The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) looks set to follow the lead of U.S. markets and drop lower today. In late morning trade the benchmark index is down 1.2% to 5,918.9 points.

Four shares that have not let that hold them back today are listed below. Here’s why they are pushing higher:

The A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX: A2M) share price has continued its positive run and climbed almost 4% to $19.83. Investors have been buying the infant formula and fresh milk company’s shares this week following a positive broker note out of UBS. According to the note, the broker has retained its buy rating and NZ$22.00 (A$20.64) price target on the infant formula company’s shares. It believes there is some upside risk to its earnings guidance for FY 2020.

The Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) share price is up 2% to $59.05. This morning analysts at Ord Minnett retained their buy rating and almost doubled the price target on the payments company’s shares to $64.70. It believes the buy now pay later provider will have almost 10 million active customers using its platform by the end of the financial year.

The Mesoblast limited (ASX: MSB) share price is up 2% to $4.05 despite there being no news out of the biotech company. However, next week Mesoblast will be added to the ASX 200 index. This could have led to increased demand for its shares from index tracking ETFs and fund managers with certain investment mandates.

The Temple & Webster Group Ltd (ASX: TPW) share price has jumped 9.5% to $5.49. This morning the online homewares retailer released a business update which revealed that it continued to experience strong demand in May. As a result, second half sales were up 90% on the prior corresponding period at the end of last month. Financial year to date, its operating earnings are up 668% to $7.1 million.

More reading

• Has the Afterpay share price become too expensive to buy?
• 2 ASX shares to buy for beginners
• Temple & Webster share price jumps 10% after reporting bumper sales growth
• Why Zip Co and these All Ords shares have doubled in 12 months
• Next phase of bull market could see ANZ Bank outperform Afterpay

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 Temple & Webster Group Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of A2 Milk and AFTERPAY T FPO. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Temple & Webster Group 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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Beginners often enter the stock market and start looking for ASX shares to buy when we are in a bull market like right now. They think that no matter what people are buying, almost everything appears to be going up in value. I first started investing after the 1987 crash, but I got really active during the dot-com bubble. For some reason, I thought Fedexing dog food around the country would be a winning formula! 

I believe that just as it did then, this bull run will come to an end and that eventually, all bubbles burst. So which shares should beginner investors consider buying in this volatile market? Should they bet on the shooting stars like Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT)? Or maybe just hide out in bona fide blue chip shares like the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA)? What is the best course of action?

First, take it easy

You’re not going to become a millionaire in a day or even a year. However, if you choose the right shares to buy, it’s possible you could become one in ten years – just not tomorrow. 

On that note, I believe Domino’s Pizza Enterprises Ltd. (ASX: DMP) is one of the stand out performers of the year so far. The Domino’s share price has beaten the S&P/ASX 200 Index (INDEXASX: XJO) over the past five years. This year it is up by 22.6% year to date. In addition, from its low point on 19 March, the Domino’s share price has risen by over 50%.

With an average 28% price increase every year over the last ten years, I think this is a solid share with a lot of strong years of growth ahead of it. 

Shares to buy for growth

I think Kogan.com Ltd (ASX: KGN) is another great ASX share for beginner investors to consider. Kogan is a highly successful eCommerce company and a great story of Australian entrepreneurialism at its best. Some investors are concerned about the impact of Amazon.com on the Kogan share price. However, I feel this is a misplaced concern. Kogan does a lot more than sell electronic devices and white goods online. 

It also sells furniture and insurance, as well as mobile phone and internet plans. Not only that, but since Kogan also manufactures its own products, the company actually sells them on Amazon!

Kogan.com has increased its sales revenues by around 14%, on average, every year over the past three years. In a period of just four years, a purchase of Kogan shares has returned its investors more than 9 times their initial investment. 

Foolish takeaway

I believe both Domino’s and Kogan shares represent solid, long-term buys for beginner investors. They are reasonably priced and offer investors a good chance of continued share price growth over time. Both companies have good track records of achievement and have proven they can survive throughout a crisis. 

More reading

• Has the Afterpay share price become too expensive to buy?
• Why A2 Milk, Afterpay, Mesoblast, and Temple & Webster are pushing higher
• Why Zip Co and these All Ords shares have doubled in 12 months
• Next phase of bull market could see ANZ Bank outperform Afterpay
• Is the Macquarie share price a solid buy today?

John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Daryl Mather 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 Amazon and recommends the following options: short January 2022 $1940 calls on Amazon and long January 2022 $1920 calls on Amazon. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Kogan.com ltd. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of AFTERPAY T FPO. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Amazon and Domino’s Pizza Enterprises 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 Temple & Webster Group Ltd (ASX: TPW) share price is charging higher this morning after the online furniture and homewares retailer revealed bumper sales growth during the COVID-19 lockdown.

At the time of writing, Temple & Webster shares have climbed 9.78% to $5.50 after rallying as much as 21.36% in early trade.

What did Temple & Webster announce?

The company revealed that it continues to trade strongly in the second half of FY20, with revenue growing at 90% compared to the prior corresponding period (pcp). This was driven by strong growth in April and May, which Temple & Webster attributed to behaviour shifts as consumers turned online to fulfil their furniture and homewares needs. The retailer noted that all major categories have experienced significant year-over-year growth.

This uplift in demand has led to an increase in operating leverage. While Temple & Webster reported year-to-date revenue of $151.7 million through to 31 May, up 68% on the pcp, EBITDA came in 668% higher over the same period at $7.1 million (albeit off a relatively low base).

Meanwhile, the company noted that active customers, which represents the number of unique customers who have transacted in the last 12 months, is up 68% to 440,257.

In today’s release, the retailer highlighted its capital-light business model, debt-free balance sheet, and strong positioning to capitalise on the structural shift in the furniture and homewares market to online channels. As at 31 May, the company had $29.2 million of cash on its books.

What next?

Looking forward, Temple & Webster stated that strong trading has continued in June, with revenue growth tracking at more than 100% compared to the pcp.

Commenting on today’s update, chief executive and co-founder Mark Coulter said:

“We can already see in our numbers that many of the customers who have never shopped with us before, and may be first time online shoppers in our category, have already returned and made repeat purchases. These customers are experiencing the benefits of our channel, including range, convenience and value.”

Temple & Webster expects to report its full-year FY20 results at the end of July.

More reading

• Why A2 Milk, Afterpay, Mesoblast, and Temple & Webster are pushing higher
• Why Appen and these ASX shares just hit record highs
• 3 ASX retail shares to own for the next 20 years

Cathryn Goh has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of Temple & Webster Group Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Temple & Webster Group 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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In late morning trade the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is on course to snap its winning streak. The benchmark index is currently down 0.65% to 5,952.5 points.

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

The Air New Zealand Limited (ASX: AIZ) share price is down 4% to $1.46. This morning the airline operator released its earnings guidance for FY 2020. Although the New Zealand Government is now allowing the airline to slowly restart its domestic network, revenue and earnings will still be significantly lower than expected. The company is now expecting to report an underlying loss before significant items and tax of up to NZ$120 million.

The Carsales.Com Ltd (ASX: CAR) share price has fallen 2.5% to $17.56. This decline may have been driven by a broker note out of Macquarie this morning. According to the note, the broker has downgraded Carsales’ shares to a neutral rating with an $18.00 price target. It made the move on valuation grounds after a strong gain since April.

The Pendal Group Ltd (ASX: PDL) share price has dropped 3% to $6.03. This follows an announcement by Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) which reveals that it has offloaded its 9.5% stake in the fund manager. The banking giant has sold 31 million shares for an average of $5.98 per share. The bank also warned that it is undertaking a strategic review of its wealth businesses which could result in some or all of its $14 billion of funds under management with Pendal being withdrawn.

The Star Entertainment Group Ltd (ASX: SGR) share price is down 3.5% to $3.14. Earlier this week analysts at Morgan Stanley downgraded the casino and resort operator’s shares to an underweight rating with a $3.30 price target. It believes the Star is going to lose market share to Crown Resorts Ltd (ASX: CWN) when the new Crown Sydney casino opens later this year.

More reading

• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday
• Westpac share price on watch after dumping its Pendal stake
• ASX 200 finishes higher by 0.8%, Carsales share price driven up by FY20 guidance
• Is the CSL share price a buy right now?
• ASX 200 down 0.1%: Carsales update impresses, a2 Milk surges higher

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro owns shares of Westpac Banking. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended carsales.com Limited and Crown Resorts 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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It can be very hard to decide where to invest in today’s market. When there is good news, it rises, it ignores bad news, and almost anything you put money into increases your investment. Personally, I think this is a recipe for disaster. Markets like this can attract people without investing experience who “bet” on whatever the hot tip is and get burned when reality kicks in.

This irrational market could go on for a long time, or it could end with a thud tomorrow. Here are 3 ASX shares I would buy in today’s market with $5,000.

Where to invest for value

The secret to all of my investing over the years has been to find a good company, buy it at a low price, and hold onto it for years.

I think Aristocrat Leisure Limited (ASX: ALL) is one of the best value opportunities on the ASX today. Aristocrat has a great financial track record, which underlines its strong management. In particular, the company has delivered a return on equity of 28% over 10 years. This is pretty high in relation to most large cap companies on the ASX. 

Aristocrat Leisure operates in games of chance. This includes casino machines, gambling platforms, casino management systems and many other areas. It has a market presence in Asia, Australia and the USA.

I would invest at least $2,000 in Aristocrat as a medium-term investment, as I believe it is currently selling at a discount.

Where to invest for growth

Jumbo Interactive Ltd (ASX: JIN) is one of the great shares on the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO). It has returned 25 times the initial investment since 2010. Despite this, it had a greater leap in sales last year than in any previous years. In addition, it was forecasting another increase this financial year before the coronavirus. 

I would happily place at least $2,000 into Jumbo Interactive shares as an investment over the medium term. Although it currently has a relatively high price-to-earnings ratio of 25.5, I believe it still has a lot of growth left in it.

Where to invest for security

Vicinity Centres (ASX: VCX) is one of the largest Australian real estate investment trusts on the ASX. It specialises in ownership and management of Australian shopping centres. The company recently executed a share placement to raise capital, which added significant strength to its balance sheet. It recently reported that foot traffic was at 70% of the same period last year.

I would invest $1,000 in Vicinity Centres today. Its road back to a healthily rising share price is slightly longer. However, I believe it is still a good company, with a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 9.85% at the time of writing.

Foolish takeaway

In heated markets like today, it can be hard to work out where to invest. Moreover, it is always very tempting to “bet” on the hot share of the day. In my view, these 3 ASX shares are undervalued and are all great opportunities for stable growth over the medium term.

More reading

• Next phase of bull market could see ANZ Bank outperform Afterpay
• Are these beaten down ASX shares in the buy zone?
• Is the Macquarie share price a solid buy today?
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday
• ASX 200 finishes higher by 0.8%, Carsales share price driven up by FY20 guidance

Daryl Mather has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. recommends Jumbo Interactive Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended 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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Xero Limited (ASX: XRO) shares have been performing strongly in recent years and it looks like the cloud-based accounting software company is one of the hottest ASX growth shares right now.

Personally, I think the Aussie company has strong growth potential in the next decade. Xero is still signing up large clients and I think accounting software is as in-demand as ever in the current COVID-19 climate.

However, Xero isn’t the only company that I could see becoming a cornerstone of Aussie share portfolios by the year 2030.

Below I’ll share which ASX stars I have my eye on as potential large-caps of the future.

Why Xero shares could be a cornerstone investment

There seems to be a lot of talk on whether ASX growth shares are overvalued, particularly in the tech space. In saying this, I still believe it’s worth thinking about what will be the leading companies in the future. For today, that could mean strong dividend shares like Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS) and BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP).

In reality, growth shares often become dividend shares as they mature. High return on equity can’t continue forever, which means eventually these companies start returning capital to shareholders.

I think Xero shares are just one potential staple of the future. I also think NextDC Limited (ASX: NXT) could be a growth turned dividend share.

The NextDC share price has already rocketed 330.3% in the last 5 years. NextDC is an Australian data centre operator and I think it’s well-placed to capitalise on a growing market.

This ASX tech group is continuing to expand and operates data centres across the country. That diversity and economic moat around the business could be the secret to sustaining momentum over the next decade.

Of course, nothing is guaranteed with ASX growth shares like Xero or NextDC. However, the best we can do as investors is to pick high-quality companies with long-term potential.

I’d also consider putting a growing healthcare share like Polynovo Ltd (ASX: PNV) in the mix. 

Polynovo has seen strong success. Strong sales networks and extensive research and development bode well for the company’s future growth trajectory.

Given the solid technical environment, I would put Polynovo in the same basket as Xero shares in terms of long-term growth potential.

Foolish takeaway

These are just a few ASX growth shares that I think have strong growth potential.

I like the look of Polynovo, NextDC and Xero shares because all have had proven success with their business models.

Investing in high-quality ASX shares for the future is the best strategy that I can think of to build long-term wealth.

More reading

• Is the Telstra share price a buy?
• 3 ASX growth shares to buy with $3,000
• 5 ASX shares that would’ve made you a fortune in 5 years
• Why I think Xero shares are a great long-term buy
• Why I think Telstra shares are a strong buy

Ken Hall has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of Xero. 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 All Ordinaries (ASX: XAO) may still be down 9% over the last 12 months, but not all shares have recorded declines over the period.

In fact, some have been such strong performers they have more than doubled in value since then.

Here are three shares which are up more than 100% since this time last year:

Kogan.com Ltd (ASX: KGN)

The Kogan share price has rocketed 184% higher over the last 12 months. A good portion of these gains have come in the last few months thanks to its impressive sales and gross profit growth. This has been driven by the pandemic accelerating the shift to online shopping. In addition to this, Kogan has announced a small bolt on acquisition and raised funds to make more acquisitions in the near future.

Mesoblast limited (ASX: MSB)

The Mesoblast share price has surged 190% higher since the time in 2019. Once again, the majority of this gain was made this year during the pandemic. Investors have been buying the biotech company’s shares due to the release of promising trial results from its allogeneic mesenchymal stem cell product candidate remestemcel-L. These trials were testing the product in ventilator-dependent COVID-19 patients. Also giving its shares a boost was its recent inclusion in the ASX 200 index at the June quarterly rebalance.

Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P)

The Zip Co share price is up a massive 108% over the last 12 months. Yet again, the vast majority of this gain has come in 2020. It has been driven by a combination of strong sales and customer growth during the pandemic and the announcement of its expansion into the U.S. market. The buy now pay later provider is entering the $5 trillion retail market via the acquisition of QuadPay. Investors appear confident this is a good strategy and a low risk way of entering the lucrative market.

More reading

• Has the Afterpay share price become too expensive to buy?
• Why A2 Milk, Afterpay, Mesoblast, and Temple & Webster are pushing higher
• 2 ASX shares to buy for beginners
• ASX 200 jumps almost 4%, Webjet share price soars
• UBS picks the best ASX retail stocks for the post COVID-19 world

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 ZIPCOLTD FPO. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and 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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Don’t let today’s weakness on the S&P/ASX 200 Index (Index:^AXJO) fool you. The new bull market is here to stay although the next phase of the rally could see investors rotate to value stocks from growth.

It’s growth stocks, including tech darlings like the Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) share price, that’s stolen the lime light since our market hit its bear market bottom in March.

But we may soon see the ASX value shares outperform as conditions seem ripe for these laggards to outperform.

Why value can outperform growth

The recent steepening of the yield curve and expectations of a V-shape recovery favour these underachievers, according to Morgan Stanley.

While there’s great debate over the shape of the ongoing economic recovery due to the COVID-19 crisis, the broker is more convinced than ever of a quicker rebound.

“Our global team’s increased conviction in a sharper and shorter economic downturn has projected a V-shaped recovery in global markets,” said the broker.

“Coupled with ongoing stimulus roll-out across regions and within country, [these are] providing the support for improving Value signalling and performance over the near and long term.”

What are value stocks?

Value stocks are those that tend to trade at a discount to the market or to their historical valuations. Growth stocks are those that trade at a premium as investors are willing to pay up for companies best placed to increase their earnings coming out of the recession.

“Expensive valuations and better growth should push bond yields higher and the curve steeper – a ‘normal’ early cycle pattern, with the global rates team forecasting steeper yield curves into year-end for both the US and Australia,” added Morgan Stanley.

Top stock picks for new year

The broker highlights 11 ASX value stocks that it believes are the best of the bunch. Financial stocks on its list include Australia and New Zealand Banking GrpLtd (ASX: ANZ), Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Ltd (ASX: BEN) and Link Administration Holdings Ltd (ASX: LNK).

In the industrials space, its top picks include cement supplier Adbri Ltd (ASX: ABC), building materials group Boral Limited (ASX: BLD), casino operator Crown Resorts Ltd (ASX: CWN), alcoholic drinks maker Treasury Wine Estates Ltd (ASX: TWE) and national carrier Qantas Airways Limited (ASX: QAN).

There’re also one stock from property and materials each that Morgan Stanley favours. These are DEXUS Property Group (ASX: DXS), retailer Harvey Norman Holdings Limited (ASX: HVN) and BlueScope Steel Limited (ASX: BSL).

Looking for more buy ideas for FY21? The experts at the Motely Fool have picked their best ASX stocks to buy now.

Click on the link below to find out for free what these stocks are.

More reading

• Has the Afterpay share price become too expensive to buy?
• Why A2 Milk, Afterpay, Mesoblast, and Temple & Webster are pushing higher
• 2 ASX shares to buy for beginners
• Where to invest $5,000 in an irrational market
• Is the Macquarie share price a solid buy today?

Brendon Lau owns shares of Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Limited and BlueScope Steel Limited. Connect with me on Twitter @brenlau.

The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of Link Administration Holdings Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Treasury Wine Estates Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of AFTERPAY T FPO. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Crown Resorts Limited and Link Administration Holdings 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.

BrenLau owns shares of Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Limited and BlueScope Steel Limited. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of Link Administration Holdings Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Treasury Wine Estates Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of AFTERPAY T FPO. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Crown Resorts Limited and Link Administration Holdings 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 the National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) share price a strong buy?

The NAB share price remains down more than 30% from its pre-coronavirus level. When a blue chip drops that hard I think it’s worth considering whether it could be an contrarian opportunity to buy it.

NAB and the other big four ASX banks of Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA), Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) and Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ASX: ANZ) were smashed during the selloff. The worst point was 23 March 2020.

Thankfully the NAB share price has actually gone up 37% from its low in March.

The COVID-19 picture looks much better now for Australia than it did in March. But the economic pain could still take some time to cure. The OECD has warned that Australian GDP could fall by 5% in 2020. If there is another outbreak and a return of lockdowns then Australian GDP could fall by 6.3% in 2020.

What will the fallout be for NAB?

NAB revealed some of the expected pain in its recent FY20 half-year result. NAB said credit impairment charges increased 158.6% to $1.16 billion. As a percentage of gross loans and acceptances, credit impairment charges rose 23 basis points to 38 basis points.

FY20 first half charges included $828 million of additional collective provision forward looking adjustments, of which $807 million was a top-up to the economic adjustment to reflect potential COVID-19 impacts. In other words, NAB has provisioned $807 million for the COVID-19 pain. Higher bad debts result in a lower net profit and therefore a lower NAB share price is likely.

The market was already expecting the sort of economic pain reported in this year’s interim report, that’s why the NAB share price had fallen so much before the result was released.

Worryingly, NAB’s loan arrears had been rising even before COVID-19. The ratio of loans that are more than 90 days past due increased by 18 basis points to 0.97% in the FY20 half-year result. At the end of FY19 this arrears ratio was 0.93%. The FY19 half-year result the arrears ratio was 0.79%. At the end of FY18 the loan arrears ratio was 0.71%. It has been steadily climbing.

Australia’s success at flattening the curve is good news for the broader economy. But there are still specific sections of the economy which could struggle. International tourism may not return during 2020. Australia hasn’t even managed to open the travel bubble with New Zealand yet.

However, if the NAB profit pain is less than expected by the market then the NAB share price could prove cheap today.

There were fears that the big ASX banks may not have provisioned enough money for how much COVID-19 will hurt the overall economy. Hopefully the current provisions are enough. There are signs it could be enough with the initial jobkeeper estimate being $60 billion higher than the expected real number.

What about the NAB dividend?

The NAB board decided to reduce the NAB interim dividend by 64% to 30 cents per share. This was obviously a large income hit to shareholders. But NAB acknowledged that the economic pain needed to shared across the bank, customers and shareholders. It could take a few years for the half-yearly dividend to return to something like $0.80 cents per share if the bank remains prudent with capital. 

The decision to reduce the dividend was equivalent to $1.6 billion of CET1 ratio capital, or 37 basis points in percentage terms. The bank also did a large capital raising to increase its CET1 ratio, raising $3 billion from institutional investors alone.

Is it time to buy NAB at this share price?

The NAB share price is still a lot lower than it was before the COVID-19 hit. But interest rates are now a lot lower too, which means it could be harder for NAB to maintain profitability if the net interest margin (NIM) sinks.

I don’t think NAB is a strong buy right now. Jobkeeper is expected to come to an end in September and that could cause more economic uncertainty. At this NAB share price I think I’d want to wait at least until November or December before buying.  

More reading

• Is the Macquarie share price a solid buy today?
• Why the Wisr share price is surging 32% higher today
• Got $3,000? These 5 beaten-down ASX shares are begging to be bought
• Can ASX big banks generate an attractive sustainable dividend yield from FY21?
• ASX 200 down 0.3%: Big four banks mixed & Healius rockets on medical centre sale

Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison 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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Due to the market crash in March, a number of shares are trading significantly lower than their 52-week highs.

While not all shares are necessarily bargain buys, a few which I think could be great value are listed below. Here’s why I like them at these levels:

The Aristocrat Leisure Limited (ASX: ALL) share price is down 29% from its 52-week high. This has left the gaming technology company’s shares trading at 21x estimated FY 2021 earnings. I think this makes them great value based on its long term growth prospects. Aristocrat Leisure appears well-positioned to deliver strong earnings growth over the next decade thanks to its leading pokie machine business and fast-growing digital business. The latter is generating significant recurring revenues from its millions of daily active users.

The Clover Corporation Limited (ASX: CLV) share price has lost a third of its value since peaking at $3.31. This has brought the shares of the infant formula ingredients producer down to an estimated 27x FY 2021 earnings. While this is still a notable premium to the market average, I believe it is a good price to pay for a company with such strong growth potential. Clover’s business looks well-placed to benefit from increasing demand for infant formula and favourable changes to ingredient requirements in a number of key markets.

The Sydney Airport Holdings Pty Ltd (ASX: SYD) share price is trading 33% below its 52-week high. Investors have been selling the airport operator’s shares after the coronavirus pandemic made its terminals a ghost town. And while it will take time for passenger numbers to recover fully, it will inevitably come in time. I think this makes it well worth taking advantage of this share price weakness by making a patient long-term investment.

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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 Clover 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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