• BlackRock Investment Institute Is ‘Underweight’ Japan Stocks

    BlackRock Investment Institute Is 'Underweight' Japan StocksMay.25 — Ben Powell, chief APAC investment strategist, at BlackRock Investment Institute, shares his views on the region’s markets and global policies. He speaks with Haslinda Amin and Tom Mackenzie on “Bloomberg Markets: Asia.”

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  • Bayer says it makes progress in settlement talks over weedkiller

    Bayer says it makes progress in settlement talks over weedkillerBayer said on Monday it had made progress seeking a settlement over claims its glyphosate-based Roundup weedkiller causes cancer, after Bloomberg reported the company reached a verbal agreement on about 50,000 to 85,000 cases. In April, Bayer’s management regained shareholder support for its handling of the litigation process. Bloomberg cited people familiar with the negotiations as saying that the deals have yet to be signed and Bayer is likely to announce the settlements in June.

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  • 3 exciting small cap ASX healthcare shares to watch

    asx healthcare shares

    Due to new technologies and favourable industry tailwinds, I think there are a number of small cap ASX healthcare shares which have the potential to grow materially over the next 10 years.

    Three small cap healthcare shares to add to your watchlist right now are listed below. Here’s why I think they are worth watching:

    Alcidion Group Ltd (ASX: ALC)

    The first small cap ASX healthcare share to watch is Alcidion. It is a health informatics company aiming to transform healthcare with smart, intuitive technology solutions. The company has a growing portfolio of software products and services that support interoperability, allow communication and task management, and deliver clinical decision support at the point of care to improve patient outcomes. At present its software is in 215 hospitals, 42 healthcare organisations, and on 30,000 beds. I expect this to increase strongly in the coming years and drive strong sales growth.

    Medadvisor Ltd (ASX: MDR)

    Another ASX healthcare share to watch is Medadvisor. It is a growing software systems developer with a focus on addressing gaps in personal medication adherence. The company provides software that connects to pharmacy dispensing systems to automatically retrieve medication records. It also comes with an intelligent training, information, and reminder system to ensure correct and reliable medication use. In addition to this, the company is rolling out a medicine delivery service and a telehealth solution. The latter looks set to benefit from the rapid adoption of telehealth technology following the pandemic.

    Volpara Health Technologies Ltd (ASX: VHT)

    Another small cap ASX healthcare share which I believe has significant potential is Volpara. Its software leverages artificial intelligence imaging algorithms to assist with the early detection of breast cancer. It has been growing its market share in North America at an exceptionally strong rate. This led to the company recently reporting a 172% increase in annual recurring revenue (ARR) to NZ$18 million. The good news is that this is still only scratching at the surface of an estimated US$750 million ARR opportunity in breast cancer screening.

    And here are more top shares which analysts have just given buy ratings to. All five recommendations below look dirt cheap after the 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

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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 Alcidion Group Ltd and MedAdvisor. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended VOLPARA FPO NZ. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Alcidion Group Ltd and MedAdvisor. 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 3 exciting small cap ASX healthcare shares to watch appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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  • CSL shares have underperformed the ASX 200 over the past month. What’s going on?

    Man asking financial questions

    The CSL Limited (ASX: CSL) share price has done the unthinkable and actually underperformed the broader S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) over the past month.

    To be frank, CSL shares normally beat the pants off the market. It managed to do this both in the 2016–2020 bull market and in the short-but-sharp bear market we saw in February and March of this year.

    But since mid-April, CSL shares have actually fallen around 10%, whilst the ASX 200 has rallied around 7% over the same period.

    What’s going on?

    Has CSL lost its magic?

    Well, in my opinion, the recent underperformance of CSL shares has nothing to do with the company itself. CSL hasn’t yet told the markets if it expects any material hit to revenue or earnings as a result of the coronavirus pandemic (apart from disruption to plasma collections). CSL isn’t actively joining the race for a COVID-19 vaccine, but (as Fool contributor Nikhil Gangaram pointed out today) the company is working on antibody-based medicines that will allow patients to recover faster without the use of a ventilator.

    We do know that CSL has obtained additional capital (US$750 million at 2.68%) through the bond market recently, but again, this doesn’t indicate anything of significance for investors in my view.

    So no, I don’t think CSL has lost its magic.

    Instead, I view the pullback in the CSL share price as a sign that investors might have got a little ahead of themselves in April.

    CSL shares reached lows of $270.88 in March, but by 9 April, CSL was back to $329 a share, just below the all-time high of $342.75 that we saw in February.

    Given what’s going on in the global economy, it’s possible investors decided this run-up was a little optimistic, and that’s why we are seeing a more subdued CSL share price in recent weeks.

    Are CSL shares a buy today?

    Although I’ve long thought CSL is a top company, it’s also a little too highly priced for me to consider a buy today. Even on today’s share price of $298.27, the company is still asking a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 44.28. That’s a fairly high number for the ASX’s largest company, and one I don’t think is entirely justified by CSL’s future growth prospects.

    I might be waiting a while, but CSL is still not in the buy zone for me, despite its resilience and quality as a business.

    Instead, I’m looking at these 5 shares! Check them out in the 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.

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    Sebastian Bowen has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of CSL Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

    The post CSL shares have underperformed the ASX 200 over the past month. What’s going on? appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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  • 2 cheap ASX shares to buy today

    hand outstretched with two coins in palm

    There are some cheap ASX shares out there that are trading at great value in my opinion, partly due to the coronavirus.  

    With some shares it’s hard to decide if they’re trading cheaply or not because it’s hard to gauge how to price the current and future earnings. It’s much easier to see when a quality business is trading cheaply compared to their assets.

    Here are two cheap ASX shares to buy today:

    Brickworks Limited (ASX: BKW)

    Brickworks is one of Australia’s biggest building materials businesses. It produces a variety of products including bricks, paving, roofing, precast and so on. Everyone is expecting there to be a construction slowdown later this year because of the coronavirus economic impacts. The same can be said for Brickworks’ US operations.

    But when you factor in the value of Brickworks’ other assets, it makes the construction side look extremely cheap. Brickworks currently owns a large chunk of Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co Ltd (ASX: SOL), these shares are currently valued at approximately $1.75 billion. It also has a 50% stake of an industrial property trust which is worth $710 million. The value of these two divisions together comes to around $2.45 billion, which compares to Brickworks’ current market cap of $2.05 billion.

    Wouldn’t you want to buy a great building products company operating in two major markets for less than $0? That’s why I think Brickworks is a cheap ASX share.

    Future Generation Global Invstmnt Co Ltd (ASX: FGG)

    This is a special listed investment company (LIC). It donates 1% of its net assets each year to youth mental health charities. The LIC doesn’t change any management fees or performance fees. Future Generation Global invests in the funds of Australian fund managers that invest in overseas shares.

    These fund managers are meant to be among the best in Australia. They include names like Magellan Financial Group Ltd (ASX: MFG) and Cooper Investors.

    The global LIC has been a solid performer over the past three years to 30 April 2020. Its gross investment performance of 10.6% per annum outperformed the MSCI AC World Index (AUD) by 1.3% per annum. Outperformance makes a cheap ASX share even more attractive. 

    I think Future Generation Global is a cheap ASX share because at the end of April 2020 its pre-tax net tangible assets (NTA) per share was $1.426 per share, which is a 20% discount to today’s share price of $1.145. You wouldn’t be able to get that kind of discount by investing with the fund managers yourself.

    Foolish takeaway

    I think both of these ASX shares look cheap to me. Once construction starts again I think the current Brickworks share price will look very cheap. Brickworks also comes with a grossed-up dividend yield of 6%. However, Future Generation Global does offer much more diversification with international exposure. I think both shares are great, cheap buys today.

    They’re not the only cheap shares out there in my opinion. I’d also love to buy these top shares:

    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.

    YES! SEND ME THE FREE REPORT!

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    Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Brickworks. 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 2 cheap ASX shares to buy today appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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  • European Launch of Kylie Skin Boosts Coty Stock by 15%

    European Launch of Kylie Skin Boosts Coty Stock by 15%Shares of Coty (COTY) rose by 15% on Friday to $3.85, after the company announced that its Kylie Skin products are now available at Douglas, a beauty retailer with around 2,400 locations across Europe. The announcement boosted Coty's valuation by a full $300 million. Douglas will offer six different products from the Kylie Skin line, including the Foaming Face Wash, Walnut Face Scrub, Face Moisturizer, Eye Cream, Vanilla Milk Toner and Vitamin C Serum.“We have started to build a strong foundation to support our strategic partnership with Kylie Jenner. The launch of Kylie Skin in Europe is a next step as we accelerate the integration and build Kylie Jenner’s beauty businesses into a global powerhouse brand,” said Simona Cattaneo, President of Luxury Brands at Coty.Coty acquired a controlling stake in Kylie Jenner's cosmetics startup, Kylie Cosmetics, last November for $600 million. The deal increased the company's debt load, but at the time management indicated that it expected its return on invested capital to exceed the associated cost by 2023.The stock fell significantly two weeks ago when Coty reported subpar quarterly results, revealing stalling revenue growth and falling net income. The stock has suffered through a very difficult year on Wall Street; even with Friday's jump, shares are down over 70% in the last year.TipRanks data reveals a Hold consensus for Coty.  Yet with the dramatic decline COTY shares has experienced of late, the analyst price target for COTY still represents 57% upside at $5.89 per share over the coming 12 months. (See COTY stock analysis on TipRanks)."Difficult operating environment for COTY and unfortunately things will likely get worse before they get better" summed up RBC Capital's Nik Modi. However, the stock's lone bull added that he believes "management is making the right structural decisions (i.e. cost cutting, shifting decision making to be more local, partnership with KKR) to position the Company well for a post-COVID environment."As a result Modi lowered his FY'20 sales/EBIT estimates, but left his price target unchanged at $8 (113% upside potential).Related News: Beleaguered Hertz Sinks 36% In After-Market On Bankruptcy Protection Filing Facebook Invests An Eye-Watering $5.7B in India’s Jio Platforms Tesla Asks China to Build Model 3 Cars with LFP Batteries – Report More recent articles from Smarter Analyst: * Facebook Workplace Hits 5 Million Paid Users As Remote Work Demand Rises * NYSE to Reopen Its Trading Floor on Tuesday * Agilent Up 5% On Solid Revenue Beat, But Top Analysts Stay Cautious * Facebook-Backed Reliance Launches Powerful Online Grocery Service In India

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  • Coronavirus: How Chinese rivals are trying to take Zoom’s crown

    Coronavirus: How Chinese rivals are trying to take Zoom's crownThe coronavirus lockdown has fuelled the market for teleconferencing technology apps.

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  • The Crypto Daily – Movers and Shakers -25/05/20

    The Crypto Daily – Movers and Shakers -25/05/20It’s been a mixed start to the day for the majors. A Bitcoin move through to $8,900 would signal support for the broader market.

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  • Fund managers have been buying these ASX shares

    investing

    I’ve been keeping a close eye on what substantial shareholders have been doing recently.

    Substantial shareholders are shareholders that hold 5% or more of a company’s shares. These tend to be large investors, asset managers, and investment funds. These shareholders are obliged to update the market when they make any changes to their holdings.

    As a result, I feel investors should look to use these notices to their advantage. After all, they show where the smart money is going.

    Two notices that have caught my eye are summarised below:

    Mayne Pharma Group Ltd (ASX: MYX)

    According to a notice of initial substantial holder, Lazard Asset Management Pacific Co. has been buying this pharmaceutical company’s shares over the last three months. It picked up its first parcel of shares at the end of February and made its most recent purchase on Thursday with a ~$890,000 investment. This final purchase took its holding to a total of 84,379,755 shares, which represents a 5.03% stake in the company.

    Mayne Pharma’s shares have fallen heavily over the last few years due to incredibly tough trading conditions in the generic drugs market. Lazard may believe the company is over the worst of it now and could return to growth in the near future.

    Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1)

    Another notice of initial substantial holder reveals that Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) has become a substantial holder of this elasticity connectivity and network services provider. The banking giant and its subsidiaries have been building a position over the last few months and now own a total of 7,811,384 shares. This equates to a 5.1% stake in the company.

    Megaport’s shares have been on fire over the last 12 months thanks to its explosive recurring revenue growth. This has led to them generating a return of over 130% for shareholders. Judging by its purchases, Commonwealth Bank appears to believe there are more strong returns to come in the future.  

    And here are five dirt cheap shares which I suspect fund managers could be buying right now…

    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.

    YES! SEND ME THE FREE REPORT!

    More reading

    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 MEGAPORT FPO. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended MEGAPORT 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 Fund managers have been buying these ASX shares appeared first on Motley Fool Australia.

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  • 2 ASX shares perfect for dollar-cost averaging

    Share market strategy

    Dollar-cost averaging (DCA) is an investing strategy commonly prescribed for the ‘average’ investor on the street. It involves putting a consistent amount of money into an ASX share or portfolio of shares at a consistent interval over time (e.g. $100 a week), with no regard to the underlying price. In this way, you can get an averaged price without having to worry about timing the right entry point, which can be an emotionally fraught exercise.

    Of course, this only works if you have a quality company that rises in value over time. Anyone who tried dollar-cost averaging into say AMP Limited (ASX: AMP) over the last decade would have been throwing money away.

    So with that in mind, here are 3 ASX shares that I think are perfect for a DCA strategy.

    Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (ASX: VAS)

    This exchange-traded fund (ETF) is perfect for a DCA strategy. That’s because it holds not 1, but 300 of the largest companies on the ASX. It’s impossible to figure out whether an index fund like VAS is truly overvalued or undervalued at any one point, because you would have to do pricing analysis on all 300 companies.

    Thus, a far easier way of successfully investing in a basket of companies like this would be to employ DCA. Losing companies are eventually weeded out and rising stars are added to over time. Index funds like VAS have historically always risen and made new highs (despite some volatility in between), and therefore I think this type of investment will serve you well under a DCA strategy.

    Washington H. Soul Pattinson & Co Ltd (ASX: SOL)

    ‘Soul Patts’ is a company that acts as an investor in its own right. It does so by buying other ASX shares and building its own investment portfolio outside its old core business of operating pharmacies. Today, Soul Patts has large stakes in a diverse range of Aussie companies, including TPG Telecom Ltd (ASX: TPM), Brickworks Limited (ASX: BKW), New Hope Corporation Limited (ASX: NHC) and BKI Investment Co Ltd (ASX: BKI).

    Thus, I think this company is a great alternative to an ASX index fund like VAS – which some investors might not like due to the heavy exposure to ASX banks and miners. It has a proud history of growth, including an unbeatable 20-year streak of increasing its dividends. As such, I think it’s a great company to employ a DCA strategy into.

    For some more ASX shares that you could use a dollar-cost averaging stragegy with, make sure you check out the report below!

    NEW. The Motley Fool AU Releases Five Cheap and Good Stocks to Buy for 2020 and beyond!….

    Our experts here at The Motley Fool Australia have just released a fantastic report, detailing 5 dirt cheap shares that you can buy in 2020.

    One stock is an Australian internet darling with a rock solid reputation and an exciting new business line that promises years (or even decades) of growth… while trading at an ultra-low price…

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

    Plus 3 more cheap bets that could position you to profit over the next 12 months!

    See for yourself now. Simply click here or the link below to scoop up your FREE copy and discover all 5 shares. But you will want to hurry – this free report is available for a brief time only.

    CLICK HERE FOR YOUR FREE REPORT!

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    Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen owns shares of Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Brickworks and Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited. 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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