• Star Entertainment shares tumble on disappointing earnings guidance

    Star Entertainment Group Ltd (ASX: SGR) shares are under pressure on Monday.

    In morning trade, the struggling casino and resorts operator’s shares are down 3% to 47.5 cents.

    Why are Star Entertainment shares tumbling today?

    Investors have been selling the company’s shares again this morning after it released an update on its profit expectations for FY 2024.

    According to the release, trading conditions have remained difficult since its last update in April.

    The company notes that this reflects the challenging economic environment and cost of living pressures.

    Group revenue for the fourth quarter of FY 2024 is expected to be 4.3% below the previous quarter and 3.3% below the prior corresponding period. This is being driven by revenue from Premium Gaming Rooms (PGRs) continuing to trend downwards, which is offsetting growth from Main Gaming Floor (MGF) revenue.

    As a result, management expects group revenue for FY 2024 to be between $1,675 million and $1,685 million. This will be down from $1,868 million in the last financial years.

    Unfortunately, it gets worse. Management notes that these conditions, together with elevated operating expenses from ongoing remediation and transformation activities, have had a big impact on its earnings.

    Star Entertainment is forecasting FY 2024 normalised group EBITDA to be in the range of $165 million to $180 million. This represents a significant decline on FY 2023’s normalised EBITDA of $317 million.

    In response to this new operating environment, Star Entertainment will seek to expedite a range of initiatives to further reduce its operating cost base.

    Leadership update

    In a separate announcement, Star Entertainment has revealed that David Foster has ceased his executive responsibilities and resigned as a director with effect on 21 June 2024.

    The company has progressed its recruitment process for a new permanent group CEO and managing director. It expects to make an announcement in the near term.

    As an interim measure, Star Entertainment has appointed current interim group chief financial officer, Neale O’Connell, as acting CEO. This is subject to all requisite regulatory approvals.

    This appointment is in addition to Mr O’Connell’s existing duties as group CFO and will remain in place until the appointment of a permanent CEO takes effect.

    The company’s chair, Anne Ward, has also assumed additional responsibilities on an interim basis. She will continue performing these additional responsibilities until the appointment of a permanent CEO takes effect.

    Star Entertainment shares are now down approximately 49% over the last 12 months.

    The post Star Entertainment shares tumble on disappointing earnings guidance appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in The Star Entertainment Group Limited right now?

    Before you buy The Star Entertainment Group Limited shares, consider this:

    Motley Fool investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and The Star Entertainment Group Limited wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that may be better buys…

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of 5 May 2024

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

  • 2 top ASX ETFs that offer excellent diversification

    Smiling elderly couple looking at their superannuation account, symbolising retirement.

    The right ASX-listed exchange-traded funds (ETFs) can provide investors with a combination of good diversification and (hopefully) excellent returns.

    While the Australian share market is weighted towards ASX bank shares and ASX mining shares, the international share market includes many companies with global growth ambitions in exciting sectors like technology.

    Some of our ASX ETFs can provide pure exposure to the United States share market, which is home to numerous great businesses. However, it can also be beneficial to have some exposure to the best companies from other countries. That’s why I really like the two exchange-traded funds below.

    Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS)

    This ETF gives investors exposure to well over 1,000 businesses that are listed across ‘developed’ markets.

    The ETF represents the following countries in descending weighting order: the US, Japan, the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Italy, Spain, Hong Kong, Finland, Singapore, Norway, Israel, Belgium, and Austria.

    The VGS ETF certainly ticks the box when it comes to geographic diversification.

    Technology makes up around a quarter of this ETF’s portfolio, with financials (15%), healthcare (11.8%), industrials (11.2%) and consumer discretionary (10.3%) being the other sectors to provide a double-digit weighting.

    Technology companies aren’t guaranteed to always deliver good returns, but that sector is capable of achieving high profit margins and faster revenue growth because of the intangible nature of many of its services.

    I think the VGS ETF’s technology exposure is why it has delivered an average return of almost 13% per annum since November 2014. Having said that, a reminder that we can’t know precisely what the future returns will be.

    Some of the portfolio’s biggest positions include the world’s strongest businesses: Microsoft, Apple, Nvidia, Alphabet, Amazon, and Meta Platforms.

    Betashares Global Quality Leaders ETF (ASX: QLTY)

    Investors may wonder if they need exposure to more than 1,000 businesses to achieve an appropriate level of diversification. I’d say probably not, but owning that many shares can help smooth out volatility.

    Why not just own the good ones? Well, everyone may have different opinions on which ones are good.

    The QLTY ETF takes quality metrics into consideration when deciding which stocks to invest in.

    It owns 150 businesses that rank well on return on equity (ROE), debt-to-capital, cash flow generation ability and earnings stability.

    Perhaps unsurprisingly, IT makes up an even bigger allocation in this portfolio (at 35%), while the industrial sector was 18.3% of the portfolio and healthcare was 14.9%, as of 31 May 2024.

    Looking at the country allocations, the US has a smaller allocation in the QLTY ETF (68.7%) than the VGS ETF (72.2%), which means better geographic diversification. Other countries with a sizeable allocation inside the QLTY ETF include Japan, the Netherlands, France, Denmark, the UK and Switzerland.

    Over the past decade, the index the Betashares Global Quality Leaders ETF tracks has achieved an average return per annum of 15.9%, outperforming the global share market by almost 3% per annum.

    The quality screening process has led to good returns, though that may not always be the case.

    The post 2 top ASX ETFs that offer excellent diversification appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Betashares Capital Ltd – Global Quality Leaders Etf right now?

    Before you buy Betashares Capital Ltd – Global Quality Leaders Etf shares, consider this:

    Motley Fool investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Betashares Capital Ltd – Global Quality Leaders Etf wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that may be better buys…

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of 5 May 2024

    More reading

    Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Randi Zuckerberg, a former director of market development and spokeswoman for Facebook and sister to Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Vanguard Msci Index International Shares ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

  • Taylor Swift brought a tuxedo-clad Travis Kelce to the stage during London Eras Tour show

    Taylor Swift is joined onstage by Travis Kelce (R), during "Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour" at Wembley Stadium on June 23, 2024 in London, England.
    Taylor Swift is joined onstage by Travis Kelce during The Eras Tour at Wembley Stadium in London.

    • Taylor Swift brought Travis Kelce to the stage during a London Eras Tour show on Sunday.
    • Kelce, clad in a tuxedo and top hat, carried Swift during "I Can Do It With a Broken Heart."
    • Engagement rumors have intensified recently for the pair, who've been dating since last summer.

    Taylor Swift surprised her London fans on Sunday by bringing her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, onstage during her performance at Wembley Stadium.

    Kelce, wearing a tuxedo and top hat, carried Swift across the stage during her outfit change for the song "I Can Do It With a Broken Heart."

    Adoring fans went wild as a video posted on X by journalist Brian Hernandez shows.

    Taylor Swift is joined onstage by Travis Kelce during The Eras Tour at Wembley Stadium in London.
    Taylor Swift is joined onstage by Travis Kelce during The Eras Tour at Wembley Stadium in London.

    The pair, dating since the summer of 2023, have faced increasing engagement rumors, intensified by Kelce's outfit and Swift's bridal white ensemble.

    "That's husband for sure," one commenter wrote on X under a video of the pair dancing together onstage.

    The London leg of Swift's Eras Tour has attracted high-profile fans, including Prince William — whose family snapped a selfie with the pop star on Saturday — as well as "Top Gun" star Tom Cruise and "Barbie" director Greta Gerwig.

    Swift's presence in the UK has prompted a similar economic boom to her US shows, sending hotel room rates skyrocketing and injecting more than a billion dollars into the local economy, Business Insider previously reported.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • Prosecutors recommend DOJ file criminal charges against Boeing: report

    Boeing
    Prosecutors have recommended that the DOJ file federal criminal charges against Boeing for violating the terms of a 2021 settlement related to two fatal crashes, Reuters reported.

    • US prosecutors recommended the DOJ file federal criminal charges against Boeing, Reuters reported.
    • In May, officials found the company violated a 2021 settlement agreement related to two fatal crashes.
    • The DOJ has until July 7 to decide whether to charge Boeing.

    US prosecutors have recommended that the Justice Department file federal criminal charges against Boeing for violating the terms of a 2021 settlement related to two fatal crashes, Reuters reported, citing two sources familiar with the matter.

    In May, officials found that Boeing had violated the terms of a 2021 settlement related to two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019. The $2.5 billion settlement deferred prosecution against the company, shielding Boeing from allegations it had defrauded the Federal Aviation Administration as long as it adhered to strict compliance regulations.

    After officials determined Boeing had violated the terms of the agreement — which Boeing denies, per Reuters — prosecution was back on the table.

    Reuters reported that the DOJ has until July 7 to decide whether to charge Boeing, and officials are not guaranteed to move forward with charges despite the recommendation from prosecutors. The outlet also reported that the DOJ could extend the terms of the existing settlement or propose new, stricter terms.

    Business Insider previously reported that the families of the 346 victims of the two 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019 are calling for the planemaker to pay a fine of nearly $25 billion.

    Representatives for Boeing and the DOJ did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • We gave up city life and moved to Bali. It was a lot more challenging than we expected.

    A photo of a couple standing on a black sand beach in Bali.
    Steve Willis and Nadia Rose gave up city life in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to move to Bali, Indonesia.

    • Nadia Rose and her partner, Steve Willis, left Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 2022 to move to Bali, Indonesia.
    • One of the biggest struggles they faced was giving up big city comforts for island living.
    • Over time, they learned to be more fluid and embraced the island's slower pace of life.

    This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Nadia Rose, a 31-year-old feminine embodiment guide and creative director in Bali. She also runs a YouTube channel with her partner, Steve Willis, about their life on the island. This essay has been edited for length and clarity.

    My partner, Steve, and I moved to Bali two years ago, in July 2022.

    I grew up in Malaysia and started my career working in fashion in Kuala Lumpur. While living in the capital, I met Steve, who had moved over from Sydney to work in education in 2015.

    After dating for a month, we decided to live together. We started in his apartment and found a better-located one-bedroom service apartment six months later. We were in the heart of the city, near the botanical garden, and happily called it home for six years.

    That's when I suggested the move to Bali. I had been running my own digital content business on the side for 8 years and working at a women's retreat company. I've always been passionate about empowering women, and those retreats opened up a whole new world to me.

    I wanted to meet like-minded women and build a community with coaches who I could learn from. I wanted a new challenge, and Bali seemed like a place ripe with creative opportunities.

    We were drawn to Bali because it was an international hub between Kuala Lumpur and Sydney, where our families lived. We also really wanted to connect with nature, especially after the pandemic.

    Since Steve was also looking to make a career switch, it felt like the right time for us to start the next phase of our lives.

    So we took the plunge. Looking back, it was a quick process: We made the decision in January 2022, and six months later, we were in Bali.

    The possibilities ahead of us felt boundless, and we couldn't wait to explore new sides of ourselves. In hindsight, it took us longer to find our footing than we expected.

    We jumped in and tried to learn how things worked

    The bureaucratic stuff was tough, and we soon realized there was no how-to manual. We ended up learning everything the hard way.

    For instance, we were used to having our bill payments automated. In Bali, we paid them in person for a few months before we finally learned how to do it online.

    We missed the convenience of our service apartment, which had an amazing gym and easy access to public transport.

    In Australia, it's easy to walk everywhere. In Malaysia, we could also jump into a car, but here, although it looks like you can walk to your destination, there are hardly any sidewalks. You have to hop on a motorbike to get around, and it took us 10 months before we could get our own.

    The challenges we faced trying to get used to our new lives started adding up.

    We even had health concerns because mold was growing in the house we leased. After three doctor visits and one hospital visit, we had to travel back to KL before we finally got a diagnosis.

    Being surrounded by overwhelming change daily was draining and distracted us from enjoying the process. It didn't help that we were our own biggest critics.

    We didn't celebrate ourselves enough for the milestones we achieved during our move

    Looking back, we were too focused on getting our lives in Bali started right away. Quitting our jobs and leaving our homes were huge risks, and we were determined to ensure that we'd made the right decision.

    But slowly, over the last two years, living in Bali has taught us to go with the flow more.

    Coming from cities, we're used to efficiency and getting things done quickly. But here, you just have to lean back and allow things to unravel in their own time. Even the never-ending traffic.

    We've also realized that we weren't alone.

    Many others I've spoken to in Bali are experiencing similar challenges of building a life and career here while transitioning from a 9-to-5 schedule. After all, having a routine was a huge part of life in the city.

    Life in Bali constantly challenges us to grow. It feels like we're different people every quarter. And at the end of each day, we're glad we made the move.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • This résumé got a product manager a $350,000 job at Google and his past roles at Meta, Visa, and PayPal

    Yung-Yu Lin at a Meta office event
    Yung-Yu Lin has worked at Yahoo, Meta, Visa, PayPal, and Google.

    • Yun-Yu Lin's career evolved from semiconductor engineer to senior product manager at Google.
    • Lin's résumé strategy emphasizes customizing by career level and segregating applications.
    • His résumé helped him secure roles at Meta, Visa, PayPal, and Google.

    In his 18-year tech career, Yun-Yu Lin changed careers three times.

    As a computer science graduate in Taiwan, getting into the semi-conductor industry was a natural path.

    He spent nearly five years as an engineer at a Taiwanese chipmaking company before realizing hardware was not his passion. He shifted to work as a software engineer at Yahoo in 2011, where he first saw a product manager in action and was inspired to take up the role down the line.

    Three years into Yahoo, he craved a change and decided to explore a career in a new country.

    "I was like: okay, maybe I can relocate to a different country or even try to be a PM myself," Lin told Business Insider.

    He moved to the US to pursue a MBA at the University of Southern California and landed a data science role at Meta after graduation.

    After three years at Meta, he remembered his long-held goal of getting into product management.

    In 2018, he joined Visa as a data platform product manager. Over the next five years, Lin worked at PayPal and then Google, where he is a senior product manager.

    Throughout his career journey in the US, he has been updating one résumé he first created as an MBA student.

    This is the résumé that landed Lin his roles at Meta, Visa, and PayPal, and, in 2022, a $350,000 annual pay package at Google. The pay includes a base salary and restricted stock units.

    Yung-Yu  Lin Resume
    Yung-Yu Lin Resume

    Looking back on the résumé he created in 2015, Lin said there are four components of the document that worked in his favor.

    1. Connect the dots

    As Lin looked for jobs in different countries and industries, and changed roles from engineer to data scientist to product manager, he tried to highlight a common thread between his experiences.

    "I'm always trying to look back, trying to find the right intersection — what I can leverage from my past experience," he said. "I was always focused on one specific domain, which is data."

    2. Customize according to career level

    It is important for résumés' structures to evolve, said Lin.

    "When I just graduated from school, I didn't have much experience with real work, so I tried to put my school education higher," he said.

    In recent years, he pushed his education to the bottom and replaced it with his most recent job.

    He also changed how much he emphasized each role. When he applied to Meta in 2015, he described his roles at Yahoo and Sunplus in three to four bullet points. Now, "my first company, Surplus Technology, it's basically just one sentence."

    3. Additional information section

    This section at the bottom of Lin's résumé serves two purposes, he said.

    First, he uses it to show additional capabilities or certifications that companies don't expect from product managers, but which he has because of his diverse experiences.

    Second, the section is his way of tailoring to the job description.

    "If you see any specific call out that may be unique for the position or for the company, then you certainly need to find a correlation — add either a certificate or any previous class you have studied into your résumé to do a little bit of customization."

    4. Segregate your applications

    As an immigrant in the US, Lin knew that he would have to apply for many roles to find one that could sponsor a work visa.

    "As a candidate, your biggest enemy is time," he said. When he applied for jobs as an MBA he devised a system to categorize every opportunity into one of three tiers and changed his résumé in different ways.

    "Tier one is about 20 to 30 different positions that I really, really want," Lin said. For these companies, he customized not only the "additional information" section but also the bullet points under work experience.

    "Tier two is about 30 to 50 positions. They're highly correlated to the tier one positions, but maybe the company or the industry is not my top tier, but I will still take it if I get lucky enough to get out to get the offer," he said. "I don't have so much time to really customize every single tier two application — so that's the type when I customize only 'additional information.'"

    Tier three includes the remaining 200-300 positions, which Lin saw as relevant but more of a plan B.

    "I pretty much just use one single résumé to apply for all the tier three positions."

    Lin is now a senior product manager at Google's San Francisco office. BI has verified his employment and compensation history.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • I’m a single mom running my own business. I deal with admin at the playground.

    Nicola Prentis collaged with playground slide
    Nicola Prentis is a single mom and often takes care of her company's admin at the playground.

    • Nicola Prentis runs her business, teaching courses on personal finance, as a single mom.
    • Due to limited working hours, she has adjusted how and when she eats and finds strange times to work.
    • She even involves her kids in brainstorming sessions to get fresh ideas.

    This isn't one of those "how I became a millionaire single mom" stories. As inspiring as those might be, most of us are much closer to the beginning than the end of that path.

    Single parents with businesses are juggling clients and deadlines with school pick-ups, endless laundry, and meal prep. We can turn three pieces of bread, a can of beans, and last week's carrots into a child-friendly meal for fusspots.

    Using that same ingenuity, I've managed to stretch my available working hours into the productivity and income of a full-time job.

    I changed when I eat

    Adopting the "16:8" pattern meant I could eat breakfast later, after completing the morning school run. But the real game changer was my 3 p.m. lunches. It keeps me full past my children's 7 p.m. dinner time. One less meal to plan, shop, and prep.

    It does help that I live in Spain, where lunch is traditionally the main meal and dinner is a much lighter — and often later — snack. But this also feels right for my body.

    I changed what I eat

    I rarely batch cook. The problem with batch cooking is that it's still cooking, and cooking is a time-sucker. I opt for no-cook or low-cook, things like pre-made soups and salads or stir-fries with noodles or gnocchi, which cook in just a few minutes.

    I do, however, batch shop. I work out how many of each thing we get through a week for perishables and a month for non-perishables and buy enough at once.

    This is made easier because I eat the same meal for as many weeks as I can stomach. So far, my limit has been five weeks of salmorejo — a cold Spanish soup, similar to gazpacho. The soup hits all the main food groups as it's served with croutons, chopped veggies, jamon, and a crumbled boiled egg.

    I do my admin in the playground

    I spend almost 2 hours a day watching my two sons in the playground after school. That was dead time until I started taking my little Chromebook with me and working. I leave certain kinds of tasks specifically for this extra slot I've magicked into my day, like admin and emailing. When they're happily playing with friends, I often get a stretch of time long enough to write marketing content.

    Also, on the walk back from dropping off the kids or picking them up from school, I send myself voice notes that I can later transcribe by AI and turn into material. It's a great time for listening to podcasts relevant to my business too.

    Walking has another plus: it can enhance creativity. That's what Stanford University researchers found in a study published in 2014 in the Journal of Experimental Psychology. The participants who went for walks saw an 81% increase in tests measuring divergent thinking, a thought process associated with creativity.

    I make use of sleepless nights

    My children are 6 and 9 but they still regularly wake me in the night for anything from going to the bathroom to throwing up. In the past, if I couldn't get back to sleep, I'd just lie there, restless and awake, until the alarm. Now I get up and work instead. Thanks to some of these pre-dawn wakeups, I have built a website, launched my business, and regularly beat deadlines.

    Don't get me wrong — I'd never wake up that early on purpose, but making the most of it has been productive. I usually get a full night's sleep the next night because I have to go to bed early to compensate. But it's not like I'm sacrificing my evening social life because I don't have one as a single mother anyway.

    I use my kids as inspiration

    I run ideas past them, and things like logos and my business name have evolved with their input because children have unique and amazing insights. My then 8-year-old once suggested a pricing strategy I later heard from a business coach — to put up prices until people stopped buying and then go back to the figure just before that.

    My kids have also been useful in other ways. For example, as I teach courses on personal finance, explaining the concept of the stock market to a 9-year-old has helped. Hearing how he explained it back to me also led to successful posts on social media. It was told from the perspective of "if a child can understand this, everyone can."

    I may not be a millionaire entrepreneur — yet — but if I get there, this will be how I did it.

    Got a personal essay about life as a single parent that you want to share? Get in touch with the editor: akarplus@businessinsider.com.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • Elon Musk confirms 3rd child with his Neuralink executive Shivon Zilis

    Elon Musk with kid
    Elon Musk has 11 known children.

    • Elon Musk quietly had a third child with Neuralink's Shivon Zilis, Bloomberg reported.
    • Musk has at least 11 children, including five with his first wife and three with Grimes.
    • Musk has faced scrutiny over his relationships with female employees at SpaceX.

    Elon Musk quietly had another child with an executive at one of his companies.

    Neuralink's director of special projects, Shivon Zilis, had another of Musk's children earlier this year, Bloomberg reported Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.

    On Sunday, the billionaire confirmed the news to Page Six, telling the outlet that the child was no "secret" to those close to him.

    "As for 'secretly fathered,' that is also false," Musk told the outlet. "All our friends and family know. Failure to issue a press release, which would be bizarre, does not mean 'secret.'"

    It's his third child with Zilis. The billionaire quietly had twins with the Neuralink executive in 2021, according to court documents that showed Musk filed a petition to change the twins' names to "have their father's last name and contain their mother's last name as part of their middle name."

    It's not clear how many children Musk has in total, but he has 11 living who are publicly known: five with his first wife, the author Justine Musk, three with the musician Grimes, and three with Zilis.

    Musk cofounded Neuralink and serves as its co-CEO. The company develops brain-computer technology. The news about another child with Zilis comes a couple of weeks after The Wall Street Journal reported Musk had "boundary-blurring relationships" with female employees at SpaceX.

    One former SpaceX employee accused Musk of asking her to have his babies on more than one occasion, the report said. The Journal said she declined the offer and later said she was denied a raise. The outlet reported that she eventually left the company and received an exit package valued at over $1 million.

    Musk has talked publicly for years about his views on the risks of declining birth rates and has said he considers the issue to be the biggest threat to civilization. He has also said he's encouraged his friends to have more children. A day after Business Insider reported he had fathered twins with Zilis, he posted on X that he's doing his best "to help the underpopulation crisis."

    Musk isn't the only tech mogul who wants to reproduce as a way to save humanity. The ideology has gained traction among some powerful figures who believe they can counteract the risks of falling birth rates by producing genetically superior offspring.

    Zilis and Musk did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • Pilbara Minerals shares: Buy or Sell?

    A man sits in contemplation on his sofa looking at his phone as though he has just heard some serious or interesting news.

    It is fair to say that Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) shares are having a tough year.

    After being incredibly resilient in the face of falling lithium prices for some time, they have started to crumble in 2024.

    So much so, they are now down over 20% year to date and 35% over the last 12 months.

    Has this created a buying opportunity for investors, or should you give Pilbara Minerals shares a wide berth? Let’s find out what analysts are saying.

    Pilbara Minerals shares: Buy or Sell?

    At the end of last week, the lithium giant announced the results of the pre-feasibility study (PFS) for the expansion of production at the Pilgangoora Operation.

    That study found that production capacity at Pilgangoora Operation could be expanded to more than 2 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) with an estimated capital expenditure of $1.2 billion (-20/+30% accuracy).

    Management estimates that the expansion could create significant shareholder value with a P2000 incremental net present value (NPV) of $2.6 billion and incremental internal rate of return (IRR) of 55%. This is based on the assumption of a long term spodumene 6% price of US$1,500 per tonne, which is ahead of current market prices.

    Goldman Sachs has responded to the update. Unfortunately, it has seen nothing here to change its bearish view on Pilbara Minerals shares.

    As a result, it has retained its sell rating and $2.80 price target on its shares. This implies potential downside of 10% from current levels.

    What did the broker say?

    Goldman wasn’t overly impressed with the P2000 plan. It commented:

    PLS has outlined outcomes of a ‘P2000’ pre-feasibility study (PFS). In line with our Beyond P1000 scenario analysis earlier this year, we see the study result for the next leg of expansion as underwhelming vs. market expectations on a combination of capex, size, and timing.

    The broker also highlights that the expansion is likely to have a major impact on its balance sheet and future dividend payments. It adds:

    PLS had net cash of A$1.4bn at Mar-24, though this higher capex would likely see PLS move to a net debt position through construction with prolonged negative FCF on our lithium price outlook (prolonging uncertainty on the outlook for dividends). PLS expect to partially fund the project with new loan facilities or other sources, where Australian Federal Government financing agencies have provided non-binding Letters of Support for up to A$400mn for the project following this initial engagement.

    PLS also expect to actively engage with selected participants across the battery materials supply chain to explore offtake and partnering opportunities for the expanded production, and has confidence there will be long-term demand for the product, though we reiterate recent new contracts have still been market pricing linked.

    All in all, the broker appears to believe investors should stay away from Pilbara Minerals shares until they trade at much lower levels.

    The post Pilbara Minerals shares: Buy or Sell? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Pilbara Minerals Limited right now?

    Before you buy Pilbara Minerals Limited shares, consider this:

    Motley Fool investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Pilbara Minerals Limited wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that may be better buys…

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of 5 May 2024

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Goldman Sachs Group. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

  • Can the Qantas share price keep flying higher in FY25?

    A woman sits crossed legged on seats at an airport holding her ticket and smiling.

    The Qantas Airways Limited (ASX: QAN) share price has soared more than 21% since 6 March 2024, as investors become more positive about the ASX travel share again.

    The share market is usually forward-looking, so let’s consider how FY25 is shaping up for Australia’s biggest airline company.

    As expected, travel demand has returned — and boomed — in the couple of years since Australia’s borders reopened after COVID-19 restrictions.

    You’d think Australians might have made up for all the holiday time lost during the pandemic by now, but that’s not what Qantas is seeing. Travel demand, it appears, is in flight mode.

    Strong travel demand continues

    In the Qantas FY24 first-half result, Qantas reported statutory net profit after tax (NPAT) of $869 million.

    It reported that result in February 2024 and said at the time:

    Travel demand remains strong across all sectors, with leisure continuing to lead and business travel now approaching pre-COVID levels.

    The airline said that “intent to spend on travel among Qantas frequent flyers over the next months remains significantly higher than most other major spending categories.”

    It added that it expected unit revenue to remain stable for domestic flying and continue to normalise for international flying as market capacity returned.

    Qantas developments

    In the last few months, the airline has experienced a number of headline events that may have impacted Qantas shares.

    In April, Qantas added more than 20 million frequent flyer reward seats, enabling members to use more of their Qantas points to book flights to places like London, Tokyo, New York and Singapore. This new offering will be fully launched by the end of the 2024 calendar year, which is within FY25.

    In May, it was announced that Qantas had agreed to pay $20 million to more than 86,000 customers who were sold tickets on flights that Qantas had already decided to cancel or, in some cases, were re-accommodated on flights after their original flights were cancelled. A $100 million ACCC penalty is being imposed on the airline as well. While these payments will be reflected in FY24, they are expected to be paid after the end of FY24.

    The ASX travel share also revealed at the end of May what changes would occur when Perth Airport is expanded, which could lead to more flights and seats. However, this may not affect FY25 much.

    Analyst forecast for the Qantas share price

    The broker UBS has forecast that in FY24, Qantas can generate $21.8 billion of revenue, $2.3 billion of earnings before interest and tax (EBIT), and $1.49 billion of net profit after tax (NPAT). The airline is also expected to pay a dividend per share of 10 cents.

    In FY25, the broker suggests Qantas could grow revenue to $22.1 billion, EBIT could be flat at $2.3 billion and net profit could decline to $1.44 billion. The dividend per share is projected to double to 20 cents per share.

    UBS thinks that if Qantas shares do not experience any negative catalysts, the company could perform for shareholders because of its “single-digit valuation multiple.” According to UBS forecasts, the Qantas share price is valued at under 7x FY25’s estimated earnings.

    The broker’s price target of $7.50 suggests a possible rise of more than 20% in the next 12 months.

    The post Can the Qantas share price keep flying higher in FY25? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Qantas Airways Limited right now?

    Before you buy Qantas Airways Limited shares, consider this:

    Motley Fool investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Qantas Airways Limited wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that may be better buys…

    See The 5 Stocks
    *Returns as of 5 May 2024

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.