• Brokers name 3 ASX 200 shares to buy today

    Buy Shares

    Australia’s top brokers have been busy adjusting their estimates and recommendations again, leading to the release of a large number of broker notes this week.

    Three broker buy ratings that have caught my eye are summarised below. Here’s why brokers think these ASX shares are in the buy zone:

    A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX: A2M)

    According to a note out of Citi, its analysts have retained their buy rating and $21.50 price target on this fresh milk and infant formula company’s shares. The broker believes that a2 Milk performed strongly during the 18 June Mid-Year Shopping Festival in China. It expects this to have helped shift any excess inventory. I agree with Citi on a2 Milk and would be a buyer of its shares. Especially now it appears to be planning to put its sizeable cash balance to work with new product launches or acquisitions.

    CSL Limited (ASX: CSL)

    Analyst at UBS have retained their buy rating and $335 price target on this biotherapeutics company’s shares following its acquisition of uniQure’s AMT-061 gene therapy. UBS appears supportive of the acquisition. And while it notes that it is likely to cannibalise the sales of its current haemophilia B therapy (Idelvion) in the future, it doesn’t expect it to be used in children. This could mean both therapies have a place in the market. I agree with UBS and feel CSL would be a great long term investment option.

    Qantas Airways Limited (ASX: QAN)

    A note out of Morgan Stanley reveals that its analysts have retained their overweight rating and lifted the price target on the airline’s shares to $5.30. The broker appears pleased with its decision to raise capital to create an extra financial buffer over the medium term and support its cost cutting plans. And although it doesn’t expect the airline to be profitable again until FY 2022, it still believes it is a buy today. I think Qantas could prove to be a good investment option if domestic tourism markets recovery in 2021.

    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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    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 CSL Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of A2 Milk. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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  • These 2 ASX shares are perfect for a beginner investor

    Globe on keyboard with investment key, international shares

    If you’re a beginner investor, someone who has recently decided to begin your journey of wealth creation, congratulations!

    Investing is (in my opinion anyway) one of the best things you can do with your time and money. But, investing can also be scary and financially dangerous. If you don’t know what you’re doing, or you try and master complex trading strategies straight out of the gate, it can lead to permanently losing you capital (which, from experience, is very painful).

    So here are 2 ASX shares that I think would be great candidates for an investor who’s just starting out. They shouldn’t be where your investing journey ends, though. I think both of these ASX shares are a great foundation to build wealth from for a lifetime.

    Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL)

    I’ve picked Cole because I think almost everyone in the country would be familiar with this company, how it works, how it attracts customers and how it makes money. Being able to understand the companies you own is a vital part of investing, and I think Coles is a great place to start learning as a newbie investor. It’s also a relatively ‘safe’ investment, in my view. Coles operates in a very defensive business that (in my view) faces very little prospects of being significantly disrupted or made redundant in the future (we all need to eat, after all).

    Coles has also been moving to automate its supply chains and improve its home delivery options as well, which I think will lead to long-term value for shareholders. Coles also pays a robust and fully franked dividend, which on recent prices is worth a trailing 2.51% per annum.

    Betashares Nasdaq 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ)

    This investment isn’t an individual company, rather an exchange-traded fund (or ETF). ETFs work by holding a basket or collection of different companies all in one place. In Betashares’ case, the basket consists of the largest 100 companies on the United States’ Nasdaq exchange. And that’s why I think it’s a great choice for a beginner investor.

    The Nasdaq is a modern rival to the old New York Stock Exchange and houses most of the newer, exciting tech companies. You would probably be familiar with its top 5 holdings, which in order, are: Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL)Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT), Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ: GOOGL) (NASDAQ: GOOG) and Facebook, Inc. Common Stock (NASDAQ: FB).

    The other well-known companies within this ETF include Netflix Inc (NASDAQ: NFLX), Adobe Inc (NASDAQ: ADBE), Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA), and Paypal Holdings Inc (NASDAQ: PYPL).

    Betashares also pay a healthy trailing dividend of 1.9%. Many Aussie investors don’t ever venture beyond the companies on the ASX for investing. But I think this ETF is a great way to invest in companies that actually dominate our lives. Plus, you can tell your friends you own shares in Tesla, Apple and Facebook, which is pretty cool!

    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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    John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Teresa Kersten, an employee of LinkedIn, a Microsoft subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Randi Zuckerberg, a former director of market development and spokeswoman for Facebook and sister to its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Sebastian Bowen owns shares of Alphabet (A shares), Facebook, and Tesla. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and recommends Alphabet (A shares), Alphabet (C shares), Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft, Netflix, PayPal Holdings, and Tesla. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of BETANASDAQ ETF UNITS and recommends the following options: long January 2021 $85 calls on Microsoft, short January 2021 $115 calls on Microsoft, short January 2022 $1940 calls on Amazon, long January 2022 $1920 calls on Amazon, and long January 2022 $75 calls on PayPal Holdings. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of COLESGROUP DEF SET. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Alphabet (A shares), Alphabet (C shares), Amazon, Apple, BETANASDAQ ETF UNITS, Facebook, Netflix, and PayPal Holdings. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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  • ASX banks told to dip into capital buffers to “support businesses and households”

    cash piggy bank

    The Council of Financial Regulators (CFR) participated in its quarterly meeting this week. Its subsequent quarterly statement has encouraged banks to “make use of their capital buffers to continue to support businesses and households”, despite an acknowledgement the banks are feeling “the flow-on effects of the stress experienced”. However, CFR also noted that financial institutions have entered this period with a “high level of resilience”.

    The council members include four government organisations: the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA), Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) and the Australian Treasury. The Australian Treasurer also attended this meeting.

    ASX banks and the importance of capital buffers

    The share prices of the big four ASX banks over the past year have been falling. At the time of writing:

    • Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX:CBA) is down by 16.72%
    • National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX:NAB) is down by 31.44%
    • Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ASX:ANZ) is down by 34.04%
    • Westpac Banking Corp (ASX:WBC) is down by 36.43%

    The majors all lag the performance of the S&P/ASX200 Index (ASX:XJO), which is down 11.80% at the time of writing. 

    During ‘normal’ times, Australian financial institutions increase their capital buffers to help shield them from losses in troubled times. The capital buffers were introduced following the GFC, in which the collapse of large financial institutions such as Lehman Brothers occurred.

    APRA determines the big four are “systemically important banks”. In simple terms, this means they are ‘too-big-to-fail’ without very severe economic consequences, which means their capital buffers are crucial.

    Our regulators telling the banks to lend is significant – it conveys a level of confidence in the economy being able to bounce back quicker than expected. CFR noted that “the rate of new infections has declined sharply in Australia and restrictions have been eased in many parts of the country earlier than was previously thought.”

    Furthermore, the ability to issue credit to households and businesses could help boost spending and ultimately lead to a rebound in economic growth. 

    Foolish takeaway

    In my view, regulators will do everything in their power to ensure the big four banks will come through the crisis because of the detrimental impact on the financial system should one of them fail. 

    Looking long term, I think the ASX banks are on relatively cheap valuations and profitability will eventually come back, leading to improved returns to shareholders. As a result, dividends could return to pre-crisis levels. This will assist passive income investors.

    I’m also cautiously optimistic about any economic recovery, because the risk of a second wave remains. This could result in the extension of restrictions and business as usual being delayed for longer. 

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

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  • ‘The money’s gone’: Wirecard collapses owing $4 billion

    'The money's gone': Wirecard collapses owing $4 billionWirecard collapsed on Thursday owing creditors almost $4 billion after disclosing a gaping hole in its books that its auditor EY said was the result of a sophisticated global fraud. The payments company filed for insolvency at a Munich court saying that, with 1.3 billion euros ($1.5 billion) of loans due within a week its survival as a going concern was “not assured”. Wirecard’s implosion came just seven days after EY, its auditor for more than a decade, refused to sign off on the 2019 accounts, forcing out Chief Executive Markus Braun and leading it to admit that $2.1 billion of its cash probably didn’t exist.

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  • Why Kogan, Myer, Orocobre, & Qantas shares are dropping lower

    In early afternoon trade the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is on course to end the week on a positive note. At the time of writing the benchmark index is up 0.8% to 5,864.9 points.

    Four shares that have failed to follow the market higher today are listed below. Here’s why they are dropping lower:

    The Kogan.com Ltd (ASX: KGN) share price has fallen 1.5% to $14.78. This appears to have been driven by profit taking following a very strong rise in 2020. In fact, prior to today, Kogan’s shares were up 100% since the start of the year. Investors have been buying the ecommerce company’s shares after it delivered exceptionally strong sales and profit growth during the pandemic.

    The Myer Holdings Ltd (ASX: MYR) share price has fallen almost 7% to 21 cents. Investors appear concerned that the department store operator might struggle to survive the pandemic. Especially after QBE Insurance Group Ltd (ASX: QBE) announced that it will stop providing insurance to suppliers who want to cover the risk of not getting paid by Myer. Australia’s largest provider of trade credit insurance told the ABC that it has severe doubts about Myer’s ability to pay its way.

    The Orocobre Limited (ASX: ORE) share price is down 5% to $2.39. This appears to have been driven by a broker note out of Credit Suisse this morning. According to the note, the broker has downgraded the lithium miner’s shares to a neutral rating with a $2.50 price target following its June sales update. Credit Suisse notes that its lithium carbonate pricing has fallen to a record low.

    The Qantas Airways Limited (ASX: QAN) share price has fallen 8% to $3.86 after returning from its trading halt. The airline operator’s shares returned to trade this morning after it successfully completed its $1.4 billion placement. Qantas raised the funds through the issue of approximately 372.7 million new shares to institutional investors at a price of $3.65 per new share. This represents a sizeable 12.9% discount to its last close price. It will now seek to raise up to $500 million via a share purchase plan.

    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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    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 Kogan.com ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Kogan.com 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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  • Is Telstra in for a bruising fight with merged TPG-Vodafone?

    mobile, disruption, fight, phone

    Now that the merger between TPG Telecom Ltd (ASX: TPM) and Vodafone is just about guaranteed, attention is turning to what that means for Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS).

    Our third largest mobile phone operator is bulked up and its new chief executive Iñaki Berroeta appears to be spoiling for a fight to win market share from Telstra.

    However, the merger may be what the sector needs and may prove to be a positive for shareholders.

    Will a new mobile war erupt?

    Just don’t tell Berroeta that. He indicated in an interview with the Australian Financial Review that competition will be heating up as he needs to prove that the $15 billion merger was worth all the trouble.

    The ACCC tried unsuccessfully to scuttle the marriage by arguing that competition will lessen with only three players in the field compared to four if TPG remained a separate entity.

    The courts took TPG’s and Vodafone’s side, so the newlyweds can’t contradict themselves now.

    Biggest winners are investors

    But if you taught that customers will be the biggest beneficiaries from the new development, you are probably wrong. Investors may benefit more.

    This is because the cut-throat pricing tactics used to take market share will probably take a backseat in the new world order for the sector.

    “The last four years in Telco can been characterised as a lot of competitive tussle to achieve no meaningful change in market share and lower profits,” said Morgans.

    “With the NBN nearing completion, 5G nearing mainstream launch, and TPG / Vodafone set to merge in July, the market is returning to more rational economics, in our view.”

    Same war but different tactics

    Other experts have said similar things. The new tactic to win market share is through bundling instead of outright price cuts.

    UBS believes that the upside for the new TPG-Vodafone group, which should start trading on the ASX on Monday under the code “TPG”, will be from cross-selling of services.

    The broker believes only 23% of Vodafone’s customers use a residential broadband service offered under the TPG umbrella and only 45% of TPG’s fixed broadband customers use mobile phone services that’s on the Vodafone network.

    So, while competitive pressure will remain to the benefit of consumers, the change in tactics will not hurt margins in the same way as outright price cuts of the past.

    Foolish takeaway

    That leaves shareholders as the biggest winners, in my view.

    And if you are wondering which stocks represent the best value in the telecoms sector, Morgans reckons its TPG and Superloop Ltd (ASX: SUL).

    It’s also worth noting that TPG will spin out its Singapore operations into a newly listed company called Tuas. Existing TPG shareholders will get one share in each of the newly formed entities.

    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 Telstra Limited and TPG Telecom Limited. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of SUPERLOOP FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Telstra 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 Sezzle share price has soared 1,000% since March. Should you invest?

    Rocket launching into space

    American-based buy now, pay later provider Sezzle Inc (ASX: SZL) has seen its share price rise more than 1,000% since the March market meltdown this year. This rise comes as the rapidly growing company has achieved an increasing number of users on its payments platform, along with higher revenue and more merchants offering payment through Sezzle.

    What’s behind the higher Sezzle share price?

    It’s no secret that there has been a giant move toward online shopping as a result of coronavirus shutdowns. No doubt this has been a major contributor to Sezzle’s spectacular growth. Underlying merchant sales in April were $57.9 million, which was a record for the company. Additionally, Sezzle reported this month that the underlying merchant sales pace for May was higher than for April.

    Another record reached in April was the number of customers who signed up to the Sezzle platform. In April, Sezzle added 114,400 active customers – more than the whole of the first quarter of 2020. The company also saw over 1,100 active merchants added in April. This means that Sezzle now has a total of almost 15,000 merchants offering payment through its platform. 

    The record growth experienced by Sezzle means that it is getting closer to generating profits for shareholders. In the 2019 financial year, Sezzle had earnings before tax interest depreciation and amortisation of -US$10.7 million. However, earnings could turn positive as more users sign up to the platform and the margins gained from transactions grow. 

    Sezzle as a public benefit corporation 

    In addition to generating profits, Sezzle aims to appeal to ethical consumers and investors. It has officially become a public benefit corporation (PBC). A PBC is a type of corporation that includes working for the public benefit and supporting the community at large to be written into its charter, in addition to the traditional corporate goal of maximising profit for shareholders. This makes Sezzle the first PBC in the buy now, pay later industry.

    Sezzle aims to benefit consumers by helping them to become financially empowered. It also undertakes additional initiatives by making donations to charity and supporting minority-owned businesses. Further, Sezzle is set to release a financial education portal, which could both help its existing customers and build awareness among new customers.

    Should you invest in Sezzle?

    At the time of writing, the Sezzle share price is $4.05, which is up 1,057% since its 52-week low of $0.35 reached in March. Since the beginning of January, the Sezzle share price has returned 144%.

    Sezzle shows great promise as a buy now, pay later provider in the giant North American retail market. If its current growth trends continue, it could one day make huge profits. Additionally, the fact that Sezzle is a PBC may help it to avoid potential regulatory pitfalls that could trip up other industry players. For those looking to invest in the buy now, pay later industry, I think Sezzle could be a great choice.  

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

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  • ASX 200 rebounds 1.1%: Big four banks charge higher, Qantas sinks after raising $1.4bn

    Investment stock market Entrepreneur Business Man discussing and analysis graph stock market trading,stock chart concept

    At lunch on Friday the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is on course to claw back some of yesterday’s declines. The benchmark index is currently up a sizeable 1.1% to 5,882.8 points.

    Here’s what has been happening on the market today:

    Big four banks jump.

    Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA), Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC), and the rest of the big four are helping to drive the ASX 200 higher on Friday. At lunch all four banks are pushing notably higher following strong gains by their U.S. counterparts overnight. The likes of Bank of America, JPMorgan, Citi, and Wells Fargo all climbed more than 3%. The Westpac share price is the best performer in the group at the time of writing with a 3% gain.

    Qantas completes institutional placement.

    The Qantas Airways Limited (ASX: QAN) share price has crashed lower after returning from its trading halt. This morning Qantas revealed that it has successfully completed its ~$1.4 billion placement through the issue of approximately 372.7 million new shares to institutional investors at a price of $3.65 per new share. This represents a 12.9% discount to its last close price. Qantas received high levels of interest from both existing institutional shareholders and new investors.

    IOOF named as a buy.

    The IOOF Holdings Limited (ASX: IFL) share price is zooming higher on Friday after Credit Suisse named the financial services company as a buy. According to a note out of the investment bank, it has retained its outperform rating and lifted the price target on its shares to $5.50. The broker made the move after increasing its earnings forecasts to reflect stronger than expected equity markets.

    Best and worst ASX 200 shares.

    The best performer on the ASX 200 on Friday has been the IOOF share price with a massive 11% gain. This follows Credit Suisse’s positive broker note. The worst performer has been the Qantas share price with a 7.5% decline after returning from its trading halt.

    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

    Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro owns shares of Westpac Banking. 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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  • Are retailers like JB Hi-Fi the best option for ASX dividend shares right now?

    shopping

    Believe it not, retailers have emerged as a top-performing sector amidst the coronavirus pandemic. Many retailers have leveraged the tailwinds of online shopping while traditional brick-and-mortar stores have also performed well. The recent strength of retailers could make it the best sector for ASX dividend shares.

    With that in mind, here are 3 ASX dividend-paying retail shares that are worthy of a place on your watchlist.  

    1. Shaver Shop Group Ltd (ASX: SSG) 

    The Shaver Shop previously cancelled its proposed FY20 interim dividend of 2.1 cents per share following concerns over the impact of COVID-19. However, during this time the company has seen its online sales channel surge 164%. In 2H20, online sales now represent almost 32% of total sales. Its strong sales growth has given the company the confidence to announce a special dividend equivalent to the dividend previously announced and cancelled. This represents a dividend yield of approximately 6.20%.

    2. Nick Scali Limited (ASX: NCK) 

    Nick Scali responded to showroom closures by launching its first-ever digital offering, allowing customers the opportunity to purchase the entire range of its products via digital channels. To date, the company has experienced a significant rebound in customer activity in May and June. Given the strong trading, it expects sales orders for the months of May and June to be up 54% on prior corresponding periods, driven by the easing of government restrictions and a reallocation of discretionary consumer spending towards furnishings and homewares. The company currently pays a dividend yield of 6.73%.

    3. JB Hi-Fi Limited (ASX: JBH) 

    JB Hi-Fi is, by all means, a leader in the consumer electronics, white goods and appliances space. The business has seen strong sales growth in 2H20 in JB Hi-Fi Australia and the JB-owned The Good Guys, as customers spend more time working, learning and enjoying entertainment at home. Its New Zealand business was more significantly impacted by temporary closures and strict government restrictions. While the stores have resumed full trading, sales are still down year on year. The company estimates that after the New Zealand impairment, its net profit will grow between 20% to 22% on FY19. JB Hi-Fi shares are currently yielding 3.57%. 

    Foolish takeaway

    ASX retailers have recovered swiftly following the tailwinds created as a result of COVID-19. These businesses are seeing strong cash flows as consumer behaviour shifts to spending more time at home. With increasing concerns of a second wave in Australia, I believe this recent trend in consumer behaviour is likely to continue. While I wouldn’t consider retailers as a long-term ASX dividend share, they are doing all the right things today, making them a very solid short–medium-term investment for dividends. 

    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

    Motley Fool contributor Lina Lim 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 Are retailers like JB Hi-Fi the best option for ASX dividend shares right now? appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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  • Why AMP, IOOF, Redbubble, & Westpac shares are charging higher

    blocks trending up

    In late morning trade the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has bounced back strongly from yesterday’s selloff. At the time of writing the benchmark index is up 0.95% to 5,873.1 points.

    Four shares that are climbing more than most today are listed below. Here’s why they are charging higher:

    The AMP Limited (ASX: AMP) share price is up almost 5% to $1.86. This gain appears to have been driven by a broker note out of Credit Suisse this morning. According to the note, the broker has retained its outperform rating and lifted the price target on the financial services company’s shares to $2.05. Credit Suisse has lifted its profit forecasts to reflect stronger equity markets.

    The IOOF Holdings Limited (ASX: IFL) share price has jumped 9% to $5.13. The catalyst for this also appears to have been a broker note out of Credit Suisse. This morning the broker retained its outperform rating and lifted its price target on the company’s shares up to $5.50. Once again, it made the move after increasing its earnings forecasts to reflect stronger than expected equity markets.

    The Redbubble Ltd (ASX: RBL) share price is up a further 2% to $2.01. Investors have been buying the ecommerce company’s shares after the release of a very strong trading update this week. That update revealed that its sales have been booming during the pandemic. Quarter to date, revenue is up 107% on the prior corresponding period. This has led to its operating profit for the 11 months to 31 May doubling to $11.9 million.

    The Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) share price is up over 2.5% to $17.87. The big four banks have been strong performers on Friday and are helping drive the ASX 200 higher. Investors have been buying them after their U.S. counterparts jumped higher overnight.

    3 “Double Down” Stocks To Ride The Bull Market

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    Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro owns shares of Westpac Banking. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended REDBUBBLE 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.

    The post Why AMP, IOOF, Redbubble, & Westpac shares are charging higher appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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