• ASX stock of the day: This ASX airline share jumped 45% today on expansion speculation

    Regional Express Holdings Ltd (ASX: REX) shares rocketed out of a trading halt this morning to be up as much as 45% on speculation the airline will start flying between capital cities. This would see Regional Express compete with Qantas Airways Limited (ASX: QAN) and Virgin Australia Holdings Ltd (ASX: VAH)

    3 airlines for Australia?

    Media reports say Regional Express, which emerged from the ashes of Ansett, is planning to fly between capital cities and not just to them. The plans would involve flights between Australia’s biggest capitals, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, and Perth. This would give Australia a 3 airline market, with Regional Express operating something between a budget and full-service airline. 

    Regional Express today said it is considering the feasibility of commencing domestic airline operations. The airline disclosed it had been approached by several parties interested in providing the equity needed for it to start regional operations in Australia. With airlines globally struggling due to the travel downturn, Regional Express may be able to access additional aircraft at distressed prices. 

    What does Regional Express do? 

    Regional Express is Australia’s largest independent regional airline. It operates a fleet of 60 aircraft which, prior to coronavirus, were making some 1,500 weekly flights to 59 destinations across Australia. The airline received funding from the Australian Government to continue to operate during the coronavirus pandemic. 

    While the value of government funding has not been disclosed, it was enough to allow the carrier to offer 1-2 return flights per week to most destinations in its network. Additional funding has since been secured, enabling the airline to operate 88 weekly services across Australia. 

    Expansion plans

    Regional Express estimates it would require $200 million to expand its operations. The board is exploring the feasibility of the endeavour and has begun talks with potential equity partners to expand to include domestic operations in addition to regional services. 

    According to the Australian Financial Review (AFR), the business plan would involve leasing 10 narrow-bodied jets. “The most significant aspect of this is we will be the only capital city operator that is debt-free,” Regional Express’ deputy chairman John Sharp told the AFR. 

    With a sufficient capital injection, the Regional Express board believes, “there is a confluence of circumstances which render the start of domestic operations by Rex to be a particularly compelling proposition.”

    The Board expects to make a decision on proceeding in the next 8 weeks. If they decide to proceed, domestic operations are expected to commence on 1 March 2021. 

    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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    Find out the name of Scott’s ‘All in’ Buy Alert

    Returns as of 6/5/2020

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    The post ASX stock of the day: This ASX airline share jumped 45% today on expansion speculation appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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  • This is the best ASX big bank stock you can buy right now

    big four banks

    Australia’s largest listed bank showed why it’s the premium pick among ASX big bank stocks.

    The Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) issued its quarterly results this morning, which on the surface contained some disturbing pieces of news.

    But if you scratched beneath the surface, there was plenty to like about the update that also contained clues about the bank’s dividends.

    Ignore the bad news

    As mentioned, you’d need to look past some of the disturbing news to get to the good stuff. The things investors may not like to hear about included a 23% crash in cash profit of $1.3 billion for the March quarter.

    The bank also set aside $1.5 billion in additional provisions due to the COVID-19 crisis and warned that house prices could collapse by up to 32% under its worst case scenario.

    But the update also reinforced my view that investors should be overweight on CBA relative to the other big three banks.

    CBA’s dividend safer than peers

    For one, I think CBA won’t be cutting its dividend nearly as much as its peers when it reports its full year results in August.

    While there’re multiple earnings headwinds beating down on CBA, the bank’s CET1 ratio stands at 10.7%. Even after it paid more than $3.5 billion in interim dividends, its regulatory cash buffer is still comfortably above the 10.5% “unquestionably strong” level set by our banking regulator APRA.

    What’s more, CBA now has an extra $1.7 billion to play with as it sold a 55% stake in its wealth manager Colonial First State to private equity group KKR.

    Stronger balance sheet

    What this means, in my mind, is that CBA’s management will have little excuse to make a dramatic chop to its dividend.

    This sets the bank apart from its peers. Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) and Australia and New Zealand Banking GrpLtd (ASX: ANZ) suspended dividends when they reported their interim results to keep their CET1 ratios at acceptable levels.

    National Australia Bank Ltd. (ASX: NAB) went a step further and launched a $3.5 billion capital raise and slashed its interim dividend by two-thirds to 30 cents a share.

    Worth paying for

    There were concerns that CBA’s results will be equally as bad as its peers, but the most expensive big bank stock proved the adage “you get what you pay for”.

    The more than halving in profits at the other big banks makes CBA’s 23% earnings decline look like a profit upgrade!

    As inappropriate as it sounds during this coronavirus pandemic, experience taught me it’s often better to cough up for quality, especially during a crisis.

    The only bank stock that I think is better placed is Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG), but if you excluded the investment bank, CBA is clearly the standout in the sector.

    NEW: Expert names top dividend stock for 2020 (free report)

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    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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    *Returns as of 7/4/20

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    Motley Fool contributor Brendon Lau owns shares of Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Limited, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Macquarie Group Limited, National Australia Bank Limited, and Westpac Banking. Connect with me on Twitter @brenlau.

    The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Macquarie 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.

    The post This is the best ASX big bank stock you can buy right now appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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  • How to become a better investor in just 2 minutes

    women with virtual question marks above her head "thinking"

    Yes, you really can become a better investor in just 2 minutes!

    In his iconic 1989 book ‘One Up On Wall Street’, legendary investor Peter Lynch describes a 2-minute drill that he thinks any investor should follow before parting with their money:

    Before buying a stock, I like to be able to give a two-minute monologue that covers the reasons I’m interested in it, what has to happen for the company to succeed, and the pitfalls that stand in its path.

    The drill acts a lot like a safety barrier. It forces you to cement your arguments and think about potential risks that lie ahead. It also lets you identify when an investment is failing to perform and should be sold.

    Lynch goes on to say “[o]nce you’re able to tell the story of a stock to your family, your friends, or the dog so that even a child could understand it, then you have a proper grasp of the situation.”

    In fact, Warren Buffett is also an advocate for writing down the exact reason you’re thinking of buying shares in a company, commenting on the importance of knowing your motives:

    One thing that could help would be to write down the reason you are buying a stock before your purchase. Write down “I am buying Microsoft at $300 billion because…” Force yourself to write this down. It clarifies your mind and discipline.

    Let me show you what this practice might look like:

    Should I buy CSL shares?

    One company high on my watch list right now is CSL Limited (ASX: CSL).

    My main reason for wanting to buy shares today is that I think CSL has a powerful flywheel and strong pricing power reminiscent of the best companies in the world. I think there will be strong, long-term demand for its patent-protected products which will drive continued revenue growth.

    For this to happen, and justify the current share price, CSL will need to continue to invest in and develop innovative products. It will need to make some careful acquisitions. It will need to maintain its unyielding focus on customer safety. And it will need to relentlessly protect its supply of plasma, which is a key component of its products. 

    Foolish takeaway

    The 2-minute drill does not guarantee investment success, however, taking the time to think honestly about the company you’re about to invest in (and writing it down!) can give you clarity on your investment expectations. 

    Perhaps you could try out Peter Lynch and Warren Buffett’s practice on the following well-priced stocks?

    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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    Regan Pearson 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.

    The post How to become a better investor in just 2 minutes appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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  • This ASX 200 gold share is making the most of the gold rush

    gold mining shares

    Newcrest Mining Limited (ASX: NCM) is making the most of the gold rush. The company’s recent debt offering has excited US bond investors. 

    Newcrest is offering 2 tranches of senior secured bonds. The first is US$650 million worth of 10-year bonds with an annual coupon of 3.25%. The second is US$500 million of 30-year notes with an annual coupon of 4.2%. A senior bond takes precedence over other debts in the event that the company declares bankruptcy. 

    Sandeep Biswas, Newcrest Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, said the following in the company’s ASX release:

    “I am pleased with the very strong demand for Newcrest credit which has enabled us to secure long-term debt at coupons much lower than that on our existing corporate bonds. This has allowed us to restructure and extend our debt maturity profile to better match our long asset life”.

    The profitability of trust

    The recent debt funding initiative follows a very successful capital raising via a share purchase plan worth $1 billion. Newcrest has built a reputation for prudent financial management of its assets under the management of Sandeep Biswas since 2014. 

    On 30 April, it announced the canny acquisition of prepay and stream facilities and an off-take agreement in respect of Lundin Gold’s Fruta del Norte mine for US$460 million. This is on top of the company’s existing stake of 32% in mine owner, Lundin Gold.

    This agreement provides Newcrest with access to 1.9 million ounces of gold over the life of the mine. 

    Deal making like this has been evident in Newcrest’s recent purchases. These include the Canadian Red Chris mine, where the company has increased gold reserves via exploration, as well as its work-out exploration investment in Havieron, located approximately 45km from its Telfer mine site. 

    Exploiting the gold rush

    The purchase of streaming and off-take rights provides Newcrest with the ability to maintain its already low all-in sustaining costs of $827/oz. At present, the AUD gold price remains in record territory. This is despite a recent drop as the Australian dollar rose against the USD.

    Newcrest continues its strategy of investing in tier 1 gold assets, often avoiding the premiums associated with takeovers. The company’s cost reduction strategies are playing out across all of its major mine sites.

    It has a strong pipeline of replacement tonnes through the expansion of existing assets, and it secured a very lucrative streaming revenue stream through a debt offering lower than its current long term debt.

    Our Foolish experts have uncovered great opportunities every investor should be aware of. Grab a copy of the free report below.

    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.

    Simply click here to scoop up your FREE copy and discover the names of all 5 cheap shares.

    But you will have to hurry because the cheap share prices on offer today might not last for long.

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    Returns as of 7/4/2020

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    Motley Fool contributor Daryl Mather 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 gold share is making the most of the gold rush appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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  • Intel Capital invests in Chinese chip companies amid tech tensions

    Intel Capital invests in Chinese chip companies amid tech tensionsIntel Capital, the venture arm of chipmaker Intel Corp , has invested in two Chinese startups in the semiconductor sector, the company announced on Wednesday, as part of its latest batch of deals. The investments in companies that compete in fields typically dominated by U.S. players come as Intel remains embroiled in tensions between the United States and China over chip manufacturing. ProPlus, one the Chinese startups Intel Capital has funded, makes EDA software that chip makers use to design their products before manufacturing them.

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  • The case for monthly coronavirus stimulus checks: Americans ‘need consistent liquidity’

    The case for monthly coronavirus stimulus checks: Americans ‘need consistent liquidity’The latest Democratic proposal for the next round of stimulus is monthly checks for $2,000 for all Americans for the duration of the pandemic.

    from Yahoo Finance https://ift.tt/2WnxTzk

  • 4 top ASX shares to invest $4,000 into immediately

    dollar sign growth concept

    If you are fortunate enough to have $4,000 to invest in the share market, then I would consider investing it across the four top ASX shares listed below.

    I believe each of them has the potential to generate market beating returns over the next few years due to their solid business models and positive outlooks.

    Here’s why I would invest $1,000 into all four of them:

    Appen Ltd (ASX: APX)

    Appen is a provider of human annotated dataset development services to some of the world’s biggest tech companies such as Facebook and Microsoft. As the company services machine learning and artificial intelligence markets (which are expected to grow rapidly over the next decade), I believe it is well placed to continue growing its earnings at strong rate for the many years to come.

    Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA)

    The shares of Australia’s largest bank have fallen very heavily over the last three months. While this decline is not completely unwarranted, I think the selling has been overdone and has left its shares trading at a very attractive price. Times may be hard for the bank right now, but the headwinds it is facing will ease eventually and its outlook will improve. In light of this, I think it is worth being patient and buying its shares with a long term view.

    CSL Limited (ASX: CSL)

    This global biotherapeutics company could be a great place to invest. I believe it is well-positioned to continue its positive form over the next decade due to its leading therapies, growing plasma collection network, and lucrative research and development (R&D) pipeline. CSL currently has a wide range of therapies under development which have the potential to generate significant revenues in the coming years.

    Kogan.com Ltd (ASX: KGN)

    A final option to consider is Kogan. I think the ecommerce company could be a market beater over the next 10 years. This is thanks to the continued shift to online shopping by consumers and the growing popularity of its offering. This has been evident during the pandemic, with Kogan reported explosive sales and earnings growth in March and April.

    And if you have some funds leftover, you might regret not investing it in these dirt cheap shares following the market crash.

    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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    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 and has recommended Kogan.com ltd. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of Appen 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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  • Top brokers name 3 ASX 200 shares to buy right now

    Buy Shares

    Many of Australia’s top brokers have been busy adjusting their financial models 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 shares are in the buy zone:

    Altium Limited (ASX: ALU)

    According to a note out of Morgan Stanley, its analysts have retained their overweight rating and $40.00 price target on the electronic design software company’s shares. The broker notes that Altium expects to fall short of its US$200 million revenue target in FY 2020 because of the pandemic’s impact on smaller businesses. Morgan Stanley isn’t concerned by this and suggests investors should focus on the long term. It feels Altium remains well-positioned to deliver on its 100,000 subscriber target by 2025. I agree with Morgan Stanley and would be a buyer of its shares.

    Premier Investments Limited (ASX: PMV)

    A note out of UBS reveals that its analysts have retained their buy rating but cut the price target on this retail company’s shares to $17.15. The broker made the move after reducing its earnings estimates for FY 2021 due to the current uncertainty in the retail market. However, UBS remains positive on Premier Investments and believes it is likely to come out of the pandemic in a stronger position. I think UBS is spot on and the Smiggle and Peter Alexander owner would be a good option for investors.

    Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P)

    Another note out of UBS reveals that its analysts have retained their buy rating and lifted the price target on this buy now pay later company’s shares to $3.70. It believes that Zip Co’s recent update shows that the company is able to perform strongly during the current crisis. It notes that it has been able to grow and manage its credit risk effectively during April. It also sees the easing of restrictions as a positive for Zip Co in the coming months. I would have to agree with this view as well and would be a buyer of its shares with a long term focus.

    And here are five dirt cheap shares which have also been given buy ratings to recently.

    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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    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 Premier Investments Limited. 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 Top brokers name 3 ASX 200 shares to buy right now appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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  • LNG spot price surge benefits ASX 200 shares

    stacking blocks with upward arrows

    The past month has seen the LNG spot price surge by ~15%. The spot price had fallen by 25% from 2 January until 15 April as demand fell in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The sudden rise is due to lowering global supply for a couple of reasons.

    First, producers are showing evidence of curtailing output, which stands to reason. If you have a limited supply to sell over time then you would want to get the best average price possible. Still, others are seeing supply drop as a direct consequence of social distancing protocols in order to keep workers safe. 

    Second, an explosion occurred at Enbridge’s Texas Eastern Natural Gas system in Kentucky on 4 May. This is a network of 9,100 miles of piping that stretches from Texas to New York and moves 20% of America’s natural gas. The company temporarily shut down all 3 major pipelines. Within days, most gas flows had been successfully rerouted.  

    Impacts to the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO)

    In the 24 hour period from 4 May, the date of the incident, the following share prices spiked. Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) rose by 4.4%, Origin Energy Ltd (ASX: ORG) rose by 5.5%, Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) rose by 5% and Oil Search Limited (ASX: OSH) rose by 3.14%.

    Woodside is not as exposed to a falling LNG spot price as only 80% of forecast 2020 production is on fixed-price contracts. Santos also has recently announced that 70% of its production is on fixed-price contracts.

    However, both Oil Search and Origin Energy have recently reported revenue reductions due to the low regional gas price. Both of these companies stand to gain earnings due to the rising LNG price. Nevertheless, the market treats all oil and gas companies the same. As can be seen above, all saw an immediate uptick in their share prices on news of the Enbridge pipeline explosion. 

    Of these 2, I have been very impressed by the strategic vision of Origin Energy. The company has taken a range of far-reaching actions to reduce operational costs, both in the short and medium-term. Origin also has utility revenues as the nation’s number 1 gas retailer. 

    For those with a memory of the market in 2008, it is fair to say this time things are different. Unlike in 2008, this is not a liquidity crunch. Central banks the world over have poured money into bonds to keep interest rates down, allowing capital-intensive companies such as these to secure reasonably priced debt. 

    Foolish takeaway

    All of the oil and gas producers in the ASX energy sector are likely to see share prices rise as the LNG spot price rises. However, I believe Origin is the most likely to turn an LNG spot price surge into greater earnings.

    The combination of disciplined cost-cutting, strategic action and defensive revenues mark Origin as a good investment in my view.

    Check out the free report below for insights into great companies well-positioned despite the pandemic. 

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    Returns as of 7/4/2020

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    Motley Fool contributor Daryl Mather 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 LNG spot price surge benefits ASX 200 shares appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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