The Australian economy is emerging from the dreaded COVID-19 lockdown and the optimism is firing up the share market!

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (Index:^AXJO) jumped 1.3% on Monday with all sectors finishing in the black, although the runup in share prices is forcing some brokers to downgrade some ASX shares.

Bad news around the corner

One of the latest stocks to be hit with a recommendation downgrade is building supplies group CSR Limited (ASX: CSR).

Citigroup cut its rating on the stock to “neutral” from “buy” ahead of the group’s full year results tomorrow.

This probably explains the 4% plunge in CSR’s share price to $3.38 even as the broader market rallied. This makes CSR the second worst performer on the ASX 200 today after Graincorp Ltd (ASX: GNC), which fell 4.2% to $3.45.

Earnings hit from construction

Citigroup is expecting CSR to post a 40% drop in underlying net profit to $111.1 million, which is 7% below consensus forecasts.

You can blame the downturn in building construction for much of the damage, although the challenging medium-term outlook for its aluminium business isn’t helping either.

“The outlook for CSR remains challenging, with top line headwinds in housing and aluminium businesses emerging,” said the broker.

“This creates a high level of earnings pressure medium term and drives our underlying NPAT downgrades of ~50% in FY21e and FY22e.”

Citi’s 12-month price target on the stock was lowered to $3.45 from $5.60 a share.

Running out of puff

Another to come under pressure today was the REA Group Limited (ASX: REA) share price.

Shares in the online property classifieds group fell 1.8% to $93.46 after Credit Suisse downgraded the stock to “neutral” from “outperform”.

The broker’s decision comes in the wake of the group’s quarterly earnings update that showed a 1% increase in revenue and 7% improvement in earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA).

The top-line missed Credit Suisse’s forecast of around 5% while EBITDA was roughly in line.

Fully priced

“Given ~7% price increases, this implies the benefit from depth penetration for the quarter was minimal,” said the broker.

“We lower our target price to A$94.50/share (prev A$94.80/share) to reflect the minor reductions to our forecasts.

“We continue to expect a recovery in volumes from the low point expected over the next few months, but given the recent rally in the stock, we view the recovery as appropriately priced in.”

On the flipside, if you are looking for undervalued stocks to buy for the post COVID-19 recovery, you should download the latest free report from the experts at the Motley Fool.

Follow the free link below to find out more.

More reading

• Is the Altium share price a buy?
• ASX 200 starts the week strongly, up 1.3%
• Start your week off with these 3 top Warren Buffett quotes
• Morgans warns investors to sell these ASX 200 shares in the rally
• Will high unemployment be the last straw for this ASX bull run?

Motley Fool contributor Brendon Lau 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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The Altium Limited (ASX: ALU) share price has been up and down in 2020, but is it set to surge in the second half of the year?

What’s been happening to the Altium share price?

Altium is a software company that provides PC-based electronics design software for engineers who design printed circuit boards. It’s been something of a rollercoaster for the ASX tech company in 2020, with less international trade, reduced business expenditure and potential supply chain disruptions weighing heavily on the Altium share price in March.

Altium is part of the WAAAX group of tech shares that have rocketed higher in recent years. While Altium does have a 1.03% dividend yield, much of its value is tied up in future expected growth. In fact, Altium trades at a price-to-earnings ratio of 59.82, which is why investors were spooked by the COVID-19 shutdown. 

At the height of the February earnings season, Altium hit a new 52-week high of $42.76 per share. It was downhill from there as the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) slumped amid a broader bear market. The Altium share price fell to a 52-week low of $23.11 per share before recovering to its current $36.79 valuation.

Is Altium in the ‘buy zone’?

It’s been an impressive share price recovery for Altium in April and May. Altium is still trading below its pre-COVID-19 value but the economic outlook has certainly shifted. I personally don’t think Altium’s valuation is compelling enough to buy right now.

If we see another bear market drop then I’d look at buying Altium for the right price, however, I think there are other strong ASX tech shares that could be in the buy zone, like Xero Limited (ASX: XRO).

Foolish takeaway

The Altium share price has been on a rollercoaster ride this year. Altium is a dividend-paying share that does provide some security, but I still think I’ll wait for another market dip before buying in.

More reading

• The latest ASX shares to be downgraded by top brokers
• ASX 200 starts the week strongly, up 1.3%
• Start your week off with these 3 top Warren Buffett quotes
• Morgans warns investors to sell these ASX 200 shares in the rally
• 3 ASX growth shares to buy immediately with $3,000

Motley Fool contributor Ken Hall has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of Altium. 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 Is the Altium share price a buy? appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) went up 1.3%, it started the week strongly. Investors are feeling more confident about the situation now that restrictions are starting to lift.

Whilst Australia’s leaders are telling people not to get complacent, various rules around the country are starting to become a bit more relaxed.

Here are some of the highlights from the ASX 200 today:

Large ASX 200 share price gains

Some ASX 200 businesses saw share prices rise considerably today.

The share price of Webjet Limited (ASX: WEB) rose by 19.5%.

Southern Cross Media Group Ltd (ASX: SXL) saw its share price go up 18.5%.

The share price of NRW Holdings Limited (ASX: NWH) grew by 12.2%.

AP Eagers Ltd (ASX: APE) saw its share price rise by 10.8%.

Cochlear Limited (ASX: COH)

The ASX 200 hearing device business saw a 5% rise in its share price today despite outlining a significant fall in revenue.

Compared to April 2019, sales revenue across the company declined 60% in April 2020. Cochlear implant unit sales fell by 80% across developed markets, with most elective surgeries postponed across the US and Western Europe.

The bright spot was China where surgeries recommenced in late February and continued to recover throughout April. Surgeries are now running close to pre-virus run rates despite Beijing, the largest surgery centre, remaining largely closed to elective surgery.

Suncorp Group Ltd (ASX: SUN)

The ASX 200 financial business saw its share price rise 4.2% today after also giving an update.

It was announced CEO of Banking and Wealth Lee Hatton will be leaving the organisation at the end of the month.

At 31 March 2020 it had excess group common equity tier 1 (CET1) capital of $682 million at 31 March 2020.

On the insurance side of things Suncorp is expecting gross written premiums to be impacted by lower economic activity, however it’s expecting lower consumer motor claims volumes. It said it’s expecting increased landlord loss of rent claims.

The final dividend will be considered though the year end process.

Returns as of 6/5/2020

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 Cochlear Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Webjet Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Cochlear 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.

More reading

• The latest ASX shares to be downgraded by top brokers
• Is the Altium share price a buy?
• Start your week off with these 3 top Warren Buffett quotes
• Morgans warns investors to sell these ASX 200 shares in the rally
• Analysts think this ASX auto share could be turning the corner

The post ASX 200 starts the week strongly, up 1.3% appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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Warren Buffett is one of – if not the – greatest businessmen and investors of all time. He has managed to come from relatively small means to build a US$70 billion fortune and the gigantic US$430 billion company Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A)(NYSE: BRK.B) over his long life.

But not only that, Buffett has also made a name for himself as a talented teacher – often dispensing his investing wisdom in a trademark folksy style complete with colourful and memorable quotes.

Here are three that I think all ASX investors will benefit from keeping in mind this week:

“If you aren’t willing to own a stock for ten years, don’t even think about owning it for ten minutes.”

This is one of my personal favourites. In this single pithy sentence, Buffett captures the essence of the long-term mindset that we Fools love. Consider investing as buying ownership of quality businesses, not as the daily trading of ticker symbols on a screen.

Thus, we should all be looking for that company we would want to own for at least a decade, just like Buffett has with Coca-Cola or American Express.

“Whether we’re talking about socks or stocks, I like buying quality merchandise when it is marked down.”

This quote addresses the strange nature of a stock market crash – the only marketplace in the world where buyers want to run out the door if things go on sale. Buffett loves buying shares when everyone wants to sell them.

That’s because when real panic gets a hold in the share market, investors have the tendency to sell everything and get as much cash as possible, with no discrimination between whether what they’re selling is a good or a bad company.

Again, you can use this to your advantage as an investor.

“Price is what you pay, value is what you get”

This fantastic nugget of wisdom is the essence of Buffett’s ‘value investing’ style. It’s a reminder that while the stock market is often a rational place (meaning the price of a company’s shares is equal to its value), this isn’t always the case.

That’s why we’ve seen businesses like Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) fluctuate between being priced at $9 a share and $40 a share over the last 3 months. Has the value of Afterpay as a company changed by 400%? Not really (in my opinion). Has its price? Absolutely, and to extreme levels.

Taking advantage of this kind of disparity is how you can outperform the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) over time.

More reading

• Morgans warns investors to sell these ASX 200 shares in the rally
• Will high unemployment be the last straw for this ASX bull run?
• Fund manager thinks investors should look beyond the worst economic data since the Great Depression
• Is this ASX 200 share market recovery “fool’s gold”? This ASX fundie thinks so
• Webjet share price jumps 25%: Is it good value?

Sebastian Bowen owns shares of American Express and Coca-Cola. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and recommends Berkshire Hathaway (B shares) and recommends the following options: long January 2021 $200 calls on Berkshire Hathaway (B shares), short January 2021 $200 puts on Berkshire Hathaway (B shares), and short June 2020 $205 calls on Berkshire Hathaway (B shares). The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of AFTERPAY T FPO. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Berkshire Hathaway (B shares). 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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If you’re looking at adding a few new shares to your portfolio, then I think the five listed below are worth considering.

I believe all five have the potential to generate strong returns for investors over the next decade.

Here’s why I would buy them:

Aristocrat Leisure Limited (ASX: ALL)

I think this gaming technology company could be a long term market beater. Although it looks likely to experience a short term reduction in demand for its poker machines due to the pandemic, I expect its social and mobile gaming apps to thrive during lockdowns. If it can retain these users when casinos reopen, Aristocrat Leisure will be well-placed for growth over the next 10 years.

Bigtincan Holdings Ltd (ASX: BTH)

Bigtincan is a provider of enterprise mobility software which allows sales and service organisations to improve mobile worker productivity through smart devices. It counts a growing number of blue chip companies such as Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ASX: ANZ), sports giant Nike, and global beauty retailer Sephora as customers. I believe this is a testament to the quality of its offering.

Bravura Solutions Ltd (ASX: BVS)

Bravura Solutions is a fintech company providing software and services to the wealth management and funds administration industries. It has a number of different products in its portfolio, but the key one for me is the Sonata wealth management platform. It is used by many large financial institutions to connect and engage with their clients anytime, anywhere, via computers, tablets or smartphones.

Jumbo Interactive (ASX: JIN)

Jumbo is an online lottery ticket seller and the operator of the Oz Lotteries website. It is aiming to generate $1 billion in global ticket sales annually through its platform by FY 2022. This will be triple what it achieved in FY 2019. If it delivers on this, then I suspect its shares will be trading notably higher than where they are today. 

Kogan.com Ltd (ASX: KGN)

A final share to consider as a buy and hold option is Kogan. I think the ecommerce company would be a good option for investors due to continued shift to online shopping. In addition to this, its expansion into potentially lucrative verticals such as energy and mobile and the launch of Kogan Marketplace should support its earnings growth in the future.

More reading

• Is this ASX 200 share market recovery “fool’s gold”? This ASX fundie thinks so
• Where to invest $20,000 into ASX shares for strong long term returns
• 3 top ASX growth shares to buy with $3,000 after the market crash
• These mid cap ASX shares could be long term market beaters
• ASX shares and investing trends that could boom post COVID-19

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 Jumbo Interactive Limited. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of Bravura Solutions Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended BIGTINCAN FPO and Kogan.com ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Bravura Solutions Ltd and Jumbo Interactive Limited. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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If you want to become wealthy then you just need to do one main thing for your personal finances. Save.

The biggest difference for your money will be how much money you save. If you have enough income then it’s easier to save an extra $5,000 a year than it is to earn an extra 2% annual returns from your investments.

There are a number of good phrases when it comes to saving. “Live below your means”. “Spend less than you earn”. It’s true. It’s certain that you can make your money work harder by simply spending less, whereas investment returns are uncertain.

When you look at a compound interest calculator like the one from Moneysmart, you can see what a difference it makes. Let’s assume your investments return 10% per annum no matter how much you invest. Over 20 years if you invest $750 a month you end with $569,000. If you invest $1,000 a month you get $759,000 after 20 years. It’s clear how becoming wealthy can be decided by how much you save. 

The coronavirus is certainly causing a lot of difficulty at the moment. But if you’re able to keep saving during this time then investing into shares is a really good thing to be doing right now.

How saving can help your investing to become wealthy

Your long-term returns can be boosted when you buy assets at cheaper prices. Good saving allows you to buy more of those assets. Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) like BetaShares Australia 200 ETF (ASX: A200) and Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (ASX: VAS) are now much cheaper than they were a few months ago.

High-quality long-term ASX shares like Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co. Ltd (ASX: SOL), Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES) and Brickworks Limited (ASX: BKW) are also at attractively cheaper prices and can help you become wealthy over time.

More reading

• These 3 ASX 200 retail shares are absolutely thriving right now
• 3 high quality ASX shares for a retirement portfolio
• 3 of the best ASX dividend shares for income
• Where I’d invest $1,000 into ASX shares right now
• ASX 200 Weekly Wrap: New ASX bull run continues

Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison owns shares of Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Brickworks and Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of Wesfarmers 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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