• Why Beach, CBA, Qantas, & Xero shares are dropping lower

    In late morning trade the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is following the lead of U.S. markets and dropping lower. At the time of writing the benchmark index is down over 1% to 5,365.1 points.

    Four shares that have fallen more than most today are listed below. Here’s why they are dropping lower:

    The Beach Energy Ltd (ASX: BPT) share price is down almost 5% to $1.40. Investors have been selling Beach and other energy shares after a pullback in oil prices overnight. Though, one broker that thinks its shares are in the buy zone is Morgans. This morning it retained its add rating with a reduced price target of $1.66.

    The Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) share price is down 3% to $59.01. This decline may have been driven by a broker note out of Morgan Stanley this morning. In response to its third quarter update, the broker has retained its underweight rating and cut the price target on its shares to $56.00. It doesn’t believe Commonwealth Bank deserves to trade at a premium and is expecting a big dividend cut in August.

    The Qantas Airways Limited (ASX: QAN) share price has fallen 3.5% to $3.42. Investors have been selling the airline operator’s shares after the Queensland government confirmed that it is looking to buy a stake in rival Virgin Australia Holdings Limited (ASX: VAH). The state government appears determined not to let Virgin Australia collapse during the pandemic.

    The Xero Limited (ASX: XRO) share price is down almost 4% to $80.62 following the release of its full year results. For the 12 months ended March 31, the business and accounting software company delivered a 30% lift in operating revenue and a 52% lift in EBITDA. Whilst this was strong, the company warned that it is being impacted by the pandemic. As such, no guidance was provided for FY 2021.

    Need a lift after these declines? You might regret missing out on these top stocks while they are dirt cheap.

    5 cheap stocks that could be the biggest winners of the stock market crash

    Investing expert Scott Phillips has just named what he believes are the 5 cheapest and best stocks to buy right now.

    Courtesy of the crashing stock market, these 5 companies are suddenly trading at significant discounts to their recent highs… creating what could be incredible opportunities for bargain-hungry investors.

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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 Xero. 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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  • What happens to ASX shares if Australian house prices do fall 30%?

    House Prices

    What will happen to ASX shares if Australian house prices do actually fall 30% like some economists are predicting.

    A lot is being made of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) predicted scenario where house prices may fall 30% due to the coronavirus. But that’s just one potential scenario. CBA isn’t saying house prices will fall 30%, it isn’t the most likely outcome – just a worst-case one.

    How far do banks think property will fall?

    However, all of the big four ASX banks are now predicting that house prices are probably going to fall by more than 10%. Anecdotal evidence suggests that in some areas house prices have already dropped 10%, it just isn’t reflected in the statistics yet.

    Obviously if house prices were to drop it would be bad news for a wide variety of ASX shares. For starters, I think CBA, Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC), Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ASX: ANZ) and National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) would all suffer.

    I believe the regional lenders would also suffer. The pain may be smaller in dollar terms, but don’t forget their loan books are smaller too. In percentage terms it could be just as bad, if not worse. I’d watch for the effects on Bank of Queensland Limited (ASX: BOQ) and Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Ltd (ASX: BEN).

    If house prices dropped 30% then that could cause higher bank bad debts due to negative equity.

    I think it could also be bad for property businesses that are somewhat reliant on a robust property market. Think of shares like REA Group Limited (ASX: REA), Domain Holdings Australia Ltd (ASX: DHG), CSR Limited (ASX: CSR), Beacon Lighting Group Ltd (ASX: BLX) and Nick Scali Limited (ASX: NCK). Share prices would probably fall.

    The negative effect could be a noticeable negative for many areas of the economy like we saw during the first half of 2019. And think of all of the taxes generated by property values for various areas of government – stamp duty, council rates and so on.

    Falling house prices may be good for one group of people, avocado eaters may finally be able to afford a house.

    Do I think house prices will fall 30%?

    Australia’s economy is quite reliant on property. Would property buyers really let Aussie house prices fall that far? Maybe everyone would jump in at a 20% reduction. Interest rates are now incredibly low which makes it easier to afford a property.

    I certainly expect property will fall over 10% (some property buyers say they already have in parts). But I think a 30% won’t happen because of the Aussie love for property and how much support there is and will be for property prices.

    But for long-term wealth building, I’d much rather buy the best ASX shares over property. I think these are some of the best names out there.

    5 cheap stocks that could be the biggest winners of the stock market crash

    Investing expert Scott Phillips has just named what he believes are the 5 cheapest and best stocks to buy right now.

    Courtesy of the crashing stock market, these 5 companies are suddenly trading at significant discounts to their recent highs… creating what could be incredible opportunities for bargain-hungry investors.

    Simply click here to scoop up your FREE copy and discover the names of all 5 cheap shares to buy now… before the next stock market rally.

    See the 5 stocks

    Returns as of 7/4/2020

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    Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison 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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  • Losers of Virgin Australia’s potential nationalisation

    Virgin

    The Queensland state government’s announcement of the potential nationalisation of Virgin Australia Holdings Ltd (ASX: VAH) is undoubtedly a value-destroying move, in my view. Airlines are capital-intensive companies. They have good margins, but not great. Attaching a company like that to the state finances appears, prima facie, as a recipe for disaster.

    At time of writing, Virgin owes $2.28 billion to secured lenders and secured leaseholders, $1.98 billion to unsecured bondholders, $1.88 billion to aircraft lessors and $451 million in entitlements to around 9,000 workers. In total, almost $7 billion to over 12,000 parties

    In any debt restructuring and bailout, creditors can exert some influence. However, all bidders will be looking to reduce payments to debt holders – a situation the state government would find difficult. 

    This is particularly as Queensland would be doing so for its own state interest. While this is fair enough, I believe it adds little value to the remainder of the airline’s national customers, aside from placing their interests always second. The irreplaceable value of Virgin to the Queensland economy has been overblown. As has the need for government intervention.

    Alternatives to nationalisation

    Outside of nationalisation, a range of potential bidders has come to light. Among them is Andrew Forrest, a man whose determination has already launched 2 multi-billion dollar enterprises in Western Australia. 

    Deloitte, Virgin’s lead administrator, previously stated that 8 bidders were already confirmed, with negotiations continuing with a further 12 potential bidders. Some of these allegedly include Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES), American airline investor Indigo Partners, Richard Branson and private equity firm BGH Capital.

    Indicative bids for the airline are due by tomorrow, 15 May. Final bids are expected in June with Deloitte confident of completing the sales process by the end of June.

    Capitalism works

    Within Queensland, there are regional airlines like Alliance Aviation Services Ltd (ASX: AQZ) or even Regional Express Holdings Ltd (ASX: REX). These airlines already carry a lot of the load of intra-state and regional air traffic. Not only in Queensland but also in my own state of Western Australia. The vacancy remains at the interstate level. 

    Of these 2 airlines, I am particularly fond of Alliance. This company is the nation’s unheralded workhorse, ferrying many workers to and from resource projects. It has recently won a contract extension with South32 Ltd (ASX: S32) and has continued operations throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. All of its aircraft belong to the company, which prides itself in operating to world-class standards. 

    Foolish takeaway

    In my opinion, any attempt at nationalisation by the Queensland government into the Virgin Australia bidding process is likely to produce a large number of losers. These include the taxpayers of Queensland, customers of Virgin across the nation, small but robust airlines like Alliance, as well as those who are dedicating time and capital to winning the bidding process.

    Many airlines across the world have government support. However, in Australia, I believe this is not necessary. Virgin Blue demonstrated that.

    One “All In” ASX Buy Alert, that could be one of our greatest discoveries

    Investing expert Scott Phillips has just named what he believes is the #1 Top “Buy Alert” after stumbling upon a little-owned opportunity he believes could be one of the greatest discoveries of his 25 years as a professional investor.

    This under-the-radar ASX recommendation is virtually unknown among individual investors, and no wonder.

    What it offers is an utterly unique strategy to position yourself to potentially profit alongside some of the world’s biggest and most powerful tech companies.

    Potential returns of 1X, 2X and even 3X are all in play. Best of all, you could hold onto this little-known equity for DECADES to come

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  • Could these small cap ASX shares be the next Afterpay?

    portrait of woman holding popcorn watching a movie

    I think having a little exposure to the small cap side of the market would be a very good thing for a portfolio.

    You only need to look at how successful investing in the Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) IPO in 2016 would have been to see why.

    And while very few small cap shares will be as successful as Afterpay, there are a number on the market that have the potential to follow in its footsteps.

    Three small cap shares I think have enormous potential are listed below:

    Bigtincan Holdings Ltd (ASX: BTH)

    Bigtincan is a fast-growing provider of enterprise mobility software. The company’s software allows sales and service organisations to increase their sales win rates, reduce expenditures, and improve customer satisfaction. This is achieved through improved mobile worker productivity. It counts a wide range of blue chips as customers and continues to grow during the pandemic. Bigtincan recently reaffirmed that it is on course to achieve organic revenue growth in the range of 30% to 40% in FY 2020.

    Serko Ltd (ASX: SKO)

    Serko is a technology company focused on innovative solutions that address the challenges of corporate travel and expense management. It was growing at a very strong rate over the last fews years thanks to the increasing popularity of its Zeno product. And while its performance looks likely to be negatively impacted by the coronavirus, I expect it to bounce back strongly once conditions ease.

    Whispir (ASX: WSP)

    Whispir is a software-as-a-service communications workflow platform provider. Its industry-leading software platform allows companies to deliver actionable two-way interactions at scale using automated multi-channel communication workflows. This helps make operations more efficient and can cut down the number of service desk support calls. It counts a number of big names as customers such as Disney and Foxtel.

    One “All In” ASX Buy Alert, that could be one of our greatest discoveries

    Investing expert Scott Phillips has just named what he believes is the #1 Top “Buy Alert” after stumbling upon a little-owned opportunity he believes could be one of the greatest discoveries of his 25 years as a professional investor.

    This under-the-radar ASX recommendation is virtually unknown among individual investors, and no wonder.

    What it offers is an utterly unique strategy to position yourself to potentially profit alongside some of the world’s biggest and most powerful tech companies.

    Potential returns of 1X, 2X and even 3X are all in play. Best of all, you could hold onto this little-known equity for DECADES to come

    Simply click here to see how you can find out the name of this ‘all in’ buy alert… before the next stock market rally.

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    Returns as of 6/5/2020

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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 Serko Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended BIGTINCAN FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of AFTERPAY T FPO. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Serko Ltd and Whispir 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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  • Why Breville, Graincorp, Mesoblast, & Newcrest shares are charging higher

    stacking blocks with upward arrows

    The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is having an off day and is trading notably lower in late morning trade. At the time of writing the benchmark index is down 0.8% to 5,380.4 points.

    Four shares that are not letting that hold them back are listed below. Here’s why they are charging higher:

    The Breville Group Ltd (ASX: BRG) share price has jumped 10% to $20.52. This morning Breville completed the institutional component of its equity raising. The appliance maker raised $94 million at $17.00 per new share. This represents a discount of 9.1% to its last close price. The company also released a positive trading update which revealed strong sales growth in the second half. Between January 1 and April 30, Breville’s revenue was up 32% on the prior corresponding period. Sales grew 25% in March and 21% in April.

    The Graincorp Ltd (ASX: GNC) share price is up 6% to $3.49 following the release of its half year results. For the six months ended March 31, the grain exporter delivered an underlying net profit after tax of $55 million. This was an increase from a $48 million net loss after tax in the prior corresponding period.

    The Mesoblast limited (ASX: MSB) share price has jumped 10% to $3.73. Investors have been buying the regenerative medicine company’s shares in recent weeks due to promising trials of its allogeneic cell therapy, remestemcel-L. The company is testing its efficacy in treating acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), the most devastating symptom of COVID-19. Phase 2/3 trials are ongoing, with the dosing of some patients commencing last week.

    The Newcrest Mining Limited (ASX: NCM) share price is up 4.5% to $29.30. A number of gold miners are pushing higher on Thursday after a solid rise in the gold price overnight. The precious metal rose amid speculation that the Federal Reserve will soon embark on further stimulus. In late morning trade the S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Gold index is up by almost 3%.

    Missed these gains? Then don’t miss out on these top stocks which have been labelled “dirt cheap”.

    5 cheap stocks that could be the biggest winners of the stock market crash

    Investing expert Scott Phillips has just named what he believes are the 5 cheapest and best stocks to buy right now.

    Courtesy of the crashing stock market, these 5 companies are suddenly trading at significant discounts to their recent highs… creating what could be incredible opportunities for bargain-hungry investors.

    Simply click here to scoop up your FREE copy and discover the names of all 5 cheap shares to buy now… before the next stock market rally.

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    Returns as of 7/4/2020

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

    The post Why Breville, Graincorp, Mesoblast, & Newcrest shares are charging higher appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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  • Should you cash out of this ASX 200 rally?

    money bag surrounded by gold coins, cash out

    Should you cash out of this S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) rally?

    The ASX 200 has had a pretty top few weeks. Since the lows we saw in late March, the ASX 200 has rallied almost 20%. That’s more than double the index’s long-term average annual return – albeit following a 37% crash earlier in the year.

    Still, the confidence of many ASX investors would be well up from the widespread panic we saw in March. Some shares like the ASX banks have stabilised. Others like CSL Limited (ASX: CSL) are edging ever closer to their pre-crash highs.

    But this begs the question – is now a good time to ‘cash out’ and lock in some gains? Particularly since the markets don’t seem to be factoring in that we’re about to go through the worst recession Australia has seen in decades.

    Time to cash out?

    It might be tempting to cash out of some or all of your holdings if you’re nervous about the markets right now. After all, cash is king in a market crash.

    But here’s the problem.

    Do you actually know what the markets will look like tomorrow, in two months, six months or a year’s time? Of course not, otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this article! Even the best investors in the world, like Warren Buffett, don’t try to pretend they know exactly what the markets will do next.

    Plus, odds are (like most ASX investors), your portfolio still has some losses left over from the March crash. To paraphrase a great song, you can cash out any time you’d like, but you can never leave… your losses once you do so.

    Yes, the ASX might crash the day after you cash out and you’ll look and feel like a genius.

    But maybe it won’t. Maybe it will go on to hit new highs – stranger things have happened. As the legendary economist John Maynard Keynes once said, “Markets can remain irrational longer than you can remain solvent”. And if that happens, you probably won’t feel so smart.

    And even if you do pull off a well-timed cash out, when are you going to jump back in? That’s two incredible punts you’re going to have to pull off.

    Throw in the costs of jumping in and out of the markets (taxes, brokerage, fees etc.) and it’s a very narrow tightrope you’re trying to walk.

    Foolish takeaway

    Like most of us Fools, I think having a long-term mindset is the best way to invest in shares. Thus, I think trying to time the market by cashing out ‘before the crash’ is folly. Investing in shares means you’re in it for the good times and the bad – it’s all part of the game. Trying to dodge the inevitable will usually result in poor returns over the long run!

    So, rather than cashing out, consider investing in these five shares instead!

    NEW! 5 Cheap Stocks With Massive Upside Potential

    Our experts at The Motley Fool have just released a FREE report detailing 5 shares you can buy now to take advantage of the much cheaper share prices on offer.

    One is a diversified conglomerate trading 40% off it’s all time high, all while offering a fully franked dividend yield of over 3%…

    Another is a former stock market darling that is one of Australia’s most popular and iconic businesses. Trading at a significant discount to its 52-week high, not only does this stock offer massive upside potential, but it also trades on an attractive fully franked dividend yield of almost 4%.

    Plus, this free report highlights 3 more cheap bets that could position you to profit in 2020 and beyond.

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    Returns as of 7/4/2020

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    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 CSL Ltd. 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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  • 1 of my favourite dividend shares just forecast growing dividends to March 2022

    ASX dividend shares

    One of my favourite dividend shares has just announced it is forecasting growing dividends to March 2022.

    That business is Duxton Water Ltd (ASX: D2O). It’s a unique company that’s building a portfolio of water entitlements across the southern Murray Darling Basin. It then leases that water to farmers, through long-term leases and both spot and forward contract allocation sales.

    The Duxton Water share price is up over 1% in response to the news this morning.

    Today, it announced the execution of a new water lease arrangement starting 1 July 2020. This will take the leased portion of the permanent water portfolio to 66%, generating $9.5 million of annualised leasing revenue from 1 July 2020.

    Duxton Water has a weighted average lease expiry (WALE) of 2.9 years with 5.2 years inclusive of renewal options. This WALE provides a lot of medium-term certainty for the dividend share.

    Duxton Water’s dividend share credentials

    The Board of the company doesn’t foresee any significant impacts from the coronavirus. Firstly, the company has reaffirmed the intention to pay a 2.9 per share fully franked dividend in September. Then a fully franked 3 cent dividend in March 2021.

    Today, thanks to the forward visibility of lease revenue, Duxton Water announced a dividend target of 3.1 cents to be paid in September 2021 and a further target of 3.2 cents to be paid in March 2022. That’s two years of dividends pencilled in. Great news for people looking for a reliable dividend share.

    At the current Duxton Water share price the next 12 months of dividends amounts to a grossed-up dividend yield of 6.4%. The dividends in the subsequent 12 months amounts to a grossed-up dividend yield of 6.75%.

    Is the Duxton Water share price a buy?

    Duxton Water has increased its dividend every six months since November 2017. I think it could be one of the best dividend shares on the ASX over the next two years. Many others are cutting their dividends. It’s currently trading at a discount of around 20% to its pre-tax NTA and a 28% discount to the post-tax NTA. I’d be happy to buy a few shares today. 

    This top ASX dividend share could be an even better pick for reliability and long-term income.

    Expert names top dividend stock for 2020 (free report)

    When our resident dividend expert Edward Vesely has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, he’s the investing genius that runs Motley Fool Dividend Investor, the newsletter service that has picked huge winners like Dicker Data (+92%), SDI Limited (+53%) and National Storage (+35%).*

    Edward has just named what he believes is the number one ASX dividend stock to buy for 2020.

    This fully franked “under the radar” company is currently trading more than 24% below its all time high and paying a 6.7% grossed up dividend

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    Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison owns shares of DUXTON FPO. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended DUXTON 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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  • Why I think Premier Investments is the best retail share on the ASX

    number 1 trophy

    The COVID-19 pandemic may have forced many retailers to close their doors forever. Despite the doom and gloom, I believe it is still possible for investors to find long-term value in the Australian retail sector.

    Here’s why Premier Investments Limited (ASX: PMV) could be the best retail share listed on the ASX.  

    How has Premier Investments performed?

    As the owner of prominent retail brands such as Smiggle, Peter Alexander and Just Jeans, Premier Investments has suffered the same fate as most retailers in Australia. The company recently released an update informing the market that sales had plunged 74% for the 6 weeks to 6 May 2020, with overseas sales tanking 99% in the same period.

    In response to the pandemic, the Premier Investments share price had dropped more than 56% year-to-date by late March. Despite the sharp fall, the company’s share price has recovered more than 87% from its low in March and is poised to continue as the Australian economy looks to restart.  

    Billionaire owner taking fight to landlords

    Billionaire Solomon Lew is the chairman of Premier Investments and has built his fortune working in the retail business over the past 50 years. Drawing on his wealth of experience, Mr. Lew has made it clear to commercial landlords that stores under Premier Investments will only pay rent in arrears based on a proportion of gross sales when they reopen.

    In an article in The Australian, Mr. Lew stated that Premier Investments intends to do everything possible in order to get people back to work. The company was forced to stand down 9,000 employees last month as governments imposed restrictions to curb the pandemic.

    What is the outlook for Premier Investments?

    Despite the fall in sales, Premier Investments saw online sales surge more than 99% for the 6 weeks to 6 May 2020. The increase in e-commerce reflects the change the pandemic has had on consumer behaviour. Although Premier Investments’ stores are largely brick and mortar stores, 70% of the company’s leases in Australia and New Zealand expire in the near future.

    As a result, Premier Investments has the luxury of adjusting its online and physical store mix. The company has also reassured shareholders of its strong balance sheet that has Premier Investments well placed to begin a recovery.

    Foolish takeaway

    In my opinion, Premier Investments is possibly the best retail share listed on the ASX. The company boasts a strong portfolio of competitive global brands and has the cash to capitalise on future opportunities.

    In addition to its size, the company also boasts the flexibility to adapt to changing consumer behaviour and e-commerce facilities. Premier Investments also has an experienced board that gives the company the luxury of experience that not many ASX retail shares have.

    As the Australian economy restarts, it is far from going back to business as usual. Now may not be the time to invest in retail, however, I believe it would be prudent to keep Premier Investments on your watchlist for the future.

    While you wait for a recovery in the ASX retail sector, be sure to check out the free report below.

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    As of 7/4/2020

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    Motley Fool contributor Nikhil Gangaram has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Premier Investments 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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  • This ASX 200 share is rocketing higher after delivering more strong sales growth

    The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) may be sinking lower today, but that hasn’t stopped the Breville Group Ltd (ASX: BRG) share price from rocketing higher.

    In morning trade the appliance maker’s shares have returned from their trading halt and jumped 10% higher to $20.54.

    Why was the Breville share price in a trading halt?

    Breville requested a trading halt on Wednesday while it undertook a $104 million equity raising.

    This morning the company revealed that it has successfully completed the underwritten institutional placement component of the equity raising.

    Breville has raised $94 million through the issue of approximately 5.5 million new shares to institutional investors for $17.00 per new share. This represents a discount of 9.1% to its last close price.

    It will now push ahead with its share purchase plan which aims to raise a further $10 million.

    The proceeds will be used to enhance Breville’s financial flexibility to continue to invest in the execution of its growth agenda while maintaining a strong financial position.

    Why is the Breville share price rocketing higher?

    Equity raisings rarely send share prices hurtling higher, so readers may be curious about today’s gains.

    Investors have been buying the company’s shares after it released a trading update with its equity raising announcement.

    According to the release, Breville has been performing very strongly during the second half of FY 2020, despite the pandemic and store closures.

    Between January 1 and April 30, Breville’s revenue was up 32% on the prior corresponding period. Sales grew 25% in March and 21% in April.

    Management commented: “At a segment level, Global Product has delivered 32% revenue growth, or 24% in constant currency terms, from 1 January to 30 April 2020.”

    “In constant currency terms, March delivered 14% growth which strengthened to 18% in April. This is despite retailers in key regions closing stores during government mandated lockdowns. Sell-through exceeded sell-in growth in all key regions, as demand remained strong and retailers ran down their inventory,” it added.

    Despite its sales growing strongly, the company has been quick to manage its cashflows and reduce cash expenses to minimum levels.

    These cost savings are designed to temporarily reduce salary costs but protect capability, temporarily reduce marketing and increase its return on investment, while ensuring that its product development continues.

    Pleasingly, the pandemic doesn’t look likely to stifle its expansion plans. Management revealed that it is in advanced planning for the entry into further international markets in FY 2021. The funds raised today are expected to support this growth plan.

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

    The post This ASX 200 share is rocketing higher after delivering more strong sales growth appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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  • Is Roku Stock a Buy Right Now? This Is What You Need to Know

    Is Roku Stock a Buy Right Now? This Is What You Need to KnowThe market has proven itself difficult to predict at the best of times, yet the sustained rally since mid-March has left many perplexed. As the bad news on Main Street has kept piling up, Wall Street has nonchalantly marched on, seemingly oblivious to the pandemic’s destructive effect and buoyed by the stimulus measures.But perplexing market moves are nothing new. Which brings us to Roku (ROKU). The OTT leader delivered a solid quarterly report last week, and promptly tanked in the market, as shares dropped by 8% in Friday’s session.At first glance, this may seem odd. Roku reported revenue of $321 million, up by 55.3% year-over-year and beating the estimates by $11.77million. Q1 GAAP EPS of -$0.45 met Street expectations, while active accounts increased year-over-year by 36.8% to 39.8 million. Unsurprisingly, in these stay at home times, engagement soared to 13.2 billion hours, up by 49% compared to the same period last year.So where was the problem? Maybe problem is the wrong word. But you could argue the good news was already priced in, as Roku announced preliminary results in mid-April, and therefore Wall Street knew what was coming. Secondly, it should be noted Roku stock has exploded since the mid-March lows. The majority of the market has surged too, but not many increased by 115% since then, so, it is possible some trading profits were locked in.Another explanation for the sell-off might be down to Roku’s assertion that ad spend – a major ARPU (average revenue per user) growth driver – is expected to be slashed amid the economic uncertainty. The trend was already in place in the quarter as ad cancellations came in fast and furious during late March through mid-April.Nevertheless, the pullback hasn’t dampened Rosenblatt analyst Mark Zgutowicz’s views on Roku’s prospects. As it happens, following the earnings report, the 5-star analyst reiterated a Buy and increased the price target from $110 to $145. Expect upside of 23%, should the target be met in the months ahead. (To watch Zgutowicz’s track record, click here)Zgutowicz commented, “While macro and subsequent ad market uncertainties look to be with us for some time, we remain focused on long-term potential silver linings to pandemic disruptions, including ecommerce and OTT video. Roku’s dominant US brand/household positioning in OTT, and early innings globally, make it hard to bet against, even with acknowledged less than perfect financial model transparencies. OTT video streaming and importantly Roku’s market position, should come out the other end of this stronger.”All in all, the Street keeps a positive, though more measured view. 7 Buys, 4 Holds and 2 Sells coalesce to a Moderate Buy consensus rating. The average price target is $128.33 and implies miniscule upside of 9%. (See Roku stock analysis on TipRanks)Read more: * 3 Top Stock Picks From Wall Street’s 5-Star Analyst * Morgan Stanley: 2 Stocks That Could Surge Over 25% * 3 Stocks Millennials Are Betting Big on Right Now More recent articles from Smarter Analyst: * Walt Disney Raises $11 Billion From Bond Sale to Bolster Finances * Twilio Partners With Zocdoc For Telehealth Video Consultations * CyberArk Software Shares Sink 6% on Weak Sales Outlook * Uber Announces $750M Notes Offering, As GrubHub Takeover Reports Swirl

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