Tag: Motley Fool

The Betmakers Technology Group Ltd (ASX: BET) share price climbed with the market on Thursday.

The betting technology company’s shares rose 1.2% to 42.5 cents.

Though, this makes little difference to its year to date performance. The Betmakers share price is still down almost 50% during this time.

As one of the most shorted shares on the Australian share market, short sellers will certainly be pleased with this.

Is the Betmakers share price a buy?

A couple of analysts have been weighing on the Betmakers share price. The good news for shareholders is that they are positive on the company and believe investors should be buying its shares despite the high level of short interest.

Ben Clark from TMS Capital told Livewire that he is feeling positive on the company due to a strong update from one of its peers and its huge opportunity in the United States. He said:

I think this might be a buy. We’ve just seen a really bullish update from Flutter in the UK, which is the world’s largest sports betting company. What prompted that was that the US sports betting market, which we know has been legalising and opening up, looks like it’s now hit a tipping point. It’s got at least a decade’s growth to go. There was a bit of a scramble amongst the players before we saw these reactions in the market, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see that coming through again. Betmakers are profitable. It doesn’t trade on a crazy PE for a fast-growing small-cap tech stock. So I’d go buy.

This sentiment was echoed by Henry Jennings from Marcus Today, who highlights the company’s attractive position as a platform provider. He commented:

I think this one’s a buy. I think it has got a good pedigree, as Ben says, in terms of the management, Matthew Tripp. Also, Tom Waterhouse is involved as well, so that’s pretty good pedigree there. As Ben says, the US has reached a tipping point on sports betting, and there’s been a lot of money spent on land grabs and everyone trying to get their share of the market. The good thing about Betmakers is it’s kind of agnostic. It’s the platform, the picks-and-shovels, which has worked for many people in the past.

The post Here’s what analysts are saying about the Betmakers share price appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• These are the 10 most shorted ASX shares
• These are the 10 most shorted ASX shares
• BetMakers share price pops then drops as full-year revenue leaps 370%
• These are the 10 most shorted ASX shares
• Betmakers share price slips despite new $20 million deal

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 Betmakers Technology Group Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Betmakers Technology Group Ltd. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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The Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO) share price hasn’t had a good month, down 7.6%.

Shares of the mining giant closed Thursday at $91.86 each, a gain of 2.74% on the day.

S&P/ASX 200 Metals and Mining Index (ASX: XMJ) also closed 2.75% higher, reclaiming some of its recent losses. It’s now down less than 2% over a month.

Some of Rio’s industry peers are also faring worse than the broader index. The BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) share price is down 4.9% over the past month while shares in Fortescue Metals Group Ltd (ASX: FMG) are down 11.45% over the same period.

But one broker believes Rio Tinto could shoot to new heights and there have been some positive developments for the company in the background. Let’s have a look.

The possible upside for Rio Tinto shares

Last Friday, Goldman Sachs held its buy rating with a price target for Rio shares of $121.50. This means a 33% potential upside at the time of writing.

Goldman’s thesis hinges on Rio’s acquisition of Canadian miner Turquoise Hill, the co-owner of the Oyu Tolgoi copper and gold mine in Mongolia. Rio entered into a definitive arrangement agreement to acquire Turquoise Hill on Tuesday.

Goldman said:

If approved the Transaction is expected to close shortly thereafter and will give RIO a 66% interest in Oyu Tolgoi [OT] (vs. the current 34% effective ownership) with the remaining 34% owned by Mongolia, simplifying the ownership structure, and allowing RIO to work directly with the Government of Mongolia to progress the project, while also strengthening RIO’s copper portfolio.

OT is one of RIO’s most important growth assets as, at its current ownership, we estimate the project will double RIO’s earnings from copper to over 25%, will be long life (+40yrs), low cost (1st quartile), has +50% expansion potential, and in our view is under explored.

Rio Tinto offered $C43 per share to purchase the remaining shares of Turquoise Hill last Thursday. The Turquoise board is now encouraging minority shareholders to vote with it to accept Rio’s final offer.

Bullish signs from Chinese commodity imports

On a broader level, recently published Chinese commodity data from Australia and Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ASX: ANZ) shows that China is importing significantly higher amounts of copper and copper ore on a year-over-year basis.

Copper imports increased 26.4% over the period, while copper ore was up 20.4%. The rise in copper imports was said to be led by demand from the energy sector and amid lower prices for the metal.

Meanwhile, iron ore imports contracted 1.32% amid ongoing COVID-19 lockdowns in China.

Rio Tinto share price snapshot

The Rio Tinto share price is down 8.24% year to date. For context, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has also lost around 8% over the same period.

Rio’s market capitalisation is approximately $34 billion.

The post Down 8% in a month, could Rio Tinto shares be worth digging into? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Why are ASX 200 mining shares getting blasted on Wednesday?
• Rio Tinto share price lower despite Turquoise Hill agreement
• Own Rio Tinto shares? Here’s why the CEO just met with China Mineral Resources
• Why are ASX 200 mining shares getting hammered on Friday?
• What’s the outlook for ASX 200 copper shares in September?

Motley Fool contributor Matthew Farley 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 and Life360, Inc. 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.

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Shares in Westpac Banking Corporation (ASX: WBC) finished up in the green today, up 1.63% despite no price-sensitive news.

Noteworthy, however, was that the Reserve Bank (RBA) hinted it may reduce the size of its future interest rate hikes in an effort to combat inflation.

The Vaneck Australian Banks ETF (ASX: MVB), an index fund tracking the sector, also finished 2% higher on the day.

Inflation ‘surprise’ now understood

In his speech to the Anika Foundation today, RBA Governor Dr Phillip Lowe said the recent lift in inflation had “come as a surprise”.

“A year ago, the RBA was forecasting that inflation over 2022 would be just 1.75%. Now, we are expecting CPI inflation this year to be around 7.75%,” he said.

“This is a very big change and a very large forecast miss.”

Lowe added that the magnitude of the miss-step had led to some “soul searching” from forecasters at the RBA.

Despite the downbeat tone to start the speech, the RBA Governor also said that measurements suggested there was confidence that inflation would return to targets of 2–3% per year. He added:

The Board is committed to doing what is necessary to ensure that inflation returns to target over time. High inflation is a scourge. It damages our standard of living, creates additional uncertainty for households and businesses, erodes the value of people’s savings and adds to inequality.

And without price stability, it is not possible to achieve a sustained period of low unemployment. It is important, therefore, that this current surge in inflation is only temporary and that we once again return to the 2 to 3% range.

The Board is committed to the return of inflation to target.

As he went on, he predicted further interest rate rises, but that, all things being equal, “the case for a slower pace of increase in interest rates becomes stronger” with each subsequent hike.

As to how far the hikes will go, we will have to wait on the economic data.

Nevertheless, the potential weaker outlook on inflation and rising rates was deemed to be a positive for ASX bank shares such as Westpac today.

This could serve as important information in following the sector when looking ahead.

Westpac shares are down 18% in the past 12 months.

The post Westpac shares stepped into the green today amid RBA’s softer tone appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Why is the NAB share price diving more than the other big 4 ASX banks today?
• Why rising rates are a ‘sugar hit’ for ASX 200 bank shares: Macquarie
• When will the RBA stop raising rates? Here’s what Westpac thinks
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Tuesday
• Why ASX bank shares are more likely to slowly grind lower than crash, despite famed Wall Street bear saying it’s time to short them

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 recommended Westpac Banking Corporation. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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The Life360 Inc (ASX: 360) share price was among the best performers on the ASX 200 index on Thursday.

The location technology company’s shares ended the day 16% higher at $5.69.

Why did the Life360 share price rocket higher?

Investors were bidding the Life360 share price higher today for a couple of reasons.

One was the significant rebound in the tech sector following a strong night on Wall Street NASDAQ index.

This saw the S&P ASX All Technology index have its best day in a while and rise a sizeable 3.2%.

Among the best performers in the sector were beaten down loss-making tech shares like Life360 and Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1).

What else?

Also giving the Life360 share price a boost was the release of presentation for the Bell Potter Technology Decoded event. That presentation reemphasised the company’s plan to stop be a loss-maker in the near future. It explained:

We expect Life360 to be on a trajectory to consistently positive Adjusted EBITDA and Operating Cash Flow by late CY23, such that we record positive Adjusted EBITDA and operating cashflow for CY24. This trajectory could be further assisted by the positive impact of potential future price changes.

It also worth noting that Life360 expects to end calendar year 2022 with cash of US$65 million after making a loss of US$35 million to US$38 million for the year.

Based on its expectation that its losses will narrow before eventually becoming profitable in 2024, it appears as though the company has the balance sheet strength to see it through to then without requiring a capital raising.

Can its shares keep rising?

According to a recent note out of Bell Potter, its analysts have a buy rating and $8.23 price target on the company’s shares.

Based on the current Life360 share price, this implies potential upside of 45% for investors over the next 12 months.

This could mean that the gains are only just beginning for this tech share.

The post Life360 share price explodes 16% higher amid pathway to profitability appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• Megaport share price soars 10% as ASX tech shares trump on Thursday
• Down 49% so far this year, has the Life360 share price been massively oversold?
• Why these 3 ASX shares could be in for a massive boost this month
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Monday

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Life360, Inc. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Life360, Inc. and MEGAPORT FPO. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended MEGAPORT FPO. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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The All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) gained 1.81% today, but one ASX mining share lifted a great deal higher.

The Australian Strategic Materials Ltd (ASX: ASM) share price jumped 2.9% to close Thursday’s trading session at $3.19. In earlier trade, it climbed a hefty 7.82% before pulling back.

So, what did this ASX All Ords share report to the market today?

New agreement

Australian Strategic Materials provided an update on its Korean Metals plant. The company’s subsidiary KSM Metals Co Ltd, has signed a binding agreement on the sale of neodymium praseodymium.

The deal sees metal produced at the plant sold to Korean company NS World Co Ltd, which plans to use the neodymium praseodymium to make bonded magnets.

Under the agreement, KSM Metals will sell and deliver up to 10 tonnes of the rare earths metal between September and December.

What did management say?

Commenting on the news, Australian Strategic Materials CEO Rowena Smith said:

Securing the first sale of neodymium praseodymium ingot from our Korean Metals Plant is an
important milestone for ASM. In just over a year, we have taken our Korean Metals Plant from start of construction to commercial production.

This is a remarkable feat of dedication from our team.

Looking ahead, Smith said commissioning and ramp-up at the plant would continue in the second half of this year. She added:

We look forward to securing further sales contracts in the coming months and will update the
market as contracts are finalised.

Smith also presented at the New World Metals Investment series today. In her presentation, she highlighted how the demand for rare earth oxides would soar by 2032.

She highlighted the company’s Dubbo Project in NSW was construction ready with a processing plant on site. The company is exploring zirconium, niobium and hafnium in this project.

Share price snapshot

Despite today’s gains, the Australian Strategic Materials share price is down 74% over the past year and 70% year to date.

In the past month, the company’s share price has fallen 22%.

For perspective, the ASX All Ords Index has fallen 9% in the past year.

Australian Strategic Materials has a market capitalisation of about $456 million based on the current share price.

The post This ASX All Ords mining share is glowing greener today on ‘important milestone’ appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• 3 ASX mining shares primed for an ‘exponential’ energy transition: expert

Motley Fool contributor Monica O’Shea 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.

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When we take a look at the most popular exchange-traded funds (ETFs) on the ASX, there is one clear favourite amongst investors. That is the Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (ASX: VAS).

As of 31 July, the Vanguard Australian Shares ETF had just over $11 billion in funds under management. That’s more than double that of the iShares S&P 500 ETF (ASX: IVV), which presently has just over $5 billion in funds under management.

The next closest ASX-based index fund in terms of popularity is the SPDR S&P/ASX 200 Fund (ASX: STW). It currently has roughly $4.5 billion in funds under management.

So what makes the Vanguard Australian Shares ETF so wildly popular that it runs rings around the other ASX ETFs on the market?

Well, it could come down to a few factors.

Why is the Vanguard Australian Shares ETF so popular?

The first is the Vanguard Australian Shares ETF’s unique structure. It remains the only index fund on the ASX boards that covers the S&P/ASX 300 Index (ASX: XKO), rather than the more widely covered S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO).

The ASX 300 holds all of the shares that the ASX 200 does. But it also holds an additional 100 or so companies from the smaller end of the market. Perhaps ASX investors enjoy this increased diversification.

This has the byproduct of slightly reducing investors’ exposure to the largest shares on the ASX – your BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP)s and the big four banks. As most ASX investors know, banks and miners are the two largest sectors on the ASX. So it’s possible investors appreciate less concentration in these sectors.

There’s also performance to consider.

As of 31 July, the Vanguard Australian Shares ETF has averaged a return of 4.48% per annum over the past three years, and 8.12% per annum over the past five.

In contrast, the SPDR S&P/ASX 200 Fund has returned an average of 4.25% over the past three years, and an average of 7.92% over the past five.

That’s not a huge disparity. But it is probably enough to convince investors that Vanguard’s ASX 300 approach is the right one to take.

Bogle’s legacy

A final factor to consider is the reputation of Vanguard itself. Vanguard is a US-based fund manager. Its late founder Jack Bogle was one of the most respected investors in the world and attracted heavy praise from none other than the legendary Warren Buffett himself.

Bogle set up Vanguard as a not-for-profit entity owned by its investors. As such, it has historically often offered the lowest fees in the ETF industry. Bogle also is widely credited with inventing the index fund itself. As such, for many investors, Vanguard has unbeatable bona fides when it comes to offering ETF products.

So it’s probably a combination of these factors that has led the Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF to its place at the top of the ASX ETF pile today.

The post Why is the Vanguard ASX 300 ETF (VAS) so popular among investors? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Is the VAS ETF a good way to get started with investing?
• Could these ASX ETFs soon play a bigger role in Aussie super funds?
• Why are the VAS ETF’s dividends so erratic?
• How does VGS stack up against other ASX index funds?
• 2 ETFs I think would make good additions to most portfolios

Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen 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 recommended iShares Trust – iShares Core S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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The Brainchip Holdings Ltd (ASX: BRN) share price spent a solid day in the green today amid a positive trading session overall for ASX technology shares.

Shares in the artificial intelligence tech solutions company closed today at 97 cents each, a 5.43% gain. For perspective, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) closed 1.59% higher.

Let’s look at what might have impacted the Brainchip share price today.

What happened?

The Brainchip share price was not the only ASX technology share going gangbusters on Thursday. Shares in Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1) surged 12%, while Xero Ltd (ASX: XRO) climbed 3.52%. Meanwhile, Life360 Inc (ASX: 360) shares soared 16.7% higher at the close.

Today’s boost for multiple ASX technology shares came after the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) rose 2.14% in the United States overnight.

As my Foolish colleague Sebastian noted recently, ASX tech shares have a tendency to follow the trend of US stocks, typically more so than other sectors.

The Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) is up 3.19% overall today, while the S&P/ASX All Technology Index (ASX: XTX) closed 3.12% in the green.

What else?

The Nasdaq rose after US Federal Reserve vice chair Lael Brainard warned of risks of overtightening in the US economy.

Investors look to the Federal Reserve for guidance on monetary policy amid high inflation. On Wednesday, the Fed also published its beige book on economic activity.

Brainard said (courtesy of CNBC):

At some point in the tightening cycle, the risks will become more two-sided.

The rapidity of the tightening cycle and its global nature, as well as the uncertainty around the pace at which the effects of tighter financial conditions are working their way through aggregate demand, create risks associated with overtightening.

Brainchip derived nearly 96% of its revenue from customers in the Americas in the 2022 financial year, the company’s FY22 results show.

Meanwhile, in Australia, Reserve Bank of Australia governor Philip Lowe also hinted at a slowing of rate rises in a speech today. However, he said “further increases in interest rates” would be required over the months ahead.

Lowe added:

We are conscious that there are lags in the operation of monetary policy and that interest rates have increased very quickly. And we recognise that, all else equal, the case for a slower pace of increase in interest rates becomes stronger as the level of the cash rate rises.

The Reserve Bank reiterated it was targeting inflation between 2 to 3%. CPI inflation is now 6.1%, while underlying inflation is 4.9%.

Brainchip share price snapshot

The Brainchip share price has soared more than 100% in the past year, while it has surged 43% year to date.

But in the last month, Brainchip shares have lost nearly 14%.

Brainchip has a market capitalisation of around $1.67 billion based on the current share price.

The post Why did the Brainchip share price blast 6% higher today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Megaport share price soars 10% as ASX tech shares trump on Thursday
• What is the highest BrainChip shares have ever been?
• Burning through cash: Is BrainChip or Weebit chewing up more capital?
• Why is the BrainChip share price in the red on Thursday?
• The BrainChip share price has dumped 30% in a month. What’s happening?

Motley Fool contributor Monica O’Shea 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 Life360, Inc., MEGAPORT FPO, and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended MEGAPORT FPO. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) bounced back from Wednesday’s seven-week low today. The index closed 1.77% higher at 6,848.70 points.

It followed a strong session on Wall Street that saw the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) break a seven-session losing streak to gain 2.1%.

It might not surprise readers then that the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) led the market’s gains today, rising 3.2%.

Meanwhile, lithium shares led the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ)’s 2.7% gain while the S&P/ASX Real Estate Index (ASX: XRE) lifted 2.9%.

But it wasn’t a great day for all ASX 200 sectors. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) tumbled 2.8% following a disastrous night for oil prices.

The Brent crude oil price fell 5.2% to a new seven-month low of US$88 overnight. Meanwhile, the US Nymex crude oil price dropped 5.7% to trade at US$81.94 a barrel – its lowest point since January.

All in all, 10 of the ASX 200’s 11 sectors closed higher on Thursday. But which share outperformed all others to take today’s crown? Keep reading to find out.

Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown

Today’s top performing ASX 200 share was software developer Life360 Inc (ASX: 360).

There was no price-sensitive news from the stock today. However, it did release its presentation to the Bell Potter Technology Decoded Conference.

Among other things, the presentation outlined the company’s “pathway to profitability”. That’s expected to see it profitable by 2024. Find out more about the company and what it’s been up to lately here.

Today’s biggest gains were made by these ASX shares:

ASX-listed company	Share price	Price change
Life360 Inc (ASX: 360)	$5.69	16.36%
Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1)	$8.33	12.57%
Novonix Ltd (ASX: NVX)	$2.29	11.17%
Lake Resources NL (ASX: LKE)	$1.34	10.74%
Zip Co Ltd (ASX: ZIP)	$0.91	8.98%
City Chic Collection Limited (ASX: CCX)	$1.63	8.67%
Nufarm Ltd (ASX: NUF)	$5.26	7.79%
Allkem Ltd (ASX: AKE)	$15.17	7.74%
Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS)	$4.25	7.59%
Clinuvel Pharmaceuticals Limited (ASX: CUV)	$21.20	7.38%

Our top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown is a recurring end-of-day summary to let you know which companies were making big moves on the day. Check in at Fool.com.au after the weekday market closes to see which stocks make the countdown.

The post Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Here are the 3 most heavily traded ASX 200 shares on Thursday
• Why is the Novonix share price soaring 11% today?
• Why is the Zip share price charging 7% higher on Thursday?
• Why is the Pilbara Minerals share price surging 6% to another all-time high today?
• 4 ASX lithium shares hitting all-time highs on Thursday

Motley Fool contributor Brooke Cooper 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 Life360, Inc., MEGAPORT FPO, and ZIPCOLTD FPO. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended MEGAPORT FPO. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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The Arafura Resources Limited (ASX: ARU) share price notched up its second day of gains following its upbeat investor presentation.

Investors are drawn to anything exposed to electric vehicles (EVs) and the natural magnet miner is no exception.

Shares in Arafura jumped to a two-month high of 37.5 cents each in afternoon trade before closing at 36 cents a share, 2.86% higher on the day. In contrast, the All Ordinaries (ASX: XAO) closed up 1.62% today.

Strong attraction to the Arafura share price

The miner is aiming to be a major global player in the neodymium and praseodymium (NdPr) market. NdPr is used in making ultra-strong permanent magnets – the kind needed in electric motors.

What may be attracting investors to the Arafura share price is the company’s goal to supply 5% of global demand for NdPr oxide from its Nolans Project in the Northern Territory. The project is the only NdPr- focused facility in Australia with plans to mine and process ore to oxide at the one site.

The project is close to existing infrastructure and the miner claims the key approvals are in place.

Investors drawn to green minerals

NdPr isn’t only required in EVs. The magnets are also key to robotics, wind turbines, and mobile phones – the stuff that excites investors.

A lot of the cool and sustainable technologies also require batteries. This is why ASX lithium shares were also in hot demand today.

The Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) and Allkem Ltd (ASX: AKE) share prices both hit their record highs today. Pilbara Minerals hit $4.24 a share in intraday trading. It closed the session at $4.23 a share, a gain of just over 7% for the day.

Allkem also notched its new record price of $15.10 a share. It closed at $15.07, up 7.03%. Meantime, the IGO Ltd (ASX: IGO) share price closed at its intraday high of $13.54, 5.45% higher.

Magnet prices falling

With all this positive sentiment boosting the Arafura share price, it’s easy to forget that the NdPr price has been declining. Since hitting a monthly average of US$164 per kg in March, it has fallen to under US$130 a kg.

Slowing economic growth and China going in and out of COVID lockdowns are dragging on prices. But the bulls believe this weakness may not last when the world is moving to decarbonise.

Longer-term outlook is more promising

Arafura believes the security of supply will be challenged given that China is a big supplier of NdPr. Higher prices will be needed to incentivise new production from friendlier nations.

From that perspective, the ASX miner claims that 10 Nolans Projects are needed by 2030 to fill forecast demand.

Around a third of Arafura’s output is reserved for Hyundai Motor Corporation and GE Renewable Energy under a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

Arafura is in discussions with more than 10 other parties for the rest of the planned output from Nolans.

Arafura share price snapshot

The Arafura share price has performed strongly over the past year with a 132% gain. This compares with a 9.25% fall in the All Ordinaries and a 3.3% loss in the S&P/ASX 300 Metal & Mining Index (ASX: XMM).

The outperformance of Arafura also puts it ahead of some ASX lithium shares. This includes Pilbara Minerals with its 94% jump, Allkem with a 59% gain, and IGO with its 43% increase during the period.

Even leading rare earths producer Lynas Rare Earths Ltd (ASX: LYC) can’t keep up with its 21% advance in the last 12 months.

The post Why investors might be getting excited about Arafura shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Arafura defies sell-off in ASX mining shares to stay buoyant. Is this why?
• 3 ASX mining shares that rocketed more than 15% on Monday
• These 6 ASX mining shares are now in the ASX 300
• Why is the Arafura share price surging 10% on Monday?
• Why is the Arafura share price leaping 5% today?

Motley Fool contributor Brendon Lau has positions in Allkem Limited, Independence Group NL, and Lynas Corporation Limited. 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.

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If you’re looking for an easy way to invest in international shares for diversification purposes, then exchange traded funds (ETFs) could be the answer.

But which ETFs should you look at? Named below are three quality ETFs that could be worth getting better acquainted with. Here’s what you need to know about them:

BetaShares Global Energy Companies ETF (ASX: FUEL)

If you’re keen to gain exposure to international energy shares while oil prices are high, then the BetaShares Global Energy Companies ETF could be the way to do it. This ETF allows investors to invest in many of the largest energy producers in the world through a single investment. Through this ETF you’ll be owning a slice of the likes of BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, and Royal Dutch Shell. And while oil prices have started to fall, OPEC appears intent on cutting production to ensure they stay higher for longer.

BetaShares NASDAQ 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ)

Another ETF to buy for international shares is the BetaShares NASDAQ 100 ETF. If you want to buy many of the highest quality companies in the world in one fell swoop, then this ETF allows you to do it. That’s because the BetaShares NASDAQ 100 ETF allows investors to own a slice of the 100 largest non-financial shares on the famous NASDAQ index. This means you’ll be owning shares in giants such as Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, Netflix, and Tesla.

iShares Global Consumer Staples ETF (ASX: IXI)

A final ETF to buy for international exposure is the iShares Global Consumer Staples ETF. This ETF gives investors access to many of the world’s largest global consumer staples companies. These are companies that manufacture and sell products that are always in demand with consumers, whatever is happening in the economy. Companies in the fund include Coca-Cola, Nestle, PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble, Unilever, and Walmart.

The post 3 wonderful ETFs for ASX investors to buy today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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More reading

• Why is the Betashares Nasdaq 100 ETF leaping ahead on Thursday?
• Is the BetaShares NASDAQ 100 ETF the best index fund on the ASX?
• 2 of the best ETFs for ASX investors to buy in September
• 3 quality ETFs for ASX investors in September
• Why is the Betashares Nasdaq 100 ETF (NDQ) tumbling 4% on Monday?

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 BETANASDAQ ETF UNITS and BetaShares Global Energy Companies ETF – Currency Hedged. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended BETANASDAQ ETF UNITS and iShares Global Consumer Staples ETF. 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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