcrowded trade

    There’s a risk that the Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) share price could be trampled in a stampede next month after Credit Suisse warned the tech darling was caught in an overcrowded trade.

    The buy now, pay later (BNPL) company is but one of the 10 S&P/ASX 200 Index (Index:^AXJO) stocks identified by the broker that’s stuck in the “crowded long” trade.

    To be clear, this doesn’t mean these stocks are on the cusp of tumbling. But it does mean they are especially vulnerable if they issued bad news during next month’s profit reporting season.

    Overcrowded long trade

    So, what’s an overcrowded long trade exactly? That’s when investors have become too excited and too many have jumped to buy the stock.

    Credit Suisse screened large cap stocks on two key criteria to make up the list.

    “We have aggregated the net broker trading volumes to produce net flows for the last three months across the leading Australian institutional brokers,” said the broker.

    “In addition, short interest as recorded from ASIC is overlaid.”

    Short-selling data

    ASIC, or the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, puts out a daily report showing the percentage of shares in each ASX company that’s been short-sold.

    Short-selling is when a trader borrows stock to sell on-market in the hope of buying it back at a lower price later. Such trades allow a trader to profit from a falling share price.

    To make it on Credit Suisse’s “crowded long” list, very little of the ASX stock in question has been short-sold. When (or if) this stock issues bad news, not only will shareholders rush for the exits, but short-sellers will pile in. This double-blow will knock a stock lower than it would normally fall.

    Other ASX stocks in overcrowded trade

    Another tech darling to make it to this list is the WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC) share price, while consumer discretionary names like the JB Hi-Fi Limited (ASX: JBH) share price, A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX: A2M) share price and Tabcorp Holdings Limited (ASX: TAH) share price are also listed.

    Another group that’s stuck in an overcrowded trade are the major miners. This includes the BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) share price and Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO) share price.

    Others that are on the list are plumbing products group Reliance Worldwide Corporation Ltd (ASX: RWC), wealth manager AMP Limited (ASX: AMP) and fast food chain Domino’s Pizza Enterprises Ltd. (ASX: DMP).

    ASX stocks that may re-rate next month

    If you are wondering whether Credit Suisse made an opposite list of stocks in an overcrowded short trade, it did!

    The stocks that could enjoy a re-rating during next month’s results season are the Aristocrat Leisure Limited (ASX: ALL) share price, the QBE Insurance Group Ltd (ASX: QBE) share price and the Sydney Airport Holdings Pty Ltd (ASX: SYD) share price – just to name a few.

    5 stocks under $5

    We hear it over and over from investors, “I wish I had bought Altium or Afterpay when they were first recommended by The Motley Fool. I’d be sitting on a gold mine!” And it’s true.

    And while Altium and Afterpay have had a good run, we think these 5 other stocks are screaming buys. And you can buy them now for less than $5 a share!

    *Extreme Opportunities returns as of June 5th 2020

    More reading

    Brendon Lau owns shares of Aristocrat Leisure Ltd., BHP Billiton Limited, and Rio Tinto Ltd. Connect with me on Twitter @brenlau.

    The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of Reliance Worldwide Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of A2 Milk, AFTERPAY T FPO, and WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Domino’s Pizza Enterprises Limited and Reliance Worldwide 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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  • Stock of the day: Paradigm Biopharmaceuticals share price climbs 6% on clinical data

    Piggy Bank Stethoscope

    The Paradigm Biopharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: PAR) share price climbed over 13% today before edging back to a more modest gain of 6% by the market’s close. The Paradigm share price increase came after the healthcare company revealed promising results from a trial of its drug in the treatment of osteoarthritis. Data from a Phase 2B clinical trial showed the drug, Zilosul, reduced cartilage degradation. Data showed 85.7% of patients reported a moderate to considerable improvement in their condition with Zilosul treatment. 

    What does Paradigm Biopharmaceuticals do? 

    Paradigm Biopharmaceutcials is focused on repurposing the drug pentosan polysulphate sodium (PPS) for the treatment of inflammation. PPS, which was previously used to treat bladder inflammation and prevent deep vein thrombosis, has anti-inflammatory and tissue regenerative properties. Paradigm is looking to repurpose PPS to treat osteoarthritis, leveraging the benefit of the drug’s long track record. Currently, trials are underway using Paradigm’s injectable form of PPS (Zilosul or iPPS) to treat osteoarthritis. 

    What did Paradigm Biopharmaceuticals announce? 

    Paradigm announced promising results from trials into the use of Zilosul. A Phase 2B clinical trial showed the drug reduces cartilage degradation. Treatment with Zilosul resulted in a reduction in two key biomarkers associated with cartilage degradation. Data from another patient cohort also showed their chronic pain response reduced by a mean of 44.9% following treatment with Zilosul. In addition, 30 out of 34 patients reported they had experienced a moderate to considerable improvement in their condition.  

    Paradigm plans to apply to the TGA for provisional approval for the use of Zilosul to treat osteoarthritis. Further clinical trials will contribute data to support the application. A number of former NFL players were treated with Zilosul under an Expanded Access Program and results from this program are expected in early August. 

    What’s next for the Paradigm share price?

    Osteoarthritis is the most common joint disorder in the United States. Symptomatic knee osteoarthritis occurs in 10% of men and 13% of women aged 60 years and older. The number of people affected with osteoarthritis is likely to increase due to the aging population and obesity epidemic. If Zilosul proves effective in treating the condition, Paradigm could benefit significantly. 

    Paradigm is also eyeing broader markets. Trials are planned to evaluate iPPS in the treatment of Mucopolysaccharidosis patients. The company is also finalising a commercial research agreement with an Australian University which will investigate the efficacy of iPPS in viral induced respiratory disease. After an early rally that saw the Paradigm share price surge to $3.21, it closed the day’s trade at $3.00. 

    Where to invest $1,000 right 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.*

    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.

    *Returns as of June 30th

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor Kate O’Brien 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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  • Ansell and 1 other quality ASX 200 share to buy right now

    hand holding red briefcase stuffed with cash, investment portfolio

    If you’re looking for some S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) share selections, I believe  the following two ASX 200 shares: Bapcor Ltd (ASX: BAP) and Ansell Limited (ASX: ANN) are worthy candidates. Here’s why they are both in my buy zone right now:

    Bapcor

    Bapcor is the leading aftermarket auto parts distributor in both Australia and New Zealand. An expansion into Thailand will also hopefully provide it with a launching pad to expand further into the Asian market.

    The Bapcor share price was hit hard during the early phase of the coronavirus pandemic, dropping as low as $3.15. Since then, it has made a partial recovery but has failed to regain its February highs of over $7.

    In a recent market update, Bapcor revealed that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been less severe than it had originally predicted. Bapcor’s retail and Burson Trade operating segments in Australia, in particular, have experienced higher than anticipated demand. Same store sales for Autobarn increased over 45% during May and June, compared with the same period in 2019. However, the company’s New Zealand, Thailand, and specialist wholesale divisions have been more negatively impacted by the pandemic.

    With its current share price of $5.68 still well down on pre-COVID-19 levels, I believe that Bapcor offers a reasonable ASX share buying opportunity right now for patient, long-term investors. I still remain confident about the company’s long-term growth prospects. However, further COVID-19 lockdown restrictions could lead to share price volatility over the short term.

    Ansell

    Ansell develops, manufactures and sells a range of gloves and personal protective equipment (PPE) for both the industrial and medical markets.

    Ansell has been one of the star performers on the S&P/ASX 200 Index with regards to share price growth during the coronavirus pandemic. After initial share prices losses in the early phase of the pandemic, falling to $21.43 on 23 March, the Ansell share price is now trading well above its pre-COVID-19 levels at $38.40. Ansell has been experiencing strong recent demand for its hand and body protection products. Both product ranges are industry certified for protection against infections and viruses such as coronavirus.

    Despite its recent strong share price increase, I’m confident that Ansell remains well-positioned to grow further over the next five years due to rising demand for PPE in the healthcare segment.

    Foolish takeaway

    Both Bapcor and Ansell are on my buy list due to their entrenched market positions, growing overseas presence and proven business models. I believe that both have long runways for growth, however I’m leaning more towards Ansell right now as my top pick of the two. This is largely due to what I believe will be continued strong demand for its products during the pandemic.

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    Motley Fool contributor Phil Harpur has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Bapcor. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Ansell 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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