If you’re building an income portfolio, then having some ASX 300 dividend stocks that provide attractive dividend yields is always a good idea.

But which one could be quality options today? Let’s take a look at three for income investors to consider buying now:

Aurizon Holdings Ltd (ASX: AZJ)

The first ASX 300 dividend stock for income investors to consider buying is Aurizon.

It is a rail freight operator that transports more than 250 million tonnes of Australian commodities each year. This connects miners, primary producers and industry with international and domestic markets.

Analysts at Ord Minnett are positive on the company and believe it is positioned to provide investors with very attractive dividend yields. It is forecasting partially franked dividends of 17.8 cents per share in FY 2024 and then 24.3 cents per share in FY 2025. Based on the latest Aurizon share price of $3.63, this will mean yields of 4.9% and 6.7%, respectively.

Ord Minnett currently has an accumulate rating and $4.70 price target on Aurizon’s shares.

Dexus Industria REIT (ASX: DXI)

Another ASX 300 dividend stock for income investors to look at is Dexus Industria. It is a real estate investment trust with a focus on industrial warehouses.

Morgans believes the company is well-positioned to benefit from solid demand for industrial property and its development pipeline. It notes that “DXI’s industrial portfolio remains robust with the outlook positive for rental growth. The development pipeline also provides near and medium-term upside potential and post asset sales there is balance sheet capacity to execute.”

As for dividends, the broker is forecasting dividends per share of 16.4 cents in FY 2024 and then 16.6 cents in FY 2025. Based on the current Dexus Industria share price of $3.00, this will mean dividend yields of 5.5% and 5.5%, respectively.

Morgans has an add rating and $3.18 price target on its shares.

Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS)

A third ASX 300 dividend stock that could be a buy is Woodside Energy. It is one of the globe’s largest energy producers.

Morgans is also positive on the company and thinks that investors should be taking advantage of recent share price weakness. Its analysts recently said that they “see now as a good time to add to positions.”

As for income, the broker is forecasting fully franked dividends of $1.25 per share in FY 2024 and then $1.57 per share in FY 2025. Based on its current share price of $27.25, this represents attractive dividend yields of 4.6% and 5.75%, respectively.

Morgans has an add rating and $36.00 price target on its shares.

The post Buy these top ASX 300 dividend stocks today for an income boost appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Woodside Energy Group. 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 recommended Aurizon. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS) shares have been having a rough year.

And while the telco giant’s shares have rebound off their multi-year lows, they are still a long way from their recent highs.

Does this make it a good time to invest? Let’s see what analysts are saying.

What are analysts saying about Telstra shares?

Opinion is divided on whether investors should be buying the company’s shares at current levels.

For example, Morgans notes that the company’s outlook was softer than expected and believes it made the wrong decision to not unlock value by offloading its InfraCo business.

Its analyst, Damien Nguyen, courtesy of The Bull, commented:

The positive outlook for its mobile and enterprise divisions still fell short of expectations. Retaining ownership of its fixed infrastructure business InfraCo rather than selling it prevented unlocking value in the share price. Telstra was recently trading on a higher price/earnings multiple than its 10-year average and when compared to international peers.

Morgans has a reduce rating and $3.00 price target on Telstra’s shares.

The bullish view

Analysts at Goldman Sachs don’t agree with this view, though. A recent note reveals that the investment bank has a buy rating and $4.25 price target on its shares.

While a touch disappointed with its recent update, the broker remains positive and sees a lot of value in its share price. It said:

Telstra is the incumbent telecom operator in Australia. We believe the low risk earnings (and dividend) growth that Telstra is delivering across FY22-25, underpinned through its mobile business, is attractive. We also believe that Telstra has a meaningful medium term opportunity to crystallise value through commencing the process to monetize its InfraCo Fixed assets – which we estimate could be worth between A$22-33bn. Although there is some debate around the strategic benefits, we see a strong rationale for monetizing the recurring NBN payment stream, given its inflation linked, long duration cash flows could be worth $14.5bn to $17.9bn, with no loss of strategic benefit.

This view has been echoed by analysts at Bell Potter. The broker recently upgraded Telstra’s shares to a buy rating with a $4.25 price target. It said:

There is perhaps a lack of catalysts in the near term and we do not expect the company to change its view on not selling part or all of the Infrastructure business in the short to medium term. We do, however, see the FY24 result in August as a potential catalyst of sorts given we expect the company to meet – but not exceed – the guidance with the highlights being continued strong growth in the core Mobile and Infrastructure businesses and signs of some turnaround in Enterprise.

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

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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 positions in and has recommended Telstra Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Fortescue Ltd (ASX: FMG) shares have trended lower this week, down almost 5.5% since Monday.

But the iron ore giant’s stock was back in the green, up 0.4% to $21.95 apiece near the close of trade today.

Fortescue has been in the headlines this week over a number of none market-sensitive initiatives. Let’s investigate.

Fortescue shares slip on large stock sale

Fortescue shares took a hit on Tuesday after news emerged a large investor in the company tendered a massive $1.1 billion block trade of its stock.

This hefty transaction – equating to 1.6% of the company’s market cap at the time – has stirred significant trading activity. According to my colleague Mitch, more than 58 million shares were traded by midday on the day, compared to the usual 5 million average.

And yet, the market is still abuzz with speculation about who the seller was.

Separately, Capital Group, a global fund manager, also reduced its holding in Fortescue shares by almost 1%, bringing its stake down to 6.62% from 7.65%, according to The Australian.

It’s important to note that this sale is separate from the larger block trade, which has no publicly known seller.

Iron ore price fluctuations have also been a significant factor affecting Fortescue shares. The price has retracted from more than US$140 per tonne on 3 January to around US$107 per tonne at the time of writing.

According to Trading Economics, a major reason behind the recent price weakness was economic data that “added to pessimism on ferrous metal demand from China”.

Because the iron ore major is a price taker on the commodity, this decline has put pressure on Fortescue and other iron ore players.

Strategic moves in renewable energy

Fortescue is also strengthening ties with China as part of its energy transition plans. Fortescue chairman Andrew Forrest spoke at the Australia-China CEO Roundtable on Tuesday.

According to a report in The Australian, he highlighted the potential for a supply chain that could significantly reduce emissions while maintaining China’s position as a leading global steel producer.

This collaboration is reportedly a strategic move to achieve Fortescue’s “Real Zero” decarbonisation targets.

And finally, Michael Masterman, a former Fortescue executive now embroiled in a legal battle with the company, has publicly questioned the effectiveness of Fortescue’s hydrogen-based green steel technology.

Masterman claims that his new venture, Element Zero, offers a more energy-efficient solution. It remains to be seen how this scenario will pan out.

What’s next for Fortescue shares?

Investors are keeping a close eye on Fortescue as the company navigates these challenges. The weakness in iron ore prices hasn’t helped the stock lately.

Fortescue shares have now slipped more than 25% this year to date and are down 2% since this time 12 months ago.

The post 5 reasons everyone’s talking about Fortescue shares this week appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Zach Bristow 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.

Terra Metals Ltd (ASX: TM1) shares are having an incredibly positive session on Thursday.

At one stage today, the copper explorer’s shares were up 210% to a new high of 9.6 cents.

The ASX small-cap stock has pulled back a touch since then but remains up 171% to 8.4 cents at the time of writing.

Why is this ASX small-cap stock exploding?

Investors have responded very positively to the announcement of new drilling results from the Dante Project in the West Musgrave region of Western Australia.

According to the release, a further 14 wide-spaced, first-pass reconnaissance drill holes at the Dante Reefs has confirmed the discovery of multiple Platreef-style copper-PGE sulphide reefs.

Management notes that the mineralisation has been defined over 4.5km so far across Reef 1 and Reef 2. However, it remains open along strike and downdip. There are assays pending from a further 16 drillholes covering an additional 4.5km of strike at Reef 2.

The company believes the drilling results to-date confirm that the Dante Reefs have the potential to host a large sulphide deposit containing copper, gold, PGEs, vanadium and titanium.

‘First of its kind in Australia’

The ASX small-cap stock’s managing director and CEO, Thomas Line, was excited with the results. He notes that this is the first of its kind in Australia. Line said:

We are excited to have discovered multiple Platreef-style copper-PGE sulphide reefs from a first pass-reconnaissance drilling program at the Dante Project; the first of its kind in Australia. Our next step is to continue to replicate these results over the extensive strike at the Dante Reefs, ensuring we are well positioned for success.

It’s clear that there is a concentration and combination of high value metals within the same layers in the Dante Reefs. Chalcocite and bornite appear to be the dominant copper-sulphides. Our highly experienced metallurgical team, led by Dr. Evan Kirby, have already commenced initial metallurgical test work, focusing on the application of conventional flowsheets.

Line also notes that there is still a lot of drilling to come, which could mean even stronger results are coming in the future. He said:

This is just the beginning of the discovery story at the Dante Project, where the vast majority of targets and strike remain undrilled. New insights at the Cronus Prospect are highlighting possible vectors for higher-grade magmatic sulphides. We look forward to presenting these along with further assays in the coming weeks.

The post ASX small-cap stock explodes 210% on new copper find appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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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.

Innovation is one of the share market buzzwords of the moment amid all the hype around artificial intelligence these days.

Like most developed countries, Australia has a productivity problem.

AI is the latest innovation measure to gain attention, and it’s touted as a game-changer because of its potential to make workers more efficient.

But it appears Australian businesses are lagging behind when it comes to implementing innovation.

Innovation activity falls in FY22 and FY23

A report released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) today says only 46% of Australian businesses implemented some sort of innovation activity over the two years to 30 June 2023.

For the purposes of the survey, innovation was defined as the introduction of a new or significantly improved good or service, an operational, organisational, or managerial process, or a marketing method.

Overall, innovation activity fell from 52% of businesses over FY20 and FY21 to 46% over FY22 and FY23.

What’s the problem?

The dip is at least partly due to the early COVID years skewing the results. The pandemic forced many businesses to quickly adapt to urgent new safety measures in their daily processes.

Another factor in the dip may be rising costs due to inflation, with the ABS finding economic pressures were the leading barrier.

A shortage of skilled workers was the second biggest reason why businesses were delaying innovation.

The report looked at two areas of innovation.

The first was goods and services, including new products and services, and new characteristics of existing products, such as fresh designs or packaging. The other was processes, defined as any improvement to the way a business is run.

Robert Ewing, ABS head of business statistics, said:

Businesses are now shifting their focus away from process innovation, to concentrating on their goods and services innovation. They’re now adjusting to the current economic conditions as cost-of-living pressures hit households and businesses.

Which businesses are innovating?

The ABS research showed innovation was more important to the income of smaller businesses.

Microbusinesses, with four or fewer employees, had the greatest proportion (at 8%) of companies earning three-quarters or more of their total income from new or improved goods and services.

In contrast, less than 1% of large businesses with 200 or more employees said their new and improved goods and services generated three-quarters or more of their total income.

The most popular items purchased for innovation were new machinery, equipment, or technology.

This was followed by new marketing activities and training, both at 37%. 

What are companies spending on innovation?

The data shows three out of every four businesses spent less than $25,000.

One in five businesses said a lack of funds stopped them from attempting innovation in FY22 and FY23.

Among the businesses that did implement some innovation, 30% undertook measures that cost nothing.

Ewing said:

Of the businesses that spent nothing on their innovation activity, some were doing this by improving their marketing activities to attract new customers.

We heard businesses were using social media to advertise and promote their goods and services. While others focussed on improving internal work practices to adapt to economic conditions.

This shows that businesses continue to find ways to innovate that don’t require substantial expenditure, which is especially important for very small businesses.

The post Costs and lack of skilled labour delay innovation among Australian businesses appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Bronwyn Allen 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.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is having another underwhelming session on Thursday. In afternoon trade, the benchmark index is down almost 0.2% to 7,756.1 points.

Four ASX shares that are falling more than most today are listed below. Here’s why they are dropping:

James Hardie Industries plc (ASX: JHX)

The James Hardie share price is down 2.5% to $47.22. This may have been driven by a broker note out of Citi this morning. Ahead of the company’s investor day event, the broker has reaffirmed its neutral rating and $53.40 price target. It appears to believe that trading conditions in the United States aren’t particularly favourable for the company at present. This may have spooked investors and caused fears that tomorrow’s event will contain some bad news.

Mader Group Ltd (ASX: MAD)

The Mader Group share price is down over 5% to $6.16. This has been driven by news that its founder and executive chair has sold down his stake. Luke Mader sold 9.75 million shares via a buyer-led share crossing at a discount of $6.15 per share. Mader Group advised that the buyer was a tier one global financial services company with over US$2 trillion in assets under management. Mr Mader remains the majority shareholder in the company, retaining 103,697,095 shares. This represents ~52% of Mader’s issued capital. In other news, Mader Group has reaffirmed its FY 2024 guidance for revenue of at least $770 million and net profit after tax of at least $50 million.

MMA Offshore Ltd (ASX: MRM)

The MMA Offshore share price is down 2% to $2.64. This morning, this marine and subsea services provider revealed that its suitor, Cyan, has increased its takeover offer by 10 cents per share to a total of $2.70 cash per share. This was just one cent ahead of where its shares were trading yesterday. This appears to indicate that investors were expecting an even greater offer from Cyan. However, this is where it stops. Cyan has declared the improved proposal as its best and final offer, in the absence of a competing proposal. Its offer continues to have the support of MMA Offshore’s directors.

WA1 Resources Ltd (ASX: WA1)

The WA1 Resources share price is down 8% to $18.96. This is likely to have been driven by profit taking following a whopping 27% gain on Wednesday. This was driven by news that its initial metallurgical testwork program on niobium mineralisation at the Luni deposit delivered strong results. Bell Potter was very pleased with the news and described it as a major de-risking event. It commented: “WA1 have passed a significant de-risking hurdle in confirming that niobium minerals from its Luni project can be concentrated via a two-stage floatation circuit with recoveries and concentrate grades in-line with dominant global producers.” The broker responded by reiterating its speculative buy rating and lifting its price target to $28.00.

The post Why James Hardie, Mader Group, MMA Offshore, and WA1 shares are dropping today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Citigroup is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. 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 Mader Group. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Mader Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.